The Brookston Family Blog
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Okay, perhaps I shouldn’t be laughing about this, but it is pretty funny. Today I took Porter to the doctor for his 5-year check up. Everything looked great and he was very cooperative for a change and even managed to do his eye test, ear test and even gave a urine sample. For every one of those tasks, this is the very first time he cooperated and completed the test. He even used the big-boy eye chart with the letters on it instead of the baby one with just shapes. Porter is now 40 3/4 lbs. and is 43 1/2 in. tall.

But here’s the thing. A couple of weeks ago he began complaining, first to his grandparents, then to us, about having rocks in his ears. It’s one of those things we assumed he meant figuratively, like his ear had closed up and wouldn’t pop, or at least something like that. We looked in his ear but didn’t see anything. We asked him about it and whether or not is was bothering him and he said, “no.” But every couple of days he’d mention it again so it was in the back of my mind while at the doctor this morning, so I mentioned it to him. When he looked in Porter’s ears, what do you suppose he found? Not one, but two rocks were actually in his ear! One he was able to dig out and I have it wrapped in a tissue in my pocket. Considering it was lodged in his ear, it’s a pretty big rock. Unfortunately, the other one is too close to his ear drum and I have to take him to see a specialist this afternoon to get it out. So for now, at least, we can say “Porter has rocks in his head” and really mean it. Of course, the larger question of how they got there remained an unsolvable enigma.

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This is the second half of the humorous photos, and the last post for today. Yes, Sarah, I’m done torturing you now. Happy birthday.

Nice face, babe.

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

Karen and Sarah … well, I don’t know what they’re doing.

Coffee!!!

Swalley. Tailgating at the ‘Stick.

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While there are plenty of pictures of both Porter and Alice elsewhere on the blog, these two were taken in the days before digital photography.

New Mom Sarah and Porter.

Sarah and Porter in San Diego.

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Here’s the first batch of humorous Sarah photos.

Getting friendly with a chipmunk at Disneyland.

Ballroom Dancing for Halloween.

Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman.

Grrl Power, with Shmare and Zenobia at Eagle Lake by Lake Tahoe.

Maniacal Evil Genius cooking.

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Over the years, Sarah and I have taken a lot of self-portraits, holding the camera out in front of us and turning it on ourselves. Here are a few of them.

This was on one of our first dates.

I’m not sure when or where this one was taken.

Or this one, either.

This was taken on our way back from a weekend camping trip, and neither of us had showered for days. We stopped next to a farmer’s field of some kind of grass and shot this photo.

And this was taken this morning before Sarah left for work. Notice any differences between us now and the other pictures?

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Okay, I admit a certain bias on this one. I fell I love with Sarah’s smile the first time I laid eyes on her. Of course, the short herringbone skirt didn’t hurt. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge — a nod’s as good as wink to blind bat. Here’s some photos of Sarah alone. See if you don’t find her as beautiful as I do.

Camping and hiking with an old friend of hers in Death Valley.

On our honeymoon in Vancouver, staying at the hostel from hell.

Camping, showing off her bemused smirk.

As a bridesmaid at her friend Fifi’s wedding.

Showing why bridesmaids almost always get lucky at wedding receptions.

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Sarah and I met a dozen years ago, and have been married for ten of them. Here are some random shots of the two of us during the first five years or so.

At a New Year’s Eve dinner with friends.

Looking a little fried, not sure where. The Smiths, perhaps?

In DC for the impeachment hearings.

God, we look young in this picture.

Camping in Yosemite with our good friends we rarely see these days, Karen and Mike.

At Sarah’s graduation from law school.

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Everywhere Sarah went in England and Scotland, there seemed to be a sign with her name on it. Here are a few of them.

On Terraces.

At train stations.

At the hilariously named Gobble ‘N’ Go.

At a toy store.

A Hooch getting hooched.

My Love under the famous LOVE statue in Philadelphia, with the Museum of Art way in the background.

Today is my beloved’s birthday, now squarely in her mid-thirties. I’ll be torturing her all day today with photos, and here is where we’ll start, with some earlier photos from her youth. Join me in wishing Sarah a very happy birthday!

Sarah rides her new big wheel she got for Christmas.

I’m not sure when this was taken but it was a while ago, that’s for sure. I just love that thoughtful chin on fist pose Sarah’s adopted for this family portrait.
Top row; Sarah’s grandfather Pappy and little brother Dave. Bottom row; sister Margaret, grandmother Pinky, Sarah and her mom Rutheanne.

Oh, the 80’s. Sarah channeling Madonna at her brother Tucker’s graduation from Pepperdine. It’s funny to see Tuck again with hair, too.

As Alice in Wonderland for Halloween.

Another new do, the late 80s, perhaps early 90s?

Sarah’s swim team photo, from high school? Love the hair!

I just thought this was a cute photo of Alice in the snuggle chair, with only one eye visible.

‘Ol one-eye in the snuggle chair.

Since Porter insisted on a Superman theme for his party, the piñata was Superman’s torso. It felt somewhat strange that the object of the game was to beat the image of a person, albeit a superhuman one. Still, the kids were smacking a paper mâché person with a stick as hard as they could. If that’s not surreal, I donn’t know what is.

John and Zenobia’s daughter Samira taking a whack at Superman.

Alice, with Sarah’s help, tries to hit the Man of Steel.

Then Porter tried to hit him from behind.

Then as he spun around, he whacked across the face.

Superman’s superhuman strength proved too much for the kids and we had to pull the string to begin the mad scramble for the prizes inside.

Porter even managed to fill his bag.

We had a Superman theme birthday party yesterday for Porter at his Montessori school. They were kind enough to let us use their backyard for the party which worked out great. Lots of Porter’s friends from school plus his best friend T.J. and his cousin Julien were all there and I think he had a good time. He certainly seemed like he enjoyed himself.

Porter, a friend from school, and Julien, Porter’s cousin.

Sarah and Alice.

Porter coming down the water slide.

And running back up again.

Shmare in white pants, filling in for Nikki with the water slide.

Porter’s Superman cake. Porter has always like blowing out cadles over and over again so Margaret and Ruthanne had a devious plan. They got some of those trick candles that light back up on their own seconds after they’ve been blown out.

So he blew them out again.

But when they kept coming back to life, all the kids joined in trying to blow them out.

T.J. and Porter enjoy some cake.

Then Porter opened his presents.

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These are just some random pictures of Porter during his first year or so.

Learning to get around.

Staying warm.

Cute and crawling.

Learning to clap.

First year Packer backer.

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The moniker Porter, of course, was inspired by the beer style of the same name. So it’s little wonder I have so many photos of Porter involving beer.

This was taken at Porter’s first trip to a bar when he was three days old.

Me and Porter at a beer festival.

Trying to choose the right beverage.

Porter’s T-shirt says it all.

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These were all taken of Porter outside.

Sitting in the front yard at Grandma and Grandpa, wearing his favorite red hat. This was the only hat he’d ever voluntarily wear and we lost it at some point — and it was never found again.

Riding a dolphin at the Marin Civic Center Park.

Running around the fountain at the outdoor mall at Corte Madera.