Happy Halloween from WA! The kiddies painted their own pumpkins (Kristin's vampire has an unusually rosy complexion!) in prep for trick or treating. We even baked some pumpkin seeds that were a HUGE hit!
The candy collected each Halloween seems to grow despite walking the same routes each year. Everyone had fun and no one got scared when we went to the neighbors house who decorates and is scary just like dad used to be.

O.K. This is what I do to the kids when Irene goes away. It is what you get when you combine a man who is losing his hearing (me), an asian barber with laryngitis and a noisy military barber shop. I'll remember the words "tapered cut" next time.
So, it seems I've given my boy the same "Nikita Khrushchev" haircut my grandfather gave me as a boy. The tradition continues.
The good thing about this is that he likes his haircut and isn't angry at me - and the big girls at home didn't give me too much crap about it - but I haven't shown Irene yet. Good thing she's away right now. Good thing that hair grows back.
I haven't told Irene I plan to get Kristin's hair cut soon, too.

After dinner Katie asked for a nut. Of course, her shadow, Will, asked for one, too. Before I could say anything she told him, "No William, you can't have nuth. You will get thick and die."
She then proceeded to show Will what he would look like if he ate nuts. The tongue action cracks me up every time I look at this photo.

A Picnic on the Lawn - they think it's really cool but I think there's one less floor to clean in the house. About a month ago, the little birdies were perched on Irene's chair and ate almost all of the crab cakes we had for dinner. When I made it especially for them, did they eat them all up? Of course not. The most popular thing was the brown mustard/horseradish mix. Everyone was dipping their veggies into it. Funny kids...

On special occasions when we were younger we were allowed to have any meal we wanted. One of our favorites was breaded, fried chicken. Dad used to cut chicken breast off the bone and cook it for us. Even though I found out later that Boppee used to make long before Dad did, we always called to this as "Chicken ala Bill" and, to this day, everyone in the house knows it and refers to it as that. Here are my two little helpers putting the chicken into milk and then the breadcrumbs. When Will Will got caught drinking some milk, he was taken off his stool (he looks taller here because he's on the bigger stool). When he started to cry, Katie went over to him and said "Will, Daddy thaid you not drink the mawk. You be a good boy. It will be O.K. I give you a hug, then you lithen a Daddy, O.K?" In a husky little voice he said "O.K.", returned to work and didn't drink any more milk. And the result of the four breasts we cooked? The little ones did an awesome job – everyone enjoyed perfect chicken that was gone in less than an hour! Mmmm!

I can't recall when this photo was taken but it's certainly a poor little sick Katie bug. What a pathetic boo-boo face on my little baby girl.

After hearing some rustling noises in the cupboard, I looked behind the door to see what Will Will was doing. He had stacked a bunch of things on each other - note the iced tea bottles are top to top. He was so, so proud of himself. What a happy kid!

Here is everyone's favorite place to sit, drink, eat and read, especially on a Sunday morning. It's so cute to see them clamoring all over Irene to find a comfortable spot with her.

Our morning routine - around 0530 Kristin comes into our room to use the toilet. A few minutes later this shape (Katie) walks into our room...

Family Christmas 2007

Michael and Irene
Steph (17), Erika (13), Kristin (5), Katie (3) and Will (2)

Here's a collage of pictures of the kids in various type of play. The top two are of Katie and Will enjoying a small Tupperware storage container. They have such a good time together. The middle ones are two shots of our beautiful little girls. The one on the left is my favorite – it’s nice to see them enjoying each other’s company. The bottom set is of our Irish twins enjoying a lollipop, a staple treat in the house.

A set of four shots from the wading pool that has been very, very popular this year. I stepped into it once up to my ankles – it was so cold that I couldn’t feel my feet after a short time. Still they like it. In the last shot Kristin is torturing Erika in some manner. Note the Eagles football – it’s an important toy in our house!

A collage of Will Will pictures – the first, entitled “His Master’s Voice” is just my boy and me “outshy” (I'm wearing a Father's Day shirt from the kids). He’s probably not listening to a word I’m saying anyway. The middle shot is the characteristic way in which the boy runs – arms way up with his hands almost into his armpits. The last – “I love raspberries and cream” – and it’s great for the complexion, too. What a happy boy!

Katie bug – SO proud of her new underwear! She has turned into such a big girl almost overnight. It’s amazing – what a happy face!

Kristin before her first (and likely last) dance recital. The girls wore tap shoes and danced to the “Lion King” song “Acunamatata”. They looked beautiful, though the word “dance” should have been used in the most general of terms.

Here is Stephie, Kristin and Katie doing their girl thing in the backyard – painting finger and toenails. The little ones love attention from their big sister.