Sarah.

Little-known fact: Bethany has been collecting quotes of Sarahisms for several years now, dreaming of publishing them someday. Sarah is the best big sister ever.

A sampling from our walk together yesterday:

"It's a good life. There's stuff in the freezer, the snack drawer's full, and there are restaurants right across the street!"

Bethany, to Sarah: "What's your idea of a perfect Saturday?"
Sarah: "Just being lazy. Sitting around all afternoon watching The Cosby Show."

Bethany, to Sarah: "I LOVE ya!"
Sarah, chuckling: "I KNOW you do!"


Our happy little Zeke, trying hard to grow so he can play football with Big Brother! Luke plopped this football from Toopie on his lap, and waited for Zeke to toss it back to him. He didn't realize he'd have to wait a year or so... (To Zeke's credit, he tried veeeery hard to bend over and grab it!)


Here's what Luke said as he created this scene: "Mom! MESS! Mom! MESS!" Grin, grin.


Believe it or not, this is Zeke's go-to face expression. That is what makes his smiles so precious: This natural brow just instantly relaxes and his whole face lights up into a grin. Here he lounges on Big Brother, who just adores him.


Zeke's other go-to look: fists in mouth, sucking them furiously. Wherever Zeke is, count on Luke to be there, too--unless he is sleeping and forced away. The two have a magnetic attraction.


Flashophobia.


Going business casual.


Too cute!


And if Zeke's cuteness weren't enough... Add Luke to the mix, and his early-morning glee over a smoothie.


Zekeybaby, trying his best to intimidate.


Naaah. Still a baby. :-) Mama's finger popsicles are working temporarily as a no-crying-in-the-car-seat strategy.


All dressed up for church with his brown plaid button-down shirt.


As we unload the baby at church, Luke goes tromping in the field adjacent to the dirt pad where we park. We hear him call: "MOM! That! Mom! That!" (Mom, what's that? Mom, what's that?) He's bending over, face very close to the ground, pointing at a...


...snake! The Sorbello kids actually grew up with a snake-loving father (Poppy), and a very flexible mother (Grammy); which meant they grew up with two pet gopher snakes named Samson and Delilah. We have stories up the wazoo about our pet snakes: the poop on Shiloh's wall, the surprise appearance of one at a birthday party full of ten-year-old girls, the one that got stuck in the bathroom door... All that to say: Bethany knows more about snakes than you'd think she might know. And she knew this was just a harmless little gopher snake. Luke did not want her to pick it up, but he was okay with her petting it. He didn't want to touch it, though!


We sped back to the church courtyard to fetch Poppy and show him Luke's find.


The snake search began... to no avail. :-( Glad we got a photo as proof, lest no one believe us. It was 2 to 3 feet long, and about an inch in diameter, and a very, very exciting discovery.


After church: In N Out as usual.






This gives a new meaning to bifocals. When Luke gets too much attention, Sarah whips out something funny, too. On our walk yesterday she told Bethany: "I've noticed something about firstborns. We all want all the attention!"


So lest the firstborns get all the attention, here's the younger Armstrong at In N Out, showing that bald really is the new handsome look.


Monday morning brought great excitement in the Armstrong household, as one of the last two Union Pacific steam engines would be traveling through Davis at 8:30 AM! In a flurry, we got all "trained" up. This outfit was all Luke's idea: conductor hat, striped shirt, overalls, bare feet, plastic camera, person in pocket to watch the train, and "ear muffs" because the train would be really, really loud, he told us.


On our way to the car, Bethany tried to get a picture of Zeke by holding the camera out. Little did she know what he looked like.


Richie was at work Monday morning at about 6:45 AM so he took a little break at 8:30 to come see the steam engine, too. Notice Luke's face.


We paced the tracks, and Luke humored the crowd.


He kept those things on the whole time. But this was the wrong train.


Still waiting!


We gave up waiting. Rumor had it, the train was still in Roseville. But after we walked away, we decided, Hey, we'd already waiting a long time, what's a few minutes longer. So we got Jamba Juice and waited some more and kissed our all-too-cute baby.


Waiting.


Waiting.


Waiting.

And then it came. We have it on video, but no still photos. It was amazing, and definitely worth the wait. It was the loudest sound we have ever, ever heard; it made Zeke cry, made Luke scared, and gave both of us parents quite the adrenaline rush. The lonely moan of the whistle, the loud engine, the impressive speed. If you ever have a chance to see one, do it.


The week went on with much less excitement. Here is Luke during a nap. He woke up after only a few minutes in his crib, so Bethany toted him to the couch to cuddle him back to sleep. Then she escaped, and he continued to sleep on the couch. A bit later he started wiggling a bit, then started to get off the couch, and fell asleep again like this! He slept in this position for over half an hour! Ha!


Yesterday was momentous: Richie and Luke's first trip to the ocean since Zeke The Car Hater came along. Sporting his new sunglasses, Luke was thrilled to go to the ocean. ("OAT nin! OAT nin!")


Uncle Shiloh and Poppy were gracious enough to leave early in the morning, cram into the Camry, listen to Luke chime "OAT nin!" every ten seconds, and drive an hour and a half to the beach so Richie could surf. Rumor has it, it was very windy, and very cold.


At least they got to eat at The World's Best Taco Bell.


Last night's bath time.


Bath time for Daddy 30 years ago...


29 years ago...


And back to now. Our little sucky-ducky.


Finally, a few photos from Sam's camera. Loungin' with the uncle.


Loungin' with the auntie.


Loungin' in the cuzzie's crib.




Siena goes for the nose.


Hee hee hee!

A bit of news:

- Richie had a job interview this week with the state. The number of openings is slowly dwindling, and the number of high-qualified applicants to every open position is soaring, as the economy continues to tank. Should we move to Tennessee where there is an opening with a reputable geotech firm in Chattanooga?

- Zeke weighed in this week at 17 pounds, 5 ounces. Thrush is 100% gone, and he is generally a happy little fellow. We love him to bits. He laughs readily, with that gutteral newborn chuckle; smiles huge grins at most people he sees; really has eyes for his big brother; sleeps long stretches; and goes to sleep very easily. He gets tired at 7 PM, and nurses to sleep by 8 PM each night. Our little angelbaby.

- Luke is totally potty-trained. It is a rather funny story. For months, he's had access to a potty for when he wants it, but he still wanted to go poo-poo in his diaper. A few weeks ago, Bethany changed an exceptionally disgusting Lukey-diaper and was fed up. She decided enough is enough. So she had a long talk with her son. Very firmly, she told him: "Luke, I'm done. I'm DONE changing your diapers. This is disgusting. You are a very big boy, and you know how to use the potty, so now it's time you need to use it. I already have a baby with diapers, and his name is Zeke. You have no reason to go in a diaper ever again. I will not change another diaper." After she said this, she laughed inside, thinking how harsh she was and wondering how it would go over. To her shock, Luke listened intently, and then at the end of her reprimand, he said understandingly with a hint of determination: "Yeah." And that was that. The next couple days we had a couple of pee-pee accidents; and twice thereafter Luke asked to go poo-poo in his diaper (and even brought Mommy a diaper for her to put on him for the occasion), but she said, "No, you may not go in your diaper." And truly, that was that. Done.

Done.