For Torie, With Thanks

There is, truly, a good reason for posing this sweet baby with lemonheads. She was sent home with a biliblanket and lit the room like Kryptonite. When I nursed her that night, it gave me a headache and made me laugh. I called her Little Lemonhead, explaining to her as I did so that they're a favorite candy. The next day, I opened a box from all the way out West (thank you, Torie!), and was delighted to find not only a box stuffed with Fuzzi Bunz (YES! FUZZI BUNZ!) but also with Laffy Taffy and lemonheads. I have no idea how you did it, but you achieved perfect timing with that package. (The lemonheads are long gone, but the Fuzzi Bunz will join the smaller AIO diapers Titi made me for Susannah. When I use cloth, her little bottom will be swathed like no other!)

Remnant

I forgot to post these.

Freshly home.




In Deb's arms the next day.

For Spike. Again.

The back steps one evening. (Regrettably, no Scrooge in hand this time...)




And Susannah even squeezed in later, a comic (albeit, an upside-down comic), in tow.

Free Trade Agreement

Candida and Mildred have a new obsession. They trade off stuffed animals, dolls, costumes, and whatever else strikes their fancy, and after enjoying a new item for a few days, they trade back.

Here Millie reads about and searches for bugs in the backyard while wearing one of Candida's costumes.

S'mores Indoors, or War Paint

The lighting's rotten, but I took this pictures without her knowledge, before I scolded gently instructed her on proper s'mores enjoyment.

35 Weeks

I had the best of intentions for a 35-week photo shoot, especially considering I'd already gained 40 pounds and thought it was likely that I'd strike a new record. Alas, the closest I came was this hastily snapped shot in the Barnes and Noble bathroom the day before Piper came into the world. Apologies.


And here's Susannah, about to embark on a journey across the parking lot with John after he dropped me, Millie, and Annie off for storytime.



She takes her umbrella holding seriously.

Impressionable

Be mindful of what you read to children. While at Barnes and Noble, I read the girls A Baby Sister for Frances, in which Frances runs away (under the table in the next room) and eats, among other things, chocolate sandwich cookies. I don't think Millie quite understands what chocolate sandwich cookies are, because when we got home, she immediately began cheerful preparations to run away. Chief among these preparations was, with Papa's permission, the construction of "chocolate sandwich cookies" for herself and the other girls. Whole wheat bread spread with peanut butter, spread thickly with chocolate chips and raisins, and microwaved until warm and melty.

Millie ran away to the pinecone tree and ate her sandwich there. The other two ate theirs on the porch. They all assured me that I would love them, but I still held back...

Last Pre-Buster Zoo Visit

Almost all pictures feature Susannah because we walked slowly and took plenty of rests while the others rushed ahead with John.





The ducks. (Yup. We went to the zoo, and I offer you a lackluster picture of the ducks. Fierce!)



Girls on a red bench. Millie makes me laugh.



The wind cloth only briefly distracted her from the main temptation-- lollipops!



The interminable wait for the carousel.

Grounded

At the zoo playground, they stole all the fun while I sat at the bottom of the slide.

Zaelos

John told me to take a picture of this for you, Joel Done of Ham, so though you don't frequent these parts, here you go.

Dear Sherlock

Please help me solve this mystery. About two weeks ago, we came home to find a gift bag hanging on our doorknob. Since my nephew Nicholas had recently been born and lives next door to us, I thought maybe the gift was for him. No card or note was included with the bag, but this beautiful set was inside. If anyone knows for sure if this was for Buster, let me know! I'd love to use it on her this winter, but I still wonder if it was placed on the wrong doorknob.


Very Truly Yours,
Unsure and Bemused