A monkey. A squirrel. One happy family.

The teenager trick-or-treated with friends this year, so we only got one picture of the costume. Sigh. El as a D&D character, a dwarf named Dagnal Ironfist. A light-up spider for our web! Annie as a "diamond warrior" (she lost the homemade headdress at a trunk-or-treat event - it was tragic). Happy fall, ya'll!

Decorations are going up. Costumes are in the works. Fall is in the air, and we couldn't be more grateful for the prospect of life slowing down a bit. We are ready for soup, baked goods, cooler weather, and ridiculous house decorations. Engineering and math happened to construct this web. Pumpkin carving savants. Max and a Wild Thing - Ella ans Spencer's pumpkins won a library-sponsored pumpkin decorating contest! Ella makes a giant hammer out of foam for her Halloween costume at the Access Arts costuming workshop. Annie is going to be a "diamond warrior" for Halloween, and this is her awesome headdress. She also has a staff and sparkly dress. Morning hike in Callaway County.

New 'dos for everyone! The before shot! Ella Annie

Last Friday I attended my first high school football game in years. Cheering on the Hickman Kewpies was not our main motivation. We were there to see our middle schooler march with the band! Go, clarinets!

Happy Easter from the Williams Thompson crew! 13 is not too old to be excited about dyeing and hunting eggs, thank goodness. Alexander Hamil-egg. Enough with the pictures, mom. Let's hunt eggs! On the hunt. Ella spots an egg in her under construction fort/hobbit hut. Ella tried to tease Annie with a kiss, but Annie was not having it. She bolted right after I snapped this picture. Sisters. XO!

Eight years? Where does the time go? This little squirrel... ...is now this big squirrel.