Little life lessons..

"Lunch time, Owen! Time to put the buttons away!"
"It's too much."
"Well, I did tell you it was a bad idea to throw them all over the kitchen, remember? I said, 'If you throw them all, it will be a big job to pick them all up.'"
"A big job."
"Yes, it is a big job, but I know you can do it!" This last uttered with a beaming smile. Owen seems less than convinced... (She's really going to make me do it. Boo.)

However, he gets down to it...

After all, if you don't take on the Big Tasks in life, you don't get the Big Satisfactions, either.

"Good for you, Owen! It was a big job, and you did it all by yourself!" Because we KNOW how important "I can do it byself!" is these days...

Look at that smile! The boy is proud of his job well done.

In process

You all have the finished product now. I thought you might like to see a bit of the process.

Officer? Officer, I can't see...

Super-Officer! (Copper-man?) Whatever you call it, THIS is how you wear your police hat.

Kindly loaned by my police-officer neighbour. Who has a HAT!! His unmarked car was a bit of a letdown, however. Even those flashing lights on the visor were sort of second-rate. Everyone knows REAL police cars have their lights on TOP.

However, the quick whoop-whoop of the siren was enough to convince them all that that was, indeed, a REAL police car.

THIS is how you wear your cap if it's a tad large for your head...

And THIS is what happens if you don't have a cute little pom-pom hat to wear under your police cap...

Introducing Willa

I think all of you know by now that we've started a new little one. Meet Willa. She's eight months old now, and will be starting full-time in January.

Astrid and Willa check each other out. Owen seems to be a little uncertain.

"It's okay, Owen! She doesn't bite. You just have to be gentle, see?" Astrid demonstrates proper baby greeting technique.

Maybe she needs to sniff my hand first, like the dog?

They all seem to like each other, and the older kids are being veeeeery gentle. We're off to a good start!