First Snowman!

With help from our neighbors Beth, Bridgette and Branwyn, Sylvia built her first snowman next to our garage. She's been checking every day to make sure it's still there.

Field Museum Visit

Sylvia enjoyed several hours in the Field Museum on our Thanksgiving trip to Chicago. The kids' area held several highlights, including a woodland dress-up area (check out the cardinal costume), musical instruments to play, and a reconstructed Native American play house.

Birthdays

We have attended several three-year birthday parties this year...with Sylvia's being in the middle of Christmas vacation I suspect we'll have a small family gathering. That will work until she gets old enough to request a theme and specific guests!

Run!

Courtship

Alex, the son of my good friend Sara, is obviously more interested in Sylvia than she is in him at the beginning of our weekend together.
But the magic of books brings them together (on Halloween night); and by Sunday morning she's lost a lot of her skepticism!

Twins?

Our little friend Lena has the same dress; and the girls look alike too!

Stroll-n-Nap

I Ate Off the Apple Tree!

Sylvia's preschool visited Wasem's Orchard and picked a few ripe treasures.

Kritter Gitter

This summer we caught a woodchuck who was making itself at home under our deck...Sylvia asked, "Why did that woodchuck go into the cage?" Bait, my dear...bait. We drove out of town and released our furry friend into the wild.

Cheese!

Sylvia posed for a mini photo shoot for our friend Linda Diane Feldt's article on encouraging kids to eat wild and healthy foods in August.

Hands-On Museum

Playing with the skeleton exhibit and projecting her voice through a sound maze.

Beachin'

The heat of summer has come on, and what better way to escape than to take a dip in Long Lake? Sylvia enjoyed catching fish in a net with our buddy Tim.

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Sylvia's down with that!

Toledo Trip

Last weekend we took a quick getaway to Toledo, where we enjoyed the zoo, the Imagination Station, the waterfront park and more! Sylvia slept in a "chair bed," made from two armchairs in the hotel room.

Toledo Part 2

Funny!

Little Scientist

The Lamaze Family Center offered a Little Scientist camp, which we attended in April and May. Sylvia got a kick out of digging for worms, pretending to be a bee (note the antennae and pretend pollen) and scooping a net in the pond.

Baby Jail Blues

Thinking it Over

Sylvia is inquisitive.
Overheard in the car recently:
"Is this our street? Is this Miller? Are we going? Are we going to the playground? YMCA! That's where we have swimming class. Are we going there? What's that? Is this Papa's street? Where is Papa's office? Are we going there? I see a dog! Are we going there?"

Big Girl and Little Girl