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snow!

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in Austin!  Whole inches of it.

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Ben made snowballs with our friend Kristin and smashed them against trees.

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His first time ever to play in snow.  Who knows when we’ll see this much of it again?

waking up from a nap

with green blankie and Mr. Bear:

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My first little love smiles at me.  I see myself, and his father’s eyes.

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Ben is finally well after being sick all last week, and he’s apparently very hungry.  When I picked him up from preschool co-op this morning, his teacher reported, “Ben ate a lot today.  Like everything.  In sight.”

between the books

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Madeleine No-nappin’ Rose.  I feel that happy, too, when I’m completely surrounded by books.

While Ben was at pre-school co-op this morning, Maddie and I went to the bank and opened her first savings account.  Something we’d meant to do for a while now with her accumulated holiday moneys but only just now got around to.  Felt good to do that with her, one woman for another.

Nearly fifteen months old.  She is a joy, and she’s mine, and there’s not a thing I could have done to deserve her.  Sweet, unanticipated Grace.  I’m humbled and grateful.

don’t eat the paint

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reading by lamplight

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sick day

Watching The Very Hungry Caterpillar on a rainy Thursday sick day:

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We’ve read books, worked puzzles, cooked, sang, stacked blocks, cut paper, watched videos, thrown stuffed animals down the stairs, and now we’re running out of things to do.  Can’t wait for the cold rainy weather to pass so we can take our little people outside.

Also can’t wait for cold season here to be over.  It’s been a beastly one at our house this year.  Seems like the kids are coughing and congested every other week.  We’ve had to miss lots of preschool, cancel dates with friends, and we’ve had lots of restless nights of coughing.  Building up little immune systems is tiresome work.

Dinner time now.  Here’s  hoping Ben will eat.  The only foods he’s accepted so far today are hot dogs and crackers.

moving fast

Where does the time go?

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Just a moment ago she was a babe in arms.  Now she’s a big toddler girl, taking steps, speaking her words, and charming us daily.  Amazing.  We do our best to keep up.

playing in the kitchen

These photos are a few weeks old now, but too sweet not to share:

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rain boots

after music class on

a rainy Thursday morning

gritty mud puddles

in the parking lot

buckling the baby

into her carseat while

he’s stomping, splashing, falling

down in his new

navy blue rain boots,

his first pair,

still a little too big

Sunday morning hike

at Balcones District Park:

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playing in Walnut Creek

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Maddie snoozing in the backpack carrier on Nathan’s back

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enjoying a small fall in Walnut Creek

We followed our short hike with a picnic lunch next to the Balcones District playground.  PB & J, pretzels, apple, blueberries.  Lots of other kids and dogs.  One bee very interested in our apple, which counts as one of the only wildlife sightings of the morning.  It’s sunny and 60 degrees with a light, cool breeze today.  We need groceries and the kitchen is a disaster, but it was too perfect not to spend the morning outside.