And of course, per tradition, the girls got to hang out with their cousins Tanner and Brock when we were in Madison.

-M

Some family pictures from our time in Madison… The snow melted and it got so warm that we even got to take a nice walk through the neighborhood – see last pic.

-M

We spent most of last week in Madison, visiting Grandma and Grandpa. On our way there Avery asked if she could make a little snowman, like last year, and I had to tell her that there likely wouldn’t be any snow during our visit. (The forecast called for pretty warm weathers – in the 40s and up.) I was super excited, then, to wake up on our first morning there to find that it had indeed snowed overnight. It was just a dusting, basically, but enough for the girls to enjoy it!

More photos from our trip soon…

-M

…says Avery.

-M

Like last year, a small section of our neighborhood was recently transformed into a snowy play area. And like last year, the girls slipped and slid around – and enjoyed throwing snowballs (mostly at me).

-M

Avery lost her second tooth while running around a playground late last month. The next day, after the tooth fairy’s visit, the girls had this conversation:

A: “The tooth fairy isn’t real.”
Z: “Let’s do a search.”
A (in an exasperated voice): “Amazon isn’t going to know.”
Z: “No, you Google it.”

(They never did Google it. I think Avery still believes.)

-M

Some colorful photos from when we explored the Strip – including our stop at the gorgeous and Autumn-themed Bellagio Conservatory. The girls perhaps enjoyed some of the other sights (the fountain display there, the Mirage fountain, the M&M store, the High Roller, etc.) more, but it was one of my favorite stops. Almost everything you see is made of little flowers!

-M

Some photos now of the girls meeting Dorothy (just two weeks old) for the first time and of hugging/playing with PopPop, Safta and Isaac. Avery commented of Dorothy, “She’s so small. Like a doll!” And both girls had a blast chasing around Isaac – and playing with his hair.

-M

We spent most of this week in Las Vegas, where we traveled to meet the girls’ newest cousin, Dorothy, and celebrate Thanksgiving with some of the Browdy clan. Among our activities was spending a half-day exploring the Strip (a must-do, especially considering the girls have never been), which is where this fun photo was taken.

-M

As you may have guessed from the picture below, Avery recently played the part of pilgrim in a class Thanksgiving performance; below is a photo and a few videos from the show. (It’s a bit hard to hear her speaking parts – but the videos are still worth a look.)

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…from one of our little pilgrims.

-M

A very quick, bulleted look at Zoe at nine:

• She remains a (relatively) mature and big little kid — one who is prone to acts of kindness and goodness. She continues to astound me at times with her level of empathy and all-around sweetness. (This despite her going through what I called a challenging stage when she was 8.5.)
• She loves school and does really well in it (especially in math, reading and writing); when summer arrived this year, she was sad about the school year ending – saying she prefers Brandeis over any camp. And she came home from her first day of school this year saying that third grade was the BEST grade and that she loved her teacher, Ms. Galante.
• One of her favorite things in the world to do is read; this is a common sight in our house. (And, yes, Harry Potter is still a love hers; by now she’s read every book at least twice.) We recently discovered a cool used bookstore in Half Moon Bay, and it’s now one of her favorite places to visit.
• She also loves playing make-believe school, doctor’s office, and restaurant (and tea) with her sister; the duo spends ton of time together in the back play area or downstairs.
• Related, she says she wants to be a teacher when she grows up (and she looks the part, too).
• She’s very organized and loves making lists – especially to-do ones (like for her recent party). She was totally in her element when she visited my office recently; she immediately set up her own little work area and proceeded to play “office” for weeks afterward.
• She’s still best buddies with Zachary, though she now has stronger friendships with girlfriends than ever before.
• She still sleeps with her beloved Hippo, and she still insists that I sing the “Grandma and Grandpa” song to her every night.
• And, of course, she’s still tall for her age – and she has has impressive-sized feet (women’s size 7) to boot!

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Before Zoe’s party on Saturday, she had a pre-birthday lunch with her best friend, Zachary. He invited her out for lunch and treated her for ice cream – and they even had their own table.

-M

We’re almost in double-digit territory! Our sweet Zoe turns nine today.

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All smiles before everyone headed home…

-M