Happy Birthday Mommy

Mommy flips her personal calendar again tomorrow morning.
Olivia commemorates with the annual Birthday Card. Shhhh.
She'll see it in the morning. Many Happy Returns, Mommy.

The Ladies of the House

Happy Thanksgivings always take place in the kitchen.
The womenfolk rule this kitchen in Fort Dodge.
Olivia has much to learn about cooking from all of these ladies, and I look forward to trying the results.

Four Generations at Thanksgiving 2008

These are actually in reverse chronologic order, but it funnier this way.
Especially Great Grandma Kleinhesselink and Olivia in the last one.
B-B-Big...B-B-Bad...Big Bad Thing! Right over there! Just behind you! To your right!

Cousins

The only thing more interesting than Oma's lap...Cousins!

Happy Second Birthday from Daddy

Now you are two.
The number says you are an Engine.
Legs and arms and fingers are pistons moving.
The number says you have a length of days experience.
Enough that you know what you want.
Enough that you will tell us. All of us. When and how and what you want.
The number says that sometimes you take a nap,
And sometimes the nap takes you.
But
It doesn't say that you would tell me how you feel a few weeks ago.
And why you feel that way.
I wasn't expecting that.
Nor how important it would be for me to tell you about your Day before you go to bed.
Or how much I enjoy watching you through the window at school before you know we're there.
Or watching your mother hold you.
Thank you, Little Girl.

Deforestation

First haircut: 11:00 October 4, 2008.
Gayle did the honors, under heavy protest from the very tired subject.
Olivia requested that she be described here as The Victim.
Maybe next time she can use the chair?

Olivia and I had The Talk this weekend

About where Cookies come from.
Not the Birds and the Bees, but the Butter and the Sugars.
I believe she took my meaning.
And she now has a deeper understanding of what motivates
The Cookie Monster.