still, still, still

Singing Alleluia

so proud

Bat Night under the Campbell Ave bridge

Bat Night was a heavily advertised event. We met up with Michelle Campbell and her three kids at Old Chicago Pizza. Aaron was super cranky, had a little fever, and said his tummy hurt. None of us really wanted to witness him puking on the pizza so Mandy ended up taking him home. The rest of us ate and headed for the bridge. I'm glad we had pizza with Michelle and her kids beforehand. We didn't find them at the bridge.


Sunset was gorgeous.


Bat Night was well attended.


Walking in the wash was easy because of all the recent rains. The sand was hard packed and in places the mud had dried and cracked into enormous plates.


Can you tell Evan is traversing the chasm?


Because of all the people, the bats were reluctant to come out. Standing under the bridge you could hear them chirping but you can't see them because they roost between the big structural cracks. I was hoping for a giant exodus but they just trickled out one by one.


Afterwards the boys helped out by emptying sandbags.


For some reason Jack really got into it.

kendo 09/11/2010

Because Evan spent the night after Jack's birthday party, we took him to Kendo on Saturday morning. I was thoroughly impressed with Evan's ability and enthusiasm, and with the quality of the dojo.


Wearing hakama, Evan warms up with his shinai.


going...


...coming


Patiently waiting his turn to whack the opponent wearing the men


I don't know what this is called, but E shuffle-stepped past his opponent and whacked him over the head while shouting his battle cry. It was awesome.


Afterwards, at Dave's Kam-Pai. The boys are still laughing about that sqaure of tofu stuck to the underside of Jack's spoon.

third grade, first day

on the way to school


walking in with a classmate

I barely got any pictures. This independent boy I've raised grows shy of the camera. When I manage to snap a photo, he says, "Don't put that on facebook." So I won't. I'll post it here.

Gaslight Theater: Space Wars

Tuesday after the orthodontist

Jack saw the orthodontist on Tuesday. Dr. Rabe looked in Jack's mouth and said, "The expander alone fixed the crossbite. Already done. We'll bond the front teeth in a few weeks, he'll wear the expander for another six months, and then he should be good to go." So on September 28 Jack goes in to get brackets on his front teeth. He'll have braces across the top front along with the expander, and before he's even reached double digits agewise I think his orthodonture will be complete, at far less expense to me than I'd anticipated. Wahoo!


After the ortho, this is what homework looked like at the Tucker house.


For those of us who didn't have homework (and didn't need to lend moral support), this is what goofing around looked like at the Tucker house.

Jack and Dolly

movie and market

Today was the last day of the Children's Film Festival at The Loft Cinema. We watched The Neverending Story. Miss Tiggy Winkle's Toys is the host. At the end of the movie they raffled off this load of pool toys. Both Tucker boys won one. Jack escorted Brazey to the stage to pick his out.


After the movie we went on our own quest to 17th Street Market, which was a roundabout way to disappointment. The boys were crabby because they were hungry, so we bought them a snack and then browsed a bit, but the prices are so high we didn't buy anything much.

Summer vacation is over for Evan, and drawing to a close for Jack. We're looking forward to a visit from Mama D sometime this week.

the expander does its work

My imagination?

the best people

This afternoon I was petting Dolly in the sunlight slanting through the bedroom window when Jack came rushing in to use the bathroom. As he sat pooping on the throne, he said, "Mommy, I think the best people for us are first, God; second, Jesus; third, the Holy Spirit; and fourth...um uh..."

I waited.

"um... Abraham Lincoln."

"Why Abraham Lincoln?"

"Because he made us not into slavery. And fifteenth... I mean fifth... was Roosevelte."

"Teddy or Franklin Delano?"

"Was Teddy the one they let be president for 12 years?"

"No, that was Franklin. FDR."

"OK. Him."

I guess he does listen.

Saturday

First we had brunch at Son's: french fries, bacon, pancakes, and eggs for the little boys; pho for Dave; chicken over rice noodles for Mimi; cheese steak for Bin. Every last morsel: delicious.

We spent the better part of the day at the Tucson Museum of Art's Spring Artisan's Market with Doreen, Xander, and Rumur. I bought three silver charms (Mother Mary; the Mission; the old woman who lived in a shoe); Doreen bought some things with which to decorate her kitchen; Bin bought nada. We enjoyed the Warhol exhibit and the David Tineo exhibit, but missed the Ed Mell exhibit, which looked attractive to me. I tried to drag everyone to El Nacimiento at the end of the day, but I got turned around and ended up dragging everybody back to the parking lot. From the museum we headed toward the Solar Rocks Festival at Himmel Park, which boasts a scary tall slide.


Jack with Xander close behind.


Rumur takes her turn.


Evan shows us how its done.


The ascent.


It's a ginormous slide. Brazey loved it.

preparing for Easter

After Sunday School Jack gave me this card he made.


Originally, he intended to give it to Wall-E. Then I guess he changed his mind.


There's an "invisible ink" message inside that reads "Hi! My name is Jack. I do walk thors. My email is jackhouge (at) gmail.com. P.S. I rule!" I know Jesus appreciates that message subliminally implanted beneath the statement "Jesus is a good person."


He is risen indeed.

water in the wash

How I wish there was water in the wash year-round. I'd feel so Thoreau or Whitman or something. I'd be down there all the time. Aren't they all A River Runs through It?


More like It Runs through a River.


Huck Finn, Tom Sawyer, and Joe Harper


typical


the end

Brazey Meets Storybook Characters at the Tucson Festival of Books

Pat the Bunny, or give him a high five


Amanda Panda (not a character I know)


Clifford the Big Red Dog, from his puppy days


meeting Moishe, from Where the Wild Things Are


Jack and Brazey share the shade of my parasol (or Jack smirks under the shade of the umbrella while Brazey gets none)

"This Is Beau"

and this is why Santa brought Jack a Flip for Christmas

happy birthday, dear Brazey