Stats

We took the darling and talented Agatha to the doctor today for her 15-month check-up, and she is in blooming health. She is 30 inches tall (75%), weighs 22 lbs 14 oz (25%) and has a massive head: 19 inches (97%!!). She and Gus are going to have to have a melon-off when he arrives later this week. They don't measure feet, but hers are probably in the 5%-- she's still wearing her 6-12 month size shoes, and doesn't really fit in to the smallest size of real shoes yet. It must be hard to walk with such small feet and such a big old head!

Christmas cookies

We made a small batch of sugar cookies the other day at Henry's request, and I was surprised how fun it was. I was wary, because Henry has become a sugar fiend-- normal kid behavior, but weird for us because he was never much interested or obsessed with sweets before. But lately there have been tantrums over treats and I have felt miserable about how it was turning my efforts to do something nice and special into a power struggle and making me into the Bad Guy. Anyway: I was wary. But he was moderate and measured and we all had fun. And he did a beautiful, careful job decorating his cookies, too. That also surprised me. Agatha didn't care too much for the frosted, finished cookies but she ate a lot of dough!

Forts

These photos are from playing in a pillow fort the other day. We had a pile of balloons left over from a baby shower we hosted, and Henry set up a pillow fort with a cache of balloons as ammo. At first he tried to keep Agatha away, but when I reminded him about Santa watching him, he thought a moment and then pulled the blocking pillow aside and said, "Come on in, Agatha!" It might have been the first time the children were on the same team, laughing and playing a game "against" me. I kept popping up and surprising them and pelting them with balloons and they were both screaming with laughter. Sweet, sweet, sweet!

More commonly, Henry is outside in his fort with the boys. Tonight he came home from school and went straight out to their yard. I only saw him when he came in on quests for various materials: "Mom! I need a pillow and a blanket!" or "Is there a light I can have and not give back?" Or, "Mom! Can I PLEASE go to the blue dumpster with Carter?" This is their latest adventure: they run around the corner to the house that's being renovated and liberate building materials for their forts.

I went out to check on them around dusk and one boy was in a cardboard box outfitted with an LED light high up on a stair landing, the other boy was in the tree doing his homework in the descending twilight and Henry's head was just visible as he sat in his newest "fort" between two overturned kayaks and the neighbor's picket fence. When he came in looking for something and it was past dark, I was trying to entice him to sit and eat his peanut noodles, but he said, "Can you hold my plate for me while I climb over the fence?" He has learned the hard way that it is hard to climb over while carrying a plate of food. So I did. He ran ahead of me, saying to the boys next door, "I just got a bungee cord. And I'm going to eat my dinner in my fort!" One of them said, "Cool!"

A few minutes later he came in and announced that he was setting up for his party and it would start in four minutes. We went out and he had bowls of dried fruits and nuts and candied papaya set out on their little table, carefully lit with a flashlight tied in a tree branch above.

Another Christmas comparison

Because I think these two are so cute...Michael and Agatha at the tree farm, last year and this year. Note that Michael is wearing the same hat and coat! In fact he looks pretty much identical. The weather was certainly different, though!

Ta-da!

This video is from November 29-- by now she's gained a lot of speed and pretty much delights herself by walking all day long. (Ignore my annoying voice.)

Christmas tree farm

Right off the bat, I have to confess: we dropped our camera in the snow at the tree farm and now it's not working.  Yes, our NEW camera!  Now that the bummer news is out of the way, here are pictures from our expedition to get our Christmas tree on Saturday.  It was our first snowfall of the year, which was very fun but also wet and chilly.  This was our fourth year of going to this little tree farm, where Farmer Jim (it says that on his hat) drives us out to the field in a wagon to pick out our tree.  It's very small and low-key; perfect for us.  

tree farm, 2006

Henry, age 14 months

tree farm, 2007

Henry age 2, with Rudolph and best buddy Frances

tree farm, 2008

Henry age 3 and Agatha 3 months, asleep under blanket

tree farm, 2009

Henry age 4 and Agatha 15 months

Mermaid, hey

   We don't always manage to have family dinner, but we generally try.  One of the luxuries of our flexible work schedule is that we can eat as early as necessary.  It used to be 5:30 pm, but even that seemed too late, so I've taken to having dinner ready as early as 4:30 pm.  On his long days, Henry gets home around 4 (he gets out of school at 2:50, plays football {!} for as long as the weather allows, and then comes home with our neighbors-- all this is HIS choice; I constantly volunteer to pick him up at school earlier!) and is starving and exhausted, so on those days especially I try to have something ready to eat.  Monday we all sat down to a dinner of cauliflower soup and biscuits, and everyone was hungry at the same time-- but not too hungry-- and ready to sit down-- but not too tired.  The sweet spot.
   For some reason, Henry decided to milk the moment.  He bade us all join hands, and then he said very solemnly, "now I will sing a song."  And he began, "Mermaid, mermaid, hey, mermaid mermaid, hey, hey, mermaid, hey..."   This turned out to be a looooong song.  Michael glanced at me, then glanced at his rapidly cooling soup.  Eventually the song ended and we started to eat.  "Now," Henry said, "you have to say one thing you're thankful for."  I started to say something about my health and he interrupted: "NOT the same thing you said at Thanksgiving dinner!  It has to be a different thing, and just ONE thing, no more.  Understand?"  
  I asked him what he did at school that day.  "I forget," he answered.  "What did you do at school, Mama?"  I started telling him about the various things I did at home (I don't have office time on Mondays) and he cut me off.  "I just want to hear about school.  Daddy, what did you do today?"  Obediently, Michael began telling Henry about researching book proposals on the Yale University Press website.  We all slurped our soup.