Budding designers

Lexi and I are going to open our own boutique as soon as we can get grandmom to pay for it, but in the meantime we started designing our own fashion line. Not bad for a first attempt, but the next version is going to have way more glitter. 
 

Scenes from a birthday party

No birthday is complete until the party, so we got a few cousins and grandparents together over the weekend to properly celebrate all the fun of turning 12. 

I'm not sure what was more fun, the presents or the company. (OK, it was probably the ice cream cake. But the company was a really close second.)

Ollie and Lexi got me Battleship, which was great because Ollie and I have been planning a naval invasion of my nieghbor's house for a while now. We picked up some good strategic tips, but I have to remember to ask for a new aircraft carrier next year. 

 

Happy birthday to me (part 12)

Every year we go through this same routine, and every year it seems a little crazier to look at how far we've come. In case you forgot ...

Here I am at just a few days old:

And here I am after cooking for one year:

Here's toddler me at birthday #2: 

At my third birthday:

At age 4:

After five years of fun:  

 

Six years old: 

At seven years old:

By age 8, I'm starting to get pretty long:

And I look like a teenager by 9: 

After a decade, that bear is looking really small: 

And after last year, you might have thought I couldn't grow any more: 

 

But, I did: 

Twelve means only one more year until I'm actually a teenager, which ... is a lot to process. Instead of thinking about that, try to find the bear hidden in the wacky picture that Emma and I took this time. 

100th day of school

The 100th day of school means getting to dress up like a 100-year-old. I think my glasses and pearls just about did the trick, but the real genius was me telling a story about playing with rocks instead of toys as a kid, not like these ungrateful whippersnappers today. 
 

Winter camping

I got a chance to head out with my troop this weekend for some cold weather camping (from the comfort of a cabin). 

Twenty-two guys packed into one cabin can be a bit much, but we had a nice long hike, a full compass course and some other fun all before lunch. Thankfully, there was plenty of lunch. 

I even got a chance to try out a small-caliber rifle for the first time. I didn't do half bad, although I still think a video game controller is much easier to work with. 
 

Olympic dreams

So you're telling me all they do all day is go ice skating, and they call this work? 
 

Couch camoflauge

Maybe I'm hiding, maybe I'm just super comfortable. 
 

Geography class

These students don't raise their hands to answer questions much but they are superb listeners. 
 

Mom pillow

On second thought, this may be the warmest seat in the house. But don't tell Dad. I don't think we can fit him on here. 
 

Attack of the giant second grader

In today's episode, Barbie's family is visited by a friendly giant who likes to rearrange all the furniture in the house and choose clothes for everyone. 
 

Bubble blizzard

Funny, the weatherman didn't say anything about this on the news last night. 
 

Warmest seat in the house

Not sure if Dad's keeping me warm or if I'm keeping him warm, but I don't see any reason to move for a while.