Guess What the Kids Did Today?

Disneyland by Text Message

2011-03-28T18:05:00.010-07:00

Running commentary on Disneyland between my sister "Fav" (short for Favorite Aunt) and me. I would have included others...if any of them had texted me back!

MK: On the road yet? SC: Yes, just getting ice.
MK: Yay!
SC: Wave as we drive by . . . . :)
MK: ! You aren’t stopping for pizzookies?
SC: Sorry. If we stop, we’ll be there a little while. It’ll already be after midnight when we get there.
MK: Fine. But tell your kids Fav made them pizzookies, but Mean Mommy won’t stop.
SC: I’ll do that.
MK: Kids too excited to sleep?
MK: Are you there yet?
SC: Guess how many times we’ve heard that one so far?
MK: 83?
SC: Close.
MK: Nice.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SC (at 1 a.m.): We are all TOO excited!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MK: Yay! I assume kids are up now, ready to go?
MK: Gisneyland! Take pictures for Fav!

SC: They were most definitely up.
MK: :) Are they too excited? Tell them Fav says you can’t eat too much sugar on vacation.
SC: I don’t think they need any sugar.
MK: Of course you don’t. You are the Mommy.
SC: Gah. We went the wrong way down Harbor.
MK: You are stealing gisneyland time from your children.
SC: We’ll just miss part of our early hour.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MK: What’s the plan for today? Princess line?
SC: Sat. for princesses. Rides today.
SC: I think that Tangled ride is actually where you meet the characters, not a ride at all.
MK: Awe. Too sad. For you I mean. Karen must be psyched!
SC: She says she’s tired from walking. Bad news Karen.
MK: Carry her!
SC: :|

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MK: Are you waiting in line for something?
SC: Nemo sub. We’re on now.

MK: Yay! That’s the best one!
SC: I think they’re all the best one.
MK: And only a few hours wait for each one.
SC: Pulling Mommy’s hair is hilarious!
MK: Oh good! Caleb got my text!
SC: Yeah he did.
MK: Give him more sugar and he will stop.
MK: I mean, after he crashes into a sugar coma that is.
SC: I don’t think that’s true. It sounds like a trick.
MK: Worth a try?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MK: Kids tired of Disneyland yet?
SC: Karen was scared of the Mansion.
SC (from Pirates ride): Dang. All the rides are creepy. Poor Karen.
MK: Even Caleb liked Mansion. Has she liked any yet?
SC: She likes parts.
MK: What’s her favorite so far?
SC: She says it will be tea cups. We’ll see. They might be creepy.
MK: :)
SC: Casey Jr Train was too fast and scary. Giving tea cups a whirl.
SC: Official verdict on tea cups: they’re really fast and I like them. :)

MK: All the kids?
SC: Well, Karen and Sarah. Noah didn’t want to go. I traumatized Sarah on TMR.

SC: Mmm overpriced food.

MK: Sarah was bragging about space mountain and she was scared of TMR?
SC: After that she decided not to do space mountain either.
MK: But she’s done it before! Well, at least make her do Tower of Terror. Tell her even Fav did, and Fav’s a wimp.
SC: She says Fav is not a wimp, and yes, she’s still going on it. Probably.
MK: Tell her it’s okay, I’m a self proclaimed wimp.
SC: She says "Whatever."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MK: They still having fun or getting tired
SC: Noah wants to be done. I think the rest are still okay.
MK: Poor Noah. What are you guys doing now?
SC: In line for Peter Pan. Caleb likes waving at boats.
MK: Just don’t let him touch the butt.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MK: Disneyland Day 2!
SC: You mean CA.

MK: Ah. Kids like it as much?
SC: Doesn’t open for half hour. Getting in line for color show.
MK: Nice!
MK: Film it on your fancy phone for me.
SC: They let us in early. Yay! Wait, how did you know I stole your fancy phone?
MK: Yay for early!
MK: Was it cause you have annoying kids?
SC: Well, mostly because I’m pushy. :)
MK: So they let only you in early?
SC: No, everyone. :) To get the fast passes. Rides aren’t running yet.
MK: Did you ditch the kids yet?
SC: Planning to.
MK: Holly says make Sarah go on that rafting one.
SC: She already knows about that one.
MK: Dang. Tell her Fav went on it, and Fav’s a wimp.
SC: She does not believe you. "For the last time, Fav is not a wimp."
MK: I’m not? I’m going to have to rethink my whole life now.
SC: It’s raining. My hair is going to look awesome.

MK: It’s always raining in CA. Is it cold too? Holly says you should do dredlocks.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MK: So, back at the hotel with kids in bed yet?
SC: Just got back from World of Color. In the pouring rain. The kids loved the rain so much. :|

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MK: Day 3! Yay!
SC: Happy Birthday to Caleb!
MK: Yay! Give him candy for breakfast. He earned it.
MK: Also, are you having a birthday party for him Monday that I’m not invited to?
MK: It’s like you don’t want me mailing him a giant box of candy!
SC: You’re invited. Also I gave him a Swedish fish for breakfast. :)
MK: It feels like a pity invite now.
SC: You were always invited. You’re Fav. It goes without saying.
MK: You didn’t even tell me about it. I had to hear about it from Emily.
SC: Didn’t I? Huh.
MK: Well, since it’s Monday, I can’t make it. But be assured he will be getting an awesome birthday present next time I’m down.
SC: K :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MK: So, kids didn’t like sitting in the cold rain last night?
SC: Noooo. And they made sure we did not forget that fact.
MK: :) Poor kids. Did they each need their own blanket?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Sarah is obviously too cool for princesses)

MK: So, how about those princesses?

SC: Ariel and Tiana first. Then Rapunzel. Karen was shy with Flynn there.

MK: Was he smoldering?
SC: :) He liked the picture we brought for him to sign. They got his nose right.
MK: Did Karen draw them a picture?
SC: I printed one at home.

MK: Also, Holly and I are doing a Star Wars marathon. So we’ll have to do a different marathon when you visit.
SC: Twilight?!
MK: Done.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MK: So, kids ready to come home now?
SC: Rich tricked me into taking Caleb to see princesses all day.

MK: I thought that was your idea.
MK: So you could get princess birthday pictures to blackmail him with later.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MK: Holly says to tell Caleb “BIGGIE BIGGIE BIGGIE!”
SC: I’ll pass on the message. Dude. It is SNOWING on I8.
SC: Why did you send us this way GPS? Why? Why does it hate us?

Smartboys Club book series

2011-03-28T18:02:00.002-07:00

From my SIL's sister (who is the author):

I'm excited to announced the first ever Smartboys Club Blog Fest to celebrate the release of Bees in My Butt in paperback. Everyone who participates will get the first 4 Smartboys Club books for free as ebooks and a coupon code to buy the paperback Bees in My Butt for only $3 instead of the list price of $6.99. In addition, for every hundred people that join us in the blog fest we'll have a drawing to give away a Kindle.

For details on how to participate, visit the Wonder Realms Books website. I look forward to seeing you there.

Purchase Bees in My Butt

Take Monkey, a literary genius with flatulence; Bean, a science and math guru; Vinny, a computer whiz who can't keep her mouth shut; and Art, an artist who can shoot a basketball like a pro, confront them with a mess of fourth grade trouble, and watch the fun explode.

In Bees in My Butt, the first book of the Smartboys Club series, the members of the Smartboys Club use their skills to battle a group of crazed Ninjas that take over the school. And it happens on a day when Monkey has the worst case of flatulence imaginable.

I'm reading my ebook copy and will post a review soon. Sounds along the lines of Captain Underpants. :)

Warrior Karen

2010-09-29T08:18:00.000-07:00

Karen attempts to stand still and centered while Wii Fit checks her out. Measuring...measuring...

And the warrior girl is unleashed!

Homework already?

2010-09-27T08:36:00.000-07:00

I let Sarah type a report on my netbook since Noah was using the big computer. The next morning after the kids went to school, Karen insisted she had some homework to do.

Letter of the Law

2010-09-25T15:35:00.000-07:00

Karen made Caleb a necklace, but I told her she couldn't tie things around his neck. Here is the clearly logical solution - tape it to him. As least it's not tied...

Happy Birthday Noah!

2010-09-24T13:33:00.002-07:00

Noah had two parties. Peter Piper:

10 kids...crazy fun.

And Nana's house:
He enjoyed getting his Wii target shooting game and robotic bugs. He's officially 6!

Drat! Out of focus!

Spirit Week

2010-09-24T13:25:00.004-07:00

A couple weeks ago was spirit week, and because I'm a good mom, I helped the kids dress up.

Monday, Hippie Day
Sarah came home from school and informed me that she wasn't actually a hippie. She was a flower child. And the peace sign is called "the rooster claw." Okay, whatever. I'm a child of the 80's.

The crazy hair day was fun to do. She looked cute. Albeit, crazy.

Noah is a minimalist. A peace sign and hair spikes were enough for him. I offered a vest, headband, Koolaid hair dye...but no.

The other days were less exciting - pajama day, sports day, and...something else less exciting.

In case there was any doubt...

2010-08-19T23:14:00.003-07:00

I'm raising monkeys.

Cute gummy, smiley monkeys.

Spree!

2010-08-15T16:49:00.003-07:00

As long as I'm on here...

More pictures!

Cute kids:

(See what happens when I try to be all arty? At least they're all smiling...)

Sarah excited for her first day of 3rd grade!

Noah tolerating pictures for first day of 1st grade:

(barely tolerating)

Karen and Caleb at home while the big kids are at school:

Rich cameo on the blog:

Just because I love sleeping babies:

It lives!!!

2010-08-15T16:33:00.004-07:00

*hand waving* You don't notice the missing year and a half on this blog...

Pictures!

Caleb eating solids:

Sarah's first project of 3rd grade, the Mexican Axolatl:

Karen's first day of preschool:

Sarah on Friday Fun Day, Clown Day:

(I did that make up. Cause I'm a good mom.)

New niece!!

With the kids (except Caleb - he looked scared in his pic):

(Check it out - Emily trusted Sarah to hold Lils!)

And with Aunt Shannon:

(What's up with my hair? I don't know. It was being funky.)

The End.

Anecdotes for the day

2009-05-29T13:58:00.005-07:00

Today was Sarah's last day of first grade. She had fun at the park field trip yesterday, but was much more subdued today. She cried in the car when I picked her up. We'll miss Mrs. T.

Noah is a cutie. The Wii is teaching him to read. Specifically, Animal Crossing. There is a lot of text-based interaction with characters. He still makes me read a lot to him, but he's recognizing more words every day.

Karen makes a good grumpy face on command. Her story for the day: she left her binky on the table at the library while she was making sure she had one of each flyer available. More than one of the really important flyers. Anyway, on the way home, she realized she'd left the binky behind and demanded that Mommy 'go get it at the library so the bad guys don't get my binky!' Fortunately for Mommy, we had a duplicate binky at home.

Noah

2009-05-19T12:42:00.005-07:00

Noah didn't get an update on the previous post, so I'll just add a quick note.

Wow, I love this kid. He is so funny, and he thinks about interesting things. Lately, his fixation has been on quantifying everything. "How much is a minute?" "So, 10 minutes is 10 sixty seconds?" "How much is an hour?" "So it's sixty sixty seconds?" And 3 days from now is "tomorrow's tomorrow's tomorrow."

We've also been having interesting discussions about resurrection (When does it happen? Where will we live? When will we see people again?) and accountability ("If I'm bad right now, it doesn't really count, but if I keep being bad, when I get older I'll be used to being bad, and then I'll get in trouble.").

Today we were discussing a pending shopping trip. He wanted to know when we were going, and I wasn't sure. I told him it depended on how long it took to change Karen and get lunch and whether we'd have enough time before Sarah's school concert... Anyway. His response was "I'll take whatever is in life."

I'm not dead yet!

2009-05-17T15:58:00.007-07:00

Yes, the blog lives. It's just sadly neglected. What's a good excuse...? Er...we'll blame it on 'having a two-year-old.'

Speaking of two-year-olds... This was a fun project of Karen's. That's vegetable oil, with a healthy dose of olive oil, all over my kitchen floor. She was 'making a birthday cake for Mommy.' And then she realized that it was, in fact, a mess instead of a cake and she got some sponges and rags to clean it up. Points for effort Karen. But that was absolutely disgusting to clean up. The second picture shows how she's lived this long. She's so darn cute. (Especially wearing lots of chapstick all over her face.)

While Noah and Daddy were on the Father Son campout, and Karen was occupied with Blues Clues, Sarah got a sewing lesson. I helped make sure the fabric was straight a couple of times, and I did the square reenforcements on the straps for her, but other than that, she did it herself.

(Hint: It's a tote bag. Not a dress.)

Zoo trip!

2009-03-20T14:28:00.003-07:00

Perfect capture of the kids. Sarah hamming it up, Noah trying to avoid pictures, Karen oblivious and patting another child: "Aww. Cute baby!"

New blog

2009-01-08T15:21:00.001-07:00

I'm still keeping this blog open for my usual sporadic posting sprees of the kids' hijinx. But I'm also starting a new one with other random stuff. :)

New blog here!

Awesome Freeness!

2008-12-09T18:10:00.002-07:00

Or Free Awesomeness...I'm not sure which I like better.

Anyway, this is not a shameless plug, since I don't get anything, but I wanted to pass on a cool freebie. If you go to the Walden Media site, there's a banner in the center of the page for a free calendar and a free copy of the DVD Amazing Grace (Yay Horatio!) for registering at their site.

I'm not sure if it's necessary, but my username there is Euphrasie if you want to put it in the referrer field. But that's probably just for their tracking purposes.

Gratuitous YouTube

2008-11-19T19:19:00.000-07:00

This clip is awesome. It's a British public service announcement.

Shameless Plug

2008-11-19T00:01:00.003-07:00

Okay, so...I was over reading the Money Saving Mom blog, and she had a post up about Swagbucks.

Apparently, the deal is that you sign up, and they award you points for making searches through their site. You get 3 points when you sign up, and can win 1-5 points for each search (Apparently it's random, but it didn't take me more than a couple searches to win one for 2 points). A $5 Amazon electronic gift code is 45 points, which seems pretty easy to earn in a month. You can save up to get cards for other stores, but I did a couple of point-per-dollar comparisons, and Amazon has the best return on investment.

They also have toolbars you can add to your browser (including Firefox--yay!) to make it easier to use. It's powered by Google (yay!) and Ask.com. Not a bad deal overall.

What are you waiting for? Sign up here.

To my sisters...I'm looking at you. You know how I make you sign up for things so I can get points? Yeah. And you love My Points, right? Do it.

Pumpkins

2008-11-07T07:40:00.000-07:00

1, 2, 3 little pumpkins.

Noah's is a regular scary face he designed. It looks a lot like last year's model. Karen's is a puppy dog with floppy ears. And Sarah's is a vampire pumpkin.

I was fully planning to cook them all up after Halloween, but there was some melted wax I didn't want to deal with...and eventually they were goners. They went in the trash today.

ePatterns

2008-11-06T07:00:00.001-07:00

A little late for Halloween, I came across Sense & Sensibility, a website offering digitized ePatterns for vintage clothing, like a Regency dress (with an additional neckline supplement for those who don't want to bare all), children's pinafores and bloomers, Regency underwear (!), Spencer and Pelisse, embroidery patterns...I am so ready for a Jane Austen costume party!

There are also Edwardian, 1910's, 1940's, and Swing items that the owner of the site will eventually have all digitized.

Karen is such a fruitcake

2008-11-05T18:00:00.001-07:00

I made chili tonight, and cooked some extra beans to freeze. After Karen ate half her chili, she told me she wanted 'more rice' and pointed at the cooling bowl of plain beans.

Me: Do you want more chili?
Karen: No, don't like it! (pointing again at the beans)
Me: Do you just want beans?
Karen: Yes.
Me: There are beans in the chili. See?
Karen: No! Don't like it!
Me: But here's just a plain bean.
Karen:No!
Me: Fine, here's a bean from the bowl.
Karen: Don't like it!
Me: Wha? What did you want then?
Karen: Lots. On plate.
Me: Okay fine.

I gave her a spoonful in a little bowl, figuring we'd probably throw them out once she finished playing with them. She lifted the bowl up and poured them in her mouth and ate them. Plain unsalted beans. Gross. But I guess she knew what she wanted.

The Halloween Fairy and Russian Tea

2008-11-01T13:05:00.002-07:00

It's a double header post. Yay!

The basic concept of the Halloween Fairy is that she comes and takes away all the candy and leaves a toy or money in its place. The kids get something in exchange, and Mom doesn't have to deal with limiting candy, finding candy stuck in carpets, wiping chocolate-y finger prints off everything, or settling disputes over stolen candy. But...

Okay. I couldn't do it. I couldn't make all the Halloween candy disappear overnight. I just couldn't abort the fun of sorting and hoarding the candy for a few days... But I also couldn't dispute the existence of the Halloween Fairy after the kids got so excited. So Miss Fairy took some of the candy (mostly the plethora of things I know the kids don't really like) and left $1. She might be back later for the rest. We'll see.

Per Jenni's request, here's the Russian tea recipe I got from Rich's grandparents, straight from the family cookbook:

Cornaby Russian Tea

11 c. water
1 1/4 c. sugar
2 sticks cinnamon
6 whole cloves
1 c. pineapple juice
3 T. lemon juice
6 oz. (1/2 can) orange juice concentrate

Bring to a boil the water, sugar, cinnamon, and cloves. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add the pineapple juice, lemon juice, and orange juice concentrate. Serve hot or cold. Yield: Enough to cure many.
This is the favorite Cornaby cure for colds and sore throats. A kettle simmering on the back unit of the stove has chased away many a virus.

I like it best hot. They serve it every year during the family Messiah sing. It soothes sore throats from illness...and over-taxed vocal chords.

Halloween (and this post) Go on ForEVER!

2008-10-31T21:11:00.005-07:00

Sarah started out as a pumpkin, but we altered that to a witch for dance class. She was so cute, we kept it.

That's one saucy pirate. Arrr!

Karen the Candy Fiend, complete with wings. She caught on enough to say "Treat?" at doors. And finally, "No! No pictures!"

I swear, Halloween has turned into a week-long marathon. We've been busy with activities all week.

The Trunk-or-Treat and Fall Festival carnival at Church was last Wednesday.
We used Family Home Evening on Monday to carve Noah's pumpkin and make a plan for Karen's. Sarah and I used the clearance candy-making kit we picked up after Halloween last year.
Then on Tuesday, Sarah's dance class had a little Halloween party where the girls showed us some dance moves - kangaroo jumps, skeleton walking, ghost gliding, something or other leaps...basic dance things with Halloween-y names. And then they exchanged treats (Sarah brought Halloween suckers made from the kit).
Thursday, I took Noah and Karen to the library for storytime and trick or treating around the library.
That night, Noah's karate class practiced for 10 minutes then spent the rest of class doing 'fun drills' - a ring toss, bean bag toss, bowling, sack races... I was in charge of the bean bags, which got interesting when Karen insisted on being held while I did squats with 30 pounds trying to pick up bean bags for the kids.
As if that weren't enough in one day, I took the kids to the safe house run by the firefighters at the town hall center. It was CRAZY. They said they were expecting 4000-5000 kids over the two days. All I have to say is that if they were expecting that many, why on earth did they cram it into the tiny center?? We pushed our way through the crowds so the kids could play some carnival games, get some candy, and earn some prizes. They handed out paper money for winning games that the kids could exchange for prizes at very reasonable rates, I must say (great options for 1 or 2 'dollars'). Although, we really didn't need to come home with four more stuffed animals. I wish they'd gone for the glow sticks instead. And the highlight for the kids? Getting to ride in a real bus that shuttled us from the high school parking lot to the town center. Highlight for Mom: getting to round out the lower body work out with some upper by carrying a tired Karen the whole time. Love it. Love the pain.
Friday finally rolled around. It's Rich's off Friday, so he took Noah to his art class and took Karen with him. I got to catch up on laundry and dishes. I also made a big pot of Russian tea to combat these nasty colds and sore throats that have been plaguing us all week.
Sarah went on a field trip to the pumpkin patch. Apparently the patch called the teacher yesterday that they were OUT of PUMPKINS! Nice. You can't tell a 1st grader that. They worked quickly and made a deal with Walmart. They trucked a bunch of pumpkins from the store out to the patch, and some volunteers went early to set them out in the field. None of the kids any the wiser.
I went over to the school to help set up for the Halloween party when the kids got back from the field trip. They kept sugar to a minimum, having popcorn, fruit, veggies and dip, and juice. Just a cupcake and a few pieces of candy to take home.
Halloween night...finally. Rich and I browbeat the kids into actually eating dinner. Then we dressed up, Sarah a witch, Noah a pirate, and Karen a ladybug. There is no photographic evidence, but I was 'The Night." All black. And then I took a white jacket so I wouldn't get run over. Trick or Treating was fun. We only went once around one side of the block...the kids were worn out. Then they had great fun sitting in the driveway handing out candy. Karen tried to put half eaten pieces of her own in kids' bags, but I think we caught everything except a piece of popcorn.
And by this time, I'm thinking I should have been blogging all week, because this post is turning into a book. Sorry. At least I put the pictures first, right?

And now the candy. Lots of candy. Here's my latest trick. I just learned about this book from another blog. I was going to give the kids a day or two with the candy to enjoy it then set it out for 'the Halloween Fairy,' but they were so excited they ate some tonight and put it out. Sarah was sooo excited, she put hers on the front porch without consulting me, and it promptly got dumped in some teenagers' sacks. Grr. She was really sad when she found out I'd meant by her bedroom door. She knew the fairy didn't get it because nothing was left behind. We put some other candy by her door, and 'the fairy will understand.' I'm leaving money instead of toys because #1, I wasn't on top of things enough to get something when I went shopping early in the week, and #2, I think it will be fun to take them to the store to pick something out themselves. We'll see how it goes.

Karen Look-alike Meter

2008-10-23T15:36:00.001-07:00

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Roots - Last name

Noah Look-alike Meter

2008-10-23T15:33:00.001-07:00

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Family history - Geneology

Sarah Look-alike Meter

2008-10-23T15:30:00.001-07:00

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Family reunion - Family history

Kid Quotes

2008-10-23T15:06:00.002-07:00

Sarah: "If bad guys were sounds and the police were a satellite, they could just bounce the bad guys back."

*blank stare* Uh...yes...

Me: "Karen, you're a beautiful girl!"
Karen: "Your hair pretty."

This girl knows how to work it.

Happy Birthday Sarah!

2008-10-04T13:49:00.002-07:00

So, here's my big girl. 6 years old.

The cake was all her idea. It's supposed to be a castle with a ballroom on the roof.

Happy Birthday Sarah!

Just before Fall Break, they had Spirit week at school. Magic Monday was fun with fairy wings, Twin Tuesday was typical jeans and T-shirt like her friend Abby, Wacky Wednesday had clothes on backward and a side ponytail, and Pajama Thursday was pretty darn easy. So, we weren't the most elaborate participants, but we did it.

This is from Hippie Friday. Who has child-sized hippie stuff? We made do, and she looks like she could totally be a flower child...

Here's her quarter-end school project, a desert shadow box. She did everything herself (except cut the box opening). My favorite part is the pipe cleaner ocotillo.

Happy Birthday Noah!

2008-09-21T08:54:00.004-07:00

What a happy kid. :D

So, how lame am I? I was planning to decorate his cake as a giant Oreo. The white filling was going to be a cream cheese/powdered sugar/whipped cream filling. But of course I waited until Sunday morning to bake it and realized we have no cream cheese...or whipping cream.

So I was going to do just a plain whipped topping substitute with powdered sugar filling. But I am not sure that would survive the hour drive to Nana's house for the party.

So here's what he gets. Happy Birthday Noah!

Family Pictures

2008-08-15T01:27:00.004-07:00

I'm having photo paralysis. There are so many cute pictures, I just can't pick which other ones to post. Where's a slide show applet when you need one?

Of course, the other pictures would be individuals. There can be only one good family shot (if you're lucky). I'm pretty sure that's a rule. And this one is good only because my mad Photoshop skillz came through this time.

Kid Updates

2008-08-15T01:09:00.003-07:00

Sarah:

Do you know the boys in my class? {No, I only know a few of the girls. Which boy is cutest?} I like Michael. {Is he nice?} Yeah. Well, but he doesn't really play with me. But he is young and looks handsome.

Good thing she's got her priorities straight.

Make sure I have a shirt for Spirit Day. Otherwise, I'm the only one who doesn't and it's embarrassing!

Goodness. Already? Although she does have a point. The past two weeks when I've dropped her off on Friday, there has been a sea of school shirts. Seriously, I think I could count on one hand the kids who didn't have one. Poor Sarah. She will go to school tomorrow properly attired and hopefully unembarrassed.

Noah:

Spent the first two or three days of school asking every 15 minutes when Sarah was coming home. Then the light bulb went on. If Sarah's not home, he gets to pick all the movies to watch and gets all the turns on the computer. He's still ready for her to come home by 2:30, but he's enjoying being the oldest at home for a little while.

I love watching his brain work too. He asks some interesting questions...which I can't remember right now, of course. He's figuring things out all the time.

Karen:

Girly girl. I don't know where she's gotten this obsession, but she is into toiletries every chance she gets. I thought I'd succeeded in convincing her that deodorant is not chapstick, and then I caught her putting it in her hair today. It's progress, I guess. She does love her "chappie" though.

My little singer can sing a good portion of the song "The Call" from the Prince Caspian soundtrack. (I think we may have listened to it a few times or something.) She just grins when she does it too. Her verbal skills are a runaway train these days. Tonight she was stringing words together to make complete thoughts if not quite sentences.

Seepy? {It's not quite time for bed. Did you want to go for a walk?} Walk. Walk...back, seepy.

Yes, when we get back from the walk it will be time for bed.

Sarah's First Day of School

2008-07-28T14:58:00.002-07:00

So, we got the call that a space opened up at Great Expectations Academy, and we are so excited that Sarah got to start first grade today! Her teacher is Mrs. Trella. She says her first day was fine. "It's not at all like preschool. It's harder. And it took a long time." Here's the rest of her report:

"My first day of school was good. It was good. My teacher was nice. My teacher was fun. I was good in school, and I liked it. I was second in being good. Recess was the most fun of all. I love you, Sarah."

I tried to prompt a few more details, but she must have been going through computer withdrawal because she's glued to the monitor and not paying much attention to me. She told me on the ride home that she had two recesses plus lunch. She talked a lot about her lunch and what she did and didn't eat. She said they eat outside, and there are sprayers around the tables (to keep it from getting too hot). They played Bingo with classmates' names, and Sarah got a Christmas tree eraser. They wrote lower case letters, and Sarah wrote her name with lower case letters. They had 'math minute,' but she forgets what that was. They also read Chicka Chicka 1 2 3.

Going, Going...

2008-07-18T15:31:00.000-07:00

Gone.

I wasn't quite expecting this yet, but Sarah woke up the morning of the 2nd asking if her teeth were loose. Lo and behold, the bottom two were. One came out that evening, and the second followed soon thereafter.

She scored an extra 50 cents over the standard dollar from the tooth fairy for the first one, since the tooth fairy was late. She left a note that she had a pickup in Alaska... Oops. Second tooth was right on time with another dollar. She's currently hoarding the cash.

Memory Game

2008-07-15T17:55:00.001-07:00

Memory Lane

Here are the directions:

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn’t matter if you know me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you.

It’s actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I’ll assume you’re playing the game and I’ll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don’t want to play on your blog, or if you don’t have a blog, I’ll leave my memory of you in my comments.So let’s have it! Don’t be shy! What do you remember? Anything funny, embarrassing, silly…

Kid Updates

2008-07-01T12:07:00.004-07:00

The kids all love to use Mommy's mp3 player. I just think it's hilarious that Karen will carry it slung over her shoulder with the armband. And she has to hold the ear buds up to her ears because they're too big for her bitty ears.

You know there's something wrong with the picture when the 20-month-old comes complaining "Diapey!" and requests a diaper change while the 3 1/2-year-old will wear a soggy diaper until it's dripping down his legs if I don't catch him first. He really has no interest in potty training. At all. He can do it. He will do it if bribed with a treat or something. But he just doesn't care, and ongoing rewards like sticker charts or big prizes or big kid underpants have no motivational power. Kids don't usually go to kindergarten wearing diapers, right?

And if I didn't know it already, I think this clinches it. We're in trouble.

The kids have almost filled the rewards jar (finally). Almost time for an outing to McD.

Sarah quoting Monsters, Inc. on why you don't leave the door open behind you: "It could let in a giraffe [draft]?"

You get what you ask for

2008-06-27T13:54:00.003-07:00

Karen is becoming a talking machine. Aside from her latest favorite word, two/to/too, she is mastering lots of words.

Foods: milk, cheese, cookie, cracker, cup
Commands: up, more, hep (help), op[en], down, "do it!"
People: MomMEEE!, DAddy!, Mememe (Who's a big girl? Mememe!), Ba-pa (Grandpa)
Animals: Kitty-meow, puppy-oof oof, duck-quack
Basics: Yes, no, pease, thanks

She's getting better at asking for things too. It's always frustrating to have her come ask, "Pease? Pease?" And then play the guessing game called "Please what? What do you want?" Her new, improved request: "Pease? I want! Pease? I want!" That's very helpful Karen.

Our trip to Utah

2008-06-23T13:47:00.001-07:00

Mr. Zebra Goes to Utah

Sarah's Dance Recital

2008-06-06T08:50:00.005-07:00

Sarah with dance friends Kiya and Jasmine.
And hamming it up outside before going backstage.

If you're up for a slightly longish video, here's the dress rehearsal (she's fourth in the line behind the teacher). Karen helped with sound effects a little toward the end:

It actually might have been better than the performace for Sarah, because during the performance, Sarah kept turning around to admire the fog coming from the machine at the back curtain.

Karen: 18 months old!

2008-06-04T15:12:00.006-07:00

Karen in her cute summer dress and sandals.

And, of course, her Cinderella phone.

Who is soooo adorable? Karen, that's who!

She is so cute in the sunglasses. She kept taking them off though.

Oooh. She has some good pouts. We see them a lot. Usually accompanied by "Noo!"

Sarah wanted to get in the picture too. She made the little yellow hair thing herself.
The second picture is "Give Sarah a kiss Karen!" When she doesn't want to give kisses, she offers you her cheek to kiss instead. Unless she pouts and says, "Noo!"

Cruising

2008-06-04T13:11:00.004-07:00

We already did a detailed summary of the cruise for our weekly email, but here are some pictures and highlights.

Formal night, and a sunset at sea

Catalina Island:

The captain of the glass bottom boat took the picture for us, and let me touch the steering wheel...er, helm. I didn't notice that one side of my necklace had broken and all the beads slid down to the center. I wore it that way all day before I discovered it. The island is very pretty, but I won't bore you with all the pictures of cool houses and things I took. Just this one shot of the coast and the birds posing for me. Very cooperative of them.

Look! Rich is all relaxed and happy! We must be having fun!

These towel guys were way fun. They appeared in different incarnations every night, usually wearing my sunglasses. You can tell how giddy I was from so much relaxation and sleep because I was posing with them. We'll spare you the rest of that reel too...

Best thing about the cruise: Food. Nice formal dining without having to find a babysitter, ordering random stuff like roast lamb and Caprese salad. Buffets open just about any time. Desserts of all varieties.

Close second: Freedom to get up and go do anything we wanted without having to spend 1/2 hour finding everyone's shoes, pack a diaper bag, make sure everyone's used the bathroom, fixing snacks first... Spontaneity. That's what that's called. Remember that?

How do I Know?

2008-05-15T09:51:00.003-07:00

I've had this song from Enchanted running through my head on-again, off-again since early this year. I was going to do a Valentine's Day post on it...then I was going to do an Anniversary post on it... And it hasn't gotten written yet, so I just have to do it. Even without the cutesy occasion.

So, I like the words throughout the song:
"How do I know he loves me?
...He'll find a new way to show you a little bit every day
...He'll find his own way to tell you with the little things he'll do
...His heart will be yours forever, something every day will show
...That's how you know..."

And I love that it highlights the little things, the every day things that show love. So, here's my "That's how I know" list:

He calls me every day from work to let me know when he's on his way home.
He changes the first (and often second) diapers of the day before leaving for work.
He gives the best gifts.
He puts up with me being silly with my sisters.
He does more than his fair share of chores around the house.
He's never forgotten a birthday or anniversary or event.
He saves receipts for my compulsive spreadsheets.
He read Twilight just to 'get educated' on my obsession.
He encourages me to go to a movie on my own every so often.
He takes the kids for long walks all by himself to give me a break in the evening.
He puts in hours at work at odd times to be home when the kids are awake.
He delays going in to work some mornings so I can get a kid-free shower.
He takes the garbage out every week.
He offers to go shopping with me.
He'll make calls when my phone phobia flares.
He signs every email he sends me "Love, Rich"
Good hugs.
He wrote me a song.
And he spent multiple days putting together a music video for it.
And he recorded the vocals despite his misconception that he can't sing.

That's just the list I came up with in about 10 minutes. Maybe this will be a regular installment, since I'm sure I'll think of more things as soon as I post.

Coming soon also...cruise report.

Nuggets

2008-05-15T00:36:00.003-07:00

So, my sister already blogged this, but it's double-blogworthy, I tell you.

We took the kids to McDonald's earlier in the week. On the way the kids were getting all excited about Happy Meals with "Happy Nuggets." The kids were disappointed that we were getting the food to go, however. Noah kept up a running, plaintive refrain of "Sad Nuggets" all the way back to Nana's house. Then the next day, he slipped on the tile floor and fell backward. He jumped up, shouting and half crying, "Butt!! Owie Nuggets!" Does it make me a mean mom that I laughed at his poor owie nuggets?

Also, I noticed yesterday that we had a box of generic Grape Nuts in the cupboard. They're called "Crunchy Nuggets." It made me laugh again.

And good gravy, where are all the pictures on this blog?? Sarah's dance recital coming up...when I get home from house sitting at Nana's.

FHE lesson of the day

2008-05-05T20:55:00.002-07:00

Sarah reading: "Jacob and his family lived in the land of Canada."
Canaan.
"No, it says Canada."
But there's no 'd.'
"No, look: Ca-na... Oh. Cannon."
Canaan.
"Whatever."

Conversations with Noah

2008-04-13T12:10:00.003-07:00

I was trying to wrestle a bag of grated cheese open, when the zip closure split the bag right open. (Why? Why do they bother with the recloseable bag when it never works!) In frustration, I growled and said, "Well, I'm just going to have to eat all this cheese now." The kids looked up in alarm, then Noah turned to Sarah and said, "I think she was just kidding." Ha.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Noah: I'm only saying goodbye to the boys [from preschool], but not the girls.
Me: Oh, do girls have cooties?
Noah: Yeah.
Me: What about boys? I thought boys had cooties.
Noah: No, boys have boots.
Me: Boots?
Noah: Yeah. Boys have boots, and girls have cooties.

My hero!

2008-04-08T16:28:00.002-07:00

Rich turned in and was approved on his final write up for his Woodbadge goals. This has been an 18-month endeavor, and he's worked really hard on it.
Hooray for Rich!

I found it! I fo-ound it! Hee.

2008-04-05T19:31:00.004-07:00

(I can't say "I found it" without using the Land Before Time Cera voice.)

So, about 6 months ago, I'd posted a review of the book Beauty and mentioned that I was still looking for my favorite movie version. Well, it popped up on Amazon the other day! I wasn't sure, since I couldn't find any pictures, but the description sounded just familiar enough for me to be hopeful. It didn't hurt that it was on sale for $5.49, so I got it. We watched it tonight, and it's definitely the one I remembered.

It's one of the Cannon Group Fairy Tale Series. Beauty and the Beast with Rebecca De Mornay and John Savage, if anyone's interested. (Several of the other movies in the series look really familiar too.)

Yay for me!

That's a spicy meat-a-ball!

2008-04-04T16:08:00.004-07:00

This just cracks me up.

Rich found Karen doing this and brought her to me to take a picture. Who says babies prefer bland tastes? Apparently sucking salsa off chips isn't enough. She needs the whole bottle of Tabasco sauce.

(Fortunately she couldn't get the lid off, so it was just a little bit around the sides.)

Making Jam

2008-04-04T16:06:00.002-07:00

Mmmm. Cheap strawberries mean time to fill up the freezer!

The kids were good helpers.

Easter

2008-04-04T16:00:00.004-07:00

Sarah in her Easter dress with a lily she made in class.

Gotta dye Easter eggs. Just gotta.

Easter baskets:

Noah's favorite was the cars, of course. Sarah liked the magnetic spinning bunny.

And Karen is a candy fiend. She's still finding Easter candy around the house.

This was NOT funny.

2008-04-01T11:57:00.002-07:00

We got a package yesterday from my sister Holly. When we opened it up, guess what we found? A DEAD PUPPY. The kids were so sad / freaked out about it, that Rich had to go buy a live puppy to get them to stop rolling around on the floor crying.
So now we have a puppy. Her name is Moldie.

Bwahahaha

2008-03-28T10:10:00.003-07:00

My evil plan is working. I've been collecting lots of the books I enjoyed when I was little and some other books that have been recommended by others. I just wanted to have them around the house.

I've tried to interest Sarah in a few books (we're talking longer chapter books now), but she'll either read a chapter or two and lose interest or have me reading to her (which is fine too). She finally caught the bug though. Hehehe. She read two chapter books in a row, one last night and one this morning. It was so cute to see her wandering around the house completely absorbed in a book.

And the winner is...The Magic Treehouse books. We'd read the first two to/with her, but she read #3 and #4 all on her own.

I win!

Karen on Vacation

2008-03-10T21:02:00.000-07:00

You'd think there wouldn't be too much to interest a toddler (who was afraid of characters) at Disneyland. But you'd be wrong. Disneyland has ducks.

Then there's the favorite game called "Does gravity still work?"

And running to get into the hotel bathroom whenever she wasn't being watched was fun too.

But, of course the Sea World animals were her favorites.

Noah on Vacation

2008-03-10T20:52:00.001-07:00

Noah wasn't too thrilled with any ride remotely fast (although he made an exception for Pirates). He didn't want to talk to Mickey or any characters either. He did like tamish rides that weren't dark and pretend play things. And shooting things in the Buzz Lightyear ride and swords at the souvenir stands. And food.

Teacups, White Rabbit's house, & Escaping the Dog Pound

Sea World was more his speed. He liked the funny shows and looking at (but not touching) things.

Sarah at Sea World

2008-03-10T20:50:00.000-07:00

No fear. After mastering the roller coaster, Sarah had no qualms about getting close to the wildlife at Sea World. She loved the tide pools and was inches away from climbing in the tank with the bat and manta rays.

Sarah at Disneyland

2008-03-10T20:46:00.002-07:00

You know Disneyland is the little girl's fairy tale come true. And it's all about the princesses.

That long line waiting? Totally worth it. Sarah read Belle a story, chatted with Jasmine, and discussed hair with Cinderella. She was just eating up all the individual attention. Totally worth it.

She did mention that Ariel wasn't a real mermaid but someone dressed up.

It didn't stop her from telling Ariel that her favorite part of the movie was "When you got married." We all just love Happily Ever After. Don't you think?

And what goes better with Princesses than roller coasters? Sarah surprised us all by braving some faster rides--the Matterhorn, Space Mountain, and Indiana Jones. She said she wasn't scared about any of it, except the Abominable Snowman jumping out on the Matterhorn.

Disneyland! Yay!

2008-03-10T20:31:00.000-07:00

Look! Things shaped like Mickey!
We must take pictures!

It was probably about time. We haven't ever really taken a family vacation outside of going to visit family. Sarah is in prime "Princess" mode, which probably won't last. So we took the kids to Disneyland and Sea World for a day each.

I still love Disneyland. I don't think that magic ever goes away.

(Picture--and lighting--courtesy of Sarah)

The Zoo? Again?

2008-03-10T20:24:00.000-07:00

We go to the zoo frequently. When I downloaded the camera, I found that most of my pictures were of Karen. I guess that makes sense, since I already have lots of pictures of the backs of Sarah and Noah's heads at the zoo. This was Karen's first real trip (not counting the trip as a baby). She loves animals. It doesn't matter what kind. If you ask her, they are all "Dog." Or maybe "Duck." (Unless she's saying "Stuck" or "Stop" --you can never quite tell.) And they all say "Oof! Oof!" So it's probably "Dog."

Karen's move to the booster chair

2008-03-09T21:46:00.000-07:00

Why Karen needed to move from her high chair to the booster:

Karen likes sitting up to the table with the family. She's getting really good at using utensils too. I'm pretty sure at least 50% of the food ends up in her mouth!

Conversation with Noah

2008-03-09T18:42:00.003-07:00

Me: Are you all mine?
Noah: Yes!
Daddy: What? What about me?
Noah: I'm all yours too.
Me: Hey! How can you be all mine and Daddy's?
Noah: Because I love you both.
Me: Good answer.

You just can't argue with that.

Miscellaneous Pictures

2008-02-26T16:52:00.004-07:00

Cute Sisters

Noah was all dressed up and proud for his first Sunday as a Sunbeam. (Yes, it's taken me this long to get the picture up.) The other kids stayed home sick that first week. Primary was nothing new for Sarah, and Karen's not in nursery yet anyway. (2 more months...just 2 more months!)

My fingerless mittens. It was my first try knitting around, and my first cable-knitting. Actually, I guess this picture is my second try, since it's the second mitten. The first mitten was baggier, since I always knit tighter as I go. Same with crocheting.

More Karen Cuteness

2008-02-20T21:37:00.004-07:00

Karen loves books. Upside down or right side up.

Karen at 15 months

2008-02-14T13:04:00.002-07:00

One of my little valentines...

Highlights for this session: She loves that puppy. It says "Oof! Oof!" We managed not to eat the daisies...or whatever. She was more than willing to show off walking. And check out that adorable pony tail!!

(I didn't realize till after the pictures came out that our shirts were two different shades of red. Oops!)

Princess Sarah

2008-02-11T11:52:00.001-07:00

Sarah kept Aunt Carolyn busy as a dressmaker with Grandma's fun slinky fabric.

Tag

2008-02-11T11:20:00.000-07:00

Jenni tagged me, so here you go:

I tag...Ginger, KQ, and whoever else wants to.

What were you doing 10 years ago?

February '98. Hmm, winter semester of my freshman year at BYU... I was taking Honors Astronomy at 8 a.m. and having a horrible time staying awake, some high-level Economics class under the delusion that I was going to get an Econ minor, an Honors literature seminar where I had interesting class discussions while doing less than half the reading...basically being a freshman slacker, since for the first time no one was looking over my shoulder at my grades (C, B+, A- if you're interested...and why wouldn't you be?)

5 things on my to-do list today:

1. Finish my book that's overdue at the library. (Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale)
2. Call the school to find out how I can get Sarah in 1st grade.
3. Mess around with extractions indexing.
4. Go to the library.
5. Make something real for dinner (rather than leftovers or whatever's in the fridge).

Things I would do if I were suddenly a billionaire:

1. Hire a financial manager.
2. Get a bigger house with all the cool stuff that's fun to imagine (library, sound proof music rooms...)
3. Get a bomb shelter...or maybe just the fun food storage rotation shelves to fill with good stuff in my brand new basement.
4. Shopping...just think, I could own more than two pairs of jeans, and the kids could wear things that fit instead of the stuff they're growing out of but I'm too cheap to replace...
5. Investments...lots of them. College funds, annuities, real estate... Oh, I'd have so much fun playing with enough money that transaction costs don't eat up my profits.

2 of my bad habits:

1. I frequently forget laundry half way through. I leave it sitting in the washer all day or let it sit in the dryer getting all wrinkly. If by some miracle it gets hung up, it usually doesn't make if off the rack in the laundry room.
2. I let dishes pile up in the sink until there're more than will fit in the dishwasher and we're out of spoons.

Places I have lived:

1. Edwards AFB, CA
2. Clearfield, UT
3. Beaver Creek, OH
4. Mesa, AZ
5. Tucson, AZ
6. Provo, UT
7. Tucson, AZ
8. Sahuarita, AZ

5 Jobs I have had:

1. Penny Saver paper route
2. Eegee's sandwich maker/cashier
3. BYU Janitor - evening shift, then 4 a.m. shift
4. D.A.R.R.T. researcher (I can't even remember what that stands for--something about digital, research, and team--but we worked on getting copyright permission for images to be used in online BYU courses.)
5. Admin. Asst. to the VP of Finance at Tucson Newspapers

5 Things people don't know about me:

1. I have MVP. (mitral valve prolapse...which as far as I can tell does nothing)
2. I cut my own hair. (Nobody knows that, right? You can't tell?)
3. I have never driven over 85 mph.
4. I've been pulled over by a cop once (no ticket though)...who knew you can't make U-turns in Oregon?
5. I haven't ironed an article of clothing (other than fabric for sewing) in at least 5 years.

Relatives over the Holidays

2008-02-04T17:08:00.000-07:00

Since I'm still trying to catch up with the pictures I took over Christmas (without overloading the blog all at once):

Grandma and Grandpa love Karen!

So do Great Grandpa and Great Grandma!

Noah likes to play with Grandma and Grandpa...

...and he'll let Great Grandpa look at the car.

Sarah apparently didn't hold still long enough to capture her.

Finally!

2008-02-03T16:46:00.000-07:00

At exactly 15 months she finally consents to take a few steps, then the next day--off she goes! (This only proves to me that she's been capable for a while now...just stubborn.)

Plus, Sarah provides excellent motivation: pumpkin Peeps that have been hiding in a cupboard since last October.

Who's sneaky now?

2008-01-30T19:48:00.000-07:00

So, I was planning ahead and everything by cutting up some veggies for dinner early in the afternoon while the kids where playing nicely instead of right before dinner when they go nuts. Karen was pulling on my leg wanting up, so I got her a chair to stand on so she could see what I was doing. She thought it was the greatest thing to grab pieces of pepper and mushroom to eat out of my bowl while I was working. I was telling her what a sneaky girl she was to be sneaking Mommy's food. Sarah wandered by asking, "What's she getting? I want some." Heh. My kids were happily eating veggies. Who's sneaky now? Ha!

Sarah's Current Favorite Joke

2008-01-29T20:50:00.000-07:00

"If there's a Eur-OPE, where's Eur-DOWN?"

Vacation in Utah

2008-01-15T20:47:00.001-07:00

The kids got to go sledding. For real. On a real hill, with real snow, and real sleds. Yippee!

Sarah was nervous to go down the hill at first,

but once down with Daddy, and she was sold.

She even went down headfirst.

Snow reflects her blue eyes nicely too.

Noah had no reservations about jumping on the sled for his turn. He liked driving the little red sled on his own too.

Karen observed for a while (check those blue eyes again!), then she consented to going for a ride with Daddy.

It's a good thing our Utah relatives had coats to share because it was cold, and our pansy Arizona coats probably would not have been enough.

Christmas 2007

2008-01-12T12:26:00.000-07:00

I'm going to have to pace myself with the holiday pictures. I finally downloaded the camera... So, for today, here's Christmas morning at my family's house.

Sarah got the new helmet she asked Santa for...and a bike to go with it. She also got a fairy doll and pony via the Nana outpost of Santa's workshop.

Noah was really into the opening of presents. And then he ran off to play dart tag with Uncle Andy.

Karen was persuaded to rip her own paper off with minimal help. I love the look on her face when she heard the toy puppy making noise.

My New Niece

2008-01-11T09:00:00.000-07:00

Isn't she adorable?

7 lbs 15 1/2 oz., 21"

There's your proof that I am the favorite aunt. I got to hold her first. And see how she adores me?

Did you ever wonder...

2007-12-22T09:33:00.000-07:00

...how fairies celebrate Christmas?

In their houses, with tiny fairy doors, surrounded with tiny fairy berries. They have a tiny fairy wreath, a tiny fairy Christmas tree, tiny fairy lights and decorations, and tiny fairy Christmas dresses. "They are excited to open their presents and find out what they are. They love their pretty red dresses. Their names are: Beauty, Valentine, and Holly."

Token Project Lament

2007-12-19T13:22:00.000-07:00

The cute pictures have kind of taken over this blog's original mission statement. So here's the token update on the crazy stuff the kids get into.

Karen: Her latest display of displeasure is smacking herself in the face. As in "Do what I want now, or I will hurt myself again!" And she loves crawling all around the house (eating any goodies she find along the way) and finding any shelf or cupboard within reach. I'm sure you know what follows.

Noah: The little turkey pulled my knitting needle out of a pair of gloves I was making and used it to dig in the rocks outside. So, not only do I have to start over on the glove (I just can't pick up stitches...it never looks right afterward), but I had to use plier to straighten the poor little mutilated needle tip. And it will never knit smoothly again. :( Then I discovered he's also been using a stick to whack the leaves off all my plants in the backyard. The ones that the frost didn't get. :|

Sarah: Nothing too destructive on this front. Mostly just lots of back talk. Oooh, does she know how to push buttons. The worst project lately has been flooding the bathroom floor with water. Could be worse.

Yay for winning and free stuff!

2007-12-05T11:26:00.000-07:00

They just opened up a new Fry's grocery store just a little way from where we live. After dropping Sarah off at preschool, I took the other two kids to check out the grand opening. It was a madhouse, but kinda fun too. They had samples of all kinds of things all over the store. There was a small band playing Christmas songs outside. They had the racecar carts that Noah loves. Prices don't quite beat Super Wal-mart, but the sale prices weren't bad.

The icing, though, was that they were giving away free bags of groceries every half hour. I happened to be at checkout for one such, and they picked my aisle. Inside the bag was a selection of their fancier store brand things: generic organic Cheerios, instant oatmeal, juice, salad dressing, spice grinders, pickles, cocoa, bread, cocktail sauce, mixed nuts. A box of tea and a bag of coffee that will probably go to the neighbors. And...a $50 gift card! And a booklet of coupons for a bunch more free store brand stuff!

Yay for winning! And free stuff!

Christmas Spirit

2007-12-02T20:36:00.000-07:00

We're feeling the Spirit of Christmas around our house!

We have a little Christmas Elf. She's getting good at repeating things, so today I got her saying "Ho, ho, ho." It was pretty funny.

The kids have been making all kinds of lists and letters to Santa. Noah's top choice is Motorcycles with Hot Wheels. Sarah is pretty consistent on a new dress and a new bike (her old one is getting small for her). Karen wants "this!" or maybe "eyes - beep!" (Apparently 'eyes' is easier to say than 'nose.')

And Sarah is absolutely smitten with the song "Born on Christmas Day" by Brad Paisley. I don't know if it's because the recording on his CD starts with him singing as a 13-year-old, or if she just genuinely likes the song. In any case, she knows all the words, and requests it on all occasions (Primary sharing time, Primary activity day, Family Home Evening).

Christmas music, Christmas shopping, Christmas cookies, Christmas tree, Christmas lights, Christmas ornaments, Christmas crafts... We are so there.

100th Post

2007-11-28T12:10:00.000-07:00

Why should the kids get all the milestones? This is my 100th post on this blog (not counting comments). Aren't you proud of yourselves for putting up with that much of me?

And in the proud tradition of stealing another blogger's idea, I'm posting "100 things you didn't really want to know about me."

1. Sometimes I wear pajamas all day long...until just before Rich is going to get home.
2. I love to cook and try new recipes (or make up my own from whatever's handy).
3. I'm going on my 3rd year teaching in a co-op preschool group.
4. I'm a portrait fanatic (like you couldn't tell that from the blog) --I take the kids every month for the first year, then 15 mo., 18 mo., 2 yrs, 2 1/2 yrs, 3 yrs...and annually from there.
5. I don't scrapbook.
6. The best I can do is put pictures in a binder...which I'm about 1 1/2 years behind on.
7. Weeks can go by without my kitchen island surface being visible.
8. I have no junk drawer; I have junk buckets.
9. I constantly have to throw away medications past their "use by" date. We just don't take anything that often.
10. I am still working on a thread-crochet tablecloth that I began in 2001.
11. I like to pretend I speak lots of languages just because I know a dozen or so words/phrases in each.
12. The last time I had the flu was 7 1/2 years ago...on my wedding day.
13. I can sing soprano, alto, tenor, or bass (as long as the bass part doesn't go below a B or C, depending on the day).
14. I got to sing a solo in the Tabernacle in SLC once...
15. ...in the basement for my brother's baptism.
16. I attended 6 different elementary schools.
17. All 3 of my kids were born C-section.
18. I buy far more books than I probably should, and I can't stand getting rid of any.
19. I got 2 'C's in college...
20. ...one in volleyball (25% of my final grade was serving overhand and spiking)...
21. ...and one in Honors Astronomy, which was at 8 a.m., and I just could not stay awake.
22. My final G.P.A. was 3.74.
23. My degree is a B.S. in Business Management with an emphasis in Finance.
24. I'm the Spreadsheet Queen.
25. My day-to-day budget spreadsheet has 9 worksheets in it.
26. One wall of my bedroom is completely covered by stacked food storage boxes and cans.
27. I own 8 pairs of shoes, 4 of which I wear with any regularity.
28. I still have and wear things I wore in high school.
29. I got my ears pierced when I was 14, but I've let them grow back together.
30. I like to pretend I can garden.
31. The only grass I have at my house is about 250 sq. ft. of synthetic lawn in the backyard.
32. I was a Resident Assistant my sophomore year at B.Y.U.
33. I picked my husband out from a photo phone directory to ask to a girls' choice dance.
34. When I asked Rich to that dance, I hid puzzle pieces inside cupcakes...one of which got drop kicked. We couldn't leave it out, since it had a puzzle piece in it, so we brushed it off and took it anyway.
35. Rich went from being a random date to being a prospect when he followed up on a conversation with a written note--about racquetball and peanut butter brownies.
36. I rarely wear make up. Any make up. Not even chapstick.
37. I really enjoyed all of school. Yes, even junior high.
38. I (as far as I know) learned to read when I was 3 years old.
39. I'm a compulsive grammar policewoman.
40. Math was my favorite subject in school.
41. I've never broken a bone (that I know for sure--one crooked finger may have been once).
42. I'm losing control of my 'pile' filing system.
43. I have a really hard time getting rid of things...even the silly McDonald's toys that get left around.
44. My favorite board game is Settlers of Catan.
45. I was valedictorian in high school (one of 8...).
46. I gave a pretentious speech quoting A Separate Peace.
47. I ran for student council 5 years in a row but never won.
48. The only currently running shows I watch are Lost and Smallville. (I may get on board with Pushing Daisies; we'll see.)
49. I am the Primary Music Leader in my ward.
50. I once did an entire science project the night before it was due, simply because the teacher told us at the beginning of the semester that it couldn't be done.
51. I am a severe procrastinator.
52. I have a mild to moderate telephone aversion.
53.I never went out with any guy more than once except my husband.
54. I went on a total of 7 dates other than my husband.
55. I worked the 4 a.m. custodial shift in college for a semester.
56. I worked as Administrative Assistant to the VP of Finance at Tucson Newspapers for a year before Sarah was born.
57. I like to play racquetball.
58. I played cello for 9 years before I stopped practicing (I dust it off now and then still...).
59. If I could have a super power, it would be to stop time.
60. My secret weakness would be brownies.
61. I was on my 7th grade track team long enough for one meet, throwing discus.
62. I like Aussie hair products.
63. I once got chewed out by my Economics teacher for being "argumentative."
64. I don't measure much when I cook, and I don't follow recipes exactly all the time.
65. I have vivid, convoluted dreams with intricate plots.
66. I'm afraid of deep water.
67. I am the laziest practicing seamstress you will ever meet.
68. When I was little I wanted to be a librarian or a lawyer when I grew up, in addition to being a Mommy.
69. When I was a teenage babysitter, I got paid $2-2.50 per hour.
70. I had a Pennysaver paper route.
71. I won some kind of something for a Junior Author program in 1st grade and got to meet Judy Blume.
72. My book was about an elf and a Great Dane.
73. I went to preschool at a place called Kiddie Kollege, where I remember singing "Lift Up Your Voice," drinking tomato juice, writing my name for a candy bar treat, and sitting on wooden pastel benches in a semi-circle.
74. I ate toadstools with my next-door neighbor friend when I was 5ish and had to take ipecac.
75. I played a munchkin lullaby league girl in a local production of The Wizard of Oz when I was 7 in Ohio.
76. I apparently think my past is much more interesting than my present.
77. I still pick tomatoes off things; everything else I tolerate now.
78. I am a night person. I can stay up till 2 or 3 a.m. and still function, but can't seem to get up willingly before 9.
79. My hair frizz is impervious to styling products.
80. I think I could happily go the whole rest of my life without a pet.
81. I have an obsession with having things go the right way; playing cards, Monopoly money, dollar bills in my wallet--it all has to face the same direction.
82. I can crack eggs with one hand.
83. It has been 7 1/2 years since I saw a general practitioner.
84. I heart Netflix.
85. I like to use My Points and take online surveys to earn gift cards and cash for my personal discretionary funds.
86. I played with Barbie dolls well into my teenage years.
87. I think the new "correctly proportioned" Barbies look weird.
88. I hate to wear socks. Shoes are not far behind.
89. I used to horde my Halloween candy (followed by Christmas candy and Easter candy) to sell to my siblings after they'd eaten theirs.
90. I lent money to classmates in Junior High...after they signed a contract for 50% interest.
91. I established a class "bank" for the pretend motivational money we could earn in Social Studies...complete with interest, loans, and checkbooks.
92. At various ages, and in various neighborhoods, I attempted to sell to neighbors flowers, small balloons (made from broken fragments I'd found), small pillows sewn from 2 quilt blocks, and lemonade/Kool-aid...that I can remember.
93. I really like ellipses...and dashes--they're awesome!
94. I got my first blog spam comment today. Aww. I'm a real, grown up blogger!
95. I love Wal-mart. There's a miracle down every aisle.
96. I'm mean. When I get email forwards and urban legends, I send the snopes link to everyone on the distribution list before deleting it.
97. I have said exactly one curse word in my life. It was the "d-word," and I tried it out once. I thought my mom heard me and never did it again. I am even uncomfortable saying the "s-word" related to vacuum function, although it doesn't bother me too much when others do.
98. I will have participated musically in Church on 35.6% of the Sundays by the end of the year. We're making a plan to limit next year.
99. Sometimes I do math for fun.
100. Tonight is the dress rehearsal for an oratorio I'm singing in called "Bethlehem." It's gonna be awesome!

And...I did it! That was harder than it looked. I'm going to let this count for the "Random things" Meme that happy mommy tagged me with.

1. Link to the person that tagged you, and post the rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself.
3. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post.
4. Let each person know that they've been tagged.

So, I tag...Ginger, "Awesome Mom," "Martin," "ahem," "That Other One," Amy, and Jennifer.

One of those milestones...

2007-11-26T16:24:00.000-07:00

I suppose there has to always be a first time. First handful of sand in the mouth, first time getting knocked down, first lip cut on a tooth...

...first session of playing in the potty.

Gotta love it as you say "Ack! Ucky!" and that sweet face turns around grinning. She would pick one of the times Sarah forgot to flush too. But I'll count my blessings that she was just splashing, instead of squishing--or worse.

Update: We're just full of milestones today. I left all the kids playing in the family room to run to the bathroom for a couple minutes. When I came back, Karen was sitting ON the couch backward, one tip away from falling backward onto the floor on her head. I asked the kids how she got there, and Noah just said, "Oh, she climbed up there." And bless him, he's probably right. Man...she can't even walk, and we're in the climbing stage?

Update 2: I just found Karen up on Sarah's bed, and I know there's no way she climbed up there. I asked Sarah about it, and she said she lifted Karen on the bed because "she wanted up." I asked her again about the couch. "Oh yeah. She was pushing buttons on the TV, so I put her up there." So, no climbing, but we had to have a baby safety talk with Sarah.

Santastic!

2007-11-18T08:27:00.000-07:00

Did I mention we start Christmas early around here? I didn't actually think about Santa being at the mall already when we dropped by, but once there, he was not to be missed. Plus, it being his second day, there were NO lines. We walked right in. They had a really cute set up with a mailbox, powered by the North winds, to put letters or wishes (held in your hand) in, and soapy 'snow' blew out. They had a giant button with a dial to determine if you're naughty or nice (I forebore testing it on me). And they had Santa, of course. You know the whole fun set up was a ploy to sell us on the pictures taken at every step, but we got such a cute picture...

It would have been a wrench passing up the cute shots of surprise at the snow and concern over the nice outcome...but the prices really were highway robbery.

Reading Snapshot

2007-11-14T13:06:00.000-07:00

I read a ton. I'm usually trying to get my kids to watch a movie or go do something so I can read. Here's a somewhat-recent, non-comprehensive, what-I-can-remember-offhand list of what I've been reading, most recent first.

Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie - It's Peter Pan. The story isn't unfamiliar or surprising. But it does contain lots of delightful and charming little details that just can't make it into a movie. (I can't believe I just said "delightful and charming," but how else do you describe the wonderful mix of prose and imagination in a line like "the night lights all yawned and went out" or something like that.)
Fall of a Kingdom by Hilari Bell - Fantasy novel based on Roman conquest of Persia. Diverse characters, with the requisite magic thrown in. It's the first of the Farsala trilogy, so it had a lot of setting up to do. It will be interesting to see where the characters go from here.
Beauty by Robin McKinley - Beauty and the Beast has probably been my favorite Disney movie since I saw it in the theater with my friend...just us, no parents. I'm a sucker for the story in all incarnations. But McKinley is a wonderful storyteller, and this version harkens back to the older versions predating Disney (where there are sisters, and the father steals a rose...). Funnily enough, McKinley actually wrote two versions of the story. The other is Rose Daughter, which has some interesting and unique elements to it. While I'm rambling about favorites, if anyone knows the movie version that has statues that come to life (people painted all white) and Beauty dreaming of the Prince, let me know; I'd like to find it.
Austenland by Shannon Hale - This is like a chick flick in a book, but not like the steamy, chick lit romances. It's totally Jane Austen. If you like P&P, you'll like this.
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card - I've read this several times before, of course, but I was leading the discussion for book club last month. I thought it only reasonable that I review it.
Invasive Procedures by Aaron Johnston and Orson Scott Card - Interesting premise. Good suspense sci fi. Well written. Quite entertaining if sci fi's your thing.
Prince Caspian by C. S. Lewis - This is another re-read. I think the movie is coming out sometime next year, and they're fast reads.
River Secrets by Shannon Hale - I liked The Goose Girl better, but it was fairly quick reading and a nice story.
Farseer Assassin trilogy by Robin Hobb - She really knows how to build a world with interesting fantasy/magical elements. I really like the way her trilogies work, building conflicts and story arcs for each individual book while working toward a big finale for the end of the trilogy.
One Jump Ahead by Mark L. VanName - Good, solid sci fi. I hope we find out more about the main character in his next few books. If it drags on too long, I may lose interest.
The Queen's Fool by Philippa Gregory - Month before last's book club pick. It was okay. I was really annoyed by some of the main character's choices, and her 'change of heart' was just too sudden and not convincing for me. And a warning for anyone thinking of reading it: there's some h@nky p@nky that goes on.
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr - Reminiscent of the Twilight series, but all in one book. I liked it well enough all the way through, but I really like the ending. Hard to say why without spoiling it for anyone thinking of reading it. :-)

That's probably far enough back. If you read all that, and know the perfect book for me, feel free to give recommendations. I'm always ready for more books to read.

Christmas Music

2007-11-14T12:06:00.000-07:00

I play Christmas music on the sly all year round. About mid-October, when it stops getting into the 90s every day, I start playing it in the car and during the day. Once it gets to November, I give up, and start playing it all day long. Here are my Christmas albums:

Favorites from Growing Up:

Because It's Christmas - Barry Manilow
The Christmas Album - Neil Diamond
Christmas Portrait - Carpenters
Miracles: The Holiday Album - Kenny G
Once Upon a Christmas - Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton

Rich's Favorites from Growing Up (the ones that weren't already listed):

Airus Christmas - Kurt Bestor
A Canadian Brass Christmas
Fresh Aire Christmas - Mannheim Steamroller
A Christmas Treasure - Julie Andrews

New Favorites:

The Gift - Jim Brickman
Handel: Messiah - Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Home for Christmas - Alstons
Noel - Josh Groban
Nutcracker Suite - Warsaw Orchestra

Ones That Aren't Necessarily Favorites (But it's Christmas!):

Airus Christmas II - Kurt Bestor
A Charlie Brown Christmas (& 40 Years mix of various artists)
A Christmas Gift of Love - Barry Manilow
Beyond the Season - Garth Brooks
Christmas Classics (dollar bin generic mix)
A Christmas Experiment - Canadian Brass
Christmas Favorites - Nat King Cole
Christmas with Chanticleer
Christmas with Julie Andrews
A Classical Christmas - Messiah (dollar bin recording)
The Forgotten Carols - Michael McLean
Holiday High Notes (another dollar bin mix)
Primarily for Christmas - Brett Raymond

Buying new this Season:

A Brad Paisley Christmas
The Christmas Collection - Reba McEntire
Christmas Songs - Diana Krall

What are your favorites?

National Children's Book Week

2007-11-12T15:50:00.000-07:00

In honor of NCBW, here are my 7 (more or less) favorite children's books:

Alexander's Pretending Day (It's like Runaway Bunny.)
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus
Guess How Much I Love You?
Bread and Jam for Frances
The Napping House
Blueberries for Sal
Pickles the Fire Cat

Sarah's 7 Favorite Books:

The Lazy Scarecrow
Pajama Time
Princess Tales
Alexander's Pretending Day
I'm Going to Eat You
Ten Little Fish
Minnie and Moo: The Night of the Living Bed

(Sarah's list looks suspiciously like a "The Last Several Books We Read" list.)

One-Year Family Resemblance!!

2007-11-08T14:53:00.000-07:00

A bonus, mini-resemblance:

I couldn't find any crier pictures of Sarah around the same age, but she was always more cooperative in front of the camera. She looooves having her picture taken. Karen, on the other hand, has a Temper.

Wow, she's adorable!

2007-11-08T14:36:00.001-07:00

Did you ever see such a cute baby?

She has such an expressive face. No two shots are ever exactly the same.

Karen's Birthday

2007-11-07T00:29:00.000-07:00

For Karen's actual birthday on Friday, we didn't do too much out of the way. We did sing "Happy Birthday" to her many times throughout the day. And it sounded like she was trying to say something like "birthday" at times. She got to open her cards from Grandparents, and she liked playing with the money. We had to take it away after a little while so it wouldn't get torn or eaten.

Her party was last night. She got a cake decorated like a stack of presents and, of course, her own personal #1 cake to demolish.

We went to Nana's house for dinner, which Karen enjoyed. She managed to get her whole serving of mashed potatoes in her mouth at once. When it came to cake-demolishing time, she was playing the little lady. She daintily picked the frosting bow off with two fingers and ate it. She did get one small handful of cake, but that was about all.

Moving on to presents, Karen was much more interested in playing with balloons than in opening anything. Sarah was happy to help out. Karen got a musical mirror toy, stacking cups, a toy xylophone 'piano,' some baby bubble bath, a stuffed rhino, and a tiny baby doll. She did give token hugs to the rhino and baby before going back to the balloons.

So Monday, after dinner, I gave Karen her cake to see if she'd eat any more. I'd gone in the other room for a second when I heard the plate hit the floor. When I went in to clean it up, I discovered the plate...but no cake. There was frosting on her face and hands, but no cake. She must have inhaled the thing. I'm glad she enjoyed it anyway.

Halloween

2007-11-04T12:16:00.001-07:00

Here are the final pumpkins. Rich and I had pumpkins too, but they never got carved. They will become pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies, and pumpkin pie instead.

And the final iterations of the kids' costumes before we went out the door. Noah and Karen just went around the block, then Sarah and I went out a little more.

Sarah really wanted to go see a talking skeleton decoration she'd seen before, so we walked over. Unfortunately, the talking one was turned off (probably too scary for little kids), but at the same house, someone was dressed as a skeleton and pretending to be a robotic decoration. He scared Sarah a little at first when he suddenly moved toward her, but then she wanted to go back and shake his hand. She was highly entertained.

General Cuteness

2007-10-29T13:24:00.000-07:00

The kids put on a homemade marionette showing of the Three Bears. I took a video, but...I was holding the camera sideways, and I can't figure out how to rotate video.

Aww...the kids love their sister. Also, in the picture with Sarah, Karen had her first pigtails. Not that you can really tell, but there you go.

Halloween In Progress

2007-10-29T13:19:00.000-07:00

Noah's costume was pretty much done at this point... I cut the arms a little too close, so the front doesn't come up as high as it should, but c'est la vie.

Sarah also wears wings and carries a wand as a Fairy Princess. My favorite part is the bloomers, but you can only see the bottoms. Karen will more or less match (with fewer leaves/flowers).

Random "About Me"

2007-10-29T13:08:00.000-07:00

Just for fun, this is my refrigerator surface:

Top: Visiting Teaching Route, rose magnet, 2 dry erase markers, Domino's magnet, annual work/payday calendar, reward stickers, pictures of my in-laws (a niece and 3 families), a cutesy Relief Society magnet

Middle: Magnet clip (holding voter cards, gas bill, cash, & stamps), magnet frames (Sarah at 4 yrs, Noah at 2 yrs, all 3 kids last Dec.), picture of Sarah at 2 yrs., BYU magnet, picture of a niece, credit union magnet, Sarah's Primary program part, USAA insurance contact number magnet, clubhouse hours

Bottom: magnet hook holding (in-law) family calendar, emotion faces magnet, picture of kids for Father's Day 2006, dry erase square with outdated shopping list, blank shopping list notepad, #5 magnet, Babysitter notes/info sheet and emergency treatment release, rose magnet, cutesy tin magnet

Sarah's 5-year Pictures

2007-10-29T13:01:00.000-07:00

Noah's 3-year Pictures

2007-10-29T12:57:00.000-07:00

Resemblance at Home

2007-10-29T11:40:00.000-07:00

I'll never admit to staging this.
(Hey, look...the girls are even wearing the same dress!)

Blogiversary

2007-10-26T12:12:00.000-07:00

So, as of earlier this week, I've had a blog for a year. As of the official anniversary on the 23rd, I had written 81 posts. That's an average of about 1 1/2 per week!

Some things I've learned:

I say "cuteness" a lot.
My posts are all about the pictures.
Which is why I get into posting blitzkrieg modes.
My template is narrower than I'd like, but I'm too lazy to change it.
But not too lazy to spend forever trying to see if I could hack the HTML.
I couldn't.
I love getting comments.
Most of my commentors are friends or fellow-bloggers.
Despite the fact that my sisters obviously read my blog, they never comment. *sniff*
My kids are dang cute.
Blogging is fun.

Why I'm a Mom

2007-10-26T12:04:00.001-07:00

For every "Ew!" "Yuck!" or "What IS this?" there's a "Mom, you make the best lunch!"

She moves!

2007-10-24T21:34:00.000-07:00

Yes, Karen crawls now. She's been going strong for a couple weeks now...followed immediately by trying to pull herself up on things.

She's even become a fan of walking, holding on to hands. She's especially cute because she lifts her knee way up before placing the next foot. Sometimes it leads into more of a lunge. As we walk, I've been saying, "Step, step, step" to her. So, this week, she started talking along with me. "Bap, bap, bap." You might think it's just babbling, but she only makes that particular "bap" while walking. I started enunciating the "step" better, and she starting saying "Sssss Bap!"

Noah Fielding

2007-10-21T11:55:00.000-07:00

Yay -- I can upload video!

2007-10-21T11:11:00.000-07:00

Just a few random quotes

2007-10-19T18:32:00.000-07:00

Sarah:

"I keep growing up, then I die and live forever."

"Holy cow, this ghost soap is amazing!" (I bought foaming soap with GID ghosts on the bottle)

Noah (listening to TMBG song "C is for Conifer"):

"C is not for that! It's for cookie!"

More General Cuteness

2007-10-19T11:46:00.001-07:00

Karen had fun at Sarah's birthday party. Napkins and pizza. What else does a girl need? Oh yes...a great hair do.

Noah was being crazy running wildly through the house one day, carrying a can opener. When he fell and cracked himself in the head, we had some excitement trying to get the bleeding to stop and clean up bloody hands. He was pretty happy about having a Spider-man Band-aid though.

This is the pre-crawling. She would get down and try to move around but kept that one foot out to anchor herself so she could sit back up.

Our home teacher took the kids out in his canoe as a treat for their birthdays. They loved it and didn't even drop the oars in.

A boy just can't fall asleep without his light sabers close at hand.

What do you think? Is Sarah big enough to hold Karen? They both seem to like it.

T-ball

2007-10-19T11:45:00.001-07:00

Noah's team is the mini "San Francisco Giants."

This kid is a great fielder. He was about the only boy on either team who was actually trying to catch balls that were hit. And he threw them all straight to first base, like we practiced. (We discovered he's left handed too, in case you can't tell by the glove.)

I love this picture. Good job Daddy.

Family Resemblance - Eleven Months

2007-10-19T11:44:00.002-07:00

Karen and Noah look very similar in these shots. I decided this kid around that the pony tail should lie flat, instead of stand straight up. ;)