Ellie and Quincy

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Oct/Nov/Dec #3---Halloween

We spent Halloween with our good friends, Andy and Jenny (and their daughter, Tess), again this year in our old neighborhood. Uncle Mike and Uncle Eric were also there since they only live four doors down from Andy and Jenny.

Ellie was a bumble-bee and Quincy was a lady bug (an over-the-top, super-frilly lady bug). Yes, they were absolutely adorable!

Apparently bubble-bees were popular this year...

Quincy trick-or-treating at our old (sob!) house.....oh, how we miss it!

Oct/Nov/Dec #2---Quincy's 3rd Birthday!

We celebrated Quincy's 3rd birthday the same night we celebrated Uncle Mike's 21st (or is it 22nd?---ha!) birthday. I made them a Pink Pig cake---for no reason except it was the only pink thing to make as a cake I could think of that day. When Quincy and Ellie woke up from their naps to a house full of pink balloons, they were ready for a party. But...we couldn't begin until Uncle Mike and Uncle Eric arrived. For close to 20 minutes (which is a lonnnnggg time for a three year old), they both just stared out the window and kept saying (over and over), "Where are Uncle Mike and Eric?". It was very cute!

The birthday boy finally arrived......

After a delicious meal of tacos (Quincy and Mike's favorite), it was time for presents: A new potty (that makes real flushing noises) and baby wipes set for her Chocho doll. She loved it! And still does.....two months later...

Oct/Nov/Dec #1---The Babysitters!

Above are Amanda, Sara, and Emily: World Class Sitters.

I have THE BEST babysitters in the world! At least for one year at a time. I teach primarily juniors in AP Physics and while they are my current students I get to know them pretty well (okay, super well actually!). During the period of time I am their teacher, I use this time to make up my mind who will be my babysitter(s) the following year. When that group of kids become seniors, I have them as sitters for one year before they go off to college, during which I am grooming the next set of kids (my current Juniors) to be my sitters the following year. I love these kids (above) like my own children and I hope that Ellie and Quincy grow up to be like them in sooo many ways: Intelligent, funny, modest, silly, and GOOD. When Tim and I need a sitter, we usually get two or three at a time (for the price of one). They come over as a group and play with our kids until bedtime, after which they hang out with each other and watch TV and eat junk food like they would on any typical Saturday night at their own homes. This is genuinely what they like to do on a Saturday night...and Ellie and Quincy reap the benefits of it.

Amanda and Quincy.

Sara and Ellie-bean.

Quincy and Ellie chowing down on cookies (which they NEVER get to do unless the sitters are with them!).

Friday, October 9, 2009

Our little family version of the Autumn Moon Festival

We purchased a 12 ft by 12 foot inflatable outdoor movie screen to have our own backyard version of "Screen on the Green". We simply hook an LCD projector up to our laptop, throw some speakers into the mix, and viola, instant outdoor movie theater. It has been a hit with the kids, eventhough they really are wayyy too young to understand what is going on in a movie. I think they really just like being able to stay up past their bedtime and hang outside with the dogs and parents. Oh, and they like eating popcorn, too!

The Harvest Moon is referred to as the Autumn Moon in China. During the period of the Autumn Moon, all of China pretty much shuts down as it is a national holiday. We had our own version of the Autumn Moon festival during the Harvest Moon last weekend, complete with Chinese Moon Cake and all (Ellie LOVED the Moon Cake, Quincy not so much). Oh, and we also watched Finding Nemo outside under the beautiful full moon and all the twinkle-twinkle little stars.