The Easter princess.

Remembering Uncle Dave Menke, who died last night, and thinking of his family. They made a quick stop in New York after our family reunion in Mass. in 2009.

We saw him often when we were growing up and enjoyed the little toy planes he brought us, in addition to games with the frisbee, clambers through the woods and (to a lesser extent as impatient boys) watching birds.

He was a park ranger and wildlife photographer, who grew up in St. Louis and worked in Missouri (Watkins Mill), Nebraska and Iowa (DeSoto Bend), Alaska (Kodiak) and Oregon (Klamath). The local paper (The Herald and News) attributes the picture of great horned owls above to him in a story about the birds migrating through the Klamath basin this week.

Do a google search for Dave Menke and select photos; you'll see a wide selection of beautiful bird photos.

Other memories (many from childhood) include floats at the cabin in the Ozarks, at least one Colorado camping trip, meeting in Nebraska City, listening to Ian and Sylvia and other records at his house at De Soto Bend, getting onto the refuge after it had closed because Dave had the keys, seeing large herds of deer and the snow geese migration, getting into the visitor's center after hours and watching Dave disarm the alarm (and wondering whether he'd get it done in time). In recent years I enjoyed playing with his kids, especially Matthew, with whom I built a large lego model and bonded during family reunions.

Herald and News photo gallery of Dave's bird photos

Herald and News obituary

Herald and News story (short)

The cousins in Kansas City check out the fire engine at Union Station.

 Daniel gets some air in Paul and Liz's bedroom.

Napping with Mama.

Ladies Who Lunch

Many more photos from the big trip to KC are forthcoming, but here's one Liz emailed yesterday. Bernadette and I really enjoyed all the girl time and the family time!

Isaiah tries out the tire swing (while Dad experiments with camera positioning.

Not sure what the message is, but I'm pretty sure it's directed at me. Your interpretations welcome.

 Basket cases.

 April showers.

Fading flowers.

Walking on a rainy, spring evening.

Scenes From a Park

Lady pushing her one-year-old on the swing next to ours: How old is your baby?

Marian: Eight months.

Isaiah: It is called Bernadette.

Later, after making the acquaintance of a three-year-old boy...

Isaiah (to the boy, pointing): That's my brother Bernadette.

When a large delivery truck lumbered down the road past the park...

Isaiah: Well, I'll be ding-dong-danged! That's a nice big box truck!

Bonus detail: Whenever something goes wrong (he bumps his head, drops his truck, forgets something, etc.), Isaiah has been saying, "Bother" or "Oh, bother" or sometimes, "Oh, drat and bother!"

Rockin' lizard at the Green House in Hartford.

Notes

Bernadette really wants to move on her own. Latest efforts involve pitching forward from a sitting position (although sometimes one of the legs remains trapped; amazing contortionists, these babies). Still not quite going, but she is getting tummy clear of the floor.

 Isaiah has really gained balance and physical confidence since last fall. We visited Rockwell Park on Sunday. He climbed the fake rock (lots of convenient holds and steps built in) whose top is about chin level for me. He asked for help, but I guided his feet and hands, instead. He needed some help getting down, but I wasn't scared while he was on top, like I was a few months ago. He also went down the two-story twisty slide that I wouldn't let him use before.

 

What's Isaiah doing in the kitchen? Eggs-ellent question! He's counting his eggs before they hatch. Marian can fill in the details.

We [Heart] Weddings

We recently saw Rick and Eleanor, who had some pictures from their wedding last fall to share.

Daddy waits in the background, all ready to go to the car, while Isaiah boogies with the bride.
He was the first one on the dance floor and never even stopped for dessert.
This one is going in the slide show I plan to present at the rehearsal dinner for Isaiah's wedding.

 A couple of closeups of Bernadette.

Who's the Patron Saint of the NCAA?

Yesterday....

M: Please, St. Anthony, help Mama find her glasses.

I: Go defense!

Don't Tell Isaiah

A 6-year-old hears about an opening at a railway museum and applies for the job. 

26 July

Dear Mr. Tucker

Application for director

I am writing to apply to be the new Director of the National Railway Museum. I am only 6 but I think I can do this job.

I have an electrick train track. I am good on my train track. I can control 2 trains at once.

[PHOTO]

I have been on lots of trains including Eurostar and some trains in France. I have visited the museum before. I loved watching the trains go round on the turntable.

On the other side is a picture of me.

Hopefully I can come and meet you for an interview.

From

Sam Pointon

 Bernadette has been practicing with the wooden spoon and metal bowl so she'll pass all of Grandpa's tests in Kansas City.

What happens when you meet Grandma at the mall.

Bernadette shares a moment with Uncle Pete.

Wednesday Afternoon

Isaiah has a Richard Scarry book propped on the couch. As he flips through it, he sings "Bad to the Bone" softly to himself.

Despite the disappointing loss on Sunday, we're still Jayhawks fans (picture is from Saturday night).

 One amigo and three amigas walking to dinner Saturday night in Yonkers (colder than expected despite the sun).

A story read by Clare makes waiting for dinner the opposite of tedious.

And now a few words from Isaiah

"One, two, three, four, five, six, s...eleven, eight, nine, ten ..."

 "Apartment 305. Man overboard!"

"Nobody keeps me informed." (channeling Eeyore)

 Digits ...

 Bernadette is sitting up comfortably and reaching for anything interesting in sight. She occasionally topples over, but is good at yelling to let us know the situation is not to her liking. Here, she manipulates the hammer (mostly to chew on, although she also is starting to bang objects against whatever is at hand).

 Among the items stashed away in the closet are a pair of swimming goggles. Isaiah tried them on. I think he may be on the vanguard of fashion.

Going up in the elevator? Going down? Here's a tip of the hat to you.

Milk and Cookies

Yesterday I baked cookies for Bible Study. Isaiah got to eat one, and I told him we needed to save the rest. He seemed OK with that, and we went into the living room. He nursed for a bit, and a few minutes after he was done, told me, "I had better go back in the kitchen and have another cookie because that milk made me hungry."

p.s. Bernadette has changed overnight from a lump-in-the-sling baby to a sit-on-the-floor-and-play baby. She is holding herself well, and yesterday she actually sat with her little basket of toys (which Isaiah had fetched for her :) ) and pulled things out of it on her own! Her favorite game, however, was to rock the basket back and forth and hear the toys crash into each other. (And right now she's back in the sling for her nap. :) )

Ready for summer vacation? Break out the Adirondack chairs.

Mary, one of the friends we see at the Green House in Hartford, holds Bernadette. At one point or another Saturday, both Isaiah and Bernadette had disappeared into other rooms or the backyard without us. I started looking for Isaiah, and he was out swinging, so I was able to continue an adult conversation with Chris. What fun.

Notes

A snippet of Isaiah's morning narrative: ... so dad could see the tractor plowing in the field where the trucks were growing ...

Isaiah got his hair cut yesterday. I got my hair cut this morning. Marian got hers cut this afternoon. Now I feel like Bernadette is being left out.

Riding in the car.

Isaiah and the rainy day.

Someday when we have a house, I might have to make a bedroom like this for Isaiah and then spend hours playing in it myself: Pirate ship bedroom.

The siblings. Isaiah asked to hold Bernadette. The arrangement remains precarious, but the bed is soft.

A is for aquarium, which we visited with Marilyn on Friday. B is for Bernadette.

Bernadette is sure trying hard to move. It's only a matter of time before she starts following Isaiah everywhere he goes. Other things she's good at now: manipulating things with her hands. She'll hold an object in one or both hands, move it to her mouth, switch hands, put it back in her mouth. She also picks up things she drops. 

This weekend, there was the beginning of stranger anxiety. When Marilyn arrived on Thursday, she looked at Bernadette, who burst into tears upon eye contact and eyed her suspiciously for the next 24 hours or so (she was also suspicious of some people at the CWH party Friday night). 

More From the Young Poet

Outside our window is a little cemetery overshadowed by a large tree. This morning, brown leaves unearthed by recent melting lay scattered across the remaining snow. Kneeling beside the window this morning, with his elbows on the sill, here is what Isaiah had to say about the view: "The snow is covered with leaves the way daisies cover the hill."

( And in case you're curious, there is no hill covered with daisies near us; he got that image from Tootle, the Little Golden Book about the young engine that leaves the tracks to play in a field of daisies.)