A monkey. A squirrel. One happy family.

Ella is 9! How did this happen? She is one year away from double-digits, as her Uncle Marty pointed out, and halfway to 18. Adulthood. Old enough to leave home, get a tattoo, and jump out of an airplane (and you know she will - Mom-Mom Lindy will have to take her). My favorite thing about Ella's 9th birthday is how much her friends seem to get her. She has had a bumpy time with peers this year, being the target of some teasing. So, when her birthday party buds presented her with adventure/fantasy books, card games, dragons, a blinged out locking diary complete with feathery pen, and a HOBBIT ROBE (I know, right?), this mama's heart was warmed. Also, there was a dragon cake. "Wait!" You are saying. "You skipped Christmas!" Yes. Yes, I did. Christmas was amazing and lovely until it wasn't. Again, we were knocked over by the generosity of our parents and other family members. We had multiple celebrations, received incredibly thoughtful gifts. and en...

We managed our annual trek to Starr Pines Christmas Tree Farm , and our wreath is up on the front door, but two sagging pumpkins still sit on our porch. The poinsettia shares space on the coffee table with a few gourds. Each new holiday seems to arrive before we have let go of the last one. (Annie is still occasionally wearing her koala Halloween costume.) It seems only appropriate that since it is almost Christmas, I should share our photos from Thanksgiving . Puzzles with Grandmother Linda and Pop! See the whole photo album online . We spent the holiday in Houston – a long overdue trip to see our family there. I am especially glad for some quality time spent with Mami Taylor, Spencer’s step-grandmother, who passed away this month. In spite of an ice skating incident that left Spencer fairly incapacitated for most of the trip, we had a grand time, putting together puzzles, talking around the table, visiting the zoo, and sharing each other’s good company. We are rich i...

A few days ago, Annie laced her fingers with mine and said, "Our hands are a puzzle!" I am so grateful for these funny, healthy, smart, strong girls. Happy Thanksgiving!

I thought koalas ate eucalyptus, not chocolate. Visiting the house of friends Josh and Brandy (and their awesome headless horseman). Our koala and our Jawa! Happy Halloween!

The sisters at Shryock's Corn Maze. (The Shyrock family doesn't use an apostrophe on any of its signage, but clearly, it is needed.) Annie with pals Sarah and Louise (or "Mah-weeze" as Annie calls her). Let's make crop circles! Margaret, Ella, Annie, Louise, and Sarah. Getting five kids to look at the camera at the same time is impossible. They are saying, "gumballs!" Love the pink cheeks on Annie.

Ella will head to the bathroom to brush her teeth, and 30 minutes later she will still be in there, making faces in the mirror or digging through the medicine cabinet, teeth unbrushed. Similarly, on Saturdays we'll let her know that in 30 minutes we need to leave for her ballet lesson and ask her to get her leotard on. After 30 minutes have elapsed she will have perhaps removed a sock and also created an elaborate maze on her bedroom floor, using only dirty clothes and library books. She will not have put on her leotard. Lots of yelling happens after this. Today, on the way home from ballet, and a couple of hours after a frustrating scene much like what I've just described, I asked Ella if she had any ideas for solving this problem. She thought for a bit and then replied, "We could get a monkey that would pinch me every time I didn't stay on task." Problem solved.