blog 6-13 In the spring of 2011 I decided to collect some gnomes. I thought it would be fun to put them around my garden for our grandchildren to discover and play with. I showed them to my granddaughter Charlotte. She was slightly amused but not very impressed. Lucas and Matias were not really impressed at all.blog 6-1 blog 6-3 But in the summer of 2012 everything changed. Charlotte saw one gnome in the garden and called it her "baby". I said that it was a funny looking baby! After that she called all the gnomes her "funny babies".  Lucas and Matias thought that was hilarious. So while most people call them gnomes, around here they are "funny babies".

The boys began to take the "funny babies" on adventures around the yard and garden and named each of them. Among the names chosen were Wibble Dibble, Kumquat and Junior. Here is Junior in his red hat, waving.blog 6-19 Below is the infamous Wibble Dibble!blog 6-30 Wibble Dibble and Kumquat were the favorites for a while. They were a part of a pirate hunting expedition one hot summer day. blog 6-37 blog 6-43 blog 6-48 blog 6-50 Charlotte enjoyed including the "funny babies" while she played on her slide...blog 6-4 blog 6-10 blog 6-11                                       ...and sail boated with them.blog 6-14 blog 6-15

All summer long they peeked out around the garden.blog 6-22 blog 6-27 blog 6-28 Including in the tree-hollow (for which our home and my photography business are named).blog 6-16 I even found Wibble Dibble one day perched high in a pine tree!
blog 6-40 In the fall they joined us for camp fire fun. blog 6-54 blog 6-60 blog 6-65 But sadly, the signs of extensive, loving, (but not always gentle) play, began to show. Our favorite, Wibble Dibble, lost his feet. Garden glue was but a temporary fix.blog 6-51 Parts and pieces were placed together and stored for the winter in the tree-hollow. Charlotte and Matias dug them out of the snow in February to check on them.blog 6-74 blog 6-69 Then returned them to their snowy grave. 

Now that the snow has melted and the "funny babies" have thawed out, they are waiting in the screen room for whatever fate may bring their way. blog 6-75 blog 6-77 Except for losing his sweet metal flower and watering can, Kumquat survived unscathed and alone was invited to winter inside Tree-Hollow Cottage. Wistfully, he longs to join his less fortunate friends in hopes of more summer fun. blog 6-78 Hang in there Kumquate! Who knows what "funny baby" adventures await?