Author Archives: joel

As usual, we've got exactly one picture from Halloween. For some reason Sean refused to wear his Hulk mask, even though he had worn it no problem at the Halloween parties at the library and his school. But he still had fun. This was the first year where we didn't have to accompany the kids all the way to the door - we could stand 10 or 20 feet back, and let them go up to the door themselves. I think they loved the independence.

For a few months now, Sean has given the two of us nicknames - he is acorn, and I am oreo. I have no idea where or how he came up with this. He just suddenly started it one day, and he's stuck with it. No deep insights or anything. Just something cute that I wanted to share. Carry on.

Lori drew a hopscotch board (do you call it a 'board'?) on the driveway Friday afternoon, and the kids spent some time enjoying it. especially love this shot of Carter - she lands her jump with authority! What conviction!

The kids were playing a wrestling, hugging, kissing game the other night. No real story behind this one - I just thought that it was a sweet picture. They spend so much time arguing, it's really nice to see them getting along.

Two nights ago I came home from work to the announcement that we were being invaded by ladybugs. The day before, there wasn't a single ladybug in the house. The next morning - dozens. I rounded up and released almost thirty ladybugs that night before the numbers got low enough that I could ignore the rest. Carter followed me around the house, serving as my "ladybug spotter". She's got sharp eyes.

So we are about to start the goodnight show for the kids' bedtime wind-down, when Sean says "Mom, where is my milk?". Lori is outside getting the dogs to come in, so Carter says to him "I will get it for you, Sean." She brings it to him as he's watching the show, and he distractedly mumbles to her, "Thank you, mommy". To which Carter replies "I'm not Mom, silly." So just to keep it going, I say to her "Are you sure? You look like Mom to me!". She looks at me and says "No....I'm not Mom. I have a different shirt!" As though she thinks that the only way that I can tell my daughter and my wife apart is by their wardrobes. So cute!

Lori took the kids out to play in the leaves last Thursday, and she caught two especially good photos of the dynamic duo. She said that they had just as good a time as it would appear from these pictures. I wish I could have been there. It was good timing for them though - I blew all the leaves off of the lawn over the course of the weekend.