AND (OF COURSE) HE CRAWLS HIS WAY TO UNCLE TJ

HE CRAWLS SOME MORE

HE CRAWLS!

so tonight tj, huck, and i went over to ben's house (which is now also tara's and spike's house) for dinner. i had a baby, a diaper bag, and a bag of groceries with me, so when i came into the kitchen i put huck down on the floor so i could unload our things. while tara and i were busy talking and prepping food, spike came over and started playing with huck on the floor. i heard the clamor of them playing at our feet, and within a few seconds spike cried out, "you guys, he's crawling!"

and sure enough, he was. huck was on all fours, making his way across the room to get the water bottle that spike kept inching away from him. and he was doing it like a pro -- all strong and confident and gregarious. it was really cute. and exciting. and pretty amazing.

it was amazing because huck has been really out of sorts this week. he's had a lot of trouble sleeping, he's got a tooth pushing through his upper gums, he had a fever, and then after his high temperature, he got a rash all over his body. poor little guy. he's been really happy all week, but he's definitely been out of sorts. anyway, when tami heard that he had a fever she sent me an email telling me that she read this in her book, naturally healthy babies and children:

"fevers have [an] effect that often goes unnoticed. when children recover from a fever, they often demonstrate new skills and abilities. it is as if the heat of the fever served as a motivating developmental force. after a fever, a child frequently seems even stronger and healthier than before, as if the impurities had been burned away, leaving the pure gold of the child's soul."

so there you have it. tonight, while his hardworking papa was at work, huckleberry glided his little golden soul over a blue linoleum floor. i'm not sure that the pictures capture his cunning skill or his remarkable dexterity, but it was there, i tell you. it was definitely there.

you go, lil' huckleberry! you go.

WINTER SQUASH ON A SUMMER DAY

SUNDAY BRUNCH

last year, travis and i designed a garden for a family's home in ne portland. we became friends with these clients through the process, and this morning we all ate breakfast in their incredibly lovely yard.

because i was pretty focused on the food and the kids, i didn't take any proper landscape photos. but hopefully you'll get the idea. in any case, i'll say it again (if, ahem, i might): the space is absolutely lovely.

here is the garden plan:

(double-click on it for a better view)

here is the food:

and here we are in the yard:

A BOY AND HIS CAR