Love letter from Dad #10

We hold hands and say grace at meals together and it's become ritual enough that you little guys sometimes call for it when we forget.   I commonly say the most words and we always close with the group chant "1,2,3 ...GRACE."   But last week to our surprise and delight, Koh led grace with "I love you Mom" and Abe immediately followed "I love you Mom and Dad."   OK fine ...we saw no need to further embellish that dinner blessing.

Best of all I hear you express these words almost daily to your favorite people as in "I love you Grandma" and even to each other.  I can tell you it's heartwarming for all to hear, and it seems like you even understand what you're saying.  At 3 years old?  Is it a stage that will fade?  Only time will tell I suppose.

It's sure a joy for me to see you feel love and affection at your age and to be able to express it so plainly, innocently, spontaneously, and for a reason at that moment only you have in mind. I think that's great, and I hope you don't outgrow it.

I love you little guys.   -Dad

Seker Gothic

Abe: Grant Wood painted this famous American Gothic portrait that we like > >

< < Only my mom and dad are crazy and like to do things different so here's our version.   It's a true-to-life view at our home and chicken farm, including actual child labor, real farm tools + old wheelbarrow, microbrew beer, and clothes we wear around town.

Mazatlan - we're back

Does this photo of our host family the Samores give any clue about the fun we had for a whole week at this big sandbox in the sun?

If not, click here for 50 more shots and a few movies of our first family adventure requiring passports for all.

Emergency...we need passports?! In 2 days?

Koh: Dad forgot that the world got dangerous recently and was advised that Abe and I needed US passports in order to get on the plane to Mexico next week.

So off to Seattle we drove for a day of adventure. BIG buildings, street crossing holding hands, lunch and snacks, chasing birds, riding the monorail, riding up the Space Needle, more snacks, and lots of time in the car. We even ate at McDonalds and got a toy and french fries.

And lots of time in this one place with cops everywhere. Clearing security to Passport Office in Federal Building, elevators, playing with paper clips while Dad talked thru the bulletproof glass, putting the paper clips in the wall socket while Dad wasn't looking, (he eventually looked), crawling on the floor under people's feet, loudly playing hide-n-seek, showing our faces to the agent to prove who we were.

Here are some pics and clips from our fun day. Dad - can we do that again?

Easter egg parties

Koh: We like Easter 'cause there are hidden prizes all over the place like in the park and at home under the sofa and even at Grandmas house under her bed. We even had the whole neighborhood over for hot KohKoh after the egg hunt in the park.

Uncle Torrey and Auntie Angela gave Abe and me these GINORMOUS solid bunny chocolates ...they were bigger than our heads, but we tried to eat them anyway.

Click here for our music video.

Chef Abraham

Abe: I like to help Mommy in the kitchen. I help put the silverware away from the dishwasher, I scoot my stool over to watch her cook and me and Koh both like to crack eggs into the bowl and we're good stirrers too.

Today I was a real chef, and made home-made croutons. I brushed the olive oil onto the bread all by myself and with great flair.

Potty Training lockdown

Koh: We haven't written lately 'cause we're in potty training lockdown. This means until we ditch the diapers there are no video games, no blogging, no tv, no visitors, no talking, no laughing, no fun and the only food we get is a reward when we go to potty. Mom and Dad are doing a full court press on us ...even Grandma is in on it, too. And of course no photos of this toilet game. Abe is doing better than me, he likes wearing those "big boy underwear."

We'll back shortly ...please stand by.

We hiked a big one today: Angel's Rest!

Koh: Mommy was away this weekend, so Uncle Jeff and Dad took us hiking in the Columbia Gorge where they have lots of waterfalls and ferns and Trilliums and steep hills. Ever since we were tiny we've come here and Mom and Dad always carried us in packs.

Look what they did to us when we were only 2 months old!

BUT NOT ANY MORE. Today they carried us up to this heavenly place in the sky then WE HIKED ALL THE WAY BACK to our car ...over 2 miles down this steep 1500 foot hill over rocks that made clinking sounds, next to dangerous cliffs and over a creek with fun waterfalls.

I'm very proud of me, can you tell?

We're so pumped we made a music video. Click here for our 100-seconds of joy (then press the HQ button below video for high quality)

I'll brush I promise

Abe: I saw what happens when you go to the orthodontist today, up close, when I watched Daddy get his teeth fixed.

Mommy says I do a pretty good job of brushing my teeth, but now I'm going to do a really good job.

Eye Eye

Koh: "Abe - why is your eyeball striped like that?"

Abe: "Doctor says that's OK, so what? Why are you wearing underwear on your head at dinner?"

We love slides

...and swings and merry-go-rounds and see-saws and kicking balls and Frisbee and running bases and... and.... and...

We just plain love playgrounds. Thanks Mom and Dad and Grandma for taking us there ...again today?

Look Nana Jo: Gym Class!

Dear Nana Jo: We know you were a gym teacher so we think of you every Thursday when we go to Little Gym Class.

The program lasts 20 weeks and we have more than one teacher and music and lots of coloprful padded gear to romp on and fun team games and bare feet and a different theme each week. Today our theme was "Finishing" and we learned to say TA DAAAAA and stand tall after each performance.

Are you proud of us?? We're only 3 but look at the stuff we do:

KOH = Potassium Hydroxide

Koh: Today we learned what my name means. Daddy and Mommy thought they were naming me after the Thailand island of Koh Samui where they honeymooned, but nope. I'm a chemical compound. KOH stands for potassium hydroxide and watch out cuz I'm corrosive.

What's wrong with this picture?

Answers:
1. I'm half-naked in public
2. No pee is coming out
3. The nearest toilet is miles away
4. My pee coach is Mom, when Dad is right over there

Koh: By brother Abe pees better than me, and has since the day we were born when he pee-ed all over the delivery room. For me I want to go, but the pee is "not ready yet."

Mom and Dad say we are gonna pee outside in nature a lot in our lives, so we need to learn. They say it's fun and they keep droppin' trou to show us how.

I'm gonna get this right, Mom!

"Grandma, my shoes are tired!"

Abe: We go on a walk just about every day, so we like it and we're good at it. Plus we know our 'hood and all the secret spots better than anyone.

Grandma takes us on the longest walks of all ...to fun places like the community corner that has an accordion. And she never takes a "Plan B" rescue device like Dad does ...the stroller or a backpack so we can hitch a ride when we're tired. Not Grandma, she makes us walk it all.

Sometimes she just goes too far, like the other day. So this time I just put my foot down, stopped the party and proclaimed: "Grandma, my shoes are tired!"

How come she laughed so hard?