the girls

My Erin and Sara...I had a great time with you girls last weekend! Love you!

Goggled

Not sure what project this is....

i love you

"MOM! MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!" I heard this familiar warcry as I sat clenching my teeth down at the computer. We've been over this sooooooooo many times - Come and find me, I've said, please don't scream for me from another part of the house! I was right in the middle of something, so I yelled "What, Caden?" Yes, I know, not following my own rule.
"I love you!", he yelled.

What possessed him to yell this to me from upstairs? I don't know, but I realized perhaps we should all be more like this. Shann and I say it to each other often, but almost always in parting or as we're drifting off to sleep. How would Shann react if I yelled "I love you" to him from another part of the house in the middle of the day? Try it with someone you love. :)

Baby or Mama?

This is Alyssa, posing as a baby. Yes, she looks the part, but I know better - she is really a little mama at heart.

A couple days ago, Caden started crying in his room. I went in to survey the damage, but she was quicker, and swept right past me. She bent over him with her hand on his back and head bent to the side, and said, "Whas' a matter, bud?" She saw that he was holding his foot (he had stepped on a pirate guy in bare feet), and said, "toesies? me kiss it!"

Caden wanted no part of her at the moment, and tried to get away, but she persisted, and was able to kiss his foot against his will. When she was satisfied that everything was ok, she she returned to her room to play. I better watch it, or she'll edge me out!

New Year's "Beauty and the Geek"

Sorry its taken me awhile to post these pictures. "A friend" took awhile to get them to me. This year's theme was "Beauty and the Geek" from the TV show. Each couple had to have one beauty and one geek. Obviously a bit easier to come in a funny costume as a geek. So I tried to make myself at least an out-of-date beauty.

Drisella and Cousin Eddie

The karaoke competition - we sang "Goodbye Earl" by the Dixie Chicks.
Cousin Eddie (from Christmas Vacation)...note the Dickie. Hard to tell here, but yes, it is.

The talent competition - cool balancing act I saw online. We were excited that it worked as we hadn't tried it ahead of time. The chairs are pulled out one at a time, and you hope you stay up!

Resume of a small boy

I'm really starting to see some "qualities" come out that I think could be twisted into sounding fabulous for a resume. You know we've all done that on resumes ... for example, turned a newspaper delivery job into a high-powered management position with the use of the right verbiage. On Caden's resume, this is what I see:

Leader: he is the one who will be instructing others on what is best for them. (this translates into bossiness. We've been working on 'make sure the other person WANTS to do what you're asking them to do'. I'm not sure if this is a losing battle what with the 1st born personality that is built right in.)

Informer: keeping mom appraised of various arising situations. (such as: "mom, Alyssa is eating toothpaste!" and of course, he gets great satisfaction in the reporting.)

Delegator: able to include others in accomplishing tasks. (he has just discovered that he can pass things that I've told him to do right on to Alyssa. And most of the time, she'll say "OK" and do it. I've told him this is not allowed. Creative, though)

Deep Thinker: loves to contemplate things of mystery. ("Mom, I wish I was Jesus". Obviously I asked him why... "Because Mary was very pretty!" I'm not sure where to go with that one. Yesterday, it was "I wish God was my Daddy". This one was much easier! He is! Then the day before.."and why can't I marry Alyssa?")

Out to Dinner

This week I've been feeling horrible. I have a nasty cold, cough, and have been feeling achy. So last night I decided we'd just go out. This way I wouldn't have to come up with a dinner I didn't feel like eating anyway.
Luckily, this restaurant is one of the many that brings drinks for kids with a lid and a straw. Nevertheless, not one, but both Caden and Alyssa managed to spill very cold water in their laps. Poor Alyssa absolutely soaked her pants - it looked as though she wasn't wearing diaper if you get my drift. So we asked for our first large stack of napkins. The kid's PBJ came quickly. We usually ask for the kids meal to come as soon as its ready (so they have something to do). But then they've finished by the time we're eating. This was the case last night - Shann and I were both eating, and apparently not paying much attention to her, when Alyssa bit into a coffee creamer. Cream exploded all over Shann's seat and shirt. Napkins. Not long after, as Caden was eating his ice cream, somehow it made its way to the floor underneath our table. More napkins. And crying. I ordered hot tea, but had to hold it right in front of me so that it wouldn't be spilled by either child. Caden, by then, was bored and bouncing back and forth between the seats, and Alyssa was grabbing everything in sight. Picture Shann and I sitting still gazing at one another with a blur of motion around us.
And I asked myself: was this easier than eating at home?

Dress up time

I just got a couple more things for our dress-up collection. Hard to believe this little dance outfit about fits Alyssa. Do people have their kids in dance classes at this age? I'm sure they do.
Playing of off our New Year's Party theme, Caden decided they were the "Beauty and the Geek". Caden probably wouldn't have been so willing to be the geek had he known what that is! So he kept saying - "where's my beauty?" She tried hiding in the closet, but he found her!

Feeling a little under the weather!

Lulu hosts a tea

A gift from Grandma, Alyssa put this sweet tea set to use quickly. She entertains with the utmost decorum! Her guests were very patient.
The hostess.