Smarter than your average...

Chimpanzee?

The girls were in the front yard playing in the sprinkler and Ryan was inside, desperately wanting in on the action. On his tip toes, he could barely glimpse them from the sun room window.

I watched as he toddled over to the living room to a box of baby wipes that arrived today (thanks, Amazon!), and my jaw dropped when I saw him begin patiently pushing the box through the living room, through the dining room and into the sun room. As soon as it was wedged against the wall, he proudly stood on it. Bingo! From his newly-created perch, he giggled as he watched the girls play.

Yep, using simple tools. One more sign that his intelligence could rival that of a primate. And given that we have somebody in the house (who will remain nameless to protect the innocent) who has twice now suds-ified our kitchen by using dish soap instead of detergent in the dishwasher....let's just say it's a relief that Ryan appears to have a good head on his shoulders.

Off and...

Running! 

How is it possible that this sweet, happy (speedy!) babe is 11 months old? 

Heat Waves and Waterfalls

Last week, temperatures in Portland reached three digits just as our pals Helmut and Kris and their sweet pie of an almost-two-year-old Charlotte came for a visit. Our house was mighty uncomfortable so we escaped to the Columbia River Gorge for cooler temperatures among the waterfalls.

Our favorite kid-friendly trail was closed for construction, so we ended up at Multnomah Falls. I shy away from it because it is typically overrun by tourists; as I told Kris, you can't really trust a hiking trail that has an espresso cart at the entrance.  But, we decided that climbing to the tippy top of the tallest water fall in the contiguous United States would be a great accomplishment. It was a beautiful hike with scenes of the river, and we all proudly (with complaints, albeit, from Lucy because of hunger and heat) made it up the 1.8 miles of switchbacks to the top of the falls. And back down. No small feat, given that Kris is five months pregnant and Helmut and I were each carrying 25-pounders up the trail (yes, my baby weighs as much as their toddler...no ribbing, please).

The best part of a tourist-laden hike? The ice cream shoppe waiting below at the end of the journey!

Speaking of the Future...

I don't think Lucy has much corn-on-the-cob eating in her future. Her top two teeth are now with the beloved tooth fairy. 

Fortune Teller

Just in case you want a glimpse into your future... 

 Lucy's fortune-telling talents are available. For a small fee, of course. (Insider tip: popsicles and homemade chocolate chip cookies are also acceptable forms of payment.)   

National S'mores Day

Nobody had to ask us twice to celebrate National S'mores Day! The girls, along with our pals Em and Brent, loved their gooey creations around the fire pit. 

Bounty of Berries

One of the most delicious things about summer: the bounty of berries in Oregon.  

Gorgeous blue berries, courtesy of Dad and his bumper crop from his garden this year! 

Guess what will go on our pb&j's this year? 

Mary and I picked 10 pounds in raspberries in less than an hour. Being the fruit lover that she is, Mary could also have eaten 10 pounds in less than an hour, but fortunately, she agreed to help make jam instead. 

Olympics

Maybe we've been tuning in to the Olympic Games too often in this house.

Can you see that tiny white t-shirt WAY up high? Yes, that would be Lucy. She is taking a rock climbing class this week, and loving every minute of it. 

And Mary has been loving the beach volleyball so much that she is doing a volleyball camp. 

And maybe it was a mistake to let Ryan watch the weight lifting? As you can see, this  babe has perfected the push-up. His new nickname is Muscles. 

Surprise, surprise!

This weekend, we traveled to Bend to surprise Amy for her 40th birthday. It was a beautiful day of celebration, where we let our presence be known from the back patio with a rousing, "Happy Birthday" song. The birthday girl opened the back door with equal parts surprise and joy. That evening, Tom prepared a feast as more neighbors and friends joined the celebration. On Sunday, a float (or paddle for some, ahem, Curtis) down the river was a highlight of the weekend for the girls. Of course, the best highlight was spending time with treasured cousins. 

When you're 40, apparently you get TWO cakes. Lucy can't wait to turn 40!

The scene of the evening party from the back lawn. What a beautiful, picturesque setting.  

Five little cousins, snuggling on the bench. 

Friends and neighbors enjoying the delicious filet and salmon that Tom prepared for his lovely wife. 

While the adults feasted, the children enjoyed some bocce ball and croquet. And a whole lot of cousin love! 

Mary and Lucy just adore Chiara in her tiara. (Can you spy her castle, also?) 

The biggest surprise to me is that I have a sister who is 40! Good thing there are so many years between us...oh, wait a minute. That's coming faster than I thought. Let me try that again. Good thing Amy has shown me how incredibly wonderful 40 looks and feels!