"We're strong!" or why it's good to have peers in your neighborhood

A few days ago OP and friends decided to strip off their shirts so as to show off their muscles. (It was about 65 degrees.) They went from door to door, shouting to poor souls who answered, "We're strong! We're strong!" This proclamation was followed by giggling and strut-skipping to find more unsuspecting victims.

We are so grateful that he has 5 & 1/2 year old peers. Who else but a good-natured dog could keep up with the strange energy that courses through their veins and minds?

Now and Then

Oliver is a big cuddle-bucket, and we like him that way! One of his favourite things to do is "sit with you" first thing in the morning. When we're in Glendora, it's just as likely to be Grandpa as Mama, and this year's Christmas visit was no exception.


Just for fun I thought I'd include some other shots of OP and Gramps in this pose from years gone by.

Vacation Fun

Thought you might like a peek at how we kept ourselves busy during winter break (when not coughing, sneezing, or snoozing).

Grandpa, Oliver, and Philip worked together to try out a rocket that uses the old baking soda and vinegar combination. They cooperated so well. It worked really well the first time; you can just see the rocket on its descent. Alas, each of the next attempts were failures of one sort or another.



Not quite sure what led to this, but Philip and Oliver wrote a short play one day using puppets from Gramme's collection. Our family of three rehearsed the parts and then performed from behind the dining room table.

Grandpa treated OP to his first professional haircut:


This year Oliver was stocking taskmaster. He took them down, passed them out, directed opening, and returned all to the mantlepiece. (All this reminded me of Oliver leading us around Newport Beach at the age of 2 & 1/2, saying, "I'm the director! I'm the director!"



And of course he figured out some repetitive olympic maneuvers for the living room at Uncle Warren's and Auntie Nichole's house...Right before the smack down from Uncle Tyler.

Christmas Crafting

Hi, peeps!
We've been absent from the blogosphere but not at all inactive. Here are some photos of our family's Christmas crafts.

Cousin Cuddles

some self portraits

Every few months OP decides to take out his camera. Today he started off using the camera and camera bag as part of his spy equipment, but he later decided he'd actually like to take some photos. Here's a view he often sees from his seat in the back of our car.
This was taken outside near our apartment. Could be a good album cover one day.
We had to include one of OP in his exuberant monkey-ness.

Tiger Suit on Sunday

(NOTE: angled shot especially for Krista)

You gotta love a kid who'll put on his tiger suit just because. Oliver has periodically donned his tiger suit in its entire or with just the head many times over the two years since my mama made the costume for him. Yesterday he wore just the head to church, but put on the whole outfit after nap to read.

And in a little less than two weeks, he'll put it on again to be a tiger for Halloween (3rd year in a row!). Thank you, Gramme!