Pretty Sunset

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Baby fish

There is something so adorable about a baby in a swimming suit, I must say.  This sweet little turquoise one fits much better than it did last year, don't you think?:

And she's equally delightful (if a bit pensive) in yellow. 

She didn't care for the expanse of swimming pool water at first (she really has never had much love for her baths, either).  But sometime after the first hour of clinging to me, biting my shoulder, and climbing up my arm, she discovered that she could kick her feet and flap her arms and splash.  And then she LOVED it.  Since then, she can hardly wait to get in the water.

Not pleased about getting out to go home---not even when wrapped in her pink bunny towel!

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Breads class

Despite my total lack of credentials (except perhaps my Home Ec. degree?), I find myself with the delightful opportunity to teach a class on bread-baking next Friday evening as part of the "Daybreak Culinary Academy."  I'm going to show how to make my whole wheat bread, artisan bread, the pretty "braided" herb bread below, and cinnamon/orange rolls.  Yum.

More information here.

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Morning and wildflowers

It's starting to get hot, and the grasses are beginning to turn brown.  But there is one last blaze of wildflowers first.  I love June.

This looks like one of those artsy photographs I don't really have the talent for (highlighting the tension between the delicate flower and the encroaching foliage, or something) but really I just think poppies have a cool shape against that sky.  So floppy and papery!

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Midsummer's Eve

We celebrated the first day of summer by going up into the canyon.  But isn't it also called Midsummer's Eve in some parts?  It does seem like the solstice should be in the middle of summer rather than the beginning.  But either way, we had a great time.  When we left at 9:50 p.m., it was still light enough to see our way along the path with no flashlights!  I love long summer evenings.

The boys called this fallen tree "Landscape Arch"  (which it really does resemble)

A little house

Flapper, yessir, one of those

So much green!!  Where are we, Pennsylvania?

Such beautiful, beautiful scenery. I feel so lucky to live here!

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Can a marshmallow be too big?*

Perhaps you've seen or heard of these extra-large "campfire marshmallows."  Sam came home with them from the grocery store the other day (NOT on the list) and we were all starry-eyed and excited to try them out. 

We wanted to love them.  But I'm afraid I must warn you away from them.  The problem is that they are just too big.  Tragically, this means that even when pleasantly toasty and browned on the outside, the inner core remains dense and unmelted.  True, you can remove the outer shell and re-roast the inner core, but . . . it's messy and I don't recommend trying it.

Also they don't fit in kids' mouths very well.  Not that, if you are making s'mores anyway, you were planning on clean kids' mouths; and if the taste was superior perhaps I could forgive the unwieldiness.  But, when the child goes to pick up the marshmallow from his plate and comes away with hands like this . . .

(and, I might add, the degree of this mess alarmed even Sebby---if you know him well, you can see the panic budding just behind this smile.  It was only averted when he saw I was going to laugh instead of scold him . . . )

then (in my opinion), it is TOO MESSY.

Sorry, campfire marshmallows.  We know we step squarely** away from the cutting edge here, and call us pedestrian if you wish, but we'll be sticking to*** your smaller, and infinitely more manageable, brethren in the future.

*If you've seen Ghostbusters, you already know the answer to this question is YES.

**Ha!

***Ha! ha!

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Why "Toy Story 3" made me cry

"Bo-dee is looking at the fire.  He can sit by me."

"Do you like the fire, bo-dee?"

"Watch out!  Here comes the boy!  This is the boy, Mommy.  And the bo-dee, who is a monster.  And he LOVES the boy."

"So, I'll tell you about the bo-dee.  He's not scared of things.  He's just a good, good, bo-dee.  He likes campfires, and he likes canyons.  He likes to hug me and sit by me.  Mommy, I LOVE bo-dee!"

"I'm kissing im.  Ee kisses me too."

"Ee's fwyyyying so fast!  He's the fastest bo-dee!"

("If there's smoke in your way, Mommy, you can just go like THIS! And fwap it away!")

"Now he's looking at you, Mommy.  He sees you!"

"Bo-dee is going on the train.  The train is going up the track!  A sign is coming up!  Vvvv . . . vvv.  It says . . . it's a small world after all, it's a small world, it's a small, small, wo-wold!  And remember to pwease watch your kids!"

"Bo-dee's not scared of it.  He likes it.  And I love him.  He's my bo-dee, Mommy.  I love him."

This sweet little Malachi.  I just can't stand the thought of him ever outgrowing his birdie.

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