The Fountains

We took the kids down to Station Square to play in the fountains after church this morning.  It was a great day for it.  I remember Derrick and I used to go there in the early years of our marriage and watch other little kids running through the mist and splashing in the puddles and talk about someday bringing our own kids there.

Room Makeover

 We are just about finished in Reese's room...I still need to figure out the window treatments but the purple sheers will do for now.  I'm pretty happy with how cute it turned out.  Can't believe she's in a "big girl" room now!!

I was helping Reese get dressed this morning. She was looking at my face, took her palm and gently rubbed it across my forehead and said, "I'm smoothing your bumps."

Rainy day fun

I saw these cute Ellen Crimi Trent owls in a tree print for sale on Totsy this week and was THISCLOSE to buying one for Reese's room...when I remembered...  I've had a big frame/print that we don't need just sitting in my room to donate.  So I've been working on making my own picture for her room for the last two days and I must say, it's not too shabby.  Best part about it...FREE!  Score!!  I'll post a pic when it's done and hanging in her room.

I took the kids down to the Children's Museum for a couple hours today.  Derrick was able to bike over from town and join us for part of the time.  When we got home, I asked Carter what his favorite thing was at the museum today.  He said, "That Dadda could come with us."  Awwwww.  When I asked him what else he liked, he said, "The drying machine in the art room."  He had fun putting Reese's wet paintings through the machine over and over again.  Glad I made the trip down there so we could dry some paintings...haha.

Rain deprivation...

 .... this is what months without substantial rain will do to your kids.  Turn them into puddle jumping fiends the minute you get a decent storm.  These shots are from our "puddle walk" at 9 am this morning.

I discovered something else "fun" yesterday.  We go to the library...A LOT.  Like at least once a week and many times twice.  It is, quite possibly, my kids favorite place to go, and then their favorite thing to do at home is read all these wonderful books.

Well, yesterday I took them both into Barnes and Noble.  I guess this must have been the first time I ever took them into a book store...or the first time in about the last year anyway.  It was a free-for-all...it was like they were in a candy store...no worse!  "I want to take this book home, I want to take that book home...!!!!"   
Reese spotted a whole section of Dora books and wanted to get every single one off the shelf and "take them home".



It was hard to explain that, unlike the library, these books are not free and therefore, we cannot afford to take all 653,432 of them home!!!  haha

A mother in my neighborhood made a comment to me the other night that was somewhat disconcerting.  She asked if I was sending Carter to pre-school this year, a question I get all the time.  But when I said we were planning to just keep him home and teach him there, she commented, "Oh like you are homeschooling


him?"  Seriously, has it gotten to that extent that EVERYONE sends their children to pre-school...so that if you don't it's considered homeschooling?  I mean, don't get me wrong, I have nothing against homeschooling, I was home schooled, I would definitely consider homeschooling my kids someday if I feel God calling me in that direction.  But it just seems crazy to me for so many stay-at-home moms shelling out that amount of money to send their kid off to preschool for 4 or 5 days a week.

 Guess I'm just crazy.  Anyway, found this list of
Ready for Kindergarten measures tonight on Pinterest and it did make me feel much better.  OK, getting down off my soapbox now...

The Fire Truck Parade

It's that time of year again.  Time for the great Fire Truck Parade, which leaves me a little more deaf with each passing year.  The kids keep their ear protectors on the whole time.  Being that close to firetrucks with sirens sounding for 25 minutes straight is intense!  They even managed to grab quite a bit of candy this year...a first, since they are usually quite terrified by the whole event.

 Reese told me while using the potty yesterday, "I keep using the potty and getting more and more special treats and I'll get fatter and fatter.  Just like you!"  Now there's a compliment!!

This morning she was playing with Carter's talking Iron Man doll.  One of the sayings is "Auxilliary Power!"  Reese was going around saying.  "A celery flower."

I started to drag out all the baby clothes and accessories last night.  I know it might be a tad early, but I like to be as ready as I can.  It's still a little surreal...looking at those tiny little clothes and imagining the new family member who will fill them in a few more weeks.  So exciting!!!


Reese just decided she wants to be Captain America for Halloween this year.  This is what having an older brother does to little girls...arghhhh!!!

8 Year Anniversary

July 18, 2004

Today, Derrick and I are celebrating our 8 year Anniversary.  It is hard to believe how quickly the years have flown by.  I have been so blessed to have such a wonderful, hard-working, thoughtful husband for all these years!

I'm trying a couple new recipes for dinner tonight.  Here's the special Anniversary Dinner Menu:

London Broil on the Grill
Zucchini Patties (not new but the kids LOVE them and we've got a couple large zukes from the garden)
Bread Machine Pumpernickel Bread
Dill Pasta Salad

All of these potatoes were harvested from just one plant!!

Coloring Angry Birds

Do the kids appreciate that it's our Anniversary today and give me a little break to make this meal though?  Ha!  Not quite.  At one point, I had let them go upstairs to play for about 5 minutes and heard a crash.  I run up and Reese had dumped out a huge basket of seashells that I've collected over the years all over the floor.  Meanwhile, Carter was in my bedroom, playing with my box fan, talking into it and sticking his fingers into the slats...arghhhh!!  When I came downstairs from cleaning up that mess, I found in my pantry a bag of potatoes that had mostly spoiled along with about about 50 ants.  Ewww!  Nothing is EVER easy!

Bunnies

We had a great weekend in NJ.  Reese and Carter enjoyed playing with Nori the bunny while we were visiting.  Reese also had a visit from "Aunt" Claudia who gave Baa Baa (her pink bunny) a makeover.  Baa Baa had developed a nice little tear in the arm thanks to all the constant loving and was in great peril of completely unraveling.  But thankfully, he's all patched up and ready to go now!  Thanks, Claudia!!!

Coming home from a trip is always crazy.  Today was no exception.  We had the usual laundry and unpacking, grocery shopping and emergency runs to the library to avoid late fees.  While I was in the grocery store with the kids, picking up some essentials, I had an interesting little exchange with another mom.

Shopper: Wow, her hair is amazing.  Anyone with hair that blonde is sure to be blonde for life!
Me: Well, it was red when she was born...so who knows.
Reese: Spitting all over the place while she sits in the cart.
Shopper: She's so cute...just adorable.
Reese: Spitting more...making loud raspberry noises like a little baby.
Me: (to Reese) Reese you need to stop spitting.
Shopper: Is she about three?
Me: Yes, she just turned three. (then to Reese) Stop spitting or you'll have to get out of the cart and walk.
Reese: Spitting even more (if that is possible)
Me: (Removing Reese from cart) Now you have to walk.
Shopper: Oh no, that's what happens.
Reese: Takes of running in the opposite direction
Shopper: Your son is so cute too.
Me: (As I run in pursuit of Reese) Thanks!

I just LOVE it when my kids are cooperating in public...makes me feel like such a capable and competent mom.  Ha!

Marking Milestones

2 months old

Few weeks old

Today my little baby girl turned three.  It's hard to cross these major milestones and not be at least a little sappy and nostalgic.  Everyone tells you your children will grow up in the blink of an eye.  It turns out, they are right.  It does seem like it was just yesterday we were bringing our spiky haired little girl home from the hospital.  Little did we know what our family would be like, three years later.  It is absolutely impossible to imagine a day without her smile and sunny personality.

1st Birthday

15 months

 We watch our children grow, we mark off the milestones they achieve, each step of the way.  We don't even realize that as they grow, we too are growing...in a different way of course.  Being a parent has taught me more than anything else in my 30+ years on this earth.  It's taught me patience...like the awake in the middle of the night with 2 kids sick and crying kind of patience.  It's taught me about love that fills your heart till it's ready to burst.  It's taught me the importance of modeling behaviors you'd want someone else to copy...because you know they watch EVERYTHING you do and will repeat what you say in front of other people.  It's taught me, more than anything, what it means to be truly selfless.  I've had to learn to let the things go that I want (quiet, hobbies I enjoy, showering!!  hahaha) and take up activities that the kids want to do...reading books together, puzzles, playing with super heroes.

19 months

2nd Birthday

 I feel so blessed to have this opportunity to grow, right along with my babies.  They bring me new joy each day, and I truly hope that as I seek to help them develop their own personality and character, I'm growing into a better person as well.  I thank God for the years we've already spent together, and for the new adventures that lie ahead as we welcome our newest family member in a couple more months.  Happy Birthday, Baby Girl!!

July 9, 2012 - 3 Years Old

May 2012

3rd Birthday Party

 I can't believe my little girl is (almost) 3!  Wow, how the years have flown by.  We pulled off a successful Hello Kitty party today, despite the sweltering 99 degree heat.

 Reese needs a little practice with her Pin the Bow on the Kitty game skills, she put her sticker right onto her blindfold...oops!

 We reused our cupcake pull string pinata from last year.  The kids had fun grabbing candy!

The Hello Kitty Cake...

 Reese was afraid to blow out her candles I think.  It took her about 10 tries.  She wasn't afraid to eat it though!

 Hello Kitty is as popular as ever right now.  Reese got Hello Kitty "everything" in her words...and it's close to being true.  She can now dress in Hello Kitty from head to toe.

She had to concoct a boo-boo so she could test out one of her new Hello Kitty band aids.

Angry Birds and Hello Kitty

 We found a couple of Angry Birds at Costco today, which totally made the kids day.  They came home and played with them for about an hour, building different "levels" to try and beat.  It was pretty cute, Reese kept saying in a mean-sounding voice, "Who took my eggs??"  And Carter, playing the role of the pig, said, "I did!"  You gotta love Angry Birds!

 I was up to my ears in Hello Kitty all day today.  I spent most of the day in the kitchen, getting ready for Reese's party tomorrow.  I posted some pix of the Hello Kitty treat bags I made, the dolls which now have their bows sewn on (and the superhero one for the boy attending).  The cake took me forever, as usual, but there is just something about a cake made from scratch...

Can't wait for the big day to begin!