Happy New Year

And here's a look at the old year. You'll be traveling back in time. Not because I want to be cute--it's pure laziness, and that's how they uploaded.

The eight inches of snow that closed the city down for a week. We're lightweights over here.

The first day of school.

The only time in twelve months they weren't fighting.

Pumpkins, Cider and Jail.

Camping! Or cabin-ing, for you purists.

The county fair.

Jumping. Summer!

 

 Okay, there was one other time they weren't fighting.

 

You're going to see these on the calendar, too. Yes, I'm making it. It's coming. Not in time for January 1st, but you didn't really think I'd have my act together, now did you?

Silly, silly people!

Halloween, Twenty Thirteen

Okay, don't freak out. It's been a year. A whole year. Wow, I'm a slacker.

But here they are at Halloween. A tree and a ladybug.

I photoshopped the bejesus out of these pictures. Don't forget we live in Oregon, where the sun stops appearing sometime in October, so they might be a bit blurry.

As usual, we had fun, got too much candy (that I will be throwing out in March to make room for Easter candy), and gave out treats.

In fact, Silas got a little too into the whole giving out treats thing. He opened the windows and started screaming at people on the street to come over. Making a guess here, but I think he's out of the shy phase.

Angry Eyes

Sometime this summer we painted faces and when Will washed Sy's off the remnants that remained made his eyebrows look dark and angry. The kids thought it was so funny that the next day they wanted angry eyes again. So we did it.

For some reason they also needed glasses.

Very studious, angry people.

This one looks Silas might start writing experimental poetry any minute.

Puss in Boots and Kitty

In keeping with what appears to be our long-standing tradition of being a cat for Halloween, the kids wanted to be Puss in Boots and his friend, Kitty.

What could be better than being a cat and  being allowed to play with a sword all day?

Oh, right. Candy!

We made the usual circuit of the loop, which reaps more candy than we need. I'm frightened by the amount of candy they'll get when they're older and can go farther.

Then they got to eat candy and stay up late.

YiYi said, I love trick or treating! This is fun!  Except it sounded more like: I wove tick or teating!

And when all was said and done and I was washing the makeup off, Sadie said something she's never said in almost six years: I'm so tired, mama. I just want to go to sleep!
A day for the record books.

The Love Affair is Over

So Sadie says to me yesterday:
I don't want to go to school tomorrow. I'm going to refuse.
But she went this morning, no problem. She likes school, just doesn't feel like going. Remind you of anyone? Ha!

And, in other news, she has a loose tooth. Bottom right. When we figured that out yesterday I think I may have gotten a little too excited (I started dancing around and sang a tooth fairy song- yes, I think I was a little over-excited.) and she got nervous, even though she's been waiting impatiently for the day.
Then again, every friend of hers (who have all lost a tooth already), has freaked out when hit with the first loose/lost tooth. One even demanded his tooth back from the tooth fairy and put his tooth fairy booty under his pillow the next night to exchange it for his tooth.

So I guess it's normal, in an every-kid-is-insane sort of way.

Is This the Little Girl I Carried?

Oh, wait, I still carry her around. Anyway, she's in kindergarten!

She loved it, as we knew she would. Look at how excited she is.

With her friend Laila, right before we went in.

The official Oregon First Day of School Kissing of the Tree.

You knew I was kidding, right? We're not that weird out here. She's just really excited.
Excited enough to kiss a tree. We've all been there, no?

At first she was a little nervous. She coined a new word for it: Nervcited.

She didn't want to get into circle at first. Then, once she did, she blew us a kiss and grinned as we left. She can't wait to go back and didn't want to leave.

When I reminded her she gets to go every day she skipped to the car. I only hope she always likes school this much. Yeah, right. But one can hope, can't one?

I Think Sadie Wanted a Baby Sister

But, hey, she'll work with what she's got.

Birthday Boy

Silas finally figured out what it means to have a birthday and, man, he was excited.

The day before his birthday he said, When I three I get a camera!

Yep, you sure do.

And here's the birthday boy:

Dressed in his fireman costume from Sadie, and playing with his remote control car.

Sadie said, All his presents are good, but mine is the goodest!

She loves to use that word, even though we tell her it's not one.

Then we went to the county fair. Last year he went on tons of rides. But while we were in Massachusetts he had a run in with a kiddie car ride and wouldn't ride a thing. 

I not ride. The cars go too fast and I can't see Mama, he said. 

So there went the $25 ride bracelet. But we convinced him that the carousel might be fun, since an adult could ride with him. He agreed. So, after five rides we finally broke even.

Sadie went on every ride with her friend, Laila. At least twice. 

She enjoyed being fancy. 

And since it was about 100 degrees we went home tired and hot, but happy.

We cooled down with some ice cream cake. Sadie jumped the gun with the Happy Birthday song, but Yiyi liked her singing to him.

When we all started singing he got a little shy.

But he blew out his candles just fine.

The next morning he woke up and said, Today's my birthday! 

When I told him it wasn't going to be his birthday until next year, he said, Aw-ww.

Now that's he's figured it out he's joined the ranks of children who wish every day was a birthday, or Christmas, or Easter, or Halloween. Hey, you can't blame 'em, I sometimes do, too.