Rocking, flipping, and chalking

Sorry, but while we're away from Brian, I need to post an extraordinarily large amount of pictures of the kids. Especially of Kate. Already, in the two weeks that we've been here, she's learning buckets: how to wave "hi" (which she especially likes to do for her Grandpa Gary), clap her hands, shake her head "no," drink out of a sippy cup by herself, and throw her arms up and down. She's playing more independently and hamming it up more for her adoring audiences. Plus, I was able to leave her at Mothers' Day Out yesterday for three whole hours, my first time leaving her with anyone besides Brian or my parents for that long. She did fine, and I was ecstatic!

She's definitely her daddy's girl: a climber and adventurer. No fear at all. These pictures of her climbing on a rocking toy are eerily similar to one taken of Brian on a rocking horse when he was just a little older. Make sure to take note of the lone leg lifted in each shot; her daddy did that, too:

Now, for more cousin pictures. This tulip pacified Loie long enough for Marisa to get a gorgeous picture of the girls:

All four of 'em!

This toy dog barks and flips. Avi and Jack seemed to think, on this particular afternoon, that it was the funniest thing they'd ever seen:

The boys, showing off their chalky hands (and clothes!) after drawing all over the front sidewalk: