Spring is Coming

The weather is crazy here...while most of you in the midwest and on the east coast have been getting battered by a snow barrage, those of us in the Pacific Northwest have been enjoying a month and a half of spring already. It's been crazy...temperatures in the 50's some days almost 60. Lot's of clear, sunny days (normally a rarity at this time of year)...it's been magnificent. And the capper of it all...the cherry trees are already starting to bloom...almost before they even have leaves!!! No Kidding...look at the pics below.







The kids are doing well. We're dealing with some coughs and colds brought on by the unseasonably strange weather, but other than that they are doing magnificent.

Eilish is learning away, getting ready to start kindergarten this fall! We're going to register her for school on Monday!!! I can't believe it...she's getting so big. We've been working hard on letter/number recognition, phoenetics and listening, listening, listening. Let's just say Eily has a tendency to act before she listens to everything someone is saying to her.

Also coming up in a few short months is her big year end dance recital...Her class is during the day on Friday's, so I don't get to see them practice...but I've been catching her busting out some new dance moves when the music is on at home...can't wait.







Cavan is...well...Cavan. He's 2, he's crazy, he's destructive, he's stubborn and he's strong as an ox. But most of all he is cute and sweet and loving...when you can pin him down long enough. The big surprise with him lately is his cognitive development. I mean you expect all the crazy things (ripping his diaper off in bed, climbing the changing table, trying to tear down the blind, finding him on the kitchen table, etc.) from a 2 year old boy...but his cognitive development astounds me. While he has been happily coloring or working on puzzles and we've been working with his sister on stuff, he has managed to pick up almost the entire alphabet!!! No kidding, show him a letter and he can pretty much tell you what it is. At 27 months old...I'm so proud of him!

It's the Holidays...and that means...dance recital!

First off, I want to apologize for breaking a short running tradition and not bringing the kids back to Michigan this year for Christmas. In case you haven't heard...three years of hard work has finally paid off. The historic first flight of the brand new 787-8 is tenativly scheduled for Tuesday, December 15th, 2009 at 10:30am (Pacific Time). I say tentativly, because it is dependent on the weather, which is not exactly predictable here this time of year. That of course means that there is a tremendous amount of work to get the design of the first derivative aircraft (787-9) under way. So I have several major design presentations to upper management (I'm designing several new parts based off of new and updated technologies that are unique to the aircraft) before and after the holidays, so it isn't possible for me to come home.

BTW: if you want to watch the 787 first flight, it will be webast live at www.newairplane.com.

Anyway...now that that is out of the way...on to the real point of this post...

Yesterday Eilish had her holiday recital!!! Her first recital since she joined her dance class. She did great!!! She was poised, unaffected by the large crowd, did her best and smiled the whole time...Daddy couldn't ask for more. I have a bunch of pictures, unfortuatly they are a little fuzzy due to the fact that I was pretty far away and we were asked not to use the flash on the camera.

Getting ready!!!




The Dance (Song: Here comes Santa Claus) - Eilish is the one on the far right








Doing Circles...




Now she is the 2nd one from the right






After the dance...back at home






Cav just couldn't stand that she was getting all the attention, so he jumped in front of one of the pictures...


She had a great time and told me that she wasn't scared in front of 500+ people. She's getting so big!!!

I wish everyone a safe and happy holiday!!!!

It's Halloween

It's Halloween again, and the kids had a blast. They almost didn't though. It rained today...it rained a lot today. To the point that I wasn't sure that I was trusting enough of my car to drive them out for trick or treat. Luckily, it slowed down and we rushed out the door and headed off to the mall. One of the few that were actually open for trick or treat. A bunch of the malls here decided this year that, and I quote, "Due to the current climate, it seems inadvisable to hold this kind of celebration this year?" WTF??? Kind of weird if you ask me. Anyway...onward.

Eily was really into the whole idea of Halloween this year...she's been thinking about her costume for months and she wanted to be...Princess Aurora (that's Sleeping Beauty to those of you that haven't watched that movie a thousand times in the last year...)...for Cavan, we broke out Eilish's old Nemo costume. It just seemed appropriate that they both wear it.

And now...on with the pics...

Daddy's little Princess...




The Clown (fish)!!!




Trick or Treating!!! YEAH!!!






I Love Chocolate!!!!




Cavy's first Halloween Candy...ever.

Eily grows up a little bit more...

First things first...

I attempted to turn Dancing Eily into a weekly feature...until the evil dance instructor said no-no to the picture taking. So sorry, I tried...but I can't. Oh well...

Anyway...after months and months (and months...and email requests...and Better Business Bureau complaints, etc.) of waiting Eilish finally got her all new big girl bed!!!! (She actually got a whole bedroom set, but the dresser and nightstand got here 8 weeks ago...mattress too...it's been living in my closet...ugh.)

Anyway, she was utterly and completly thrilled and even helped Dad put it together. Below are some pictures of just how much she loved it.

Dance Class Part Deux

Howdy all...do to immensly popular demand, I'm going to attempt to make Eilish's dance class a near weekly feature. I won't send out emails everytime (no body wants that many emails from me....) but I will valiantly attempt to have them up sometime between Friday and Sunday most weeks. No video this week and not a ton of pictures...evidently Mr. Cav decided he wanted to be a photographer this week and wouldn't leave his nanny alone long enough...somehow, I'm not surprised. LOL

Eily is the one with pink leotard and black tights...

(Reminder...these are being taken inside a building through a big window with no flash...and I have a crappy little camera...so some of them won't be all that well focused...)

Eily's First Dance Class...

Eily started dance class today...the first time that she has ever been taken anywhere and dropped off. She did magnificently...never looked back after she entered the dance room...and danced her heart out. She even listened to the instructor really well...she was a little overenthusiastic about it at times, though...check out the video under this post for more on that (she's the one that's ahead of everyone)...

Anyway...pictures!!!! (she's the only one without a skirt...)