Ten on Tuesday.

Saturday was our annual (well I think we've ran three of the past four summers) run down at Lake Nokomis. The first year we did it, Alla was as little as Fisher is now, and obsessed with airplanes as he is now. So you get ten-plus pics of our outing for this edition of Ten on Tuesday. Can I just say I love having a point-and-shoot for such occasions?

1. This one was Alla's idea. Guess you can tell the wee one isn't as excited.

2. This is how Fisher likes to slide. He is very concerned with safety.

3. It's interesting what their interests were at the beach-park once the race was over. (Oh, did I mention that this isn't a post about the actual race, but the park at the finish line?) Anyway, Alla wanted to chase seagulls and Fisher wanted to sit and feel the sand. Sen, he says.

4. She also got a kick out of this rock wall that was super cool with its clear background.

5. Both kids have gotten a huge kick out of this swing it seems. Here's Fisher at last year's event.And this year!

6. Did I mention the airplane obsession? We knew from remembering Alla's first year at this race that he would be super excited about this. The lake is just over from the airport so you can practicaly see them take off. Fisher says, eh-paMe, over and over and over.

7. Here's our little family post-race!

8. Oh, alright, I'll indulge you. Ron ran a 44-something in the 10K and I ran a 25 and a half in the 5K.

9. We made it home in time for Fisher's morning nap. Yes he's 16 months and still taking a morning nap! And tired enough that I have to wake him from it each morning so he'll do an afternoon one!

10. For some reason every year we've ran this race it's been cool. The first year it was August and we were actually chilly, and the past two years it's been July and just lovely breezy gorgeous skies. Come to think of it, our entire July we haven't seen a single 90-degree-day. I'm sure that means we're in for a scorcher of an August. But that, I think, is what makes the crisp fall and chilly winter, actually welcome.

Block party!

So, last weekend was our annual block party. Alla told me when 4:00 rolled around and it was finally time, that she had been looking forward to it all week. Well put, my love.

It started a little gloomy but really all the kids did not notice because we block off the street for the rest of the day and they just get to run amuck. This year they busied themselves creating a block-long maze that they then ran and rode bikes through.

Fisher didn't want to be left out of the chalk fun.

We have friends on the block behind us, too, so we go around and invite them, too. This is little Grace, who lives behind us and is three months younger than Fisher. Fisher looks a little perturbed here, I think because I told him to stop beeping her nose already. I'm such a a kill-joy.

I'm sure many a kid will say that the best part was the fireworks. Ron was Head Fireworks Man, lighting up all those day-after-the-fourth-half-off fireworks. He could barely keep up with all the kids. We even got some snakes, and the kids sat patiently waiting to see what would happen.

Now if this isn't ever a genuine expression of WOW, then I don't know what is.Sittin' around on fold-up chairs in the street with friends and food. Nothin' finer.

On our block, this is how we roll: live music.

Another neighbor brought out some more leftover fireworks, and this is Alla hanging onto Daddy for dear life, in case one of those crazy fireworks goes awry.

The grown-ups' favorite part is that the kids are safe in the street, we collectively let them all stay up late (9:45! Holy jeez!), well, except for Fisher who went to bed at 7, so we can all just sit and eat and chat. Bonfires not optional.

I can hardly wait til next year. We should really consider some sort of winter extravaganza!

An amazing sight.

Our neighbors across the street raise homing pigeons. I know nothing about this except that at random times a day we are treated to this amazing sigh, these birds in huge flocks taking flight altogether, going the same place, turning at the same exact time. It takes your breath away, really, makes you smile and say wow.

I have visions of a giant canvas of one of these photographs hung on a wall, almost like another window. But I'm incredibly indecisive about what goes on the walls, so we will see. The photos don't do the whole sight of them any justice. It's amazing, makes you watch, and hope, for them to come back.

Today.

Watching Word World with Alla.
Reading with Alla - or, Alla reading to me.
Hail this morning, Alla picking it up and bringing it in.
Telling Fisher, Thunder, and hearing him say buh-na.
Fisher's finally, happily, coming around to cherries. Just as cherry season is on its way out. Alla did the same thing.
Fisher randomly didn't nap this morning. He's down now for what will hopefully be a looooong afternoon nap.
Spaghetti on tap for tonight - Ron's pre-10K race meal. He's been training hard for months now.
Wanting there to be yellow throughout the house. Looking at all the rooms together instead of separately.
We have 29 items out from the library. Some good ones we've read this week: Brave Irene, Clorinda Takes Flight, Whiteblack the Penguin Sees the World, Strega Nona, and Pigs in the Mud in the Middle of the Rud.
Alla asking me for more cheese - this, from the girl who won't touch anything but fresh parmesan cheese. Slices and slices.
Fisher ate a whole chicken breast for lunch.
Fisher wants to stab his beans with a fork.
Vampire Weekend is good lunch music.
Today is a nice rest day from four days in a row of swim camp. Next week is it, but I already have something amazing to share: Alla is swimming on her own!
As a special treat for her hard work at swimming this week we have a super surprise for her tonight: watching Willa Wonka and eating pizza after Fisher goes to bed! We finished the book last week so she's super excited to see the movie.
Alla to me: Mama did you know I really love the [green] moo-moos (smoothies) withOUT kiwi? This one's kind of charper. "Charp" is her word for tart. We use it a lot around here, as in, "J, are those plums good, or are they too charp for me?" See, even Daddy likes the word. Go ahead, try it.

And have a great weekend!

16 months.

Someone turned 16 months this weekend, and that someone's name is Trouble. Did I say that? Of course I meant Fisher.So here's what our little 16 month old is up to:

loves the song "John the Rabbit"
still takes 2 naps
has gone to two of Alla's soccer games now
loves to spy 'eh-pames' in the 'ky'
says 'voh voh' and signs motorcycle whenever one drives by
the vacuum obsession continues
loves food, especially 'beams' and 'ka-mama' (beans and avocado)
helps unload the dishwasher in the morning
loves to dance ('den!')
is the funniest whistler ever
says Alla like this: Aye-ya
is busy busy busy
tells me when he poops
and when he does it's 'stintee'
gives the sweetest pat-hugs
loves his kitty book

And just because I'm their mom, here's Alla at 16 months. Sigh.

Newest Nephew.

My little brother had his first baby yesterday. Well, he, of course, did not, but his sweet wife, Jenn, did. And look how proud they are! Introducing Ashton John Fagan, 8 pounds even. I love you already, little one.

Ten on Tuesday.

1. We took the kids to the zoo on Saturday, a beautiful beautiful day. Here's the boy, food filling his mouth as usual. 2. The butterflies were back for the summer and Alla was tickled about this, sitting there ever so still while they landed all around and on her.

3. Fisher is not really interested in toys. He just likes to figure things out - buckles, straps, keys and locks, etc. So he's perfectly content to sit on the grass and just try over and over to get the buckle of a bike helmet fastened.

4. I love my family:)

5. We decided to brave a later than usual evening for Fisher and all head out to Alla's soccer game last night instead of just Daddy taking her. This was very brave on my part considering that Fisher randomly didn't take an afternoon nap, so he'd been up since 11am, and the game started at 6:15pm. It was lovely, though, and cool, and Alla had fun. And then, a glimpse into the future, we put the kids to bed at the same time, after a story (and nursing for Fisher), we kissed them both and said goodnight.

6. Funny thing about playing goalie for part of last night's game: if the ball was headed into our goal too fast, Alla would just turn to us and say, It's too fast! So basically she wasn't stopping the balls unless they were the perfect speed. Ha!

7. It is extremely important to make these kinds of faces if you're going to be a successful hula-hooper.

8. Fisher likes to help with emptying the dishwasher in the morning. He just grabs the silverware and throws it into the silverware drawer.

9. The coffee table project has progressed to the ready-to-be-stained step! Thanks to my husband getting a mini-sander and doing a lot of the sanding for me.

10. My favorite beans are garbanzos. I think Fisher is a toss between those and kidneys. We eat a LOT of beans in this house due to Fisher's allergies. In fact, they are pretty much a staple of our diets. I need a bean cookbook. All beans all the time.

Lovey.

This lovey is the center of your universe. It is the spot to which you return to be soothed, calmed, centered, rested. It lulls you to sleep, it is the ultimate comfort. I think you are adorable with it, Doodlebug.

Ten on Tuesday.

1, We had a lovely fourth. Quiet. We are always the only ones left on the block, everyone else gone to visit family in other parts of the state, other states, or just off to festivals that end in fireworks. The kids are still too young for a fireworks show that starts at ten.

2. Bike rides. 3. Sorry, buddy, we really should get you your own helmet. 4. Alla may have fallen out of that sandbox earlier in the week, so with all the sand out, we just let the rainwater fall in and Fisher found this just splendid.5. Can't you just see her saying, Come on, Buddy, don't splash me!6. Once the boy was in bed, we broke out the sparklers. 7. Once again, still a bit wary of those sparklers.8. But she warmed up pretty quickly.9. I love this one. Completely out of focus, just her running with one toward me, for me. 10. And the very next morning we shared with Matt + Shelly, Dane, and their newest love. Congrats, guys!

Need 15 minutes?

If you find yourself needing fifteen minutes of peace and quiet, by all means hand your four-year-old a box of temporary tattoos and a wet washcloth and send her off to the bathroom. Make sure she counts to thirty for each one. Twenty simply will not do.When she comes out make sure you laugh when she tells you she's stylish and all tatted up. Throw in a new pair of swim goggles and you might just have yourself thirty whole minutes today. Don't say I never help you.

Soccer girl.

A few pics from her first game a few weeks ago. Her games are right after dinnertime, which is right when Fisher goes to bed, so at least for this year, Daddy's been taking her to the games. However that first game was later so I was able to see her in action. Too much fun.

She's doing a lot right now: soccer, swim lessons, a little reading, getting faster and faster on her bike. It's one of those times when you see a leap in growth in a lot of areas, all at once.I wish I knew what the assistant coach was saying to make Alla hold this kid's hand. I didn't even see it til I pulled up the photo. Sweet. I can't wait til the last game, which takes place at our park, just up the street, cause we're all going, as a family.