Camping and more petting zoo pix--Now wearing three coats and still stuck on the pics with short sleeves!

Catherine and Warren about to start setting up the tent at Burlingame Campground

I just helped for a minute--just long enough to get a couple of pix taken.

Catherine, and most of all Gerard and Warren, very much wanted to have a bonfire---but I vehemently opposed. Ordering pizza was a much more practical, and much safer, alternative . . . and a yummier one as well. I'm 100% Italian--and pizza compares favorably to anything else. Besides, I have terrible memories of Catherine's college graduation party at home in California. There was a big fire pit in our backyard and I agreed to a bonfire. Many of the invitees were large homeschooling families with older and younger kids--and I was terrified that we'd need to call 9-1-1 for one child or another. 

It looks like Maximilian and mom were just falling asleep.

Look at that little face (not so little any more, actually) sticking out of the tent!

And here comes Thomas!

Catherine (only the back of her head), Philip, and Warren inside the tent

And several more inside-the-tent pix. Please scroll down.

Warren comforting Nicholas. These are pix taken during the morning, with the sunlight shining through the tent.

Another great smile from Thomas!

And an even greater smile now as Catherine hugs him (as she does all the time)

Here you can see all of my children--including Stephen, who didn't want to pose for pix at that time.

Now Stephen is making a silly face--

--and is pouting and frowning on this one.

Finally! Everyone is smiling on this one! There are some more to come as well.

This would be just perfect--if it was not that Catherine was the picture taker and therefore is missing in it.

Please notice how much love there is in the big brothers' eyes!

Another awesome picture here--except for the fact that now it's Warren who is missing.

I was able to ask someone from the family camping next to us to take a couple of pix--so that we could all be in those--including me!

They cannot help petting every dog they find. As you can imagine, they are trying to convince me to add a doggie playmate for Motor, our cat. Do you want to hear the truth? Can you keep a secret? They've convinced me already. It's going to happen soon. The lady and gentleman to the left are the owners of the yellow Labrador that is being the center of attention.

That family also had a chocolate Lab--the one Philip is petting.

Catherine picked up a caterpillar--

--in order to show it to Thomas.

It was certainly not that I liked it so much--but I like being brave . . . and had to hold the caterpillar too!

A stop for breakfast after camping and before going back home

Philip and Thomas sharing the use of the i-Pad. At the time it was just one i-Pad for all five of my younger ones. Recently I added two i-Pad Minis, thus making it into three i-Pads for five kids. And now I just added one more, this time an i-Pod, which will make it into four i-Pads for five children--and no, there will not be a fifth i-Pad of any kind, model, or size.

More petting zoo pix . . .

Petting zoo pix again . . .

These pix were taken at Petco. To Stephen Petco is not a store, but an opportunity to pet a couple of dogs each times. Yes, you guessed correctly: soon there will be a puppy at home too.

And even more petting zoo pix . . .

All the goats love Maximilian!

As all of you already know, this is our very own Motor. 

Catherine and Gerard

Catherine, Gerard, and Maximilian--and Motor in Gerard's arms

That day we locked ourselves out of the house and needed to wait until Catherine came back from work. She's a lead therapist at Access Point, an agency that works with children with special needs . . . and she does have