Happy Birthday

Eighteen months, superstar!

Little Coltie

Shoe an old horsey
Shoe an old mare
Put a nail here
Put a nail there
Let little coltie's hoof go bare

Bath Time!

In celebration of another of our very occasional bathings of Zara, a picture. Hair still wet. No longer screaming.

Bunny

Meet Zara's bunny, formerly known as Molly. Today her name is Puma. Also, Puma's ears are helicopters. I'm not sure how tinfoil fits in, you'll have to ask Zara.

Kasthuri's Dress

Our friend Kasthuri got this lovely traditional dress for Zara while she was visiting India. Kasthuri was visiting India, not Zara, just to be clear. Today is also Zara's 17 month birthday, not Kasthuri's.

LA & Dave's new dog

For your reference, we have not gotten a new dog.

Ivy Creek Nature Area

Maryann, Phil, Jo & I took Zara walking at the Ivy Creek Nature Area, just outside the C'ville city limit.

The only thing better than the backpack was getting out of the backpack!

Eenie, meenie, hat!

Halloween 2006

This is on the UVa "Lawn" with around 10,000 of our closest friends.

Maggie Moo's

Somehow I got the idea that Maggie Moo's was a local deal, but I recently read that it's right up there with Cold Stone. But with a twist: good chocolate. With so much ice cream in C'ville to choose from, we don't get to MM's too much. It was fun to go with Stu, Chris, and Fiona, tho.

Carter's Mountain

We visited (even) Carter's (better) Mountain (than) Orchard (cats). There were some nice apples, the cider was OK, the donuts were adequate. But the views, wow. We got our pumpkins here, too.

More Evie's Kitchen

Our neighbor Claire & Zara developing some new fusion cuisine, I suppose. Caught in the act.

Chan-eeeee

The cooler weather has allowed us to get an appropriate picture of Chani & Zara.

Chickens!

OK, so she's a duck. It's her Halloween costume. We're calling her Countess Quackula!

Eve's Kitchen

Best new restaurant in Charlottesville.

Brush Teeth

Um, that's a hair brush?

Ethan & Z...

...sittin' in a tree, s-l-e-e-p-i-n-g!

More Shoes

OK, "sandals" not shoes...

Big Shoes

Trying on Daddy's big shoes!

Big Coat

Pearl sent this lovely coat to Zara. It will be great next winter!

Big Chair

Trying Daddy's office chair. I just referred to myself in the third person as "Daddy" ...

That's no eggplant!

Way, hay, and away we go!

Floors

Our new C'ville home has such nice floors, Zara likes to put them to maximum use.

Helmet Head!

I must prepare my cone.

Haircut

OK, so maybe she'd see better if we cut her hair. But it's so cute!

Where's Muma?

This is Zara's favorite nursing blanket, Urple. She drags it around when she'd like to be asleep.

Schwag!

Great Nanny sent Zara a plethora of new clothes, including the beautiful sweater shown here. Thank you, Pearl!

So-pair

Sophie spent the week with us, to help out and to preview the college interviewing experience at TJ's university. Mission accomplished, as can be seen here with Zara in an up-do.

Rice Noodles with Eggplant in a Thai Basil Pepper Sauce

We're trying to teach Zara to self-feed, and she likes noodles so...

Homework

Jo's school has started. It's weighty stuff, so she sometimes need to get help from Zara. Zara's hat? We do not speak of it!

Autumn's Shoes

Keeping the running (get it?) theme of feet, these shoes are hand-me-downs from Zara's friend Autumn (or Jo's friend Casey). They are a little too big yet, can you tell?

The Reveal

In shot one, Z looks so cool! Shot two, Zara helping Maryann with the laundry, reveals the truth.

Stuff!

Leave it to Allied Van Lines to tell us that we'd get all of our worldly possessions tomorrow, but instead bring it today, with about 15 minutes warning. Don't get me wrong. We do not resent getting all of our worldly possessions, mostly intact. In fact, we are very grateful to Mark and Jerry for stopping by with said possessions. And props to Maryann, who had most of the kitchen unpacked before Mark & Jerry managed to reassemble the futons.

Monticello

Allied Van Lines (who continue to suck) says that we will not have all of our worldly possessions for another day. Or so. Maybe. So we decided to take a tour of Thomas Jefferson's (TJ if you live in C'ville) home, Monticello. About two minutes away. You may have seen this house before. Perhaps you have a likeness in your pocket, right now?

We Make Our Own Fun...

... when Allied Van Lines (who suck) fail to deliver our worldly possessions (including the vast majority of Zara's toys). To pass the time, we dress up in bibs, colorful hats, and play with unbleached, organic, all natural coffee filters. The day after this was taken, our friendly neighborhood Ontario-cians lent Zara some actual toys.

Still Waiting

While we've been waiting for Allied Van Lines to not deliver our worldly possessions (it finally arrived 13 days after this picture was taken, we'd only been waiting 5 days here), Jo posted a "request to borrow" on C'ville's freecycle list. OMG, people are sure nice here. Thanks to the kind ministrations of the locals, we have a place to eat, a microwave, a coffee maker, and something to sit on besides the floor. And cookies. And freshly baked blueberry muffins. Wow, people are nice. And Allied Van Lines sucks.

Hair Up!

Before, during, and after.

All Done Mortgage!

And we finally closed on the house, so we drove to Richmond to eat at Sticky Rice, relax at Wired (pictured), and drop our wonderful Singletons off at the airport. We'll miss you so much!

Almost Heaven

After fighting our way through the terrible Pittsburgh traffic, we had a lovely drive through the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia. As you can see, the altitude took it's toll.

Half way

We spent the night near Pittsburgh. After breakfast and first naps, we visited the Pittsburgh Children's museum.

Last Day in Ann Arbor

This picture was taken after the movers had left. Jo and Z look hardly disheveled at all! A few minutes later, we drove away.

Dualies

Not only two fountains, but also two of my favorite people.

Art Shot

Still #1

I call this picture "Self Feeding".