Warts and All

Let's Try This Again, One More Time

2011-08-22T21:41:00.005-05:00

Ella has one week of first grade under her belt. Early childhood is officially behind her and we are changed. Where have six and a half years gone? Days that dragged on forever turned into years that slipped through my hands in a moment. So in a weak attempt to stretch the next eleven and half years, I'll start posting in this space again. As I looked back on the old posts, I was so glad to have saved all those sweet memories in some way. I also wish I would have written about the not so sweet days. Days when we were sick, tired, bored and cranky. Times when I ran out of ideas and everyone was crying at once. Times when I lost patience and wisdom flew out the window. Those times will be included from now on, hence the new title, "Warts and all". Because I love this, these girls, this time, our life, warts and all.

(Just to be clear, nobody here actually has warts. But if they did, I would still love them - from a distance.)

The Gnomes are Here!!

2010-10-30T21:20:00.003-05:00

Chuffie at 3 Months

2010-10-06T11:11:00.002-05:00

Chuffie is 3 months old today so I had to take some pictures. Notice the exotic pillow backdrop and nuanced lighting scheme. We like things fancy around here!!

P.S. This is our 100th post. Yay!

Random Pics

2010-10-05T14:53:00.001-05:00

Better Late Than Never

2010-09-19T15:42:00.002-05:00

Here is a photo montage video of the girls. They took these in the hospital when Mairin was only 1 day old. How's that for convienence?

Back by Popular Demand (Or My Mom Keeps Bugging Me to Blog Because She Won't Get a Facebook Account)

2010-09-16T16:58:00.003-05:00

More blog posts are coming. It's only been about 11 months since we've posted, no big deal. We've just been hanging out in Iowa adding new members to the tribe!! Pictures of our beautiful little Mairin will be coming soon!

First Day of School!!!

2010-08-27T17:32:00.003-05:00

Because there's no such thing as too much Little Red Riding Hood

2009-10-29T22:25:00.002-05:00

Happy Halloween!!

2009-10-28T17:05:00.003-05:00

Happy Halloween from Little Red Riding Hood and the Little Good Wolf!!

Little Slugger in the Papers

2009-07-01T15:22:00.002-05:00

Ella's picture was in the Des Moines Register yesterday! This is the photo that they ran.

Minnesota Trip

2009-06-24T13:22:00.001-05:00

Bam Bam Ball Begins!!

2009-06-24T13:02:00.000-05:00

Ella at Swimming Lessons

2009-04-22T21:52:00.000-05:00

Birthday Fun

2009-04-16T14:01:00.005-05:00

Here are some pictures of Caroline's birthday. She got a stroller and some blocks in the morning and later Grandma came from Omaha with a little pool!

Happy Birthday Caroline

2009-04-15T17:43:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday Big Girl!! We love you SOOOOOOOO much!

Unsprung Spring

2009-04-03T08:38:00.002-05:00

It's still freeeeeeeezing here!! So instead of gardening, I'm sewing. Here are some cute concoctions that I whipped up yesterday. Ella's skirt is a bit Mormonish, but she thinks it's "princessey".

We're Still Here!!

2009-03-13T12:06:00.005-05:00

February and the beginning of March have officially been the most boring months EVER!! So I was suffering from a case of "bloggers block". There just hasn't been anything worth sharing. We spent a few days in Omaha and more than a few days passing around a vicious cold. Things should become more exciting soon with the arrival of spring. Here are a few pics of the dullest month on record.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

2009-02-13T12:39:00.002-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day to all of our family and friends. We LOVE YOU!!!

Mystery Man

2009-02-02T20:49:00.003-06:00

While in the drive thru Ella asks with true sincerity, "Just who is this King of Burgers?" I was laughing so hard I was crying. The people at the window must have thought I was insane.

Call Vegas Now

2009-02-01T13:12:00.003-06:00

Ella has made her Super Bowl prediction!! It will be a defensive battle for the ages with the Cardinals winning 5-2. When asked why she thought the Cardinals would win, Ella replied, "The Cardinals will win because Cardinals are my favorite bird. And it isn't nice to steal." Now that's some good logic!!

Just a Reminder....Caroline Lives Here Too

2009-01-25T21:52:00.001-06:00

Eating Conversation Hearts by the Fistful!!!

The Big Day

2009-01-25T21:37:00.004-06:00

We all had a great time at Ella's Birthday Party. Grandma's house looked like a pink Hello Kitty bomb had gone off. The kids had fun decorating their own cupcakes, and the little ones pushed on - even without naps. Ella said that her favorite part was, "Eating cake and giving everyone party favors."

I Can't Believe She's Going to be 4

2009-01-22T21:45:00.004-06:00

Winter Funderland

2009-01-22T14:22:00.003-06:00

The snow here is just perfect for making snowmen and snowballs right now. The girls were SO HAPPY to be able to go outside and play. Mommy was pretty thrilled too!!

Fabulous Fairy Friday

2009-01-09T13:29:00.005-06:00

Her Royal Highness the Princess of Pastry (and Puke) has declared this day to be Fabulous Fairy Friday. All subjects in the Kingdom are being forced to wear fairy costumes, carry wands and address each other as Fairy Ella, Fairy Caroline and so on. In addition, there is the mandatory reading of "Alice the Fairy" and viewing of Ella Enchanted. May spring come soon.

The New 'Do

2009-01-06T21:30:00.002-06:00

Ella got a super cute new hair cut!! We all LOVE it, so I made her pose for this mug shot.

Christmas Morning Photos

2009-01-06T21:21:00.003-06:00

No lumps of coal this year!! Santa was very generous and brought the each of the girls a doll and an easel to share. Needless to say, the Ella and Caroline were thrilled with everything.

CookieFest Cuteness

2008-12-24T14:15:00.001-06:00

Gloria! Gloria!

2008-12-24T14:10:00.005-06:00

Here is Ella dressed as an angel for her Christmas program at school. A devil costume would have been more appropriate on this night.

Sweet...Sort Of

2008-12-24T14:01:00.004-06:00

Ella talking to Caroline before bed:

"Caroline, I'm going to teach you how to go to sleep. You just lay down, close your eyes and you're asleep!! It's easy. Then you dream of all the happy things that you wish for. Like more pacies and BEING ME."

Yes Ella, I'm sure Caroline wishes that she was you all the time. Maybe in your dreams.

Cup of Yuck

2008-12-12T20:28:00.003-06:00

I should have known better, but I couldn't resist. I came across a recipe for chocolate cake in a mug, made in just five minutes. Ella and I had high hopes for our cake in a mug and, as promised in the recipe, our little creation did come together in under five minutes. It looked good, it smelled good, and then we tasted it. Imagine biting into a warm, chocolate kitchen sponge and you have an idea of what our mug cake was like. It wasn't so much the taste as it was the texture, amazingly rubberlike. Ella immediately spit hers our and said, "this cake is AWFUL!!". The above picture was taken before we actually tasted what Ella is now calling "the cup of yuck".

Christmas Photo Rejects

2008-12-12T09:52:00.004-06:00

My favorite is the one where Ella looks like a crazed lunatic. This is better than Christmas pictures in the past, where she usually looked drunk.

Talking Trash

2008-12-10T20:43:00.002-06:00

I love McDonald's. I can't help it, the stuff is delicious. So we occasionally get Happy Meals. As, I'm sure you know, in addition to 4 delightful little chicken nuggets, apples and milk, you also get a toy with your Happy Meal. At our house the toys generally go to the the trash within 2 hours of having eaten the meal. These latest toys were no different, except that they talked. At the slightest little nudge the ugly little hippo shouted, "I don't think so!!" and the horrible penguin yelled, "progress report!" The girls didn't seem too interested in them when we got them, so when I cleaned up from lunch I threw the toys in the trash with the rest of it. All was well until I went to take the trash from the kitchen to the big trash can outside later in the day. As I lifted the bag from the can, the trash began to talk. With every move, the toys were screaming, "I don't think so!" and "progress report" over and over. At first I didn't think the girls noticed, but then Caroline started pointing at the trash and laughing. This immediately gets Ella's attention and suddenly she's whining, "Why did you throw away our toys!?!" So what do I do? Dig those stupid things out of the trash and throw them away later that night when the girls are asleep.

In Case You Forgot What We Look Like....

2008-12-10T20:40:00.002-06:00

Everything Old is New Again

2008-11-20T21:21:00.004-06:00

During a massive toy clean out I uncovered a few things that we hadn't seen in a while. You'd swear Christmas had come early. The girls played all afternoon with an art set and some squishy animals that they had completely forgotten about. To them these things really seemed brand new and it was a nice break from the Flying Pants Game.

Flying Pants - The Funnest Game in the World

2008-11-20T21:14:00.003-06:00

This is Ella playing her new favorite game. It's called Flying Pants. Mommy puts a pair of Caroline's pants on the fan blade, Ella turns on the fan and then waits until they fall down. If the pants land on her (or even better, Caroline) that is a bonus. The process is repeated ad nauseum and general hysteria follows every time the pants fall down.

Bedtime

2008-11-17T20:43:00.003-06:00

Ella has added prayer time to an already impressive (i.e. extraordinarily long) bedtime routine. The following is her favorite prayer from A Child's Book of Celtic Prayers.

A Mother's Bed Blessing

Christ's Arm enfold you through the night; To hold you safe, hold you tight.

Christ's Shield before your covers lay; To keep the evil powers at bay.

Christ's Hand upon your sleeping head; To gently comfort you in bed.

Christ's Watch within your dreams tonight; To soothe your mind, to quell your fright.

Christ's Peace be flooding all your room; To light the dark, to chase the gloom.

Christ's Love to fill your tender heart; To hold you fast while were apart.

More Deep Thoughts

2008-11-17T20:29:00.001-06:00

As she walks around with her arms stiffened, "What if we didn't have elbows?" Hmmmmmm. Now that is something to think about.

Turkey Cookie

2008-11-14T12:32:00.004-06:00

This is Ella's beautiful turkey cookie. We traced her hand onto sugar cookie dough, baked it and then decorated it to look like a turkey (or a really funky chicken). I imagine that this is the only kind of turkey I won't have to beg her to eat.

I Always Did Love That Doughboy

2008-11-13T20:50:00.002-06:00

Maybe it's me, but I think if this ad doesn't make you want to bawl your eyes out, then you just might be a soulless lump of ice.

http://www.pilsbury.com/HomeIsCalling/Default.aspx?WT.ac=HP_Left_Feature_Picture

It Makes Sense to Her

2008-11-13T20:06:00.002-06:00

Ella loves Christmas songs all year and has been warming up for the holiday season. Recently, she was overheard singing, "Angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing air-o-planes. AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH AHHHHHHAHHHHHHHHH AHHHHHHHAHHHAHHH GLORIA!!!" The chorus is, of course, sung as loud as humanly possible. The best part is how she takes it all SO SERIOUSLY and how Caroline tries to chime in. Christmas this year is going to be very entertaining, to say the least.

Just for Grandma

2008-11-11T14:13:00.002-06:00

The Aftermath

2008-11-11T14:03:00.004-06:00

We have a new sign posted on our refrigerator door. As you can see, it reads, "No Candy Until Christmas". This sign became necessary after Ella ate an entire Hershey's bar and wiped her dirty hands on the couch!!

Beggar's Night

2008-10-30T21:39:00.004-05:00

In our town they do their trick-or-treating on October 30th and they call it "Beggar's Night". Dorothy and Baby Glinda had a great time getting candy from all of the neighbors. The weather was fantastic which made it even more fun.

Home At Last

2008-10-27T22:19:00.006-05:00

After an extended visit to Omaha and our first real family vacation to Colorado, we are finally home!! Ella and Caroline had a great time visiting Uncle Ciaran, Auntie Ellie and Baby Madalyn (or Mads, as Ella calls her) in Fort Collins. We all got our teeth cleaned and had a great time at a cabin in Estes Park. Our only mishap was when Ella fell into a partially frozen lake in the Rocky Mountain National Park!!

Fall Fun

2008-10-11T20:28:00.000-05:00

Hayrack Ride!!

2008-10-10T20:58:00.003-05:00

Tonight we went to a hayrack ride and cookout for Daddy's work. The weather was just gorgeous. Ella got to bounce on a giant hay bale and make s'mores. Caroline was just happy to run around in a big, open field.

Equal Representation

2008-10-09T09:42:00.003-05:00

We have this little girl named Caroline too. This is what she looks like.

Before and After

2008-10-08T18:54:00.002-05:00

When Ella Picks Out Her Own Clothes

2008-10-08T09:13:00.002-05:00

Decisions, decisions.........

2008-10-06T21:52:00.002-05:00

Ella simply cannot decide what she wants to be for Halloween. The whole concept of Halloween, getting huge amounts of candy because you dress up in a cute costume and say three little words, is almost too much for her to handle. When you throw in the option of choosing the costume, well that's just too much. Absolutely just too good to be true. So everyday Ella presents new ideas about what she would like to be for Halloween. Today she has decided she will be a flower. Yesterday it was a crayon and then a black cat. She has also suggested Dorothy (from the Wizard of Oz), a witch, a munchkin, Snow White and, my personal favorite, Mary. As in the mother of God. She thought Mary would be good because, "her outfit looks warm, it has a hood." Wednesday is the deadline for making up her mind though, we are off to the fabric store then to choose patterns and fabric.

A Caroline to English Dictionary

2008-10-05T21:53:00.002-05:00

Caroline talks. And I'm sure it makes total sense to her, but here's a little help for the rest of us.

Mahney (mah-nee): diaper
Pacie (pa-cee): pacifier
Baba (bah-bah): baby
See-saw (see-sah): swing
choc-choc (chawk-chawk): chocolate
choo-choo (choo-choo): train
mow (mo): toy lawn mower
Rahey (rah-hee): Robbie (Grandma's dog)
Fafa (fah-fah): dog
Sissy wahoooo: Sissy, where are you?
wawa (wah-wah): water
drydrytowo (dri-dri-tau-o): dry dry towel
Daddyahwok: Daddy at work
iyeem (i-eem): ice cream

Dictionary will be expanded as necessary!!

Deep Thoughts

2008-09-22T20:50:00.002-05:00

Ella: What if we had carpet outside and grass inside?
Mommy: That would be different.
Ella: Yeah, then Daddy would have to vacuum and you would have to mow.

Day Out With Thomas

2008-09-21T21:13:00.003-05:00

Today was the day of the much anticipated ride on Thomas the Tank Engine. Ella and Daddy drove about 45 minutes north to a town called Boone for the ride. Ella said it was great, but she was a little disappointed that Thomas didn't talk. In addition to the train ride, Ella got to jump in a bounce house and eat a hot dog and an ice cream sandwich. Now that's livin'!!

Divine Indulgence

2008-09-18T16:40:00.002-05:00

Today at Target I bought a bag of miniature York Peppermint Patties. Ella LOVES them and they were on sale. I couldn't resist. Ella had one patty after her lunch and I told her she could maybe have one later. I put them away in the "secret" candy hiding spot and then Caroline woke up. I went to get her out of the crib, leaving Ella (and the Peppermint Patties) downstairs. I took my time getting Caroline up and changing her diaper. When Caroline and I came downstairs I noticed that Ella was just finishing another piece of candy. I was surprised because the candy was hidden (I thought) and I didn't think Ella could open the little bags that they are wrapped in. I asked Ella, "How did you get that candy and open it?" Ella responded quickly and as casually as can be, "God helped me." I replied, "That was nice." To which she said, "Amen." Amen indeed.

The Skwiggee

2008-09-15T20:46:00.006-05:00

Lately, I've been noticing little acts of vandalism in our yard. Last week it was one of the melons that we're growing plucked from the vine and chewed up in our river rock. This week it's been half eaten cherry tomatoes and smashed crabapples laying around. Then today some of the dirt in one of our potted plants was scattered all over the porch. I knew something was going on. At about 3:30 I heard the girls shrieking with delight at the front door. Ella is yelling, "Mommy!! Look at the Skwiggee!!" I go and I see the Skwiggee eating the heads off my cute purple vincas and digging the dirt out of another pot. I thought for sure that 3 people, two of whom were screaming, would scare Skwiggee the chipmunk away, but no, the little pest actually scratched at the window next to the front door. And as he looked in the window I could swear he was laughing at me, as if to say, "I'm so cute, you know you'll never do anything to me". And Skwiggee you'd be right.

Under the Weather

2008-09-12T21:09:00.002-05:00

The weather this week in Iowa has been very rainy. All day long just a steady dripping from thick gray clouds. This is perfect for us because we have all been sick. Ella missed school on Tuesday because she woke up and immediately threw up. And now Caroline and myself have been infected. It is truly miserable. I won't gross anyone out with details, but if you know the girls, you know why I've nicknamed them the "Princesses of Puke". So between our trip to Philly and being sick, our posts have been a little sparse. Hopefully everyone will be back in good health next week.

Sister's Day

2008-09-12T21:00:00.002-05:00

Friday, September 5th was the midpoint between Caroline and Ella's birthdays, so I decided that it would be "Sisters' Day". Having a holiday to celebrate helped to keep the girls' minds off of the fact that Mommy and Daddy had left for Philadelphia. The girls wore their cute sister shirts, made cupcakes and gave each other new sippy cups. Mommy and Daddy gave them a sweet little book about sisters. Ella was so excited to open her present from Caroline that she was pushing us out the door!! She also informed me that next year they will be getting matching sister nighties to celebrate Sisters' Day.

Liar, Liar Pants on Fire

2008-09-04T10:10:00.003-05:00

When I picked up Ella from preschool on Tuesday I asked her how it went. She immediately replied, "Great!". I asked her lots of other questions like what they did, did she make any friends, etc.. She told me everything was fun and she couldn't wait to go back. Later, while we were eating lunch, Ella tells me that, "something bad happened at school". And, of course, I go straight into mother bear mode, ready to tear apart anyone who even looked at my child the wrong way. She goes on to tell me this elaborate story about how she was twirling around and she bumped into a little boy named Jackson and then he hit her in the face and both of her teachers put him on time out. My brain goes into a tizzy.....why didn't her teachers tell me about this, who is this Jackson kid, maybe she shouln't even go to preschool.......

Later Ella tells me she had a hot dog for snack at school. I know for a fact that she had Club Crackers. It occurs to me that perhaps Ella had made up her little story about "something bad". So, I ask her if the story was true and she says, "No. I just made it up. I'm so silly." Yeah Ella, you're hilarious, you little liar!! I then had to explain to Little Miss that it isn't nice to make up stories, but I'm not sure that she was convinced that she shouldn't do it again. Just to verify that she did in fact make up the story, I asked Ella's teachers this morning if anything happened and nothing did. There isn't even a Jackson in her class!

They did tell me though that she refused to drink her milk because it was in a Spongebob Squarepants Dixie Cup and that she told them, "my mommy said I can't ever look at Spongebob." And she wasn't lying then, I really did say that.

And She's Off!!

2008-09-02T09:28:00.002-05:00

Ella is off at preschool now. You can see in the pictures how excited she was. The only person crying after we dropped her off was Caroline who was sobbing, "Sissy! Sissy!" Ella even has a little friend at school, a girl that she met in gymnastics this summer. So now Caroline and I are sitting here, not quite sure what to do without Miss Ella around to tell us what to do.

Hawkeyes and Cyclones Beware

2008-08-30T10:26:00.002-05:00

Here is Husker Baby complete with Husker Pacie right before throwing a great BIG RED tantrum because I wouldn't let her eat crayons.

Deep Thoughts

2008-08-27T17:45:00.002-05:00

Ella: "If I eat marshmallows, why isn't my poop white?"

Ella Vader

2008-08-27T08:28:00.003-05:00

This little story is for the St. James Eagles in 702!! The other day we went to McDonald's for lunch and, of course, Ella got a Happy Meal. Right now they are giving away Star Wars toys and Ella got Yoda. When you press a little button on the toy Yoda says, "May the force be with you." Now keep in mind, Ella has never seen Star Wars and has no idea who Yoda is. So, she presses the button and Yoda says, "May the force be with you." Immediately, she looks at Yoda and responds, "And also with you!!" Maybe we've been going to church too much.......

Not So Sweet Caroline

2008-08-25T16:52:00.004-05:00

It's official, Caroline has become a mini-monster. Her two favorite words at the moment are, "mine" and "push". She loves to say, "push" as she gives Ella a great big shove. We then tell her, "Caroline, NO PUSH!!" and she just smiles and does it again. She stomps, she screams, she throws things. She even growls. Caroline also has destructive tendencies. No drawer has been unravaged, no roll of toilet paper left unrolled, countless magazines have been laid to waste. But in the middle of all this our tiny tornado will stop, run up to me and give me a big hug, and if I'm lucky a kiss or even an "Iuvvvooooo" (Carolinespeak for I love you). And I melt. Every time.

Miss Manners

2008-08-22T12:17:00.002-05:00

Caroline has started to say "thank you" which is adorable and lovely. There is one problem though. Caroline's "thank you" doesn't exactly sound like "thank you". No, Caroline's "thank you" sounds more like a certain two-word phrase that doesn't exactly communicate feelings of gratitude. If you're not sure exactly what phrase I'm talking about, I'll tell you that it rhymes with duck poo. To complicate matters, it is super cute when she says it. So for now we'll just laugh and hope that her pronunciation improves quickly. Very quickly.

To Dream the Impossible Dream

2008-08-20T15:46:00.003-05:00

It seems that I have achieved the impossible. It has happened. Ella took a nap ON HER OWN!!! If you know Ella, you know that sleeping isn't exactly "her thing" and going to sleep on her own has been, until now, unthinkable. But this afternoon Ella went to sleep by herself, a feat that is akin to scaling Everest. So congratulations to me. It may have taken 3 1/2 years plus infinite threats, promises, bribes and sometimes begging, but today Ella slept on her own. If I wasn't afraid that she'd wake up, I would go and take a picture to mark the historic occasion.

Her Daddy's Child

2008-08-18T21:25:00.003-05:00

Dancing Day!!

2008-08-18T21:00:00.003-05:00

Today Ella started her dance lessons. She couldn't have been more excited. As we were getting ready to go, Caroline (in typical Caroline fashion) was running around in her diaper. Ella announced, "Caroline, I am NOT going to let YOU make me late for my first day as a ballerina!!" Ella did a great job listening and pretending to be a snake and a frog. When I asked her if she had a good time, she replied, "Of course!!"

A Break

2008-08-14T11:40:00.002-05:00

The blog is on a bit of a hiatus because we are in the middle of an unexpected trip to Omaha. Please check back Monday. Ella has her first "big girl" dance class!!

That's Just Mean!!

2008-08-10T20:17:00.003-05:00

Tonight we went to the block party on our street. (I would have taken pictures, but I didn't want to look like a weirdo to the new neighbors.) One of the games at the party was a water balloon fight. Ella had never seen anything like it, and was completely baffled about why someone would throw a balloon filled with water at someone else. In the middle of the water balloon battle Ella ran up to me yelling, "Mommy! Mommy! They're throwing balloons at us!!" I explained, "Ella, they're supposed to. It's a game." Ella replied, "Mommy, that's not a good game, that's just mean!!" She proceded to take two more balloons out of the bucket, put them on the sidewalk and then poked them until they popped.

Picture Day

2008-08-08T18:48:00.003-05:00

The girls had their pictures taken today. You can check them out at www.flashportraits.com. Go to "my portraits" and just enter our last name. Then click on my name. Our password is girls. Enjoy!!

Summer Fun

2008-08-05T20:45:00.003-05:00

It's about 8000 degrees in Iowa this week, but luckily Grandma brought a mini splash park to us. The girls LOVE IT!! They were so excited to play in it that they didn't even change into swimsuits. Ella thought that the stacking rings looked much better as hats.

Iowa Nightlife

2008-08-04T21:03:00.002-05:00

Grandma is visiting all week and, of course, Ella is super excited. She's planned lots of special things that she thinks they will be doing. For tonight Ella had a really unique activity in mind. After dinner she announced, "We are going to take a bath, then we'll brush our teeth and then we'll.........SHARPEN PENCILS ALL NIGHT!!!" Unfortunately, Miss Ella was too tired to sharpen pencils all night, maybe tomorrow.

Visitors

2008-08-03T16:17:00.004-05:00

We have had visitors to Iowa all weekend. On Friday Other Grandpa came to visit the girls, and yesterday Nana, Grandpa, NeeNee and Emer came to see us. We paid a visit to the Science Center of Iowa and Ella declared that it was, "super awesome".

Recipe for Disaster

2008-07-31T21:11:00.003-05:00

I've been looking forward to this day for 15 months. The day when our girls would play together. I had no idea it would be like this.

Here is the routine:

1. Follow big sister to somewhere just out of Mommy's sight.

2. Have big sister "help" you do something new, like drink from a big girl cup, color with markers, climb on top of the kitchen table, "clean" the toilet or brush your teeth.

3. Laugh hysterically when Mommy discovers you and nearly has a heart attack.

Hi To Tori!!

2008-07-30T21:57:00.001-05:00

The girls want to say "hi" to big cousin Tori!! Thanks for checking out the blog we'd love to come and see you soon!!

More Beach Pictures

2008-07-30T21:46:00.005-05:00

Lava

2008-07-30T21:38:00.003-05:00

Lava has been of great concern here lately. Today's conversation about lava went like this:

Ella:"Mommy, are there volcanoes in Iowa?"
Mommy:"No, sweetie."
Ella:"Where are the volcanoes?"
Mommy:"In places where they have mountains."
Ella:"Lava comes out of volcanoes."
Mommy:"Yes it does."
Ella:"What is lava?"
Mommy:"Rocks that are so hot that they've melted."
Ella:"How hot are they?"
Mommy:"Really hot."
Ella:"Hotter than soup?"
Mommy:"Yep, hotter than soup."
Ella:"Okay."

I guess I should make the soup a bit cooler from now on!!!

Ella of Oz

2008-07-28T20:26:00.003-05:00

I made the mistake of letting Ella watch PART of the Wizard of Oz. She was enthralled, and ever since I have been bombarded with questions about all things Oz. Here is a sampling of some of her queries.

- Would the Wicked Witch of the West be mean to me?
- How old is Dorothy? (I say "She's 15") No, Mommy. She's 6, she just looks big, but she's 6.
- Why isn't Dorothy wearing an apron?
- How do you spell Toto?
- How does Glenda fly in the bubble?
- Where is Kansas? When can we go there?
- Why does Dorothy want to go back to Kansas? Because I think Munchkinland is prettier.
- Why didn't I get to see the Wizard?
- Why is the witch green? Did the munchkins paint her? Weren't they afraid?
- Why are they saying "ding dong the witch is dead"?
- How big are the munchkins? I'm about as big as a munchkin. Can I live in Munchkinland?
And my personal favorite:
- If the witch is green, does she poop green?

This is just a sampling. I can only imagine the questions she would have come up with had I let her watch the whole thing.

Day at the Beach

2008-07-27T21:31:00.002-05:00

If you ask Ella she will tell you that in Iowa we do, in fact, have beaches. And today she went to one. She and Caroline loved every second of it. Ella made instant friends and has already asked when we get to go back.

** If you look carefully in the first photo you can catch a glimpse of a very rarely photographed creature. That's right, it's me!!

Free Labor

2008-07-25T10:48:00.003-05:00

With the economy being the way it is, we had to fire the maid. So I've put the girls to work. They're very industrious.

3 1/2 Years Ago Today...

2008-07-24T13:10:00.002-05:00

Happy 3 1/2 years to our shining star. The best things come in small packages!!

Caroline's First Art

2008-07-24T09:47:00.004-05:00

Caroline's first work of art. This piece was done with washable marker on paper. The use of color and line clearly represent joy intermixed with a sense of irony. Very transitional.

Important Work

2008-07-22T17:49:00.002-05:00

I went downstairs to take out the trash and this is what I came back to. When I asked (stupidly) what they were doing, Ella replied, "We're doing important work!!" Oh, I'm sorry, it looked like you were thrashing your room. My mistake.

WANTED

2008-07-22T13:43:00.003-05:00

This doll is wanted in the state of Iowa for various crimes. Specifically, sending pictures of herself in a full-color catalog addressed to a 3 year old and causing aforementioned child to talk of her endlessly. Doll stands approximately 18 inches high and goes by the name Ruthie. The price on her head is an unfathomable $90. Doll is believed to be approaching the Omaha area right around the time Mommy and Daddy head to Philadelphia. She is not armed, but I fear that failure to capture this doll may be dangerous to my mental health.

First Fruits

2008-07-21T12:59:00.003-05:00

Here it is!! Our first tomato from the garden. Real evidence that I can, in fact, keep plants alive. Thanks to Bryan for showing us the cool EarthBox where we are growing our veg. I feel like such a success.

A Special Day

2008-07-21T12:36:00.002-05:00

Ella informed me that today is a "special day". I'm not sure exactly why today is special, but I do know that it involves wearing her purple sparkly tutu (the same one she wore to bed last night) everywhere we go today. Ella was more than happy to model said tutu for a picture. So here's to our "special day", I'm sure there will be many more to come.

Your Secret Isn't Safe With Me

2008-07-18T11:50:00.002-05:00

Yesterday the girls went to storytime at the library. The librarian was going to read a story about people who had forgotten things and to get the kids warmed up she asked them, "Have any of you ever forgotten anything?" None of the children responded so she said, "Really, none of you have ever forgotten anything?" Then Ella pipes up, "I never forgot anything, but my mom left our groceries at the store once!! She just drove off and didn't even get them!!" And it's true, one time I did forget to pickup the groceries that we had just bought at the pickup window and drove all the way home without them. Thanks Ella for sharing that one. I may not remember our groceries, but I'll definitely remember this little incident.

4th of July Photos

2008-07-17T14:18:00.003-05:00

As is tradition, I forgot the real camera on the 4th of July and I had to use a disposable. When I was taking photos that day Ella asked me to see the picture I had just taken. She had a really hard time understanding why we couldn't see the picture right away since she had never seen a non-digital camera before!!

15 Months Ago Today....

2008-07-16T13:53:00.001-05:00

Happy 15 Months Caroline!! We love you bigger than the sky!!

Ella's Pie

2008-07-15T14:02:00.003-05:00

Swimming Lessons

2008-07-15T13:19:00.001-05:00

It's a shame we weren't in Omaha for the Olympic swimming trials as Ella told me today, "I'm the best swimmer in the world." Clearly the photos are proof.

Our Pool

2008-07-14T21:53:00.003-05:00

Our "pool" is an old tub that used to store sweaters under the bed. The girls LOVE it and will play in it for hours on end. While Caroline was simply too busy to be bothered with changing into a swimsuit, Ella spent at least 10 minutes deciding which swimsuit would be best for this particular splashfest.

It's Hard Work Being Caroline

2008-07-14T12:48:00.004-05:00

Caroline just could not make it through lunch today and decided to fall asleep in her high chair. If only it was this easy to get her to sleep at night............

Caroline's Words

2008-07-13T20:58:00.003-05:00

Caroline is becoming quite the little talker. Here is a list of her words!!

Hi
Bye
Mama (good girl!!)
Daddy
Ella
Pacie
NO!!!
Milk
Wahwah (water)
Sissy
All done
Doggy (always followed with "woof woof")
Birdy
Blankey
Fuzzy
Nigh-nigh (night night)
Pop (can't say I'm too proud of that one)
Ball
Hat
Hot
Book
Shoe
Mow (as in her toy mower, not more)
Baba (baby)

I Can't Believe My Sister is Taking My Picture!

2008-07-12T17:11:00.001-05:00

Aggressive Garage Salers

2008-07-12T11:02:00.004-05:00

This morning Ella and Mommy decided to check out the local Kids' Garage Sale. As we were looking at some clothes a pushy garage saler asked Ella if she wanted to buy a toy makeup set for just a dollar. (I think the lady thought that Ella would then ask me if she could have it.) But Ella had the last laugh and told the lady, "No thanks. I already have enough JUNK!!" I just smiled.

Little Green Lies

2008-07-12T10:47:00.005-05:00

Here at our house we're pro-planet. So in an effort to save some water I decided to try something I heard about on the radio. Apparently, you can save 12,000 gallons of water a year if you just scrape your dishes instead of rinsing them before putting them in the dishwasher. And, the report claimed, any standard dishwasher can clean your dishes without a pre-wash rinse. Well, last night the dishes went into the washer without the usual rinse. The result? Disaster. My dishes came out of the washer covered with baked-on mystery food bits. They then had to be soaked and rewashed. Nightmare. From now on I think we'll just stick to recycling and our new light bulbs.

The Greatest Toys Ever Invented

2008-07-11T09:45:00.002-05:00

The girls spent the morning playing with the top of a thermos, a scrap of fabric, an empty coffee filter box and a wash cloth. Yes, we have toys. Lots of them. But who wants to play with toys when there are plenty of ordinary household items around?

Going to Bed

2008-07-10T21:29:00.000-05:00

Actual conversation upon going to bed......

Ella: Are there weathergirls? (As opposed to weathermen)
Me: Oh, yeah!!
Ella: What kind of hair do they have?
Me: All kinds.
Ella: Do they have fake hair?
Me: Some probably do.
Ella: Do they have pretty green hair?
Me: No.
Ella: Do they have pretty blue hair?
Me: No.
Ella: Do they have pretty pink hair?
Me: No.
Ella: Do they have black hair?
Me: Yes, some of them do.
Ella: What color of hair do I have?
Me: Light brown.
Ella: That's a pretty color.........................What color of skin do I have?
Me: Pink.
Ella: Why?
Me: Because Mommy and Daddy are pink.
Ella: Why is Dora's hair brown?
Me: Because it is.
Ella: Okay........ (ASLEEP)