the mandel 5

Megan got a phone call from a friend yesterday and talked for 50 minutes! When I tried to listen in, she pushed me out of her room. When Grace got here, she picked up another phone and the three of them continued to talk!!

A night out with no kids! Last night we had an installation dinner for the board of our photography association. We went to the Magic Castle and sat behind Macaulay Culkin and Seth Green. Ferman said he saw Mrs. Garrett from The Facts of Life which I would have been more excited about but oh well.

This is the BEST the kids have ever done in a pool. Nathan announced this morning that because he is now 4, he can swim with floaties and leave his baby raft at home. Once Megan saw Nathan swimming around the pool, she ditched her ring and swam with only floaties, too. This was at Grantie and UB's house - they always have the funnest parties! =) Uncle Brady tossin' Blakeman...

A gift from Auntie Verna - and if you are reading this, it also floats! This entertained the kids all day. The contest was who could stand on it the longest in the pool without falling. Kari won, clocking in at an impressive 60 seconds!

On our way to Grandma's today, we stopped at the mall. I had just gotten the kids new outfits from tcp and it's a good thing. They soaked their own clothes in this fountain. Nathan doesn't like to be all wet so he didn't last long. Megan ran back and forth kicking water. And Logan, as we all know, is part boy, part fish.

Well, it's official. My baby boy is FOUR! We had a bbq at Grandma Verna's today. Nathan loved his presents - real soccer shoes, shin guards, and a ball, magnetix, an inflatable mini-trampoline, spirograph, and lots of soccer accessories. He also loved his cake and asked if he could bring the "whole thing" home. Megan with her friend Tiffany. This is how Logan napped today, bless his heart. I had to take him for a walk until he dozed off.

Grandma got a pinata for Nathan's birthday. The kids all took turns taking swings at it but it would NOT surrender a single piece of candy. Note Nathan's shin guards still on (in fact, he is sleeping in them tonight). Finally, we called on big strong Daddy to help us break it open. But the pinata won. The kids didn't care how they got the candy, as long as they got it.

We should really do this more often - they love to run around and ride their bikes. Went to the park tonight. Megan is a speedster on hers and Nathan can pedal all around with no help at all. Logan, well, not so much. Still, they had a blast. Shot at iso 400 with the85mm lens - still loving it.

Well, Megan certainly doesn't need any direction. I thought it'd be cute to get a picture of Logan with a couple of ducks for the bathroom. He insisted on holding EVERY duck. Can you tell this is all we did today? Set up the studio at 7am and shot every time I thought someone would cooperate. Obviously, JoJo was the most willing today.

MAN - can you believe it? My baby nay is going to be FOUR on Sunday! He let me get a few pictures of him today. Um, Daddy might have issues with the vest and hair length but I think he's adorable! And just so we all feel like time is going by waaaaay too fast, here is a picture of him the day we came home from the hospital. And we should take a moment to reflect on the growth of the photography, too! That was on our bed with film and hot lights. Had to fix 'er up in ps.

This puppet theater is a hand-me-down from our cousins. Logan didn't quite get the idea so it was a puppet/Logan show. Oh, and a buzz lightyear show!

JoJo thinks Diego is his mommy. He even tries to nurse from him. =)

If you sit still so mommy can try her new lens, she'll give you chocolate and stickers!

So, in the last couple of weeks, our neighborhood has been taken over by swallows. There is some confusion on the actual law against removing nests - is it illegal anytime during the building or only after they are established? I hate birds and lately they are swarming over our street by the hundreds. Here is a picture of a house belonging to neighbors who have lost the fight. After we went to the park today, we stopped by the store and saw THIS! I won't complain about swallows anymore. And I most definitely WON'T be getting my clothing dry cleaned here! You have to walk UNDER the crow's nest to get in the door. Oh my