At School

Hard to believe it was two whole years ago!

Two years ago this morning, this was Melissa - just before we headed to the doctor's office for some tests.

And two years ago this evening...

And now friends, too.

It's an awfully neat thing to watch the evolution of Sylvie's relationship with her mom. Lately, they aren't just mom and daughter - they are bona-fide buddies. They spend a lot of time together, obviously, and communicate very efficiently now. And they are playing all the time. Sylvie is very into the 'helper' role - and it's not just cleaning any more. Tonight, Melissa even taught Sylvie how to make pizza. Aside from one brief moment when Syl got a little over-enthusiastic with the parmesan, she got the hang of it quickly.

Cousins in the wild

Here are some fun shots by Uncle Zach of Syl and Cousin Aya on Friday, the day they went trick-or-treating at Mission Springs senior center. Cute cousins!

Trick or Treat!

Sylvie the Lady Bug (thanks for the costume, Grandma Lynne!) took her first stab at trick or treating tonight! (Actually, her FIRST try was yesterday at Mission Springs senior center, and Uncle Zach owes me some photos - but this was her first real Halloween outing).

First we went up the street to the neighborhood Halloween party. Sylvie was a little intimidated - especially when a big gorilla came up and introduced himself. Syl was NOT a fan.

She liked getting candy, though. We hit about 7 houses before heading home and joining Mommy on the porch (it was a very balmy Halloween night). Sylvie very much enjoyed her first-ever lollipop.

More in the October Gallery. Happy Halloween!

Sylvie practicing her ABCs on her piano - energetically - put me in mind of ol' Don Music from Sesame Street...


See what you think.

Better safe than soggy

That seems to be Sylvie's motto.  She woke up yesterday in high spirits, and despite the sunny weather immediately demanded her rain coat.  She wore it - hood up - until it got too hot.  We would love to know how these notions get into her little head...

We're not sure...

But Sylvie might be pondering hibernation (after a good book, of course).

These photos constitute something of a milestone in our parental lives, as they represent the first time Melissa has spontaneously grabbed a camera when I wasn't home!  Big stuff - I'm hoping it's the start of a new habit!

Carving the pumpkins

Sylvie and her Dad had a great time carving the pumpkins today. Syl got right into it, scooping, poking out the facial features, and even pitching in with clean-up. She's very fastidious.

Some shots in this slideshow - and a lot more in the October Gallery. Almost Halloween!

Around the house

We had a pretty laid back weekend, staying mostly close to home. Saturday was, as Syl says, "too wet!" Sylvie spent most of the day catching up on her reading...

Today was beautiful though, so we took advantage and had some good outdoors time. Sylvie chose a multi-patterned ensemble...