Paging Dr. Morris...

Carter is excited about his new Doctor jacket and stethascope! Thanks Hooser family!
He also has just found out he has a new patient....

He looks very doctor-like, don't ya think?
Aside from the fact he isn't wearing any pants.

Practicing his "you take how many Xanax a day?" face.

Some doctors like to have several stethoscopes handy....

tap tap...is this thing on?

(insert evil laugh here)

He has some work to do on his bedside manner.

"Hold still Murphy"

Murphy says: "I am not enjoying this"

"Nor am I enjoying this silly new haircut. Next time you take me to the groomer, please tell them that I AM NOT A GIANT RED SCHNAUZER!!!" (yes, our dog says "nor")

Towing

Carter loves cruisn' up and down the front porch on his Plasma Car.

He can go really fast - which can be dangerous when you are driving with one hand and holding your bucket of sidewalk chalk with the other.

And back to the other side of the porch to build up more speed....

Even faster...Now he has crashed (one of his favorite activities) the Plasma car off the porch into the grass. Its time for his other favorite activity, rigging up a tow rope
(which looks a lot like a dog leash to me)

In comes the dump truck to assist...

Stepping back to admire his work
The Plasma Car actually does the towing & pulls the dump truck onto the porch

On to the next adventure -
We must run around the yard pulling the dump truck with the leash.

Pulling the dump truck through the sunflower field

Pausing to evaluate his strategy

I told him it was time to head back to the house, here's the reaction....

And we're off!

Weekend fun

This weekend Grandpa Richard, Grandma Jan, and Aunt Summer made the long drive to visit. The weather was great, allowing for plenty of fun outside!
Aunt Summer drew the ultimate city out of sidewalk chalk.

Tractor rides are always a hit!

Murphy sporting his new haircut

Multi-tasking baseball. Catching and batting at the same time.

"I caught it!"

Not sure what this was about...

Welcome, Murphy!

VWs work well as sand sifters too.

Carter's Thought for the Day...

"Mommy, I'll be a car and you be a tow truck"

Some days this feels so true.

Fun with bubbles, cattails and waders

Grandpa Richard, Grandma Jan, and Aunt Summer sent Carter this super cool bubble fan in the mail. It makes an abundance of bubbles and may save parents who can't blow bubbles fast enough from hyperventilation.

Ryan decided to don his waders pull cattails from the pond. I think he just wanted an excuse to put on some cammo - will somebody please take him bird hunting?

Murphy was jealous

Carter enjoyed watching Dad get in the pond wearing his
"special pond suit"

Even better was washing pond sludge off of Dad with the water hose.
And then chasing Mom.

More spraying - what fun!

Breakfast attitude....

Who knew cheerios could make you grumpy?

What an adorable grumpy face.

Murphy was standing close by in case grumpy boy threw his cheerios on the floor.

Magic Mud

If you haven't made magic mud before, you should give it a try. I got the recipe out of a toddler activity book - under the "rainy day section". I'm not sure I would do this inside. Maybe they meant you should let your kids run around outside in the rain after playing with the magic mud to wash off all of the "magic".

Here's the recipe:
5 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons water
food coloring
mixing bowl
measuring spoon
spoon (to stir the mud)

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Magic Mud Instructions:
Spoon cornstarch into bowl, Add water and stir.
It should be difficult to stir, even when water and cornstarch are fully mixed. Color your magic mud with food coloring if you wish. Don't add too much food coloring or your mud will become runny.
If this happens, add a little cornstarch until the mud feels like it did before adding the food coloring.

When you are finished you will end up with this bizarre substance that changes from a solid to a liquid and back to a solid again . Don't worry, it washes off easily with water. I wasn't sure if "Ben" (part of the Thomas the Train Gang, for those of you who aren't familiar with Thomas) would make it through the magic mud experience.

Ben washed off nicely with water

You can get the magic mud off of your hands easily by running your hands under water. Or, you can just get into a bucket of water. Whichever method you prefer works fine.

Just a few miscellaneous pics...

I just uploaded pictures from my iphone, so here are a few pictures of us out and about over the past week.

Murphy - I think he was counting clouds

Going on a road trip to Santos Taqueria, This place was written up in Texas Monthly and we are desperately trying to find something to replace our beloved Melis Taqueria in Fort Worth. Carter was thrilled.

Carter drinking out of a straw is one of my favorite things - too adorable. I have lots of "straw" action shots taken over the year.

Oh, and the food was excellent!! We will no doubt make a trip back soon. The gorditas were delicious!

Carter having fun at school.

Dad's socks are cool....

Well, they look cool on Carter.
I'm not sure how cool Ryan would look if he wore them pulled up past his knees with shorts.