I haven't taken this many pictures in forever!

Our "quiet" holiday break has been very busy. Lots of family visits. Lots of presents for Esther.

Patiently waiting for the Christmas cookies to bake.

E helped me decorate by generously shaking the sprinkles on. More of the sprinkles ended up in her mouth than on the cookies, I think.

Daddy and Esther waiting for our friend, Karin, to show up to her surprise birthday party. Esther did great even though it was past her bedtime.

Karin's "Stumpy" characters were part of the theme. These cute masks concealed our identities for the surprise.

Having fun with Daddy.

Sharing is something E is still trying to learn. Here she's deciding which of her game systems her 2nd cousin, Dewey, can play with. It was a hard decision and one she kept changing her mind about. Dewey is very patient.

Nana Marilyn made Esther a cute coat for Christmas. She added robot patches on each arm to make it extra special. Our little angel promptly exclaimed that she didn't like it. Nice...and embarrassing! Sorry Nana, if it's any consolation, I think it's pretty darn cute.

She has since warmed up to the coat, and really likes the robots.

We got to see our nephew, Bela, for the first time since he moved to Alaska 2 years ago, while he was visiting his dad in Bellingham. So we went bowling...and Esther loved it. Of course the bumpers helped (all of us).







The two cousins.

On the way home from B'ham, Nana Carolyn and Esther had a good time, laughing and carrying on.

A few days later we got to see our niece, Halie, who has been up in Alaska with her mom, too.

Esther trying her hand at driving. Uh oh, looks like she's driving through the forest.

Joy! Bring on the presents!

She got a lot of robots this year. First robot Plex (from Mommy and Daddy).

Next, Wall-e (from Nana C).

Hanging out under the tree.

Hey, there's a robot dump truck, that talks and dances (from Santa).

She also scored big on the dinosaur front (not pictured) as well. She got two robotic dinosaurs from her aunt and uncle. And some little dinosaur figurines. All in all, Esther made out like a bandit.

The Blakefield's Annual Christmas Quiz

Yep, it's time again to test your knowledge of our family.


1. Huddle decided to do this quiz on the blog because:
a) she's feeling lazy.
b) she's wants to do her part to help the environment by not using paper (although she did send out Christmas cards...hmmm).
c) she hopes to get more traffic on our blog.
d) all of the above.


2. Gene worked on a video game that is now out in stores. It is called:
a) Pretty Kitty and Her Fancy Outfits.
b) Zephyr: Rise of the Elementals.
c) Tornado Outbreak.
d) Tornado Alley.


3. Esther's favorite things are:
a) baby dolls, dresses, and unicorns.
b) dinosaurs, robots, and trains.
c) spiders, bees, and snakes.
d) vegetables, loud noises, and brushing her teeth.


4. This year, we:
a) sold all our possessions and traveled like gypsies.
b) bought a house.
c) got a puppy.
d) refinanced our condo.


5. Esther loves preschool.
True or False


6. Huddle is reading a book called:
a) "Raising Your Spirited Child"
b) "Raising Your Shy, Quiet Child"
c) "Plumbing for Dummies"
d) "Way to Go! You're Financially Secure!"
e) none of the above


7. Gene still longs for:
a) a puppy.
b) a VW GTI (he still mourns his previous one).
c) any new hi-tech gadget he can get.
d) none of the above, he is completely content.
e) a, b, & c


8. Huddle longs for:
a) seven more children.
b) financial security.
c) a house.
d) a Twitter account.
e) b & c.


9. This Dec. 18th will mark:
a) our 20th anniversary.
b) four years since Huddle stopped chewing gum.
c) three years with Esther.


10. We hope our family and friends have a wonderful holiday season and a fantastic new year.
True or False

Now for some pictures:
We went searching for a Christmas tree on a beautiful, crisp, sunny day, where Esther and I got to take a little train ride.

Ah, the perfect tree.

Yummy, candy canes!

Esther, the egg.

Another birthday for a preschool buddy, this time the kids got to go on pony rides.

I didn't think Esther would be very keen on riding, but apparently we have a cowgirl on our hands. She rode three separate times, and would have gone more if she had the chance.

Yes, the pony is wearing a princess outfit.

This picture makes it look like she's holding a dagger, but with an innocent expression.

answers:

1. d)

2. c) but it's kinda a trick questions since the game was called b) & c) at one time

3. b)

4. d)

5. True

6. a)

7. e)

8. e)

9. c)

10. True

More Witness Protection Photos

My desire to blog has diminished...but don't worry, faithful readers, I'm still committed to keeping it up (every few weeks or so).
Over the last couple of weeks, we went on a preschool outing to the Zoomazium at Woodland Park Zoo, attended a birthday party, and enjoyed a quiet Thanksgiving.
The Zoomazium is pretty cool. They have a great play structure for the kids to get out some energy, lots of cool things to look at and a great program with live animals. When we were there, they brought out an armadillo and the kids were allowed to pet it.

I think this was the first time I've ever seen a real armadillo. They have hair under their shells that looks like an old man's beard.

Esther decided bouncy house birthdays are fun!

Of course, our little darling loved the birthday cake with the truck on top. So much so she managed to remove it from said cake at one point. (Sigh.)

Blue frosting sticks around for a while. Not to gross anyone out, but we had a nice bathroom surprise a few days later. (OK probably too much info.)

Above all the action.

Modeling her pea coat and umbrella. The only way she would let me put this coat on her was if she could bring her umbrella with her. To say she is picky about what she'll wear is an understatement. Anything with robots adorning it is acceptable to E. Pretty much anything else is iffy.

She loves her trains. If anyone needed to be told, our daughter is a tom boy. Dinosaurs, robots and trains all the way!

Relaxing in her usual way after helping Daddy start a fire.

Two videos for Nana

Ok, so I know Halloween is over, but here Esther's version of "carving" a pumpkin.

And the finished project... with a little help from mom. Her dad hates carving pumpkins(something to do with the slimy guts. )

Esther new favorite pastime: playing games on the computer.

Trick-or-treating. In a crowd, the safest place to be is on her Daddy's shoulders (& I wish I could join her.)

Checking out the ducks.

Waiting for the "train" and eating her candy cache.

Loving the puddles.

Making a "waterfall."

October happenings...

It's been a while. Sorry, Nana Marilyn, no video this time. Maybe next time?
Preschool has been a huge learning experience for Esther and I. I've always known E was very spirited but it has been confirmed through her interactions in preschool. It's not a bad thing, just challenging. During circle time, E just can not sit still, which is fine as long as she's not disrupting the class. We have found that if Esther has a quiet toy to look at she can be fairly calm. Because she notices everything, she can play with the toy and listen to the teacher at the same time. I guess she'll make a great multi-tasker. Teacher Kathy and the other parents are very supportive and are open to figuring out what works with her. I have come to realize that Esther needs her space and can feel overwhelmed with too much noise and activity. Sometimes the best way to help her is take her out of the crowd and let her regroup. (Sounds a lot like me.) My goal this coming year is to learn the most effective way to parent Esther, sometimes this feels like a daunting task but well worth it.
Gene's been home from work this month, so he's got to come along when I drop her off and pick her up from school, and joined us on the Pumpkin Patch outing. Esther loves having her Daddy around.

Digging for worms.

Petting a hen.

Sharing the tire with a friend.

She was trying to figure out where the eggs were, luckily they were hidden.

Searching for the perfect pumpkin. Each kid got to take one home. Although they were all pretty small, Esther managed to find the smallest one, and that's the one she wanted.

The pumpkin patch had lots of perfect puddles for jumpin' in.

The aftermath.

Rubber boots don't help much in times of exuberant jumping. E's boots were full of muddy water.

The Halloween costume parade. Checking out all the cool outfits.

Esther's turn to show off her costume and of course she moved so fast, she was a blur. I think out of 21 kids, 1 knew who she was supposed to be. Apparently not many parents let there kids watch Yo Gabba Gabba.

Here's a great example of Esther during circle time.

Wow, it's 8 o'clock...

and Esther's already asleep. This usually means she will wake up at 12ish and want to play. Hopefully she will sleep all night.
Preview of E's Halloween costume. Plex, the robot from Yo Gabba Gabba.

She wants to wear it everyday, hopefully it will hold up until Halloween.

"Look, Mom, the robots are talking to each other."

Colorful bath art.

My sweet darling plunked my cellphone into my glass of water which meant I had to go buy a new one. This was the sign awaiting us. I got insurance on my phone this time just in case Esther decides the new one needs a bath.