Christmas and Yule happened

Abi's original Santa-handprint when she was little. Abi's now, Claire's, Lucy's.

We baked cookies to share on Yule.

bedtime

look what Santa brought! a kitchen set for all the kids to play with

uncle built a faery house for Abi/our yard

Abi and Trixie - her skateboarding pup

Lucy dutifully caring for the new babies

lil artist

I love how dedicated Abi is to drawing. It seems that she adds a new technique to her pictures every week - and she;s figuring out these refinements by herself.  She came home the other day having had to draw shoulder-up self portraits.  Speaking with the teacher later, they were only advised to look at the level of eyes to ears to nose, etc. She came home and started practicing.  Before that she had started adding parts to a girl's hair and playing with dresses. She'd also started drawing people in motion.  Clearly she has more drawing talent than I do - given that she's 5 and draws almost as well as I do.  Her teacher reported that she will look for examples of animals in books to practice drawing them.
Here are some recent samples - including some practice pieces I found. She's quite critical of her own work and will redo anything she doesn't think is good enough.

stick people - but here she was focused on motion; the stick people are deliberate. She uses an Ed Emberley drawing book, which is all stick-style images.

parted hair and fancy dress

her halloween picture - she drew the witch bent over to stir and later put in the cauldron

people - all from the same week; different styles

practice

for or of Lucy?

Changes

Whoops - can you tell things got busy around here. I just found this draft blog entry from September. Now it's November...

New school year. Many changes.
Abi's started kindergarten. Of course she loves it. There's even a pair of twin boys (look identical; dressed identical and all too, with nearly identical names...) in her class.
I start teaching this evening.
Same old for Robin at work.
Babies are where the big changes are. (Yeah, kiddo in school not a big deal around here. No tears. Just fun and the need to wake early in the morning - that's the hardest.)
Lucy still loves books, but she doesn't eat them anymore. Fewf. She carries them around. She flips through them, "reading". She won't sit long for a story, but we're moving towards that.
Claire is my girly-girl. Not what I would have expected for my "bear" (who bites; you've been warned).  She's all about the shoes. And the purses. And the hats (especially the pirate hat, accompanied by a hearty "Arrrrrr!"). And the bracelets.
And the baby doll. She's adopted Abi's first Cabbage Patch Kid baby, which of course Abi never had any interest in because she had no transitional objects. Lucy is the same as Abi in that regard. Abi loves her dolls now, but she remains fickle. She cycles through favourites.

Claire is also my kissy-face. She gives the best kisses.
Lucy is Abi's baby - and not just because Abi says so. Lucy asks for Abi, chooses Abi to play with, etc.

November additions:
Bedroom is coming around. But still unfinished.
University term in its last month.
Abi's loving school still, but I'm finding the morning schedule rushed and poor for babies. It throws off nap possibilities, forces babies to wake earlier than they might otherwise, and it's only going to get worse in winter as bundling will take 3x as long.
Halloween was fun. Kiddos went out with my niece and nephew. I stayed home alone to give out candy - while knitting a sleeve at the door.
 Let me dig up a couple of pictures to make your visit worthwhile.
Or better yet, how about this adorable video.

Summer Fun

Swinging at the park with great-aunty B

Running in the park

Being silly

An appropriate costume for Claire

Wandering with the kangaroos and emus at the zoo

Spending a day with the Girls at the zoo

Painting a bird feeder this afternoon

Self-feeding Tendencies

Miss Independent Abi had to do everything herself (still does) including eating.
Lucy and Claire are the same.

Evidence from past while:

flowering bushes

Much to my delight, most of the bushes in our yard - front and back - flower.Here are a few.

Returning to the field(s) of religion(s)

This fall I return to teaching the study of new religions. I'm eager to get back in a semi-academic groove after several years away. Eager and a little scared. I've been reading and brushing up on what I've missed in the field during my hiatus. Plus, I've got friends to direct me to what's current.
Rather than confuse this family-oriented blog with academia schtuff, I started another blog to help me focus as I get my brain working again. (Babies still sucking my brainz out.)
It's over here. The new blog. Not my brainz. Well, maybe what's left of my brainz.

All of which, combined with Abi commenting on Sikhs in their head coverings several times now, has me thinking I should really be talking about religions with Abi more. Yeah, it's embarassing to think that *I* of all people have done very little of that. *hanging my head in shame*  Things just got busy/crazy... we've talked about the afterlife a lot, so that's a good beginning.

one year

one year of life flew by. even if the year without or own home seemed to drag on.
we celebrated both our new home and the babies' first year with a party.
thanks to everyone who made it out to celebrate with us! it was a full house of fun (read - kids)

Lucy awaiting guests

Claire with cake and berries

Abi showing off her swirly dress from Aunty Rita

There were gifts to open (this was after most folks had left)

Lucy was not interested in her cake.

And they're busy doing "stuff" at home.

They enjoy going to the park with Abi.

And picnics in the front yard.

George hangs out with us too

Darla

Yes, in that familiar adage, the days are just packed.

It's Spring!

It's hard to believe that spring is finally here, but today was proof enough for me. Kids and I took a stroll to prove it. And had some fun.

buds

grass

napping at last

whee

first independent swing and loving it

under-duck

drumming; nice hat

Claire finally wakes and takes a quick swing

two babies and one big sis

mail. for who? maybe you