The Picture of Shame

So, late yesterday afternoon I was sweeping around the kitchen table. I found a rather sizable lock of hair on the floor. Nora had been cutting out "little houses" for me earlier in the day. After an initial denial followed by an interrogation in which I was trying to determine if it was her hair or Walt's (found the hair beneath his chair), she finally confessed and showed me where the chunk was missing from her hair. To impress upon her my dismay (that was difficult to keep up as I thought the whole thing pretty funny), she had to pose for "The Picture of Shame." She resisted (but I really wanted the picture for the scrapbook), but then complied. She's holding the lock of hair.

Picture of the Day

Fall Fair 2008

We had a great weekend. Alek has been having a ball playing in the pile of dirt at the end of the street. This is stump-hole-filling-dirt that the whole street has been sharing.

Unbeknownst to me, Alek had set up shop and bargained $6.00 out of our new neighbors. Great.

On Sunday we had the Fall Fair at our Church. Nora can pick up Alek. She's very proud.

Alek was eager to try the rock climing "wall." He did great!

The highlight of the day was Sumo Wrestling. Alek did this twice. It was hysterical. He was clearly outmatched both times, but the first time...

he held his own. The boys watching said he was the winner because his head was on top.
(waiting between matches - looks like a walrus, doesn't he?)
outmatched again....

Not looking so much like the winner this time around!

Paint ball guns!!!!

Nora climbed the wall, too! She had a great time.



Face painting, of course.
And what Fall Fair is complete without a camel ride?

The Great Chili Bean Incident

So, Katie - I promised I could top the feeding of peaches to a baby who doesn't like peaches.

This video is a result of two things:

1 - a child who had been at a park and arboretum all afternoon and was exhausted

2 - three adults (my brother, my husband, and the poor child's mother) who clearly had nothing better to do.

This was in the summer of 2006. Nora was not quite 3. Alek was 5 and a half.

Anyone Who Knows....

knows just how excited EVERYONE is about Baby Lillie! Caroline now can say the phrase, "my daughter" along with, "my son, and my son, and my son, and my son!"

Nora and Kate got to meet Lillie on Friday. They were very interested and excited about the whole event!

A Walter Weekend

Dave took the older monkeys camping. Walt and I stayed home. We've had a nice time - just hanging out and doing things around the house. It's very different to have just one little monkey around the house!

Last week, I finished The Stranger by Albert Camus. (This is one of those books I should have read in college but somehow didn't. If you want to talk about the meaning, I'd seek elsewhere as I don't think I got it exactly.) Anyway, it has become one of Walt's favorite possessions. He carries it around from room to room, flips through it - especially when he is watching TV (clearly, he's not getting adequate intellectual fulfillment from the TV and is looking elsewhere). So, while some of you have babies who love Sandra Boynton, I have a baby who loves Nobel Prize-winning French authors. And don't tell me it's about the cover being all cool and black and white - Walt is so above appearances. (Not at all pretentious, right?)

It Doesn't Matter

So... Friend P and I watched our daughters FIGHT all through ballet tonight. Jockeying for position in the line to do leaps and other "moves" during class. Lots of nasty looks, elbowing, planting of feet. Nora seemed always to be first and unwilling to budge. After class on the way home, I fussed at her about it and suggested she give her friend a chance at being first (keep in mind they were fighting not over spots 1 and 2 but maybe 7 and 8).

Her defense:
"But Mom, it doesn't matter who goes first. Going first isn't important, so she shouldn't worry about it."

Ohhhhh Katie..... I think my kid has learned some logic from Rose.

Forty Dollar Bliss

For $39.84 plus tax, you too can dance around your kitchen with glee. Ike Schmike. Life is good.

Yes, that's Barry White on the iPod. Got something to say about that????? Don't go bashing Barry White.