Well, That's More Like It

Mom and Kel — look at the first feather — pastina! Mary Byrnes would be delighted. "My family" comes … last. : )

Oh The Weather Outside...

The weather's been getting steadily colder...

Yesterday, on day 4 of being on my own with the kids, we really needed to get out. It looked bright enough, so out we went to the playground. It was lovely...

 …for the first five minutes.

 You can't see it but Cordelia is scowling.

 Even Cody, who seems to be impervious to all weather, ran over and said, "I have a better idea. Let's go to Starbucks for hot chocolate!'

And so we did.

Can We Pause for a Moment to Acknowledge Her Hair?

 

Cultivating Gratitude

Here in the Last household, we're making an effort to focus on things we can be thankful for. This is an exercise in futility rage frustration perseverance, because things have not been their rosiest…but still, we try to spend a little time between arguments thinking about things for which we are grateful. We're making a Thanksgiving Tree this week and I'll post pictures Thursday. But you can see a little of what the kids are grateful for from the school bulletin boards. It's just … so perfect. 

Cody: "I am thankful for all the seasons, people, and peace."

Cordelia: "I like pumpkins because they are nice and round. I like pumpkin pie, but we bake brownies, too."

Cody: World Peace.
Cordelia: Dessert.

I'm Doing So Much So Wrong

CML: CODY! I have a baby in my tummy!
CJP: Okay! I will have to cut open your tummy with a SICKLE!
CML: But we have to get married first!
____

CJP, in the nanny-nanny-boo-boo voice: Invisible Cordelia, invisible Cordelia, Cordelia is invisible, invisible Cordelia, invisible Cordelia…
CML: I am not invisible. I am a person. I am a person IN THIS FAMILY!

Emma Is So Big

And starting to communicate, too.

Well there we are.

Cordelia and I sometimes relay our affections in the following manner: She'll come over to touch my chest, just over my heart, and sweetly ask, "Who does this belong to?" I'll smile and reply that, of course, it belongs to her. She'll then touch her own heart and it is my turn to inquire to whom it belongs. To which she'll smilingly answer "You!" It's very sweet. You can't really imagine how sweet.

However, as Shannon has lately alluded, Cordelia has been going through a difficult last two years period. And last night, at bedtime, I was forced to be quite stern with her. She announced that she no longer liked me. I told her to get into her bed.

She did. She then glared at me and declared, "I'm looking out at you with my mad face!"

I responded, not altogether rationally, that I was displaying to her my mad heart, because she had been so rude.

Cordelia immediately shot back: "Your mad heart is still mine!"

And so it is.

A Walk in the Woods

Yesterday was a gorgeous fall day. And the kids had been absolutely monstrous all day Saturday. We needed to blow off some steam burn some energy. Once JVL got home from a speech in NJ, we headed out for an afternoon adventure. I'm just posting tons, because I can't decide which I like best. Note how Cordelia weaseled her way out of hiking toward the end...poor Daddy. 

 

 After a while Cordelia didn't want her hat anymore. Emma was quite happy to have it.

 Here she is showing me a leaf (not pictured), which then went in her mouth.

 Toward journey's end...

Halloween!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

So. A snake, a bee, and a ladybug walk into a bar.

 

 

I'm not sure what this is about. But yep, spooky.