Happy Birthday Craig!

The kids love to help blow out the candles. From left: Andrew, Julia (hidden behind Andrew), Nathan, Maggie, Craig, Hannah.

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Andrew lookin' cute

Jeff bought the family a new toy. A digital piano! He's working on becoming a legendary jazz pianest in his spare time, and the kids are learning the ins and outs of pianos. Here's Andrew looking very mischevious!

And here is Andrew after a bath in his elephant towel, watching my Nano ipod onto which I downloaded some toddler entertainment. I can't believe I've already introduced my 2 year old to the ipod... there is something wrong with that, but I'll admit there are times that I really appreciate being able to capture and hold his attention for a few minutes with some easy entertainment. You can download audible books for kids, as well as PBS TV shows for free!

Happy Birthday To Me

Well, my pictures are finally off the camera and onto my computer. Last month I had a birthday, and couldn't have been happier than to celebrate it with my family. My mom threw me a party, and you can see me here in this picture blowing out the candles with Hannah, my neice, on my lap, and Andrew and Julia by my side. Happy Belated Birthday to me!

Happy Halloween

Boy did this cowboy have trouble lasooing Red Ranger and Cinderella for a picture!

The kids were flying high last night. I've never seen them so wound up! They had a marvelous time. We started out at a party in the nearby Willows neighborhood. Boy do they know how to party. The Willows has so many young families, and so much spirit. It's a great community (Andrea and Craig, take note!)

We did a bit of trick or treating in that neighborhood after the party, and then headed back to our neighborhood for more trick or treating with the neighbors. We have a spirited neighborhood too! I was impressed by the number of houses that really went all out with their Halloween display. We heard scary music, saw ghostly cemetaries complete with dry ice fog, saw caged skeletons banging their bars, an erie giant eye blinking from a window, a full-out haunted house in a neighbor's garage, and many more fun and spirited Halloween fun.

The aftermath is always a little less fun than the night, however. Andrew woke up crying with nightmares, and Julia is cranky in the extreme this morning. We've had fights over candy, some illegal candy eating before breakfast, etc.

On a nostalgic note, I wanted to honor the Halloween service of the bag shown below. Julia carried this bag trick or treating on her very first Halloween at one year old. It's survived all the Halloweens since, and Andrew carried it last night. It started ripping halfway through the night, and finally broke completely open late last night back at home. I don't think it'll make it to next year! But it served us well.

Happy Halloween everybody!