I think my heart may explode

In the space of the last 12 hours, Eve has told me

1) That she wants to be a mommy when she grows up
2) That she wants to be just like me
and
3) That I cook really good food.

I know, she's six, all young children say things like this to their parents at some point, they have no other real examples of how to be in their lives so it's natural, but STILL. She's never said anything like this to me before, and my gratification knows no bounds.

Splat!

More snow! I'm delighted, although it's a little frustrating that it has showed up now, as opposed to, say, Christmas. This time, school was delayed two hours, which gave us enough time to properly enjoy the snow before it turned to slush.

Isaiah, negotiating our slope.

Eve, up to no good.

Samuel...

...otherwise known as "the fast learner".

Incoming!
(Moments later he deposited his load of snow on my leg. It was the closest he could get to throwing a snowball at me.)

Our first snowman as a family!

The snowballs weren't the only things going "splat". Poor widdle flowers!

Eve's 6th birthday, party edition

This year I took my courage in both hands and decided to throw an actual birthday party for Eve. A party with, you know, guests. Oh sure, we'd had parties before, invited a friend or two, but this time we invited nine kids (and hence a minimum of nine accompanying parents). This meant that we not only had to plan a party for the kids, but also the party-within-the-party for the adults. None of the pictures below show anything of the adults-party, which is a shame, because I actually put my mother-in-law's pressed glass punch bowl to use, and it was stunning. I'm going to have to throw parties more often, so I can make more punch.

First, some more flower pictures, because I'm a flower crackhead.

I think these are "Tete-a-tete" daffodils (narcissus).

Eve, wearing what's left of a unicorn pinata.

Eve requested a strawberry cake with chocolate frosting.

After a moment of indecision, she blew all the candles out with one puff, without leaning forward.

Being six is fierce.

Happy 6th Birthday, Eve!

Down in the wonder world, dear little heads
Drowsily raised themselves up in their beds --

Crocus and daffodil, hyacinth fair,
Stirring and whispering answered, "Who's there?"


Ah, but the calling they could not resist!
Smiling, they wakened, as babes that are kissed,
Stretching their glad little heads to the light,
Broke into blossoms, a wonderful sight.

Birthday cookies, decorated by Eve and Isaiah and distributed to her classmates.

Cupcake ice cream cones

They received the birthday girl seal of approval.

Eve with a present from Grandma and Grandpa Kluge: a spectacular pop-up book about Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Books + a big fluffy bunny chair = one happy little girl.

Isaiah-isms

So, I didn't mean to let the blog lie fallow for a month there, but... oh never mind. Allons-y!

Ah, Isaiah. My platinum blonde firecracker at war with himself (and often with others). I'd write more often about him, except I'm still trying to sort him out. He doesn't make that job any easier with things like this:

- For whatever linguistic reason, he prefers to begin some of his words with "ka-". For instance, "Kefigerator" = refrigerator. Also: Ka-pleece = Police. Er, what?

- He has been diligently honing his insult-hurling skills. In particular, he seems to think that calling someone a "silly old [appliance]" is the ultimate in name-calling, as in: "You silly old...kefigerator!" "You silly old...wawnmower!" And my personal favorite: "You silly old...pwessure washer!!"

Flowers and snow

Goodness, January went fast. Without further ado, I give you the month in pictures.

Mom sent us these flowers when we were stricken with a G.I. bug. Nasty bug, pretty flowers.

Snow! Snow!! ACTUAL SNOW!!!

Eve took this picture of Samuel. (And of the snow! Which is sticking!)

Fat flakes in our backyard.

I wanna know... did you ever see the [snow]... comin' down.. onna sunny day.

The snow stuck for all of about one day before it melted, which is par for the course in our part of the Pacific NW. But the kids got to romp through it and throw snowballs, and Brian and I got to gaze out into the luminous night while it was falling, so I count myself blessed.

Christmas 2011

Surprisingly, or perhaps not surprisingly, of the many pictures I took over Christmas very few turned out to be blog-quality. Here's what made the cut:

I love having a proper mantel to hang stockings from.

Eve in her Christmas Dress (the picture doesn't do it justice, it was quite glamorous)

Samuel, channeling Donald Trump?

Isaiah, somehow managing to look three and forty-six at the same time.

Samuel hasn't fully grasped the concept of presents.

Loot

Colors that do not occur in nature (Brian surprised me with flowers! Squee!)