This is the website of Abulsme Noibatno Itramne (also known as Sam Minter). Posts here are rare these days. For current stuff, follow me on Mastodon

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All Hands 22

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Pics from Jan 2015

1027 pictures for the month. First pass got it down to 80. Next to 48. Then finally to the 31 here.

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2015-01-01 07:58 UTC – Sometimes waiting for the new year is not fun.

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2015-02-01 08:04 UTC – Then the fireworks start.

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2015-01-01 08:07 UTC – Then everybody was happy again. And it was 2015!

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2015-01-02 02:07 UTC – For our anniversary, Brandy painted the planets as fruit. It is on the wall in my office now.

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2015-01-03 00:02 UTC – We had to go to the courthouse in Seattle to pick up some documents. It has some pretty floors.

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2015-01-03 00:08 UTC – We got there and back via the Bus/Train tunnel under Seattle. That was fun.

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2015-01-03 04:35 UTC – Alex still prefers to wear his pants on his head instead of on his legs. We can usually get him to confine this fashion choice to home… usually.

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2015-01-06 04:19 UTC – As usual, Roscoe is very patient. He is a good dog.

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2015-01-09 13:34 UTC (picture by Brandy?) – Mike is a good skink too. But he doesn’t get to play with Alex much.

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2015-01-09 21:50 UTC (Picture by Brandy) – We finally got Amy a new used car to replace the one totaled in November. She looks thrilled.

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2015-01-09 21:51 UTC (Picture by Brandy): OK, that’s better.

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2015-01-09 22:28 UTC – It is a Pontiac Aztek.

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2015-01-10 23:54 UTC – Grandma Ruth helps Alex with a new Lego set.

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2015-01-10 23:55 UTC – Sara really wants to help!

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2015-01-11 19:59 UTC – Not sure exactly what we were watching here, but Alex was obviously impressed by it.

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2015-01-12 05:04 UTC – Alex’s obsession with Minecraft increased in January. Mostly with Pocket Edition in Creative mode, although not always. More often than not though, this is not a solo endeavor, but includes several family members playing together. Here Alex and Amy work together while I watch.

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2015-01-12 05:29 UTC – Roscoe sometimes plays with the iPad too. For sufficiently broad definitions of “plays”.

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2015-01-12 05:53 UTC – Here are Alex and Amy playing Minecraft together from the other side of the screen.

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2015-01-12 05:54 UTC – Roscoe wants to participate, but it is just so sleepy in here.

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2015-01-13 08:33 UTC (Time when I got the picture, not when it was taken, Picture taken by Domography Photography) – Amy got a pro picture of herself for some reason. Came out great!

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2015-01-15 14:27 UTC – Amy wanted to go to the annual company party with me and Brandy, but each person is only allowed one guest, so I had to ask if someone else at work would have Amy as a guest. So she made a sad face. We found a volunteer. So Amy would be able to go.

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2015-01-17 02:52 UTC – But before party time, Alex was Minecrafting as usual. Here he built “a statue of Daddy”. He had my Minecraft avatar stand in front of him as a reference while he built the statue.

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2015-01-18 04:34 UTC – At the party, Amy engages in one of the art activities.

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2015-01-18 05:37 UTC – Brandy and Amy wanted to go to the party for the music. The opening band was “Walk the Moon“. Amy ended up with their set list hand written on a plate they threw into the crowd.

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2015-01-18 06:15 UTC – The main band was “Weezer“. This is Rivers Cuomo. He looks like a normal dude.

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2015-01-18 06:15 UTC – This is Brian Bell. He looks scary. But Amy ended up with one of his guitar picks that was thrown to the crowd anyway. Yup, two souvenirs from the show.

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2015-01-20 05:12 UTC – Meanwhile Alex continues to build more and more elaborate things in Minecraft. This was a roller coaster he built, including a station where you get in and out, a ticket stand, etc.

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2015-01-22 09:33 UTC (Picture by Amy on my phone) – One night Amy found me, Alex and Roscoe like this on the couch.

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2015-01-26 06:58 UTC – Sometimes though, you don’t even make it to the couch.

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2015-01-27 21:00 UTC – Oh yeah, Brandy also got completely obsessed with Minecraft and spent many hours building things. This was one of her houses.

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2015-01-30 05:06 UTC – Roscoe looks on as Alex continues Minecrafting at the end of the month. This time on the full computer version. Still creative mode, not survival mode very often yet. But February awaits.

Triple Conjunction

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My best shot of tonight’s triple conjunction (Venus, Mars, and the Moon from left to right).

Taken 2015-02-21 02:27 UTC from my driveway (2 second exposure, f/5.6, ISO 80, 60.57mm zoom, some minor adjustments to the levels off camera)

I had a number of things not quite set up the way I really wanted. I think I can do better next time. But this isn’t that bad. I’m happy enough. :-)

[Edit 03:49 to fix typo.]

Pics from Dec 2014

979 pictures for the month. First cut got it down to 61. Second cut down to the required 31 for December. Here we go…

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2014-12-01 02:47 UTC – Alex shows that he knows how to use chopsticks.

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2014-12-05 23:57 UTC (picture by Brandy) – Brandy installed a brand new sink!

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2014-12-07 20:32 UTC (picture by Brandy) – Roscoe is pretty sure he is much smaller than he really is. He is the right size for a lap dog, right?

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2014-12-07 20:38 UTC (picture by Brandy) – Of course, there was one person who noticed they were not in the picture, and they felt they needed to be. So we made room.

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2014-12-08 00:30 UTC (posted earlier) – Alex celebrates the picking of the Christmas tree.

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2014-12-08 16:51 – Alex watching Roscoe as Roscoe contemplates if he should get out while the getting is good.

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2014-12-09 06:39 UTC – This IS what stockings are for, aren’t they?

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2014-12-09 20:39 UTC (picture by my mom) – Sara posed by some of my mom’s Christmas decorations

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2014-12-10 01:17 UTC – Alex kicking back in my home office.

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2014-12-11 04:02 UTC – And in the lobby during one of Amy’s performances for school.

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2014-12-12 06:09 UTC – A Lego creation by Alex.

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2014-12-17 04:19 UTC (picture by Brandy) – Brandy took Alex to the bookstore. He got mad at her about something. He decided to sit at his own table. Then he fell asleep with his head down on the table.

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2014-12-20 01:20 UTC – Alex in my office playing Minecraft… which in December was rapidly on the way to displacing Portal 2 and Trainz Driver for the “favorite computer game” crown.

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2014-12-21 01:59 UTC (picture by my mom) – Sara and Alex playing at Grandma Ruth’s house.

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2014-12-21 03:27 UTC – Alex gets into giggle fits when Sara licks him.

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2014-12-24 05:49 UTC – Excitement builds! Christmas approaches!

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2014-12-24 13:05 UTC – Regardless of the excitement, I’m not sure I would choose to sleep with my head by this part of the dog. But it was just fine for Alex!

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2014-12-24 20:12 UTC (picture by my mom) – Sara got a new bed as an early Christmas present. She liked it!

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2014-12-25 05:56 UTC – For the first time this year we put lights on the outside of the house!

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2014-12-25 05:56 UTC – The lights were color shifting, so there were different colors and patterns every few seconds.

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2014-12-25 08:11 UTC – As he prepares for bed on Christmas eve, Alex surveys the presents. In our family, everybody opens one present on Christmas eve. Here Alex has picked the one for me to open… one of his gifts for me of course. (It was candy.)

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2014-12-25 15:55 UTC (posted earlier) – In the morning, not a creature was stirring, not even a dog…

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2014-12-25 16:00 UTC – The stockings were hung by the chimney with care…

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2014-12-25 18:49 UTC – In the hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there! (OK, some sort of photographic accident, but it could be St. Nick, right? :-) )

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2014-12-25 18:49 UTC – Soon the presents were flowing. Here is Grandma Ruth in the wonderful vest Alex bought for her! I’m sure she’ll be wearing it all over town!

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2014-12-25 19:18 UTC – Amy and Alex worked together opening some presents.

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2014-12-25 19:20 UTC (picture by my mom) – I relax and observe the activities while Alex attacks Amy in the background.

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2014-12-26 00:10 UTC – Christmas over, Alex was very insistent that we take a picture of this mutant potato chip.

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2014-12-28 01:37 UTC – Then Brandy broke her phone.

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2014-12-30 04:57 UTC (picture by Brandy) – We go out for the evening and Amy and Alex enjoy some pizza. Yes, Alex is wearing pants on his head. As he does.

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2014-12-31 06:34 UTC – As New Year’s approached, time for one last snuggle on the couch to watch TV

Pics from Nov 2014

937 pictures for the month. First cut got it down to 50. Second cut got it to the required 1 per day 30 for the month of November.

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2014-11-01 01:13 UTC – Remember I divide things based on Universal time, so in Seattle Trick or Treat is early on November 1st and that is how we start the month. For the second year running, Brandy made Alex a train as his costume. He also wore a conductor-like outfit.

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2014-11-01 02:08 UTC – The train leaves the station with Grandma Ruth right behind.

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2014-11-01 02:14 UTC (picture by Grandma Ruth) – At first, all the stops were like this. Alex insisting on hiding in the train while begging me to do the doorbell ringing to collect his candy.

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2014-11-01 02:34 UTC – Later, after a bit of coaxing, we got him to actually go up and ring the bell.

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2014-11-01 02:34 UTC – After which he would immediately turn and run. He would then hide in the train again.

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2014-11-01 02:56 UTC (Picture by Grandma Ruth) – Eventually toward the end, he finally (reluctantly) did the whole thing himself a couple of times.

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2014-11-01 03:57 UTC (picture by Brandy) – This was Amy’s first outfit for Freaknight.

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2014-11-01 04:04 UTC – Trick or Treating over, Alex wants us to inspect some food he found.

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2014-11-02 01:1? UTC (picture by Brandy) – Amy was going to be Chell (from Portal and Portal 2) for her second costume for Freaknight, but it was canceled for this evening. Amy was sad.

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2014-11-02 01:14 UTC – Amy was not the only one in the family into Portal though, and Alex wanted a turn at the Portal Device.

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2014-11-04 20:35 UTC – Alex was working hard in his workshop on new train layouts, but it wouldn’t do quite what he wanted, so he was getting very frustrated. Not much later, this particular layout was no more.

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2014-11-07 00:54 UTC – I got a pic of a nice sunset in Lynnwood, WA.

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2014-11-08 20:23 UTC – Roscoe wants to know why I am taking his picture.

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2014-11-13 21:59 UTC – Alex had a trip to the dentist that required him to be asleep via anesthesia. This was right afterwards. He had roused enough that they were OK sending him home, but he was still basically asleep.

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2014-11-13 22:19 UTC – Once he woke up his first request was McDonald’s. We had to tell him he wasn’t supposed to eat for another hour or so. He was very unhappy about this. He really wanted McDonald’s.

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2014-11-15 21:52 UTC – A few days later though it was all forgotten. He wandered the aisles of a drug store choosing things he wanted, including the hat, glasses and brush, and asked to pose with his loot. (Which he did get to have.)

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2014-11-17 22:42 UTC (Picture by Amy) – Um, then Amy totaled her car. Nobody was hurt except the car.

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2014-11-17 22:?? UTC (Picture by Amy) – Amy was very sad though. Poor car.

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2014-11-20 22:39 UTC (picture by Brandy) – Brandy got to go with Alex to a Thanksgiving thing at his school. Alex made faces while he ate.

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2014-11-22 01:56 UTC – I’ve got Alex pumping gas for me.

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2014-11-23 04:58 UTC – Alex decided that to be warm he needed to join me inside my sweater.

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2014-11-23 18:37 UTC – Alex is starting to REALLY get into Lego. Usually it is vehicles of one sort or another, but this time he made this, which he said was “a dog in his yard”.

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2014-11-27 03:16 UTC – And when he visits Grandma Ruth, he plays with MY old Lego from when I was a kid. You can also see the Mr. Potato Head that was modified to look like my High School Physics teacher Mr. Posa as part of a Rube Goldberg project my senior year of high school.

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2014-11-28 01:45 UTC – Amy is not amused as I attempt to take pictures of her as we get ready for Thanksgiving dinner.

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2014-11-28 01:50 UTC – A few minutes later, Alex elaborates on a story he wanted to tell before dinner.

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2014-11-28 05:49 UTC – Later in the evening, food cleared away, Alex starts on some crafts.

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2014-11-28 21:00 UTC – Pair of pants on head as a hat? Check! Second pair of pants in case you lose the first hat? Check! Blanket? Check! One of mommy’s purses? Check! Lets go on an adventure!

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2014-11-29 16:26 UTC – Alex and Roscoe check out the first snowfall of the season.

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2014-11-29 18:24 UTC – Daddy is just cold.

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2014-11-29 18:36 UTC – There wasn’t that much snow, and it wasn’t very good for packing, but this was our pitiful attempt at a snowman. It was about 4 to 5 inches tall.

And thus ends November.

Pics from Oct 2014

941 pictures for the month. First cut got it to 45 pictures. Second cut got it to 27. So then I added some others to get 33. Then one last cut down to 31. :-)

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2014-10-03 01:21 UTC – Alex still “arting” whenever he gets the chance. This is a nice swirly one.

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2014-10-05 00:23 UTC – Roscoe REALLY needed a bath.

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2014-10-05 23:59 UTC – More art. This time something more realistic. It is a plant growing out of a pot.

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2014-10-06 20:15 UTC – October was also a big comeback month for Portal and Portal 2. Alex had taken a break from them for a few months, but spent MANY hours on them this month!

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2014-10-10 02:46 UTC – We played through both Portal and Portal 2 from start to finish. In both cases Alex did most of the early levels, then handed it over to me. This is right as we finished up Portal 2 and the turrets were singing.

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2014-10-11 03:12 UTC – Alex took my phone and took a bunch of pictures of himself and of his trains. This was the best of the bunch.

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2014-10-11 15:38 UTC – It is important to Alex that his hair reaches his mouth.

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2014-10-12 04:17 UTC – Tortilla Face

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2014-10-13 19:56 UTC – Hat Head

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2014-10-14 05:11 UTC (picture by my mom, time is when I got a copy of this, not when it was taken) – Mom Selfie

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2014-10-14 06:39 UTC – The boys sleeping

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2014-10-15 01:08 UTC – Rainbow from our front porch

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2014-10-15 16:52 UTC – Pumpkin Patch Field Trip!

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2014-10-15 16:53 UTC – A friend from school leads Alex to the good pumpkins

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2014-10-15 17:01 UTC – Alex didn’t want to pick

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2014-10-15 17:10 UTC – So we helped pick one

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2014-10-15 17:59 UTC – Here’s the crew that came in our car as we were leaving. They look thrilled, don’t they?

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2014-10-18 21:35 UTC – We had been talking about how he needed a haircut, so Alex started doing it himself. We caught him after just one cut though. Amy had to take pictures.

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2014-10-18 21:35 UTC (picture by Amy) – One of Amy’s pictures of Alex and the hair he cut off

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2014-10-18 22:18 UTC – Of course, after that, Alex had to cut my hair too.

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2014-10-19 17:55 UTC (picture by Amy) – A squirrel came to visit our back patio

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2014-10-20 02:02 UTC – My mom and Alex work together on an activity book

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2014-10-21 01:24 UTC – If you look REALLY carefully, you might find Alex hiding from us at the store. Hint: Look closely at the four manikins, one of them might not be the same as the others.

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2014-10-25 03:24 UTC – Amy and Shane at Amy’s birthday dinner a few days after her actual birthday

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2014-10-25 05:17 UTC – Amy glares at me as I take a picture of her birthday outfit

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2014-10-25 05:24 UTC – Amy’s birthday cake, made by Brandy

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2014-10-25 05:37 UTC – Alex and Amy eagerly await the presents. Maybe one of them is more excited than the other.

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2014-10-26 05:14 UTC – Crazy Alex attacking me

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2014-10-27 01:58 UTC – Grandma Ruth watches Alex make a drawing for her

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2014-10-27 06:24 UTC – Someone fell asleep in my lap.

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2014-10-31 01:59 UTC (picture by my mom, time is when I got a copy of this, not when it was taken) – Alex getting ready to come home after carving a pumpkin at Grandma Ruth’s house. Ready for Halloween night! (Which happened on November 1st UTC in Seattle, so that will be in next month’s pictures…)

Morning Snow

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It isn’t much, and it will be gone soon, but hey, first snow of the season!

Fall 2014 Alex School Pics

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All three taken 2014-09-16 16:38 UTC, seconds apart. Goofy faces on all three. :-)

Sunset in Lynnwood

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My view of the eclipse

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Thanks to Star Walk 2 on my iPhone. Clouds and houses in the way of my actual eyes. That and the fact I didn’t prepare in advance with proper eye protection. (Or pinhole camera.)