Parker, a fest of family!

Grace "homping" down on her ice cream."Cheers!" Grace and Uncle Sam toast to having ice cream during Sammy's work break.

A Sunday afternoon at Parkerfest. PERFECT temps and weather. In fact, the twins played outside EVERY DAY we were in Parker. Ahhh, Mommy wants to spend August at Gammy Sharon's every year!

Thanks to Daddy's coaching, Chance-y is a climbing/jumping machine!

VIDEO: Grammy Sharon let the twins play inside Aunt Gill's truck early one morning after breakfast (see their PJs?). They definitely thought that was way cool. Grammy always finds all kinds of cool experiences for the twins.

We also visited with Mommy's friend Blythe and her daughter, sweet little Maris, when we were down in the Springs. Blythe is pregnant with her b/g twins in this pic! I hope that spending time with Chance and Grace didn't scare her too much! :)

In the Springs with the Marcheses

While in Colorado in August, Mommy and the twins visited the Marcheses in Colo. Springs for two nites. "Uncle" Paul's toy cars made quite an impression on Chance (and we accidentally absconded one), and Mommy was impressed that Unc Paul could coax Chance to climb the low rocks at Garden of the Gods! (Chancey didn't want anything to do with it at first.)

A new hangout under a ledge at Garden of the Gods. (2nd pic taken with cell phone and sent to family.)
See the deer eating from the bush over Gracie's right shoulder?

Awww!!! Leaving the park . . . under the gentle guidance of Uncle Paul.

Aunt Shannon also took us to Penrose Park where we played in the big fountain with the twins.

My beautiful Grace (she has a Lemonhead in her mouth -- Mommy's supervising, I promise!).

Shan: THE bestest children's book reader in them thar hills!

We love y'all!

New Family Pet

Our new family pet: a 2-ft-long alligator in the pond behind our house. Fed it crackers. Now the twins say "homp, homp" for "chomp, chomp." Daddy named it Chuck.

It's Preschool!

The twins started preschool at St. Paul's (where we also attend church--when we can get ourselves there, which hasn't been very often)! On sign-up day, Mommy drove to the church on a cold February morning, arriving at 6 am to wait for the registration to begin at 9 am. Good thing, too. The twins secured two of only five remaining spots. It's a highly-praised program, and Mommy definitely wanted them in the SAME preschool!

On their first day, Tuesday (9-8-09), Mommy had to carry so many supplies, along with ushering two timid 2-yr-olds, that she didn't even try to bring her camera for a picture. Instead, she used her cell phone to snap this pic when she picked them up. I surprised them when they came around the corner--they actually had a good day, even though their faces don't show it here. :)

Here are pics that I took at 9 am, the morning of their SECOND day of preschool (Thurs., 9-10).

See how happy Gracie is?!

Chance didn't show much excitement. Mostly hesitation, but at least no tears. It might be due to the fact that he takes a VERY long time to wake up in the mornings--just like a Boespflug.

The second week of preschool (they only attend on T/Th from 9-noon), the kids learned about the color RED and the shape of a CIRCLE . . .

Is it weird if Mommy ironed and starched Gracie's overalls the night before the 4th day of school? Sure, Mommy is overzealous, but the outfit is RED! And it's a hand-me-down that's frustratingly wrinkled, making it look rag-like without a bit of help. It's not hyperparenting, right?! :)

Here's a pic of Grace in that outfit, along with Chance's RED shirt too. They're holding the art projects they'd done that day. They also had PE class, which they loved. And they brought home a toy from the "treasure chest"--Chance's was a toy airplane, to his great delight, and Grace's was a plastic pair of sunglasses, not surpringly. :)

They're in the "Monkeys" class--hence, the folder with a monkey on it.

Castlewood Canyon, CO

So on 8-31, we flew across two time zones to spend two weeks in Parker, CO, at Grammy Sharon's. Aunt Manda flew with Mommy and the twins, and soon after arrival, we visited Castlewood Canyon State Park. Don't know how anyone can look at the creek and rocks and plants and trees and NOT want to climb and wade and explore! Heaven. Mommy's idea of fun!

Aunt Manda and Gracie at an overlook.

Wading into Cherry Creek. Chance gave Mommy a flower when he bravely entered the Creek.

The four of us wading in the creek--same pic: one far away and one cropped close-up. So proud of Gracie for coming in too! In the far-away shot, you can see a person standing in the creek behind us. We decided to investigate and waded down the creek (yes, the twins too--Mommy and Aunt Manda carried 'em through the deeper places). We we found 3 kids, with their grandfather, fishing for crawdads.

Mommy held Gracie up to see one (taken with Aunt Manda's camera phone). Can't wait to go back again when the twins are a bit older and catch our own batch of crawdads--to release afterward. 'Course Daddy says he ate a crawdad barely cooked over a campfire when he was on Canoe Trail week at Lutheridge--maybe we'll try cooking one and eating it . . . or not.

Surprisingly, the twins hiked the whole way up the trail (kinda steep!) by themselves--Mommy didn't think they would have enough energy to do so. On the way up, we stopped to rest inside this refreshingly-cool little cave (pics also taken with camera phone).

At the top of the trail, a pic with Uncle Sam and Grammy Sharon (camera phone).

A short video of the twins' amazing hike up from the creek (camera phone again). Uncle Sam and Chance lead the way, and Mommy walks Bovril on his leash.

The Grace

Grandma and Grandpa (Boespflug) bought this adorable dress set at a craft fair--one for Gracie, one for her doll. 'Course, she puts the dress on any worthy stuffed animal too!

She's such the "little mommy," putting her dolls/bears to bed, then closing her bedroom door to let them sleep for a few minutes. Sometimes, she cuddles them, saying, "She's crying" and comforting them. She diapers them, gives them "medicine," gives them "drinks" (which Grace drinks, if Mommy or Daddy have given her actual water), dresses them (infrequently), UNdresses them (more frequently--lots of nakedness in our house!), etc., etc., etc.

At the Newberry (i.e., Mayberry) High School reunion weekend, the grads gathered at the Newberry Country Club for an afternoon picnic. Food: good ole southern fare that clogs every artery, pore, and hole in your body--sweet tea, fried chicken, white rolls, buttery green beans, greasy macaroni and cheese! Grace chomped down on the green beans, but I don't think Aunt Manda ate too much of it (neither did Mommy). Don't know what Chance and Daddy actually ate--probably everything!

The twins luxuriated in the kiddie pool, borrowing water guns from other kids. Aunt Manda coaxed Grace into this little float--her first--but she didn't stay in it long.

Back in Chas, at the Children's Museum, Grace chose a new name for the pirate ship--among the many options, she decided upon Black Pearl.

Ah, but we can't forget the BOY! And he's definitely that. I couldn't resist a quick clip of Chance's typical play . . . flying a plastic jet plane around the house. In between Chance's fly bys, you'll see Gracie with yet another doll--Minnie Mouse. "Say Cheese!"