JUMPING BEAN

AS PROMISED, FOOTAGE OF THE FRITH JUMPING ON THE BED AT AUNT BABE'S HOUSE IN OHIO.

AT MAMA BEAR AND OPA'S HOUSE

WE CAME FOR A BELATED CHRISTMAS WITH OPA AND MAMA BEAR THIS AFTERNOON. FRITH WAS IN HIGH SPIRITS, RUSHING ALL ABOUT THE PLACE. SHE WAS IN THIS PHOTO WHEN MAMA PUSHED THE BUTTON, BUT HAD DISAPPEARED BY THE TIME THE PHOTO HAD PROCESSED.

AGAIN, HERE SHE IS ALMOST A BLUR, SHOWING OFF HER LOVELY NEW HAIRCLIPS FROM OPA AND MAMA BEAR.

MAMA'S KAMERAFONE WAS ACTING UP, BUT WE GOT A GOOD SHOT HERE OF A SMILING MAMA BEAR, AND OPA IN HIS SPIFFY NEW PORTABLE WHEELCHAIR, FROM FROM MAMA, OMI AND FRITHA.

NUDIE NUDE NUDE

FRITH SPENT MOST OF THIS PARTICULAR DAY WEARING NOTHING BUT HER RAINCOAT AND RAINBOOTS.

AND THE NEXT DAY WEARING NOTHING WHATSOEVER. MAMA'S HOUSE : ALL NUDE, ALL THE TIME.

THE TRIP TO OHIO II

CHRISTMAS MORNING, MAMA OMI AND THE FRITH SET OUT FOR OHIO. HERE WE ARE THE PEACE BRIDGE BORDER CROSSING, WAITING FOR OMI'S VISA TO COME THROUGH.

AFTER A NAP, FRITH FOUND HERSELF ARMPIT-DEEP IN PRESENTS FROM GAMMY, POP-POP AND PAPA.

THEN DELICIOUS CHRISTMAS DINNER AT AUNT BABE'S HOUSE - FRITH GOT ON WELL WITH THE OTHER GIRLS. THERE IS SOME EXCELLENT FOOTAGE OF THE BEAN JUMPING ON BEDS, BUT I'LL HAVE TO ASK PAPA TO SEND IT TO ME FOR POSTING.

OMI AND MAMA STAYED AT QUAIL'S HOLLOW RESORT AGAIN, AND THE NEXT MORNING WE TOOK A NICE LONG WALK ON THE GROUNDS, JUST LIKE LAST YEAR.

IT WAS COLD, AND BEAUTIFUL. SADLY, NO NAKED MEN IN THE HALLS LIKE LAST YEAR, BUT WE CONTINUE TO HOLD OUT HOPE FOR 2008.

ITEMS

CHRISTMAS EVE, AND THE TRADITIONAL STOLLEN WAS IN PROGRESS OVER AT OMI'S HOUSE.

THIS YEAR, A LITTLE TWIST. MAMA AND FRITHA, HAVING RECENTLY MADE THE TRANSITION TO FULLY VEGAN, HAD A CERTAIN IMPACT ON THE INGREDIENTS (MEANING THIS PARTICULAR STOLLEN WAS ALMOST HALF TOFU)

WASHING UP AFTERWARDS WAS A SNAP WITH FRITH'S HELP.

AND THE STOLLEN CAME OUT BEAUTIFULLY - THE BEST ONE WE'VE EVER HAD, AS A MATTER OF FACT.

AFTERWARDS, WE HAD A QUIET LITTLE GIFT-GIVING CEREMONY. FRITH GAVE US EACH A LITTLE PRESENT, AND SHE ALSO RECEIVED A LOVELY NEW TAMBOURINE FROM OMI.

AND, BECAUSE FRITH HAS HAD HER EYE ON CERTAIN LITTLE THINGS IN MAMA'S BOX OF TREASURES, MAMA PUT THESE PARTICULAR THINGS TOGETHER IN A LITTLE DROSTE'S CACAO BOX (FROM OUR DUTCH AUNTS) AND GAVE THEM TO FRITHA. INCLUDED ARE : AN OWL, TWO PUSSYCATS, A BLUE GLASS TURTLE AND MAMA'S FIRST HYPNOSIS BALL ON A CHAIN.

THE HYPNOSIS BALL WAS THE BIGGEST HIT. FRITH TAKES IT OUT DOZENS OF TIMES A DAY, AND SWINGS IT IN FRONT OF MAMA'S EYES, CHANTING CAREFULLY : YOU ARE GETTING VERY SLEEPY.

FRITH MOON

FRITH GOT A DRUMSET FOR CHRISTMAS. ENOUGH SAID.

MOTHERSHIP

FRITH AND MAMA SPENT A COUPLE OF HOURS HANGING AROUND UPSTAIRS IN FRITH'S ROOM TONIGHT.

AFTER THAT MUCH MAMA TIME, I THINK FRITH DECIDED IT WAS TIME TO CONTACT THE MOTHERSHIP, TO COME TAKE HER HOME.

A KIND OF CHRISTMAS TREE

OMI COBBLED TOGETHER HER ANNUAL FIVE-TIERED HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA. FRITH FOUND IT TRES AMUSANT.

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EXPERIMENTING WITH THE NEW KAMERAFONE.. MAMA AND THE FRITH COLLABORATED ON A NEW SONG THIS EVENING. IF YOU WATCH FRITH, YOU CAN SEE HER PREPARING FOR HER KEY LINE AT THE END. SHE HOLDS THE BRIDGE OF HER NOSE BETWEEN FINGER AND THUMB - A TRUE ARTIST, CONCENTRATING DEEPLY.

BOTTLING

MAMA HAS A NEW KAMERAFONE (THE OLD ONE IS IN A SNOWBANK AND WON'T BE FOUND TIL SPRING) .. HERE WE HAVE FRITH, HELPING WITH THE CLEANING OF THE BOTTLES FOR THE ANNUAL CHRISTMAS WINE BONANZA.

AFTER WATCHING FOR A BIT, SHE WENT AND GOT HER OWN BOTTLE TO CLEAN AS WELL.

IS IT JUST ME, OR DOES HER FACE LOOK WISE-BEYOND-HER-YEARS IN THIS PHOTOGRAPH?

PARTY

THANKS TO LALA, WE GOT A WHOLE BUNCH OF PHOTOS OF FRITH'S SECOND BIRTHDAY PARTY.

OPENING PRESENTS..

AND MORE PRESENTS..

PLAYING WITH THE BIG HIT OF THE DAY, THE WOODEN VELCRO FRUIT SET.

TRYING TO CHOOSE BETWEEN VEGAN CHEESEBALLS WHILE PAPA ROCKS THE VIDEOKAMERA IN THE BACKGROUND.

MAMA ASSEMBLING THE QUILT PATCHES AS THEY COME IN.

THE ALWAYS POPULAR BARREL-OF-MONKEYS.

ANOTHER HUGE HIT - THE TEA SET FROM AUNTIE MARIANNE.

SADIE AND FRITH HAVE A LONG HISTORY OF SHARING.. IT GOES BACK YEARS.

AFTER THE PARTY, UNCLE MARK DRESSED FRITH UPSIDE DOWN AND SENT HER OVER TO OMI'S HOUSE, SO ALL OF US GROWNUPS COULD GO OUT AND SHOOT SOME CELEBRATORY BIRTHDAY BILLIARDS AT THE THIRSTY CACTUS.

TRANSYLVANIAN VISITORS

THIS IS ANNA - ANNA VISITED WITH HER MAMA AND PAPA (EDITH AND JOHN) FROM TRANSYLVANIA, JUST FOR THE FRITH'S BIRTHDAY (AND FOR A VISIT WITH THEIR OWN FAMILY AS WELL OF COURSE).. ANNA AND THE FRITH FORGED A TENTATIVE ALLIANCE, AND MUCH TIME WAS SPENT WORKING ON THE CONCEPT OF SHARING.

BREAKFAST WITH SANTA

THE WINCHESTER HOSTED A BREAKFAST WITH SANTA. THE POOR OLD GUY WASN'T TERRIBLY POPULAR AT FIRST.

FRITH AND ANNA BOTH KEPT THEIR EYES COVERED AND SCREAMED THE MOMENT SANTA CAME ANYWHERE NEAR THE TABLE.

FRITH HAD PLANNED TO OFFER HIM A BANANA, BUT THAT DIDN'T WORK OUT. AS HE WALKED AWAY, SHE DID UNCOVER HER EYES FOR A MOMENT FOR A PEEK.

THEN WE SNUCK A LITTLE CLOSER TO SPY ON HIM THROUGH THE BOOKSHELF, AS HE ARRANGED HIS TOYS ON THE TABLE.

WE MUST HAVE STOOD THERE FOR HALF AN HOUR.

JUST GETTING ACCLIMATED

FINALLY, MARIANNE TOOK A STAB AT BRINGING FRITH OVER TO CHOOSE A GIFT. ALTHOUGH THIS DIDN'T WORK OUT ALL THAT WELL, A FEW MOMENTS LATER MAMA TRIED AGAIN, AND THIS TIME FRITH CHOSE A NECKLACE KIT, WITH WHICH SHE MADE TWO NECKLACES. ONE SPELLED "FRITHA" AND THE OTHER "QUEEN" (HER CHOICES).

A GATHERING OF BEARS

FOR DINNER AT OMI'S HOUSE, FRITH PULLED UP HER OWN LITTLE CHAIR. AND ALSO CHAIRS FOR THE COLLECTION OF POLAR BEARS - TWO ON HER RIGHT AND ONE ON HER LEFT.

ASSORTED MINTS

THE BLUE SET OF RUSSIAN NESTING DOLLS AND THE NEW OWL SET NOW HAVE CONVERSATIONS. FRITH SAYS "MAMA MAKE OWL AND PUPPE SAY HELLO?" WHICH MEANS SHE SETS THEM UP FACING EACH OTHER, AND MAMA MUST MAKE UP A CONVERSATION. IT IS ESPECIALLY AMUSING IF THEY ACTUALLY TALK ABOUT FRITH - THIS SENDS HER INTO GALES OF LAUGHTER.

HANGING OUT NAKED ON MAMA'S BED IN THAT TREASURED LATE MORNING SUNSHINE.

SWING DANCING IN THE LIVING ROOM WITH MAMA.

READING THE FAT BLUE BOOK WITH OMI.

WEARING HER FRITH-IS-SICK OUTFIT. FRITH HAS A NASTY COLD. MAMA HAS BEEN GIVING HER A LITTLE BIT OF CHILDREN'S TYLENOL AT BEDTIME TO HELP HER SLEEP. FRITH CALLS IT HER "FEELBETTER" AND ASKS FOR IT BY NAME. MMM GRAPEY.

HANNUKAH DINNER

THURSDAY NIGHT WAS THE ANNUAL HANNUKAH DINNER AT THE TEMPLE.

FRITH WAS UP THERE DANCING TO THE KLEZMER BAND, FIRST CHANCE SHE GOT.

MAMA MANAGED TO SLOW HER DOWN FOR A QUICK MAMA-AND-THE-FRITH SELF-PORTRAIT.

AND WE FINALLY SAT DOWN TO EAT. THEY SERVED A VEGAN OPTION WHICH WAS MORE THAN DELICIOUS - FRITH LITERALLY COVERED HERSELF IN CABBAGE SOUP, SHE LOVED IT SO MUCH.