Sylvie Girl

Memorial Garden

2011-06-11T10:37:00.000-07:00

Sylvie has always had a very strong interest in learning about her great grandparents and grandfather who died before she was born. She keeps a framed photo of one set of great grandparents on her dresser, and dreams and talks about them all the time. Yesterday she told me she was sad that she couldn't place flowers on their graves - all being too far away. So, since I already told her that she could plant flowers in one of the vegetable garden beds, we decided to make it into a memorial garden. She was so excited! She decided the flowers needed to be very bright, because they were all happy people. She wanted some pink flowers because they would remind her of the "roses in their cheeks", and some yellow because they were bright and cheery and happy.

I'm not sure why she's so sensitive and interested in her history - but I think it's really neat. Sylvie would love to hear stories about her ancestors from you all - she asks me tons of questions that I can't answer, so I tell her to make sure she asks her relatives as she sees them this summer.

She's been reading the Little House series as well as some American Girl books, and spends a lot of time re-enacting the times that she's reading about. Today she pretended to put tallow on her boots before she went outside to make sure her feet would stay warm and dry.

The Memorial Garden seems to be a success. Last night Sylvie put on her warmest pajamas, so that when she woke in morning she could go straight out to the garden and make sure the flowers looked happy, and give them a little water. And, she did it! She peaked in my bedroom this morning and whispered "I'm going to go work in the Memorial Garden", and then closed the door and off she went. (I told her last night that she could do that)

Anyway, here are some pictures of her work on the Memorial Garden.

Mother's Day

2011-05-08T22:01:00.001-07:00

I've been stuck - I got so behind that I dread trying to catch back up... which means I will fall farther behind. So, I'm jumping ahead to today, and hopefully I'll manage to do some catch up posts...

I had a wonderful Mother's day spending time with the wee one and Pete. Sylvie had secret plans all weekend, which involved decorating the house and making me a dozen cards and drawings.... it was great! But, my favorite part was that I got to take pictures of Sylvie while she was pretending to be Daisy Dawson from one of her favorite books, while the sun came out and I got to use some of my favorite back lighting...

Fairies

2011-02-14T20:46:00.000-08:00

My friend Pam decided that she wanted to take on the project of making Halloween costumes for the four friends that spend a lot of time together (the four on the right in this picture). She offered to make everyone a fairy costume - we just bought the fabric and chose a fairy. These girls were SO happy with their costumes. These are photos from when they first got to try them on together. These costumes came out so great! Pam, you're amazing!!!

Nanny

2011-02-14T20:42:00.000-08:00

Sylvie and I took a quick trip to California for a family visit. We had a great time visiting everyone, as always, and wish we could see family more often.

For some reason, the only picture I took was of Sylvie learning how to feed Nanny's pets in the morning.

Before the freeze

2011-02-14T20:33:00.000-08:00

Some fun outside time, while it lasts. (Pictures from October) I love this little green hat on Sylvie - enjoying the last bits of summer.

Garden in Full Force

2011-02-14T20:28:00.001-08:00

Here's a September photo - just before the first freeze while the garden is still thinking it's summer... I love how crazy the garden gets this time of year.

Poetry

2011-01-31T22:43:00.000-08:00

Once again, catching up.

This is from October... Sylvie decided she wanted to write a poem. She composed it, and wrote it herself - every now and then verifying with me how to spell a word.

When Sylvie gets an idea of what she wants to do, she thinks and thinks about it, and gets a very clear image in her mind of how it's going to work , and how to get it done. I love her determination and creativity -

me, he

what

do you

see

I see

fish

what does he

see

Peace

2010-10-04T22:12:00.001-07:00

And I have to say, again, how much I love this camera. It's been almost 2 years and the novelty hasn't worn off. For those who care, this was taken in Sylvie's nearly dark room, at iso 6400(!) and 1/80 s, f/3.0

Transitions

2010-10-04T22:06:00.000-07:00

The painful realization that summer is over is greatly eased by the beauty of fall.

Weathervane

2010-10-04T22:03:00.000-07:00

It was a little chilly...

2010-10-04T22:02:00.000-07:00

... so we told Sylvie that hula girls in Oregon wear warm hats.

First Day of PreK

2010-10-04T21:37:00.000-07:00

Sylvie had been going to the same daycare/preschool since she was one year old. Lancaster center was a wonderful, caring place for her, and it was a little sad to move on to a new place. However, Sylvie was ready, and excited, and for multiple reasons it was time to change. One of the reasons is that, since Pete and I both work, we were really concerned about the lack of options for full day kindergarten. The existing kindergarten programs are 3 hours long, and for families where both parents work, there needs to be supplemental care. Unfortunately, this town isn't really set up for that since the option of full day kindergarten existed until this year. I, personally, don't want to put Sylvie on a bus after school to an after school program, and I don't want to put her in a place that doesn't have much supervision and she's pooled in with lots of older kids.

So, that led us to looking to see what other options there are, and the best answer seems to be to choose a private school which offers full day kindergarten, and aftercare if needed. And, surprise surprise, those places are all filled up! The way to get into the kindergarten is to get into the prek first.

We started looking around, and found Ashbrook Independent School, which so far has been perfect for Sylvie. The ratios are low, and Sylvie is getting lots of focused attention and encouragement from her teachers. I can tell that she's thriving there - learning so much and having a blast. I struggle a bit with the whole uniform thing, being a natural rebel. It almost ix-nayed the school from the start. Thankfully colorful socks and leggings are allowed so I, I mean Sylvie, can express herself. :)

Pictures from her first day...

Twirling with excitement!

Settling down, waving goodbye, and getting ready for her first day at her new school! I'm so proud of this little one!

Home Grown Potatoes

2010-10-04T21:30:00.000-07:00

I love home grown potatoes! Doesn't this look pretty? It was so tasty too! I added in some home grown sweet onion, and some home grown garlic. My favorite kind of breakfast!!!

Superprincess!!!

2010-10-04T21:26:00.000-07:00

Gotta Love Camping!

2010-10-04T20:53:00.000-07:00

We had a fabulous camping trip with the McManus family in August. I got a little stymied on the blog because we had sooo much fun, and I got a lot of great photos, I had a really hard time paring it down to a reasonable post. I think after all that, I'm down to 15. Once I get this post done, hopefully it'll be easier for me to catch up.

It was one of those typical Oregon coast summer weekends - the fog line varied between about 10 ft offshore to 100 ft inland. It sure was beautiful, although a bit cool and damp.

Sylvie and Owen had a blast building castles together, and mostly agreed on what to build.

Ben! He had so much fun putting buckets on his head, and then being Benzilla and destroying anything that the older kids built.
I just love this picture of Sylvie's hair. The humidity just made it so soft and extra curly - click on it and check it out!

Evidently there was a monster in the waves that Owen and Sylvie needed to run from.

And Pete could protect them from it...
Walking out to taunt that wave monster. This beach is so awesome - it's usually mostly deserted, and it has a very gradual slope making it perfect for kids to play in the shallow water. It's great for kite flying and long enough for a good walk - just perfect.

I just like this picture
and this one.
Here's Owen trying to avoid having his picture taken... fun with Mom!
Sylvie standing in the "S" for "Sylvie"
Sylvie on her "alligator log"
This campground is also great for the kids for riding bikes - Here Richard and Pete are following Owen and Sylvie on the loop - the kids were getting strong enough to pedal up the little hills. It was fun to watch them both improving over the couple of days.
Owen working hard to go fast!
Sylvie and Pete in front of our trailer - You can't tell from the picture, but there's a path through the bushes to our own sheltered campsite with picnic table, fire pit, and room for tents. It overlooks the beach - it's our favorite spot.
The McManus family cheering Sylvie on as she finishes her lap around the campground.

So much fun! Can't wait to do it again!

Tahoe 2010

2010-09-12T21:29:00.000-07:00

We are so grateful to get to enjoy a week with Tribu di Telonicher each year at Lake Tahoe. This is our only opportunity to hang out with a lot of our extended family each year, and we always enjoy the time, and wish we could do it more often.

Sylvie really enjoyed spending time with her very special Auntie Cath.

Kayaking time with Dad. After her initial hesitation, Sylvie loved going out in the kayak, and checking out all the moored boats and beautiful homes along the shore.

Each evening, Megan invited all the kids to come out and play while dinner was being prepared. They had so much fun playing while the sun was setting -and they were all nice and worn out for bed time.

Is it possible for second cousins to be twins? Manu and Sylvie look so much alike, and had so much fun playing together. It was really fun to watch - I'm looking forward to watching them grow up together.

Chasing Geese:

Swimming with Mom:

Manu!!
Playing with Gretchen - too much fun to be had!

Looking forward to doing it all again next year!

Dewdrops on Ladybugs

2010-09-12T08:54:00.001-07:00

Field of Daisies

2010-08-24T09:27:00.000-07:00

Every year, when our field of daisies starts blooming, I start scheming about what kind of photos I can take out there. Full bloom always seems to be so fleeting with our crazy schedules. So, I was happy to find time to drag Sylvie out one early sunny morning for a little photo shoot. She thought it was pretty fun too. I used back lighting for these (the sun behind her) because I love that glowing look and soft light on her face. If I were coordinated I would have attempted to use a reflector, but instead they all required a little bit of post-processing work to pull her face out of the shadows.

Fun fun!!!

Gymnastics Show Day

2010-08-23T21:59:00.000-07:00

We were so happy that Nonie and Jack were visiting for Sylvie's "Show Day" in gymnastics. I'm so proud of how hard she tries and how eager she is to participate in the show.

She loved having us all in the gym with her. Usually I watch through the large window, and although she can see me, it's completely different having me in the room with her. Nonie and Jack were an excellent bonus. She was grinning the whole time while doing warmups with the noodles:

She memorized her floor routine and did such a great job! There were several different elements - monkey jumps, donkey kicks, forward and backward rolls - and she remembered them all. Here her teacher is assisting with a backward roll.

And here she's preparing for a forward roll.
She made it completely across the high, narrow balance beam without any assistance! (See Nonie and Jack watching intently?)
And the leaped off without any hesitation!
Then on the low beam she decided to end with an arabesque!
This class has really helped her gain confidence - these are things she wouldn't even consider 6 months ago.

Tada!! I'm so proud of our girl.

Fourth at the Fountains

2010-08-23T21:43:00.000-07:00

On the Fourth, we decided to head downtown for the little local festival. It got started a little later than we expected, but the fountains were going full blast much to Sylvie's delight. It was a little chilly at first, but she didn't mind too much.

Sylvie never misses an opportunity to dance

Happy Fourth of July!!

Cherry Pickin'

2010-07-05T14:13:00.000-07:00

We wish you were here Nanny!!! The little cherry tree is out of control!

River and Family Time

2010-06-27T22:06:00.001-07:00

We had a wonderful time during our annual trip to Steamboat with Pete's family. We were so glad that Peter and Graham were able to join us for most of the time. It was great to spend time with everyone, and of course it was great to be on the river. We had scrumptious meals in the cabin, and a fabulous dinner at the inn. We went white water rafting, did a bit of fishing, and got played a lot of croquet! I mostly kept my camera in my camera bag, but did manage to break it our for a few pictures on the river and on a short hike.

I love these pictures of Pete and Sylvie.

Nonie and Sylvie.

My girl leading us on a hike.

Sylvie thought it would be a great idea to be a "gate" between two trees. We spent a lot of time trying to figure out the secret password so she would let us through.

We discovered the place where the fairies live! A few chose to ride on Sylvie's shoulders during our hike.

Summer Fun!

2010-06-14T22:02:00.000-07:00

Fellow Oregonians know - this has been a brutal spring. Tomatoes, peppers, and basil hanging out in the greenhouse waiting for warmth. Vitamin D deficiency that's out of control. Here we are, midway through June, and finally - A NICE SUNNY DAY!!

Sylvie was so excited! We brought her little pool out and she spent the day in a swimsuit and a gallon of sunscreen. She brought a book out so she could read while resting on a towel, and we got to have a little picnic together outside. So much fun!

Here are some photos of the aftermath:

I love this one:

Preparing to do a somersault on the lawn.

After bonking her head, trying to do a somersault -

Joy after a successful roll!
Joyful reading - this girl LOVES to read!

Four Years Old!

2010-05-29T13:25:00.000-07:00

My girl is four years old. It's hard to believe.

Her favorite things to do are:

Play pretend - as in "you're the teacher and I'm the student" or "you're the queen and I'm the princess" etc.

Dancing! She loves to put on a dress and dance, dance, dance around the house!

She loves to read - and is really getting good at it. Today she got stuck on the words "Saudi Arabia".

Pretending to cook, and really helping to cook.

If you ask her she'll say her favorite color is pink... and red... and just about any other color. But always pink first.

Her favorite food is fruit - just about any kind of fruit.

My girl is becoming a smart, stubborn, selective listener. She's sweet and sensitive, and very outgoing. She loves to be snuggled and kissed, but proudly puts herself to bed. She works hard to figure things out, and wants to know every detail of how things are made and why, why, why, why, why.

We LOVED having Nanny and Granddad here for Sylvie's birthday! It's the first time they've made it for her birthday since she was born! It's pretty easy to spoil a little girl who enjoys things so much...

We had a small family celebration on Sylvie's birthday, with cupcakes with candles..

Pete worked in the rain into the night completing this addition to the play structure. Sylvie spotted it and, without a word, started whipping up a feast for us all. She was in her element and loves this so much. She said "I can't believe I got a restaurant for my birthday!" Today she asked me to paint "Sylvie's Cafe" across the top and "Please come in, sit down, and I will cook for you" across the bottom.

She asked for a music box with a dancing doll - who knew how much she would love it? She would wind it up, open it, and then dance and dance with the spinning ballerina fairy.

Granddad thought it was pretty cool too...

And, of course, Sylvie really needed more dress up clothes... (I know some of you wondered what in the world I would do if I ended up having a "girly-girl". Well, it turns out I feed the habit... who knew?)

Reading a new book with Nanny - they read together for hours and hours. Nanny was patient enough to the read the same books with Sylvie over, and over, and over.... Sylvie was in heaven!

A new bike!!! Sylvie was stunned and spent a lot of time looking it over - the wheels, the spokes, the chain and pedals, before she would hop on. She loves it!
Nonie sent this super cool new book shelf. Sylvie immediately loaded it up with her books and started a new game "let's pretend I'm the librarian and you're the customer".

Sylvie also enjoyed many cards, gifts, and wonderful calls from friends and family! Thank you so much for thinking of her.. it's nice to know she's loved even from a distance!

My Little Gardener

2010-05-11T21:45:00.000-07:00

Sylvie picked out a 6-pack of marigolds and wanted to plant them with the peas to keep the bugs away. She had already helped me plant the broccoli, and knows all the steps. I was so proud of her that she did it all herself - with just a little bit of follow up from Mom.

The flowers

Digging the hole

Found a worm!

Dipping the rootball.

Planting

A little bit of water

Tada!

Training Chickens

2010-05-06T21:30:00.000-07:00

The chickens are out of control. We haven't been able to contain them. They poop on the porch, they scratch up the flower beds. They're cute, but also getting to be a little irritating.

And then we discovered that chickens really don't like being squirted with water. And, because of this, they are trainable!

And Sylvie LOVES it when the chickens go where they're not allowed to go. We arm her with a squirt bottle and she takes care of the situation.

Another Dress from Nanny!

2010-05-04T22:21:00.000-07:00

This dress is so cute on Sylvie. Nanny made it for one of her older grandkids, and it was nicely passed down to Sylvie. I let her wear it to school and she came home covered in blue paint - which is weird because they wear smocks, and the worst she usually comes home with is sand in her hair. Anyway, thanks Nanny for the great dress - and thanks family for passing it down to Sylvie!

Dandelions

2010-05-04T22:15:00.000-07:00

Pete doesn't really like it when I encourage Sylvie to blow dandelions - and spread the seeds all around. But it's so much fun! I love this time of year!

She Loves to Read

2010-05-04T22:02:00.000-07:00

The whole world is opening up - words are everywhere. And she's figuring it all out.

Sylvie Quote

2010-03-02T08:46:00.000-08:00

"Mom, may I bring a stuffed animal with me to the doctor?"

"Sure, which one would you like to bring?"

"I don't know, I haven't decided yet".

A minute later...

"Mom?"

"Yes?"

"Did you know I named one of my stuffed animals 'I don't know, I haven't decided yet'?"

"Very funny, Sylvie, which one?"

"I don't know, I haven't decided yet".

Seriously. :)

All I want for Christmas

2010-02-28T21:42:00.000-08:00

For weeks before Christmas, Sylvie asked any Santa she came across (statues, etc.) for a purple angel for Christmas. For WEEKS! It was all she asked for. Thankfully, Santa came through. He brought exactly what she had in mind!

Sylvie hugged and hugged her stocking, so happy, before she actually pulled the angel out to hug it. Wow, Santa, good job!!!

I love this

2010-02-28T21:36:00.000-08:00

Reading, writing... it's all coming together. I love this. Merry Christmas.

Our View

2010-02-28T20:46:00.000-08:00

Chickens. They like to be close to us, even if there's a window between us.

Baking with Nonie!

2010-02-28T17:59:00.000-08:00

I'm very behind on blogging...

Before Christmas, Sylvie decided she really wanted to make gingerbread men. We decided that might be a good project to take on with Nonie - luckily she agreed.

Sylvie had so much fun! Thanks Nonie.

Yummy! Brownies!

2010-02-07T13:08:00.001-08:00

Aaaach - so behind on blogging. I'll post some Christmas pictures later... there are certainly some great ones.

But for now, I couldn't resist putting these photos out there...

Pure joy.

Droplets

2009-12-20T07:48:00.000-08:00

This was a fun experiment. It wouldn't really be practical without digital photography. I took 100's of photos to get maybe 30 droplets in frame - and then to get the focus, settings, and frame correct on top of that was quite a trick! I like how these came out though, and I learned a lot. And, it gave me some new ideas to try next time.

Chickens

2009-12-18T22:19:00.000-08:00

Yep, we still have chickens. And somehow, through the short days and the freezing weather, they're still looking healthy and laying for us. One was attacked by a hawk. I heard it happen - weird chicken squawking, and when I went out to look I found a pile of feathers. I thought we had lost a chicken, but when I counted them all up, sure enough, they were all accounted for... but one had a bald spot. She seems fine now though.

Some of the hens are starting to molt, and it's pretty funny to see them walking around without any tail feathers. This morning, when I walked outside, 8 chickens were hanging out on the front porch. Several on the mat in front of the door! That'll wake you up in a hurry.

Anyway - some pictures...

All bow to Sylvie, leader of chickens. :)

Eggs!

Beautiful Fall

2009-12-12T14:01:00.000-08:00

Fall is so gorgeous here - and the colors lasted for a while this time. I love this spot.

And check out the beautiful sweater that Nanny knit for her. Isn't it gorgeous? Sylvie just loves it.

Halloween 2009

2009-12-12T13:31:00.000-08:00

I got a little behind on the blog - time to catch up!

Sylvie had a blast on Halloween this year. She very consistently, for months, told me she wanted to be a butterfly, and I was happy that I found a costume that she loved.

Halloween was extended this year, since the school and the downtown celebrated on Friday, but evening trick-or-treating was on Saturday. I would have just kept it to Friday, but she was enjoying the even so much it made it worth it to carry on.

So, she wore her costume to preschool and had fun being dressed up with all her friends. Then we went to downtown Corvallis where we eventually met with the Owen and Ben (and their parents) for some trick or treating fun.

Saturday we did the evening trick or treating with Sophia, James, Mary, Mackenzie, and Blake. Unfortunately Blake and Mackenzie weren't there quite in time for the group pictures.

She was so excited - look how high in the air she is!
All the kids were running around in anticipation...

Off we go

"Look, they gave me CANDY!"

Pumpkin Carving

2009-11-04T19:31:00.000-08:00

Our pumpkin harvest - and a curious chicken named Blondie.

Digging out the guts:
You know how little kids draw arms and hands sticking straight out of the sides of heads? Well, when we were drawing the jack-o-lantern's face, Sylvie insisted that it needed arms and hands on the sides. But, it didn't need ears because jack-o-lanterns don't have ears.
Next we fed the guts to the chickens.
The completed project - it was very fun.

Going Home

2009-10-30T07:08:00.000-07:00

Sylvie and I had a great time visiting my family in Camarillo. We stayed with my folks in their new home, and it was wonderful! Such an improvement in size and space... Very comfortable and spacious, perfect for two. There are so many things to do there - golf, bocce ball, tennis, swimming, wood working... it seems like a great place to live.

Sylvie did great on the flight down (Thanks Barb, for the use of your portable dvd player - worked like magic), and she was very excited to hop in Granddad's golden car and ride in Laney's old pink flowered booster seat. What could be better?

Unfortunately, Sylvie developed a nasty rash the day before we left, and it progressed down her body for the entire vacation. It turned out to be the result of fifth disease. It didn't seem to bother her, although she was dragging a bit. Luckily it left her face before we went to the pumpkin patch - (selfish me wanting good photos).

We got to spend lots of time with cousins Gray and Laney (and Sue and Chris) and check out their progress on their robotics team project. They were doing awesome. Then Sue and Chris hosted a mini reunion, and Barb with her family and Gordon and Stacy and their family came. We were missing a couple members, but had a pretty good majority... it was great to see everyone.

Nanny taught Sylvie how to play tic-tac-toe. Can you see the rash on Sylvie's arm?

Grapefruit?

2009-10-13T19:27:00.000-07:00

Sylvie spotted the big grapefruits at the store, and really wanted to try one. So, we brought one home and put it in the fruit bowl. Today she asked if she could have it for dessert after dinner - well, who am I to deny a girl some fruit...

Pete said, why don't you get the camera to get the look on her face when she discovers that it doesn't taste like oranges..

Anticipation...
The taste...
and - SHE LOVES IT
More please...

Yummy.

Well, I didn't get any freak out face pictures, but I'm happy to say she's asking for the other half of the grapefruit for tomorrow's dessert. What a girl.

Harvest Time

2009-10-10T21:38:00.000-07:00

Well, it's the middle of October. Time to harvest the warm weather crops in the garden before the cold weather ruins them. Here was one load - more peppers than we know what to do with - and basil for pesto to last us through the winter! Yay! It was a good garden year.

The chickens have divided into two flocks by day - the "home" flock and the "freedom" flock. The home flock is content to hang around inside low fenced area - electrified to keep predators out. The freedom flock hops the fence and wanders around the yard, and visits our neighbors. They get very excited when they see Sylvie and follow us all around the field. One followed Sylvie up the play structure and then slid/flapped down the slide. Crazy chickens.

Anyway, this one was pretty curious about what we brought up to the house -

And of course no post is complete without pictures of my cutie pie -

Big Egg, Little Egg.

2009-10-10T21:30:00.000-07:00

We couldn't really fit the big one in an egg carton. We're not sure which chicken laid that egg, but none of them appear to be injured.

Wow.

Tomato Jungle

2009-10-03T21:27:00.000-07:00

Great year for gardening this year. Most everything did great - including peppers and tomatoes. (Peas, the easiest thing to grow, did terribly for some reason) Peter brought me a sungold cherry tomato plant and a pear tomato plant, and they took off - they are at least 7 feet tall, and would be taller if the trellis was taller. Every day Sylvie spends some time stuffing tomatoes in her mouth - very happy.

This morning we went outside as soon as Sylvie got up (at 9 am, after a late night last night), and wandered around the field nibbling on wild plums, apples, and pears, before heading into the garden to eat tomatoes. Then she was too full for breakfast. Fortunately, she seems to do well on an all fruit/veggie diet! I filled her with other stuff for lunch (fresh eggs from the chickens and potatoes from the garden!)

On Stage!

2009-09-27T21:05:00.000-07:00

Sylvie had her very first ballet performance today at the fall festival. She did so great! She very happily joined her classmates (and the ballerinas from other classes) and tried her best to do their dance on stage. It was so cutest thing ever- and we are so proud of her.

Dances with Chickens

2009-09-20T20:35:00.000-07:00

My Tomboy Fairy. :)

Bzzzzzz..

2009-09-19T07:40:00.001-07:00

Love this macro lens.

Fossil Hunt

2009-09-18T21:35:00.001-07:00

We had a great camping weekend on the coast in August. Our friends the McManus' joined us for a night, and invited us on a fossil hunt with a couple of real-life palaeontologists! They knew exactly where to go, and what we were looking for. Turned out we were digging up 40 million year old clams, mollusks, snails, and other critters. It was really cool!

Owen and Sylvie checking out the scene -

Digging with Dad-

The find -

Happy Ben-

Time for sleep with ol' faithful Mr. Blue after a long day.

The Gymnast

2009-09-18T08:27:00.000-07:00

Doesn't gymnastics sound like fun? I signed Sylvie up for gymnastics at the Little Gym and the first class was pretty great. Basically, an hour straight of running around. She was wiped out by the end of it. She's already learned some new "skills" and had an absolute blast. I was surprised that she was the only girl in the class! Several of the kids had never been in a class without Mom or Dad before, and they didn't really know how to follow instructions from the teacher very well. Fortunately, there was an extra teacher whose job it was to chase the escapees. I was pretty proud of Sylvie and how well she listened and followed instructions. They invited her to join the "invitation only" three year old class instead, which focuses less on chasing kids around, and more on skills, but I think I'll give this class another shot first. I don' t know why invitation only for a 3 year old seems weird to me. And, it's a tough fit into our schedule, between work and lunch and naps. Anyway, I really just want her to have a good time and gain some physical confidence.

I took all these photos through the glass separating the parents from the class, so they came out a little weird.

Fun fun!

Big Ol' Tomato

2009-09-18T08:21:00.000-07:00

Old German Heirloom variety. It's really pretty red and yellow striped, and Pete says it's tasty too. I've never grown such a large tomato before - our season is too short for them to do really well, so I'm kinda proud of this one. (See the quarter next to it?)

Ballerina Update

2009-09-05T13:48:00.001-07:00

Currently, Sylvie's favorite game is "ballet class". She dresses up in her ballet clothes, and asks me to pretend to be the teacher. Then she dances around the house, leaping over stuffed animals. It's pretty darn cute.

I took her to the store to get a leotard and tutu, and to my surprise she picked out the black one! This is from a girl who ALWAYS answers "pink" when asked her favorite color. (The funny thing is that I couldn't resist getting her the pink one as well - who knew?)

Little update:

Sylvie has been growing leaps and bounds! She's grown over two inches in the last 3 months! She is starting to read. She loves to sound out the words she sees around her - first, best, pull, and popcorn are some random words she found in stores, on doors, in a phone book, on a magazine. She can recognize some words by sight now - like the, they, and, one, mom, dad.

She is also starting to write. She can make most of the letters, and does great with 3 letter words. She writes mom, dad, cat, bob. She loves to put random letters together and ask me to sound them out - she gets a kick out the weird words she can make me say!

Her drawings are getting more and more realistic and interesting. Often she'll make a shape and then decide what it is, and then embellish. Yesterday she drew a door. She asked me where she should put the doorknob and I suggested on the right. Well, she said, "I'm going to put it on the bottom so kids can reach it". And she did.

Some more quotes:

"Dead is just a funny word for really old"
"Chicken, I am a meat eater, and I can eat you... roar"
"I found my trachea!" as she's holding her neck.

That's all I can think of right now.

On another note - Graham is now a licensed driver! And doing great. He needs cash to fill his gas guzzler, so he's starting to help Pete on the weekends for gas money - and he's doing a good job. He started running cross-country, and did well in his first meet.

Happy Graham

2009-09-04T09:26:00.000-07:00

Just what he asked for... Happy Birthday Graham.

Blueberries! Yum

2009-09-02T21:22:00.001-07:00

Sylvie LOVED picking blueberries. While Pete and I kinda shook the blueberries into our buckets, Sylvie very carefully only picked the most perfect ones, and placed them in her bucket. She picked a whole pound of perfect blueberries. And she only ate a few. What kind of a kid is this???? :) We got to eat a most scrumptious blueberry cream pie compliments of Pete, and we have 30 lbs in the freezer!

Buddies

2009-08-16T07:58:00.000-07:00

For the past couple years, Sylvie has been inseparable from her very best buddy at school, Ava. They could sit and play together, imagine things together, and get along so perfectly it was amazing. Sylvie often accidently calls me Ava. It's pretty cute. Sadly, Ava and her family just moved to Portland and Sylvie misses her very much - talks about her all the time.

Well, I guess Ava misses Sylvie too, and is having a tough time adjusting to her new school. Her parents were very sweet to arrange a trip with us to go to the enchanted forest - a little reunion for the girls.

They were so happy to see each other! Just look at these pictures! I'm hoping we can continue to meet up! Jeff and Rachael are a lot of fun, and the girls just love being together.

Eggs!!!!

2009-08-16T07:35:00.001-07:00

Very exciting! Four perfect little eggs. We have no idea which of the chickens are laying, but I have a feeling that soon we're going to have more eggs than we know what to do with. Now we have to convince the chickens to use the very convenient nesting boxes instead of the hardest to reach back corner of the chicken coop.

Look who flew in!

2009-08-07T16:38:00.000-07:00

My friend Teresa and her friend Pat were on their way to an airshow, and decided to have a short layover in Corvallis. It was so fun to see Teresa - we figure it's been around 8 years since we've seen each other.

They flew up with some other friends in these little planes and landed in Corvallis. Sylvie and I watched them land and then we brought them back to our house for the night and had a great time catching up.

In the morning, we brought them back to their planes so they could be on their way. Pat let Sylvie climb in the plane and pretend to fly it for a while - she loved it.

We waved as they flew away in formation!

We hope they'll stop by again next time...

Dandelion

2009-08-07T15:53:00.001-07:00

There's nothing cuter...

2009-07-27T22:09:00.000-07:00

than 3 year old ballerinas...

And tap dancers...

Sylvie loved every second of it... and so did we. :)

Hummingbirds

2009-06-29T08:40:00.000-07:00

Who knew?

Steamboat

2009-06-28T14:43:00.000-07:00

This was our seventh year celebrating Pete's mom's birthday on the North Umpqua, although this was the first year we had such a crowd! We rented three cabins right on the river and had a great time! I think we maxed out at 19 people.

We just love it there.

Pete helped a man land his first steelhead in the pool right below our cabin, and it was a large, fresh from the sea, beautiful fish. When we went back down there a couple hours later, we found this little pile of rocks with the very fly that the man caught the fish with.

The first couple of days were great fishing weather (overcast and rainy, yet warm) but on Monday it cleared up and was beautiful for all the non-fisherman among us. Eleven of us went white water rafting and had a blast! The guides were great, and agreed to "guide" Pete down the river in his kayak. After a couple of rapids, they were pleasantly surprised that Pete knows what he's doing in a kayak, and then they just gave him information about the best route through each rapid. For the last few rapids, Pete gave Peter a try at the kayak and he did great... although he was a little startled when Greg, playing pirate, leaped out of his raft onto the back of the kayak. Fortunately we had enough people to divide up into two rafts - the "kids" raft and the "adult" raft. The kids raft did stuff like the ol' throw-graham-out-of-the-raft game, which I was happy to observe from a distance. (Thanks to Janice, Jack, and Cath for hanging out with Sylvie that day).

It was also warm enough to enjoy some melon.

On Jan's birthday, we went to dinner at the Steamboat Inn - yum. They serve appetizers and wine in the library... it was a bit overwhelmed by our group

Dinner. Yum. We were very happy to be seated at the big table - all 18 of us.

A group shot - although several people had either already left or were still asleep. Sylvie was not overjoyed about this photo opp.

Jan and her friend Jack came to stay with us for a few days after Steamboat and we really enjoyed their company.

Thanks for coming everyone - we had a blast!

Curtains

2009-06-09T18:42:00.000-07:00

Finally! This should help keep the house cool in the summer, and warm in the winter. And, sometimes the morning sun blast is just too much. It's nice to be able to block it.

Here they are. They really make the room feel different. I think we like it. You can also see Sylvie's (messy) play area, which we dream about turning into a nice sitting area someday.

My Girl

2009-06-09T07:23:00.001-07:00

Party at Sylvie's House!

2009-06-04T20:18:00.001-07:00

Yay - Sylvie's birthday party. We had so much fun!

When Sylvie knew her birthday was soon she started talking about what she would like to have on her cake. She remembers (somehow) that she had a sun on her cake last year, and really wanted one again. She also said she would like a unicorn and a dog. The rainbow was our addition, which she was very thrilled about. And, most importantly, all the kids got to have a taste of the rainbow. (The cake from New Morning Bakery was super yummy, and it was so cute - I told them what we wanted on the cake and they made this masterpiece!)

Sylvie was so happy to show her friends all the things there are to do - she looked so beautiful in her new dress (Thanks Muffy and family - she was so excited to wear it for her party)

Chickens.
Sylvie has become a pro at digging for worms in the garden and bringing them to the chickens. (more on this in another post). But, for all these kids, instead of removing all worms from the garden, Pete suggested we pick up some night crawlers for the kids to feed the chickens. At first the kids were tentative, but it didn't take long for them to start chasing the chickens around and trying to force feed them worms and force them to drink out of the waterers. Nathaniel ran around with huge worms clutched in his hands, and James even crawled up the ramp into the chicken coop - and was quickly pulled back out. The chickens were a big hit.

Any kids who want cake, go sit at the table! (Amazing response)
The morning after.

Cicada

2009-06-04T07:50:00.000-07:00

On a pepper plant. Neat looking, but I fear for the health of our little crop. So far we've only found this one.

Birthday Girl

2009-06-02T20:44:00.001-07:00

Time flies when you're having fun! Sylvie is three years old. She's fun, full of personality, sharp as a tack, and gorgeous. She's sweet, compassionate, imaginative, creative, and thoughtful. She's loud, talkative, confident, stubborn, and determined. She's demanding, and can throw a mean tantrum - especially if she misses her nap. I guess she's a little bit of everything. As much as I miss my baby, this little girl gets to be more and more fun -she makes us laugh every day.

On her birthday we had her favorite meal - Pasta Con Pesto - and she received a few gifts from her family. We had a birthday party for her with lots of friends a few days later (but that's another post). She also celebrated at school, and was very excited that she got to hand cupcakes out to her friends, and got to make a birthday crown to wear for the day.

After Sylvie opened her little gifts, we told her to go take a look out on the back deck, and there sat a tricycle(!) and a water table(!). She somehow spotted both of these things at the same time and was immediately frozen with indecision. "Which one do I run to first?" She was so excited, and she hopped on the trike, rode it to the water table, and then alternated back and for the remainder of the evening.

A few pics:

Jumping for Joy in her "dancing shoes". Notice her feet are off the ground!

A rare Mother and Daughter picture - thanks Pete.

Oregon Safari

2009-05-24T16:25:00.001-07:00

I laughed when my friend's brother-in-law told me that he was going on a photographic safari near Roseburg. But then he invited me to tag along, and suddenly the idea didn't sound so silly. The Wildlife Safari in Winston is way better than you would think. Lots of very well cared for animals roaming the hillsides, divided into "Americas", "Asia", and "Africa", except the carnivores who are kept in very large secured areas.

Todd had arranged this tour, where he and I spent the day with the head of the hoofed animals, Mary. She took us all around the park, and made special arrangements so that we could interact with the animals when they were being fed or worked with. We fed giraffes, sika deer, rheas, camels. I stood taking photos over a woman's shoulder who was having a giant lion show her his teeth for chunks of meat. Mary brought several heads of lettuce, a bucket of apples, and some carrots to the hippopotamus and coaxed it out of the water for a photo shoot. She arranged for us to ride, off-road in a kabota 4-wheeler, to the top of a knoll where we could look out over the park, and watch zebras, wildebeests, and antelope graze. It was amazing.

We felt like VIP, it was really weird. People on the regular (and great) driving tour would see us walking around with the animals with our cameras, and sometimes they would try to hop out of their cars, and immediately they would be told by park personnel that they needed to stay in their car at all times - that we were on a private encounter. :) Mary was careful to tell us when it was safe to get out of the car and wander around, when we should hang close to the car (in case the nursing buffalo decides to charge), and when we needed to wait for a ranger to come and supervise (when we were near the lions and bears).

Most of the photos that I love are close ups of these animals faces. It was so amazing to see them up close, and interact with them. I was within a couple feet of 3 HUGE grizzly bears - with just a few strands of electric wire between us. It was tough for me to fight the flight instinct.

Anyway, this place was really great. The whole time I kept thinking that I can't wait to bring Sylvie there. (Sylvie is pretty excited about it, since she knows that it's where I stepped in giraffe poop - how cool is that?) For those of you in Corvallis, it's about a 2 hour drive - just south of Roseburg.

(Thanks to Jeff for covering for me at work and lending me that killer lens! - and of course, thanks Todd for arranging this whole thing and letting me tag along!)

The Great Bread Project

2009-05-10T21:22:00.000-07:00

Pete has become a bread baker! Yep, that's right, he found a great recipe for bread dough that he keeps in the fridge, then every couple days he throws some in the oven and bakes a fresh loaf of bread! Or pizza! Or nan! It's been great. Sylvie, of course, needs to be in the middle of the action, and is becoming quite the bread baker herself.

Yum!

Spring

2009-05-10T15:52:00.000-07:00

Chicken Coop Mansion

2009-05-05T09:35:00.000-07:00

Another simple little project has somehow evolved into project extravaganza! Pete has built us a chicken coop on wheels - complete with nesting boxes, a cedar shingle roof, divided light windows - and so on, and so on. Mostly it was made from scraps or recycled stuff. The axle has been laying around the property, probably for around 50 years, and we weren't sure how to get rid of it. So, why not build a chicken coop on it? We bought the shingles and they look awesome (and match our psycho play structure)

Sylvie thought all this construction was great fun - especially since she was helping Dad build a house for CHICKENS!

The day finally came - the coop was complete (or complete enough). It was time to get the chicks! Pete ran down to the store and, while Sylvie and I were getting ready for the day, Pete ran in the house, dropped off 3 bags of chicks, and then ran out to get the brooder ready (lights, litter, food, water, etc).

Sylvie said "I hear them!!!" and we ran down the stairs and found three paper bags, each with 8 chicks - yellow, brown, and black (golden sexlinks, Rhode Island reds, and silver laced wyandottes.) We picked them up, one at a time, and gave them little snuggles.

We put the chicks in their new little home, and they very quickly found their food and water, and then snuggled under the brooder heat lamp. They're very cute!

"The chicks are in the chicken coop!!!"

So far so good - they're turning into scruffy adolescent chicks now. Half adult feather and half down. It's really cute. Sylvie loves hanging out in the chicken coop - although she hasn't learned how to be quiet enough for the chicks to relax around her. She loves to help change their food and water and to check out how much they've grown each day.

Flying South

2009-05-03T21:35:00.000-07:00

Yay - we had so much fun on our little trip to Camarillo to visit family. Sylvie was great on the flights, really enjoyed flying, and made the whole trip without any accidents - fabulous considering how new she is to being potty trained. I was so proud of her.

We stayed at Sue and Chris' house since Mom and Dad were in the middle of moving. Sylvie loved seeing so much of Gray and Laney - and they were so good with their little cousin. Laney and Sylvie love wearing matching clothes, so we bought them matching shirts, and a third one for Olivia when she came to visit. The three girls look so different, but all have the same color eyes.

Sylvie also started getting comfortable with the dogs... maybe too comfortable with shouting commands at them at the top of her lungs. It was really pretty funny.

We got to spend a beautiful morning at the beach, and had a great seafood lunch where Sylvie did a back flip off a bench (oops) and discovered she loves popcorn shrimp just like Laney.

I couldn't believe that we got to see everyone - Gordon's and Barbie's families both came to spend time and it was so good to see them. Mom and Dad were really busy with their move, but still managed to sneak away for a couple of afternoons. I even got to sneak a visit to Pool Tool and see Herb and Beth for the first time in several years. Everyone is looking happy and great and I hope to get to see them more often.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T21:24:00.000-07:00

Well, the Easter Rabbit was good to us again this year. Sylvie woke up to find one of her decorated eggs on her dresser, and was a little sad to realize that the Easter Rabbit wasn't still in the house... she was hoping to meet her. But an Easter basket full of goodies and a full blown Easter egg hunt around the house sure made up for it! Once she found all the eggs, she went around the house hiding them for us, and then asking us to hide them for her. It was very fun!

Pete spent the day working on the chicken coop mansion. Yes, this is no ordinary chicken coop - it has 8 individual nesting boxes with hinged external doors for ease-of-egg-collecting, a cedar shingle roof, and wheels! It's coming out awesome. I can't wait to the get the chickens!

(Pete will tell you that it's not fun to roof anything, including a chicken coop mansion, in the pouring down rain. Sylvie and I enjoyed watching from inside the house.)

Getting Ready

2009-04-11T16:00:00.000-07:00

We heard the Easter Rabbit is coming tomorrow, and that if we decorate some eggs, she might come and hide them around the house for us. Sylvie is pretty excited!

Haircut Day

2009-04-08T20:53:00.000-07:00

Can you believe Sylvie is almost 3 and has never had a haircut? Well, it's been harder and harder to get the tangles out in the morning, so I've been telling her that if she gets it trimmed that it'll be easier (and less painful) to comb. So, now she's been begging me for a haircut. So, that was today's adventure.

Sylvie has become a brave little girl - really willing to give new things a whirl! So, she decided that having her hair washed sounded like fun. She was a little nervous about it at first, but said that she liked it. (I thought this might be good practice for going to the dentist which is in a couple weeks.)

Clean hair - so far so good!

Sylvie said "Mom, she called it a cape but I think this is really a smock, do you think it might be a cape smock?" (Does she look like Kimberly in this picture?)

Still a little nervous, Sylvie sat completely still during the whole haircut.

All in all, it was a very fun experience for both of us. I love how adventurous she is these days! She keeps talking about all the things she wants to try, and I'm trying to think of as many new things to do with her as I can while she's in the adventurous phase... fun fun fun!

Just a photo - and a little update...

2009-03-31T21:52:00.000-07:00

Yep - just chasing her around with my camera again.

This was taken with light through a window. This week I'm hoping to get to experiment with the studio lights that Nolan is letting me test out. Wish me luck!

Well, I've been reluctant to say it, for fear of jinxing us, but Sylvie appears to be potty trained! Yippee! Not for night and naps at home (although she often wakes up dry) but for during the day she's doing awesome! We even got her to pee "camping style" when we were on the road to Sunriver and there was no bathroom for miles. She was pretty proud of herself.

Sylvie is also learning the fine art of temper tantrums. And they're pretty spectacular if she somehow missed her nap at school. It's entertaining if you don't already have a headache. Today she was yelling about something she wanted, and I asked her to speak nicely and use her manners, and she yelled, in the snottiest, yellingest voice I've ever heard "I ---WANT ---THE ----BLANKET------ PALLLEEEAAASSSEE". I couldn't help myself - I started laughing hard... and much to Sylvie's chagrin, she couldn't help but laugh either! Then she started yelling at me to stop laughing and she was doing everything she could do to try to stay mad at me. Her face kept contorting between a huge laughing smile and a forced grumpy frown. It was absolutely ridiculous. Sigh.

Sylvie the Skier!

2009-03-23T16:48:00.000-07:00

We had a fabulous time in Sunriver with some of the Telonicher clan - Cath, Megan, and Russell, and a brief visit from Cath's friend Jeff. Megan and Russell were amazing on the mountain, considering it was practically their first times out... and they wouldn't come off the mountain until all the lifts were shut down, no matter how tired they were.

Our first day on the mountain, by the time we got there Sylvie was a little tired and cranky, and although she was a little willing to try skis, she really wanted to ride up on the ski lift, and was approaching tantrum when she saw her cousins go on it without her. So, we decided to save skiing for another day.

The next day, we got there bright and early, and Sylvie was well rested. We had much better luck! After getting used to going down hill in the sled, we told her she had to try skis one time, and then she could sled again. Well, somehow, she ended up LOVING the skis! She started having so much fun that she was singing at the top of her lungs as she was zooming down the little hill.

Some quotes:
"Mom, move back - I don't want you to catch me yet"
"Mom, do you want to see me go even faster?" (Then she would start skating her skis to go faster down the hill!)
"Dad, give me a bigger push to get me started"

There's a daycare at the lodge, and Pete and I showed it to Sylvie and asked her if she would like to play there. Well, after getting tired of skiing, Sylvie said "I'd like to go to school now and play with some friends." So, Sylvie got to play some fun games with other kids, and do art projects, and Pete and I had an afternoon snowboarding together with Russell and Megan. What a treat!

(Thanks Cathy for being the photographer for the weekend! I'm so glad to have all those great photos!)

Eskimo Kiss

2009-03-16T20:53:00.000-07:00

This is the look...

2009-03-15T22:38:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure what she had in mind this time, but this is the look she gets on her face when she has a new idea and is trying to figure out how to implement it without getting in trouble. It probably had something to do with glue, scissors, and a big mess. I love it.

Lambing Barns

2009-03-09T08:30:00.000-07:00

When we first arrived at the lambing barns, Sylvie was really nervous, especially since it was really noisy - lots of sheep plus rain pounding on the metal roof. But after she saw the little lambs running around she started to relax. Eventually she started scooping up handfuls of alfalfa and "feeding" the sheep. It was really fun.

Pensive

2009-03-08T22:09:00.000-07:00

I would really like to say that I caught Sylvie in this wonderful moment of reflection - but actually she was entranced by a show on TV and I snuck up and took her picture. A friend at work, Nolan, lent me a bunch of his photo gear - including an old 105 mm manual focus Nikon lens. I'm not very good at manual focus, and was kind of proud that I managed this one - especially since the only light was from the tv which makes it pretty hard to see well enough to focus by eye. I've been considering the new version of this lens - hmmmm, it's going to be hard to resist now! Click for a larger version...

Wildlife Refuge

2009-02-28T11:07:00.000-08:00

We are very fortunate to live just down the road from the Finley Wildlife Refuge. It has marshes and creeks, beautiful forests, grassy hills, and a lot of hiking trails. A lot of the trails along the marshes are closed in the winter to protect the geese that spend their winters here. But recently they added this amazing, 1/4 mile long, boardwalk through a drippy forest that ends up at the edge of a marsh. It's a great place to go on a dreary day, when you feel like going outside but don't want to slog through the mud.

The Boardwalk - "Come on guys, let's go!"

Taking a little break

We made it!

Checking out the marsh - geese, ducks, herons, eagles...

Got Milk?

2009-02-23T21:39:00.000-08:00

A couple of Sylvie quotes:
"When I'm a mommy, and you're my baby, I'll read you a story, and carry you, and make you feel better."
"When I'm a grownup, and you're a kid, I'll have a phone like yours. It'll be pink."
"I don't want to hear this song, it's brown, it's yours... I want pink! I want to hear the pink song!" (There are no colors in any of these songs, but for some reason, "he's got the whole world" is pink.)
There's a bug in my tummy and it's poking me. (This was before a puking event from vertigo during an ear infection)

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-15T20:52:00.000-08:00

Mr. Blue, aka Blue Dog, is Sylvie's best buddy. He's comforted her and soothed her to sleep since she was just a little baby - and he's only allowed to be in her bed. Oh, was she surprised when I asked her if she'd like to bring him out for some Valentine's day pictures! You've never seen such a cooperative subject!

For those who are interested, this is my attempt at natural light with a back drop, and white balance off a gray card. (God I love this camera). I really ought to get a back drop stand. Although, dangling fabric off of the backs of chairs and step ladders made for an interesting fort-like atmosphere. :)

A Beautiful Weekend at the Coast

2009-02-04T09:09:00.000-08:00

The valley was filled with fog and we were getting depressed - and then we saw the weather for the coast and decided to haul out the trailer and head for the beach! In January! In Oregon! It was in the 60's, perfectly clear, and no wind. Amazing!

Camping in style - we ate the majority of our meals in restaurants, we had the furnace running at night, and we spent one morning at the aquarium.

I love love love my new camera. I didn't use the flash for any of these pictures, not even the one of Sylvie playing in the sand, which was taken after the sun was down.

Picnicking with a Cat

2009-01-19T21:27:00.000-08:00

Sylvie and I were having a pretend picnic in the house, when Sylvie noticed the neighbors cat looking in the window. So, she said "Mom, let's have a picnic with the cat." She picked up the little picnic blanket and the other stuffed animals that were picnicking with us, and put it all right next to the door where the cat could join us. Then, she got a bowl and put a little stuffed robin in it for the cat to eat.

Sadly, that cat didn't come back. So, Sylvie and I pretended to eat robin ourselves.

Give Me Five!

2009-01-06T21:08:00.001-08:00

Granddad is the best at this game... just ask Sylvie.

Christmas Dress

2009-01-04T22:56:00.000-08:00

I don't know which granddaughter my mom made this Christmas dress for, or how many of Sylvie's cousins have worn it. I'm so happy that it fits Sylvie now. I thought I'd try to get a couple of Christmas pictures of her in it.

Butterflies

2009-01-03T13:27:00.001-08:00

During our holiday travels, we went with the Nemets to visit the overwintering monarchs in a eucalyptus grove near Santa Barbara. It was amazing to see all these clumps of butterflies dangling from the limbs. They were hard to see until the sun shone on them and lit them up - the were beautiful.

Mmmm... ribs.

2009-01-02T22:33:00.001-08:00

We're on a Bus!

2008-12-18T22:29:00.000-08:00

Sylvie's class went on a field trip to storybook land again this year, but this time we took the bus. Sylvie and her friends were so excited. During the whole 20 minute ride, kids were spontaneously shouting out "We're on a bus!"

Santa has a workshop at the end of storybook land, and Santa and Mrs. Claus were there. Sylvie was very excited to meet them, and climbed up on the bench next to Santa where he gave her a candy cane. I was so surprised... I had zero expectation that she would get anywhere near Santa - who knew? He asked her what she would like for Christmas and she, very sincerely, answered, "A Present!" Then she ran to tell me, "Mom, he has a BIG WHITE BEARD!"

This is what it looks like...

2008-12-16T20:27:00.000-08:00

when Christmas lights are covered in snow.

The Staredown

2008-12-13T22:02:00.000-08:00

Here's a shot I couldn't have planned in a million years. Yep, that's a yellow-jacket that Sylvie is giving the ol' "don't even think about messing with me" look. That's my girl!

Fall Color

2008-12-08T08:02:00.000-08:00

Sylvie probably thinks I'm crazy that I stopped on the way to school, took her out of the car, and said "Let's play with the leaves!". We had a really beautiful fall - the leaves were incredibly colorful this year. Another day we went to the park to try for some fall color photos. Unfortunately, the nearby park has nearly all evergreen trees which wasn't quite what I had in mind. We did manage to find a corner of the park with some pretty light and leaves. Graham, of course, only likes me to take action shots of him - so here are a couple for your viewing pleasure!

Smarty Pants

2008-12-02T19:56:00.000-08:00

It's fun to listen to the things that Sylvie comes up with:

This morning after Pete put Sylvie in her favorite shirt, I said "Daddy sure is smart" and she said "he's a smarty-shorts". Now, if you know Pete, and you know that he only wears shorts, and rarely pants, you'll realize what a clever thing that was for her to say. I just about fell over laughing.

Today, after driving through a Christmas display, Sylvie said "Mom, did you see Santa Claw" and I said, "Do you mean Santa Claus?" and she said "No, Mom, there was only one."

Ha.

Halloween

2008-12-02T07:28:00.000-08:00

We had a great Halloween this year. I took Sylvie to look at costumes, and she picked out the dog costume herself. We kept looking to make sure there wasn't something she would prefer, but she stuck to the dog. She carried it around the store, petting it the whole time. She would say "Mom, I really like the princess (or whatever) costume, but I want to be this dog for Halloween". A throw pillow in the home decor department came in a close second. :)

Halloween was a big day. I took her to work in the morning for the costume parade - there were a lot of little kids and adults dressed up for a competition. Sylvie walked up on the stage and said, into the microphone, "Hi, my name is Sylvie, and I'm a dog for Halloween". Unfortunately she said it so quietly that the microphone didn't pick it up. But, I was so proud of her. Now she wants to go to work with me every day - it's so much fun!

In the afternoon, we met LeAnn and Sophia and a group of friends in downtown Corvallis, where most of the stores had candy for trick-or-treating. It was so much fun! There were a zillion little kids dressed up and having a good time. Sylvie really got the hang of trick-or-treating. We also went to the little carnival at the library and had fun there too.

Then to top off the day, we met some more friends at Jeff and Kathy's house to do some good ol' neighborhood trick-or-treating. Elizabeth was dressed up as a princess dog, which Sylvie thought was pretty cool.

It was a big day - and Sylvie fell asleep in the car after about 2 seconds. Phew.

Matching Jammies

2008-11-29T12:48:00.000-08:00

Sylvie is so proud and excited that she has jammies that match her cousin Laney's jammies. What could be better?

Cousins

2008-11-29T12:32:00.000-08:00

Sylvie still talks about the trip we took to visit family down in Southern California. Every day she talks about her cousins, and asks if they are going to come visit us soon. We had a great time seeing everyone! We're looking forward to visiting again over the Christmas holidays!

Self Portrait

2008-11-18T07:15:00.000-08:00

Fly FisherGirl

2008-11-16T20:45:00.000-08:00

Taught by a master - at 2 years old! Here she is practicing her overhead cast, and I'm sure she'll have the roll cast nailed by the time she's 3. It helps to be surrounded by such great teachers. Thanks Frank!

Marty the Horse

2008-11-16T20:16:00.000-08:00

Some friends of ours are now the proud owners of a miniature horse, and they invited us to come over and meet him. Wow, what a sweet thing. Calm and mellow, very approachable. Sylvie ran around and gathered food for him to eat, and set it down on the ground right in front of his nose. Eventually she worked up the nerve to pet him, and you could tell how much she loved it. She still loves to talk about Marty - we should go visit again soon.