Laura kept doing this thing to get Thomas to laugh, and it worked until someone would distract him.

Ethan

Ethan always insists that I take his picture whenever the camera is out. In this second one, he's eating a sandwich at the picnic table and both Major and Rusty were sitting there waiting for him to drop a piece. When I went out, however, Rusty walked away. Major is still interested, though.

From Sad to Happy

My Giant Baby

Thomas is our biggest baby at this age. He just went to the doctor for his six month check up, and he weighs 20 lbs. and is 29 1/4 inches tall. I've had babies that weighed that much, but his height is well off the chart. The doctor says he continues to be really tall. Jessica was only 30 inches at one year. He is very good-natured and lots of fun. I always recite to him the nursery rhyme that says, "Tom, Tom, the piper's son, stole a pig and away he run. The pig was eat, and Tom was beat, and Tom went crying down the street." Then I decided that it sounded pretty harsh, and didn't particularly apply to Thomas, so Laura and I made up a new one. "Tom, Tom, the Schwan man's son, is a pig and he weighs a ton. He is so sweet, he sucks his feet, and when Daddy comes home he brings a treat."

Memorial Day Observed

On Memorial Day, we went to the cemeterys where our grandparents and other relatives are buried. Since it is especially a day to remember those who served our country, I thought I'd take pictures of Grampy Sloat's and Uncle Greg's gravestones. Most family members don't live close enough to see these for themselves, so you'll have to settle for a virtual visit. The picture with flags shows their proximity to each other.

Twelve Kids!

Spencer and Ivy arrived last Thursday with their three rough and tumble boys. Our kids are so excited to have them around. It's nice to no longer be the only sibling in Maine anymore. Sunday evening I snapped some photos of the kids, but Logan was not feeling well, as is evident in the picture. Zack was plenty happy, though, and Abe stuck out his tongue when I asked him to smile. Such a typical boy! Ethan also insisted on having his picture taken, of course. Thomas was taken aback by a bite of mashed potatoes with dill.

Pierced Ears

Laura was given the gift of pierced ears for her birthday back in December, but we never got around to getting it done until March (mostly due to our vehicle troubles). She just started being able to wear different earrings a couple of weeks ago and loves to change them several times a day.