Summer is starting!

Yes we've gone through some changes around here on the Robo-Family Blog. I finally decided that it would be worth my time to try to figure out some of this HTML stuff and start actually designing this page and making it our own. Since I'm not even close to cool enough to design my own layout beyond just concept, I went too The Cutest Blog On The Block for the background, but the banner with our names and stuff is all me. Go me! So anyway, any tips from those of you who know what you're doing with this blogging thing and can throw some suggestions my way, they'd be greatly appreciated. On to the actual post!

Oh my goodness how we love the warm weather, especially out here where there's so much to do! We decided to take this summer off from boating (this was actually decided for us this winter when we took the boat to get winterized just one freeze too late and did some pretty extensive damage to our third child). However, having the summer to just hang out and not have to worry about the boat, taking it out, who's coming with etc. has proved (at least for me) to be pretty darn relaxing. But we'll be ready for it next summer for sure.

One of the things we've really been taking advantage of is our gym membership (not just to get in shape for swimsuit weather). We joined a really great one called Villa Sport that is super family friendly and is more like a country club. They have an awesome outdoor pool for the kids with a beach entry pool that has a play structure that's just perfect for the kids. Oh, and they serve strawberry margaritas poolside. We've been spending nearly every piece of nice weekend hanging out there and it's perfect because it's close to the house so we can head over in the morning, play and then take the kids home for nap time just in time for the afternoon thunder storms to run through.

The Dude-Man and his shades... his future's so bright!
Our skinny mini tends to turn purple after only a few minutes and asks to go sit in the sun wrapped up by towels. Can't really blame her, I'd rather hang out tanning too.

"What cookie? I didn't see any cookies 'round here." After sharing a big hunk of cookie with Mommy.

Summer time around here also means intramural softball up at the base. We went the other night to watch Jeff's first game(s) and to play on the playground (read: swing for about a half hour). Kale, in true Roberson and Schwab family form didn't even want to eat he was so engrossed in the game. For a kid who eats like he does, that's really saying a lot!

"What Mom? I'm trying to watch the game!"

Haley decided to show us that the single stroller we brought was really a double stroller! Why did we buy this huge double jogging stroller then?! She was tired and just curled up down there, and we covered her with a blanket we keep in there; she never went to sleep, but definitely made herself comfortable.

Dude-a-Man Gets a Haircut!

Well, you've seen a bunch of his before pictures (if not, look at the millions below). It was time. We tried to wait the traditional 1 year before the first haircut, but you can only take your handsome little man being mistaken for a girl so many times, and besides his bangs were in his eyes (something no little boy should have to experience), he couldn't see. Here's my new and improved Dude-a-Man. Oh, and much to my pleasure, he can once again rock his Mohawk (YAY!).

One final before picture, that's some long hair on a little boy.

This is so stinkin' much fun Dad!

Very serious, don't move a muscle.

The after, I'll have to post one of the Mohawk later - he's pretty awesome.

Only in Colorado

Last week Jeff's office had a "Det. 4 Day" - you could equate this to a team-building day in the real world. There were several options and one of which was to head to the mountain in the morning and the lake after lunch. Here are some pics he took.

No, he's not dead, but after choosing to wear his swim trunks skiing (pretty much just to say he did) he might have wished he was.

There they all in all their pre-frostbite glory.

On the lake. I don't know if he could have missed his boat more. They were behind a 19' Bayliner without ballast, or comparable horsepower.

Despite lack of HP and a good wake he was still able to go big and impress the buddies. If they only knew... Maybe they'll get to surf next year.

What's Happenin'

With two kids under three, there is never, ever a dull moment around this house. In fact, if there were a dull moment, that would be so exciting to me that I doubt you could count it as dull anymore. It's been since Mother's Day that I posted last and LOTS has been happening around here. Kale is getting more and more mobile, and Haley is really starting to explore her personality and opinions (she, much like her mother, has one about everything - imagine that). So here are some of our latest pictures. Oh, side note: On the bottom are a couple of them that I've decided to work over in Photoshop - let me know what you think, they begin with Haley with a large flower on her head.

Like I said before, Kale has really started to move his way around everywhere and he's decided that he wants to climb the stairs on his own. Haley picked this up in a day, Kale is taking it a bit more thoughtfully, and while I'm not really ready for him to figure this out yet (I don't have a gate big enough to cross the bottom of our stairs), I guess it's time whether I like it or not.

He has also figured out that when the bright orange light on the camera goes off, mom wants me to smile - so whatever he's doing he stops, looks at me and smiles as big as he can. Pretty cute!

Jeff has been spending a lot of time outside finishing up about 4 miles of fencing (I'll post something about that later this week), and Haley has been his right hand gal. Today the weather was pretty nasty, but she wanted to help anyway (guess she's got some Seattle in her after all - YAY!).

My little ham sandwich, like I said, the orange light goes off... He and Haley were helping me with the laundry and Haley insisted that he get inside the "cage"

Now that he has 2 official teeth and one bump on the bottom he's been allowed to enjoy biter biscuits, this was after a teether toast and dinner (green beans and apples and chicken). He was thrilled to be disgusting - What a BOY!

Holy Haley Faces! This girl has one for EVERYTHING!!! This is her "I'm thinking about it" face only usually she's not looking at me, she'll look completely sideways and sometimes she'll throw a finger to her lips.

This is "Cuddle me" and her not cheese face. I love her eyes in this picture.

This is her "cheeeese" face! You also sometimes get to see it when she's really excited. I also think she looks a lot like me in this one.

He LOVES toilet paper. He will pull himself up on the holder and just spin and spin. This particular day he managed to take care of a whole new roll. The two of them were just laughing in the bathroom and this is what I found. He pulled it off and then proceeded to tear it all apart. couldn't have been happier.

Cuddling with Daddy in front of the TV on a gloomy morning. Daddy was trying to sleep in a bit more - I think you can tell by her face she wasn't as interested in that.

Kale decided he had his diaper, and he shoes on, what more did he need?! He was ready to go and go he did (wish I had taken video of this).

This was her super cute outfit she wore the other day. I've decided to try to grow her bangs out and these headbands have been fantastic. I love the little barrette flower clip that goes into it too.

Haley Kay had Hailey Madison over for a play date the other day - they were so cute having their berry snack with their Gymboree hair clips in that I had to take a picture.

This is Haley telling us to "listen...listen". I love that she always holds her hand in front of her ear for this. She likes to listen for airplanes and thunder.

Finally, Jeff taught Haley that pretty much everyone we know lives in Wa-shing-ton, so this is Haley telling you that and a few other things I wanted to make sure we got on video before she grew out of it.

Mother's Day

All I asked for this year was to sleep in till 10 o'clock and to have breakfast to include bacon. Jeff went above and beyond and woke up early with the kids, got them dressed all by himself (as he'll tell you, he put Kale's outfit together all by himself, they didn't even come on the same hanger). He took them to Lowe's where he had Haley pick out a pot for me and flowers to go in it. Then be brought them home, helped the kids plant them and made me a delicious 3 cheese ham and tomato omelet and bacon. Kale apparently had fun helping out and also eating the dirt, what can I say, he's a boy!

Teething on the trowel.

Helping to flatten out the dirt.

Mmmm Dirt. When something tastes this good, you can't be concerned with keeping clean. And a good one-eye look. Haley likes to look at this picture and say "Kale eat dirt...Eeewww." She's been pretty obsessed with it lately.

Kale helping to shovel the dirt.

It was a great Mother's Day.

Kale is Officially Crawling

The last thing that Jeff told Kale before he went off to Germany was "don't grow up too much while I'm gone little man". Apparently Kale was asleep when he told him this because over the course of the last couple of weeks Kale has started to pull himself up on EVERYTHING, he's cut a tooth and started to crawl like a normal baby (no more low crawling). You can see in the video he's getting pretty quick.

PaaaPa, Where Aarrre Youu?

We've been lucky enough to have Grandma out here to help out with the kids while Jeff has been in Germany. Haley, in the last few days, has wondered where Papa is and since Mr. Potato Head has a "tickle-stash" that will work. Here is some video with her and Grandma making Papa.

Giving Papa a kiss

Making a silly face while showing her Papa.