Alyssa had her 18-month check-up today. She did well--she wasn't afraid of the doctor. He and I were pleased. Alyssa weighs 19.5 pounds (still skinny) and is 31 inches long. I guess if she actually had whole milk fat she'd probably be fatter. It's hard to imagine . . . the girl is a carbohydrate fanatic. She eats 2 bagels a day, at least. She's even been known to bring me a loaf of bread and put it in my lap. She's not one for subtle hints.

Samantha is chomping at the bit to go camping. Just wait til she sees Yosemite--she's gonna flip.

Samantha has finally let me go just a little. She used to want only me to lay down with her at night. It got to be too difficult and sometimes I just want a "night off." So after much discussion we told her that Daddy and I would alternate nights so that Alyssa had fair share of Mommy too. Now she can't get me out fast enough . . . "Is Daddy going to lay down with me tomorrow night?" Note that "laying down" entails staring at the glowing stars and space ships on the ceiling and talking about the day for five to ten minutes. Hey, we finally got it down from thirty minutes.

Autumn blew in with a cool wind today. It was supposed to be around 80, but ended up near 70 with a crisp breeze. It was 63 at 4:30 this afternoon--yesterday it was 95!

I've got preschool work tomorrow. The kids are making banana burritos: bananas, tortillas, and peanut butter. Yuck! Al and I can't imagine that, but they'll eat it I'm sure.

One week of school and both kids have been sick. Alyssa has had stomach and cold viruses and now Samantha has an upset tummy and a headache. Oh the joys of school! I hope this is not indicative of the entire year.

On a brighter note, Uncle Kevin came to visit these last two days. We had hoped to see him today, but with Samantha not feeling well we banished all visitors. We had a nice visit yesterday and hope to get up to the city to see him soon.

We're planning a trip to Yosemite in two weeks. Hopefully everyone will be well. It's been a year since we've been camping--too long. It should be a blast. Al has never been to Yosemite and I'm sure he'll be in awe.

I did get some compensation from all my overtime. I had hoped it would be an entire paycheck, but I knew that was some wishful thinking. I was pleased with the $200 that came in the mail today.

We're on our next musical voyage--The Beatles. The girls love The Beatles. It makes me smile when they ask if we can turn on The Beatles so they can dance. Maybe we'll go John Coltrane or B.B. King next.

Samantha started school this week and loves it. She didn't even get teary-eyed when I left. She was happy to go. She's got a rigorous year ahead of her, which I am very please about. They'll practice writing, journaling, and other kindergarten-ish skills. I get to work in her class next week for the first time this year.

Alyssa's going through some sort-of development/growth spurt right now. She's speaking clearer and asking for things like "Can I look at that?".

Not much else transpiring here, although I finally got full clearance/approval to work from home permanently. I never have to travel to CTB again--rather, I don't have to suffer under the fluorescents any more.

My mom and I have been trying our hands at Loom knitting. I made Samantha's hat and Mom made Alyssa's hat: