Sunday, November 29, 2009

our other star

Yesterday at the bazaar, I could only get Moyer to be still and look at my camera if he was attached to a sweet beverage with straw.

Our friend Mike had more success.


Note, however, that he was also attached to something sweet.


I'd say that Moyer got a few moments of stardom at the Christmas bazaar too.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

and merry Christmas!

It's when I'm realizing that I forgot to put out the Thanksgiving decorations, that it's time to swing into gear for Christmas.

This morning we went to the International School's Christmas bazaar. Keturah happens to be the star of this event:



Why wouldn't she be?



Can you tell how she got all tuckered out?

Friday, November 27, 2009

happy thanksgiving

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Dino Day

Yesterday, just because it happened to occur to me to do it, Moyer dressed in almost all dinosaur garments.

underwear . . . check. (sorry, not pictured.)

long johns . . . check. (actually a pair of tight pjs that we're still using as an under layer this winter)

t-shirt . . . check.

He unfortunately had to wear plain jeans and solid colored socks. We just didn't have any with dinos on them. After getting dressed, he showed off each layer to our house helper, who then taught both of us the Mandarin word for dinosaur. (kong long)

After playing inside that afternoon with a buddy and getting too hot, he took off his jeans. Later I suggested we take some pictures. First he got "his camera," then was convinced to let me take the pictures using mine. He just had to do action shots, though.



When we were done with his dino photo-shoot, we went to his room to discover why Keturah had made a bee-line for his bed while we were otherwise occupied. (If you're curious, just read the next post.)

Moyer's water bottle

Moyer absolutely loves this water bottle that Aunt Kate bought him this past summer. Now that he's more verbal, he talks about it in ways that show he remembers visiting her in Colorado.

"Kate bought me the green one." (Kate had given him a choice.)

"Chaos barked. Kate told Chaos 'no bark.'" (He and Kate's golden retriever were fast friends.)

"Watched the monkey movie." (When prompted, he'll say, "yeah, with Dave." Kate's fiance watched it with him the night they sent Patrick and me out for dinner.)

All memorable events of our time in CO. And all prompted from sitting in bed and drinking from his treasured water bottle. So we've appreciated the water bottle not just because of it's function, but because it provides a link for Moyer to remembering Aunt Kate and the memories that he associates with her.

Guess who else appreciates it?

She's been really into this lately. Just yesterday I got her "in the act." Usually Moyer would freak out and try to get it back, but I told him that I wanted to take her picture for Aunt Kate. He thought that was a good idea.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

she's lovin' it!

Keturah has been "officially" walking for about a week now, and absolutely loving it! She smiles like crazy whenever anyone beckons her across the room, sticks her hands in the air, and makes her way over--step after precious step.

She's so incredibly proud of herself for "finally" walking. Keturah's been practicing this skill for over a month, and now that she's got it, she's working on doing it better and better.

We're loving it too.

We love watching her just walk from room to room, or person to person, or chair to chair "just because." We don't seem to remember her older brother doing it quite this way. Moyer walked more for utility. Keturah's doing it for the challenge of the thing.

She's getting fast. And loving it all the more. She doesn't mind getting knocked over by her older brother, doesn't mind falling on the slick floor when she's wearing slippery socks (over and over), and just adores a chase--particularly to the toilet.

This is where her huge smile absolutely resembles an impish grin.

We see this grin a lot.

But I can't seem to embed it onto my camera's digital memory! (Did I mention that she's getting fast?) I feel like a broken record; this has been a theme in the photo-documentation of my children lately.

Just so that you understand that I'm not exaggerating, this is what I get when I try to capture her smiling that smile. Sigh.


So in a last ditch attempt one morning to get that smile in focus, I swept her up from her morning walking-work-out and asked her Daddy to keep her still and smiling. (I know--I'm a little demanding.) Here's what we got.

Yeah, she's lovin' it, alright!


Saturday, November 14, 2009

Daddy's Home!

(Again!)

Since our last post, Patrick was on the road twice. It was actually one big trip that he split into two smaller ones by coming home for a weekend in the middle. (This mommy cannot express how much she appreciates that three-night-two-day respite!)

While Daddy was gone, we . . .



set up our tent in the living room



















crawled off the bed in the middle of the night (see above left eye)


















baked gluten free* cookies, bread, and meals (Moyer's commentary on the cookies: "I'm glad they're not yucky.")


















sorted (here, buttons, and at grandma's this week an entire container of matchbox cars)


















played with friends (here at a local play-place, complete with ball pit)















and practiced walking even more!



Despite all the fun, we are sure glad to have Patrick home again!

*the "gluten free" bit is another post altogether . . . we're in the midst of a trial in the asiaramblin home these days.