Welcome Baby Keifer!

Happy News! There's a new baby on the block:  John Keifer Freeman arrived  January 19, 2011.  9lbs and 5oz of absolute perfection.  Congratulations to the proud new parents, Kevin and Chelsea! Look out - Keifer, Simms and Roscoe are going to be shaking things up in the neighborhood.

The proud new parents and sweet baby Keifer

"Seriously,  I used to be that small?"

Handsome dads and cute baby boys

Beautiful  new momma. Congratulations!

Simms the Starfish

Believe it or not, there actually is a winter in Mississippi.  Here's the little guy in some of his winter gear. Why aren't adult clothes this cute...?

That's Amore! Actually, It's a Moray (eel).

Greg introduced Simms to his his first Moray Eel (Gymnothorax miliaris).  Don't worry, this slippery saltwater predator was well preserved and contained in an airtight bag.  Other items in this week's zoology lesson included jellyfish,  scorpions, spiders and squid.

Simms greets Mr. Moray Eel

Greg sorting through his specimens in preparation for this week's lab.

Spiders. Limulus. Scorpions.

  Things that I don't normally welcome on our kitchen counter.

(*note: I had to ask Greg what a "Limulus" was. Turns out, it's a "Horseshoe Crab)."

Simms vs. The Sippy Cup

"Er, guys...that's not a bottle."

"What do I do with this? No, that doesn't seem quite right..."

"Whoa-did you know that thing has handles?"

"I've got this all figured out, guys. Bring on the next challenge."

Good work, Simms, on figuring out the sippy cup!

National Day of Service

"Life's most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?"  - MKL Jr.

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. federal holiday, a day to honor Dr. King's  legacy through community service.

There are so many great children's books and resources that highlight the importance of MLK; we're  looking forward to teaching Simms about our civil rights leader.

"Martin's Dream"
by "J. Kurtz and A. Bates

"The Story of Martin Luther King Jr."
by J. Moore



Love at First Sight

Greg, Simms and I drove up to Cleveland, MS this weekend to meet our new niece, "HoneyButter" (blog alias.)  Boy, is she a doll! Soft dark hair, smushy cheeks, tiny pink mouth, little button nose.  She is just 4 days old and is happy to just snuggle into anyone's arms and slumber.   



small. sweet. loveable.

Three generations.

Michelle's parents visited from Texas to meet their new granddaughter.

Here's proud Grandma Pam.

HoneyButter, meet your mom.  I think you're going to like her a whole lot. 

Simms and his brand new cousin. Hooray!

Unfortunately, I didn't get any photos of SuperDad Chris and Michelle's dad, Joe, because they were at a birthday party with Turtle.  Next time...

The Boys at Highland Place

 Roscoe and Simms

Not only are they cousins, they're next door neighbors, too.

Jerel, Roscoe, Simms and Greg

Welcome to the World, Baby Mia!

Congratulations to Chris, Michelle, and Turtle on the arrival of their newest family member,  Mia Josephine Powell!   Baby Mia arrived Tuesday afternoon (January 11, 2011) healthy and happy.  Mama Michelle  is doing great. Grandma Barbara drove up to Cleveland, MS to take care of Turtle and to help out. Turtle is thrilled about having a little sister. Greg and I cannot wait to meet our new little niece.

Below are photos that Barbara took at the hospital and sent today.

Mama Michelle and baby Mia.  What a sweet little face.

Chris, the proud dad, with his new baby girl

Baby Boom 2011

Simms is about to get several new pals.  Michelle, Chelsea, Kellye, Allison, Anu and Sarah are all due this year. In fact, Michelle and Chelsea are due Any Day Now. And Sarah is expecting twins.  We cannot wait to meet all of these new little ones! 


Chelsea (due Jan with baby Keifer), Kellye (due Feb with baby Bella),
and proud grandmom-to-be, Maxine

Chelsea with her mom, Kathy

 Greg was quick to point out that I should have stenciled "Multicellular Eukaryote."  Don't want folks to mistake baby Keifer as a "Unicellular Eukaryote" (ameoba).  Love my biology teaching husband.

Anu (due in March). Spent an afternoon making artwork for her NYC nursery

We had a great time hosting a baby shower for the parents-to-be

It's been so much fun making onesies for all these new babies

 

Hooray for the Holidays

 The best part of the holiday was spending time with our friends and family... 

Simms watched his very first football game with  Aunt Michelle and Pops
Gator Bowl 2011: Mississippi State Bulldogs vs Minnesota Wolverines 
 (Bulldogs won 52-14)



Cousin Turtle and Roscoe came over to play and deliver Chrismas gifts



Grandma Barbara spreads her holiday cheer



Gita, Susie, Alicia, Anu and I  visit "Babalu," Jackson's new Tacos and Tapas restaurant 



Simms joined the gals for an afternoon of crafting

Roscoe, Josiah & Mimi pile up on Greg for storytime (Dr. Seuss "Fox in Socks")

Lola Nora wearing her holiday reindeer antlers

First Foods

Over the holidays, Simms sampled a few new solid foods including sweet potatoes, squash and peas. 

The results: 
-Thumbs up for sweet potatoes and peas.
-Thumbs down for squash.

Next on the menu: avocado.

Chef Joy purees sweet potatoes for the little food connoisseur

 Verdict:  It passed the taste test. Yay for root vegetables!