Jack and Cate Update -- September, 2003

Saturday, August 23, 2003

This was the Houck's first dinner out with Sam and Dylan. While we enjoyed a nice conversation, Dylan's mood was apparently one of stunned silence.

Saturday, August 23, 2003

Yes, we were indoors, but Cate believes sunglasses are not only functional but an important fashion accessory.

Saturday, August 23, 2003

It's incredibly hard to believe (less than two years ago) the kids rattled around in these same car seats. Now they have to contort themselves just to fit inside for a quick photo.

Saturday, August 23, 2003

The stars are truly aligned when the kids are laughing, hugging each other (unasked), and I've got the camera ready to shoot.

Saturday, August 23, 2003

I'm not sure who was having more fun -- Sam being tickled, or Jack and Cate doing the tickling.

Wednesday, August 27, 2003

I was putting away my backpack (Lisa already finds this story hard to believe) when Jack decided he wanted to play with it. One thing led to another, and Jack somehow ended up in the backpack. Lisa gets photography credits on this one...

Thursday, August 28, 2003

Our nanny, Betsy, absolutely dotes on these kids. Most people would be happy if the kids would entertain themselves with a couple of baskets. She, on the other hand, provides them with cushy backrests and high-performance steering wheels.

Saturday, August 30, 2003

It was the best of times (playing with Grandpa and Grandma's flyswatter).

Saturday, August 30, 2003

It was the worst of times (playing with Grandpa and Grandma's flyswatter).

Saturday, August 30, 2003

We went to dinner in Minneapolis with Greg's brother's family. Both Cate and Peggy were getting a bang out of Scott's antics. I think Cate was trying to share her cracker with him.

Saturday, August 30, 2003

I don't care what Peggy says, this is not funny. I'm opposed, damn opposed.

Saturday, August 30, 2003

If Peggy is going to teach Jack about lipstick, I like this approach much better.

Saturday, August 30, 2003

After a baby-wipe, Jack seems none the worse for wear.

Saturday, August 30, 2003

After dinner, Jack squeezed his way past Grandma (not so politely instructing her: "out, out") so he could sit on Grandpa's lap. The need for grandfatherly attention may have been a reaction to the unfortunate lipstick incident.

Sunday, August 31, 2003

I'm not sure what Jack is trying to tell Grandpa Dick. I suspect it has something to do with his flyswatter technique. Jack spent much of the Labor Day weekend carrying around that swatter -- at least we know what to get him for Christmas.

Sunday, August 31, 2003

Jack doing a little bug-hunting -- in this case, an ant. He still gets a little freaked-out when he spots a bug, but he's doing much, much better. He no longer has tantrums over imagined insects.

Sunday, August 31, 2003

Jack loves cars. When I asked him if he wanted to look at Scott's Miata, he grabbed my hand and practically dragged me to the car. Once there, he was quickly in the driver's seat and playing with the steering wheel.

Sunday, August 31, 2003

Jack found exactly two working controls in the car -- the horn and the stereo's volume knob. Since he kept insisting on blowing the horn and turning the volume all the way up, they were equally annoying to all Grandma and Grandpa's neighbors. Cate, however, liked it just fine and danced in her seat.

Sunday, August 31, 2003

We no more than closed the doors on the Miata when the kids said (in unison) "bye-bye" as if they were going to start her up and drive away.

Sunday, August 31, 2003

Although they had never been in one before, they were in two convertables this Labor Day weekend. Grandma and Grandpa just bought a Chrystler Sebring -- when we dropped the top, Jack wasn't too sure about the whole thing. The motorized top scared him a little.

Sunday, August 31, 2003

Grandma Irene found the buggy that Greg and Scott used as kids -- I have distinct memories of riding in it at the Minnesota State Fair (I was in Junior High School at the time). It was a tight fit (and it wasn't initially clear that Jack would be willing to share), but Cate was able to join Jack by sitting on his lap.

Sunday, August 31, 2003

Jack's patience for sharing the buggy with Cate turned out to be surprisingly short. He was fine after a little comforting from Mom.

Sunday, August 31, 2003

This seemed like a good idea at the time. I got a little anxious when Jack got a really good hold on the gutter and I thought it might come down before he did.

Sunday, August 31, 2003

Another bath, another set of twins running naked through the house.

Sunday, August 31, 2003

Once fully clothed, Jack put on a lengthy display of hyper-kinetic gymnastics on Grandpa and Grandma's bed. A little later, Jack threw tennis balls for Buster (their dog) to chase. After retrieving one, Buster laid down with it between his forelegs. Jack was brave enough to slowly and gently remove the ball and replace it with his toy plane. Buster didn't know what he should do with a toy plane, but I think he appreciated the sentiment.

Monday, September 1, 2003

We spent Labor Day at Grandma and Grandpa's lake cabin. After lunch we took a long troll around the lake in the pontoon-boat.

Monday, September 1, 2003

Jack "drove" most of the time. He was initially really excited about it, but he slowly lost interest. Whenever Grandpa Dick goosed the motor, however, he quickly grabbed the wheel and demonstrated his high-performance driving skills.

Monday, September 1, 2003

We tried putting her behind the wheel with Grandpa Dick, but Cate had no interest in driving the boat. Mid-way through our lake tour, she took a (much needed) nap. Regardless of where we go or what we do, the kids just don't sleep well when we're on the road.

Monday, September 1, 2003

We extended our lake tour while Grandpa Dick retrieved the trailer so we could store the boat for the winter (it was hard to imagine the weather quickly turning colder on such a beautiful day). While we waited for Grandpa to return, Jack finally succumb to the lack of sleep and the rocking boat.

Monday, September 1, 2003

After storing both the boat-lift and pontoon-boat for the Winter, we arrived in Waseca three hours late to visit the kids' Great-Grandparents -- the kids' second-cousin Kendra was (patiently) waiting for them too. Reading from the book, Great-Grandma Ruth asked if you put a rock in a hole in the ground, would a rock-tree grow? Cate would bellow "NOOOOOO!"

Monday, September 1, 2003

Kendra took a turn reading to Cate and Great-Grandma Ruth -- she's a very advanced child.

Monday, September 1, 2003

Jack with Great-Grandpa Delmar. It's funny how the kids' personalities have changed over time. In the last six months, the kids' have both become a little shy when first meeting people. As you can tell from this photo, Jack is about ready to climb into his shirt when confronted with a bunch of unfamiliar people. It doesn't take them long, however, to relax and act more like themselves.

Monday, September 1, 2003

The kids were unbelievably good during our visit. They were absolutely exhausted after a long weekend in Minnesota, but they stayed in a good mood and had a lot of fun with their Great-Grandparents.

Monday, September 1, 2003

We really enjoyed our visit with Great-Grandma Ruth and Great-Grandpa Delmar, but it went much too quickly. It's such a shame that we live so far away and that we get to visit so infrequently.

Monday, September 1, 2003

I'm not sure what they're all looking at, but I strongly suspect it's Grandma Irene making funny faces, saying funny things, and doing back-flips. I could be wrong.

Saturday, September 6, 2003

The kids are growing so incredibly fast that it's sometimes hard to believe. They no longer fit inside their play-area without crouching a bit.

Saturday, September 6, 2003

Although they were initially a little timid, they're now pros on the slide. They'll climb up the ladder (by themselves) and slide down the slide (by themselves) over and over again. Cate has even tried sliding on her stomach (luckily feet first!) without being prompted.

Saturday, September 6, 2003

Alright, I admit Cate needs to work on her dismount.

Saturday, September 6, 2003

And she's up! I'm okay! I'm okay!

Saturday, September 6, 2003

As soon as Cate was in the swing, Jack ran across the yard to give her a push. For the most part, the kids really get along very well.

Saturday, September 6, 2003

Cate in an unusally contemplative mood.