Two Years, One Candle, and Engine, Engine Number Nine

Our little Anna turns 2 this week . . .

. . . and we had a family celebration tonight in her honor.

Anna got to read with Pink Grandma . . .

. . . and snuggle with Daddy.

To my chagrin, I discovered that we were fresh out of birthday candles, so I lit a pumpkin-scented candle instead.  Anna didn't mind, and hey, it made the house smell great.  At the big moment Anna couldn't figure out how to blow the candle out, though, so Daniel kindly assisted her.

Anna received some fun presents, including a light-up bouncy ball, which she thought was pretty nifty (so did Daniel--we kept having to remind him that it's Anna's gift so she gets exclusive rights to it for the evening).

After Anna's preferred dessert of cookies and ice cream, Papa initiated a game of Engine, Engine Number Nine. 

The "winner" got seriously tickled.

The First Day of First Grade

Joy was excited to start first grade today.

Perhaps a little TOO excited.

Maybe it was because Daddy promised to give her a ride to school.

In the spirit of the day, Daniel decided to exercise his brain by playing with our calculator.

When he finished, Anna was sure that she knew exactly what to do with it.

Then we went to the library and played with the toys, because that's what one does at a library, after all.

Up at the Cabin

Daddy took the kids up to Papa's cabin this weekend so I could Get Stuff Done at home (YAY!!!!).

The big kids had fun reading books with Red Grandma . . .

. . . and shooting rifles with Papa.

Nice shots, Joy. :)

Ah, the great outdoors.

Faces of Daniel

Daniel's preschool teacher requested pictures of him and his schoolmates for the classroom bulletin board, so this morning I snapped a few photos of my Big Boy.  None of them were quite the sort of portrait I'd hang on a wall, but they do show fun little facets of his personality.

Mildly curious (a.k.a. "Mom, why are you pointing that camera at me?")

Cheerful action shot

Intently playing with colored pencil "crossing guards" (which rival light switches for the honor of being his favorite plaything)

Not amused, at all

Big grin, with one sock on (which would drive me nuts but never seems to bother him)

Yep, He's a Boy

Nothing screams, "I am a boy!" like doing a headstand . . .

. . . on a chair that swivels and has wheels.

Pie and a Variety of Cousins

Yesterday we got together with aunts, uncles, . . .

. . . and first cousins once removed (er, I think that's the proper designation) . . . 

. . . to celebrate Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa's birthdays.

Cousin Railey showed Great-Grandpa a gift she made herself, . . .

. . . my resourceful firstborn re-purposed a ribbon as a headband, . . .

. . . and Aunt Breta showed off second cousin Sawyer.  I bet he and our Baby Boy will share lots of good times.

Going for a Ride

 I snapped a few pictures of Daddy and Joy as they were about to take a ride today.

And there they go!

Anna's too young to ride with Daddy, but she still wants to join the helmet club.

Paint and Paper, Kid Style

This afternoon I proposed that Joy and I paint some cute thumbprint flower garden shirts.

It probably won't surprise you that Joy had her own ideas and opted to do something different.  Daniel might have done the same, but he was at a sleepover with Pink Grandma.

He left us something to remember him by, though.

Snicker Doodles on a Chilly Summer Day

I had planned to take the kids to the beach today, but it was cold and overcast, and the Weather Channel website said it was 64 degrees at the coast . . . 

. . . so we stayed home and made snicker doodles instead.  The big kids helped me measure things into the mixing bowl, then I rolled the dough balls and they coated them in cinnamon sugar.

It's fun to make treats with Joy and Daniel now that they are both old enough to really get involved, and I try not to stress too much when things get spilled now and then.  Sometimes I do better than others, but they still like helping and I'm grateful for that.