Seven months old

Recent pictures of James & Mom.

Yep. Pretty cute.

Allons, enfants

My dear niece Eleanor turned 17 today. For her birthday, I had proposed a luncheon party for her & her friends. I had envisioned white linen, proper china, and polished silver (silver what, I don't know), but as was entirely predictable, and to quote Aunt Virginia, we cut the gracious living & just ate (ham & cheddar crepes, tomato salad, & three-berry fool).
It also turned out that only Eva, Eleanor's 14-year-old friend, came. Although I'm pretty sure Eva's been 14 for about 2 1/2 years, she says no. It's hard to believe she's as young as that. (According to her, she's governed by her inner 55-year-old crotchety biddy, which I guess could explain some of it.) After lunch, the two girls, Jamie, Mom and I all hung out on the bed while Henry napped in the other room. We talked about lots of stupid things, like high-heeled shoes, and nice things, like I Capture the Castle and The Breakfast Club, and James scooched around as best he could on such a crowded bed and got kissed and tickled a lot.

It was so amazingly restorative! I should do more of my socializing in bed; it totally made me feel 17 again (the good bits).

Oma & Grandpa's visit

Henry's story

Peter was away, fetching his parents from Gary for a visit. Henry, disconsolate, wanted to help me write a story as a surprise for Peter when he returned. I was amanuensis and prompter, but the story is largely Henry's work.

Here it is:

Henry and Dada had lots of good ideas.
Sometimes they climbed on ladders.
Sometimes they hammered hammers.
Sometimes they looked at diggers.
Sometimes they looked at statues.
[Here, Henry inserted a page of drawing and asked me to note that one bumpy bit was "Mountains for Dada" and another oblong bit, that he was surprised and delighted to have produced, was "A Banana for Dada."]
One day, Dada made a picture for Henry.
The picture was of lots of things Henry loves.
It was a picture of:
Dada!
and Charles Darwin [the dog, not the eminent Victorian]
and a cookie
and a bulldozer
and a wheelbarrow
and a sweet potato
and chocolate
and James
and a butt.

Sunday, June 19

Tough day.
I think I'll just put up a few pictures. They're a little tough, too.

With Mom, at Aunt Virginia & Uncle Dwain's house

Apparently my second birthday.

This expression is pure Dad.

Obviously, I love this picture of us.

James at six months

Weight: 17 lbs., 9 oz. (50th-75th percentile)
Height: 75th percentile
Head circumference: Ditto

James's outfit is approximately 84 times as old as he is.

A first

Henry fell asleep reading!

I once gave myself a bloody nose that way. (Not with a Little Golden Book, however.)