Julia and Max

The Tillman's came over last night and provided us with a delicious casserole and entertainment. One thing we commented on is how much Max has become accustomed to all the girls--Julia in particular. They have found new friends in one another.

Here they are playing on the slide together. By the time I got outside with the camera, they were beginning to brawl a bit. Max wanted to go down the slide, and Julia wanted to go up. They soon found that those two plans were mutually exclusive. Max took matters into his own hands and tried pushing her down. Good for him; she knows better (her smile shows that she knows exactly what she is doing).

















This second shot is of them playing on our mini play structure. They were getting along pretty well by this time. They were only on it for about 5 minutes, so there wasn't much time for chaos to break out.

















I took this last shot at the end of the evening. Julia was brushing her teeth, and Max wanted in on the action. They played this way for over five minutes and only stopped once I had my fill of pictures and ushered them out.

















The big question now is whether or not love is in the air. Will we look back on these photos in eighteen years and say, 'Ah, we always knew they'd end up together," or will we say, "We had such high hopes! Why did Max have to join that Coptic monastery in Egypt and leave his betrothed heartbroken?"

Wrapping up the poultry scene

The only chicken that didn't flee the girls was a chicken that couldn't. She was crippled, making her Prime Target # 1 for the girls affections.

Kate was gentle enough, but Julia had a mischievous gleam in her eye the entire time. I did what I could to shield the hen from too much toddler attention, but I'm sure the bird had night mares that night.

When the chickens turned out to be too, well, chicken, Julia turned her attention to some larger birds. Geese. These water fowl, unlike their smaller cousins, were fully willing to take her on.

This photo is misleading - the geese are posturing and hissing at Julia. I had to intervene - this time on Julia's behalf. I doubt she would have faired well against those beaks and buffeting wings.

Life Lessons

Some friends of ours own a ranch, complete with yard full of chickens. We took our girls in there to give them a taste of farm life, and all three loved it. Julia, in particular, loved the chickens.

Here she is observing the chickens being fed. Hmm. Chickens so close...what's a two-year-old to do?






Then it dawns on her. Can't you see the delight on her face?


















She must chase them, of course. No creature on earth reacts to a good chase as well as a chicken. But Julia didn't just chase them, she terrorized them (as seen in her menacing arm-raising).


















But guess what happens when you chase chickens, Julia? They soon realize, with even their minimal intelligence, to stay clear of you.

Here she stands, looking around the now empty chicken yard, wondering where her toys have gotten off to.

Julia, you will find that people behave in much the same way. The more you chase them, especially with arms raised, the less likely they are to hang out with you. Take this as a lesson learned.

Wheat-surfin' USA

I rarely do posts on me, but today seemed a good day to be narcissistic and to show what a cool wheat-surfer I am. That's right, I'm being towed behind a quad while standing on a suped-up skateboard.

It was a lot of fun. This was my first time ever trying something like this, and I took to it like a fish out of water. I spent far more time on my hands and knees than I did on the board. I guess I'm not that cool (no suprise), but I had my half a minute of glory here, so back off.