New additions: carrots, rice cakes, and tubes

As I write this, Sam and Katie are investigating the discovery of a door in our house that was previously unknown to them. It leads from our laundry room to the patio. Just evidence that we need to include our kids more in the chores of the household - clearly they've not spent enough time in the laundry room.
The daring duo, busy launching themselves from the top of the green chair to the floor of the living room.
And pausing for a moment of reflection.
Isaac's first taste of vegetables.  I finally got around to cooking some carrots. 
 The reception was somewhat inconsistent, so I'm calling it a wash.  
Today, Isaac ate an entire rice cake.  He looked across the table to the master for guidance on technique...
Grace eats hers with flair.

This morning was Grace's surgery to place tubes in her ear drums.  She could not have done better!  She wasn't disconcerted, woke up smoothly from the anesthetic, and charmed the staff at the surgery center.  Grace hasn't had a ton of ear infections, but she did have persistent fluid in her middle ear, so hopefully this will improve her hearing and help with her language acquisition.  She is very vocal, but doesn't yet have any recognizable words or effective ways of communicating her needs.  Scratch that - she does have a pretty clear way of telling me when she doesn't want to drink her milk - it ends up on the floor.  We're hoping for a less labor-intensive communication system.

Katie's lunch of choice: cucumbers and a pickle sandwich.
Dave skyped us this afternoon from Trondheim.  Sam and Katie were too busy doing their own things to chat.  Grace and Isaac enjoyed seeing Dad on the screen.  I'm still awed by how easy it is to have a live (free!) video conversation with someone who is across the ocean.