Wings

Playing dress-up is a really big deal around here lately.  On Friday, Scarlett had dinner at her cousin's house and when we came to pick her up, she was wearing a witch costume. A few minutes later, she had the witch custom with about 4 prairie dresses over the top.  None of them put on exactly right, but she did it herself and was very happy.  

Then Saturday, there was some kind of fairy parade in our living room.

Charlie just brought out a box of dresses that my aunt sent me when Scarlett was small- I think they were mine or my cousins' when we were small.  They're going to get a lot of use, I can tell already.

Frog Vs. Elephant

Polly, Scarlett and I braved the winter morning cold for a chance to check out the new baby elephant.  There were a lot of hats and scarves and gloves and complaining about being cold.  But baby Lily is really tiny-looking (a mere 300 pounds) and cute, and worth it.  We saw her nursing, which Scarlett thought was interesting, but not as awesome as the time she saw an elephant pooping.

Thumbkin, anyone?

Jumper

We have an invisible horse living at our house.  I've heard that an only child will do this- create a sibling or friend to incorporate into their daily activities.  The horse is Jumper, she saw him in a book and grabbed him out with her hand.  Now, when we read the book, she says 'Remember Jumper is my horse now'.  He plays games with us.  His Arnie is a plastic horse.  When she's ready to get out of the bathtub, she tells me that Jumper wants her to get out.

Today she told me:
"Jumper eats hay sandwiches and spaghetti noodles".
"He sleeps on a mattress next to my bed."
"He likes to go places in the car".

Our Happy Smiler

Good Times Ahead

One year ago today, little Max was born on another coast.  Two days ago, we got to meet Ramona's new baby brothers.  Max is all sewn up and doing great.  Erin's twins are healthy and born without complication.  January 2013 is shaping up to be a great month.

And this one, of course, always makes me smile.

The Invisible Hat

Scarlett was "pretending to be daddy", lying under the covers on Charlie's side of the bed, reading and coloring on a copy of Runner's World Magazine.  I was standing nearby, folding the laundry, thankfully with my work bag nearby so I had a pen and paper.  She read the magazine to me, I dictated it exactly.  Here is her interpretation:

"Frog and Toad Stay in a Hotel Binis"

(Me: "What is a binis?"
S: "A binis is a normal hotel.")

"Scarlett and her friends were looking for a place to live.  They needed a new car.  There's a lot of stories in this one and it's pretty long.  Say YAY at the end, okay?" (yells YAY several times, very enthusiastically)
"The frog was all alone in the tea tree oil house.  Mama, the house is made of tea tree oil.  It's kindof like our house but not the right size.  The binis toad and the wife frog. His wife frog.
They bring their Winnie the Pooh mattress into a tent.  Mama, do you remember when we stayed at a hotel with grandma and grandpa? Turn the page.  Peekaboo. Who said that peekaboo?
This page just tells you what books we have." (repeats this phrase several times)
All these books are by Mo Willems.  It's just a normal Gerald & Piggie book.  WE ARE NOT TIRED!  One of the pages says, we are not tired.  This page just tells you what books we have and some of them are Frog and Toad All Year.  Mama, we don't have some of these books.  Okay. Turn the page.
This is the way it goes." (turns magazine upside down)
"I'm s'posed to read it this way but I managed it this way. It's a few pages away from the end." (repeats phrase 3 times)
"Mama, the scarecrows are closer to the end.  Don't worry, you will get to see the scarecrows, okay? One of the scarecrows is gonna be named The Happy.  One of them wears a hat when it comes inside.  You will be able to see its feet." (demonstrates by kicking her feet up in the air a bunch)
"Mama, the scarecrows are gonna climb in.  Guess how they'll get in?  Through the chimney!  Santa's not in this one.  Mama, I'm done but we didn't get to see the scarecrows.  One of the scarecrows is gonna be named The Invisible Hat."

Dinnertime conversation

"Mama, this pork chop wants me to eat it."

Baking Bread

Big deal birthdays

We went to Eugene this weekend to celebrate two BIG DEAL birthdays.  

This handsome fellow here happened to be turning one.  ONE!  I remember when he was born and now he's practically in college already!

And my dad's 60th birthday was on Friday.  Hi dad!  Hope this print isn't too small for your old man eyes!  I hope someone found you a walker and a cane so you could get to the computer to read this post!  I hope you... I can't think of any other old age jokes, but you get the drift.  Happy big deal birthday, daddy!

On Saturday, we celebrated my dad's birthday at a Thai restaurant, with friends my parents have known for a long time.  Everyone at the party was also at our wedding seven years ago- save for one guy who was invited but couldn't come.  So it was nice to catch up.  Or, it would have been if Scarlett hadn't been so wiggly  squirming all over the bench and then running to see Grandma "(Not you, Mama.  I want to see YOUR Mama."), running back to me, refusing to eat, knocking things over, etc.  

We celebrated Oliver's birthday the first night- and Christmas, since we hadn't all been together in months- and the little guy had applesauce muffins and pretty much fell asleep before the presents were opened.  Kelly and I waited until the kids were asleep, then we ate a lot of ice cream.

I would like to title the above picture 'Johan and his twin'.

I would like to title the above picture 'At Least One Karlsen Knows How to Look at a Camera.'

Bowling. Also, flossing.

Flossing

Bowling and flossing.

Mostly flossing.

Total flossing.

Bowling.

Out with the Old

Happy New Year!  

• Good news!  Scarlett's unpleasant night & nap behaviors seem to have crested with my blog post from last week, and she is happier about sleep again.  
• Bad News. Today is my last day of a loooonnnng vacation- eleven days- and tomorrow I have to go back to work.  It's been fun, and I haven't gotten as much sleep as I wanted but ultimately, I've spent lotsa time with the bearded man and the little blondie that live with me and I'm very pleased about that (not about the beard, just the guy under the beard.)

Beard and Blond

• Yesterday we went to the pool with the cousins- Scarlett and Esther have matching swim shirts and matching hair color so probably everyone thought they were twins.  I carried them around the lazy river, thinking 'this is what Erin will feel like so soon!'  

Cousin love (now with less teeth!)

• Scarlett played many games, including Old Dark Frog (He is a ghost who eats little frog children, courtesy of Arnold Lobel).  She also plays a lot of teddy bears picnic, which takes up most of the free floor space in our house but is really cute.

Old Dark Frog in the house

• I'm making orange cardamom rolls right now, formed like cinnamon rolls.  If you were here, you could have some!  (Unless you are my mom, or Lauren, because these aren't gluten free.)  They smell good though.  They've taken me half a day, off and on, to get into the oven, so they better be good.
• Scarlett recognizes most her letters now, and in addition to her number one favorite word to spell- ARNIE- she can spell mom, and dad, and her name.  We went on a nature walk the other morning, and she was climbing around the Tabor reservoir singing 'M O M and D A D. M O M and D A D."  It was a beautiful song.
• Soon, twin babies will be born that I'm excited to meet.   My dad will have a milestone birthday.  Scarlett will have a birthday (every birthday is a milestone when you're only one-digit old, right?).  Sometime this year, Scarlett will start preschool, and the babies we met last year will start walking, and if we're really lucky (fingers crossed!) Charlie will shave that logger beard that he's growing.  2013 is going to be legendary, maybe.