Author: andrew@kesselimaging.com

Vermont winter break- hard to leave Atl on an unusually warm winter day but a maple creamy at Palmer’s Sugarhouse

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Helena likes school suite a bit! it’s grown on her throughout the year, although she’s not excited every day

Nature & Mark Making

Ramping

Helena loves climbing trees. This one is at the Ormond Park playground next to the house.

Helena still remembers but is a little bit rusty

https://youtu.be/PgnNkopR6fw

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Misha’s language continues to expand https://youtu.be/4jZw0vlUeV8

But sometimes he still likes to be a parrot

Helena learned how to ride a bike today

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The kids went to Chastain Playground as well, one of the best playgrounds in Atlanta

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Helena’s first successful ascent and descent of one of Atlanta’s only natural features (unassisted). Misha did over a half a mile of climbing himself before he jumped in the carrier

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Helena has started to turn a corner with Misha. Sibling hood is still not easy but sometimes Helena thinks of Misha as a friend. Both also often call Mom Maya.

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One year ago Helena was just learning to do monkey bars

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Now:

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And new bunk beds! https://youtu.be/0PkFXzpV4m4

Misha’s language continues to blossom and is now speaking in short sentences

https://youtu.be/dNkmMA65bPk

Misha is on school break (as is Helena ) so both are back to some of their former summer childcare places

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Helena loves gymnastics and wants to go every day

Misha learning different languages !

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The infamous Sunday morning starlight drive in theatre market

And getting ready for Chanukah

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Longest slide in Boston! Helena has no fear!

Thanksgiving prep ans vacation underway in Boston, Misha and Helena braved the cold and rediscovered their northern roots

Neigbor friends just hanging out At the neighborhood rooftop bar

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Atlanta’s best festival was back on a cool, crisp autumn day that was perfect for chili. The family also met Andre Dickens, contender for the run-off for Atlanta mayor, on the way to the event.

Helena just finished reading (being read to) Charlotte’s web. It mostly held her attention and raised a lot of questions about life and death. Success on the whole

Helena is almost there but needs some more practice and confidence for no training wheels. In practice here:

Helena and misha can both understand French and Russian fairly well. Misha say’s a few words in French and in Russian as Helena used to but Helena is normally unwilling to say words in the languages she’s learning.

Busy day today – Helena had a friend’s birthday after soccer moms in the morning, then straight to a children’s parade with Misha and the Grant Park kids network. The kids wen to the playground before going to neighbor’s party. Friends joined back at the home front for a pizza dinner, Ormond trick-or-treat was crazy as usual and then the night finished off back at the neighbor’s with a late night swim and bonfire party

And an ok’ timely photo for missletoe state park

Misha and Helena so far are fans of camping but on misha’s third trip this time the night time was rough

At the new playground in Vine City there are lots of climbing opportunities

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Helena’s twice/week after care program in Decatur

Helena was into it for a few min and even Misha wanted to try this classic

Everyone’s favorite

As Misha calls her (or sometimes dad maya )

A virtual safari on the Atlanta Beltline. Both Helena and Misha enjoyed the experience

The doctor asked if misha was saying 30-50 words by now and after brainstorming, he is definitely way over that. He is starting to make short sentences. Here’s the brainstorm

October 2021

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At JKG

Misha copies everything his big sister does. The latest potty training technique is taking turns going pee-pee

A rare meet up in dad’s workplace city this past weekend

Both Helena and Misha seem to really like camping even though they’ve only done it a handful of times. The family traveled to a nearby site recently (within an hour of atl) and the trip was highly successful.

After some time traveling the Fayfessels resumed normal life with misha feeding the chickens

Not the best zoo but had some time before heading back to Atlanta

On the Fayfessels way back to Milwaukee they stayed at a nice rural resort and played nine holes of golf, enjoyed some swimming, arcade, and other action on site including this luggage cart

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From the road (more on this soon)

Typical Helena-Misha time. Everybody not always in agreement about their idea of fun

One of Helena’s old daycare friends (actually both of her last daycares) just turned five and celebrated in her back yard

Bouncy castle

Another year another dinner with cousins Steve and Peg.

Newly opened and first time to see Marisa, Patrick, and Augusta with the whole families.

Helena is happy at her new school in Decatur. It’s a play based program and the teacher seems great. First newsletter just came in

Helena loves climbing trees and slow motion videos so this combination is a favorite

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At least they’re homemade and made with real fruit and let’s mom brush her hair

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Helena had a mixed experience with Parkside but made some friends and grew to like it more as she went. She was in the Parkside pre-k for two weeks and will now to go to her dad’s school system pre-k starting next week

Misha has had a harder time falling asleep lately and generally is not as easy going. According to the wonder weeks:

The chickens have been a big hit among the Fayfessel children. They certainly provide countless hours of entertainment and possibilities for teaching responsibility to Misha and Helena

Misha started GPCP daycare again and he is back in his same class but with some new teachers. Helena has had a harder time transitioning but Misha did great according to his teachers

Helena had a good time re-enrolling in gymnastics for her first class back

Helena told her dad today: “I’m freaking out,” and she was pretty frozen at the entrance of the classroom moments later. She was not her normal self but she did just fine.

Meanwhile misha continues to play with his friend Mila at his nanny share

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Just a few days before Helena starts pre-K she visited her old playground with her brother

With concrete jungle

Good family friends Chris, Sarah, and River while in town for the wedding. The arboretum was beautiful but the DC summer heat got the better of both Misha and Helena

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Some of the “best of” from Uncle Jonah

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