Bathtub Singalong

Today, Scarlett started singing Over The River & Through The Woods.  We didn't know she knew that song.  Yesterday, she sang us some song about critters in a choir, for the first time.  Scarlett knows songs that other people taught her, songs we have never heard.  It's exciting but also a little sad, that she is becoming her own person separately from us.

Here's the bathtub rendition of Over The River & Through The Woods:

My favorite part, "The horse is the way to carry the sleigh"

Scar-ism

"I'll have 5 babies and they'll all have frog watering cans and I'LL have a frog watering can!"

Hope, all grown-up

People on a chair

Scarlett says this barber chair, at the grandparents' house in Chicago, is 'my favorite chair in the whole world'.  The girls sat on it and sang a song...

"two people on a chair, two people on a chair, two people on a chair"

(Scar took this picture- not even blurry!)

"One Esther on a chair, one Esther on a chair"

And, their favorite, "four people on a chair, four people on a chair"

Happy Birthday Mom!

Happy 60th birthday to my mama!!

This picture is an oldie but goodie.  Post-marathon, must have cleaned the puke off my face.  I love your toughness and I hope I've inherited some of that.

Snow babies

One thing about growing up in Portland- Scarlett and her cousins find even the tiniest bit of snow fascinating.  It snowed about a half-inch back in December, and Scarlett tried to build a snowman.  So in Chicago, where there is real, actual snow, life was good.  They tromped around in the back yard and then later, went sledding on the tiny snow hill in the front yard.  

It takes 20 minutes to get all the snow gear on, find both gloves, and get kids out of the house.  But, they were so happy...

Chicago

After many stops and starts on my part (but smooth flying for Charlie, Scarlett and the cousins), we ended up in Chicago, together, to celebrate Charlie's mom's 60th birthday.  Am I allowed to say that? I mean, it was her 30th birthday, yeah, that's right. 

We ate pizza and the girls loved on Grandma and Grandpa like crazy, and we had a surprise party (below).  Oh, and there was snow. Pictures to follow.

2014 Storming In

My first post of the new year finds Scarlett sleeping soundly in her bed, arms tight around Arnie and a frog whose pieces zip together; Charlie at the Blazers game (they rock so much this year); and me, packing for a trip tomorrow that will take me to Tampa, 73 degrees, followed immediately by Chicago, averaging I think 7 degrees.  They are meeting me in Chicago in a few days, after my work trip to Florida.  It seems unlikely to me that all our flights to all these cities will arrive with enough time to not miss some kind of connection.  I fly through Detroit, 'nuff said.

There's a big storm.  When isn't there, in the Midwest? 

Hopefully I will blog again from Chicago, with the family nearby. 

• Today Scarlett told me that she is writing "a whole book of animals dying!"  She said it will have a good beginning and end.  Her favorite part of a book we read tonight is where the goldfish dies.  
• She also got a sweet princess outfit (thanks Auntie Lauren) and wore the plastic high heels ALL DAY.  We ran errands, she wore the heels.  Some friends stopped by, she wore the heels.  She wore them walking around the house.  She has officially worn heels for a longer duration of time than I have in my entire life.
• Today is my dad's birthday.  I said to his voicemail, I hope you're doing something fun.  Scarlett asked, what if he isn't?  "What if he is getting eaten by an animal?"  
• I talked to him later, he wasn't. He was fine.