PAPA'S BIRTHDAY

WEDNESDAY NIGHT FRITH TOOK PAPA (AND MAMA) OUT FOR PAPA'S BIRTHDAY DINNER, TO THE ONLY SUSHI RESTAURANT WITHIN FORTY MILES OF HERE.

FRITH ENJOYED THE EDAMAME, AND THE SEAWEED, AND THE CUCUMBER ROLLS. ALSO THE NIFTY RED CHOPSTICKS LENT TO HER BY THE LOVELY WAITRESS.

REMOVING ONE'S STOCKINGS AND BOOTS IS ALWAYS IMPORTANT BEFORE DINING.

AFTER THE SUSHI, WE WENT TO THE WINCHESTER FOR DESSERT AND A QUICK DANCE.

AND FINALLY, FRITH READ THE SIGN IN THE LOBBY OUT LOUD. WELL, AT LEAST THE O'S AND THE S'S (HER CURRENT FAVOURITE LETTERS).

AFTERWARDS, PAPA MAMA AND UNCLE MARK GOT THEIR GROOVE THING ON AT A FEW LOCAL CLUBS. THURSDAY WAS A BIT DIFFICULT.

FIRST NIGHT

OMI AND THE FRITH FIGURING OUT THE HANNUKAH CANDLES.

FRITH LOVES THE DREIDEL, AND PROMPTLY MEMORIZED THE NAMES OF THE FOUR HEBREW LETTERS APPEARING ON THE FOUR SIDES AFTER HEARING THEM TWICE. MAMA LITERALLY HAD TO ASK FRITH FOR THE NAMES IN ORDER TO BLOG THEM. HERE THEY ARE : NUN, GIMEL, HEI AND SHIN.

OWLS

MAMA ORDERED THREE BLANK SETS OF WOODEN NESTING RUSSIAN DOLLS A WHILE BACK. OMI HAS ONE SET, PAPA HAS ANOTHER AND MAMA KEPT THE THIRD. THE PLAN IS THAT WE ALL CHOOSE A THEME AND PAINT UP THE DOLLS FOR FRITH IN OUR OWN SPECIAL WAY.

MAMA PAINTED HERS UP AS OWLS.

THE FRITH APPROVED.

PORTRAIT OF A LADY

HANGING AROUND LOOKING BEAUTIFUL ON A SUNNY SUNDAY AFTERNOON.

ASSORTED MINTS

MAMA AND THE FRITH WENT TO THE BAKERY AGAIN THIS WEEKEND. THEY HAVE ALL SORTS OF YUMMY BREADS LAID IN FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON. YOU SHOULD GO!

THAT IS APPLE CIDER FRITH IS DRINKING. SHE CALLS IT APPLE-SPIDER JUICE.


THIS WEEKEND ALSO INVOLVED ABOUT A FOOT AND A HALF OF HEAVY WET STICKY SNOW.

FRITH HELPED MAMA SHOVEL OUT THE DRIVEWAY THIS MORNING, AND THEN SAT IN THE BACK WITH MOE FOR A WHILE. POOR MOE WAS BURIED UP PAST HIS NOSE WHEN WE FIRST GOT OUT THERE.


MAMA AND OMI TREKKED OVER TO THE WINCHESTER THROUGH THE SNOWDRIFTS, WITH THE FRITH RIDING SHOTGUN ON MAMA'S SHOULDERS. THE PLACE WAS DESERTED, SO THE WAITRESSES AS USUAL MADE A BIG FUSS OVER FRITH. HERE SHE IS WRITING UP THE DAILY SPECIALS.

IT WAS ANOTHER PERFECT FOUR DAYS OF FRITH. HERE WE ARE HAVING A QUICK READ IN MAMA'S BED, AFTER OUR BATH. OH HOW I WISH THESE DAYS COULD GO ON FOREVER.

FILTERED LIGHT

IT ISN'T OFTEN THAT MAMA AND THE FRITH CAN BE TOGETHER IN THE LATE MORNING.

IN THE PINK AND ORANGE BEDROOM, THE QUALITY OF THE LIGHT AT THIS TIME IS ESPECIALLY BEAUTIFUL.

THE FRITH, EATING A CUCUMBER.

THIS IS ONE BEAUTIFUL KID, I TELL YOU WHAT.

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)