it's important to have proper ear protection when you're planning on popping a baloon.

we're all just backup in riley's band.

kaia and riley show off their personalized cc cookies.

hairstyle by static.

hey look ari, dj riley busted out the cd player.

fe fi fo fum...

serious self portrait.

blueberries! delish going down, not so great coming back up all over the bed, and mama and kale and the floor.

nothing like lunching with a good book.

obama is already the president but as uncle edward says "you can never have too many buttons."

pure addoration.

kale had a fuo (fever of unknown origins) last week and spent a lot of time looking a little dazed and confused.

somehow this shot didn't make it up during the winter sports post. a glaring oversight, obviously.

kale is finally big enough for a forward facing car seat. sweet. dude.

who is this big kid that didn't even need me to stay with him on the first day?

"look, my picture is in my cubby."

riley fortifies himself with a little filthy ice before his first day of preschool 2.0.

carefully, carefully helping to tile the backsplash.

kale is no vegetarian.

couldn't resist a shot of the beautiful new stroller in front of the beautiful new president. sweet!

last run of the day.

kale's too little for ice skating but he loves cross-country skiing.

rye helps mama and kate with all those candles.

the grinniest grinner in grin town.

this weekend we went to mimi & bop bop's for winter sports. here riley gets his first ice hocky lesson from kate and ben.

kale's got a friend and his name is salem.

until something danceable comes along.

rye and the gang opt out of music class...

it takes some time to learn to use the sippy bottle correctly.

my, what an elaborate train track.

"kate, you are an excellent pancaker!"

first sipping from the kleen sippy kanteen.

getting ready to harvest the mushrooms!

kale found riley's toothbrush in the bathtub and it was pretty much love at first sight.

back to his old dishwashing ways. (see february 17, 2007.)

when the sidewalks are cleared and it's not actively precipitating the kiddos get to hop back in the stroller.

riley carried his very own umbrella druing our most recent ice storm.

kale is not sure how he feels about the coat our neighbor made for him. conflicted would be my guess.

someone (as yet unidentified) sent riley a real stethescope and let me tell you he is psyched.

kale was less helpful but he did offer some comic relief.

riley helped out with some of the trickier plumbing parts.

big da and brant took a roadtrip and brought us our new countertop and sink - then we got them to install both. sweet.

riley opens his awesome new train set from geegeed - kale tries to get ahold of the wrapping paper.

his little tongue just kills me.

if you've got enough soap on your hands you can stick them right through the giant bubble without popping it. ah the things you learn at the children's museum (or musewum as riley calls it.)

thoughtful thoughtful kale.

riley knows why the caged bird sings.

bye special craig. see you in feb.

kale shows calliope his favorite place to nap in the library.

hubie and sarah and calliope came for a visit and they brought some books - books that hubie wrote, calliope starred in and sarah edited and published. oh those creative van riel-hills.