Mosquito Project

Georgia and her 3D bug project for school, an Asian Tiger Mosquito.

First Day of Preschool 2009

Brody is now a big kid preschooler in the 4-5 yr room. He has moved up to Mrs. Wise and Mrs. Wallace, who taught Georgia three years ago. I was a little sad, but he quickly saw the Lego table, jumped in with his running buddies and wanted me to leave.

How does your garden grow?

gardening is good.
Brody is proudly showing off the 20 tomatoes that we harvested tonight.

When a Museum Isn't Really a Museum....

Our second day in St. Louis was comprised of a quick trip to the zoo and the City Museum, which isn't really a museum at all. It is the most creative place for kids and kids at heart that I have ever seen. Seven stories of fun kept us entertained for over four hours, although we could honestly have stayed longer. There are giant welded climbing sculptures, super-sized slides between floors, swings, hidden gerbil-like tunnels in ceilings, tree houses and even a complex maze of dinosaur caves. The kids had a blast and Chris and I challenged our older bodies to climb high and slide fast. Daredevil Brody was quickly trying slides by himself, and was eager to do the super-slide that goes from the roof and spirals seven floors to the bottom.Brody sliding by himself
Georgia and Ally navigating the stepping stones

Georgia in a "slinky" ladder into the ceiling

Georgia standing on a giant whale sculpture

Chris and Brody taking in a steep slide

Kacee in a rooftop sculpture

Now and Then

St. Louis Zoo, 2009

Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago 2007

Peanuts and Cracker Jacks

Georgia and her brownie troop

We headed down today for our first real look at St. Louis (other than driving through on our way to Texas) to attend Girl Scout Day at Busch Stadium. Georgia's brownie troop and hundreds of other scouts were invited to walk in a parade around the perimeter of the baseball field. They
waved and I tried to get some pictures with my zoom lens from our "penthouse" seats. And by penthouse, I am referring to the altitude not necessarily the luxuriousness.
















Chris and I were two of maybe ten people supporting the Houston Astros, who unfortunately lost 3-1. Georgia decided to go with the majority and root for the Cardinals.....traitor. Brody was happily entertained by his best buddy from preschool, Brandon, whose family came down with one of the other brownie families. They were much more interested in shelling roasted peanuts.
















Carlie and Georgia


















Chris and Kacee
























Chris and the kids from the stadium
view of the Gateway Arch

















Brody and Brandon

2nd Grade

Georgia on her first day of 2nd grade in Mrs. Ellis' class. she later said that her new teacher rocked.

Brody's First Harvest

Our little garden project gave us our first gift today: quite a few cucumbers, three zucchini and two small strawberries. The berries did not make it more than a minute after this photo. Brody says they were really sweet. I will have to take his word for it.

Last Call

Our visit ended with a sandbox. Four kids squeezed into 15 square feet and had fun digging while we talked and threw some things on the grill for dinner.
Georgia (7), Sam (4), Brody (3 11/12) and Andy (7)



It is great when you have kids that match in age and all get along. We miss our friends and were so glad that 3/4 of them could squeeze in a visit with us while seeing family.

Prairie Farm Visit

Brody, Sam, Georgia and Andy check out the chickens

Jessica, Georgia and Andy on the pond bridge

Brody's favorite, pink piggies

and not so favorite, geese.

the cutest baby ducklings.