Catching up: gotta do this more often!

Since the last entry Fiona has started tuba lessons and Sam has learned to tricycle.

Elliott and I have started graded retirements and it feels so good...

Anyhow, let's catch up, eh?

I've felt this way about "Donna Lee" too: it's so hard and so awesome I just wanna eat it.

That'll teach ME to try to practice saxophone with a baby around...

I joined the Ithaca Concert Band so spend Tuesday evenings playing marches until I spew saliva sideways at my section mates.  It's good. 

Sometimes costumes and weather are hard to align.

We stayed outside for about 3 1/2 minutes.

This was Sam's first snow and he was not into it.  

At least Fiona had Elliott's Thai gnome hat from Uncle Dave. 

MUCH more into cozy Grandpa Rick time.

Everyone but Sam is into solids, apparently.  

Mr Plumbean and The Big Orange Splot took a trip north to the Adirondacks with us and dear old friends.  Thanks, VRBO, for our equidistant cabin in the woods!

I reintroduced this wolf species to the woods.

"Aaeey!"

It was exhausting.

Matching beautiful eyes. 

Bubbles!  They're staring at bubbles. 

Beloved people.  

A few hours before Evie's middle ear went south... poor girl. 

The stuff of toddler nightmares.

"Are you actually trained in craniosacral work, Dr. Kless?"

Making sure Mary gets enough breast milk on the drive home. 

Beautiful boy, courtesy of our obviously charming nanny, Big Sam. 

Showing off her morning grandpa waist line.

Oh my goodness, Sammy. 

Fiona and I took a hike at Sapsucker after school and, just as I was explaining how hard it was to tell where the ground stopped and the thin ice began I backed up to take a picture and caught her confidently striding off to see the ducks a little better...  Yikes!

Not wanting to wear mittens, she kept her hands in her pockets.  So when she stepped off the trail and fell onto her belly she rolled like a rocking horse back and forth in the snow at first looking startled then cracking herself up.  Hilarious.  

Beautiful boys.

Standing!

But still allowing himself to be hauled around like adorable groceries in the gloaming.

Is this the coziest period of my life?

Yes. 

Aurora sunset with wolf.

Evening snack for the local livestock.

The full moon is rising...

(Thanks for the pic, Grammy)

We finally all got sick a few weeks ago and Fiona, who got through it first, nursed us all back to health.  After Elliott fell asleep she kept piling stuffies and blankets on him.  

Hi!

Mom's glasses and new Hawaiian dress from the Auroran granparents.

So much smiling from this guy.

One of many love notes sent to me at work:

And a beautiful Fall Creek Playground outing.

It was all going so well until the pear-broccoli pouch...

This shark suit from Teak and Indira didn't come off for a few days.  

Here the shark finds a contemplative bench for some sharky solace.

Here the shark enlists help understanding and overcoming fear of shadows.

Here the shark picnics on peanut butter and batilda (TM) at the Ithaca Children's Garden.

Beautiful boy in Aran Ryan's beautiful hat.  His name tag is sewn in.

Here the shark develops a symbiotic relationship with a slug.

The shark visits a nice baby in a homeless encampment. 

The shark earns her keep at the community garden.

Ce n'est pas possible...

And the big kids are doing this?!

(Julia and Morgan clearly win "Coolest Parents in Ithaca" for this 2-story set-up.)

After some winter hibernation we're seeing friends again.  Look, here's another!

Flanking the tired baby are two gifted music teachers.  

The King Rat listening to the Nutcracker (we listen every day, every little car trip, every bed time and have since late November when she became the King Rat) and giving me the chance to sit in awe of her cheeks.

"Can you hear my pee, Pop?"

"Clara looks so fancy!"

(And so it begins...)

((He does look awfully pretty, doesn't he?))

They're starting to do this thing that resembles "playing together" and I can see how beautiful it's going to be.  

It was 60 degrees today(!) and we perfectly caught the end of the neighbor's open house (3+BR, $257, unbeatable neighbors: who's in??) and the real estate agent spotted a puddle stomper who would really appreciate her festive balloons.  

She napped with them.  

Parallel reading play.  

Elliott went out to Star Wars tonight with Ross and Sam fell asleep before dinner.

We devolved and ate sausage pizza from oversized, egg-shaped utensils.