We've already harvested several good sized tomatoes from this plant. It looks as though we'll get several more.
Shayla is being the dutiful little waterer.

Here's a few pictures from our Spring Family Get Together in Houston: Kids, kids, and more kids. The old, the young, the just begun. Walkers, diapers, tennis shoes and flip flops. Some are shuffling, some are crawling, most are dancing, a few wee ones are bawling, but everywhere there is laughter and love, joy and gaiety with smiles all around for here we are together once again, Family Found.

Shayla, our 5 year old wonder, has graduated to the ability of phonically deciphering her mom and I's secret, open air language of 'audibly spelling out' all our communications that we do not wish for her to make out. Surprisingly, at 5 years old, her talents are fast encroaching our 'scrambling abilities'. This is no surprise to us, yet a tad inconvenient, I must admit. It's a bit funny too, as I can totally recollect my memories of when I started doing this myself. I remember that the first phrase that I made sense of that was being spelled out in front of me was 'ice cream', and after that they were indelibly etched into my brain and 'ice cream' was no longer a safe phrase for the adults to use in the open, unless of course, they were planning on giving me some.

I am happy about Shayla's newfound ability, as it proves a good point of it's own incentive even in the mind of a 5 year old: knowing how to spell has irrefutable perks of it's own and in this case, mommy and daddy are confidently certain that they are even a little more excited than she that this light bulb has been flipped on by our own miniature Sherlock Holmes.

She tells me "It was so cute and soft looking though Daddy!"
I'm sure it was, but that's the thing about cacti. That's how they keep from being eaten by animals especially when they are so cute and cuddly looking.
I don't imagine she'll be doing that again.

Shayla wants to cool off. I am already cool enough and don't really like getting wet that often. She is equipped with a strapped-on float vest and goggles. She jumps in, paddles around, then gets back out and does it again all the while uttering cries of delight and joy. Me? I stand on the side, swim suit on, and ready to jump in at the slightest need. I prefer to stay dry, but...even a cactus gets wet every once in a while.
What can I say? It's another great Texas Spring day with my incredibly persuasive and active five year old Princess of a daughter.

Now we're ready for the pavement with elbow and knee pads. Yes, definitely a good addition for my little 5 year old risk-taker. A scooter rider without elbow and knee pads is just asking for some stitches from the E.R..

Wow! What a lucky guy am I!!

This is precious. Riding this is really teaching her about balance in a big way. This is a first in going without training wheels.