No, we're not caging our children. Guess who climbs into the dog kennel and pulls the door shut all by herself? Fortunately the dog is not in the cage right now, but one of our cats, Star, happens to be. When Gracee climbs back out, the cat is still there--none the worse for the wear. This cat is used to Gracee layiing on her and sitting on her like one would a horse--even outside the kennel. Ahhh...the life (and limberness) of toddler. 

Sporting her new hair-do (and Dad's dime store reading glasses), Gracee checks out the morning papers. From the look of it, she's checking the paper's gossip column (or maybe she is checking the status of her portfolio in the stock market listings.) Bt the way, you may have noticed her mouth is full. She just finished off her big brother Niles' cereal. 

Our littlest sweetheart tries to suppress a giggle as everyone laughs at her early morning antics. She is a charmer!

Careful with those scissors...

After several weeks of having her hair in her eyes, Mom decided enough was enough. So Gracee joined Mom and Anna at the beauty parlor for a cut and trim. This is her first hair cut since coming home. As expected, Gracee looks so cute with her new cut.

Cereal time

This morning Gracee decided she wanted to join Dad at the breakfast table ... with him in his chair eating his cereal (making sure she didn't get any banana slices on her spoon.) As you can see Dad has stuffed his mouth because Gracee is eating as fast as he is and he wants to make sure he gets his breakfast. As you can see, "we" emptied Dad's glass bowl and now we're starting on Gracee's pink bowl (that Mom fixed so Gracee would leave Dad's bowl alone.) (It didn't work. She helped finish off both bowls!)
Words can't describe how special these moments are. I thank God continually for my wonderful children and my loving wife. I am blessed.

Gracee surveys her surroundings from high atop her play fort. What a big girl! 

Niles with several of his teammates on picture day at practice recently. He is the second player from the right. The boy likes his baseball. He is playing on a varsity school team and a recreational team. Go Knights!

Gracee is glad that basketball season is over--Anna and Niles will be spending more time at home. Or will they? One season runs into another--Anna is learning a new sport,lacrossse, and Niles is playing baseball (on two teams.) Here is Anna out on the lacrosse field (the action is clearly at the other end of the field) in a recent game. She waits patiently for the ball to come her way.















The ball finally comes to the zone where Anna is stationed (in a "low attack" position.) She is moving to the goal. (You can see the little yellow ball right above of Anna's stick.)