Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Snow!
N: Just a little bit. We got out into the foothills and enjoyed it in the morning before it melted away in the afternoon. Anna slept through the whole thing on Papa's back.
A: Did we go hiking?
Fall
N&A: Mama and Papa say the colors here in Idaho aren't nearly as spectacular as those in Vermont, but fall does come a little later and last a little longer here.
A: Here I am waiting for Noah to get off the bus. I get pretty excited when I see the bus coming.
N: Swinging is the first thing I want to do each day when I get off the bus.
Halloween
N: Had a good time at our neighbor's pumpkin carving party. Mama noted that this was the first year that I enthusiastically dug into the pumpkin and pulled all (well, most) of the seeds out myself! I also cleaned, spread, salted and put them in the oven myself -- all Mama had to do was turn on the oven. And cut the Jack-O-Lanterns along the lines I drew.
N: Here are our pumpkins!
N: I dressed up as a knight -- Sir Noah. Mama and I looked for ideas on the internet and combined a few of the easier ones. We made the costume out of silver insulation with dust masks (painted silver) for the elbows. Papa made me a flag and a sword.
A: I dressed up as a tomato and as a polar bear, but somehow nobody got a good photo of me.
N: We went trick-or-treating with my friend Lucas (the fireman -- he did the yellow tape job himself -- not bad, eh?). I'm still working on eating the treats. I get one a day so long as I eat a good dinner and remember to ask for one.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
One!
A: I turned one at the end of October!
A: The weather was nice enough for Kaffee and Kuchen with friends and neighbors at the park. Mama made a banana cake with chocolate chips and chocolate banana cream cheese frosting. I even got to take a few bites -- good stuff! Notice that Noah has strategically positioned himself so as to be able to help me to blow out my candle.
A: Hoch soll sie leben! (Poor translation: may she live high)
A: I also celebrated with Sina (who turned 5 about the same time I turned one) and our German-speaking playgroup.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Soccer
N: I played soccer this fall. Although my team, the Green Slime Alligators, never did win a game, I had a ton of fun playing in real games, going to practice (when it wasn't canceled due to inclement weather or too many kids crying), and practicing with Mama and Papa at the park.
N: Kindergarten soccer tends to be a lot of clumping around the ball with very little passing or strategy. It's not uncommon to see kids steal the ball from a teammate, though this improved as the season progressed.
N: Towards the end of the season, I even got a couple of breakaway moments and scored some goals (sometimes on my own, sometimes with an assist from a teammate). The first time I got a breakaway, Papa ran all the way down the the sideline yelling advice and encouragement.
Rub-a-dub-dub
Thursday, November 10, 2011
California
N: We have a new aunt! Her name is Mashanda. Here I am "reading" The Polar Express to her and Uncle Ben (I love this book so much that I have memorized it).
She and Uncle Ben got married in LA in September and then had a West Coast reception tour. We caught them in Sunnyvale.
A: I got princessed up for the occasion.
N: I helped myself at the dessert table. Mama and Papa laughed, took this photo, and then had me pass most of it around.
N&A: We also took a quick trip up to the City. Here's the view from near the German Consulate.
N: I loved the Golden Gate Bridge. I built one with Legos and string after we got home, but Mama and Papa forgot to take a photo. It was fun to have Aunt Dianne along for the ride!
Wednesday, November 09, 2011
Visitors from Alaska
N&A: Steve and Peggy are trading in life in Sitka, Alaska for more sun and a more vibrant contradance scene in Asheville, North Carolina. They stopped by here in late September on their way across, and we loved having them!
A: Steve and I understand each other well. Maybe that's because we have similar hair dos?
N: Peggy and I painted together in the afternoons. She painted scenes from the backyard, and I painted pictures of my favorite Lego creations.
N: I was fascinated by this machine that Steve and Peggy brought along. Steve and I served up lattes and americanos in our backyard coffee shop.
Embarrassing Anna shots from early September
A: Noah made this hat for me. Papa said it might help me communicate with my home planet.
A: Here I am on my potty. I enjoy reading books here, and I occasionally make a small deposit.
