Who Needs to Eat

When My Big Sister is Around?!?

Elspeth Paige

Likes:

Things that are not nice, like Chick Hicks, Swiper, and Goliath (she believes that Mommy and Daddy will convert them to being nice)

Dislikes:

Spinach, brocolli, and baby sister touching anything

Nickname for her father:

Daddy Boy

Skills:

Playing

Ambitions:

Wants to make Dactu a cake for his birthday next week. She is pretty sure that eggs are a good way to start.

Goofy but we love her

Fleetwood Mac or the Eagles

I recently attended a marketing conference for university people. During that conference one of hte general session speakers talked about finding our careers for the second half of life. I wondered about that until he explained.

The American dream is to retire young, in fact, most of us go before we are 65. The reality is that I will have a 50/50 chance of seeing 100 and retirement was not designed for 40 years. We live too long to sit idly by for half our lives, we are not programmed for it, we do not want it, but here is the golden piece.

While most of us will have to work in retirement, it will be on our terms. The kids are gone, the house paid off, we work when and how we choose. More and more retired Americans choose meaningful jobs, the ones they had to pass up when there were mouths to feed and more pressing financial obligations.

Yes, I really did say meaningful. So before you start to practice "Welcome to Wal-mart" consider this: resently, economists started to look at artists, did tye do their best work wehn younger or in later years. The results were split with clear stratifications. The research was expanded to include other professions with the same results. What does this mean?

The Eagles had 3 greatest hits alblums before they were 24, but Fleetwood Mac struck out for years. only when they were grey and "matured" did they come up with some of the best selling alblums ever. Again, what does this mean?

It means that it is OK that I am nearly 34 and haven't mastered the world. It means my best work may be yet to come, but probably not until I'm nearly 70 (translation - the kids are their own problem). That means I can take a deep breath, the pressure is off TODAY. Above all else, it means I have roughly 30 years before I decide what I wan tot be when I grow up.

Don't despair if you are not the Eagles, there is always Fleetwood Mac.

School Birthday Party

Elspeth is very excited that Mamgu and Mommy have come to witness her big celebration.
Addie was so excited that her big sister asked for her to be brought down for the celebration, and then she found out babies don't get cake . . .

Elspeth was literally so into her cupcake that I could not get her attention away from the mesmerizing chocolate bits on her hands. Dactu will be so proud.

Elpeth's 3rd Birthday Celebration

Bethany, Ethan and the birthday girl enjoy some pizza.
Noah was the king of the glow stick.
Like hearding cats, but we got all the kids together (except Addie who was enjoying a much needed nap).
Hannah and her father enjoying a quiet moment together.

The front row for Elspeth's Present extravaganza.

The Celebration Continues

Elspeth enjoys opening a present.
Mommy and Daddy gave Elspeth her first big girl bike (which kind of felt mean in February) and she has enjoyed sitting on it for two days now. Some day we may show her that she can make it go places.
If you look closely, you can see that Adwen Kate is about to commit a major sin. Elspeth did NOT want her baby sister helping her open presents. We are pretty sure that won't work in reverse on Addie's first birthday.
Ella got a great new pair of shoes that she has dubbed "Ethan Shoes"
As we quiet down Sunday night, Mamgu gave Ella her evening bath. Our little froggie is loving the attention and looking forward to a week of serious spoiling (Mamgu has stayed on until next weekend).

Tuesday is the New Thursday

For the next 11 weeks. We have moved our standing Thursday night dinner with Robin and the Kooper boys to Tuesday so the older kids can work off some winter energy in swim class.

Elpeth tried to listen to the teacher (well, maybe she tried) but her limbs kept floating away from her.
Ethan had a great time practicing jumps into the pool.
Elspeth and Daddy loved being in a pool in February.
Ethan showed off his advanced abilities by swimming "by himself" with a noodle.
Towards the end of class, you could see the energy draining from our older child as she got the stares. She still would have stayed in the pool if we had let her.

The best part is that Addie was so excited by the new environment that she fell asleep in the car on the way home, transfered into her bed easily, and slept until 6:30 this morning (we had to wake up Elspeth at 7:00).

We are going to love the new Thursday around our house.

Snow Night

We really don't have a lot of pictures of Elspeth standing in the snow, because she wasn't standing very often.
Elspeth and Ethan are excavating her turtle sandbox.
Ethan is having a good time in the snow too!
Daddy is helping them make snow balls (it was NOT packing snow).
Elspeth and Ethan were playing until it was too dark to see in the backyard.

My Favorite Bug . . .

Snow Day!

Ella is nearly ready to head out into the snow!
Staying on your feet when the snow is half way up your legs becomes a game when you are nearly 3.
Addie visits the great outdoors for approximately 5 minutes.
Daddy slings Ella through the snow (again). (Editors Note: Yes, I took this pic through a screen, sorry but I had to be inside with the sick one)