MORE VACATION TIME

THE NEW BEAR HAT IS GETTING LOTS OF PLAY

FRITH HAS UNEARTHED THE BASKET OF DECORATIONS AND DECIDED TO DRESS UP IN CHRISTMAS STOCKINGS. ON HER, THEY LOOKED LIKE SEASONALLY APPROPRIATE HIPWADERS. THIS PHOTO DOES NOT DO THEM JUSTICE - BUT SHE WAS JUST MOVING TOO DARN FAST TO GET A GOOD SHOT.

THURSDAY MORNING WE ALL WENT TO MUSIC SCHOOL. FRITH PLAYED TAMBOURINE, AND DRUM, AND XYLOPHONE. SHE SANG A LITTLE, AND MARCHED. AND SHE OBSERVED MATTER OF FACTLY THAT A CAMEL WAS LOOKING OUT OF THE WINDOW. MAMA (UNDERSTANDABLY) DID NOT BELIEVE HER. THIS TAUGHT MAMA A VALUABLE LESSON. UPON TURNING AROUND, THERE WAS INDEED AN EIGHT-FOOT TALL CAMEL (TWO-DIMENSIONAL, BUT STILL) LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW OF THE STUDIO. MAMA ISN'T TERRIBLY OBSERVANT.

FRITH PLAYING WITH PLAY-DOH VERSIONS OF FRITH, A CHAIR, A VEGGIE DOG AND A BUN. AND A FORK AND SPOON. ALSO PLAY-DOH.

BETWEEN TRIPS TO THE DOCTOR WITH OMI, WE EVEN FOUND SOME TIME TO HANG OUT AT THE TABLE AND READ.

VACATION WITH MAMA

MAMA IS TAKING THURSDAYS AND FRIDAYS OFF TIL THE END OF THE YEAR. SO THIS WEEKEND MAMA AND THE FRITH SPENT SOME QUALITY TIME TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A WHILE.

WE TOOK WALKS.


WE PLAYED IN THE LEAVES.

WE PLAYED IN THE LEAVES.

WE WENT TO THE BAKERY FOR SOME FRESH BAKED PASTRIES.

AND WE WENT TO THE FARMER'S MARKET - MOSTLY TO RIDE THE ESCALATORS, BUT ALSO TO EAT PRETZELS.

BELATEDNESS

SHABBAT DINNER. FRITH DRESSED UP AS SUPERMAN, WEARING THE INFAMOUS SHALOM NECKLACE OF POWER.

READING A BOOK WITH MEME WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PICK HER (OWN) NOSE.

READING WITH OMI AND APPARENTLY FRUSTRATED BY SOMETHING OR OTHER.

HMM. WHAT SHALL I GET UP TO NEXT? WHY NOT DO THE DISHES IN MY UNDERPANTS?

FRITH, POST BEET SOUP.

SPOONS

THE FASCINATION WITH SPOONS-ES CONTINUES UNABATED. THIS MORNING IT TOOK SIX SPOONS TO EAT HOTCEREAL. COLDCEREAL USUALLY REQUIRES ONLY FOUR. MAMA IS NOT ENTIRELY CLEAR ON THE LOGIC HERE. BUT FRITH IS.

I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ADD THAT THE TOILET TRAINING CONTINUES TO GO WELL. TODAY FRITHA WANTED MAMA TO USE FRITHA'S POTTY. MAMA TRIED TO EXPLAIN (WITH DIRE CONSEQUENCES) THAT THE POTTY WAS TOO SMALL FOR MAMA'S BUM. SO OF COURSE, HERE IS WHAT FRITH IS SAYING TO HERSELF AS SHE FALLS ASLEEP :

MAMA HAS A BIG BUM.
MAMA HAS A BIG BUM.
MAMA HAS A BIG BUM.

(DURING BATH TIME MAMA WAS INFORMED THAT PAPA ALSO HAS A BIG BUM. HOWEVER OMI, THEO, NEW NEW AND FRITHA ALL HAVE LITTLE BUMS)

MORE LEAVES

MAMA AND THE FRITH, LYING AROUND IN A PILE OF LEAVES.

FRITH AND H

SIMPLE PLEASURES

KNEE DEEP

AT ONE POINT THEY WERE BOTH COVERED IN LEAVES UP TO THEIR NECKS.

FRITH, CATCHING SIGHT OF MAMA WITH THE KAMERAFONE, AS USUAL, GLUED TO HER LEFT EYEBALL.

FRITH AND V, ACTION SHOT

SUPERHERO MASHUP

THE FRITH, WEARING HER SUPERMAN BATHING SUIT AND THE PETER PARKER GLASSES FROM HER SPIDERMAN MR POTATOHEAD.

THE RETURN OF OMI

OMI FINALLY CAME HOME FROM EUROPE, AND FRITH COULD NOT BE MORE PLEASED.

OH, MAY I ALSO ADD THAT FRITH WOULD NOT GO TO SLEEP LAST NIGHT COME HELL OR HIGH WATER; SHE CONTINUED YELPING UNTIL WELL INTO THE WEE HOURS. UNTIL MAMA PLAYED LOVECATS BY THE CURE THREE TIMES, LOUDLY, IN RAPID SUCCESSION. OUT LIKE A LIGHT.

ITEMS

THE BEAUTIFUL AND TALENTED FRITHA SITTING ON THE FLOOR OF THE KITCHEN PLAYING WITH "MAMA'S BOX OF ITEMS".

RAIN AND CONVERSATION

PAPA AND THE FRITH WENT FOR LUNCH WITH UNCLE MARK TODAY AT THE COLLINS.

AFTER WORK, MAMA AND THE FRITH TOOK A WALK IN THE RAIN. THEN WE CAME HOME FOR DINNER AND FOR DESSERT WE HAD APPLESAUCE. MAMA WAS INFORMED THAT FRITHA WAS EATING HER APPLESAUCE ON A PLATE (SHE MEANT BOWL) AND MAMA WAS EATING HER APPLESAUCE IN THE APPLESAUCE CONTAINER (MAMA WAS SCRAPING THE REMNANTS OUT OF THE JAR). THEN SHE TOLD ME THAT MAMA SHOULD HAVE A GLASS OF WINE.

ROSS IS THE STUFFED RHINOCEROS WHO LIVES IN FRITHA’S CRIB. HE WEARS A BLACK BOWTIE AROUND HIS NECK. IT IS NOW NINE O’CLOCK AND FRITH IS STILL NOT ASLEEP. SHE WAS GETTING PRETTY WOUND UP, AND I COULDN’T HEAR WHAT SHE WAS SAYING, SO FINALLY I WENT UPSTAIRS. HERE IT IS :

FRITHA TOOK ROSS’S BLACK NECK-A-LACE OFF.
FRITHA TOOK ROSS’S BLACK NECK-A-LACE OFF.
FRITHA TOOK ROSS’S BLACK NECK-A-LACE OFF.
FRITHA TOOK ROSS’S BLACK NECK-A-LACE OFF.
FRITHA TOOK ROSS’S BLACK NECK-A-LACE OFF.

FRITHBASKET

THE FRITH, IN AN OLD FAVOURITE HIDING PLACE.. THERE WAS A TIME SHE WOULD HAVE SCOOTCHED DOWN INSIDE THIS BASKET AND WE COULDN'T HAVE SEEN HER.

AGAIN WITH THE WINCHESTER

MAMA AND THE FRITH TOOK A WALK TO THE WINCHESTER ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON TO HAVE DINNER TOGETHER.

THE WAY THERE WAS RIDDLED WITH THINGS TO PLAY WITH AND ON.

FRITH'S IMITATION OF A FIERCE SABRE-TOOTHED TIGER IS IMPROVING WITH AGE.

THE CLASSIC SEAR'S CATALOGUE POSE.
FINALLY WE LAY DOWN ON THE SIDEWALK FOR A WHILE, TO EXAMINE THE LETTERS CARVED THEREIN. LETTERS OF ANY SORT ARE NOW VERY VERY INTERESTING. OUR FAVOURITES ARE O S I A AND, OF COURSE, X.

SHAB-HAT

IN OMI'S ABSENCE, WE HELD A SLIGHTLY UNORTHODOX SHABBAT DINNER.

EVERYONE WORE HATS (HERE WE HAVE COUSIN KATHY AND GRANDMA PAT GETTING INTO THE SPIRIT OF THINGS)

MAMA AND PAPA, IN A PICTURE THE FRITH WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY USE FOR BLACKMAIL IN FUTURE YEARS.

MÉMÉ AND PÉPÉ DID LOTS OF READING WITH THE FRITH, WHO WAS GETTING A COLD IN THE NOSE AND WAS THEREFORE RIDING ON THE CUSP OF CRANKY FOR MOST OF THE EVENING (THOUGH TO HER CREDIT, SHE NEVER QUITE CROSSED OVER).

A WALK WITH GRANDMA PAT EARLIER IN THE DAY.. COULD THESE TWO BE ANY MORE RELATED?

ONE MORE CHICKEN PICTURE

A RARE PICTURE OF MAMA AND THE FRITH TOGETHER (THAT ISN'T A SELF-PORTRAIT I MEAN)

HALLOWEEN

AMONG THE FRITH'S THOUSAND-AND-ONE NICKNAMES ARE THE BIG FAVOURITES : CHICKEN, CHICKENPANTS AND OF COURSE CHICKEN-OF-THE-SEA.

SO THE COSTUME WAS A NATURAL. IT WAS STILL PRETTY BRIGHT OUT WHEN WE STARTED THIS YEAR, WHAT WITH THE DELAYED TIME CHANGE AND ALL.

FRITH WAS BRAVE AND GOT THE HANG OF TRICK-OR-TREATING FAIRLY QUICKLY. HERE SHE IS WITH HER BEST BUD- OUTSIDE SUE AND JEAN'S HOUSE, DISPLAYING HER STANDARD "COME ON ALREADY" APPROACH.

ANNE HAD A FABULOUS GHOST SETUP IN THE FRONT YARD, TO FRITH'S AMAZEMENT AND DELIGHT.

TARA (AS MAMA HAS NAMED THIS GONE-WITH-THE-WIND REVIVAL UP THE STREET) WAS LIT UP AND AWESOME, AS ALWAYS.

AFTERWARDS, WE ALL SET UP IN THE DRIVEWAY BETWEEN HOUSES AND HAD DRINKS, AS THE OLDER KIDS CAME OUT TO PLAY. FRITH SPENT THE REST OF THE EVENING COMMUNING WITH VIC'S JACK O'LANTERNS.

I PROMISE BETTER PICTURES TO COME, ONCE PAPA UPLOADS HIS CAMERA.