Cute pix

Just a quick picture update! New hair styles, a less than successful attempt to make a unicorn hat for Kirsi, and the newest of a series of paintings I've been working on. How do you like her 'bored model' pose?

It's Still Winter

Recognize this apron, Kev? It was yours when you were Jimmy's age :)





I need a break from all this slacking!
There's really not much going on - lots of snow this week, which is now turning to rain for a week. But right this second the sun is shining, so there's an unexpected bonus.
My big excitement was a weekend in Tri-Cities at a Sci-Fi convention. My friend Lancaster is an expert in antique weaponry and armor, so we got in for free and got to bypass the insanely long registration line. You know me - easily won over to new experiences if I get the VIP treatment. I had a lot of fun and saw some amazing costumes. And got to see my first fire-dancers!

Back at home, all as usual. Three of us are sick with a cold - Jim, Mr. Public School, is perfectly fine. Obviously we're thankful for that but it sure seems odd. He's doing great in school, as always. I handed him some tricky math problems last night and told him I'd give him 5 cents for every one he got right. He got them all!
Jimmy's really excited about planting the garden this spring. His heart is set on growing giant pumpkins this year. He's also made a list of all the plants he wants to buy for landscaping, but decided that it would be better to wait until we have a house in Oregon for most of them.
Jimmy got a bebe gun for Valentines Day (I got a Glock!! Sorry, had to interject..) He's very careful about following the safety rules, and is a pretty good shot! We haven't had many opportunities to shoot, thanks to the blizzard, but we're both pretty excited.
Kirsi talks constantly and has a very impressive vocabulary. She uses this vocabulary in a campaign of manipulation that makes life very difficult sometimes. She's already made an obvious attempt to hurt my feelings when she was mad about something. And her complex maneuvers in the pursuit of cookies are nothing short of ingenious - witness!
(Immediately following a tantrum - she throws some doozies.) "Cookie?"
"No, no cookie."
"Cookie?"
"No. We're done talking about this."
At this point she started talking as though I were answering her questions positively. I just sat there, listening incredulously.
"Cookie?"
"I DO!"
"Yes!"
"Alright!" - she gets off the couch and takes a few theatrical steps to the kitchen. Looks back to see if I'm following her. Nice try, Princess.
She gets more adorable and loving every day, which makes it easier to deal with her occasional lapses into demonic rage. She's playful and funny, and so SMART!