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Lewis went trick or treating with his best friend Oscar and Arthur went with his friend Archer. And night of independent trick or treating!   Lewis went to Oscars house after preschool and spent the whole day there. So essentially they played together from 9am-7pm. Crazy. Erin, Oscar's mom, recorded this hilarious little conversation between the two of them: Oscar : isn't it cool that you get to stay for trick or treating Lewis : yeh O : we get to spend so much time together L : yeh O : what if we got to spend all day and all night together? L : yeh O : what if Benji and Anthony and us got to spend all day and all night together? L : yeh O : if we were brothers we would spend all day and all night together L : yeh O : Lewis, what if that was real? We were real brothers? Arthur and Archer, center, and Archer's little brother Fritz, right, and big brother Otto, left. It was a very productive trick or treating foursome. When I came over to their house to pick up Arthur ever...

Josh was just awarded Latin Teacher of the Year for Minnesota! It's amazing, I'm so happy for him and super proud. Just tweeted the news , too. Here's the award and a little video I took from his class a few years ago (apparently the video was viewed as part of his nomination). CONGRATULATIONS, JOSH! [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnSXiR_9Btw?rel=0] Bailey points to the awesomeness.

As most people who read this blog already know my father Tim and his wife Cynthia are Baba lovers (followers of Meher Baba , who died in 1969). My  father, who has worked with clay most of his life and currently makes a living making   porcelain jewelry ,  was asked to contribute his work as part of a large tower honoring Baba and representing all world religions. For the past few years he's been working and working to perfect large clay pieces for the project. I can't tell you how long and how many hours he's put into the project, with many many failed kiln firings where cracks and other imperfections would delay his progress. But, as you can see from these  photos below, he eventually perfected the technique and made some extraordinary work. I asked him to write up a little thing explaining what he's been up to and why, which I've included below. He wrote this a month ago and has since returned from a trip to India (I've included a photo and model from the sit...

Bailey (left and Netta, boxed. Bailey tries to box up Netta and ship her away. Bailey in a box.

Archer and Arthur.

I'm not sure why Jessica and I find this SO HILARIOUS but every time we watch it we both get a good laugh. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfPcz2HRg7Y]

This is not necessarily an accurate representation of their interests. It is probably just a funny moment, but they did genuinely grab these items independently making for a funny contrast. Ha ha.

It is most often heard, while on a walk or outing with the kids, "Bailey?  Come on, Bailey!"  Bailey is most often the one I have to go back and scoop up to meet the rest of us.  Here she is, perfectly contented exploring a leaf by the trail-side on a recent nature walk.  She stayed back at this spot for several minutes before slowly sauntering her way the twenty yards or so to the bench where Art, Lewis and Netta were having a snack. 

I came home the other day to an extremely focused group of children taking apart an older computer. Jessica had gotten the thing from a neighbor who was throwing it away. She stuck it on the picnic table and handed everyone a screwdriver and away they went, including Netta and Bailey and Arthur's friend Tsundi who was over. For more than an hour the struggled to take every piece off the thing. I love that. Arthur barely noticed my return from work or the photos. He was so focused! The remnants.

Bailey loves to dance and move her body to the music. She's always been that way. Her hands are really expressive when she hears music, even her expression changes and takes on a more serious, thoughtful, I'm-working-hard-here sorta look. It's good fun to watch. Here's an ok photo of her at a family dance the other day at Art's school: (That's Jessica nice butt and boots in the background...)

(Art is top center)

Lovely photo from Ms. Jen

I spent the day volunteering last week at Art's school. Read kid books, had them read to me. Played with them at recess, ate a surprisingly tasty and nutritious lunch and watched them sing and dance in music. It was a great time. This is an I'M-SO-PROUD-AND-EXCITED-MY-DAD-IS-HERE-IN-CLASS expression Art makes. \ Two classes combined listen to a story. Arthur and Asa dancing in music class. Arthur and his dance partner. Recess. This is Arthur with his new and very good friend Archer holding a bird a fellow student brought to share.  This photo gives you a good sense of the educational utopia that is Arthur's class. His teacher Patrice, seen here, co-teaches with a woman next door. They even broke out the wall between the classes. And each teacher has a student teacher, so there are lots of opportunities to for stuff like this to happen. Arthur is learning! Abdigani, counting. Arthur's long-time friend Evva is in a different 1st grade class. But they have recess together ...

Over the last several weeks Bailey has finally begun addressing Netta by name, however she has been calling her by her OWN name. That's right, both girls were calling each other Bailey. In fact, when faced with her own reflection a couple weeks ago Netta alled herself Bailey! Well, true to Bailey's usually verbal form, she took a weeks longer to use a particular word or phrase and then used it out of blue and superb clear. Today she woke from her nap saying "Net-ta! Net-ta!!!" and has been addressing her sister by name all afternoon. P.S. I am caught up with the laundry for the first time perhaps ever.

My failed balloon-holding photograph turned into a successful balloon-looking photograph. Bailey and her balloon. Netta and her eyes. Bailey is actually gearing up to throw the balloon at me. She did this to Jessica a few times, so violent! Lewis and his mama made cupcakes for the girls.

Today Bailey and Netta turn a whopping 2. It's been a blur. It really has. But the emotional quality of the blur has been mostly wonderful (and sometimes horrible). Here are the photos from Jessica's warrior birth two years ago today. And, if you haven't read it, this is the birth story Jessica wrote a year ago: http://followart.blogspot.com/2011/10/buzz-that-never-fades.html http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf

I spent a few hours today volunteering at Art's school. I don't want to use this space to brag about how awesome his school is but it's AWESOME. He's just so happy there right now. Jessica and I are just thrilled for him. Here he is dancing with [forget her name] during music class today. I took a gazillion photos and will post them when I've got time.

Lewis wearing a leaf hat he made at preschool.

A couple weeks ago Mama joined me in a weekend trip to Indiannapolis to photograph a Vikings football game . Got her a press pass and everything. It was pretty funny. At one point some fans asked my mother, who was wearing a fancy photographer's vest and credentials, if she would take their photo. She handed my mom her camera and said something like, "well, I'm sure this camera isn't anything as good as you're used to, but..." Mama got the biggest kick out of that. After the game in Indy we went to Wabash, her hometown, for a couple days to visit aunts and uncles. Here we are in the plane together:

Jessica saw this face and had to take a photo.