Finally!!

Well, this was my last week at Petett Chiropractic in Renton.  I am now officially unemployed self-employed.  It feels good to finally get to stay here in Manson instead of heading over the mountains into the grayness that is Western Washington.  This morning I helped the boys get ready for church.  Rock got ready by playing in tunnels in the nude.

Ryker enjoyed himself some Cheerios, then I let him out of the highchair.  I immediately wondered what he had hanging on his pants...thankfully he was eating chocolate Cheerios and we didn't have a haz-mat situation on our hands.

His starting to get more teethers.  He's taking his sweet time about it, but he's finally starting.

After church Ryker found some leftover cake from lunch.  After that there wasn't no more cake no more.

Rock has been logging some quality time in his new bird.  He even lets others take some rides in it, as long as they put down a substantial security deposit.

"I knew a jonty show tune wasn't a significant enough deposit."

Rock will occasionally not see Ryker's head and crash into it with his top lip.  Then he cries and eats a yummy Otter Pop to numb the pain.

Ryker doesn't necessarily look for trouble, but sometimes trouble finds you.  Those are the times that you need to be prepared.  Ryker is usually prepared with a kitchen weapon.

"Come at me, bro!  Come at me!"

Rock has recently started posing even more for pictures.  He likes to stand like Superman.

He also likes to pose as "cheesy smile boy".

Also "I don't hear you telling me it's time for bed" boy.

After Sunday dinner Ryker came home and asked for some more food.  He likes his food.  After eating some delicious BBQ chicken from him mommy he crashed hard in the high chair.  He sleeps better in the high chair then he does anywhere else.  I think it's because he feels comforted knowing that he's sleeping close to where he gets his food.

Birthday Party Fun!!

Rock used to like birthdays, but that was when he was younger and thought that they were all for him.  Now he realizes that he isn't the one getting all the attention, and he's not cool with that.

 "Don't look at me unless you are going to give me presents!"

 Ryker could tell from Rock's reaction that it wasn't cool that neither of them were the center of attention.  He was not okay with it at all.

 He started to come around to the idea a little bit when Chayo brought her delicious chile con carne, refried beans and rice.  

 He does a pretty good job of getting things in his mouth, but he can still make a mess like the best of them.

 Rock loves Chayo's food, too.  He even liked the spicy chile con carne, but not as much as the rice and beans.

 He threw down the food so that he could scarf some of the sweet strawberry cake.  

The cake was gone in no time, but once he realized that strawberries are fruit it wasn't as excited to eat the giant strawberry in the middle.

 You better believe that the Ryker loves himself some cake.  He used the spoon and his other hand to shovel it into his mouth.

 MMM....Foodlicious.

We couldn't keep Rock away from the cake, and had to keep those little puppy dog eyes away from his grandparents or Chayo.

After eating Ryker decided that we needed an after dinner show, so he obliged.

"First, I'm going to perform a little thing I like to call Dueling Pecs.  It's kind of like dueling banjos, but instead of playing a song I'll bounce my pecs."

"For this next one I will need a lighter or a lit candle.  I like to call this one Blue Darts Abound"

"Now we'll all just sit around and admire my rock hard abs."

"Yes, I am always this adorable.  Why?  Did my mommy tell you something different?"

"Well, I don't care what she says, look at me now and tell me that I'm not adorable!"

Working and Stuff

 Rock and DeAndra have been working hard on their garden.  First they planted their stuff in a mini greenhouse.  That's pretty much far as they've gotten so far, but that's a good start.

 Rock loves getting his picture taken.  The other day he made DeA sit in the chair and take pictures with him.

 He likes the double attention of the camera and cuddling with his mommy.

 "YEA!!"

 Then when they are done he takes over the pics and snaps some of his own.

 Things are really starting to take off at the office.  I was going to quote a song about this being an important moment, but the guy in the story who sings the song ends up cheating on his fiance, killing a prostitute and getting killed by his best friend at his own wedding...so I didn't think it'd be totally appropriate.  (What the deuce is he talking about?  Click here)  

Anyway, Rock in charge of making sure that things are moving along smoothly at the practice.

 He walks the halls with the authority of a harsh dictator, just without the evil dictator stuff.

 Sometimes he's happy with what he sees.

 And other times not so much.

 The clipboard knows all, sees all and will fire all if no one starts working harder!

Ryker is also working hard himself.  You know when he's doing heavy lifting because his little tongue sticks out.

He was working on an Otter Pop when he saw me with another ice cream bar.  Apparently the rule is if he sees it and wants it, he gets it.

He munched both ice creams and made me watch.  It looked delicious.

I did notice that the eyes were starting to get longer and droopier, and I had hope that I'd get my ice cream back.

Finally he crashed and I was able to get my delicious creamsicle back.

Last weekend it rained the whole time, but this weekend we've had this stuff.  I've lived in Seattle long enough that I've almost forgotten what sunshine looks and feels like.  It's nice.

Apple Blossom!!

We started Apple Blossom off with the traditional pancake breakfast.  They had sourdough pancakes this year, but that's not why Whit's face looks like that.  It looks like that because she is chewing, in case you were wondering.

 Rock loved the blueberry pancakes.

 DeA was giddy all morning for the parade.  She likes receiving attention, and a parade is a great way for her to get it. 

 Nick was a big fan of the all you can eat style of the breakfast, and tried to talk Javier into getting his money's worth also.

 Rock's favorite part of the breakfast was putting syrup on the ham.  It was kind of like a honey glaze, but more of a Mrs. Buttersworth glaze.

 Unfortunately the Seattle weather followed me over the mountains.  Rock wouldn't let his spirit be dampened, and flirted with a little girl until she lent him her umbrella.  Normally DeA doesn't condone his womanizer ways, but it was raining hard and she didn't want to get soaked.

 We almost didn't go through with our plans of having kids in the back of the truck, but rock and his cousins were undaunted.  They demanded that they were allowed to ride in the rain.

 My mom and DeA helped make the sign for the truck, and Brian Kenck put up the side boards.  The key thing was to have cute kids doing cute stuff.

 They did a great job of waving and throwing candy.

 The hard hat was so big on Rock's head that it acted like an umbrella. 

 Colby didn't even notice the rain, or his runny nose.

The kids ran out of candy, but still waved their little hands off (pic from golakechelan.com).  They were adorable.