Brilliant Strategy

New way to trick Mommy into letting me eat sand: I'll take a big, beautiful pinecone, and we'll admire it together; then when she's not looking I'll suck the end of the pinecone, dip the wet end into the sand, pick it back up, and lick all that sand right off.

Yesssss!!!

(Only problem: Mommy saw.) (And it reminded her of childhood's Lik-A-Stik with Haley.)


A few shots of our shirtless wonder.






Right about to attack Richie on the couch. Bam!


Last Sunday Bethany played piano for both church services. Needless to say, it was a long morning. She came back to find this heartwarming scene. And one of them was snoring. (She'll never tell which one.)


Now for a few just-awaken shots to give you a feel for our mornings. Fresh out of bed, Luke's first task is to eat his wind-up snail. Escargot, baby style.


It's never too early for basketball. On this fancy hoop, taped onto the wall, Luke can even dunk.


He's not always this happy on a typical morning. He is a bit of a grumpy waker upper, actually. (Bethany will politely refuse to disclose which parent this takes after.)


On to a game of Throw-Dad's-Water-Bottle.


In case you ever wondered what most of our day looks like: We spend a lot of the time staring down at the top of Luke's head. So now you know exactly what we see.


First it was Postum; now it's Grape Nuts. What other "delicious" foods will Daddy get Luke to like next?


A very serious endeavor: It's that camera case again.


Every morning, Luke wants to go bye-bye with Daddy. He begs to leave with him, cries when he leaves, then slaps the closed door repeatedly because he wants to chase him down. :( That starts the morning whirlwind: Can Mom get out of her robe and into clothes fast enough to race Luke outside for morning playtime before he totally falls apart and rolls around the ground in a tantrum? (He has rolled all the way across the room and back in previous tantrums.)


Although Luke's stuck with Mom all day, at least she lets him drive at a ghastly too-young age.




That can't feel good on the nose.


Remember that old game of peekaboo?


"THERE you are! I thought I LOST you!!!"


Peeking, peeking...


"Well, Mom, looks like I ran out of gas."




And finally, a couple shots from Poppy and Grammy's camera. No pose: We really did turn around and find Luke IN the refrigerator.


And another day, we found him in the dishwasher. (With his favorite kitchen utensil in hand, an antique potato masher of all things.)

So continues the life of the Armstrong Three.