Fall colours

the colours are changing quickly and casting a warm glow all around us. it certainly would be worth your time to visit us here in Madison in the fall! :)




what a cutie!

Claire's latest words

"Go away!"

yep, it makes me sad to hear them, but she says it many times a day. :( it's usually when someone is coming towards her to get her to do something she doesn't want to do - like wash her hands, go potty, take away whatever she is playing with, etc. i know it's just her starting to express her own self and her wishes, but still it was rather shocking when i heard it for the first time!

Last apple picking

yesterday, we went and picked apples for the last time this season. we always like to go one more at the end to pick the Empires which are my favourite. they have just the right amount of tartness and sweetness. Claire had fun reaching for the apples that were low enough for her and Skye enjoyed riding on Phil's shoulders and picking some of the large apples way up high.

Last warm days

here are some photos of Claire enjoying the last few warm days. the weather has changed quite a bit lately. all the leaves on the trees are falling down. we had our first frost the other night.

Claire at the zoo with her friend, June.




Claire and i enjoyed some time by the lake


Claire playing at the fountain on UW campus


And Skye has been busy with friends...here she is at a friend's birthday party


and another party


Claire gets her first taste of face paint!

Hmmm...ice cream made with human breast milk?

ever since i read about the PETA letter to Ben and Jerry recommending them to use human breast milk for their ice cream, i've been wondering what that would taste like. you can read a copy of that letter here. images flash through my mind of women attached to breast pumps, pumping out milk for Ben and Jerry...!!! i don't think our society is ready for something like this!

Claire's latest words

"I try?" with a very innocent look on her face, reaching for something she's definitely not supposed to try.

Playdate

today, Skye's friend came over for a playdate. the girls rode the bus home together from school and then Claire and i picked them up. while we were waiting for the bus, my neighbour and her three year old daughter came out to hang out with Claire and me and they ended up joining us for the playdate. while we were getting things going, another neighbour stopped by with her two year old daughter, wondering if she could leave her daughter with me while she took her son who was screaming to urgent care (nothing too serious - an ear infection but he was refusing to take the medicine at home so the mother was taking him to get the kind of medicine he would take). so, we had a rather full and bustling house. but there's something about kids playing all together - they were all happy and content, i even managed to get dinner made!