We had a week-long birthday celebration with Grandma from WI.

For anyone who still checks our little blog, a photo update of Dawit. He’s turning 9 in September.

Robin and Hermoine–fighting crime and casting spells.

MaryAnn, Gilligan, Ginger and the Professor.  The coconuts became the in-demand dancing prop at a party we attended in Hartford.

I need to get this down before my kids stop doing it and it disappears from my memory. They have two topics they discuss in back of the white minivan: Cook Crabs and the Nose Mall.

You see, each time you leave the highway on an exit with a “2″ in it, you’re headed for the Nose Mall. If you’re lucky, you have Lily and Dawit in the car to help navigate such a perilous situation. It requires special clothing, food, and a decontamination after you escape. There are hours of details invented and remembered and built upon.

Then there are the Cook Crabs. They are creatures that live in our walls, and travel on various errands with us in my bags. They are also able to teleport via baby-changing stations in public restrooms. It’s unclear if they pose any danger, Lily and Dawit are usually gleeful that they are around, but sometimes try to stomp them.

I’ve taken to simply playing along–they both laugh like hyenas when I ask them about the Cook Crabs at school. Apparently Cook Crabs don’t go to school. Who knew?

100% Puppy. She’s a yellow lab / golden retriever mix, and her name is Chloe. Her eyes are just the same color as her fur. I may as well have an 18 month old human baby.

Antics include:

• In the dishwasher. Completely inside.
• Wearing my cell phone and charger like a scarf.
• Causing an emergency surgery (stitching) for an elephant Webkinz
• Breaking-out of crate, leaping of baby gates to attack large herd of unicorns.
• Sampling every plant.
• Falling off bed while sleeping.
• Peeing. A lot. On everything.
• Breaking glasses and dishes.
• Slicing the screen on the dining room window and hoisting herself thru off the deck.
• Making the puppy face so I forgive her.

Dawit is speedy, determined, and very competitive. In addition to pilot, astronaut, and Ninja, Olympic runner is now on his list of professions.

In happier news, the same rescue group introduced us to Chloe, a six month old lab mix puppy. Photos and antics soon–

The kids conspiring to make lots of money.  Remember their lemonade stand?

This time they’ve outdone themselves.  They will set up a place where friends and family can pay $.25 to view Lily’s Super Gross-Out Knee.  (biking incident earlier this week)  I mean, who wouldn’t pay to see a set of four oozing scabs?

Big plans are in place to spend their riches, they can hardly wait:

(They were actually making these plans when I was shooting the photos…I didn’t know it until Lily asked how much I’d be willing to pay to get a look at her injuries)