Monthly Archives: November 2014

He must have heard me pull into the driveway because he stood at the giant picture window, grinning, and waving his little hand to me as I proceeded up the walkway. I couldn’t wait to meet this little guy and hear what he had to say. After introductions, however, Maggie, his mom, informed me that little R doesn’t speak much English, mostly Russian, and that she would interpret for me as needed. In the back of my mind, I wondered how I was going to be able to connect with this little guy. Within a few minutes, however, he was smiling and laughing at my silly tricks. I loved his curly locks and his super-inquisitive nature. I left wishing I knew Russian just so I could have understood what he was saying while I was there. Thanks so much, Maggie and Victor; I loved meeting your sweet family!

When I first met older brother, D, he introduced himself as “Donatello” – at least, I hope I’ve got that right. I can’t say that my girls are into Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but I knew enough to understand what he was referring to. These two handsome brothers were just getting over colds (’tis the season!) so all things considered, they managed well and TOTALLY rocked their adorable matching plaid shirts. Their playful dog, who was just about as big as little B, seemed completely content to just roam around them a bit and even joined in for a few photos. It got a bit chilly towards the end as the sun was beginning to set so we went in to their grandparents’ house to warm up a bit. I loved the giant jars of candy, seemingly always present, displayed on the coffee table. Thanks so much Marlene and Dave for the opportunity to photograph these sweet kiddos!

According to my 5-year-old, and most 3-, 4-, or 5-year-olds across the country, any day is a good day for hot chocolate. On this particular day, I happened to agree with them. It was so cold and windy that after spending a little bit of time outdoors, it seemed fitting to go indoors for some warming up – the kind that works from the inside out. These precious twin girls were, understandably, totally on board. And then, just like that, they were ready for some more outdoor time! As a total aside, these girls will always have a special place in my heart – they referred to me as “Princess Stephanie” from the moment I walked in. Thank you, lovely ladies! And thank you, Maria and Pete, for going with the flow (even when that flow meant a spill of hot chocolate!). You guys were awesome.