Dillon is ONE!!!!

We did it, everyone: we turned Dillon one! She is taking this big girl stuff seriously, because within 24 hours she was walking, clapping and eating finger foods.

Winning!

What Happens in Vegas...Gets Posted on the Internet

While on vacation, we tend to relax certain rules. Food, for instance. At home, Dillon is on a strict diet of whole fruits and vegetables and organic chicken. While in Las Vegas, she eats napkins.

Bates Pumpkin Farm

Every fall Bates goes from "nut farm" to "pumpkin patch." Despite the fall atmosphere, it was over 90 degrees in Escondido! Hence Dillon's ruddy farmhand cheeks.

I don't take the sun on my face.

The first of many yearly pumpkin family portraits.

I give you a cornstalk hat, daddy.

I would rather sit on a pumpkin...

Henry David Thoreau wrote in Walden, "I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself than be crowded on a velvet cushion." Dillon agrees!

E=mc^2 Piece of Cake!

Dillon is clearly a genius. We knew it all along, but have, at last, stumbled upon incontrovertible proof. Behold:

Dillonosaurus

Dillon says RAWR to Uncle Marc for the great drawing, which is now hanging up in her room.

I always knew I was part dinosaur.

Baby in a...Toy Bin!

You can't even blame me for this one. My mom put her in there! But she seems to like it...

Would Dr. Sears approve?

This seems like a good place to read.

Or maybe I'll take a nap.

Bathroom Renovation (Part 1)

So about a year ago we renovated both of our bathrooms. Sadly they are not any bigger, just nicer. Here are some pix from the hallway bathroom. Thanks to my dad for helping with the paint.

I bid a fond farewell to the underwater mural.

Before/after sinks.

Wow, I forgot how ugly the old shower was.

I love the new hex floor tile.

Silver trim on the baseboards and ceiling.