More Isaiah-isms

Slow, saxy jazz on the car radio: "Daddy, nobody listens to this music."

Later in the evening just before bed: "There's also a clock in my head and it has far more numbers than our clock."

This lament burst forth as I prepared to leave Isaiah's bedroom: "But I have no wife and children." He was very concerned about this, and my explanations of meeting people later on provided little consolation. Maybe I should start explaining grocery bills and insurance so he'll want to wait to start his own family.

Raising a child on a steady diet of traditional British literature: The down side

"What's more," Isaiah suddenly informed me this evening, "we have no cook, no nurse, no one to polish the knives, shine the shoes, or lay the table."

Uh-oh.

Thinking inside the box

Bernadette repurposes the cooler for a little reading time.

Washington Heights

 Crossing the street with Uncle Pete.

November sidewalk.

Faces

She's smiling and laughing a lot these days. I just need to catch her in action.

Best book ever?

A book about trucks written and illustrated by a truck driver. Found at the thrift store and now in our collection.

Thanksgiving

Thanks to Pete and Magda for hosting!

Apps

Appetizers, that is, with a little boost from Uncle Pete.

Morning girl

Kateri surveys the world. She definitely is trying to talk to us.

Painting

Bernadette refines her palette.

Fashionable

Rod captured this Bernadette moment the day of Kateri's baptism.

The Ungrateful Living

Over his peanut butter and honey sandwich, Isaiah suddenly announced that when Pete dies, he (Isaiah) will acquire one of his deceased uncle's guitars.  When I was able to speak again, I asked--curious how much he had thought this through--whether Isaiah expected Magda to give him one of Pete's guitars after he died.

"Well, I don't know," he replied thoughtfully.  "She might be dead, too."

Good morning

We love our chuthers.

Yesterday for the first time I heard Bernadette declare her affection for another human being.  Launching herself at Isaiah, she pinned him to the couch and cried, "I love-ah you!"  His response: "Get off of me!"

A few minutes later, however, after she had obeyed his command, from the kitchen I heard, "I love-ah you, too."

Bernadette musings

Some shoutouts from the past few days:

In the living room: "Fly airplane, see grandma and grandpa"
In the car: "Liz, Liz, Liz"
At the dining table: "Granma! Granma! Grandma!"
Around the house: "Uncle Pete. Uncle Pete"

She's continuously hopeful that some of her favorite playmates will appear or we'll go to visit.

Rumbling, stumbling, bumbling

 Isaiah runs toward the end zone after a high school football game Saturday. Sure, he fumbled on the 5 yard line, but he picked up the ball and carried it in.

And here's the relaxing TD celebration.

Snow

 Another year, another early snow. While Marian dug the boots out of the closet, Bernadette noticed her sandals and asked to wear them. Then she was not happy when I took them off and made her wear socks and boots outside. Of course, she made me carry her pretty much the whole time we were out.

Isaiah decided it was too cold to ride in the sled, but he was perfectly happy to pull the sled and then push the snow shovel.

Weighty subject

At her doctor's appointment Monday, we learned Kateri had gained more than four pounds since we visited the Monday after her birth. Dr. Browenstein said she'd gained about 2 ounces a day, pretty much the maximum a breast-feeding baby can add. Watch out Bernadette, she's coming for your clothes.

Morton and Friedrichs cousins

Everybody but Kateri seems to be interested in the movie ("Monsters Inc."). Also note the redeye, which reminds me of so many Menke cousin pictures over the years.

Kateri notes

The motorcycle throat noises sometimes work to calm down Kateri, too.

And she gets bored sitting on the couch or laying in the bed. So we walk the halls, and she stares at the various light fixtures like she's planning to be an electrician.

I had forgotten about these little baby details.

More Marty

Definitely will be missed even though this was a quick visit.

Aunt Marty

She's definitely a lot of fun.

Horsey ride

Cousin Daniel gives Bernadette a ride.

Jamming

A very young Kateri