Anniversary

I love my wife. Thank you honey. It’s our Golden Anniversary, too.

From Here On Out

It’s important to spend time relaxing.

Substitute Administrative Assistant Sought

Due to a scheduling oversight, M. Frannie was obliged to join her father today at his place of employment instead of the her regularly scheduled day school. Not to worry however as she quickly found her niche as the administrative assistant!

Oh what fun she had with the intra-office telephone system! And how she worked her yogurt sticky fingers so nicely on the computer keyboard! And when she tired of her station at the front desk where Curious George played on video, she kicked over the trashcan and peered at her father’s boss from the edge of his cubicle! And what detailed notes she left on Post-Its littered across the floor! Hey – red pens draw on desktops and on fingertips! she explained to everyone on the second floor.

After snack time and some water she described her need to explore the office complex with grunts, shrieks and general leg kicking. A new employee certainly has the right to see the lay of the land. So her father granted her a hall pass by opening the office door. M. Frannie bolted with the pent-up energy of a toddler straight across the hall into a business meeting! Luckily she froze at the sight of 40 strangers seated in front of a PowerPoint program, and so her father was able to retract her without notice.

Moments after reviewing the Employee Handbook she quit. Her father drove her home before lunchtime, opting to work from home. She slept as the truck bounced westward after an exhausting first day at the office.

A Winter Recreational

The first winter sliding session of young M. Frannie’s life occured last weekend. She didn’t much care for it, frankly. Here she is above standing on the sidelines while kids (admittedly, older kids) joined their fathers in downhill merry making. She did give it a go. Once. And she made clear that once was enough. No tears or harsh words, mind you. Just a firm “No papa. All done. All done.” once we reached the bottom of the hill. And so we were.

Nevertheless she was bundled up like a trooper and we had a fine time walking to the sledding hill and back to the Keobounpheng residence where brunch awaited. Not yet 21 months old and she took her first downhill slide. ‘Atta girl. Next year we’ll be on skis undoubtedly.

M Frannie! Don’t Touch The Electricals!

The Future Is Now

M. Frannie Dresses Herself

Wear what you want to wear in 2010.

Some Things December Brought

December 2009 brought a number of fine things, among them M. Frannie’s first Christmas Concert. She sat on the stage and rang a bell and sang what words she knew of “Jingle Bells” and other Christmas classics. Due to a botched recording attempt by her father, it was poorly captured. This photo however speaks to her pride in performance, and documents her smart outfit.

Christmas at Linda & Lowell’s with cousins Rilo & Tenzy. We ripped paper to shreds, ate very well indeed and had a fine time.

Maeva and Cousins Rilo (2.5) and Tenzin (4) show off fresh jammies – a real Christmas delight.

Maeva got her locks shorn for the first time. As evidenced in this photo, she was looking a little shaggy. Grandma Becky trimmed the mullet, and cut her bangs.

Snow Thrower

Snow.

She was uncertain about her feelings for snow.

Attacking the snowflakes with my snow massacre giver.

Health nut retreat – New Years Eve 2009

2010 Well Wishes

Tischer Creek, Duluth, Nov 09

Happy 2010 from Team W. May all your little deals come to happy fruition. May you get some good rest in the evenings and good exercise in the daytime. Earn enough money to get by and give some away to someone who needs some. May you eat some good food most every day and laugh with friends every other day. Stay healthy in 2010 and learn some new tricks. Work hard as you can at something – it doesn’t matter what. It’s a new year, bud. Go get it.

Peace unto you and yours.

L’equipe W.

Tea Time @ 19 Mos.

The hardwired instincts of humans are such that, try as you may to avoid it, eventually you pick up a tea set and realize you enjoy the feel of it. You pick up two little tea cups and you set them on the mini kitchen countertop (bright orange) which your grandfather made for your mother, and then you pick up an old Tupperware juice container and you delicately pour some air into the two little tea cups. You drop the juice container on the floor and then you (focus now!) carefully pick up the two tea cups with your chubby fingers and you turn around and walk as straight a line as you can to your father and  you hand him a tea cup. “Cheers papa” you say and you clink your plastic glass to his and watch him ceremoniously take a sip. You, on the other hand, slam it back like a shot of Jameson and then throw the cup on the floor. You’re only 19 months old. You haven’t learned yet how to drink tea. In fact, you’ve never even had anything hot. But there is something inside you that clicked recently and you have come to know the pleasures of Tupperware and of plastic china. And of a mini kitchen with a mini fridge. And the pleasure of the ceremony of beverages.

1 2 Go

Happy Thanksgiving everyone from Team W.