Saturday Night 9pm

Growing Up

Today was Pajama Day at my daughter's school. They have a small class, 7 boys and 3 girls, and this is their second year together, so they have a really nice dynamic. They had a slumber party atmosphere: pizza and games, and the girls made jewelry (I asked her what the boys did and she said "boy stuff"). She came home with her nails painted and sparkly strawberry lip balm in her pocket and announced to me that she wanted her own nail polish. I suppose it had to happen sooner or later and it's totally innocent (she didn't want to bathe tonight for fear the polish would come off in the bath), but it's a preview of what's to come. I hope I'm ready for it.

Celestial Moment

I wish my photography skills were up to really taking this photo. No matter how much I fiddled with camera settings, I just couldn't get the photograph to depict the beauty of this evening. I need to take a course. Pointing and shooting and hoping for the best just isn't cutting it any more!

ChooChoo

When you have a nagging worry in the back of your mind about your child, seeing him seek out his sister, chase her down -- giggling madly all the while -- and grab onto her shirt to play "train", is about the best moment of your day.

He seems to have a special affinity for his elder sister. It could be because she is home with him in the mornings so they spend the most time together. He looks so much like she did at his age though, sometimes we wonder if there's a stronger connection.

Words to Live By

My Glamorous Life

This is only two thirds of three days worth.

Welcome to Tantrumville

Population: 4

Accessorize!

In this economy you have to make do with what you have. You can always dress up an old outfit with cute accessories. Here we see Josh rockin' an adorable pink shoulder bag, only $10 at Target!!

Icicles

Outside our front window.

ER redux

This was at midnight, after about 4 hours of waiting. They cleaned and bandaged the wound and we were home early. 1:20am is early, right?

I thought girls were supposed to be neater ...

Check out CSI Barbie in the foreground.

Thanks for (almost) nothing

This is what 3 hours at an ER with excrutiating nerve pain will get you. 30 seconds with a Physicians' Assistant who pokes half-heartedly at your shoulders and tells you to take ibuprofen.

Hmph.

Progress

Please forgive the repetition: two in a row of my kids eating is boring, right?

Except this one is of my (previously) non-verbal baby eating the banana he asked for by name. His first word is banana. Okay, so his pronunciation isn't perfect (it comes out "ah-nah-nah"), but this is the first time he has verbally associated an object with its name. I asked him if he was hungry and he looked at me, grunted in the tone that usually indicates assent, and then very clearly and deliberately said "ah-nah-nah". I asked if he wanted a banana and he grinned big and wide.

So I gave him a banana and breathed a silent sigh of relief.

Delicious

Don't you love how kids can eat and enjoy with such abandon?

Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail

Staring into the fridge at 8pm after the kids are in bed and hoping a meal will jump out at you : FAIL

Venus Over Captain's Row

So it was 14 degrees outside (1 with the wind chill), and inside was a steaming plate of chicken cacciatore waiting for me. But after my fourth and final spin in the mama taxi I was stopped in my tracks by the sight of Venus rising over our building. So I ran inside and broke out my brand new (and very fancy) tripod, popped on the earmuffs, and headed out into the evening.

Left Behind

Usually at 3:30 in the afternoon I have a cup of tea or coffee.
Today I switched it up with a German lager and deep fried pickle.

Waiting

In the drop off line outside school this morning.

Just a reminder ...

... of why we're here. 

This is what I was gazing at while lingering over Sunday breakfast this morning.

A drop in the bath tub.

The Sixth Food Group

Chalk. It's what's for dinner.

Bonus picture

This is why I've been MIA.

Tech guy is coming tomorrow to replace the modem. Meanwhile I'm piggybacking on next door's wireless signal. Not having internet makes me panicky.

Little Kid Art

She hearts her big brother. I hope it lasts!

By the way, that's him playing baseball, with a bunch of kids yelling "cheers" at him. The artist herself is in the bouncy house with her little sister and "old friend" Emily.

Stormy Weather

Looking out my front window.

Quality Time with Daddy

Naptime

Not going as planned.

Dinner

I've never made chicken and dumplings before. Dinner was actually pretty successful, which is not always an easy thing to achieve in a house with six people, four of whom have tastes that appear to change on a whim. Our two littlest even had second helpings!

There aren't that many people who can pull off this look.

New Years Day

So here we are, New Years Day 2009. I figured I'd start the year off with the faces of those who are the primary focus of each and every day for me. Then 364 days from now, I'll close out with those same faces. I'm simultaneously dreading and looking forward to seeing how much they will have changed.