Ian's Award

I'll take back everything I've said about people with those "My child is an honor student at...." bumper stickers on the backs of their cars. Ian was the recipient of the much-coveted Principal's Award at St. Paul's Lutheran School. I might be making up the much-coveted part--maybe they give them out like candy--but what can I say. It's cool to have an award winning child. Ian received this honor for the encouragement and help he gives his classmates, especially when doing puzzles. Go Ian!

Snow '09

Up in New Jersey for New Year's, we had a good covering of snow. While it upset travel plans for Mark coming up from Hampton Roads, and Amy looking to head back to Plymouth, the kids were able to enjoy playing together.

Here Elizabeth and Andy are constructing a snowman:


Ian enjoying a solo swing in the snow:


And Peter with Dan in the background:

Scottish Games

Three weekends ago we went to the Anne Arundel Scottish Festival and Games.  We enjoyed watching the pipe bands march on:
Jessica's parents made an appearance too. This photo was taken while watching the Border Collies herd sheep around, just before Mom got lost:
Ian, Peter and Tom enjoyed listening to the band competitions, as well as the solo pipers in the Piobaireachd competition (results), while others looked for Debbie.The day was rounded off with eating overpriced haggis puffs, mince meat pies, and "Scottish" pies, as well as shopping for overpriced practice chanter reeds.  As always, it was a good time.

Taekwondo

Here is Ian busting a Taekwondo move on any would-be aggressors.

Kicking,...


...and punching...


...are central to the art (I guess). Ian has been doing this for a few weeks. We're hoping it will improve his already cat-like dexterity.

Ian Turns Four!

Okay, so we're a few weeks late on updating some pictures here. Ian turned four on August 26th. It seems like just a few years ago (and children ago) that he was born via Cesarean section, performed by a woman who could not have been old enough to remember Barney Miller.

Future Olympians!

For those who doubt that television affects children's behavior, you have to see this (note what's on TV):

Pajama Party

Tonight we had a pajama party between bathtime and betime. The boys were in good spirits.



Matthew Alasdair is getting quite big these days! He's as long as Peter is from knee to head.

Week One

One week ago this evening, Jessica was admitted to the hospital to deliver Matthew Alasdair. Here he is one week on.


And while I'm at it, here's a cute close-up of Ian and the world's most heavily colonized blanket (colonized, that is, with microscopic organisms):

Matthew Alasdair Comes Home

Jessica and Matthew were discharged from the hospital this morning. We are all very happy to have them home, and the older boys are especially glad to have life head back to normalcy.

When we set Matthew down, his novelty kept their attention for at least 60 seconds.


Here are my four sons.


Each time we bring a new one home, we are struck with a sudden realization of how much older the others have gotten to be. They all seem happy to have a new brother.

Meeting Matthew Alasdair

Here are some photos of Matthew being met by some "folks" (as Grandfather Barker would say). This will be it for hospital photos.

Andy meets his new brother:


Ian meets his new brother:


Peter meets his new brother:


Ian and Andy pretend to sleep on Mommy's neat electric hospital bed:


Gram (Tom's mom) meets Matthew Alasdair:


Grania (Jessica's mom) meets Matthew Alasdair:

Ian Dresses Himself

I love those easy-access back jeans pockets.

Snow '08

Ian coaxed us to gear all three boys up for a snow outing on Thursday night. The boys had a great time making foot prints, snow balls, and sledding down the (very) small slope in our front yard, using Aunt Carrie's clothes bin as a make-shift sled (uh, sorry Carrie).


Ian loves sledding!

Here he is with his big brother in our first snow of 2008:

Bibliophiles

The kids found a new good use for our hall bookcase. The love of books and bookcases runs in the family.



Yesterday most of the family fell asleep. Don't be fooled though, Andy's faking.



And on Friday night, Andy was so into the guitar playing and singing we did with our church group that we found he had held his own jam session after going to sleep (that's a lyrics sheet by his feet).

More Christmas Photos

Thanks to Danielle Lee, here are a couple more from our New Jersey Christmas:

Andy wants to name the new baby Snoopy. We told him no. He suggested Schroeder as an alternative. See any resemblance? Even a striped shirt!

Speaking of Andy, he woke us up this morning by yelling at Peter to wake him. I marched into Peter's room to remind Andy of the discourteous nature of waking a sibling before the appointed hour, but discovered that he wasn't in there. But I could still hear him yelling. I realized he was next door, in his own room, hollering through the heating vent, "hey, Peter, woo-hoo!" His explanation? "I was talking through the heater, pretending it was a phone!" Fine, but the receiving end is in mommy and daddy's room. Argh.

And here Ian demonstrates that there's no wrong way to eat a PBJ:

Ian Nathaniel Brown

(Photo taken tonight.)

Ian's favorite book recently has been "I Spy Little Christmas".

He can flip through every page and recite it from heart... "I spy a train, I spy Santa in a truck," etc. But every time he reads it, he gets stuck on one page, on just one item that he can't identify, and for some reason can't commit to memory.

"Mommy, what's that," he says every single time.

"That's a doll."

"Oh, I spy a doll, I spy a candy on a chair..." Et cetera. Until the next reading.

(Also from tonight.)