Season's Greetings

This will be the last Camel post of 2010. We are headed off to Florida to spend a week with our parents where things will be happily low tech and computer free. We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a bountiful New Year. See you in 2011!

Steve, Crystal, Corvin, Mazzie

Check out Brown Hippo!

Hi All,

About five years ago, I created Brown Hippo Doesn't Wear Clothes. The idea came from stories Dad told me and my brother about Brown Ottus the Hippopotamus. It also came from work that I did with a seven-year-old boy who was learning to read. There weren't many books that were appropriate to his age and his skill level.

I wanted to make Brown Hippo into a book for Corvin and Mazzie, so I self-published at Blurb.com.

Definitely check out Brown Hippo, but look at some of the other self-published books.

Pretty cool!

Brown Hippo Doesn't Know How to Wear Clothes by Crystal Launder | Make Your Own Book

Link to Brown Hippo Doesn't Wear Clothes

Eatin' Bananas and Other Adventures

Eatin' Bananas
I had been cutting Corvin and Mazzie's bananas into bite-sized, choke-free pieces until a few days ago. I had set a banana down near the edge of the table. When I returned from the kitchen I looked down to see Mazzie eating my banana. Corvin started grabbing for it, so I peeled one for him too. Mazzie ate about a half of a banana and Corvin ate one and a half bananas!






Under the Chair



Hat and Mittens
We have a game we play in this house: "if it doesn't belong on your head, then it's funny when it's there". In this photo, Mazzie has on one of my mittens and my hat is perched on top of her head.

Your Dose of Corvin and Mazzie

In case you have been missing your semi-regular dose of Corvin and Mazzie, fear not. Here it is. Here are a few recent episodes. My apologies for the long delay between posts. Mommy needed a break. But . . . I'm back!

Also, while we were in Connecticut in October - 1st birthday, pumpkin patch, fall leaves - I posted to the Daily Camel, but didn't forward it to my usual list. (Sorry, I didn't have access to my forwarding list.) So if you want to catch up on Corvin and Mazzie's fall adventures, you can look through a few recent posts.

Hope everyone is having a pleasant start to the holiday season. We are.

Denver Botanic Gardens










Cooler Than Cool
Mazzie in her fabulous pants and her super cool birthday onesie from Claire/Charlie/Willow




Corvin Sunlit in High Chair- Series of Three





Mazzie in Sunlight



A Case of the Pre-Bed Time Sillies
And finally, by special request (a couple of requests, actually) here is a video that shows Corvin walking. He actually is walking significantly better today than when this footage was taken last night. They change so quickly!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5PqiesUtkA

Lyman Orchards (Fall in New England)

Steve went to Lyman Orchards with his family when he was a child. Lyman Orchards is a pick-your-own (berries/apples/pumpkins/???), apple cider, cider donut, corn maze kind of place. There we were today drinking cider (you'll see Mazzie drinking her first taste of apple cider from the cider cap below), eating cider donuts, feeding ducks, and walking through a pumpkin patch with Steve's family and our family. A special fall day in New England.

Happy 1st Birthday Corvin and Mazzie

Corvin and Mazzie,

Happy birthday my dear little people! Thank you for all of the wonder and amazement that you bring to my life every day. Sometimes you knock my socks off with your antics and sometimes I have to be quiet and attentive to fully appreciate who you are and how you are growing. You have both accomplished so much in this first year. I'm looking forward to all 365 of the upcoming days until the next big celebration.

I love you both so much.

Mama