Tommy engaging in some unauthorized stair climbing

(Photos taken 2014-09-24.)

Tommy at the window

(Photos taken 2014-09-14.)

Tired Nina girl

(Photos taken 2014-09-20.)

Social bathing

Corinna gave herself a bath yesterday. Then a few hours later, when she heard Isaac bathing, she decided to join him, clothes and all. (The long shirt is what she dressed herself in, post-bath. It is too warm for long shirts, but we don't argue with Corinna when we can help it.)

Tommy likes riding on Mom's back

(Photos taken 2014-09-19.)

Tired Tommy

Thomas announced that he was done with sleep at 4:50 this morning. I got up with him and let him play for an hour. A little after 6 he just lay down where he was and went to sleep.

(Photos taken 2014-09-18.)

July peanuts, workout edition

• David: "Don't worry, Jonathan. I've trained with older guys who are out of shape before."
• Split lip while tossing the medicine ball. David: "If you're going to catch it with your face, at least turn your head to one side."
• Handstands. Haven't done that in 20 years. Kind of scary by the third round when you're not quite sure your muscles are going to work as planned.
• Almost able to keep up with David, after he spent the previous hour teaching a jiu jitsu class. (Two months later: No. He just let me think I could almost keep up.)
• After tiring me out with running, David took us inside to lift weights. "Come on, Jonathan! You're supposed to be good at this part!" "David, the problem is that you're doing it wrong. Lifting weights is supposed to be anaerobic, but you make it aerobic!" "Jonathan, in your shape, everything is going to be aerobic."
• David has us doing unconventional pullups. I start on the judo gi draped over the top of his weight cage. It hangs so that if you pull yourself straight up, you will bash your face on the crossbar, and that's what I do. David: "I'm going to print out labels for everything that say, Achtung: lippen."
• David wasn't tired out from an earlier workout, so he just did twice as much of everything. That worked out pretty well for both of us.

June + July peanuts

• I told Matthew we would open our new XBox One when he finished the "Intro to JS" Kahn Academy challenges. Done in a weekend.
• Me: "The CEO doesn't usually ask my advice on how to soothe ruffled salespeople." Rachel: "That's probably just as well."
• It's basically impossible to get soiled panties off of a sleeping three year old without getting poop on your hands.
• Isaac, looking at family pictures from when Matthew was born: "Why you have longer hair one time?"
• Rachel: "Is something wrong?" Me: "Not really. Someone from work is asking me for advice on being tactful." Rachel: "WHAT?"
• Rachel bought the kids the Frozen soundtrack, aka "Let it Go: the Music Video." I kind of wish she hadn't.
• Saw Matthew and Melissa off at the airport to Grandma's in Washington. Agent: "What are you going to do with your time with the kids gone?" Me: "I have three more at home." Cue dropped jaws.
• Isaac: "Can you give me a squeeze hug?" I gave him a bear hug. Isaac: "No, I mean the one that clinks." I thought for a second, then I popped his back. Isaac: "Clink!"
• Today's Sunday school lesson on Samson saw cameos from The Lord of the Rings *and* Calvin and Hobbes. I think I win.
• Corinna: "I go pee pee!" Me: "Au VC?" [in the bathroom?] Corinna: "In the grass!" Isaac: "Mommy said, Go outside!"
• Corinna: "I want froggies!" [leapfrog cartoons] Rachel: "Then why'd you put it on Ponies?" "I want froggies!" "You have no idea what you're doing." Me: "Why are you arguing with a three year old?"

Tommy is pulling himself to standing at six months

He has trouble getting down when he's done, though.

(Photos taken 2014-09-15.)

Matthew's New Suit

(Photos taken 2014-09-07.)

Isaac exercises

I opened Isaac's door to see how getting ready for bed was going. I found him under his bed, pushing his mattress into the air.

"What are you doing?"

"Exercising. To make MUSCLES!"

(Photos taken 2014-09-06.)

Isaac builds a house of bread

Unfortunately, his attention span ran out after completing the foundation.

(Photos taken 2014-07-13.)

David eats dessert

Rachel: "When you work out as much as he does, you can afford to do that."

(Photos taken 2014-07-13.)

Tablet time

(Photos taken 2014-07-12.)

Isaac's birthday

Rachel was out of town for her cousin's wedding, but we had David and Dielha over for some presents and play time.

(Photos taken 2014-08-08.)

Melissa graduating from Minecraft Academy

Her favorite part was making textures with photoshop.

(Photos taken 2014-08-01.)

Matthew gives a talk that he wrote himself

I think he did eventually forgive his mother for volunteering him.

(Photos taken 2014-08-10.)

Mugging Uncle David

(Photos taken 2014-08-08 and 014-08-11.)

Popsicle time

(Photos taken 2014-08-16.)

Birthday boys

We had a joint August birthday celebration at Estancia Churrascaria (Isaac: "the place with 100 steaks"). Issac can really put it away. But his favorite part was the dessert: so much ice cream that he couldn't finish it all!

Lifting with David

Monster trucks

I didn't expect to see someone mount a jet engine on a smart car at the monster truck rally. (Middle picture.) The driver claimed it's street legal at 1500 hp, but it can only do 95 mph before it starts to lift off.

Matthew's first suit

He had a pretty snazzy pants-and-vest combo as a baby, but this is his first bona fide suit. He wears it pretty well; he's starting to develop wiry muscles and is denser than he looks.

I've been teaching him the basics of suit etiquette: don't close the bottom button. Unbutton completely when you sit down. Don't wipe your nose on your sleeve. (Kidding.)

Game night with the Galbraiths

Played some fun games of Dominion with Ben and Jessica Galbraith. Rachel was busy playing Civilization when we started, and rather than interrupt that, she played both simultaneously. Maybe that is why Ben and I were able to win a game...

Concert fail

I was pleased with myself when BandsInTown notified my that Bishop Allen would be playing Saturday night. I got tickets well in advance, Rachel arranged a babysitter, and it was a date! 9:00 start time meant we had plenty of time for a dinner downtown first.

That was the last thing that went right. We got to the venue (read: bar) shortly after 8:30. The band was warming up inside, but they weren't letting anyone in yet. We crossed under the overpass to get some cold water from a convenience store, and circled back to find it open.

9:00. 9:30. 10:00 passed. Still no band. No air conditioning or chairs, either. We gave them a few minutes for good measure, then called Uber to drive us back to where our car was parked, and headed home. (From Twitter, it looks like Bishop Allen ended up taking the stage at about 11:30, with some opening act a little before that.)

On the bright side, Melissa had a good night: Uncle David and Aunt Dielha took her to a Brazilian music festival. She had a great time dancing.