These boots are made for walking!

The obligatory cute-little-kid-in-big-boots shot. But he is, and they are!

Better late than never, right?!

Well, we finally got around to having some professional portraits done. (Actually, we got sucked in by "winning" a free 10" x 13" picture and, of course, ended up not being able to walk out with just that one photo.)

For the last year, or so, Kim has gone to great lengths not to smile in any photos not taken by Steve or me.




Van looking seriously impressed by being up on a stand under bright lights.

Two funny faces!

These are a couple of pictures that Kim drew for Grandma and Grandpa a week or so ago that we haven't gotten around to mailing yet.




This is the ginger bread house that Kim and I made on New Year's eve day. I don't think housing construction is my forte. Right after this picture was taken, I went to pick up the tray to move the house of the reach of little boy hands and doggie jaws and the whole thing collapsed like a double-wide in a tornado! I thought Kim would be upset, but practical child that she is, she realized that this meant that she could probably eat a piece right away.

We forgot to take pictures of the kids on Halloween so we finally got them dressed up and snapped a few a couple of weeks ago.

Kim looking feline.


Van's costume was the one that Kim wore on her first Halloween and Kim borrowed her costume from the daycare so that they could be tigers together!


Backstage, after the performance!

'tis the season

Van looking unsure about his first experience with the jolly fat man. It must not have been all bad though because he has been experimenting recently with saying "Ho, Ho, Ho." It's pretty darn cute!

Kim modelling her starting school togs--a present from Auntie Annie.

Van being amused at Kim's shenanigans.

Kim being her silly self.

Walkin' the dawg

Pictures from a dog walk a couple of weeks ago. Van was determined to walk Buddy himself, so Kim gave him a few pointers on just how to do it--to make sure he was doing it right.

Later in the walk, Kim somehow managed to get herself carried!

One of those weeks

This morning Van woke up soaking wet with pee because I had forgotten to leave a Huggies diaper out for the babysitter last night and the budget brand ones don't cut it overnight. This was because I was running late on my way to class last night (to hand in a paper that I had barely had time to finish), because I couldn't cycle, because the night before that, I had snapped the cable of my only remaining functioning brake on my bike and nearly ploughed into the back of a panel truck while hurrying home because the kids were with a babysitter for the second night in a row, because I had also been to class the night before that to write a test that I wasn't prepared for because I didn't have enough time to study on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, because Kim had a ped day on Tuesday, and Monday was a holiday and because Steve left for Kansas on Sunday at 5:30 a.m., (when two diamond cab drivers almost came to blows over him and were almost killed by me because I thought their yelling right outside our front door was going to wake my kids) I was too busy playing with the kids to study.

Anyhooo, back to this morning; a pee soaked Van and I went downstairs to get him a bottle only to find dog poo and pee all over the kitchen floor! I think what happened was pack mentality--Jasper pooed because he is ancient and was desperate, and then Buddy thought, "hey, I can do that in here?! Cool." And he let loose.

But hey, it's Friday; Steve will be home early Sunday morning and life will go on.


Here are a couple of shots (courtesy of one of the daycare teachers) of Van playing on the play structure at daycare.

The remains of summer

It seems like summer just doesn't want to let go. This morning I picked about .5 litre of raspberries, a litre of cherry tomatoes, and a cucumber from the back yard, and there is no sign that the plants are slowing down production!

Here are a couple of pictures of Kim showing the appropriate serious reverence for baseball.



A picture of Van almost exactly one year ago. Scroll down to the first and second posts for comparison shots.

Sign of the times

A couple of nights ago Van bit Steve on the nipple, much to Steve's discomfort and pain. Well, Kim was definitely impressed by Steve's reaction and went straight for the stationary and markers to add her $.02. See below.