phone pics...again

Evan is incredibly dutiful about recording photographs of events in our lives with his phone and sending them to me immediately.  I am still not very good about downloading those photos to our blog.  So here's (no surprise) a little catch up with those phone pics.

Dylan was given a new bike for his seventh birthday.  This was in September of last year and as soon as the weather was reasonable enough --translation: not blazing hot--we started riding bikes to school a few times a week.  I think we have all really enjoyed those morning and afternoon trips through the neighborhood as we get a little exercise, lessen our carbon footprint a bit, and feel generally neighborly waving to all the other passersby.

I think I have said this before, but Simon really loves preschool.  

(And I am so glad that the Child Study Lab is so close to us as it has allowed me to volunteer in my older children's classrooms regularly this year without having to drive all over the valley to get Simon to and from school.)  

Honestly, I was a little worried about how he would do in preschool simply because he is a bit of a spunky and particular kid.  This is due partly to his age and partly to his temperament, neither of which I can exactly change.  

So, it was a pleasant surprise to learn that he was actually following directions, that he had made several little friends whom he called by name and invited to our house every day and with whom ran around the play ground in little baby warrior clumps daring anyone to defy their wildness.

Simon at his Rawhide field trip...

And Simon in his raccoon hoodie taking a spin around the playground...

I cannot remember if I ever posted this picture of Amelia with her little cousin Savannah.  Amelia is simply enamored with little baby girls and really hopes that the baby I am carrying is one such little cherub.  

(It is likely not, unfortunately. But we'll know officially in a couple of weeks.)

Our kids and a couple of neighbor friends went to the ASU Space Exploration night and saw all sorts of cool exhibits last fall.  I stayed home and read a book while the dads took charge.  It was really nice.

This was a rainy day activity that we did on a sunny day because we rarely have rainy days.  

The kids painted little plaster dinosaurs (and a bit of themselves).