Ben's 4th birthday, in the car

We were waiting for Mom to get back from the bakery on Ben's 4th birthday. Eleanor sings a version of Happy Birthday that features a minute of whispering, so turn your volume up.

Walking, five days later...

Eleanor walks!

She took her first steps this week. Today she walked across a room. Here, she applauds herself while walking outside.

This is how Eleanor sleeps, roughly half the night. Thus, Melinda types one-handed very effectively.



















Eleanor's favorite place is standing as close to Ben as possible. Ben puts up with it some of the time, and wants to be left alone some of the time.

Celebration

Moments after CNN declares Obama the winner, Ben celebrates by dispensing an inordinate amount of scotch tape. Owen jumps, Palomi jumps and tootles.

Ben was a robot. When he got overwhelmed with the attention, he turtled and ate candy from the interior candy chute. Eleanor made a very fine chicken.

Trains