Land of the Wee Ones

6 Weeks Old

2011-10-10T20:53:00.005-05:00

The day after Nicko's birthday it rained all day. And this is what Emma did all day!

Loved by big brother.

And happy!

Dressed up for Nick's birthday!

Birthday Boy

2011-10-10T20:47:00.006-05:00

Nick blowing out his candles.

The AWESOME Hogwarts cake Mike and I created. Hagrids hut is on the left, and the spiders are headed to the forbidden forest across the way. 2 small lakes, a pathway leading to the castle that is up on a 3 tier hill, and rice kripy quidditch area made a small boy very happy. And it tasted yummy too!

And the smile says it all. I had convinced him that all the stores were sold out of Diagon Alley, and that it was too expensive anyway. So the very last present he opened was the one he had been asking for all along.

Happy 7th birthday Nicholas!

You are incredibly funny, super smart, and a great LEGO builder. You love your brand new baby sister with a fierceness, and can't stop hugging, kissing, and touching her. Even when sick.

We love you!

Look Who's Smiling

2011-10-10T20:44:00.003-05:00

Some real smiles make it all worth while.

Emma - 5 weeks, 6 days

5 weeks old at the zoo

2011-10-10T20:41:00.004-05:00

Emma 5 weeks old

We finally had some nice weather here, and the kids and I decided to take advantage with a trip to the zoo. While we always go to see the Red Pandas, Meerkats, and Elephants first, this time we went the opposite way and saw the birds, zebras, and the children's zoo. Emma spent most of the trip asleep.

4 weeks old

2011-10-10T20:40:00.002-05:00

Emma - 4 weeks old

3 Weeks Old

2011-10-10T20:38:00.003-05:00

Emma - 3 weeks old

Look who got pre-pointe shoes

2011-08-31T20:30:00.004-05:00

Katie got asked to audition for the dance studio's pre-professional program that they have started up again this year.

And of course, she made it. So now she has ballet 5 days a week with the ballet master, who teaches the company girls. She is already showing much improvement and learning a great deal after only 2 weeks.

And of course, she was excited to receive a letter this summer, telling her that she would begin pre-pointe classes this fall. After 2 classes, she is beginning to get used to the feel of these rock hard shoes. The same as a pointe shoe but without the strong shank, so they don't go up on their toes yet.

More Emma Pics

2011-08-31T20:23:00.007-05:00

6 Days old

Big Brother

Big Sister

3 days old

Happy Birthday Emma!

2011-08-31T20:20:00.003-05:00

Here she is!

Emma Danielle

7 lbs. 6 oz.

18 7/8 inches

August 25, 2011

Tap 2011 Informal

2011-05-31T16:53:00.002-05:00

RAFA Awards

2011-05-31T16:42:00.001-05:00

RAFA dance awards May 2011

Katie with medals in ballet, tap and jazz

Zoo May 2011

2011-05-31T16:39:00.003-05:00

These people look like trouble!

Nick Rookie Baseball

2011-05-31T16:31:00.004-05:00

Before the first game

#10 at bat

Getting his trophy from Coach Joe at the end of the season

Toothless Nick

2011-05-31T16:19:00.003-05:00

From several months ago.

Katie's 9th Birthday

2010-12-09T12:09:00.006-06:00

Katie at her birthday party at Painted Potter.

Blowing out the candles.

This year's cake. We went simple with an American Girl theme.

Happy 9th Birthday!

Nutcracker 2010

2010-12-09T12:06:00.006-06:00

My Little Sentry

Katie and her Rat friend, Nicole

A line-up of Sentries, ready to fight the rats.

More things

2010-11-13T15:11:00.004-06:00

Made these cute baby shoes today.

The fabric came from a friend, and they look absolutely adorable in person.

Not real fond of the raw edges everywhere though.

And made this baby girl outfit some time ago, by taking a store bought pair of leggings and shirt, and adding the ruffled layers to them. Really quick and easy project, and then I added some applique on the shirt to make it match even more.

Quick catchup

2010-11-13T15:04:00.011-06:00

My toothless friend.

Playing little league for the Arizona Wildcats

Happy 6th Birthday Nicko!
A birthday full of Legos, Star Wars, and Clone Trooper Cupcakes!

A visit from the cousins. The girls loved each other.

And all of them had a great time celebrating Nick's birthday.

A Lavendar Fairy for Halloween

And Luke Skywalker the Jedi Knight.

And the 2010 Ballunar Festival

On a chilly morning.

Letter of the Week so far

2010-09-11T21:06:00.006-05:00

For "A" we made apple pie. I just picked a simple recipe from my cookbook that I use a lot. I have made many apple pies before. This one ... not so good.

For "B" week we made Birthday Cake Ice-cream Banana Splits. All reviews were thumbs up.

For "C" week we made Clone Trooper Cupcakes and Chocolate Chip Cookies. Some happy kiddos here.

Plans for "D" week ... I picked up a box of beignet mix and we are going to attempt making them. Technically they start with B, but my kids call them doughnuts, thus D it is!

Beach August 2010

2010-09-11T21:01:00.005-05:00

A day at the beach in Galveston. Wild waves, that were so loud you couldn't hear anything else. Nick loved jumping in them.

Nicholas, hard at work. He loves to play in the sand and build.

This would be Katie pre-rock falling injury. She was having a great time running around, playing in the sand, and seeing her very first natural hermit crab.

Shortly after, she ran after me towards the big rocks that line the seawall, and sliced up her foot on them. That ended the beach trip. Although she was all up for heading to the candy store in The Strand after we cleaned up the foot and put some bandages on it.

School Year 2010 - 2011

2010-08-23T13:33:00.002-05:00

The first day of school has begun!! This year Katie begins 3rd grade, and Nicholas is officially a kindergartener.

So here is a list of what we are doing this year.

Katie - 3rd grade
Math - We are using Teaching Textbooks 4. I like the fact that it is more hands-off for me, and that it is visual, auditory, and tactile. Plus it gives her instant feedback. I think she enjoyed doing math on the computer, and it made her feel more grown-up.

Reading - We are continuing with Sonlight 2 Advanced. Even though she reads well above grade level, Sonlight's list of books is also above grade level in general. So most of the books would be considered at least 3rd grade, plus they are such fabulous books for this level. I didn't want her to miss out on them. Plus we are continuing on with Wordly Wise and doing book 3.

Language - We are doing a combination of Sonlight language arts, and Voyages in English 3. I had the Voyages already, and I really like the way it is laid out.

Spelling - Continuing to go along with Spelling Power. Worked well last year, doesn't take much time, and makes so much more sense than other spelling programs, that make you practice the words you already know.

Handwriting - We have mostly abandoned this, but will continue one day of cursive each week, and then the Sonlight copywork is also being done in cursive this year to give her more practice.

Science - Attempting something new with Noeo Physics 1. Looks easy and fun, and I think will fit both kids well. Plus we added in a Lego Simple Machines set.

History - Continuing on with American History from last year. We are starting with a Native American study, and then moving on with Lewis and Clark, and Westward Expansion. Most of the reading follows Elizabeth Foss' ideas.

Religion / Art- Liked Seton last year, and so continuing this year with Seton 3. Also going to do a saint study to go along with Elizabeth Foss' Alphabet Path that Nicholas will be doing some of. Plus we will be doing some art projects that go along with the flower fairies and saints. I think this will be a lot of fun for both of them, and give us something to look forward to each week.

Nicholas - Kindergarten
Math - Finishing up Horizons Kindergarten Book 2. Then we will continue on with Horizons 1.

Reading - Finishing up Hooked on Phonics Kindergarten and Primary Phonics. Then we will continue with Sonlight 1 starting in November. Lots of sight words. And of course Explode the Code once we start the Sonlight.

Spelling - Sonlight 1's spelling words once we start that.

Handwriting - D'Nealian Kindergarten and 1st grade.

History and Science will be the same as Katie's.

Religion - We will be following the Alphabet Path from Elizabeth Foss, and using the saints as a starting point, along with some good coloring books, and the Everyday Children's Bible.

Hoping to update more as we go along this year.

Nicholas Wants to Know

2010-06-26T18:38:00.003-05:00

Anybody want a Fig NORTON?
http://www.zimmcomm.biz/images/rams/fig-newtons.gif

Just Say YUM!

2010-06-22T15:06:00.002-05:00

The new family favorites...

http://www.motherscookies.com/ProductDetail.aspx?product=17231

The perfect summer cookie!

Then on to the SLIDE

2010-06-15T20:41:00.002-05:00

Mike finds the video of Katie hilarious as she hits the water.

Nick was supposed to have his hands in his lap, but I am amazed he even went down. It was up to them if they wanted to do it or not.

Swim Lessons Katie 2010

2010-06-15T20:40:00.001-05:00

And check out this sleek moving machine.

Swim Lessons 2010

2010-06-15T20:20:00.004-05:00

After one day of swim lessons, this is how far Nick's come.

These coaches are AMAZING

And When We Are Not Dancing

2010-06-07T13:50:00.007-05:00

Daddy teaches Katie to drive
Katie grows these humongous sunflowers Nicko helps out too

And Mom makes this

What We Did All Weekend

2010-06-07T13:41:00.006-05:00

Watched a LOT of this show!!

With this beautiful CROW!

And her FOREST FAIRY friend!

And The OZ Spectacle Dance

2010-05-21T13:17:00.004-05:00

Tap costume

2010-05-21T13:16:00.002-05:00

The Oz Spectacles minus the cute hat!

Almost Showtime

2010-05-19T20:32:00.002-05:00

Katie with her friends, Audrey and Lauren

As the Mother Goose Club for the Wizard of Oz

First Communion

2010-05-19T20:23:00.006-05:00

A family picture pre-ceremony

And after the ceremony, praying to Mary.

A picture with our deacon and Fr. Skip

And a picture of the two kiddos at the church after mass.

Who would have ever thought that Katie would finally be old enough to receive her first communion? Not me!

Even that morning I still couldn't believe it. It seemed a little surreal. But it was a beautiful mass, with many of the kids I taught in CCE, as well as our good friends sitting right in front of us. It made the whole event even more special, that we were able to share it with both sets of grandparents, Uncle Doug, and many friends.

Katie looked beautiful and was very excited! And without any hesitation she knew exactly what she was doing. And I couldn't have been more excited for her!

And From Some Time Ago

2010-05-03T09:19:00.002-05:00

Best of Friends

This weekend

2010-05-03T09:14:00.003-05:00

After our usual 9:30 mass we came home to a lovely Spring day. Sitting on our covered porch, there was a beautiful breeze blowing, and it was a perfect day to spend some time outdoors. So we grabbed some books, and plopped down outside to enjoy the fresh air.

Nicholas quickly began hunting geckos. His new favorite pasttime. I hate to tell him that using his methods and catching container of choice, it's never gonna happen. But it did keep him busy for several hours.

We also got the entertainment (although fairly disgusting) of watching Mr. Green Gecko peel off his old skin and.....EAT IT! ICK!

Easter pics

2010-05-03T09:09:00.007-05:00

After a 1:00 A.M. wake-up call that the Easter bunny had come, and after shooing two little children back to bed until about 6:30, these happy faces were greeting us after mass.

And then later that afternoon we found this on the floor...And even better is the position his little legs were in...

Carrie's quilt

2010-05-03T09:05:00.004-05:00

I knew there was a reason I haven't been blogging in a long time. Blogger has changed their picture loading and placement abilities and I can't figure it out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, here is my beloved pink and brown quilt that I made for a dear friend's new baby girl.

I am very tempted to take it back every time I see it.
And on the back is this beautiful floral designed minkee type fabric. It is oh so soft!

Dog Vomit

2010-04-06T22:05:00.002-05:00

Yes I have not blogged in a long time, and I promise to give you pictures and exciting stories soon.

In the meantime, I thought you would be intrigued by what I found today and then researched tonight.

We went outside briefly tonight and from across the yard I could see something strange in my garden. I walked over to find a large orangey mass that looked absolutely disgusting. After researching orange garden fungus', we have come to the conclusion that it goes under the name of orange slime mold, AKA dog vomit fungus. How disgusting is that??

Unfortunately it is an accurate description. Since when I looked at it, I thought along the same lines, but since we have no dog, and we installed a rabbit fence around the garden this year preventing critters, I figured it had to be something more scientific.

Now do we carefully collect and study it as a homeschooling family??

I think NOT!!

Nutcracker 2009: THE END

2009-12-16T13:47:00.008-06:00

Friends before

And after.

Games backstage

The fine art of finger knitting

We were exhausted, but had so much fun!!

WHY OH WHY!!

2009-12-09T09:01:00.002-06:00

Why is it that you can clean a room, in this case the kids' bathroom, and have it beautifully spotless...

and several hours later, your boy has bled all over the freshly hung towel (White with ducks)?

Someday I hope to see my efforts last for at least a whole day.

Boy Minus Tooth

2009-12-07T20:01:00.002-06:00

Nick lost his 1st tooth December 1st.

I don't have a current picture, but he lost the 2nd one on the 5th.

Nutcracker 2009

2009-12-07T19:48:00.005-06:00

Katie auditioned for Bay Area Houston Ballet and Theatre's Nutcracker for the second year, and this year as I previously wrote, she was cast for 6 performances as a gingerchild.

This meant 2 hour long practices every Saturday pretty much since September. And these practices are held at 8 in the morning. She loved it and couldn't wait each and every morning to get there.

Then several weeks into practices, I got a phone call late one night, asking if Katie would be willing to play the part of one of the boy ginger Dolls. She did this role last year as a girl, so I talked to her and she was thrilled!! This meant instead of 6 performances she would dance in all 14 shows.

So for several weekends she practiced the 2 hour gingerchild, 1 hour of ginger doll, and then a 2 hour Act 1 Scene 1 rehearsal on Sundays, and a 2 hour Act 2 rehearsal several hours later. Not once did she ever complain, and typically she couldn't wait to get there.

And to add to it, she almost did another part for 2 school performances to fill in for one of her best friends who had gotten sick. It would have been as gingerchild but doing a different part in the dance that they would have taught to her literally 30 minutes before the show started. But because of the make-up changes involved, and the fact that another girl was backstage that knew the role, I asked if they could see if the other girl could do it.

So here she is starring for the first year as Gingerchild #2.

At the very end of the trail of gingerchildren.

And playing boy ginger doll after doing gingerchild one day. Can you see the white ring around the face??

One more rehearsal, and 6 more shows to go!

Katie Birthday #8

2009-12-07T19:35:00.011-06:00

Daddy had to run in to work quickly on the morning of Katie's birthday, so I let her open one of her presents that I had bought several months ago. The cute little pink dress that Princess is sporting in the picture, and a matching one for Katie. She is still dying to wear it, but the Houston weather hasn't cooperated yet.

Then when Dad got home, she opened this present. Molly's accessories from American Girl.

And what good are Molly's accessories without MOLLY!!!!!!

She begged and pleaded and cried and saved money for this doll for 6 months. Little did she know that Grandma Cele had sent it several months before.

And Mike and I are officially going into business to compete with Cake Boss Buddy from TLC.
We made this 4 layer monster with marble cake, chocolate frosting in between layers.
Pink vanilla frosting on the outside.
Sprinkles on top.
Jelly Belly jellybeans lining the bottom.
Gummy bears lining the top edge.
And a pretty white Happy Birthday on top.

Oh and don't forget the fudge covered mint oreos polka dotting the sides. Which when I opened the package one was missing even though the inner package was sealed. So we have coupon coming in the mail for a free package.

A Trip to the Zoo with Dad

2009-12-07T19:29:00.006-06:00

While I was down and out, Dad took the kids to the zoo for a morning.

Nick and the armadillo.

Look at the wingspan on these two!

Dad found someone new to kiss.

Halloween 2009

2009-12-07T19:27:00.002-06:00

This picture looks almost identical to last years. The kids decided to go with the same costumes they wore before, Dorothy and her dog.

The Katie Present

2009-10-09T20:47:00.003-05:00

Yes grandparents. It has come in the mail. And as expected, it is a huge hit.

They are my old set of Fashion Plates.

I loved these things as a kid, and had such memories of spending hours making different looking girls and coloring them in with my colored pencils.

So tonight when they came in the mail, I ripped the paper off a crayon, showed Katie how to set up a picture and showed her how to rub the image onto the paper. I think her exact words were "WOW!" And there she sat for the next hour and a half until bed. She made several dolls. Coloring them in and cutting them out like paper dolls. I found her at bedtime playing with them in her room, and she wants a shoe box to store her creations in.

I envision, many more hours of happiness await this toy!

Birthday Boy #5

2009-10-09T20:29:00.005-05:00

What a difference a year makes!

You are so sweet and loving, yet so zany and funny!

You love to give and receive hugs and sometimes kisses, but you are starting to become more manly about not giving them as freely to Daddy.

You are gentle and sweet, yet wrestle and pretend fight with the best of them.

You are so smart. How many 4 year olds sing their ABC's backwards??

You can be stubborn and willful, but you are learning everyday how to be the best you can be.

And we love each and every bit of you.

It was a great day!!

The morning began with a wake-up call at 5:45 by the birthday boy himself. He came quietly in but then announced, "It's my birthday!" I rolled over with the reply of "Happy Birthday, now climb in bed with us."

While bed didn't last more than 15 minutes, I did manage to contain him on the couch in the family room with me until 6:30 when Katie got up. And then it was present time.

We let him open a select few of the bounty he seemed to receive this year. And above all he loves his new Lightning McQueen toys from Daddy and Katie. They went to bed with him yesterday and then to dance with him today.

After playing for a while his only requests were to stay in his jammies all day and to eat peanut butter sandwiches for lunch. Both so simple, but both denied.

Instead we took him out to the mall where he got to choose whatever he wanted to eat and both kids finished almost every bite of their lunch. Then we went to Chuck E Cheese, which was his birthday wish to play a few games. I had leftover coins from a birthday party some time ago, and the kids played enough to make them content.

Birthday dinner was a peanut butter sandwich. Yes, he is a simple boy at heart. And then Katie and I headed to tap class while he and Daddy went to t-ball. After coming home at 7:15 he finally got to have his cake.

And what a cake it was! Mike and I worked together to make this masterpiece with the help of another friend's cake decorating grass tip. (I still can't find mine. I think it got lost in the move.) But luckily now that good friends have moved nearby, the tip was only a 2 minute drive away.

So he got his wish of a race track birthday cake that was yellow and chocolate cake inside. Green grass, oreo cookie track in the shape of a number 5 thanks to my husband's brilliance, sprinkles on the sides, and Luigi's tire shop made out of chocolate donuts. We didn't put race cars on it, but it didn't seem to make a difference to him.

The School Room

2009-10-09T20:17:00.003-05:00

It is wonderful!!! It is beautiful!!! It is perfect!!!

After looking at our cluttered dining room that had no furniture but still housed leftovers from when we first moved in a year ago, I talked to Mike about turning the room into a temporary school room. My thought was why let an entire room go unused in this house, that could very well function as the perfect space for learning. And perfect it has been.

First came the paint. I continued the sage green from Sherwin Williams that is in our study into this room. I love the color! It is pretty and soothing, and just generally makes me happy.

Then came the furniture. We had already purchased a piano with the help of my parents that resides on one wall. And I had my eyes on the Expedit line of furniture from IKEA. Finally the opportunity came in a $50 off purchase coupon to IKEA. I bought the 4 X 4 cube with 2 cubes for storage at the bottom and two sets of drawers. Then I bought the 2 X 2 with the extra $50. Even though I nearly exhausted the kids making them go back and forth through the IKEA store trying to make my decisions, I am really happy with what I got. The pieces are sturdy and large and each cubby can hold up to 30 pounds.

So now each subject area is put in its own little cubby. In the 2 X 2 I keep all the things that we are currently using. Katie has one magazine holder with her books and workbooks and folders. Nick has one for his things. And then I have one for my teacher guides and any other things like writing paper and lesson plans. There are binders for completed work that we are saving. There are other files of things that could be pulled out at a moments notice to entertain a bored child. In the bottom cubes in the big storage unit are math manipulatives, and in the drawers are more math games and reading things.

The biggest blessing came in the wonderful, perfectly sized table that a friend gave to us. It was the final piece of the puzzle that made us able to work full-time in this room. Thank you, my friend!! It meant no more spilled drinks over math workbooks. No more complaints of hunger (since we used to work at the kitchen table and I think it stirred the grumblies in my children). And the kids know it is a designated work space. NO TOYS ALLOWED!!! I almost think they enjoy it as much as I do.

And the Nutcracker part is....

2009-10-02T21:09:00.003-05:00

Instead of being one of these from last year...

This year she will be one of these.

(photo from last year of her friend Audrey)

Spending Time at the Park

2009-10-02T21:07:00.003-05:00

That is as often as possible.

Working on a State Scrapbook

2009-10-02T21:05:00.004-05:00

And since you probably can't tell from the picture, this is Pennsylvania, and the brown piece of paper next to the state bird is a chocolate bar from Hershey, PA itself. After all, what fact about Pennsylvania would a child find most appealing?

What Have the Kids Been Doing?

2009-10-02T21:03:00.001-05:00

READING!! READING!! AND MORE READING!!

What Have We Done Lately?

2009-10-02T20:56:00.007-05:00

CELEBRATED DADDY'S BIRTHDAY

With a trip to an Astro's game and a homemade ice-cream cake.

FINALLY!

2009-09-23T09:05:00.004-05:00

Much updating to do, since I finally got my pictures downloaded. All 157 of them!!

But since I am lacking time right now, and we have a busy day ahead, I will post this one picture of the first day of school (co-op) from several weeks ago.

Pictures and Blogging Coming Soon

2009-09-15T14:41:00.002-05:00

Lots to blog. Lots of pictures. Problem is... the pictures are stuck on the camera. When Mike shut down all the automatically starting things on my computer to speed up the start up time, he somehow lost my capability to have my camera download photos like it did in the past, as well as now it won't even recognize that there is a device plugged into the USB.

HMMM!!

Soon he will have time to fix it, and soon we will be up and running with lots of stories.

In the meantime, just know my day has been filled with a 4 year old not making it to the potty in time, and it wasn't a flood that occurred.

Knock Knock

2009-08-07T10:17:00.002-05:00

It seems we have a fear of doors in the family.

Several months ago, we were at a Subway restaurant, just me and the kids, and Katie went into the bathroom by herself while I ordered. All of a sudden I heard this terrible shrieking. She had panicked while trying to open the door. It had one of those pull down handles, and she wasn't turning it the whole way before trying to open; therefore, it wasn't opening and she thought she was trapped.

Then Nicholas did the same thing a few weeks ago at an ice-cream place.

But even better was his experience with automatic doors. Even though he is quite the heavy child, he doesn't weigh enough yet to trigger the automatic doors at our local library. And at this particular library there are two sets of automatic doors with just a tiny space in between. He had been told to wait for me while I finished checking out, but being the ever "testing the limits" child, he walked out the first set of doors when they opened for someone leaving, but then the doors closed, and he couldn't get back in, nor could he go further out. He was trapped. And the look on his terrified face was priceless.

Since then he is scared to go in any doors. He attaches himself firmly to my side at all automatic entrances, and he wants his bedroom door open at all times, in case it should lock on him mysteriously. He can't comprehend that the door won't magically lock, but he would have to turn the lock himself.

So for now, we have two kids that will not enter rooms with those special handles, and one child who has fears of all doors.

Probably not such a bad thing for that young daredevil.

Question???

2009-07-16T20:07:00.003-05:00

Have any of you ever seen the inside of a cell phone??

Well I have. And it ain't pretty!!

Goodnight to all, we have had an exhausting week and it is now 8 P.M. and my kiddos are sound asleep.

Nicholas and the Gators

2009-07-06T16:31:00.004-05:00

T-ball season #2 started a few weeks ago, and Nicholas now plays for the Gators with Coach Mike. Yep, that would be Daddy. He is loving it even more this time, and I think part of it may be that he is playing with 3 of his friends.

And this would be the sweaty little boy, after running the bases.

And I had to add this photo of his friend, Andrew. It is just too silly!

May Pole Quilt

2009-07-06T16:27:00.005-05:00

Love this quilt soooo much, and it goes out in the mail tomorrow. It has a massive number of quilting mistakes, since it was sooo very very big and heavy, but it still came out beautiful.

Hope the recipient enjoys!!

Am I The Only One Who Can Do Math?

2009-07-01T08:49:00.002-05:00

Go here and read about what I consider to be a half-worthless move by the FDA.

In order to get a 1000mg dose of acetaminophen, I could pay $15 for a doctor copay, and then pay whatever insane copay my insurance says on a prescription, or I could just take 3 of the new Tylenol pills that will be coming out, since that will equal 975mg.

My guess, is that anyone who is smart enough to do the math, and not concerned with the possibility of liver damage, will take the 3 pills out of a regular over the counter bottle of Tylenol. After all, how long have we had this product on the market and been taking it at the 1000mg dose.

Another case of the government wasting a lot of time and money.

Our New Pet

2009-06-16T12:23:00.002-05:00

We seem to have added a rabbit to our household. When I built the garden here I thought for sure I wouldn't have the problem of rabbits and deer that I had in Ohio. After all, we never see rabbits here. And I mean NEVER!

But look who hangs out at our house all the time these days. The kids named him Nibbles, and then this past weekend we found he has a friend, who we have called Bits.

Get it?? Nibbles and Bits!!

Anyway, my thought has been that there is more than enough in the garden to share with our little friends, and while I try to deter them, I am not going to go all out to get rid of them. Primarily they eat our lettuce which we found bitter to begin with, and they like to eat down my pepper plants, which makes me a little angry. But they don't touch the cucumbers, tomatoes, green beans or cantaloupe.

So here is a picture of Nibbles lounging outside our bedroom window.

Oh Baby!

2009-06-16T12:15:00.005-05:00

We are wonderfully lucky to have had the opportunity to watch our favorite new baby and neighbor, Benjamin. He spent several hours with us last Saturday while his parents took the Infant CPR class. Needless to say, this is how he looked 90% of the time we had him, but that didn't stop us from passing him around the room from loving arms to loving arms. It is funny how light and little he is. We laughed at the fact that he is basically the same size now as Nicholas when he was born. The kids loved his tiny feet.

And notice the change of clothes. That would be because he peed through the first outfit onto Katie no less. She actually giggled and just went and changed her clothes.

2 Things Learned

2009-06-14T18:09:00.002-05:00

1. Don't pay bills when tired online. You will accidentally hit the go back button several times instead of the confirm button. Then you get to type in all the information again....and again.....and AGAIN!! You would think I would learn after the first time.

2. When your 4 year old learns to whistle, you will be overjoyed at his new found skill. Then after several days of nonstop whistling, the enjoyment fades.

Ballet Rehearsal

2009-06-10T10:25:00.006-05:00

Katie backstage at dress rehearsal. They were busy playing Simon Says with one of the young teachers. What you don't see is the big girls to the left playing along with them. Apparently ballerinas never grow up.

Katie to the left of front in her ballet dance. They do such a marvelous job, and she had such a great teacher this year. Plus I got lucky to have her right up front and center for both dances this year.

Katie in her tap dance. Not that you can tell which one she is. (Towards the middle somewhere)

But I love this picture because it shows just how hard they worked this year. Look at their feet all in unison. They are really remarkable for 6, 7, and 8 year olds.

Katie front right doing her tap again. She has been practicing both her dances every day for the past week since they didn't have class. She told me she wants to be perfect. And then yesterday, she said that she wishes they could do their dance 10 times.

The child loves to perform, and is dying to get into one of those white tutus, and pointe shoes.

Sorry dear, you'll have to wait a few years to have a white tutu, but the pointe shoes will be coming soon I have a feeling.

Little Girl Quilt

2009-06-04T16:59:00.005-05:00

I think this is one of my favorite quilts that I have ever made. It uses the Butterfly Fling fabric panel (that I cut into 4 main squares), and a charm pack of the same line.

So cute!

And I got brave enough to finally try stippling an entire project, and it came out beautiful.

And here is the back. A really adorable purple heart print.

I have Katie to thank for that one.

Happy Hurricane Season!

2009-06-01T13:30:00.003-05:00

Only here...

Do you have a friend call you on June 1st to wish you a happy hurricane season.

She should have added happy swarming mosquitoes that will suck 8 pints of blood from you, as well as happy screaming children day, since the mosquitoes terrify them until they scream and tremble in terror.

SAD!

Nick Gymnastics Video

2009-06-01T13:22:00.002-05:00

Gymnastics video

2009-06-01T12:58:00.003-05:00

Sorry it is sideways at first.

Lately

2009-06-01T12:45:00.009-05:00

Not much blogging lately. We have been busy, busy, busy.

Did I mention we have been busy??

1st there was this cute little bundle of joy being born to our friends and neighbors.

2nd there was recital rehearsal.

3rd was gymnastics olympic day.

Doesn't he look proud to win his medal?

And she is pretty darn cute too.

Then we had Nick's final t-ball game.

Sitting in the dugout before the game.

This looks more like him.

Nick at bat. The shirt has come out, and he's ready. This hit went all the way out to the outfield. The boy can swing!

And then I spent my weekend making these. The summer t-ball season starts today, and Mike has some plans for using them with the kids.

Until September

2009-05-15T10:01:00.002-05:00

I am without my favorite show now until September. I was a mean mama last night who refused to put my children to bed and read to them, instead making Daddy do it. They were not happy!

But I got to mostly enjoy the 2 hour Grey's Anatomy season finale by myself. And mostly I did enjoy. And now for my 2 favorite moments of last night.

For once a show totally surprised me. I had no idea that it was George who was the John Doe. And the way it was revealed, it was even more incredible.

And then I love the Meredith/ Derek wedding on a post-it. Especially the vows.
1. To love each other, even when we hate each other.
2. No running away
3. And to take care of each other even when we are old, smelly, and senile.

Isn't that what marriage is?? To take the good, bad, and ugly and stay together no matter what??

I know that I am very lucky. I have a husband who loves me all the time, or at least 99% of the time. And I love him back. I know he is always going to be there. And as for the old, smelly, and senile part....I'm sure our marriage would stay just as strong. But luckily that is a long way off.

So here is hoping your marriage is as wonderful as mine, and that you too will cherish each moment you have together.

Nicholas Plays T-ball

2009-04-08T10:21:00.008-05:00

We first experienced our city t-ball with Katie when she was 3. To this day she is great friends with a girl that she met there. She had a phenomenal coach, and although t-ball wasn't her "thing", she did have fun testing it out.

Now it is Nicholas' turn. We signed him up this past fall to play, but it got cancelled due to the hurricane, and subsequent destruction of the park they were to play their games. So I resigned him up this spring, and so far he is having a good time.

His team is called the Marlins, and he enjoys being part of the guys, with a few girls thrown into the mix.

Here he is playing defense.

And finally getting to catch the ball.

Tablerunner Finished

2009-04-08T10:20:00.003-05:00

So pretty, so Soire'e.

No More Training Wheels

2009-04-08T10:12:00.003-05:00

Adorable

2009-02-27T20:48:00.002-06:00

We drove down to Galveston yesterday to walk the beach and collect seashells and rocks.

As we were driving, Mike and I were talking about places we would like to go see...the Grand Canyon, Boston, Philadelphia...

Katie piped up in the back: I would like to see Boston Market.

Sadly, her favorite restaurant closed here recently, and apparently it must exist in the actual city of Boston...right?

Finally Finished

2009-02-23T10:13:00.004-06:00

3 years, 2 moves, 7 hours of stitch ripping and one rotary blade injury later.

I am finally done with the quilt (except for binding) that I have been working on for my niece. Now that she is going to be 3, I guess it will have to be used for a picnic blanket, or doll's blanket or something.

But I am happy with the results.

Being Existential

2009-02-12T14:26:00.003-06:00

Nicholas has been talking a lot about God in the car lately. Asking lots of questions and making lots of statements, such as:

God made the Earth.
Where does God live?
Where is heaven?

Today was a moment of pure revelation, as I heard this while driving...

Nicholas: Ohhhh....Workers make the houses, but God made the trees.

I think he's getting it.

Taxes

2009-02-09T11:17:00.002-06:00

DONE!!!

Last year I finished them on Valentine's day.

This year 5 days early.

Of course I still have to send in the state one. I figured a 42 cent stamp was better on a $13 return than paying the $19.95 electronic filing fee. Who in their right mind would do that??? I am willing to bet more people than you could possibly believe.

A New Favorite

2009-02-03T20:36:00.001-06:00

On-line as well as nearby quilt shop that is.

For those of you nutty people out there who are as obsessed with the beauty of the new lines of fabric coming out take a look here.

Rock Band Anyone??

2009-01-28T14:58:00.004-06:00

The children are welcoming the new addition to our dining room. And Katie has discovered the joy of the pedals today.

New Quilt Top

2009-01-20T19:19:00.003-06:00

I finished it. Started barely a week ago with one 9 patch block, and finished the top this afternoon. Thanks partly to a little crafting gathering last Friday night with some lovely ladies.

So what do you think??

I Am In Love

2009-01-13T10:04:00.003-06:00

With fabric.

What is worse, is so is my daughter, and she can't sew yet. She seems to see the beauty of color and have great visions of what she could do with pieces of material. So it looks like we will be starting some sewing projects of her own soon.

But, I fell in love with this fabric line, Maypole by Moda, back several months ago when I went to the quilt show. So after debating and agonizing what would I do with it, I decided to order 3 charm packs and make a quilt of my own design.

Here is one piece of what I got done last night, before the bobbin ran out of thread AGAIN!!! They seriously need to make bigger bobbins.

I can honestly say that there is not one single piece of fabric in this line that I don't love. They are all so bright and beautiful. Now to try to get some more done this week.

Time Well Spent

2009-01-13T10:01:00.003-06:00

I spent most of my weekend evenings working on library bags for the kids. I had a pattern I thought looked easy to follow and was what I wanted, but after trying it the bag came out horribly and a few mistakes were made due to bad directions.

I then went online and looked at several more patterns, and taking what I learned from the first mistake, combined several directions to make these.

They came out really cute, and durable. Today will be our first test run.

Happy New Year to all

2008-12-31T17:33:00.007-06:00

Wishing you a Happy and Healthy New Year!

Christmas 2008

2008-12-31T17:25:00.006-06:00

We successfully made it through another Christmas.

The battery on my camera, of course, ran out after just a few pictures so this is all there is.

Katie got a new Barbie house made by Daddy, and some calico critters, along with many other favorites.

Nicholas got a doghouse for Scraper made by Daddy, a batman helicopter and batcave, along with some glowsticks from my cousin that he absolutely loves.

We had a delicious dinner of baked ham, cheese potatoes, and salad. While the kids at leftover spaghetti. Since they insist they don't like ham, I figured leftover spaghetti worked just fine.

We have spent a lovely holiday playing outdoors and enjoying lots of games together.

Although no Christmas cards were sent this year, we did have professional portraits of the kids taken and pictures will be arriving in a mailbox near you very soon.

Be on the lookout!

They are so cute that you might fall over!

Ballet Christmas Dance

2008-12-19T12:26:00.005-06:00

Since Halloween, Katie's ballet class has been working on a Christmas dance to do for the parents. I think they did an amazing job seeing as half the class was in the Nutcracker this year, which meant that they missed several regular ballet classes for rehearsals. Katie missed the last 2 Thursdays, and then this Tuesday as well, and even with the changes in the dance they all did a great job.

Gingerbread Construction

2008-12-19T12:21:00.005-06:00

Every year we help the kids to construct a gingerbread something or other. One year it was a train, and then houses. This year, Katie got a gingerbread house kit as a present, and I bought Nicholas the gingerbread tree at Michael's. They really had a good time making, and tasting their creations.

Katie and her partially finished house. This one was neat since it came with a tray to help build and stabilize the house. But the premixed frosting wasn't as good.

Nicholas and Dad hard at work on his tree. This was super easy. Stacking one star upon the next in order of biggest to smallest. Nick could do most of the work himself. And it was extra tasty too.

Nutcracker 2008

2008-12-08T13:32:00.012-06:00

Katie has been practicing for the Nutcracker since the beginning of October. After seeing a school perfomance done by the opposite cast last Thursday, she had her first rehearsal on the actual stage that night. And she thoroughly enjoyed herself.

They practiced once on stage, and then waited for their notes from Ms. Lynnette. Then they practiced a second time, changed out of their costumes and we went and watched most of the second act until after the Gingerchildren were done. By the time we got home, it was very late, but she had really had fun!

The next morning we had to be back at the stage by 7:30 for 2 school performances, which went relatively well. And then another show Saturday night, and another, which we went to see on Sunday afternoon.

Here are a couple pictures of her in costume as a Gingerbread Doll.

Katie and best friend Audrey backstage

Katie and Clara after the show

Katie, the SugarPlum Fairy and her Cavalier after the show

Katie's Birthday #7

2008-12-08T13:22:00.004-06:00

The Birthday Girl had a birthday breakfast of homemade waffles with strawberries and whipped cream. Then after Nutcracker practice we met one of her friends at the bowling alley, where she showed us all her bowling skills.

Afterwards, we ended the day with a delicious butterfly birthday cake made in her favorite colors.

Little Turkeys

2008-12-03T09:56:00.003-06:00

Does it mean something that nearly a week after Thanksgiving, my children are running around yelling gobble, gobble?

May I add that they are doing this while wearing pieces of paper, cut out as feathers, taped to their fingers.

And that they are using no words other than gobble, gobble to express everything they have to say to each other.

Vote Now

2008-11-17T20:58:00.003-06:00

It has been a long time since I posted on this topic... but after tonight's show I feel the call.

I encourage all my Dancing with the Stars fanatical friends and family to vote now. Before it is too late. Forget presidents, vice-presidents, bonds, and bills.

Vote for Burke!!! Brooke Burke that is!! She and Derek are cute and fun, and just plain enjoyable to watch. They did so fabulous all season, and then had one bad dance tonight. Everybody has their off day, and hers was just an off moment. I just want to see them dance again, so vote, vote, vote.

Yes, I am a bit obsessed. But how many TV shows these days can actually make you smile??

Quilt Show

2008-11-07T17:13:00.006-06:00

I was invited to go with a friend to the Houston Quilt Show last Saturday, so I happily accepted the offer and had a wonderful time. We spent about 7 hours browsing up and down aisles of creativity. I find it absolutely astonishing how many people are so talented.

I ended up purchasing a few things.

First was a set of 5 coordinated flannel prints that I intend to turn into 2 baby rag quilts.

Then there were 2 fabrics that I found to make library bags for my kids. They have both been begging for their own library bags, and I thought these would suit them perfectly.

Then I found this cute quilt pattern that looks very simple. Katie is currently sleeping in a butterfly room with a princess comforter. I have been looking for a cute quilt to make for her room, and this seemed perfect. I am just going to do a little modifying with colors and get rid of the cat.

Then there was the elusive quilt. I saw a quilt that I fell in love with. It was absolutely beautiful and they sold a kit there with the fabrics already in with the pattern, but I wanted to finish walking the aisles to see if there was something I liked more. Not having remembered the aisle that it was in, we wandered up and down all 20 aisles a second and third time looking for the quilt, and couldn't find it. Essentially I went home a little disappointed, until while looking up a design I had liked that I knew the name of, I stumbled upon this. How lucky!!! The quilt I had seen at the show, and the kit at the same price. Of course, I ordered it at once, and can't wait until it arrives.

It was an exhausting but fun day! Now lots of projects to keep me busy.

Better Late Than Never

2008-11-07T17:01:00.006-06:00

Seems to be the theme lately. I have been so busy with this, that and the other thing, that I am going to do a catch-all post.

First was Nicholas' birthday. He wanted a letter cake, so this was the final product. It didn't look that great, but tasted delicious. And what 4 year old really cares about the looks of a cake anyway?

Then came Halloween, and my camera must not have had the flash on, since all the cute shots I got were fuzzy. So here is one fuzzy one with Katie as Dorothy and Nicholas as her dog.

And a bonus picture of Katie, since she is so darn cute with all that candy in front of her. Nick couldn't sit still long enough for an after shot.

What To Do??

2008-10-21T14:08:00.003-05:00

The question this week is... what do you do with that pesky 4 year old who cannot settle down for a nap, but really, really needs one?

He falls asleep in the car for 2 minutes, but when I try to bring him in asleep and lay him down, he is back up needing to go potty, get a drink, and the usual nonsense. End of nap!!

His behavior is awful in the afternoon and evening with no nap. So now what?

Overheard

2008-10-20T12:17:00.001-05:00

Dad to young son carrying nerf dartgun: "Take your toys upstairs to your room."

Young son whining: "It's too dark!!"

Dad: "That's okay. You've got a gun."

Library Book Bags

2008-10-12T18:38:00.002-05:00

The kids have wanted their very own library book bags for some time now, but I wanted to make sure that they had something that was uniquely theirs. I thought about getting canvas bags from Michael's or Hobby Lobby and letting them decorate, but those bags are just so YUCK!!

So today when I saw these plans at one of my favorite blogs, I thought AHA! Perfect.

Soon I will be checking out some fitting fabric and hopefully creating bags for my two book lovers that suit them well.

Link To Elizabeth Foss Site

2008-10-06T12:25:00.003-05:00

For some reason my link wasn't working to the Elizabeth Foss Serendipity site so try this one instead.

Then click on any of the letters for the stories.

Storytelling

2008-10-06T12:17:00.003-05:00

My children have found a new game that they like to play. While bored in the car or while eating meals, they tell stories. Mostly Katie does the storytelling.

The stories are what they have called "Michael stories". Some of you reading this may be thinking that they have to do with Elizabeth Foss' creation of Mrs. Applebee and Michael stories. These are wonderful stories that go through the alphabet and incorporate the flower fairies and the saints all in one.

Nope. Instead their stories revolve around this Michael. For some reason they are absolutely enchanted by him, and have managed to come up with many (at least 15 or more) stories about Michael and his adventures. I am thinking we will have to write them down for Mikey, so that he will know how much his little friends love him.

Hurricane Ike and Austin

2008-09-17T17:13:00.019-05:00

Ike decided that we needed to take a little vacation to Austin, so while we were there we saw some of the sites.

First up was a trip to Zilker Park, which was really quite nice, but it was a hot day.

The second day was a trip to the Capitol. The kids did really well, through what was I am sure a very boring morning, but they were later rewarded with an afternoon at the pool.

Inside the rotunda.

Daddy and Katie dress up.

Monday we took a trip out to the zoo, which is really just a wildlife sanctuary for rescued animals. Although it was really small, it had some fabulous opportunities to see animals very close. The lions and tigers were really only a few short feet away.

This guy really wanted out, and the kids found him unbelievably funny!

Nicholas' favorite animal. We could have just gone to a farm.

Returning from Austin

2008-09-17T17:13:00.018-05:00

We made it back in no time from Austin today to find surprisingly not a whole lot of damage. Damage started far north of the city, but it was here and there. Going through the city we didn't see much other than billboards torn down, and big trees uprooted. Some windows were blown out, but not many. As we got closer to home there was more damage, but still didn't seem to be too severe. More businesses down here are still closed and boarded up, and a lot more trees and fences were down. You could collect enough pinecones from the fir trees to fill a house up.

Our house has really minimal damage. A fence board down. The rest of the fence is wobbly and needs repair, and a piece of siding came off. Everything else is fine.

We also found this little treasure in the backyard. Dinner anyone??

Not exactly sure where he came from. It is possible he was merely lifted from the lake/ retention pond across the street. Or he could have been air lifted from further away. Either way the kids found it fascinating to see a fish in their yard.

And in terms of the other fish...aka Sweetie and Cutie. They managed to survive 72 hours without power, without food for a week. And something like 90 mile an hour winds. We were amazed to see them happily swimming in their tanks on our kitchen island.

Water is safe again. Power is on here. And things are getting back to normal. Ballet starts again on Monday. The school district is out indefinately. Mike is out of work until at least Monday. So we will be continuing our vacation at home.

Oh and the birthday boy, the big one that is, celebrated today with lunch at McDonald's in Hempstead, and we will probably have spaghetti for dinner here. No cake since we don't have grocery stores fully stocked yet, and I don't have eggs to make one. So the full celebration is temporarily postponed.

Hurricane Ike

2008-09-13T20:18:00.002-05:00

We are safe and sound and think our house is too. Hopefully we will have more updates soon. Our city website is telling us to stay away until Monday and that there is no power in areas and water needs to be boiled. We will probably stay here for a few more days, at least until we hear about the power issue.

Living With a Doll

2008-09-08T09:18:00.002-05:00

It is official! We are living with a Gingerbread Doll!!

Katie auditioned a couple weeks ago for the Nutcracker with her ballet studio, and got the call on Friday that she had a part.

Saturday we went to the cast meeting, where she got her part, and she is going to be a gingerbread doll. We are currently unsure of exactly what that entails. It is not the ginger children that come out of Mother Ginger's skirt, but rumor is she will be one of the toy dolls that Drosselmeier entertains the children with at the party in the first act. She is very excited as are we.

More details will be coming later as to the dates and times of the shows she will be in. There are 14 performances, of which I believe she does half.

YAY, Katie!!