Christmas 2011

Luthien and Bastian,

We had a fabulous time in Arizona for Christmas this year.  In fact, you two can't stop talking about it and asking when we can go back.  I had never witnessed such cuteness with so many cousins playing so well together.  Something is different about the way in which cousins play together.  Luthien, you and Amelie will be best friends forever, I am sure of it.  You two share a love for books and jumping on beds, and Luthien, you love to be the mother hen in every situation.  We had to have the tattling conversation numerous times on this trip.  Bastian, it breaks my heart every time you ask if you can go back to Grandad's house and "play, play basketball, play play tennis ball, play play football with Jack and Ryan."  This was certainly the highlight of the trip for you.  I guess you use the double verb to emphasize just how much playing you did while there.  I have been trying to play ball with you more at home but it is not the same; you really miss those boys, as well as your Uncles Kade and Rhett.  Here are a few random pictures from our trip (camera doesn't work so well so we couldn't use all the pictures we wanted to), plus a few extra from before we left.

Paper snowflakes at home + our little Rudolph dolled up for a Christmas party

Loving how much we all read lately....I often catch the two of you this way

Luthien's present dropped off by Santa a few days early

Desert Museum in Tucson- thanks for the tickets Grandpa!

Luthien's highlight: horseback riding with Amelie

Visiting with old friends Mary Elise and Lucy

Sunset walks in the mountains with Nana and Grandad

Luthien, you could not get enough of your new baby cousin Cedar; you adore babies these days

I promise we will go sometime again this year!  That is what I tell you for now, that is about all I can promise.  We love you Arizona but it is good to be home :)
-Mama

Introducing

....Augustus and Tra-la-la, the newest members of our family.  Here's to our embarking into a whole new realm of handmade toys and other goodies.  Never mind Augustus' tattered trousers (we were working with less than ideal scraps of yarn).

I am so glad we can find joy in simple, often less-than-perfect toys like these.  Value #101 Mom has learned from being on the poor side :) We have been having so much fun playing these days!

Love Mama

Thanksgiving

We had a beautiful Thanksgiving at the home of some of our most favorite friends here in Mass.  Wouldn't have been complete without some simple costuming for the kids :)

I will not take credit for this Pilgrim hat considering its' poor design and assembly :)

I guess your father redeemed himself with the turkey costume

Love,
Mama

Growing Up

You Two....Luthien, you are really changing these days into a little girl, both in words and appearance.  Bastian, when did you start speaking in sentences?  Your intelligibility isn't great but the things you say I think are pretty impressive.  On to some much-needed photo updating from this fall:

We have an almost identical picture of Dad doing this same trick at your age

Books for daily use in the kitchen.

Posted by ROME (can someone tell me how to switch that please?)

Quote

Daddy was awakened late in the night by some awful groans. Arriving quickly to your bedside he asked:
"Luthien, what's the matter? Why are you sad?"
All he could make out were some grumbles.
"Luthien, why are you sad?" Daddy asked again.

"Because, I thought in my dreams, mommy ate all my chips."

Despite the drama, you fell quickly back to sleep.

Halloween

The few weeks leading up to Halloween, Luthien you requested to be a blue skeleton AND a red skeleton.  I kept asking things like, "So you mean a blue and red skeleton?  Blue and red bones?"  I don't know if I ever really understood what you initially were asking to be, but you were happy with the costume we came up with.  Bastian, you were given these adorable suspender jeans awhile back that fit you now, so it was only fitting that you would be a gnome.  You both wore your costumes to our church's "trunk or treat" activity that was held on Friday night, and for one reason or another you couldn't wear them again (not warm enough and/or refusing to wear part of the costume and/or the costumes were assembled so cheaply that they were destroyed after one wearing!)  So, on the actual day of Halloween, Luthien you were a dragon (thanks to your friend Sebastian, whom we went Trick-or-Treating with), and Bastian you wore a much too small giraffe costume handed down from Luthien.  We built up the fact that the "Switch Witch" would be coming to trade out your candy for a toy after you went to sleep.  You both talked about the witch all week long, and even got a phone call from her.  We also sang lots of Halloween songs and told lots of spooky stories, since Luthien, you love scary things.

I am so not crafty, just cut some bones out of felt and glued them on to your clothes...probably why they fell apart so easily :)  I also ran out of time so didn't cut out the ribs individually and the final result looked more like a shield.  You loved it though!

Luthien, you kept telling us this is what a skeleton would do

And this

Bastian you would not keep on your gnome hat for more than 10 seconds. Maybe it was all those staples Dad decided to add for reinforcement...

1) You were allowed as many candies as your age before surrendering the rest to the Switch Witch
2) Lessons learned: never put that much face paint on a 3 year old...don't put ANY on a 1 year old

Came home on Friday to discover cards and presents from grandparents!  

Bastian, mid-word- "airplane"  This is a face I see a lot, you really light up when you talk about balls, animals, and sometimes transportation items like in this instance

Did I mention this was the best, most festive Halloween ever?!  Not only are New Englanders really into decorating for the occasion, the weather and scenery were perfectly Halloween-ish

Luthien and your current BFF Sebastian, who was dressed up as a witch

I'm not kidding when I say people go all out for Halloween around here...the woman on the left was passing out candy in her front yard amidst these guys and many more (totally inappropriate for little ones but Luthien, you weren't scared a bit)

We are still pretending to Trick-or Treat around here these days, I think it made a big impression on you, even without actual consumption of much candy!

Love you,

Mama