I Blame the Great Cat Wall

Yeah, I'm not even going to attempt to justify my lack of postings. So much so, I'm just going to inundate you all with photos. That said, and explanation: the Great Cat Wall is my name for the slab of plywood that Charlie bolted up between our kitchen and library. It has a hole in it for the cats-- their food is in the library now as SOMEONE thinks he's a cat. Sam enjoys looking through the hole after the cats go through, or looking over the wall and pointing emphatically at the cat food.

Sometime in July-- EVERYONE takes a bath.

7.09

8.09

The Phone is the best toy.

Grandad visiting 8.5.09

Whenever he gets serious, he looks like an adult. Freaky.

Yeah, I just looked up at a noise one day and Sam's pointing to this sight.
I have no idea how he levered himself up there.

More Grandad!

Auntie Caitlyn was right (as she so often is)-- Richard Scarry's BIGGEST WORD BOOK is a huge hit. I think Sam likes it best because he can climb onto it.

He looks like a freakin' teenager.

Our friends David and Lora came to dinner. Lora picked up a book and Sam was right there. He LOVES the books. Don't know why...

Last weekend, 8.22-23.09 at Lopez Island, WA. The ECS/MT company overnight at the O'Neill Cabin. Erin (Tim the Boss Man's daughter) was great fun for Sam.

So was Finnegan, the yorkshire terrier.

The Dad High Chair

The Slew Slain, or The Perils of Too Much Travel

This is what I know: when you have a small child, you will spend more time traveling with, preparing to travel with, thinking about traveling with and finishing traveling with said child than doing anything else in younnr entire life. My friend Jeanmarie likes to say that we live in CA, and just visit Seattle. Which makes our apartment a crazy expensive vacation rental, but at least it's full of stuff we like. I offer this observation as an explanation for the radio silence.
To address some common questions: No, he's not walking yet and no, he doesn't seem interested which is fine by us. I don't think it means he's not going to go to college. Yes, he continues to eat with giddy abandon-- including avocado. He's moved on to chicken and occasional shots of ground beef. Cheese is still preferred. Still has only 7 teeth (4 on top, 3 lower-- a fact which never ceases to amuse me) but has grown considerably. I would post his data from the one year exam, but I think it's outdated now. He's a nice, round 25 lbs, but I swear he's grown an inch in the past week. Enjoy these pictures-- from here on out, he looks like a little boy.

Dylan, Sam and Ryan examining Sam's new noisy toy.
6.26.09

Ryan and Mike (I suspect photographed by Dylan, but who knows)

Auntie Cait and Uncle Mike (photo by Ryan/Dylan)
I know, I know-- these are not pictures of Sam. But these are the wonderful and long suffering folks who hosted us and Sam's birthday in Clovis.

Grandad Jim, holding Sam who is looking at Great Grandpa Fred

Grandad and Sam making noise on Dodi's floor (Great Grandma Dolores).

July 14, 2009 video of Mama making Sam laugh. Yes, I'm making bizzare noises, but I love the little bugger.