Dental Debut

Seriously- how can you not feel like the star when THREE kids watch your first teeth cleaning like it's the most amazing thing they've ever seen?!?! (not to mention the camera-happy mom)

November Additions

Well, it's official - after another rigorous adoption process (okay - it wasn't really that rigorous), we've added a new member to the family! 

Meet Blueberry Elizabeth

(We like the name, so shut up.  Well, at least Walter and I do.  Alek tried to give her some dignity with the middle name.  I think it's fabulous.  So does Blueberry.

She's a 10 month old yellow Lab mix adopted from SOS Labs - a local Lab rescue organization.

So far, she's darling, patient, and quite a great addition!

I hope we don't wear her out too soon!

October Additions

In October, Alek added two new "items" to his collection of Chime Bell Choiring, Men's Choiring, Regular Choiring, and Footballing.

Violining....

 And Hamster-Owning!  This is Aaron - named after the quarterback.

He's very cute and has had TWO adventures (compared with Minnie's FOUR). This is basically the way it goes when you have a four-year-old brother.  Aaron isn't as sneaky or rebellious as Minnie and has always returned home in minutes rather than hours..... or days.

Halloween 2011

Alek carved his own pumpkin, from beginning to end, all by himself!!

 It was pretty awesome, I think.

Lainey and Molly joined us for the carving.

 And then, apparently, my camera was hijacked...

 Hmmm.... I wonder who took it?

 And who directed the hijacked footage?

 The camera was safely returned in time to take a pic of all the completed pumpkins!

From the left:

David, Walter (Mommy), Lainey (Mommy), Nora (Mommy), and Alek!

 Monday night!  Halloween!  Austin the Storm Trooper joined the Midnight Fairy, the Zombie, and Superman!

 Someone else couldn't keep her hands off the zombie make-up.

 Trick or Treat!

RAMSACKED!!

Alek was the first team member to be ramsacked this year. Late in the evening the doorbell rang and we opened it to this and a bag of goodies!

The next night we got to ramsack another teammate! It was fun to sneak around and then wait in the running car while Alek rang the bell and ran to the car in the dark!

Fashionista

Oddly, It Suits Him

Yogurt Dancing

Delightfully Delusional

JUST GO TO BED!!!

Yes, that's a pot-holder loom dreamcatcher.  I can't imagine why she cries about being tired in the mornings.

A week ago... Matt, Maroon 5, and Train

Matt Nathanson... Adam Levine... Pat Monahan...

"Come On Get Higher," "Modern Love," "Moves Like Jagger," "She Will Be Loved," "This Love," "Never Want To Leave This Bed," "Meet Virginia," "Calling All Angels," "Soul Sister," "Save Me San Francisco," "If It's Love," "Drops of Jupiter," and a very good friend.

It was a good night.

Upside down !

Eight

Nora is 8.  Can you believe that?  I hardly can.

She didn't want a cake for the family party.  She wanted a Cookie Cake.

 She didn't want much this year - a hamster (Minnie - who has since caused great grief and drama around here by escaping and hiding for two days) was her only request. 

I added a fabulous and hygenic gift to that (and a bunch of Justice apparel.)

A trip to Granny's this summer added a plethora of craft equipment and supplies.  A fabulous Japanese parasol arrived from St. Louis, and cards and gift cards, too!

 Remember last year's slumber party?  This one was a scaled down version that did NOT include all of the holidays OR nine girls.  Three friends and two brothers.  We all pitched in to make Nora's cake - pineapple upside down.  They were happy to help and amazed at the end product, but not interested to eat it!

Several sodas, a subsequent spitting war, clothed showers (that did NOT impress me nor were they approved), and balloon animal balloons were the entertainment for the evening.

Oh, and at 3 a.m. Nora and Lydia woke my by singing "Be Italian" a la Fergie in Nine (No, of course she didn't see Nine - she just found the song on my ipod) at 3:30 am.  Seriously.  Three of the four girls are on the same soccer team.  Guess what happened the next morning at the game?  Yep - shuffling of feet and an unsurprising loss.  Whose coach sent out an email suggesting Friday night sleepovers were not the greatest thing ever? Ummmm.... yeah.  I got called out on a soccer email.  hehehehehehehe

Despite all that, when asked if it was fun, she said, "It was the best!"  So mission accomplished, and Happy Birthday, Baby Girl.

Endlessly fun to watch.

Their favorite! MEEFLOPE

When You're Four

Your mom takes you places like the doctor's office, and you get bored.

 She also takes you to the bookstore and makes you stay in the coffee shop part.  Also, boring.

 But the food isn't bad, and if you're good, you get a carrot cake cupcake.

 But you make sure you check out all the other possibilities first.  After all, Mom's chatting about all sorts of important stuff and is going to let you have whichever dessert you choose.  If you're good. Guaranteed.

 Everyone else just wants to hold Isaac...

 And they also want me to be good, so they're friendly and let me take flattering pictures of them.

 When you're four you also have to be a lady who lunches during the first week of school when all the other kids go back to school and you have to wait for the preschool to start.  Again, boring.  But if you promise to be good, you get a whole bowl of queso to yourself!

And you get to take lots of flattering pictures of your mom and her friends.  It's part of the deal. 

Oh, and you might get a soda, too.

 They talk a lot.  And they are loud and laughy.    

Remember though... it's always better to take pictures of Mom's friends instead of Mom.  Otherwise she takes the camera away.