Who's who?

A.

B.

A. Margo
B. Harper

Happy Birthday Harper

Harper asked for "colorful pancakes" on her birthday. There were yellow and green ones.

She asked for a purple cake with sprinkles. I asked for a lesson in how to use my camera in candlelit settings and/or a new camera.

Pre-presents

Post-presents

A couple days later we had a birthday party. The forecast called for rain but we prayed it away and had a campout and roasted marshmallows after all.

The dress

Even though Margo's blessing was way back in April I only recently documented her attire for the occasion. Actually it's more like I am only now documenting that she was at that blessing. I'm glad my mom made the dress not-intentionally big enough for a 7 1/2 month old baby.

Harper through the years

Harper turned three today.

*loves to make up songs to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
*favorite song is Harper Had a Little Bunny (to the tune of Mary Had a Little Lamb)
*loves making hot chocolate
*can put pants on but not shirts
*can calm Margo better than Mom or Dad
*favorite foods are hot dogs, fish sticks, chocolate, sprinkles, yogurt
*loves throwing money in fountains, roasting marshmallows, wearing her sparkly shoes, wrestling, going to the "Soccer Park"
*gives big hugs and long, hard kisses
*diggity-c is a DVD
*pinky pink is a piggy bank
*loves to go to Trader Joe's to push the small shopping carts
*often has a finger up her nose
*best phrase: "I know I can do it"

Margo at 7 months.

Loves baths, Eensy Weensy Spider + Popcorn Popping, emptying and dumping things (especially the bag of potatoes in the kitchen), peaches, pancakes, swings. Does not love face plants, when her big sister sits on her. Can crawl on the floor and in the bathtub, pull herself up almost to standing, eat plenty, say "Grandpa." Can't sit still, get enough hugs from Harper, wait until she's bigger.

Fountains

Harper started a dance class way over on 57th Street and 9th Avenue. So now we hang out at Columbus Circle and Heckscher Playground more than people that live where we do do. The weather has been so lovely it's hard not to feel anything but glad we have an excuse to go all that way every week.

This is neither Columbus Circle nor Heckscher Playground. But it is my favorite place in the entire city. There is not a lovelier fountain. And the tulips in the spring. Oh my. I took a job in a building right behind this fountain the summer of the year we moved here. I can remember going outside to eat my lunch at this fountain and talking on the phone with Halle telling her how beautiful this place was and that there was a major construction project going on right next door at some hotel. I had no idea I was sitting next to the Plaza Hotel and that Central Park was right in front of me.

Margo swings

And loves every minute of it. Of course.

Last Day of Summer Vacation

To mark this momentous occasion we went to the park and had a picnic. And then moped all the way home.

The talent portion of our picnic.

Marc and Margo were there, too, but they weren't doing anything noteworthy.

The Island

After one grueling day in the classroom with students Marc had a four-day weekend. Happy Rosh Hashanah anyway. We enjoyed ourselves by taking a ferry to Fire Island and camping for one night. We arrived at the island by 4pm, found a campsite, and then spent the last hours of the day at the beach.

By ourselves.

Roasting marshmallows easily became one of Harper's favorite things to do this summer. And she is very good at it.

We pretty nearly had the place to ourselves the next day as well.

Lucky for Harper there was a little girl to play with on Friday. They built castles in the sand, dug some holes, and ran away from sharks.

H&M

Some of the things Harper and Margo like to do these days:

Eat real food. It's just too bad there are still only so many things a toothless person can eat. Let the teeth come quickly. And quietly.

Lounge together. Margo doesn't know how much she likes to wear stripes. But Harper does know how much she likes to wear anything with hearts, crowns, purple, sparkles, girls, or pink.

Move backwards. It doesn't take long before Margo is stuck under a chair or the couch.

Mother. The babies never get to wear clothes. But they do get to wear barrettes and necklaces.

Returned

Our old friend Nicholas finished his mission at the beginning of August. He came home to NYC before he jetted off to college. We were so glad to see him again. Margo was so glad to meet him.

The Giving Tree. Who knew it was one of Harper's and Nicholas's favorites.

Old friends reunite to talk about old times and eat pork chops. Joseph Onil Nicholas

New friends unite (new as in young as in children) to babble and eat plastic toys and cotton t-shirts

Brannick Alex Margo Lillian Kajsia Daphne

Lillian's lovely smile is a stark contrast to Margo's fat lip.