Saturday, March 5, 2011

Homeward bound.



Michael Lapin
melapin@gmail.com
(206) 310-3448

Willa on fire



Michael Lapin
melapin@gmail.com
(206) 310-3448

Bubble tea - yummy?



Michael Lapin
melapin@gmail.com
(206) 310-3448

Heading downtown on the bus - all smiles.



Michael Lapin
melapin@gmail.com
(206) 310-3448

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Too long

Wow, again too much time has passed since the last entry (and phone photos don't really count).  Willa turned 4 today.  Crazy, not Willa (although she is (in a good way)), but that time seems to have passed so quickly.  We get so caught up with the day-today routine - get up, get ready, go to school/work, come home, eat dinner, stories, bed, repeat x5, that if we don't take the time to look up and reflect all of a sudden life has passed us by.
 
Today was a good day.  Woke up a little early so I could run out to Cupcake Royale (not as good as Trophy, but pretty good) and get 16 red velvet cupcake (pink sprinkles and cream cheese frosting make it Willa's favorite).  Willa wore a new twirly dress to school.  Picked Willa up from Karri's office where she was happily coloring pictures of Belle and Cinderella with highlighters.  After picking up Ethan from school, we went to QA Books and perused the new princess books.  Picked up some Annie's mac 'n cheese (kids' favorite), then watched some Sleeping Beauty, read four stories chosen carefully to be Willa's favorite (Olivia, Fancy Nancy, Ladybug Girl, and Happy Birthday To You!).  The last one is more my favorite, but that's a detail.
On other fronts:
  • Karri seems to have had a cough for the past two months, but is finally starting to get over it, just in time for busy season;
  • I am struggling with the QA Farmer's Market and trying to figure out what I want to do with the next 5-10 years of work life;
  • Ethan can parallel ski (kind of) and Willa can go down Julie's run with the harness without stopping;
  • Willa is still looking to do a dance class and Karri is still trying to find one for her;
  • Ethan is almost through book 7 of Harry Potter (having it read to him) and next wants to start on The Red Pyramid series;
  • Willa is the queen of falling over, not sitting in her chair for meals, hugs, coloring (she can stay in the lines and make better flowers than I can, seriously), and dresses
  • But she has a ton of attitude, rivaling only her mother and it is a daily battle of wills between them - a more aptly named child I cannot imagine;
  • Ethan is enjoying chess and sewing as after school activities, but seems fascinatred by anything on the computer;
  • I think Ethan could read if he wanted to, but as often as not he claims he is too tired or similar - I want him to persevere but don't want to push too hard.  It is a fine line and he seems to be doing so much more than I recall doing at that age.  I just want so much for him.
Karri and I have our regular budget panic, especially as we envision WIlla also being at SCDS.  Part of it is that we are both savers and at times it feels like we are punished for being such diligent savers over the past 15 years.  No one wants to read about me complaining, when all things considered we are doing quite well, but at times it feels like we are cutting things close.
 
Disneyland is about 6 weeks away.  Should be good fun.

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Michael Lapin
(206) 283-0664 - home
(206) 310-3448 - cell