Remember Vacation Slide Shows?

So, the Suite family went to the lake for the day, courtesy of a birthday bash for KL's daughter Fidget of Katie's Calamities, and now you will be seat-belted into your chair and forced to enjoy photos of some of our fun.

Gracie wasn't sure about all that lakeness at first. That's Headstrong (or Headlong... I always confuse the bloggy names of KL's boys) out in uncharted waters. Incidentally, Grace tends to approach everything the way she did the lake. She observes and calculates risk and watches her big sisters make all the rash decisions and amends, and then she joins the fun. It is so great having big sisters and not just because they have to make your bed for you and carry your laundry upstairs.


The EGE and Laura spent the day on a quilt in the shade. She was teaching Daddy a few things from her book. This trend should continue for the next 18 years or so. Maybe longer.

The three cuteketeers reapplied sunscreen at least half a dozen times. My Maddy turns a lovely nut brown, but KL's Fern and my Sarah have the milk-white skin of romance novel damsels. Also, Sarah has quite the way with the movie star sunglasses. You may be seeing more pictures of the camera-shy Sarah since she has not discovered that we can still see her when she has those glasses on.

Little did we know that Laura was working on that tooth I discovered later Saturday evening. The pictures told the tale. Tomorrow she'll be eating steak.

Double trouble... Gracie and her cohort Headlong (Headstrong? Either one could apply.) along with a new redheaded applicant to the crew of calamities. Who knows what they were planning. One time HL convinced Grace to dump an entire large container of baby powder all over herself and her room and finally, him. They looked like little ghost children with white-white hair and eyelashes. I still sweep up talcum powder from her hardwood floor. Another time HL and Grace found themselves fully clothed in the bathtub, mysteriously covered head-to-toe with all of my shampoo and conditioner. Last I watched HL, he and Grace staged a duel to the death (of my peonies) with croquet mallets. They managed to stay out of trouble at the partay, but there was a really good adult-to-preschooler ratio.

I almost didn't upload this lovely photo of Fidget blowing out her candles, because that sweet girl on the right was, um, scratching the inside of her nostril. But it was the only photo of the candle-blowing moment. Plus I am still juvenile enough to think nose-picking in a lifevest is funny. And, she's not my child.

Gracie and the birthday girl get into their chocolate with gusto. As well they should if they ever want to graduate to be real grown-up girls. Why do you think there are no photos of KL and me?

Does this water make my pedicure look fat?