Sarah and Rob's wedding pictures!

Pictures from Sarah's wedding, featuring Clara the flower girl, and Annabel the flowery dress girl.

Clara Turns 4; Annabel Gets Eggs

Clara had her first true kid birthday party this year. We invited the 3 and 4 year-old girls from her class: Syd, Katie, Sophia, and Maire (who was unable to attend). The girls had fun hunting for their goodie bags which were hidden in plain sight around the house and kept them busy for much longer than anticipated. Then it was onto pizzeta-making. The girls put much thought and effort into choosing their pizza toppings, cheered when the pizzas emerged from the oven, took about 2 to 3 bites apiece, pronounced themselves finished, and went back to playing. They stayed much longer at the table when the cake (a lemon cake with pureed pumpkin sneaked in)and ice cream with strawberries on top was presented. Ah well. It was fun a party, finished in just under 2 hours with no major melt-downs. Success!

Annabel joined in for her first Tam o'Shanter Easter egg hunt this year. She "competed" in the 2-and-under division, which entailed Greg pointing out where the eggs were in plain sight and Annabel looking at him quizzically. Finally, I ordered Greg to put a few eggs in her basket for the sake of perpetuating this egg-hunting myth into posterity. Next year, she'll be back bigger than ever!

Clara, with her many years of egg-capturing competition behind her, swept up yet another prize egg this year--this time winning a rubber stamp and colored pencil set. If only there were some sort of competititive egg-hunt circuit to get her on...The girl would clean up!

Vegas, Baby!

With the recent sale of Casa Roberta, we've had to figure out a new sun-filled destination to retreat to in the bleak mid-winter. It's hard to beat a free place to stay in the desert, but the second-best option had to be our $35/night condo just south of the Vegas strip. The condo was roomy enough to accomodate the four of us easily, allowed us to eat breakfast and/or lunch in the dining room before heading down to the pool and hot tub. And it made for easy excursions to Paris, Venice, Tuscany and M&M World (via Paris Las Vegas, the Venetian, and Bellagio Hotels, and M&M World). We also enjoyed the natural beauty of the Mojave via Red Rock Canyon and the Springs Reserve, both a short drive from our resort.) We had a wonderful time, and hope to return before the girls are old enough to start asking questions about the smuttier elements of Vegas.

Clara is in love with February. She enjoyed exchanging valentines with her classmates. And her flower girl dress came in to the bridal shop, where we picked it up. She tried it on, and it fits beautifully. She is very excited to be in Sarah and Rob's wedding.

Nabby is not yet walking independently. She is quite fond, however, of walking with someone, or with her doll stroller, or along the furniture--really, anywhere where she won't fall down. I admire her caution; by this age, Clara had sustained maybe 3 black eyes from toddler tumbles. Annabel's face has yet to be beaten up by gravel, bless her!

Baby's 2nd Christmas and Two New Molars, too

Christmas snuck up on me this year. I got the majority of the Christmas cards (our Christmas card photo is below) out before Christmas, though they likely didn't show up in recipients' mailboxes before the big day. Christmas Eve Greg and I were busy wrapping gifts after hosting Christmas Eve dinner with the Bamfords and putting the girls to bed. Of course, Clara came downstairs 3 different times because she was too excited to sleep and nearly caught us mid-wrap. I think we managed to keep Santa's identity safe until next year, at least.

Annabel ushered in the New Year with 2 new bottom molars. She's been waking up from naps and during the night in pain, poor dear. Hopefully, the worst is behind her.

And ahead of her...learning to walk. She is cruising a lot, letting go to stand unassisted, but when she wants to go forward, she drops to her knees to crawl. She is cautious in a (refreshing for me) way that Clara never was. Let's hope that translates into fewer black eyes and ugly scrapes.

Annabel Turns One! (Greg turns 35!)

Our baby girl is turning into a full-fledged toddler. She "cruises" on the furniture, says a few words (e.g. mama, dada, all done, bye-bye, and ra-ra, which I take to mean Clara), and eats like crazy. At her one-year well-baby visit, she weighed 23.5 lbs., measured 30.5 inches tall, and made googly eyes at the young student shadowing Dr. Danielson. For her birthday we celebrated with Mema and Papa over Annabel's favorite: pizza, salad, devil's food cake with orange-cream cheese frosting (with a cup of pumpkin puree sneaked in) and vanilla ice cream.

We're also very proud of Greg. He is now old enough to run for president, and if he were ever to get pregnant (a la Arnold Schwarzenegger in "Twins"), he'd qualify for a geriatric pregnancy. Way to go, Greg!

Talking, Tired

Clara just finished her second full week of pre-kindergarten, which, happily, has been a great experience for her. She really enjoys her teachers and the other kids in her class. Today when I asked her what she did at school, she said, "I shared." Awesome. Love Graham Hill Elementary.

We are all very tired from Clara's school. Clara is tired because she goes to school five mornings a week. I'm tired because I walk Clara and Annabel to and from school twice a day. Uphill both ways--literally. Graham Hill Elementary is on the south slope of (you guessed it!) Graham Hill. We live on the plateau to the north. Like I said, uphill both ways. Though on a sunny day like today, we had views of Mt. Baker, Mt. Rainier, the Olympics, the Cascades, downtown Seattle, Renton, the Rainier Valley and Beacon Hill. We can see for miles and miles. It's a beautiful and breathtaking (in more ways than one) walk.

Annabel has much to say about our changing routine. Mostly it sounds like "roar, roar, roar", but I know soon it will come out in actual words like "Volvo" or "cat". She is growing up so fast. Just today I called to schedule her 1-year well-baby visit. My baby won't be a baby for long, though I don't think I'll ever stop thinking of the girls as my babies. Even now when I look at Clara in profile, I still see her ultrasound picture.

All this talk of growing up and higher education just reminded me of Annabel's latest news: She got into college! She'll be in the older infant class at the Parent Child Center starting next Thursday. I'm excited to be doing the class with her and seeing our old teachers once again. It really is a fun place to be. And Annabel will know first-hand why Clara comes home so worn out from school.

Clara's First Day of School

Our "baby" went off to pre-kindergarten today at her new school. She had a great time playing with crayons, stamps, and "the swingy thing" on the playground. Her "mentor" (kindergartener Olivia) was "good at helping," and Clara played at recess with "the girl with the sparkly shoes." Overall, it was a great first day.

Swimming, Crawling, Weaning, and Visiting

After downloading 280 (count 'em!) photos to my computer, I realized I failed to mention a number of milestones that we passed this summer.

Annabel learned to crawl! Her crawling is best described as "inchworm-style", but nevertheless, she gets around. As she has mastered her crawling (and thus, eating!), she's given up breastfeeding. She's just more interested in "real food" than what I have to offer. I'd planned to nurse for at least a year (as recommended by the American Academy of Pedicatrics), but she just wasn't having any of it. So at nine months, Annabel said adios to nursing, hola to moving and grooving. (The picture of us on the bed was taken in July at our hotel in Portland during our human-and train-powered vacation. She weaned shortly thereafter.)

Speaking of moving and grooving, Clara has become our own Martha Graham, dancing her little rump off to every kiddie rock cd/concert we can pack into a summer. Her pogo is particularly heartfelt. And Annabel enjoys watching all the big kids' moves. She is concocting a routine of complicated dance steps in her head, I can tell. The photos above were taken at Seward Park at the Not-Its! show. Clara, approaching groupie status, saw the Not-Its! 3 times this summer!

Clara learned to swim, really swim! Thanks to swim lessons with Katy Close at Tam O'Shanter, Clara can doggie paddle, swim with her face in the water, jump in unassisted (or what she likes to call "diving")and dive to the bottom of the pool to retrieve objects (with some help). By the end of almost 3 weeks of swim lessons, Clara's hair was a wreck, and with school fast approaching, she got her first back-to-school haircut at Columbia City Cuts. She was thrilled to get to sit in the "car chair" for her coiffing. (It was a Volvo sedan, so it felt quite safe.)

Also, Grandma and Grandpa Armitage made their annual trek to the Northwest. We loved having them visit us in our natural habitat. The girls loved waking up and having someone to play with each morning. If Clara had her way, we'd all live in a giant compound (complete with car chair, pool, and haircuts) in which to while away the summer.

Back to School (So Long Vacation!)

After biking through Portland, hiking in Leavenworth, and swimming in Bellevue, our summer has come to a close. Greg's students started this week. And Wednesday, while in the middle of making jam (my own summer's end ritual), I received a call from Seattle Public Schools notifying us that a spot at Graham Hill Montessori opened up, and did we want to take it? Yes! YES! So Thursday night we walked up the hill to Clara's new school for the open house where we met her teacher, Ms. Maureen, and the other kids and parents from her class. Clara's first day of school will be this Friday.

Annabel, while not quite ready for school herself, did have her nine month well-baby visit with Dr. Danielson. She got good marks: 30 inches long, 21 lbs, and 40 cm head circumference. In other words, bigger than your average 1 y.o. A+, Annabel!

Firsts for All of Us

The last week has marked a number of firsts for all of us.

The first "first" I must mention is Annabel's crawling. Today I watched Annabel push her upper body and rump up at the same time while propeling herself forward by her tippy-toes: a kind of crawling plank pose, if you will. (Greg mentioned he saw her do this yesterday, but I only have proof of it today.) It's not terribly elegant, but she can certainly get around this way.

Last week Annabel got her first upper teeth: four at once! It seems the worst of teething is over. Annabel has renewed vigor for eating solid foods and is sleeping better too: 8 hours or so at a stretch.

I'm not sure that any of us had been to a Bastille Day party before (certainly Annabel hasn't), so this Quatorze Juillet we celebrated in grand style at the Corson Building in Georgetown. Clara enjoyed the bouncy house (if you squinted your eyes you could imagine the Bastille) and the French moustache painting. We all danced to Caspar Babypants (Chris Ballew of the Presidents of the United States of America notoriety) and ate crepes. Clara also participated in her first chicken race. Her chicken did not win, sadly, but that did not keep her from being absolument contente.

The other notable "first" that happened today was Greg, Clara, and Annabel's trip on the new light rail. (I was away at my writing workshop at Richard Hugo House: my "first" class since the girls were born.) Greg rode his bike with the girls in the Chariot to the Columbia City station where they were the second family to board the inaugural southbound train. They rode down to the Othello St. Station where they enjoyed watching a Chinese dragon.

And tomorrow marks a big first for all of us: We are headed on our first car-free vacation to Portland. We are going to ride our bikes with girls in tow to the light rail station. We will take take light rail south to the Tukwila stop. From there, we'll bike 2.5 miles to the Amtrak station. After a little over 3 hours on Amtrak, we'll arrive in downtown Portland, just a few blocks from our hotel, all without the aid of a car. We plan to take lots of pictures to document our low-carbon-footprint vacation, so check back soon to see how we did it (we hope!)

Girls are Growing Up

Annabel turned 7 months yesterday, though she acts like a much older baby sometimes. She insists (read: squeals loudly and at an unbearably-high pitch) on eating dinner with us, often grabbing food off of our plates. At a restaurant, after being fed her "baby" foods, she snatched some fries off my plate and shoved them into her mouth, thereby triggering her gag reflex. As I was wiping up the floor with my napkin, she grabbed Clara's crayon off her placemat and began gnawing on it. We won't be returning to that restaurant anytime soon, by mutual agreement. (I think in the above pics she's eating beans, you know, to balance out the wax and grease she eats at restaurants.)

Clara has also moved to wearing training pants exclusively. She can stay dry as long as we remind her to use the bathroom. And in a welcome development, she will go by herself to the bathroom to poop. What a relief to be done with changining 2 kids' diapers every day!

Clara really enjoys going on swings with Annabel. It's so much more fun to have someone to go with you to the park. Clara is very good about giving her sister gentle pushes, though Annabel also really enjoys the occasional underdog. Our girls have a need for speed!

Madrona Mayfair

Last Saturday Doug and Kathy met up with us at the Madrona Playground for the Mayfair. Clara enjoyed playing games, jumping in the Bouncy House, and riding her second pony: Jester. (Her first was Plum at Remlinger Farms with Grandma and Grandpa last summer.) Clara clearly has some equestrian skills. Look out, Lou Dobbs' daughter! And Annabel, of course, was looking on and looking cute.

Mother's Day, First Foods, and a Family Poop

I had a wonderful Mother's Day. Greg and Doug packed a picnic for us, and we all rode our bikes down Lake Washington Blvd. for bicycle Sunday. We picnicked by the lake, with the snow-pack of Mt. Rainier visible above the trees and just below the clouds. Clara made me a beautiful card at preschool with the message inside: "Mama, you are nice." Greg gave me a box of Fran's gray salt caramels (which, apparently, are Obama's favorites, too.) We have great taste.

Mother's Day marked Annabel's 6-month birthday, and she has undertaken many new activities befitting a half-year old, such as eating table foods, sitting up (with someone at the ready to catch her lest her ginormous head starts aiming for the floor), and scooting "commando-style". For now, Annabel mostly eats pieces of bread, pizza crust or Cheerios, though she's made some attempts at pinto beans and peas. On Mother's Day, she even had a piece of baguette with goat cheese and cupcake. Fancy!

Clara is incredibly proud of her latest accomplishment: pooping on the potty! She did it our last night in Palm Desert. We were lying in bed together when I thought I detected her starting to push. I asked her if her poop was coming. Yes, it's coming, she said. Do you want to poop on the potty? No, she said. We could call Daddy in Seattle and tell him about it? Okay! She ran into the bathroom, pulled down her pull-ups, and pooped all by herself. (I was nursing Annabel down to sleep during the entire process). We called Greg, who was very happy to hear the well-detailed news. Ever since, Clara has been going poop on the potty all by herself. Actually, she prefers that we don't intervene, though she will call us to come see the results and to help wipe her bottom. Just the other day, she called me in to see "a poop family: a mama, a daddy, and some baby poops. It's a poop family!" Ah, yes, out of the mouths of babes...

Top of the Charts

We just returned from visiting our pediatrician (who seems to grace the cover of the local parenting magazine, Parent Map, every other month), so here are the girls' stats:

Clara measured 40 inches tall (95th percentile) and 37 lbs (more like 50th percentile). She demonstrated a mean tree pose, taking turns balancing on one leg and then the other. She was very relieved to learn she could forego receiving shots this visit.

Annabel was also in the 95th percentile for height at 27 inches. She weighed 17 lbs. and her head circumference was 17.5 inches. She's enormous. And tough. She kept a brave face through her first set of shots, but by the second round, her bottom lip stuck out and her eyes welled with tears.

The girls and I are both getting over colds. Dr. Danielson checked their ears, which, thankfully, were not infected. We are making the most of the warm weather by staying outside as much as possible, so to let our coughs and sneezes be carried away by the breeze. As much as we enjoyed visiting Palm Desert last week, we're glad to be enjoying similar weather here in our own backyard.