February

Finally, a day warm enough to go to the beach in swimsuits. They dug furiously and splashed around for a few hours one afternoon.

Jilly was the only one I could get to look at me for a picture. She is growing up so quickly these days, both physically and emotionally. We had quite the rough patch with her last fall, but she's doing really well these days and will certainly be ready to head to kindergarten later this year. I think Jill's tired of Evelyn being the know-it-all, just because she's in school. Jilly's ready to level the intellectual playing field. 

One of Ben's long bike rides through a local canyon. 

 He did another century (100 miles) a few weeks ago in Palm Springs, CA. Lots of desert, brush, wind, and wind turbines. In the morning, the winds were gusting to 45 mph and his group was riding in a really bad side wind and headwind, complete with flying dust. They didn't give up though, and some cyclists did. There were somewhere around 6000 cyclists on this ride.

The winds calmed later in the day, and he finished the ride in about 8 hours.

 He's also been learning to cook - he makes things he wants that I haven't bothered to, like hummus and flan. The hummus has been a success, the flan failed. He's going to try a different recipe next time. I just have to avoid being the over-bearing cooking instructor.

 We signed Evelyn up for softball, and she's having fun with it. She's the last one on the right. Ben enjoys helping out at practices. They are the "Mighty Mermaids".

 This is Gordon in Big 5 when we went to purchase Evelyn's gear. That boy was in heaven, and it was not easy for him to put all that stuff back. At practices, he thinks his place is right by Evelyn, doing whatever it is she's doing.

 Gordon and his buddy. They're about 6 weeks apart in age. They get along great, and can also be great at fighting. Like brothers I guess.

 Hiding in his "fort." Otherwise known as my laundry hamper and a Korean bubble mailing envelope for his roof.

 Excuse the barbecue sauce (I think), and the tongue. This is his new way of telling you he doesn't like what you just said. Usually a reaction to being reprimanded. I'm pretty sure Evelyn taught him this one. Those two are a couple of peas in a pod, they're so much alike.

 My friend who also walks her kid to the bus stop in the morning snapped this with her iphone. Gordon always comes with me to drop Evelyn off. He's always in his jammies, and lately it's been warm enough in the mornings he can get by without shoes (because I carry him) and a blanket. My friend thought he was so cute wrapping himself up like that. Jilly is more than content to stay at the house, eat breakfast, and watch cartoons. She's enjoying it while she can.