Weekend

First off, Maddox got "Free To Be You and Me" for his birthday (thanks, Jill!) and he loves, loves LOVES "William Wants a Doll." Everytime he hears it he runs over to the CD player to get as close as possible.















We've been going to this great playground in Arlington which has a two story slide, with two chutes. Chava's freshly washed hair had some static issues.














I should look at this picture when I feel like I am going to rip my eyeballs out.

Birthday Extravaganza

We started on Sunday with the birthday party.... 15 kids and assorted adults. Al lead the group in tie-dying t-shirts, we ate donuts off string, smacked a pinata, ate pizza and cupcakes, and then the kids destroyed our living room.







































Chava was none too happy on the actual 3rd, and who knows why. As Al would say, probably because a butterfly flapped its wings in China.



















But we helped cheer her up with the good old Eckhouse tradition of waffles with ice cream for breakfast.














That was yesterday. Last night Maddox slept in his new Superman pajamas and woke up early to play with his Indiana Jones Legos. Thanks, Grammy and Bob!

October 31st

Before



















After

What's in a name?

My kids are definitely Eckhouses.

Sunday

We decided Sunday was a good day to let the kids handle raw meet and sharp knives. Also to carve their first pumpkin. Somehow I feel a little sad that they kept asking us to "turn it back on" after we had lit a candle inside and turned off all the lights...

BIG NEWS

Last night the kids figured out how to simulate farting in the bathtub. It was a looooooooong bath.

Random Assortment

Chava has developed a real interest in her dolls. The one with the red hat is "Dolly" (although she names every doll/animal that) and she takes her everywhere. She reads to her periodically and gets upset if Dolly can't see the pictures. Listening to Chava "read" books is a real treat. It goes something like this:
"The girl went there. She went there. And then she came back. Because she was good. So she went there and came back. The end."














But it's still pretty cute.





























The other morning, Chava stripped down to her birthday suit in the kitchen and then complained that she was "COOOOOOOOLD." So Al offered to tuck her in to his sweater until I could get some clothes for her. I think she would have happily stayed there all day.



















In big news, Maddox has mastered zippers! Here, he zipped himself and then helped out his sister.

Maddox, Chava and I made apple-honey cupcakes from the Joan Nathan kids' cookbook we have - they brought them in to their respective classrooms to share on Wednesday.

Chava is her own person

This is what she picked out to wear to Maddox's soccer game last weekend. She would have liked to have worn a tank top, but I exerted some small modicum of parental authority since it was like 58 degrees.

I'm still here.

The blog took a hit while I attended to... well, life. But fall is here (even though it's 86 degrees today with 74% humidity) and I'd like to introduce the first Weisz family soccer player:

We've been having fun

I missed all but one picture of our visit to Crooked Pond:



















But I did manage to get a few shots of Storyland. In this first one, Maddox takes the wheel of the "you drive it" antique car while Al and I sit in back. We narrowly avoided death multiple times.














In this next one, Al and Chavie say "gouda!" while flying high in a Dutch shoe.














I'm not sure who hated the tilt-a-wheel turtles more, Chava or Al.














Maddox surprised us by being adventure boy - he loved the roller coaster, but his favorite ride (as was mine) was the log ride.














Here is an action photo taken from the whale just behind. Stunning photography, isn't it?














Just to prove I was there, here is a picture of me. Maddox was whining because it was time to leave so I suggested we have the "miserable faces" Storyland photo.

A few more vacation pictures

More trampoline fun.













Chava could NOT get enough of Baby Isadora. Maddox just enjoyed watching (close up!) her breast feed. Luckily, Sara was a good egg.

























Ivy falls asleep every night while they read to her. Now, THOSE sound like the sleep genes my children should have inherited.













There was a family who had a house right on the beach that we went to every day. They had a big net that they would pull out, take it way out and scoop up all sorts of interesting sea creatures for the kids to check out. It was high entertainment.

Vernie brings a bit of her camp experience home

If your child is annoying you...

just box him up and ship him off!

The womenfolk decided to let the men handle the "fingerpainting our bodies" activity ...

since it was their idea, anyway.

More Cape photos

Back from the Cape

We had a great week on the Cape with friends Pano, Sara, Ivy and Baby Isadora (who, sadly, did not get enough camera time). Pix will trickle in.