Daily

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I take the food pyramid seriously. Gotta get my 3-5 daily servings of veggies! Just stick me in front of a DVD with a bowl of salad in my lap, and we got it covered...
...NOT! You didn't really think so, did you? This is an extremely rare sighting!

For more daily photos, check out PhotoHunt.

Average

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Did Mommy say she longed for Cheerios in the back seat of her car?

Well, I guess I made sure our car looks like an average American toddler's...
For more average stuff, check out Photohunt!

Balanced

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Balancing...
...is always easier...
...when you're holding...
...the hand of one you trust.

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Bulky...

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...it's what we are after breakfast.

Or what this apple cornbread mix looked like when we put it into the oven.
This is what you get when you need to use up some apples that are losing their crunchiness. Peel and slice them, spread them out in a greased casserole pan, and sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon on top. Then mix two packages of cornbread mix according to directions and spread it on top. Bake according to cornbread mix directions.

Then cut and serve with peanut butter and syrup. Sans peanut butter for me (New Years resolutions and all that). Sans apples for Esmé (lifelong resolutions and all that, or hopefully just the terrible twos). Thumbs up all around!

For more "bulky" photos, check out PhotoHunt.

(And is it possible that Esmé is 33 months now? I just had to start another photo folder - since I file photos based on her age...)

Technology

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Isn't technology great?! You can make all kinds of stuff disappear with just a little mouseclick!

Actually, I'm just making my blog...

For more technology, visit PhotoHunt.

Sports

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In honor of today's Sports-themed PhotoHunt, here are a couple of shots of me in my gear. The aim of the game is to be prepared! (Smoothie mustaches are just for looks.)


For more Sports-themed photos, visit PhotoHunt.

Entertainment

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Here I am watching a video clip about "Difference Making" at VBS this week. As you can see, all us kids are easily entertained!
For more "entertainment" photos, check out PhotoHunt.

Lock

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Now, WHY would anyone lock up my popsicles? Well, never fear. Locksmith Esmé is here!

For more LOCK photos, check out PhotoHunt.

Advertisement

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Esmé stars in a low budget ad for Spray 'n Wash...

For more advertisements, see PhotoHunt.

A couple of housekeeping items...

For those of you referencing the toddler alphabet activity posts: Mr. Linky is still not working for us, but I've hardcoded the existing links into all those alphabet posts on the right. And if you've got your own posts about toddler activities related to a letter of the alphabet, please leave a comment on the appropriate post so we can find them! I'll add your post to the list.

And we have a winner for the Father's Day Photo Canvas Giveaway! Debbie at Suburb Sanity - Mr. Random.org picked you! So he's the one who should get the thank you note. After you receive that photo canvas of all four of your kids posed appropriately at the same time, of course.

But I'm thanking UPrinting.com for sponsoring this giveaway. They have been a great company to work with and have followed through wonderfully in every dealing I've had with them. So if you're looking for a Canvas Printing or a Poster Printing, by all means check them out!

Now I'm off to see if I can sleep in the spotlight. We've got tax dollars at work in our front yard right now. The highway (which runs through our property) is down to one lane for a stretch over the next 6 days. And the spotlight is shining brightly (into our front windows) to alert drivers that they'll need to slow or stop.

It's great for the cat - less worries about high-speed accidents out there. And it's kind of fascinating watching and musing about all the drivers stuck in their cars waiting for the oncoming vehicles to make it through. It makes me glad I'm not a flagger. And it's a little disconcerting to realize our property is (very) slowing eroding into the North Umpqua River - the reason for the roadwork.

Enough profundity. Have a blessed weekend!

Books

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Here's one of my favorite parts of my bedtime routine: reading books! Counting the Little Quacks...

Another step in my routine: jumping on the bed. No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed...

And of course, we always end the day by literally climbing the walls...

For more books, see PhotoHunt.

Plastic

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For more plastic photos, see PhotoHunt.

Kids working it out on the swings...

What's the deal with HIM getting the nice chair and ME getting the PLASTIC chair?!

This plastic chair just doesn't suit me. If it's gonna be plastic, at least make it hot pink with Disney princesses on it!
So let's climb the ladder and survey the scene. Figure out our next steps, if you will...
He's standing on a swing! What's with that?! I wanna stand on the swing!
Now he's sitting on the swing! I wanna sit on the swing!
I'm on the swing now! Nah nah nah nah nah!
Not only can I swing, I can straddle this thing like a horse!
This is pretty interesting!

Where's he, though?

It'd be more fun to play together. Honest.

I'm kinda lonesome...

I want somebody to play with...

There are two swings, you say? Really? Who knew? Now we're talking!

Walking

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Walking, or not...

Taken today on the road by our house here in Oregon. For more "walking photos," check out PhotoHunt.

Protector

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God is our refuge and strength, a tested help in times of trouble. And so we need not fear even if the world blows up, and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam; let the mountains tremble!"
-Psalm 46:1-3, TLB

I'm thankful for a God and a Pappa who protect me even in the middle of big lakes... There's something reassuring about a handhold in times like these.

For more "protect" photos, see PhotoHunt.

My Favorite Shoes

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...she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

- Proverbs 31:22

For more purple, see PhotoHunt.

Triangle

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Howdy, folks!

That's no hazard triangle in front of my brain, in case you were wondering. You know, like "inoperable machinery ahead" warning sign.

No sir. I'm just framing my face with my "A"/"triangle shape that I'm using in "A" school this week. And maybe trying to come up with a name for that pretty beastie behind me - we've been naming animals like Adam on this walk...
For more triangles, visit PhotoHunt.

Space

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Esmé's Mommy here.

For today's PhotoHunt theme of "space," I decided to get a photo of that fascinating space between baby teeth.

"Absolutely not, Mommy!"

"OK, alright, here you go..."

"And while we're at it, how about a game of peekaboo?"

"Boo!"
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Warm

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Well, we couldn't let this week's PhotoHunt theme of "warm" get past us on this "W"-themed week of ours.

But it's been a while since we've been really warm, being here in Oregon... :) So here is a photo of transition - it's at the airport as we're leaving warm South Africa on December 26th for London Heathrow. As you can see, I wrapped myself up in my bright warm towel, getting ready for the cold to come!

That reminds me, I've got a way past-due post to get out about Scotland. Back to it...

Nautical

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For this week's PhotoHunt theme of "nautical," here is a photo Papa took near Beira, Mozambique, last October...

Bridge

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London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down... This is actually the Tower Bridge in London. And it is one cold freezing bridge!
Here's our pick for Photohunt's theme of "bridge"...

Furry

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For this week's Photohunt theme of "furry," here is a photo of me and my Flame, Kitkat. Papa says we look related. But I'm not quite as furry as he is.