Birthday and Ninja crowns

"Let me take your picture", say Mom

So it started out innocently enough. Mom says, "Let me take your picture".
I try to get a picture of them together at least once a week--well I am trying that lately.

Then the giggles begin..............
" Just smile for me, both of you, look at the camera" Mom says



Aww, that's a good one!
Full on laughter! I absolutely love this picture of them. So them. Bean giggles and chuckles when he laughs and Yaya is full -on -hearty-throw back the head laughter.

Will they still be like this in a couple years?

Sharks, goats, boats, and the Reds

We had a grand adventure the other weekend--it was the Friday after Bean had started school--which he had off--and we decided to surprise him by going to see some sharks. He has been asking all summer to go see some sharks, so we decided it was time. There is an aquarium outside Cincinnati called the Newport Aquarium http://www.newportaquarium.com/ located in Newport, Kentucky. Just over the river from downtown Cincinnati--about a 2.5 - 3 hour drive from Athens. So, we headed out without telling the kids where we were going--was to be a surprise for them. It was! They were so excited to see sharks and all the other amazing animals there


We stayed the night in Newport and took the ferry over the river to a Cincinnati Reds game. Interesting enough. We all enjoyed the Cracker Jack and the fireworks at every home run--there were four that night.



Next day we headed the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens. Now, as some might know already, I have mixed feelings about zoos.

Being a bear--looking at Irving and Muktuck. who were not being too bad this particular day--it was hot and there were no blueberry muffins around, I guess.



Oh and are your still curious about the goat part of things? Is this not the cutest picture of Yaya? I love it!

Kindergarten continued

Have not updated and meant to for some time. A few more actual first day kindergarten shots of bean.