Breakfast Visitors

The new chickens have started regularly spending their days in the backyard.  We've been keeping the deck's gates closed so they don't befoul the whole thing, but this morning they flapped up and paid us a visit at breakfast.

New Additions to the Flock

Roller Girl

As of today, Witch Hazel is one of the newest (and youngest) members of the Atlanta Junior Roller Derby League. She loved her first practice!

Fancy Thanksgiving

Hazel and Aaron went suit shopping a few weeks before Thanksgiving. Unbeknownst to the rest of us, there was a single unexpected tux at the consignment store they visited. She hopefully took the tux into the dressing room, muttering a request to the universe, "Please let it fit. Please let it fit. Please let it fit."

She kept it a secret till Thanksgiving morning and was delighted to come out from her bedroom for the grand reveal in tux and tails.

At the table

"Juniper, please sit correctly in your chair" is a common refrain in our dining room. Right now, I look at this picture and feel exasperated by the wiggling and the perching and the crumbs that are inevitably falling onto the floor. I suspect my future self will look at this picture and see only a beautiful image of Juniper exactly as she was at a particular point in time.

In N.K. Jemison's terrific Inheritance trilogy, the god of childhood is irresistibly drawn to kids who are wiggly and bratty, playful and smart, self-absorbed and innocent, defiant of adult rules and absolutely true to their childish nature. As I read about his attraction to these mortal children, I couldn't help thinking how much he would adore Juniper.

A well-worn collection

A small milestone in our family: Hazel finished reading the last Harry Potter book this evening.

That's love