18 Months

Tess is eighteen months old today.

She knows 70 or 80 words, and has begun picking up new words daily, making it difficult to keep count.

When Tess finishes a meal she says: "I'm done too!"  Recent words include "cahdo" and "mayto" (avocado and tomato).  And also "Rosie," which put one member of our family over the moon.

At this age, Silas liked books just fine; Rosemary could take 'em or leave 'em.  Tess loves books.

Tess will bring you a book and plop down in your lap to have it read.  When it's over, she will get up and grab another book and plop back down in your lap.

She will do this twenty times in a row.  And if you try to stop reading at, say, the fifteenth title, Tess will cry.

Tess loves "doggies."  Many of her favorite books involve doggies.  Rosemary is into the Martha books by Susan Meddaugh, and now Tess has seized on these books as her absolute favorites.  She points to Martha on every page.  "Doggie!  Martha!"

We visited Grandpa Ray and Grandma Charlotte yesterday (this picture was taken there), and Tess spent much of the time chasing Annie the Dog around.  Annie was sweetly tolerant.

Words, books, and dogs -- it's a fine start.

Last Day / First Day

This past Thursday was the last day of class for Silas and Rosemary.

They have both grown quite a bit, as you can see in the comparison between these last day of school and first day of school photos.

This picture was taken on Silas's last day (note that his head is fully above the Meadow Heights sign).

First day (and a few inches shorter).

Rosemary's elongation over the course of the year is pretty clear in these pictures, I think.

Last day.

First day.

Silas and Rosemary absolutely loved their schools, which sure helped ease the transition to California.

We are just a couple of days into summer and they are already missing their classrooms.

Meredith Is ____ Years Old

Meredith is not wearing a Hawk Girl outfit for her birthday, unfortunately.

Hawk Girl Is Four

It's Hawk Girl's birthday, and the theme she chose was Hawk Girl.

Since there is basically no Hawk Girl merchandise for sale anywhere, Meredith assembled the costume and our friend Summer created the mask.

At the bakery, the entire staff came out to wish Rosemary a happy birthday and tell her that her cake request was "extremely cool."

Rosemary was thrilled with the whole affair.

She has been anticipating her birthday for months and it has cropped up in many conversations:

----

R: "Last night I dreamed about a caterpillar that turned into a robot and shot people." 

Me: "Wow." 

R: "Can I have that for my birthday?"

----

R: "Can I do motorcycle lessons?"

Me: "Well, you're too young to ride a motorcycle."

R: "How about after I turn four?"

Hawk Girl -- who can soar gracefully through the air but also whack you in the head with a mace -- is not a bad metaphor for Rosemary at age four. 

More pictures of her birthday are  here.

Tess Uses a Fork

While her siblings fight, will Tess eat with a fork for the first time ever?

Macaroni and Cheese

It's the end of an era.

From day one in California, Rosemary -- perhaps seeking consistency in a new land -- ate macaroni and cheese for lunch.  Every single day.

Her other meals were healthy and varied, and we figured she would eventually move on, so we accommodated her.  "Yellow cheese or white cheese today?"

Eight months and about 104 boxes later, we realized we had to do something.

After many failed arguments, this is what worked:

"Bread and Jam for Frances," by Russell and Lillian Hoban.

Tess and Grandparents

The Grandparents Keithley came down to San Mateo for a short visit.

They spent time with all the kids, of course, but Tess was especially thrilled to have them around.

Tess only has about twenty words, but one of them is now "Grandpa!"

More pictures are here.

Santa Cruz

We drove to the Santa Cruz boardwalk over spring break.

Silas was pleased to meet the height restriction on certain rides.

Rosemary -- not so pleased.

But Rosemary did love riding the carousel with Meredith.

The water was cold, but all three kids hit the beach.

Easter

Grandpa Ray and Grandma Charlotte hosted us for Easter dinner and a pre-dinner egg hunt.

More photos are here.