life as we know it

3.11.2009

different.feelings

Setup: Claire and I are doing her reading lesson, and she is getting distracted from time to time by Amelia who is making normal baby sounds. Claire starts softly humming a tune when she gets to a word that she doesn't know.

Me: Claire, you need to sound out your word.
Claire: I am.
Me: No, you're humming.
Claire: I don't think I was.
Me: Yes, you were. You were going, "hmmmm, hmmmmm." (Think of me humming a little tune.)
Claire: That was kind of funny!
Me: It wasn't funny because you're supposed to be reading.
Claire: (As she looks back at her reading lesson...in a very quiet voice and very matter-of-factly...) I thought it was funny. You didn't. I guess we just have different feelings.

As always, I laughed out loud.

favorite.girls

Check out my favorite girls all smiling in the same picture...it's a rare find! :)

3.06.2009

4.years

I'm a little behind in blogging about Meredith's 4th birthday! Better late than never. Meredith requested a pink balloon cake that had our cats on it. That's T-Bone on the left and Wilbur on the right. I'm never going to make it as a cake decorator, but it works for birthday #4.

We surprised Meredith with a bike which she can't wait to ride this summer.

She also got a bucket of musical instruments...her favorite is the farmonica...known by the rest of us as the harmonica.

And here she is celebrating with Josh's family.

It was a crazy-busy weekend (Feb. 14-16). We hosted 3 parties in 3 days, and I was partied out.

At 4 years old, Meredith loves playing in her kitchen, writing her name (MErEdITH), Taylor Swift, "making" play beds in the playroom, and wearing her black tutu. She isn't especially fond of going to bed.

Meredith is a very passionate little girl, and we're doing our best to channel that into the right paths. She has a tendency to accelerate into whatever emotion is on her sleeve at the time. This can be completely adorable or a bit challenging!

Meredith is all girl through and through, and we just can't imagine a world without her. We love you sweet girl!

3.04.2009

so.much.fun

What a fun, fun weekend I spent with Josh's cousins! We were celebrating Teresa's (see picture below) 40th birthday! Teresa turned 40 a couple of weeks ago, and we had to wait a couple of weeks to celebrate...although her family threw her a surprise party a couple of weeks ago. (On a side note, we watched a 40th video montage from that party that was awesome...it was made by one of their friends' kids who is only 12! Kids these days have some serious technology skills.)

We all stayed in a bed and breakfast that is totally outfitted for scrap booking. Most of the girls are all about scrapping and card making. I'm more about sewing, so I took my sewing machine and made 4 adorable pin cushions. (I'll share that post soon!). Anyway, so we went out to dinner, played a ton of games (I learned 3 new ones), and stayed up WAY too late.

We went out to an awesome chocolate store for a most wonderful dessert after the Saturday night dinner...check out the presentation below.

So, all in all, we decided that we should do this way more often than we do. We laughed until we cried on more than one occasion, and I almost peed my pants at least twice.

"Remember Whens" from the weekend

-Deanna: I'll never forget you rolling over all of the pieces of Loaded Question because you were laughing so hard
-Gina: you are by far the toughest Pampered Chef Pizza Cutter I know
-Amber: my two night roomie...maybe we won't stay up and talk so long next time :)
-Joni: my fellow comeback kid for that marble game (I can't remember the name of it) we played on Friday night
-Alyssa: my other fellow roomie...same comment as Deanna :)
-Allie: I believe you were my most successful Nertz partner.
-Jessie: although it may have been you. (I'm sorry that I wasn't paying better attention.)
-Allie and Jessie together (because they're twins and they're used to getting grouped together): you guys make me smile all over my face :) these girls make the cutest cards EVER!
-Teresa: the birthday girl....thanks for turning 40 so that we could all have a great reason to celebrate and spend the weekend together.

I can't wait until someone else turns 40 next...not mentioning any names...pampered chef pizza cutter.

2.26.2009

seriously.february 25

This is what happens when one child (Meredith) throws a bag of powdered sugar at another child (Claire).

AND, even after you scrub the hard floor 5 times, it still has a sticky glaze to it.

(I informed Meredith that I was taking the picture to show Daddy, but I really wanted to blog about it!)

Seriously.