The Many Faces of....

Pirate Sam....he loves this hat.

Pirate Sam, throwing his hat on the ground because he can't have the camera.

Sam eating green tomatoes while I pull the garden up.

Quiet Saturday mornings....

Thomas, enduring another picture.

Thomas and Nathan did exactly the same thing....climbing the dishwasher.

Quite happy, I would say.

When Sam drinks from a cup, he throws his head back and gets it all!  We do a teaspoon at a time.

And then it dribbles!

Rainy days

We start them young!  Thomas will truly have his partner in a few years.

Snugglers!

Some Favorite Pictures

Sam, early August, in the tomato patch with Mommy.  He loves raspberries (notice the purple hue on his cheeks) and tomatoes.  Apparently, all my little dresses were stained down the front with tomato drippings, so Sam comes by this quite naturally.

Entertaining himself while his brothers are off at school.  This is the end of August and the first time I noticed him up balancing on the little step.

Sam on one of his birthday presents.  He gets pushed around the house by his brothers.  He hasn't figured out yet how to move himself.

What a grub!  And yes, he finally had a haircut.

Dressed to hunt....currently, it's squirrels.

Fall Baseball, Nathan with a smirk.

Under all that catchers gear is Thomas.  He needs to put that right hand behind his back!

Thomas, taking off for first.

Nathan had his adenoids removed again yesterday and tubes put back in his ears.  He is a little old for new tubes but we felt it was the best course for keeping the ear infections at bay.  He was a trooper!  Everything went well.  They did find scarring on the adenoids which had grown back 80% since their last removal in 7/2010 so they had to remove them the old way of cutting.  Gross...I'll say no more.  He has a sore throat and was very pale all day yesterday but he acted himself and so was off to school today.

Thomas and Nathan are really enjoying the fall baseball league.  We are noticing a marked improvement over the spring.  Just practice and of course they are just a bit older.  We enjoyed the open house at their school, meeting both teachers.  I think they are both happy in their classrooms which makes me happy! 

One of Sam's favorite words is Get!  We tell that to the chickens when they come up on the back porch.  He was out there the other day rattling the compost bin which brings them running and then stood there yelling at them to get.  Finally he picked up the bin, put it right up against the door jam and stood between it and the chickens yelling at them.  It was so funny.  He tells Annie too.  He cracks us all up but I have to say that boy is getting a temper!  He has this little mad cry he does.  He seems so young to really get mad but he does.

First Day of School...Second Grade!

Headed down to the bus-stop.  These days are so cool in the morning, look at all those long-sleeves!

Day 1:  Thomas was excited to go but Nathan dreaded it.   Day 2:  Nathan told me this morning

"Would you believe I told Daddy that I was excited."

Riding the zip-line while waiting for the bus.

Getting on...look at those smiles!

Nathan, waving to me with Thomas just behind.

So, they started another school year.  Second grade!  They are in separate classes.  This school has the unofficial policy of separating twins so that "they will have their own experience".  It's hard to let them go back out into that dark, cold world.  I'm glad they have each other. 

Sammy's First Birthday

I wonder how many August birthday people get stuck with zucchini cakes?  Yep, that's what we had, with a thick glaze.

Sam and his family

Who me? 

Opening presents with lots of help.

Sam, looking at a card.

Sam, looking at a new book.

Sam with his new shark back-pack.  What a cute profile!

Sam keeps us all smiling.  He loves the came of chase and will do his best to get someone to start.  He says teddy, kitty, Dixie, Daisy, da-da and ma-ma.  He said "up" to his aunt (I've been working on it, but haven't gotten him to say up to me).  He ruff-ruff when he sees Annie, the dog.  He's definitely has that down pat.  Though he says ruff-ruff when he sees the cats, when he sees the chickens, when he sees a rabbit....hm....I wonder if all that dog-food he snitches when the pantry door gets left open is having an affect.  He does fantastic imitating.  We are having a problem with flies in the house just now so when they land on the table we try to whack them.  So at lunch, I tried to get one, missed and went back to eating.  Two seconds later, Sam reaches over and whacks the table with a big grin.   Last night after meeting, the girls were trying to teach him to put his finger up to say he was one...it took about three tries and he was doing it.  

Newport, RI July

We toured Fort Adams.

Inside the living quarters of the Fort.

View from the look-out over Nargansett Bay.  Notice the house on the Island....you can rent this!

Sam, thoroughly enjoying the tour!

Supper at the Black Pearl, Thames Street.

Dining companions

Surfing in Nargansett Bay.

Boogie boards....souvenirs from RI.

Carousel at the beach.

Early Summer

Last Day of School!

Over to Clifton Park.  Sam with his cousin Benjamin.

Grandma with a bunch of grandkids.  The newest being days old and the oldest, 7.

Two Swings, Three Kids!

Thomas and Sam.

Sam's first time to Scusset beach.

Thomas and Sam on the rocking horse.