July, August & Early Sept

At the MN State Fair with friends.

Dinosaur!

The first of many, many foods.

Cotton candy!

Olivia!

The first day of school! She's in Kindergarten and is going to a Spanish immersion school called ISLA. They wear a uniform which makes life easier.

Alistiar would have loved to go to school with her!

All ready at the bus stop.

First spotting of the bus = jump for joy!

Getting on the bus with Ethan, a boy from school.

Teacher's assistant, Giovanna.

Teacher, Senora Shrevesta who is from Chile.

This was the one hour Kindergarten orientation with half of her 25 student classmates.

Not the normal way we eat food, but I liked the crossed legs.

Alistair looked at this photo and said, "a fake cry."

My friend's band played for my 40th birthday backyard party and Siena was their best groupie.

The party was fairly rainy, but still fun.

At Alistair's second adoption day party, Russ helped us make homemade blueberry ice cream.

A naptime and nighttime tradition.

First of two baby teeth already gone! The tooth fairy brought a princess bag with change for the first tooth and princess bag of pennies for the second one.

She's always been a creative child...

My parent's rented a lake cabin on Detroit Lake for two weeks this summer and the kids and I went for about a week.

Relaxing on the dock.

Riding the lake neighbor's Barbie car.

Granda Carol reads to them at the lake (and anywhere else they happen to be.)

Neighbors come over for a 4th of July BBQ. Here they are playing a game of Simon Says.

Neighbors on swings singing?

I dont think she has ever held a sparkler.

First sparkler!

We have, no lie, about 50 pictures of Cuddle and Coo, Siena's favorite doll. I edited down the 25 pictures she took at the BBQ to this one, my favorite composition.

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Siena

I told Siena she couldn't go to the park. The front door was locked so she tried to open a window and climb out!

S What is that?
C A space shuttle.
S Like a rocket ship?
C Yes.
S I don’t want to leave Earth. (Looking thoughtfully to the sky)

C I need you to clean the bathroom floor.
S Like Cinderella?
A But why are you cleaning the floor?
S So I can go to the ball.
S (To Alistair)You can’t go to the ball.
A But I’m a prince!

C I think I want a new cell phone.
S You want another one? No problem sweetheart.

Tinkerbelle is so fascinating and I want to get that music box just like the movie!

After the first few days of school, she sat down in the living room with her brother in front of her and the book of shapes facing out and taught Alistair how to say the shapes in Spanish. Also taught him the word for bathroom.


Alistair

Al Are you renting this house?
Grandma Carol What does renting mean?
Al Borrowing.

Alistair handed me a jog bra and said, "Here's your bra, put it on." He calls all tank tops bras too so he wanted to wear his shark bra today.

Pinecones, I love them! (eating green beans)
Tastes like cookie dough! (eating dates)

Alistair always wants to be a “bad guy” which means he walks around without his shirt on. He is thrilled when anyone else will be a bad buy with him! The other day he said, “I want to be an Underwear Bad Guy. No shirt, no pants, just underwear.”

On the first day of school when Siena had been picked up by the bus and I was putting him in the car to go home, he was very sad and said, “But I’m an ISLA boy!”

Al tries on an extra pair of glasses and asks: “Do we look gorgeous?”

May/June

Not sure that was what Grandma Halls intended when she bought the cheerleading outfit for Siena...

At the park across the street.

With a small sampling of her babies.

Part of a whole series on emotions. This one was "silly."

With the Halls cousins and G&G Halls in Duluth.

Mother and son.
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Siena
Daddy likes it at home. Mommy likes it in India. I like it at school.

S You squeezed me too hard.
C I’m sorry.
S I accept your apology.
C {laughs}
S Write that down on your calendar.

My daddy gave me a long kiss ‘cause he’s my husband not your husband. Grandpa Wayne is your husband.

I think my Daddys enjoying his brother’s tractor.

Alistair

I’m sorry sucker. I kissed him. I hugged him.
I’m not Ali, I’m Alistair.
I wanna put on a dress. I don’t like my jammies on.
Holy Buckets. You say that a lot, Mommy. Holy Buckets.
Brown Bear is a good book.

A You’re my best friend.

C Who else is your best friend?

A Grandma and Grandpa and Daddy.

A Mama, know what?
C What?
A I love you.

Feb/Mar/April

Best buds.

Tabbi gave her hand me down clothes to Siena, and, um, Alistair.

Sun dress with non matching shoes.

Bikini that shows a bit too much.

Portabellas!

MOMS Club friends.

Book Club friend.

I got all misty when I thought about showing this picture at his wedding.

Siena turns 5!

G&G Halls and the kids witness Erik perfecting the flower birthday cake.

Everyone gets a manicure and pedicure for the trip to Akumal, Mexico to visit G & G Current.

The Princess takes a break from making her own, deluxe, Valentines.

Grandma Clara gives them strawberry pop and they celebrate!

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Siena
Thanks for cleaning my room.
Thank you Mama, you’re very kind.

I’m Sydney Bristow. You’re Vaughn. Alistair’s Sloan.
Boys marry girls but I can’t marry a girl because I’m not a lesbian.
Watch what I can do, Mama. Get you eyes on me.

Still obsessed with trying to wear jammies at all time, very much prefers nightgowns.

Alistair

It’s delicious! (yogurt)
I sorry. (Then corrects his own grammar.) I’m sorry.
I wanna do that myself (put on boots.) I did it!

We make artsy crowns at Lakeshore Learning, he puts it on and I tell him he’s a King. He tells me, “I’m not a King, I’m a princess!”
Asks everyone, “What’s your name?” When they ask him what his name is he says, “Ali.” Then pauses to add, “Alistair.”

Do you want to talk to Grandma on the phone? “No thanks.”

Nov/Dec/Jan

Santa brought mainly books.

Auntie Val brought a whole makeup kit!

Acting school vaudeville performance.

Not sure what this face means...

Al and Auntie Cristine.

Siena, 4 and Alistair, 2.

Corey, 4 and Jeremy, 2.

This is what he does when his hands are dirty and he needs to hold something.

"Zip me up please; I’m going to a meeting like my Grandma and Mommy."

I tried to take the mini pad off his head and he said, "don't take my sticker!"

Grandma and Grandpa Current getting us ready for our March trip to Mexico.
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Alistair:

Holding out an empty cup, he says, “Lemonade in there, please Mom.”
Ready get going now?
Playground, Mama. It’s fun.
Santa’s bringing horsies to me.
I have shoes right there in the drawer.
Daddy reading a book on the couch?
Watch more Christmas movie.

Words: Obama

To me, “You took a shower… you’re naked… you have a penis.”
Points to phone, “Mama’s phone.”
Clean your hands. (Can’t stand to have messy hands.)
I don’t like this (ham.) It’s gross. Poopy.
Tomana (What he calls a banana.)
I want my jammies on, I’m cold.
Where is the penguin?
This is a dingelhopper (what they call a fork in the movie The Little Mermaid.)
I don-a lik-a this milk.
I wanna make a triangle.
A cow have a penis?

I was tickling him and he said, “You get me.” Then corrected himself, “You got me.”

Siena:

C Can you go get your brother?
S Yes, I can Your Most Majesty Queen of the World.

S Alistair, go away.
A I’m not going away.
S Alistair, go away!
A Time out!

S Ali, you’re not going to the Mall of America.
A Stupid!

For my birthday I want everything.
I want to have my birthday party at Chuck E Cheese. (She’s never been there.)
I hate lions. Lions are disgusting.

But Mom, I don’t want to grow up! Well, eventually.

I like picking my nose.

I started singing like Dracula after she told me not to sing in the house so she said, “You’re nuts. You’re not going to my school.”

I wouldn’t let her wear her white fancy dress to her preschool party so she translated for her dad:“Father, Mother won’t let me wear my dress to the ball!”