she's a giggler. katie.

"I found this excellent helmet!"

"Will you just help me out here?!"

A serious face for a serious activity.

Their dad kept saying, "Keep it away from the people!" (meaning me & Katie)

"We can't leave the swings!"

"how do you like to go up in a swing...
up in the air so blue?
oh I do think it the pleasantest thing
ever a child can do" -rls

a tousle with a bulldog.

Augustus really does not appreciate it when little boy dogs get too sniffy with him. Today, he found himself in a little scuffle with an over-exuberant bulldog. The bulldog walked past us, but just couldn't continue on his way without thoroughly meeting Augustus. He actually broke his leash and charged right up to Augustus, flipped him onto his back   WITH HIS ENORMOUS FACE and would not get off him!
Being inherently clumsy and always slow to react to situations like this, I couldn't coordinate my hands, holding a bagel and Augustus's leash, quickly enough to help him out of his vulnerable position.
After the owner FINALLY pulled her dog off of him, Augustus grumbled indignantly and scooted down the path as fast as he could go. The owner seemed more amused than concerned and simply muttered something about her dog being "the runt of the litter". 
Okay, thanks, good luck with getting a stronger leash.
I took Augustus to our new vet (yes, only a bike ride away), and since he's still taking one steroid, she couldn't give him pain medicine (his back muscles are bruised), but she said the most I could do was to make sure he rested and keep an ice-pack where he's sore.
I guess I'll need to start practicing the scooping move that moms do with their toddlers when they see something possibly menacing coming towards them.

Yes, that's a Lilly shoe bag holding a pouch of frozen peas.

"I really don't think this is necessary."

relaxation and frozen peas. doesn't get better than that.

what a tasty tennis ball!

 Apparently we're missing some tennis balls for Sailor to chase 

 and we happen to have a plethora of pears falling from the pear tree...

Sailor has found a pear to be an absolutely divine substitute for a tennis ball.

His stomach seems to be a little more iffy about it though...

"Hmm... it's green, it's pretty round for the most part.
It doesn't bounce, but it must be some species of a tennis ball.
It'll do."

Sailor is so intent on this pear-tennis ball hybrid that he's not even aware
of how close Prairie was to stepping on him.

"This is the most scrumptious tennis ball I could ever dream of chasing.
In fact, I shall not even chase it. I'll gnaw on it for hours on end instead."

"what do girls do who haven't any mothers to help them through their troubles?" louisa may alcott

One of my mom's good friends, Beth, came over today with her daughter Sarah and we took some photos of them together. Sarah's smile is so sweet (no wonder Sean calls her his girlfriend!). They're so happy posing!

I think it looks like they're cracking up about an inside joke.

Two pretty ladies.

Sarah's adoration is just so visible in the way she's looking at her mom.