Leg hair

I've already whined about this to most everyone, but a few weeks ago I noticed some tiny little leg hairs developing on Tristen. My first thought was, "Oh my god! He's not my pristine little baby anymore!" And my next thought was, "Oh my god; some day he is going to be a HAIRY MAN!"

This week he asked me to stop playfully spanking his booty when I'm helping him dress.

And last night he expressed an independent and worrisome opinion as I was teeing up music for dancing (we always have a mini dance party after work and before dinner on Fridays): "Mommy, I don't LIKE disco."

It's cliche, but I still can't get over it. They really do grow fast.

Zoo Saturday

Tristen and Ruby in the wagon -- heavier still than last time I hauled them up Fremont Ave. Their wagon-riding days are numbered.

We walked to the zoo from Ruby's house -- thankfully near the top of Fremont hill. It rained off and on, so we took shelter in the Zoomasium and at the snack bar. Things 1 and 2 enjoyed pretending to be flamingos (see pic below). Plus we saw the penguins. And that penny drop on the way out is always a highlight.

Cousins

Devilish angel boy

This is the little devil who pooped in the bathtub on purpose last night.

He is the wiggly brat who refused to sit still on the airplane back from Grandma's, spent at least 20 minutes wailing because his art supplies were missing stickers, and then loudly exclaimed as we were waiting to get off the plane, "Get your damn booty out of my face!" (five times).

He is also the perfect angel who proactively raised an issue as we snuggled up for story time: "You guys have been yelling at me a lot lately."

So then we had to talk calmly about what makes Mommy and Daddy mad and leads to us raise our voices. Tristen agreed that he "hasn't been listening to messages" and that he's been "wild with his body" -- his words, thanks to the world's most awesome preschool teachers. In the end, we all promised to try harder.

Whew; the days are full.

Bug let Tristen brush him

Bruiser

Here Tristen shows off his black eye. What happened? At preschool, Tristen was running really fast, playing freeze tag. Jackson was standing really still, holding a toy truck.

The birdbath project

I'm not even that big a bird lover. But I saw a birdbath made of recovered Goodwill crystal at the Flower and Garden show in Seattle recently. It seemed like an art project I could succeed at.

Now I may be addicted.

Check out the finished baths below. They're made of various chip bowls, fruit bowls, candy dishes, deviled egg plates, and vases. I procured the glass in exactly two Goodwill trips -- and used every piece. Chris and I used epoxy to bond them together.

I may yet add some silicone caulk. A few of them are getting moisture buildup on rainy days, and I'm worried they'll eventually grow mold or something.

Other details: I was a little sad that, after a few days in the sun, the epoxy yellowed just a bit. It's only noticeable when you're up really close, but in the future, I may be more conservative with the epoxy. Also, I added an extra plate, right side up, to the bottom of a few of them, just on a hunch. I now believe that the bottom plate will be nearly essential for installation.

Would it be wrong to put one in the living room?