Scenes from Daycare

Caught the kids during a rare day outside at daycare. When spring comes, they will graduate from the baby porch down to the area where the big kids play. Sam can't wait.


Here is Sam, with Margo in the foreground and Wilson in the background. Unfortunately, his BestFriendPete (BFP) had already left for the day at this point. Photos of him to come.


Sam is trying to get to the big kids playground. Come on, Margo, let's scale the fence!


Here's a good shot of the baby porch, with Sam doing his pirate pose. ARGH, matey!


This is Miss Candy. She is Sam's true love. She lets him steal BestFriendPete's cookies, and she always gives him a second serving of peaches. Lord, help us.

The View from Our Windows

Sam and I spend our weekdays apart. We make no secret of that. Some days one or more of us is tearful upon parting (although we both generally recover pretty quickly), and some days one of us (I'm not naming any names) is so excited to see his BestFriendPete (BFP) and eat his morning snack, that a brisk "bye-bye" at the door is all it takes to launch both of us on our daily journey, apart. Sam loves his classroom at daycare, largely because it has huge windows that come down low enough so he can see out. And I understand from his teachers that he spends a lot of time looking out the windows (and another good bit of time standing by the door and demanding to go out).


This is what Sam sees when he looks out his window most days.

And, as a contrast, here's a view from my window at work, from which I also spend a good bit of time gazing. I can also be seen standing by my door and demanding to go out. But that is often frowned upon.

Turns Out I'm Not that Bad of a Parent

This little gem of a photo is courtesy of the GuyswithBrains blog. Although the blog title for this hilarious shot is "Extremely Bad Parenting" -- to which I wholeheartedly agree -- when I sent it to Bruce, he responded, "I'm not sure I agree. What were they supposed to do?"

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the very essence of Bruce. I hope that Sam inherited his different way of looking at things. And his adventurous spirit. If not his judgment.

Snow Day Recap

It has taken me a week to finally post photos from SNOW DAZE 2011 (as I so affectionately call it). Actually, it has pretty much just taken me a week to recover from the disruption from my daily routine and the 72 hours of nearly non-stop indoor time with Sam. We did get out a bit, though, and were sure to document it for posterity. I also took some photos of our indoor time...stay tuned.


A neighbor commented that in this photo Sam looks like the little brother from "A Christmas Story," when he is stuffed into his snowsuit. On a related note: how do you get mittens on a baby?


Mesmerized by the big kids sledding.


Where are my team of huskies?


Here he is, checking out a game of touch football in the park, up the street from our house.

We Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Blog Reading

For this musical interlude.

Christmas No. 3

How many times did you celebrate Christmas in 2010? Sam celebrated it three times, that I know of. His final Christmas party actually took place on New Year's Day with Granddad and Miss T. We met them in Pinehurst for lunch and a walk around the village, followed by PRESENTS!


Reindeer wrangling at the hotel.


Fighting Palmer for presents.


Letting Palmer do the unwrapping.


Posing with the grandparents!

Christmas No. 2

Santa was pretty good to Sam this year. And, by Santa, we mean the Aunts, Uncles and Grandparents.