Of all my children, Lily is the one who loves her pacifier the most. She has learned how to even cough, while maintaining a tight jawlock on it. She has had this pacifier since the beginning, and she can tell the difference between it, and others that I have tried. We lost it for about 2 days one time, but I thought, no problem, I have others. Wrong. That was a sleepless night, followed by a very long day with hardly much of a nap. But I have to laugh, because every time she is sitting in her highchair, sucking the life out of her paci, she reminds me of Sam the Snowman with Burl Ives' voice in the Rudolph the Red Nosed reindeer Christmas special.

Live or Die??

We went to the boys' baseball games yesterday. Jonathan plays at the Anderson Parks and Recreation location, just behind their facility. As we were heading to the field, we crossed under a tree that was full of berries...the only reason we noticed was that the ground was COVERED with ripe, juicy, dark red berries...thousands of them. We didn't realize they were there until we were half way under the tree, so we kept going. It was the strangest tree...the berries looked just like blackberries, yet, this was an enormous tree. Luis, being the adventursome lad that he has always been (and I am sure will always be!) decided he was going to eat some berries. He asked a passerby if the berries were edible, and the man said, "Why sure they are, I been eating them there berries since I was knee high to a grasshopper". (Translation for my northern friends: "Yes") So, Luis began to eat a bunch of them. About a minute later, another man walked up to Luis and said, "Them things are poison!". *silence* Luis looked at me and I looked at him. He dropped the berries that were in his hand. All the color drained out of his face. "A kid ate a handful of those berries last year, tore up his stomach and he 'bout near died" the gentleman continued. Luis and I just stood there, motionless. So I began to rattle off a few options...induce vomiting...go to the ER...and as we were discussing how to handle the imminent knock at death's door, we turned around to see an older gentlemen with two of his grandkids. They were under the same tree, and the grandfather was picking berries and giving them to his grandkids...one for him, two for them...they were gobbling the berries like there was no tomorrow. This grandfather seemed like he had been around the block a time or two before. I went over, and sheepishly asked the man if he knew what kind of tree that was. "Why, this is a huckleberry tree", he exclaimed between bites, "and the berries are perfectly ripe". Suddenly, the color came back to Luis's olive cheeks, and a smile to his face.

After some online investigation, I discovered that the tree was actually not a huckleberry, but rather a Mulberry...regardless, Luis is still alive and well, 24 hours later.

We love our avocados!! Lily tried some yesterday, and she loves them, too! I can't get the boys to even try them...I made a delicious guacamole on Sunday (Using my fresh cilantro from my little herb garden in a pot, an onion, salt and juice from a key lime), and they both just turn up there noses (I think it's the green color). Luis and I ate the whole thing! I was the same was when I first met Luis...HATED guacamole/avocados. Then, eventually, I kept trying them, and voila! Love them. I wish they grew around here, but *sigh* I'd need a greenhouse (and a green thumb)! They grow great down in Ixtlan...hmmm...road trip!



By the way, how do you like my view from the kitchen window??

Bath Time!!

Park Pictures

After our work day at church, we took a drive to Williamston, the next town over. We found a fun park for the kids, and snapped some shots. Lily even got in the swing for the first time!