Rosalie told me this morning that she wants to start wearing undies again! We made some efforts at potty training last year, but her interest quickly waned, and I decided it would be best to put it aside for a while. I figured she would let me know when she was ready for another try, and that's exactly what she did. It seems a lot easier for her this time around, and I predict those undies are here to stay!

This morning after a pancake breakfast, the kids headed off to explore the big hill above our campsite. I love the way they take such good care of each other!

We packed up camp and headed to the park office to rent a canoe, slathered on a little sunscreen and launched ourselves into the lake. The kids were a little nervous about the tipsy feel at first, but they're now directing us around the water with glee!

After returning the canoe, we headed back to San Antonio, bidding the tall Lost Pines adieu. After a nice warm bath, here's Rosalie with the creepy rubber spider we found under our tent while we were packing up. I'll admit that it gave us a bit of scare at first, but after good laugh at our own expense, we cleaned it up and Rosalie snatched it out of our hands. She has been carrying it around ever since, even into the tub tonight where it tickled her under the bubbles and gave her another scare. What a great souvenir of our fabulous trip!

A week or two ago, Joseph asked me if we could go camping sometime soon, and I told him that sounded like a wonderful idea. So, here we are this lovely afternoon setting up camp at Bastrop State Park!

After all that hard work, it's time for a little snack...

and now we're off to explore!



Rosalie is spending most of her time examining various found objects...

and Joseph is spending most of his time studying the park map, directing us where to go. As we all keep saying to each other, it's so nice to be here camping!

Perhaps this isn't the most exciting video, but I just love how our kids love books!

Here are just a couple more shots of Rosalie's gorgeous hair. I'm so happy I discovered the book Curly Girl by Lorraine Massey because I would have never figured out how to treat her hair properly on my own!

An interesting side-effect of my research into curly hair was my realization that my hair truly is wavy, and needs to be treated differently than straight hair just like Rosalie's. I have brushed and blow-dried my hair every day since middle school, always lamenting that I couldn't let it air-dry for fear it would flip out in strange and unattractive ways. I guess that was my hair trying to tell me something! I've now stopped using my hair brush entirely, and am experimenting with different products and techniques for bringing out its natural wave. I think it's looking better already!

We were out for a walk and bike ride today on our neighborhood nature trail when Joseph spotted this prickly-pear pad with its very own eye and mouth. It's fun to have kids old enough to get excited about silly stuff like that!

Tim couldn't resist catching this video of Joseph and Rosalie all dressed up for dance time today!

Rosalie had her very first haircut the day before her birthday, but with everything else that was going on that week, I didn't get a chance to take any hair-specific pictures until today. Here it is wet...

and here's how it looks when it's dry. Her stylist, Elva, has curly hair herself, and showed me a few tips for daily styling and even for minor trims. It isn't terribly different, just a bit cleaned up, which is exactly what I wanted! I think it looks fantastic!

My Granni passed away three weeks ago today in Houston, TX, and her funeral was just over a week later here at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio. Things were so hectic keeping the kids well-behaved, we didn't get a chance to take any pictures, but the services were beautiful and fitting reminders of Granni's life and legacy. We weren't allowed to stay in the cemetery to watch the actual interment, so we made a trip today to bring some flowers and see the site where Granni was buried right next to Grandpa Hugh.

Of course, the kids don't understand the solemnity of the situation, but they love their Grandma Susan.

It's really such a hopeful thing to see their little bodies flitting through the gravestones.

Tim and Dad have been preparing all week to re-insulate our attic, and here they are at work! Well, it's actually too dark in the attic to catch a good picture of Tim, so here's Dad, anyway, filling the blower with bags of insulation. We're so grateful for all the ways my parents have helped us during their visit, including this!

Rosalie is three today! All week she has been asking "Is it my birthday?" and I was happy to tell her this morning that indeed it is! Here she is with Joseph after breakfast now, getting the day going with a celebratory twirling session. I think Joseph is just as excited that it's Rosalie's birthday as she is!







Now that Tim is home and dinner is over, it's time for presents and cupcakes! Here she is opening some special gifts Joseph made for her throughout the week. One card says "You are a good dancer" and the other has 10's and 8's on it, as those are Joseph and Rosalie's favorite numbers. What a thoughtful gift-giver!

Her reactions to every present are so gratifying, with lots of oohs and aahs, thank-yous, and excited queries like "What's that?!" She is also taking the time to examine and play with every item before moving on to the next. Just look at that surprised and happy face!







There are lots of presents to open!



Here are Rosalie and Joseph making pretend sandwiches together while we prepare to eat...

and now it's time to sing and blow out that big candle! Rosalie specifically requested cupcakes, so Grandma Gedlaman whipped some up using Grandma Allison's famous chocolate cake recipe. I'm sure they will be delicious! What great end to a great birthday for our dear Rosalie!

In honor of Rosalie's upcoming birthday, we're here at the Magik Theater in downtown San Antonio to see a staged production of "If You Give a Pig a Party" by Laura Numeroff. We saw a similar adaptation of "If You Give a Moose a Muffin" just over a year ago, and the kids both really loved it, so we're excited to be here today!

Sure enough, the show was a hit, and here we are in the lobby after the fact seeing and saying hello to the cast!

Remembering these big antlers from the last show, Joseph was especially excited to meet the Moose!

Rosalie and Joseph both agreed the Pig was their favorite character, and she was kind enough to step out of line for a quick photo op. She did a great job and we all had a great time!

It's a great day to play in the backyard! Here in TX we get more leaf fall in the Spring than in Autumn itself, so there is plenty for these big trucks to scoop, dump, and haul around.

Grandpa Lloyd is out here as well, single-handedly replacing our eastern fence. Grandma and Grandpa always help us so much when they come to visit!





Here are Joseph and Rosalie doing their best to help as well!