Tag Archives: Aunt Kellie

January 27th, 2019

January 27, 2019 shreffler

Eleanor is shocked to find out there’s another trip to the water park after breakfast.

After seemingly panning splash pads this past summer, she spent a surprising amount of time here- flittering from one to the next to wash her hands, and those of whoever else is near

Des is just tall enough to grab a firm pull on the lever…

…wonder if the first time he knew what it’d do?

Sister gets in on the big splash action too

Wash all the hands

Team llama looking (surprisingly) in the same general direction

Then someone was merciful and offered to take a picture

Des for one last trip down the big slide (which is apparently constructed in such a manner that it is mathematically impossible for kids to careen down and arrive in a jumble of no fewer than two)

Well-rested after a long nap, making the most of the opportunity to gather for one last pizza dinner. Ella and grandma in the mermaid blanket-

Story time with grandma, for a repeat reading of Car’s “Tractor Trouble”

Looks like Eleanor had fun at the water park

The boys construct a fairly ambitious car track, though a few actually made it all the way

January 26th, 2019

January 26, 2019 shreffler

Waking up to fresh powder

Eleanor learning fifth position in her first dance class

Lunch with (great-)(aunt) Molly at Lalibela Ethiopian

Napping with all of her friends- Margaret, Blue Bear, assorted animals and, clutched guardedly in hand- beloved monkey.

Now officially a tradition: dad’s birthday weekend celebrated with an overnight hotel stay, swim and pizza party. Des is just as excited as dad-

Eleanor wastes no time finding the nearest slide, dashing down with only mild hesitation

Desmond fearlessly conquering the two-story waterslide

All washed up after the pool, the pizza arrives! The pixar gods shone down on everyone with a quick find on the cable (re-explaining that concept to Des for the fourth time) with Finding Dory

Ella snacking with some of aunt Molly’s candied pecans (so yum!)

Snuggles and Nemo- the best birthday present

While Eleanor takes quite some time to fall asleep, Des and dad build a fort in the corner with a laptop viewing of The Empire Strikes Back (or with all the pause-and-explain-the-plot-details breaks, up until meeting Yoda on Dagobah)

Christmas 2018

December 25, 2018 shreffler

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all thro’ the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a Max

The stockings were laying by the presents with care

When, what to Des’ wondering eyes should appear…

Ella knew in a moment it must have been St. Nick.

Desmond and Eleanor listen as mom reads Santa’s thank you letter for having left out the pretzels and carrots (for the reindeer, of course) with (almond) eggnog

Eleanor mines her stocking for the next surprise

…and last, a navel orange!!

Sporting her fancy new red glitter clippy (great-grandma Jane would so approve), Ella volunteers to unpack dad’s stocking

Eleanor either steals or instinctively stows dad’s gifted jar of Huey Fong Chili Garlic Sauce (thank you, dear Billy–and Santa) in the pantry

“An orange!”

Eleanor’s “covering random objects with blankets and putting them to sleep” game is seriously upgraded with a new baby crib

A recent evolution to the family tradition of a post-stocking pretzel snack, Ella and Desmond crack open their package of craisins

Where’s Waldo? Dunno, but another generation is now searching through a crowded beach for the bespeckled and red/white scarf-wearing adventurer

Baby’s first lego set

“Backpack! Backpack! Butterfly! Backpack!”

Not sure if he’s more excited about Yoda’s hut on Dagobah, or that he now has an R2-D2 minfig

Showing off his new underwear, as you do

Present-opening collaboration for the new sushi set

Des opens Robot Turtles– an educational experience in computer science masquerading as a fun kids game

Santa is real- he got Desmond a real “remote-controlled dinosaur” (yes, apparently it’s a real thing)

Eleanor feeds her new baby

Looking over dad’s exciting new record addition- a translucent green (!) copy of A Charlie Brown Christmas by the Vince Guaraldi Trio

And lastly, a new remote-controlled car

“Here son, let me help you with that.” Hard to tell who’s having more fun…

Eleanor is curious what this magical dinosaur robot is all about

Des drawing on the 21st-century equivalent of the etch-a-sketch

Yes, Ella is fairly excited about Christmas thus far

Where is that Waldo?

Ella modeling her new/first clip-on earings

Instantly his new favorite pajamas

Lego airplane from grandma

Perusing Cal’s new ninja turtle book

Shenanigans with grandma

The yeti is now indeed in the spaghetti

“I’ll give you [Eleanor], the Founder of the feast!”

Ella trying to start another verse of “Baby Shark”

A round (literally a parade around the table) of cheers

Everyone finds a cuddle buddy at the end of the night, drifting off to sleep with visions of sugar-plums dancing in their heads…

November 17th, 2018

November 17, 2018 shreffler

Des helping dad fix mom’s new office lounge chair in grandpa’s garage

If an object has wheels, it will be ridden

Grandpa showing Des how flutes are made

Ella surveys the fresh falling snow, baguette in hand

Early Thanksgiving dinner at grandma’s house, Ella has found her legos

At age two, Eleanor has already perfected her perplexed-reading-instructions face

And of course dinner breaks out into a verse or six of “Baby Shark”

She found a minion!

Everyone humoring dad/brother/uncle for a family photo

That’s a cute cousin set

May Des’ Fourth Be With You

October 14, 2018 shreffler

What was certain to be a good omen, Desmond starts his birthday party day with the season’s first snowfall. On a trip with dad to nab folding chairs, Des also gets a special birthday hot chocolate

All warm

A young Jedi recreating a scene in Star Wars

Eleanor is in a phase where any material, regardless of how small, is either spread out as a blanket to lay on or cover something that is “going sleepy”

Ella is as surprised as everyone else that the snow is sticking and begins to accumulate

What dad thought would be just a nice background (while Beatles played on the speakers) ended up being an early focal point of the birthday party

Getting pigtails with aunt Megan, who is significantly more skilled than mom and dad

Snack picnic

When originally prompted for birthday theme ideas, Des, almost without thinking, replied “Star Wars and Rainbows.” Safe to say, mom and dad’s baker friend nailed it. Mom took to the next level with action figures.

Ella and pa negotiating terms for sharing chips

One can only assume he’s wishing to watch Empire Strikes Back. Or for real-life dinosaurs…

Ella showing off her fork skills for great-grandma Jan

Action figures rivaling cake and ice cream for attention

When you’re so cute, everyone offers you a bite of cake

Desmond solicits help from Liam reading cards

Making the rounds

Mom demonstrating how the R2-D2 candy dispenser works

Hug pile with ma

And the party inevitably ends in some sort of balloon-oriented mayhem

(Mom gets award for best birthday installation)

September 7th, 2018

September 7, 2018 shreffler

Aunt Kellie brings Calvin for a sleepover during final preparations before the restaurant opening. Ella uses some sort of child intuition to demonstrate how the bat mobile works-