Carmen climbing up the rope structure at River Oaks Elementary all by herself, with Daddy-as-spotter. 

Going down she worked her way down a couple of steps, and then hung from his neck the rest of the way down. 

Meanwhile, David was busy splashing in a large puddle several yards away.  After several minutes of sloshing and jumping, he realized he had gotten soaked-to-the-socks dirty, and needed a shower.  Now.

We washed his legs and feet, and found him a clean pair of socks and shoes in the car.  Figure he won’t always worry about being clean; might as well enjoy it while we can.

It’s an afternoon (and morning, and evening) tradition.  They (usually David) run the water, fill the sink, empty the sink, fill cups, empty cups.  They drop toys in to see if they float or sink.  They pour all my dishwasher soap out to play bubbles. 

But lately their play has been a little more . . . elaborate.

For instance, David likes to practice using the faucet like a water fountain (hem, Daddy). 

The other day he and Carmen filled each side of the sink and dunked their heads in.

Carmen eventually walked, hair dripping, downstairs to get a brush to comb her hair out.  David, thinking one step further, decided he should wash his hair first

and then dunked his hair in the sink to rinse it.

Then they complained that, in our 85-degree F house, they were cold.

David and his binoculars, watching the street.

After a week of rainy days, new little flowers.

I have a picture from the George Ranch in this blog somewhere with the same blue flowers labeled by someone in the comments . . . and I can’t find it.  I’ve spent something like a half hour looking.

Can’t remember what these flowers are called, and can’t remember where to find the place where somebody actually labeled them for me.  You can imagine I feel as smart as a tapeworm. 

Edit:  Here it is, thanks to Google, and Sabrina.  Spiderwort.  Right.  I still feel like a tapeworm, just a slightly clever one.  My search term was "blue."

Carmen took these pictures of the people that she and David made.

"These stand here and here."

"You stand like this."

"Now your turn."

"Now, make them lie down."

Now she doesn’t want to give my camera back.

is famous.