:: Libby :: Xander :: Phoebe ::

Libby in a nutshell

2011-12-28T13:21:00.000-05:00

This morning Libby and I spent some time on Innerstar U (an American Girl website) and as she registered her doll on this virtual reality page, she was asked a series of questions - a sort of personality assessment. I thought it resulted in a pretty accurate summary, considering they asked her 4 multiple choice questions. :) The final screen asked her to choose which of the listed (Libby's) personality traits she wanted for her doll. She asked me, "which one would be the most kind?" See for yourself, a glimpse of my american girl.

Libby as Helen

2011-11-04T18:38:00.001-05:00

This afternoon we were delighted to go to school and watch Libby and her friends perform three little plays. The kiddos are fascinated by nonfiction, and love to hear stories about *real* people. She and her classmates reenacted three scenes from US History before their parents, and their fifth grade buddies. :)

I snapped a couple of pictures of the other plays, but for Libby's a shot a video, so I don't have photos. bummer that it's a trade-off, but I was so glad I took the video - we'll enjoy re-watching her time and again. I hope you do too (at least once!).

You're looking at Betsy Ross and her helpers...

You're looking at Squanto and the pilgrims he helped...

You're looking at our girl, Helen Keller...

and here is the *real* Helen Keller with Anne Sullivan, as researched by our little lady.

Libby, I love you and was so pleased with you today! You did a great job learning your lines and even going the extra mile and learning sign language for your part. Mrs. Anderson said in all her years teaching, no student has ever asked to learn sign language as Helen Keller. :) And on the way home, you made me smile even more, when you told me you declined to bring the set scenery home with you, though you had the opportunity, because you didn't think we had a space for it, and you doubted that we would use it. So sensible! I love you! xo.

"L" for YEBBY and "P" is MINE

2011-09-15T15:03:00.003-05:00

ooopsie daisy

2011-08-31T18:24:00.005-05:00

sometimes kids say words that are just cuter than others.
(this crazy video is 3+ minutes long. don't watch the whole thing. the punchline is: oopsie daisy. :)

elefun

2011-08-24T11:22:00.001-05:00

i think there is a time in every kid's life when elefun is their favorite game. x and p are laughing hysterically this morning. :)

nothing to see here

2011-08-19T12:09:00.000-05:00

you know what I don't do often enough? video.
last night, it was bedtime and the kiddos were playing together in the living room, and just before i thought it best to whisk them off and tuck them in, it struck me that this was just a beautiful moment in their little lives. so, there's no need to watch this, there's nothing to see here. but i wanted it documented on our blog for memory purposes. my little loves on august 18, 2011. building the tallest tower ever, rolling around on the floor, wearing their jammies and enjoying one another.

if only they knew that THIS is the kind of thing that can cause me to turn a blind eye to bedtime. . . :)

little miss potato head

2011-07-13T14:25:00.002-05:00

this never gets old. :)

ic(sh)e

2011-07-01T17:16:00.002-05:00

i am not the only addict in the family. :)

chores!

2011-07-01T16:37:00.002-05:00

Phoebe loooooooooooooooooooooooooves unloading the dishwasher! Mama loves a cheerful helper! :)

you.are.right.

2011-07-01T16:36:00.000-05:00

mama: SO, what was your favorite part about being at grandma's?
xander: Watching Franklin.
libby: going for a walk with em. And we were really glad Xander and Phoebe didn't come with us. You'll understand, mom. It was a REALLY hot day, and Em and I were so glad Xander and Phoebe didn't come because they would have really slowed us down. And made us more hot. Phoebe would have needed Em to carry her, and that would have made her more hot, and Xander walks really slow when he's hot. And we had to be home in 30 minutes. And we were 10 minutes early. But they would have really slowed us down.
xander: Libby, you. are. right. I WOULD have slowed you down.

:)

he makes us laugh

2011-06-26T13:43:00.000-05:00

Xander: Grammy, did you go to Lucy's?
Grammy: noooooo, we didn't go to Lucy's. (confused)
Xander: But what about your cup?
Grammy: OH, yes, we went to Wendy's. (restaurant) :)

Mom: okay, now these are words that end with "S." plates, cups, spoons, chairs, tables, foods, drinks, napkins, beans, drinks... can you think of one?
Xander: tentacles?

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2011-06-10T00:29:00.003-05:00

Daddy had a big birthday and we celebrated in a big way! We enjoyed hanging out ( = playing games) with sisters and brothers for days on end, a little getaway for the two of us, and a big celebration on the big day.

we spent a night at this old mansion

sideways picture and I can't make it right!!

my party planner extraordinaire threw a fantastic party for her daddy. she started the week before, putting the kids to work on a fabulous banner. but she didn't stop there. she inquired of daddy, his favorite cakes, and wrote a long list for me to choose from. and while he and i were away and she was at grandma and grandpa's, she *really* set to work. She asked much of Grandma Anna, and when everyone arrived for his party, Libby had bags of decorations, as well as personal goody bags for everyone in the family. Each was filled with treats either found at grandma's or that she had convinced grandpa to buy for us. Above, she shows one of the porcelain dogs that found their way to the party. Below, we model our new sunglasses. Chime in, all, what did you get in your goody bag?

Happy Birthday, my love! I am so thankful to share your days with you. I love you!

accessorize

2011-06-09T23:53:00.000-05:00

if I could document accurately the loves of phoebe's life, I would be telling you of music, food, and accessories. I know she and I will be great friends someday. :)

here she is, accessorizing in her brother's crocs and cowboy hat.

Libby Rides!

2011-06-09T23:44:00.000-05:00

One warm spring day Libby came to us and announced that she was ready to ride her bike without training wheels. She is so sweet and funny how she gets an idea in her mind and pronounces it so. Sadly, her tires were flat and it was several days before we got them filled with air and we had a day without rain. But the soonest day that met those two criteria she was out and determined. Brian went out to help her for a while, running with her up and down the street and she soon took flight!

stop.drop.&.roll.

2011-06-09T23:24:00.000-05:00

In her last days of school Libby went on a field trip to the fire station at Eppley. She had a great time and had much to share with us about her new knowledge regarding fire. She also came home with a new workbook, and in the workbook a checklist. The checklist is serving to assure her that we are or are not prepared for the moment our house burns down. She knows me too well. :)

One of the items on the checklist was, "The members of your family know how to stop, drop, and roll."

Well. No! Not ALL of the members of our family did know how to stop, drop, and roll. And so that must be remedied. Libby crafted some paper flames, taped them to our bodies, and taught us the proper method of extinguishing. Phoebe did quite well, and so: checkity check!

Easter Photo Shoot - take 2

2011-06-09T23:05:00.000-05:00

Easter Photo Shoot 1

2011-06-09T22:52:00.000-05:00

I don't know what I'm looking for when I group the kids together and try to take a picture. Maybe just a moment frozen in time where 3 kids look pleasant, 6 eyes are open, no weird expressions or gestures. I'm not good at capturing that moment. I'm sure it must exist...

Spring Concert

2011-06-09T22:34:00.000-05:00

Libby's class performed with the other Kindergarten classes at her school in their Spring Concert. She was so excited and quickly got herself dressed up as soon as she got home from school. She also fixed her hair. The result wasn't quite as ... presentable ... as her wardrobe selection. I was thankful to be able to tactfully convince her to let me run a comb through it. :)

Xander chose his favorite sweater and was pleased to stand by her side.

play

2011-06-09T22:25:00.000-05:00

i heart summer. but, these pics are from the spring. i also heart spring. and so do the kids. isn't it great to get outside after a long cold winter? yes. phoebes hit the swings for the first time of the season and she was a fan.

i think it's worth mentioning, these pics were taken april 27. i'm that behind in blogging, and phoebe has changed that much. amazing.

xander and our sweet neighbor donovan enjoyed swinging, too.

but not libby. she chose to illustrate the afternoon's events.

i love my kids!

princesses

2011-06-09T22:04:00.000-05:00

I lack photos of our fabulous evening, but we celebrated the Royal Wedding the evening after Will and Kate had tied the knot. The five of us gathered in the den with wedding cake (pound cake) and watched in awe. Even my littlest princess seemed impressed!

gross.

2011-06-09T21:56:00.001-05:00

The truth is, I'm not a big fan of candy. I like it fine, but I never crave it. I never really want it. Give me rice krispie bars or brownies or chocolate chip cookies or sugar cookies or o'henry bars or puppy chow. Give me puppy chow. But candy? nah.

Certain candies top my "nah" list and actually qualify as "gross." Much Easter candy makes that list, and Cadbury Eggs are probably the grossest candy I can imagine.

My hubby thinks that's why I don't like the kids to eat them. But he's not entirely right. I suppose there is a part of me that wants to protect them from the Cadbury Egg. But also, I think that's WAAAAAY too much candy for a person weighing 37 pounds, and I also think that's WAAAAAAY too much mess for someone living in a house that I have to clean.

Case in point. :)

product endorsement : FROG TAPE!

2011-06-09T21:45:00.000-05:00

Okay. I don't do many product endorsements. But this one I simply couldn't resist. I wish I could remember how many walls I've painted in my life, and how much time I've spent taping trim. It's really my least favorite part of painting. I lack the patience to ~~waste~~ take the time to put that silly blue tape on my woodwork, around my doors, windows, etc. Especially since EVERY time I peel that junk off my wall there's a messy ridiculous "line" that needs touched up. Most of the time I skip the tape and do my own cutting which sometimes works out, and sometimes doesn't. :) But the last time I was at Ace Hardware (oh yeah, you heard me) I motion-triggered an infomercial telling me about frog tape. Supposedly pretty good stuff. I bit. I bought.

I later painted my hallway (with a faux linen treatment, that I happen to like, btw) and imagine my udder surprise when I peeled the frog tape from my trim and discovered A CLEAN STRAIGHT LINE. Seriously folks. Apparently the frog tape has PaintBlock Technology. It uses the moisture from latex paint to create a perfectly tight seal along the edge of the tape! However it works, I love it. And I think you might, too. Check my before and after pics.

Don't worry. I won't do this often. :)

http://www.amazon.com/Frog-Tape-82011-Painters-60-Yards/dp/B0019RVXFO

1 week 2 teeth

2011-06-09T21:18:00.000-05:00

my baby lost two teeth in one week. she looks so much older with her big empty space and i loove her new little lisp in her speech. you're beautiful, libby lou.

bubbly bubbles

2011-06-09T21:10:00.002-05:00

So, during the school year Brian and the big kids go to church on Wednesday evenings for "Kids' Club" and Phoebe and I got to spend the evenings together. Wednesday night quickly became my favorite night of the week as it was basically the only one-on-one time miss P and I had together. Also, she goes to bed at 7:30, so I got some alone time too. :)

Anyway, she and I had some good times, much of them spent with her playing in the bath. On our last CTA Wednesday, I snapped a couple of pics of her in the tub. She's cute. Also, if you only knew a few dozen words, wouldn't one of them be "bubble?"

food and food

2011-06-01T21:36:00.002-05:00

someday, phoebe pie, will you roll your eyes when you see how many food related blog entries i have for you? :) even if so, i can't resist. i snapped this picture of you one saturday morning in april when you finished your pancake (ladybug plate) then reached over and slid xander's plate (dora) next to you so you could have better access. i thought you were funny, you thought you were accomplished. we all think you're cute.

a few things i love

2011-06-01T14:45:00.000-05:00

♥ those big brown eyes ♥

♥ those chubby yummy cheeks ♥

♥ those chubby yummy arms ♥

♥ jason's deli ♥

these kids are not my own

2011-04-06T17:56:00.000-05:00

I saw some cute kids at the zoo yesterday. They were out enjoying the beeeeautiful day, excitedly skipping from one exhibit to another. I followed them around and took pictures of them.

Anyway, any resemblance to my own kids is strictly coincidence. NO KIDS OF MINE would ever touch a snake. nO wAy.

*I will be applying for mother of the year, after handling the whole snake touching so maturely.*

(grammy, do NOT look at these. you can't handle it.)

the ladies holding this kind snake said he felt like a basketball. those kids agreed. i took their word for it.

there was a stinky stink in the aviary.

libby noticed it too.

i really love polar bears. i'm told they're wicked. i think they're majestic.

it is NOT easy to hold your baby and photograph her with a polar bear swimming by behind. i failed.

we love the zoo!

libby's party at lauritzen

2011-04-06T17:25:00.000-05:00

Libby had her first birthday party "on location" this year and I couldn't have been happier about it. Our host was Lauritzen Gardens. The kids had a wonderful time, and I realized how much I could enjoy a birthday party that I wasn't "running." I h.i.g.h.l.y. recommend it. :) See for yourself!

phew!

e.a.t.

2011-04-06T12:56:00.001-05:00

As I look back through photos I haven't blogged through, I can't help but notice a theme. eating. :)

We do like to eat!

I don't know where she gets this.

phoebe enjoys strawberry and nutella paninis on valentine's day

so does xander

and so does libby. :)

we DID eat something not sweet (heart-shaped pizza) but look at our dessert! cookie pie! oh my oh my oh cookie pie!

my kitchen helper making french toast

out to eat on libby's birthday

cake time for libby's birthday!

(oh yeah! and some day when I get around to posting pics of my "new" kitchen, you may want to reflect on this picture of the wall behind us. it used to be there, separating the kitchen from the front living room. it is no more!!!)

i LOVE this picture. thanks mom for capturing it. :)

jason's deli. a family favorite.

okay. now what has happened here is that phoebe has eaten her whole waffle for breakfast and xander has declared himself "all done" after barely touching his. a moment later i notice phoebe has snatched his plate and added it to her place. :) oh me.

birthday festivities - she's SIX!

2011-04-06T11:21:00.000-05:00

My baby is 6. It doesn't get any more "believable" the older they get, does it? So I won't whine about how I don't know where the time went, nor comment that it seems like only yesterday.... I'll just note that our six-year-old Libby is as precious as the day she was born, and she's growing into a delightful young lady. There is so much to love about you, Libby Lou, and we had a great time celebrating you on your birthday weekend!

Friday, you got to provide treats at school, and listen to your friends sing in your honor. Your first "school" birthday! What fun!

here you are with Mrs. A...

and with grammy!

On Saturday morning, we "surprised" you with balloons in your room. (It has become our tradition that the kids wake to balloons in their rooms on their bday, though I have to admit, this day I almost forgot.) As you went to bed on birthday eve you mentioned that you knew you'd wake up to balloons, and daddy make a late-night run to the grocery store to fulfill your expectations. You're worth it. :)

here you are with your loot. we had a lot of fun watching you open everything, slowly and thoroughly inspecting everything, everything, everything before moving on to the next gift. :) it is possible that some growling tummies were ready for breakfast long before you were ready to be finished enjoying your moment. :)

after a birthday breakfast of champions (donuts) we headed to the bowling alley, only to find that the lanes were allllll filled up (at 10 on a saturday morning!!) and there was an hour+ wait. we decided to try back later, but on the way out the door grandad spotted an old lammers family favorite: go carts. we cannot pass them by. (needless to say, we haven't been to this particular bowling alley before, and it was much more than we imagined.)

this was daddy's first time driving, xander's first time riding. it's old hat for grandad...but it was grammy and libby who showed the boys how it's done...

grandad tries to pass daddy and xander, but another little girl blocks his route

the girls have the lead! and they do it in style!

xander found this to be very amusing. see his hair blow in the wind. love that.

grandad tries again to take the young men. but in the end, the victory goes to the birthday girl and her grammy!

sooner than expected, our lane was open and we were bowling! yipee!

grandad with phoebs

we tried varying methods to help xander get his ball down the lane.

i love her satisfied smile. :) her ball is still halfway up the lane. (down the lane?) she never cared to watch it go, she just bowled it and headed back to her seat. which amused me. :)

this is so xander. he wasn't so into bowling, and the reason was simply that he recently had a touch of the flu and he had not yet gotten his energy back. :( he was so tired and weak that morning he didn't want to do much more than cuddle. and enjoy the breeze. still, in true xander fashion, he recently told me it was the most fun when we went bowling for libby's birthday. :)

we had some stylin kicks. x's were best of all, but he's not one to boast.

thank you grammy and grandad!
and would you believe libb and kit didn't even plan this?!

for dinner, we had a special treat - a Japanese Steakhouse called Genji. The kids were slightly intimidated, yet fascinated by our chef and his juggling, flame throwing, and chopping tricks.

what a great pic!

okay, so have you been there (or Kobe?) before? the chefs throw flames to the ceiling, and it looks and feels just like this. the kids were not sure what to think.

but...

once he had warmed up a bit, Xander felt comfortable requesting more fire. SO, his request was honored via the onion volcano. First flames...

then smoke. this small and controlled fire was a hit.

the meal is always ended by a shrimp toss. sadly, the kids abstained from the fun. their excuse? they don't like shrimp. hmm. good thing they like popcorn, because we've been practicing with that. :)

bang the gong, there's a birthday in the house!

and so this is a picture of a picture...but here we are! happy birthday my love!

Thank you grammy and grandad for the fun night, and thank you Aunt Sarah for babysitting Phoebs! Most of all, happy birthday sweet six! We love you with all that we are.

mama's helper

2011-04-02T11:55:00.000-05:00

Phoebe is mama's newest little helper! Enjoy your peek at her! I took this video about a month ago and already she seems so different. :) Just yesterday she cracked eggs for me. (totally kidding, she hasn't changed THAT much.)

And in case you don't trust me, let me tell you: the burners with the griddle are not on. :) Also, FYI, for the past week the kids have been able to help me at the new island rather than kitchen counter. It makes kitchen help sooo much more enjoyable for all! :) More on that later.

Meet Kit

2011-03-09T12:03:00.000-05:00

Did you know? Had you heard? We have a new member of the family. Her name? Kit Kitteredge. You may know her. :) She joined our family at Christmastime, and she's been a lot of fun for Libby. So, here's a post that goes out to Kit!

Ever since she wanted an American Girl Doll, Libby has thought that having matching girl/doll clothes would be super fun. And I think she's right! And American Girl® agrees! Good grief! So, I was surprised one Saturday morning to find Brian and Libby at the computer, doing some browsing. They had come to an agreement: Libby could work to earn money, and she could spend her money on a matching outfit for her and Kit. She really wanted matching jammies at this point. Additionally, Daddy agreed to match her earnings. So, she counted up the tooth fairy money she had saved, as well as some cash that had come in here and there. As they explained the plan to me, I calculated that it would probably take her about a month to get where she needed to be, and daddy was excited to see her work for it! -- Suddenly, it occurred to me that she wasn't including the $20 she had gotten from Grandma Anna (given with the intention of helping her buy some AG accessories). Add that and daddy's matching contribution and BOOM. It was time for daddy to pony up the dough. :) (it should be noted that before I remembered the $20 saved in her room, Libby asked me to pull one of her teeth, thinking she could use a little more cash from the tooth fairy. *sigh*)

They ordered the jammies that morning and Libby cannot get enough of them. She literally wants to wear them every night, which is fine with me. :) Lets be happy they're so comfy! and cute, they really are cute. Here are the girls on their first night in their matching jammies.

Well, as you may know, Libby had a birthday last week, and Kit fared pretty well. I will likely do another birthday specific post, but here are some Kit specific bday pics.

To the best of my recollection, each of those wrapped presents is Kit-related. The Hello Kitty pez dispenser was an impulse buy at an old fashioned candy store the day before. :)

Thank you grammy and grandad for the matching outfits!

They do look super cute. :)

Kit also sports aviator sunglasses, a bazillion new pairs of shoes, a new sun dress, and a swim wear set thanks again to Grammy + Grandad and Aunt Brett + Shaun. Daddy came through for Kit with a collection of stories and a Kit art book. wozers, Kit!

oh, and there's the horse. I can't remember his name at the moment. or her?

and there's more....

the following day, Grandma Anna + Grandpa Larry + Aunt Em + Uncle Jon provided my budding artist with a bazillion fun Kit-related artsy delights. To aunt Lucy: thank you for the picture frame. Last night at Michaels Libby got a puffy Kit sticker that will soon be framed and displayed in her room. :) There's no telling how Kit will find her way into the photo album. :)

Needless to say, Kit's around to stay. For a while. And thankfully, Phoebe adores dolls and can hardly keep her hands off Kit, because it'll be my aim to extend the enjoyment of Kit for as l.o.n.g. as possible. :) Thank you to our loving family for all your generosity, and yes, even you who gave non-Kit related gifts. She tore right into those, too! (as you know)

good grief

2011-02-24T13:38:00.000-05:00

xander looves to say "good grief." but here's the thing: he doesn't know how to use it. he thinks "good grief" is the same as "good thing."

por ejemplo:
xander falls.  Good grief I didn't get hurt!
xander comes dangerously close to my cup.  Good grief I didn't get coffee on that!
anything bad alllmost happens.  Good grief I didn't...

and his intonation is totally the way you'd say: good thing I didn't get hurt!
go ahead and say it out loud substituting "grief" for "thing." it sounds funny. :) love ya xander mander.

i feel the love

2011-02-22T19:04:00.000-05:00

sense the sass. she's laying it on pretty thick. :)

phoebe loooooves her daddy. that much is certain. and so do i.

Mr. Green

2011-02-21T15:16:00.001-05:00

sometimes kids just say the best things. one of those times was yesterday. to me, its worth keeping. :)

Daddy: so who was your teacher in children's church, kids?
discussion ensues and it is determined, they're going with Mr. Green.

Xander: BUUUT, his shirt is NOT green.
Daddy: no, but his name is Mr. Green.
Xander: yeah, and he has a green shirt at home.
Libby: but that's not why he is Mr. Green. His mommy and daddy are Green and so he is --- WELL, his mommy was something else, but then she married Mr. Green and so she became Mrs. Green, and then Mr. Green and Mr. Green had a baby -
Xander: - and he got big and grew a beard, and now he's Mr. Green!

i must be dreaming. . .

2011-02-09T13:34:00.000-05:00

a monologue by xander.

mom? where is my remote to this firetruck? last night, i had a dream that it was my birthday and i got a new remote control firetruck. yeah, i think i dreamed that. and in my dream last night, i had a bunch of friends here playing with it, but i didn't know their names! and we drove it really fast.

:) aren't dreams such a mystery to kids? i love hearing about their dreams.

dance your heart out

2011-02-07T11:34:00.000-05:00

so. babies like to dance, don't they? they bend their knees and bounce and move. phoebe is no exception. when the music starts the girl can't help but shake her groove thang. well, last week at a play date p mirabella was exposed to the wii game "just dance." she entertained me the whole 15 minutes of game time. she got such a kick out of the dancers on the game, but while she giggled and pointed she was studious! the girl picked up some moves and can't help but bust them out when she hears that beat!

the first video is of phoebe dancing with london and sonora. it was the last dance of the morning, i wish i had thought to record her sooner. still, you get a feel for her excitement. i love that she learned to incorporate her arms into her dancing. :)

that evening at dinner, i told daddy that phoebe was now an expert dancer. he ended up putting some music on and she couldn't help herself. these moves are not mimicked, she was the ONLY one dancing at the table. the rest of us simply watched in adoration. :)

you're just so lovable, p.

two likable characters

2011-01-24T13:00:00.001-05:00

Toy Story might forever hold a special place in my kids' hearts. Buzz and Potato Head have been having fun this morning. ...wish you could hear Xander's impressions of the voices. :) They just might be calling for a video. . .

cousins!

2011-01-16T14:25:00.001-05:00

Bentley Olyvia came to visit for a few days and we got a couple of photos taken. Missing is the one with grammy and grandad sitting with all the grandkids, I hope to have that one soon. In the meantime. . .

benn and phoebs hanging out together on the loveseat. phoebe was in a silly mood and would not sit up for the picture. she wanted to recline and tickle her belly. who can blame her?

These shots were from the morning after Bentley's arrival. The first thing Xander wanted to do was hold Bentley. Very sweet.

then Phoebe wanted to get in on the action, and xander sort of... disappeared. :)

but he held his own.

Libby came to the rescue.

then Libbs got her turn with Benj. (we have lots of nicknames for Bentley)

love.

phoebe walks!

2011-01-13T14:04:00.000-05:00

I know many of you saw this on facebook - but here it is for the blog followers (and for our scrap-booking purposes!).

Yay to Phoebe who decided she was in the mood to walk the Tuesday after Christmas (12.28) at grandma Anna's and grandpa Larry's house. That evening and for several days after, the girl was DETERMINED. Taking two steps at a time multiple times per day, she'd walk to mama, to grandpa, to daddy, to libby, to xander, to her dolly... Then one evening one week after her determination set in, she took 22 steps around the house. I grabbed the camera. Here is Phoebe's second journey as captured on "film."

funday monday (first monday of the year!)

2011-01-13T13:21:00.001-05:00

if there's one thing they did right at Kutak this year, it was give their employees Monday, January 3rd as a holiday for celebrating the new year. (okay, so lets be real, they do a lot of things right at Kutak. we're incredibly blessed.) Thankfully, there was early dismissal on Friday the 31st anyway, and everyone knows that having a Monday off is the best case scenario. Three day weekend with a shortened workweek to follow! love it! such a blessing!

SO, what were we to do with a very special day of daddy loving? Family Fun Day!

Kick it off with donuts, duh.

libby is developing a sarah-like habit of closing eyes for pictures. :)

as a photo-taking mama, i have a new passion. correcting her. :)

sarah, be thankful i'm not your mama. i'm tough. ;)

after donuts, we headed home for a phoebe nap and a mama shower. daddy and the big kids watched a movie. cuddle time on the sofa with daddy; there can be no complaints.

then off to Bounce U!!

the only pic I got of the big kids was this one. Libby's sweaty and Xander's soaked from the drinking fountain. Oh, and he's pouting. Guess what we told him a moment before? Time to go home!

Phoebe really wasn't into bouncing, but she did enjoy cruising around, playing with shoes, and rocking on this little fellow.

here's a shot of her playing with her shoes. a total girl, she looves shoes. mama's, libby's, and phoebe's shoes in particular. probably because of shoes, one of P's favorite words is: on?

after bouncing we stopped for ice cream, then headed home for dinner and ended the day with a big-kid sleepover in xander's room. their first. :) we think we may make it a weekly event.

We looved having you home with us daddy! What a funday monday you gave us!

Together We Can

2011-01-12T21:15:00.001-05:00

Am I rolling with the blog posts, or what?! Setting myself for letting you all down is what I'm doing. But hey, while I've got the time and the photos uploaded, why not roll with it?

In the not so distant past, Libby-Lou brought some papers home teeming with instruction and rules and procedure and brimming with fun and excitement. The PTA was participating in an arts contest. The gist of it, Libby could enter an original creation (a movie, a musical score, a book, a piece of art, an interpretive dance) and it would preferably relate to the theme: Together We Can.

I filed it away, on my dresser. For weeks.

Four days before the said entry was due, as is my style, I thought -hey!- we should do something about that art project! SO, I immediately went to the source: Libby. When I asked her if she wanted to participate she lit up and clapped her hands fancifully. These silly displays of excitement are reserved for immediate family only. We enjoy them. When offered the choice between writing a book and doing a painting, Libby chose painting.

On to the next source: Jenny. My artsy-schmartsy friend was my only hope of offering Libby guidance on this little project. She graciously agreed to take us in the following afternoon, and let us use her kitchen, her paints, and her painting prowess. We were excited!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch:
mom: Okay Libby, the theme is TOGETHER WE CAN, so you need to be thinking of what you can paint, that relates to something that we can do together, that we can't do very well alone.
libby: okay.
mom utters same sentence time and time again throughout the day.
mom: So, Libb, do you have some ideas of what you could paint for TOGETHER WE CAN?
libby: I was thinking maybe a race. Because we can run races together, but not alone.
mom: okay, that's an idea. did you brainstorm any other ideas? things we can do better together.
libby: welllllllll, we can help people.
mom: oh! that's good! okay, who can we help? who needs help?
libby: Phoebe.
mom: okay, yes. Phoebe does need help. And who helps her?
libby: you.
mom: yep. who else needs help? i think you're on to a good idea here.
libby: wellllllllll, all babies need help.
mom: okaaaaaay. yes. and who helps babies?
libby: well, some babies need help, like babies in China who need adopted.
mom: okay, yes, that's true. (i say okay a lot. i know it.) how can we help babies in China?
libby: by adopting them.
mom: yes, and are there other ways?
libby: by sending them money. and presents.
mom: okay, so you think that together we can help babies in China better than one person can help them by themselves?
libby: yes.
mom: okay. well what would you paint that would illustrate that?
libby: i was thinking babies in cribs.

okay, so that's where we are. and we're standing in the kitchen and i'm thinking of what a sweet girl she is, and I'm loving that she has a heart for the orphans in China. i love that. she's truly saddened by their situation, and as we drove to Michaels to pick up some supplies she asked me 20 questions about them and their parents and the details as to why they are abandoned, and why the moms don't leave them presents so they can come find their moms when they grow up, and why their moms leave them on a doorstep or on the ground in a public place, and who adopts them, and how, etc. etc. etc. But back in the kitchen, I'm also thinking I'm not surrrrre this is exactly fitting with the theme - but I quickly dismiss those doubts because hello, she's in kindergarten. What's a kindergartener going to paint to fit that theme? An orphanage, I guess! And then I wonder, how on earth is she going to paint an orphanage on a canvas?! That seems like a lot of detail. Perhaps she should draw? Or paint just one baby?

I toss some ideas out to her and I request that she do a practice at home. Because I want to see her idea on paper and evaluate whether its feasible. My fear at this point is that she's going to get a brand new canvas in front of her and make a big mess of it and then what? We turn in a mess, or we drop out.

Why do I worry myself about this sort of thing? Ridiculous. Pride.

She does a practice, and we learn some things. We learn that she should do her painting landscape rather than portrait, and we learn that she doesn't like practicing. She had a bit of a bad attitude and did a real quick lazy job for me. I asked her a few questions about the details of the painting, suggested that she might not be able to paint words on blankies, or pictures on nightstands. But I couldn't help but be touched by the sentiments. She explained to me that the blankies were presents from the moms who had to give their babies away. The blankies said, "I love you."

I asked her for more details, and she told me like a teenager, "mom. i have an idea in my head."
mom: are you going to take time to do a better job on the idea in your head than you did on your practice paper?
libby: yes. offering a sideways grin.
mom: okay!
(yes, I'm kind of tough. sorry. sort of. also, I know she can do a good job and she was being lazy! I spent $20 on supplies for this little contest and didn't want to waste the money or Jen's time... so I was being tough. :)

Off to Jenny's we went! and lo. My girl knocked my socks off.

meanwhile, her dear friend kate painted a gorgeous landscape that made me yearrrrn for spring, and their dolls looked on. at some point before the painting was this far complete, I asked her, "is this kind of how you were thinking it was going to look when you pictured it in your head?" Her reply: "it's even better actually" accompanied by her little pleased chuckle. :) She promptly received a kiss.

libb knocked xander's socks off too. he and joshy watched despicable me. it's a lot funnier than it looks here.

here is my lovely lady with the finished project, properly matted, sealed with saran wrap, and ready for whatever . she did such a great job. she makes my heart smile. libbs, i love you dearly my sweet girl.

and here is her 250-words-or-less statement on why she chose to paint "Orphanage."

I photographed it, so you may have to click the image to enlarge enough to read clearly. Her words. My typing.

Much thanks to my sweet friend Stacy. She and her hubby adopted Elizabeth and Anna Joy. At a baby shower celebrating Anna Joy's arrival, Stacy shared with us so many details about Anna's life in China, and her journey to her home, and God's evident sovereignty and faithfulness woven through the story of that little girl's life. Her testimony clearly made an impact on my little lady's heart.

sledding.

2011-01-12T20:21:00.000-05:00

daddy took the kiddos out sledding. for the life of me, i cannot get a good picture of my kids without 5 failed attempts beforehand. there was no time for redos on Sunday, the crew was rushed to get out the door and to the big hill to get some good runs in before sundown. it was xander's first time sledding and he was absolutely wildly excited. he looooved it. libby, on the other hand, is an old pro. so much so that she stood up on the sled and used it as a snowboard. we are hoping for more warmish snowy weekends!

a special day

2011-01-12T18:50:00.000-05:00

Libby (and fam, really) was the recipient of a very special Christmas gift and I managed to photograph at least some of it for memories-sake. phew!

most of the gang watching despicable me. loved it.

here are the girls outside the movie theater. they're the christmas gang. x and i were tagalongs. very appreciative ones. speaking of tagalongs, it's girl scout cookie time! :)

here's xander with his painted mug.

and the real xander with his painted mug.

my pretty little lady with her vase.

the girls with their painted projects

my kids with their fired and adored works of art.

in the midst of all that, we enjoyed a family feast at jason's deli, one of our favorite gathering places when we have the whole family together. thanks so much for a fun day of gifts, aunts and grandma!! and a special big thanks for letting xander and i come along! :)

family jamilies

2011-01-09T00:23:00.000-05:00

here they are, the family jamilies. :)

and daddy reading our newest "version" of the Christmas Story.

before we jammied up, we looked more like this.

sorry about my lousy pictures. my camera seems to be a little... ruined. :(

a notable shame is that we don't have a picture of the WHOLE family in jammies. Grammy, Grandad, Uncle Mason and Aunt-to-be-Tara joined us for Christmas and each of them also had a new pair of pajammies to open on Christmas Eve. The kids' excitement grew and grew as they realized that yet another pair of jammies was revealed - and yup, everyone was getting new jammies tonight. :) it was fun.

All Abooooooooard!

2011-01-08T23:49:00.000-05:00

So, we're sitting at the table, slurping up some delicious soup, my girls and me. We had just assembled some super-fine gingerbread houses with our littles, and learned some valuable lessons in gingy-construction, by the way. Anywho, girl #1 asks the group, "...any Christmas traditions?....."

Discussion ensued and my ears perked up and my heart quickened when Jenn mentioned golden tickets and Christmas lights. What an idea!! What a fun way to take our annual light-sighting trip through the neighborhoods and glam it up a bit!

So, Brian and I set to work prepping the kids. "One of these nights, you are going to be alllllllllllll ready for bed, you're going to get jammied, we'll read and pray and smooch, and tuck you in and, OH MY, you'll find a little golden ticket in your bed! And that little golden ticket will be good for a round trip ride aboard the Meade Express. You will get to delay bedtime, stay up super late, and we'll all go look at Christmas lights together."

the idea was a hit.

Would tonight be the night of the golden ticket? Tonight? One of these nights ....

and then it was time! The kids were none-the-wiser, daddy bathed them and jammied them and I worked fervently to put the plan into action. The golden glitter tickets were placed neatly in their beds, popcorn and cookies were placed in their seats in the van, Christmas music was queued. We were ready.

The kids were thrilled to find their golden tickets (they first noticed the glitter that had managed to get allll over their beds, they each then traced the glitter back to the ticket that they'd initially overlooked). :) They were not thrilled to pose for pictures. In the words of X: "IT'S A GOLDEN TICKET!!!! lets GO!"

We had a most fabulous time. We saw gorgeous displays of lights, reminding us of Jesus, the light of the world. Daddy treated us to hot cocoa at the Bucks, Phoebe enjoyed the displays as much as the rest of us, and we did stay up waaaaaay past bedtime. It was so so much fun. And thanks to a great idea, a lovely morning of fellowship and a friend's hot tip, we have a new family tradition.

Now, I don't have any pictures of the lights, nor do I have any pictures of our second light-sighting trip, but it was extra special as well. On Christmases when grammy and grandad are here with us, we go looking at lights together as well. And so we did; we piled the 7 of us into the Meade Express and had another great evening enjoying one another and the beautiful scenery. It was particularly fun the second time around, as Phoebe had picked up on "pointing out" the lights. She was tickled pink to point out every light spectacle she saw and arouse grammy's oooohs and aaaaaaahs. :)

quick learner

2010-12-13T22:45:00.000-05:00

presents? wrapped in paper? well, there's no mystery here. rip them open!

and, being brilliant, she honed in on one of her very own gifts. :)

first in, first out

2010-12-13T15:25:00.001-05:00

Last night, my baby didn't get her first tooth, she lost her first tooth!

Where to begin. Practically Libby's whole mouth has been wiggling for the past couple of weeks, but last night when she mentioned that her teeth were hurting, we could see a notable difference. I told her I thought she may lose one of them even before the end of the night. (She has another that's hanging on by a thread.)

We weren't home at the time, but when we got home she set right to work. Never mind it was already 45 minutes past bedtime. On a school night. (i withdraw my nomination for mom of the year, but thank you.) Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, then after we suggested the oldest trick in the book, twist, twist, twist. After her first set of twists, Libby very calmly and maturely announced, "it's working." She handles everything like such a little adult, its very endearing. :)

Finally, she crawled into our bed and asked me to pull out her tooth. Eek! I had previously claimed I would never do it. I had previously decided it best for her to pull it when she could tell it was good and ready. But in this moment, it seemed right to help her out. After all, she's never pulled a tooth before, and I have. And it was hurting her, and she really really wanted to lose that tooth and tell Mrs. A (kindergarten teacher) all about it.

So I wiggled and twisted and decided it wasn't ready. I put her to work moving it through the night. She worked it for another minute and asked again. I got serious. "Brian, do you know where the camera is?"

And that would be the last picture of our baby with all her baby teeth. (why won't it turn?!) Then, time for some coaching. Do you really want it out? yes. Is it hurting you? yes. When it comes out, it will stop hurting, but it might hurt for a moment. Are you sure you want me to pull it? yes. It might bleed, but that's okay. okay. A moment later I wiggled and pulled that sucker out. When Libby felt the tug she asked, "*gasp* is it out?!" She was soo excited. And she showed it in the most calm way. She's a lot like her daddy. :)

And i managed not to puke. people, i pulled my daughter's lower central incisor right out of her mouth and there was blood. but i didn't puke. praise the Lord. (how do i get into these situations? piercing ears and pulling teeth! eek!)

As she and daddy dealt with. .. um, the blood.... I sneaked the tooth fairy into her room and placed her sweetly upon Libby's pillow. When it was time to head to bed and tuck that tooth somewhere safe (Libby did NOT want it falling down into the creek/crack between the bed and the dresser) this is what she saw.

Lila and Libby

Little Lila has a glass jar in her hand and tooth numero uno went right inside for safe keeping. There would be an exchange made in the night.

we let xander stay up for this big event and he was so very thrilled to be a part of it. he asked me to pull out his tooth, but i kindly declined. he wouldn't have been as calm cool and collected as libby was about it. ;)

phoebe snoozed through the whole affair

here's the beauty just before turning in for the night. as i left her room it became clear that i wasn't allowed to throw away her tooth as i had intended. she is incredibly sentimental and cries when i throw away her math homework. she made it clear she intended for the tooth fairy to save that tooth. (she knows about the tooth fairy.)

So, Lila didn't throw away the tooth, but she replaced it with a little cash all rolled up to fit into the jar. Not.easy.to.do. Still, my babes are worth it. and we like our new little tradition. :)

When Libby woke this morning she checked on Lila. She came to me nearly in tears: my tooth is gone! I reassured her that this is common: a tooth in exchange for something special, like cash. :) Libby later told daddy, "Maybe with my $3 I'll buy a new picture frame to put a picture of my family in to take to college."

*tear*

there are those brand new baby teeth! first in first out!

Phoebe is ONE! yes, that happened (a while ago)

2010-12-10T18:02:00.001-05:00

Happy 14 months, Phoebe!!

Back in October, some of you may remember that one Phoebe (pie) Mirabelle Meade turned the big 0-1. Here are some pictures of her on and around that fine day.

wait, that's not on her bday. that's on x's bday party day. and i haven't posted about that yet. but blogger takes so long to upload my pics that if they're gonna put this one in, i'm gonna roll with it. we love you, little husker girl.

this pic has nothing to do with phoebe or her bday. blogger. :) instead, it's xander playing around with his glow sticks (thanks hares!)

HERE is the birthday girl! in all her glory!

love that attitude. most of the time.

now this is just so true. you and xand, well, you have some stuff to work out.

it's your special day, love, and xand and libb love to celebrate you.

you even give yourself a round of applause.

a couple of days later, you're cute scooting around so i took a pic of you. :)

gma shelley gave you this baby. you L.O.V.E. babies. you kiss them, even.

oh, you just wanna bury your face in her.

gma shelley and aunt brett (and everyone) were here for you. you wanted to soothe benny.

soon it was time for strawberry lemonade cupcakes! your new favorite!

oh MY! that's divine!

more.

*muah*

satisfied. and cute as ever.

we adore you.

here's grammy holding you at the zoo. i'll have to post more pics from the zoo. :)

phoebe mirabelle meade, you're so very precious indeed. we have had more fun with you over the past year. you have such a personality! ;) though there were days you screamed at me, in a very loud and harsh tone, because i wasn't feeding you fast enough, you are still incredibly sweet. you've learned better methods of communication, gesturing and babbling, pointing and even grunting. but most often, you smile, you giggle, you pant with excitement as you chase libby and xander, or as they come after you. you adooooore libby, and i delight to see your very special relationship developing even now. she "gets you" and you know it. she thinks you so precious, and you love her for it. you give her your best self, and she loves it. you're a perfect match.

your relationship with xander is, well, mixed. he cannot help himself he loves you so much. remember, it was he who named you, "phoebe pie." he's got nothing but love. he truly cannot get enough of you phoebe, even when he has clearly taken too much. he thinks of you when he first wakes up in the morning, and he seeks you out all the day long. the two of you will be such good friends as you learn patience, and he improves in gentleness. :)

you are daddy's girl, miss p. when he walks through the door you know it, even when you cannot see him, and you greet him with your hearty "DAAAD!" you scurry over to him and love him to scoop you up. you quickly learned of the goodness that is in his arms.

and me? phoebs, i am daily amazed by you. you are such a smart, fun, cuddly, and so sweet girl. you pick up on things that amaze me, you learn so quickly, even when i'm not looking. i love seeing you do the same things your sister and brother did at your age (emptying my tupperware drawer, for example) and then still knowing you as completely different from them (after all, neither of them dared scream at me. :) i am loving every day i have to spend with you, you have spiced up our family; you have delighted us day in and day out. and you're just so kissable. the Lord was exceedingly kind when he entrusted us with you. we are blessed.

Xander Turns THREE ("free")

2010-11-04T14:49:00.004-05:00

It only took a few days... well, close to a week, for Xander to figure it out. He's three, that part he knew, and he's three every day, that part he knew. He is no longer two. He is three. Someday he will be four and five, and then he can drive. He is three, every day. And it's his birthday, every day. Wait, that part was the part we needed to clear up. :)

Xander-Man. I love you. You had a fun birthday, you make most anything fun. You were celebrated by those who love you dearly, and those who met you for the first time in the check-out line at Costco, and the post office, and the table next to us at the restaurant, and beyond. The world around you heard, "It's my birthday. I'm three." and they rejoiced with you. You are a delight.

On birthday eve, we went out to dinner to celebrate you.

Your shirt says Mr. Silly and you wear it well.

You took this picture of daddy and Phoebe.

You took this picture of Libby. Sometimes you put your finger over the flash, but you're getting better. :)

You took this picture of me.

We played a matching game while we waited for our food. You won once, I won a couple of times. Maybe when you're 30, you'll remember that when your turn comes up, often the first flip should be a card you've never seen before.

You ate mac & cheese, it's one of the few meals you will eat without much prodding. And you got a tasty treat - ice cream with a cherry on top. It's one of your favorites, particularly the cherry on top. A few days after your birthday, you had immunizations and when I offered you a treat of your choice to commend your bravery, you requested ice cream with a cherry on top. You share my love for cherries.

On October 10, 2010 you woke me up at 0:dark30. On October 10, 2007 I also woke up at 0:dark30. However, this year I got to cuddle with you, which made the wake up enjoyable. Three years ago, my back hurt and I had to go potty.

Libby woke soon after, and the three of us headed out for a birthday morning treat.

you are excited, and sleepy. and it's dark out. you know i love you because i don't do mornings well, and i really don't do dark mornings well.

oops, there was a pic of krispy kreme here... thats where we went. we saw the sunrise and we each commented on it's beauty. you and your sister both recognize the sunrise as a beautiful display of the Lord's, and it's a delight to hear you say so. In Krispy Kreme, you brought a smile to a teenage boy's face, when he boxed up our donuts and you giggled, and danced around and exclaimed, "This is going to be the best birthday EVER!" Being your third, I hope it really was. :)

Daddy spent a long time. A long time. Assembling this pirate ship for you, but he had a lot of fun. A lot of fun. doing so. He chose your birthday gifts this year, and he chose well. Your pirate ship and your safari set are as fun for him as they are for you.

I spent a long time. A long time. assembling your safari set. But I had fun doing so. (not as much fun as daddy did with the pirate ship, just to be clear.) I particularly like the elephant, whose many joints move, including his ears. You particularly like the lions because you're greatly enjoying "The Lion King" lately. You refer to the lions as Mufasa and Simba, and you and Libby giggle ad infinitum as you mutter "Mufasa" and shudder with fear. You two are cute. Oh, and yes, you got to sit in the MY SPECIAL DAY chair. You've anticipated the moment for months.

Back at home after picking up our Krispies, it was presents and playtime. Soon after, it was face washing time.

and no, Libby wasn't unhappy. I caught her at a weird time.

and yes, that cannon really shoots. it seems the giraffe has fallen victim to some pirates. who knows what Simba will do to defend his kingdom.

After church, we spent hours at Vala's Pumpkin Patch. Our dear friends the J's came to celebrate you with us. When we parked, the people getting out of the car next to us were not the J's but they were carrying presents. You were sooo excited, "they have birthday presents, mom!!!!!" I was actually sad they didn't bring presents for you. ha. :)

At Valas, we did some playing around, then headed to a campsite for hot dogs and other tasties. Phoebe tried to feed me some bread, but this photo is posted to give us selective memories. How it really went down, was that she did less offering and more taking. Phoebe ate like crazy that day, and much of what she ate was intended for Ruby. Don't let her generosity fool you. Instead, be convinced by her cheeks.

here are the little starving babies I speak of.

there was much excitement at the lunch table, largely because of the rare treat: soda. you even gave a thumbs up, probably regarding doritos. :)

neither you nor maren could be compelled to look at me. whatev.

i particularly like the fingerlike beard that grows from your chin.

and yes, space girls need sunglasses. just think how close to the sun you are when you're in outer space, on a pumpkin mission.

you plucked a pumpkin from the vine.

you rode the hayrack out and back.

and it was a hot day. i don't want to say it was 90, was it? it certainly felt like it. it was in the 80s and we were warm. some were even sweaty.

the day was truly exhausting. fun typically is. libby fell asleep trying to suck sugar from a pixie stick, thankfully, that doesn't work.

and you fell asleep having spilled water on your shirt. it probably felt refreshing. or not. but you were just that tired.

ope! but look who didn't fall asleep on the way home! phoebe pie meade.

back at home we've bathed and you've put on some jammies and you sat in the special day chair for dinner.

and the celebrating was really just getting started! after dinner you changed again (let's be clear, this was same day, just a different jammy shirt, can't imagine why) and we spent the evening at the holloways' for care group. after bible study we ate red velvet cupcakes to celebrate you. I asked you what kind of cake you'd like for your birthday... you weren't sure....I suggested white? chocolate? strawberry? lemon? carrot? yellow?..... your response, "red. i just want red cake, mom." okay, xander. red cake it is.

happy birthday to my best boy. you make my heart smile.

hopelessly behind. well, not hopelessly.

2010-11-04T10:14:00.000-05:00

maybe the title should be "shamefully behind." i do realize it's not hopeless, which is why i'm sitting here this morning, uploading photos while sweeping the floor, typing captions after putting my babe down for her nap. but let's face it, i have some catching up to do - and i know i'm not telling you anything you don't already know. :) so here we are.

long, long ago, back when school was new, Libby took cold lunch for the first time. Is it really a photograph worthy milestone? Maybe not. But the reason I photographed and milestoned it (i know, i know) anyway is because I cried that morning. Not sobbing, weeping, blubbering crying. But, tears in the eyes. :) Something about packing a cold lunch made sending my baby off to school so very official. I'm silly, I know. And the same thing happened the first time I sent her to school with a note for the teacher. Those little things made me feel old, and realize my babe is growing up! :) Anywhooooo, here is her little lunch bag, and her first little lunch.

as an aside, I met a mom last week who was happy to meet me and get to see Libby. She confessed that her son has a crush on Libby. Matthew is his name and I must admit, I kept my eye on him and he seems to be a perfectly sweet boy, with good manners (as stressed by his mama). More importantly, he won the coloring contest, which was disappointing to Libby, but he reportedly (according to libby) handled himself quite well after his victory. She told me he was really happy, she could tell, but he was trying not to smile too much. I think that's sweet. Anyway, all of this rambling because Matthew has told his mom about Libby, and he described her as "the one with the owl lunch bag." :) See, he's likable.

and here's my little man. doing a little letter work that morning. and work, it was. but he got it!

in concert

2010-09-15T16:06:00.003-05:00

a post that has nothing to do with the kids. *gasp*

brian and i like music. there it is. do you? probably. brian reeeeally likes music. he's one of those people (like you, brett...) who thinks every moment is improved by music. he listens to music throughout the day. i understand the drafting of omaha's municipal bonds is set to music in his office. quietly. at home, it's quite a bit louder. quite a bit. definitely.

it is my understanding that he's thoroughly enjoyed music for years and years. i know he knows many a rap lyric from his younger, dare i say, less tasteful years? and he's not alone. i too, was one to tape rick dees' weekly top 40 every saturday morning (one of the many similarities that make brian and i SO compatible. ;) and, please, don't forget about "Voices that Care." i like music.

incidentally, it seeps into the lives of our kids. they, too, enjoy a tune, particularly during afternoon clean-up (Jai Ho and Woody's Roundup are cleanup songs daily requested by name) and on Saturday mornings. No one goes with pancakes like Sovereign Grace and Jack Johnson.

anywho, brian and i like music and thoroughly enjoy concerts. we've been blessed to see several performers through the years. i know Faith Hill was a big Nebraskaland Days favorite of mine back in the day, Brian went to some big all-day concert as a high schooler (i don't remember), and as a young couple much in love we took in more than one Counting Crows show. one of them right here in Omaha, somewhere in middle America, gettin right to the heart of matters, oh, it's the heart that matters most, . . . that evening adam duritz wrapped his long arm around brian and i and a kind fan took a picture of us. it was quite thrilling, and my only regret is that i look like such a dweeb with my huuuge "this is adam duritz" eyes that i'm embarrassed by the picture. silly, i know. (jenny reynolds (hare) was also at that concert!)

our first Counting Crows performance was not in omaha, but at Fiddler's Green, in Denver. it's a gorgeous locale, and all in all i think it's a fantastic place for a concert - unless it's early december and snow falls softly on the crowd... we froze.

fast forward to our next outdoor concert and we're talking a much more temperate evening. a beautiful 70-something degree evening made our evening all the more enjoyable as we were serenaded by two recent musical loves, Ray Lamontagne and David Gray. *sigh* good stuff.

look who catered: Famous Dave's and Paradise Bakery. yes, please.

and soon, ray takes the stage. see him? he's on the far right. he wears denim, and a hat, and though he's the "star" he stands off center. he's a little shy like that. and we like that about him.

here, he sings to the best thing ever happened to him. we sit next to the best thing ever happened to us. this video is not from tonight, but it's the same song. although, it's better without back-up singers. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g25ZjKBXw8Q

someone else was with the best thing ever happened to him, and so he proposed to her. right there with "you are the best thing, you are the best thing, you are the best thing ever happened to me" in the (now) background. how sweet. she said yes, and so they stood and he spun her. it took me that long to frantically grab my camera. i really have no business taking a picture of this couple, but hey, they don't seem to be incredibly private. and, the first proposal i've witnessed second-hand, it seemed really beautiful and i wanted to preserve the moment. i'm a romantic like that.

they also embraced. aw. and then she flashed her ring toward us onlookers. i'm sure it was gorgeous.

hey, we're in love, too!

okay, next up: david gray. i didn't know much about him. basically iTunes has told me everything i need to know, song after song (he's quite talented and sings song after song that i want to sing along to, even though he's not really my ideal vocal match), and Brian told me he's British. that's always important to point out. anyway, i learned a bit about who david gray is that evening. that's part of the charm of concert (particularly small venue concert). and i like that.

some perspective

and a few weeks later, dave matthews band. one of the 3 "must see" rock bands on our concert wish-list. coldplay, check. dave matthews, check. U2, maybe someday.

my sister introduced me to dave matthews. i don't know that she still really enjoys him today, but i'm glad she bought his cd back in ... er, 95? because we could listen to it at max volume while fixing our hair in the morning before school, and i could develop an appreciation, and i could share that appreciation with a man i fell in love with, who whisked me off to charlottesville, virginia, which incidentally is the home of dave matthews {and birthplace of Carter Beauford...see below}. and then, in one of those "God is kind" moments, dave and i drove side-by-side on Emmett Street one summer day in c-ville. we looked at each other for a moment, because i wanted to be sure it was him (it was, as supported by a friend of a friend who was a police officer and confirmed that he does (did?) indeed drive a red outback) and he probably wanted to be sure i wasn't going to run into him. and i didn't.

in related news, cary and i sort of kind of tried to spy, a little, on john grisham. that's a story for another day.

so the thing about dave matthews band is that if you listen to his music, you know that he's.. well, a musician. he loves instruments and extended solos and ensembles featuring those instruments, letting his voice take the back seat. listening to his CD, this is enjoyable. seeing him perform before you, this is fascinating. there's just something about seeing a musician do his craft, isn't there? god has gifted many with such incredible talents. i am always fascinated and impressed. and won't heaven be grand, with thousands upon thousands boldly singing in worship to the Lord?! *wow*

a shot of guitar, vocals, drums

okay, and i don't know names, but i looked his up for your benefit. boyd tinsley on the fiddle = a.mazing.

and just to be fair, Carter Beauford is the drummer above. I don't know the names of the guys on the guitars either, but I'm in a hurry and they didn't wow me quite the same. :)

thanks to my love for taking me on some fun concert dates this summer. :) i love you!

chit chat

2010-09-13T16:56:00.000-05:00

libby: daddy, do grandmas just go on forever?
daddy: what do you mean?
libby: well, i was just thinking, i have two grandmas, and mommy has grandmas, and grandmas have grandmas, and it just seems like grandmas go on forever.
daddy: yep, all the way back to adam and eve!

xander: how did i come out of your belly?
mommy: stammering something about God's timing, xander all grown and formed and ready
xander: no, but i mean, HOW did i get out of your belly??
mommy: diverts with lots of details about going to the hospital, walking around, waiting until it was time, doctor helping, etc.
xander: appeased.
mommy: relieved. changing subject.

days later...
xander: how did God give you to me?
mommy: well, when God decided it was time, he blessed us by putting you in my belly.
xander: no, but i mean, HOW did God put me IN your belly?
mommy: wellllllllll, it was something very special with mommy and daddy and a blessing from God, where you were tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiny tiny and he formed you in my belly and you grew and grew and grew until it was time for you to be born.
xander: appeased.
mommy: relieved.

i love this stage of life. despite my struggling and floundering around like a clueless fool. :) i do hope to grow to eventually do less of that.

last days

2010-09-09T15:06:00.000-05:00

a few more photos.... i think i have some on my camera that i need to upload, but i'm too lazy to take care of that right now. so here are the last ones from our time in florida - aside from the last last ones on my camera. :)

beautiful family!

okay, we did this one outside at sunset about 1 minute after it stopped raining, so the colors are a little ... golden, but they still look cute. :)

p loves to swim. and that's final.

and i'm so disgusted with myself. because see her (new) little floatie? yeah. well those things are a dream come true, and i totally and completely forgot that we have one in the garage from when xander was her age. why didn't i use it all summer with her? because i forgot about it. when we were at walmart i discovered that they were giving these away (in exchange for about $4) so i snagged one, which made our evening swims all the more enjoyable. p looooved her little rides. and i think her grin is because she's going fast and she's skinny dipping. :o

brown eyed flower headed girl.

day five - barefoot beach

2010-09-05T22:02:00.000-05:00

day five

2010-09-05T21:35:00.000-05:00

so, we went to the beach this morning. it was, naturally, bentley's first time. brett asked me to help photograph bentley for her birth announcement, and when i asked her if there was somewhere special that she'd like to have pictures taken, she didn't hesitate to mention the beach. shaun's first loves include his girls and the beach, and it was natural to spend a morning hour there snapping pictures of cutie patootie.

step 1. pat pat pat, go to sleep.

step 2. snap snap snap! shaun was good to run around taking pictures from a little further back. i hogged the front-and-center position. =/ but being not front and center, he got some really good pics of the whole scene.

sometimes a girl needs to get a little sun.

okay, no freaking out, we know this girl doesn't need sun. :) for you with concern, let me assure you that we shaded and covered that precious baby skin much of the time, but the Lord was also exceedingly kind to us in providing the cloud cover. aren't they gorgeous as an added benefit?!

after taking photos of my precious niece in a breathtaking scene, i had hoped to take a few beauties of my little love bug. ya know, she doesn't lay perfectly still... and that's okay. :)

down to the water for some splishy splashy

P, btw, was a gem during the photo shoot. she chilled with aunt brett while shaun and i held blankets for shade, snapped pictures frantically when the sun went behind the clouds, repositioned bentley and the props, and did ya know, the stuff we needed to do. brett and phoebe were perfectly patient. thanks, girls. :)

day four

2010-09-05T21:11:00.001-05:00

:: hello again from fLoRiDa ::

ready for the day's report? well here ya go! Day 4, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls...

but first, a flashback to day 3. Brett gave me this pic of the girls and I like it. Phoebe checking Bentley makes me grin. And she loves loves loves her new rice krispie treats. Don't worry, they're organic.

Now, back to the day at hand. Saturday! And Saturday was Husker game day, so naturally Phoebe dressed for the occasion. Sadly, Bentley doesn't own Husker game day attire. We shall have to remedy that, then.

e-gad, she is a cutie.

okay, so after parading around in her little cheerleader outfit, we ... shopped. If there is something Bentley needs to know about her mama, auntie, and grandma, it's that we girls can shop with the best of them. Yesterday was Bentley's first little shopping trip and that girl rocked it. She was a picture of perfect behavior. Phoebe, the same. The girls know how to love us well. See how they even power napped between our first and second stops? Gems.

Okay, above. So that picture is gray and cloudy, and that's because when we came outside and saw ducks behind Saks 5th Ave we I thought it curious and took a picture. My camera lens fogged over from the heat/humidity. Once you get past that, you notice the ducks. And see clear in the back by the building? They're caged. Now why, we must ask, are their caged and loose ducks in the parking lot of an outlet mall on the back side of Saks? That, my friends, I do not know.

Back at the ranch, Bentley and I delighted in our daily dose of snuggle time. She's a dream. Look at those little hands up by her cheeks. I love a baby who knows how to sleep cute.

day three... some pics

2010-09-05T13:35:00.000-05:00

oh yeah, we did take some pics on day 3. a mini photo shoot.

day three

2010-09-04T21:28:00.000-05:00

day three was not a big picture day. :) in fact, i'm not sure i took a single one. We stayed in most of the day, postponing our grocery shopping trip until a moment both the baby girls were wakeful and happy at the same time. that moment came mid-afternoon, giving brett and i just enough time to nap poolside with feet in the water. *ahhhh*

day four was a little busier! we did a bunch of shopping and we're exhausted! too exhausted to upload pictures but suffice to say the girls are adorable, the huskers played, and bentley is in "lammers shopping training mode." she and phoebe are most excellent shoppers, like their mamas!

nighty-night!
h

day two

2010-09-04T00:08:00.000-05:00

we meet bentley, day two...

phoebe woke from her nap and found that i was holding bentley

she was in the best mood and was totally fascinated with her little cousin

she was talking to her, smiling at her, and gently touching her little head

she couldn't help herself

she was sooooo gentle! i couldn't believe her!

they were among the most precious 5 minutes of my life!

the afternoon was gorgeous in the 80s, so we went for a swim

see shaun under water near the railing?

see phoebe beaming?

the two of them played and played. phoebe was tickled pink.

p is right at home in the water :)

she looooved to float on her back. i loved it too. :)

i love this girl. she and i have had so much fun here. we are loving getting to spend time with brett and shaun and love on them and baby b - and we're so enjoying the precious mommy/phoebe time!

just the girls

sometimes we think her hair has potential to be blonde, when the light hits it juuuust right. :)

cute little family

beautiful day's end.

Away We Go

2010-09-02T23:20:00.001-05:00

We Meet Bentley, Day 1

Wednesday afternoon we (phoebe and I) kissed our loved ones goodbye and boarded Phoebe's first flight. Our destination? Sunny Florida. Our purpose? To meet Bentley Olyvia and enjoy the company of her parents.

OMA to ATL - Phoebe's first flight. God is so good; no one was seated next to us so Phoebe got her own little seat. She was busy busy busy, climbing and playing and snacking and jumping and drinking and reading and giggling and snacking and purse digging and climbing and peeking with the passengers for two and a half hours, but a happy baby makes for happy everyone, so no complaints! She was particularly fond of our flight attendant, Perry, who waved to her and peeked at her from all areas of the plane. She hoped Libby didn't get one of those "crabbers" on her next flight. :)

No worries about her next flight, because the sweet girl slept through the whole thing. Atlanta to Ft. Myers at perfect snoozing altitude. I enjoyed my opportunity to cuddle with her. She is already far too big and independent to cuddle for hours on end. That is a bit of a shame. anyway...

after all the anticipation, the work in preparing, the 5.5 hours of travel... bentley.

Away we go!

good-bye, Omaha!

complimentary in-flight beverage

fascinated by the seatbelts, etc. the really good news is that those are all thoroughly cleaned, and regularly.

this is fun.

i love her look. :)

the tray table offered a nice new distraction. that and toy, after toy, and snack, after snack, and book, and magazine, and flight attendant, and snack, and passenger, and binkie... i mean moms and dads, you can imagine juggling your 10 month old without getting up from your seat for 2.5 hours. it was exhausting. but good. truly, it went well. *blessing.*

...no pics of a sleeping baby in flight. but then......

here she is!

the girls already love sitting side-by-side. for years to come they will enjoy doing that on picnic tables, below christmas trees, on the side of the pool, at the movies, in their hand-me-down honda odyssey, etc. etc. etc.

bentley olyvia, i'm so glad to have you. we love you to pieces.

and you too, sister/mama/aunt

and that was a perfect end to a great day and the perfect beginning to a great week.

test

2010-09-02T22:59:00.001-05:00

testing on fb

Lazy Day

2010-09-01T12:09:00.000-05:00

Saturday is kind of a big day around here. First football game of the season for the Huskers, and all. :)

Though, not everyone is equally impressed. . .

Daddy: ...and then Saturday the HUSKERS play!!
Libby: oh great. That means you'll be lazy on the couch alllllll day. Watching the game. I don't like to watch the game all day. I like to spend Saturday with my family. Especially now that I'm in school. (picking up on a suppressed grin by mama...) Don't YOU mom?

slam! truth is, she kind of called it. :) happy game day, huskers!

first day of school eve

2010-08-30T13:24:00.000-05:00

Is it too late to discuss the day before the last day I blogged? Nope, I didn't think so either. And then, when there's time, perhaps I will tell you more about baseball, or a trip to chicago, or other fun things we'd like to remember for years to come. But for now, "Heidi and the terrible, no good, very bad day."

The day before school starts, in my mind, is the last day of summer. Right? And the last day of summer, which happens to be the day before school starts, should be a big day, right? ESPECIALLY when we're talking about the VERY first day of school EVER. Seems to me, and this is just me, but it seems to me that the first day of school eve is a very big day. A day a mom gets to wow her soon to be kindergartener one last time with her unbelievably unforgettable ability to have loooooots of fun. School's fun, but staying home with mom was looooooooooots of fun. yup.

MY plans for the day looked like this:
Children's Museum (picnic lunch)
Home for naps and for the a/c repair guy to do his thing
Quick shopping trip to pick up a new backpack for Libbers
fancy dinner, bubbly baths, early bedtime.

Not a bad day! However my plans did not come to fruition. Not one bit. But I had great opportunities to reflect on my expectations, chat with my kids about the sovereignty of God, wipe my tears and remember that Libby's childhood is not shaped by the day before the first day of school, and be thankful anyway. PLUS, I was greatly blessed by friends and family. God was so kind to me.

Our real day went more like this:
Load into the van and find that it won't start. (BIG disappointment.)
FINALLY it started.
Praise the Lord!
Plans change: to go to mechanic after the children's museum.
Stop for gas.
Van won't start. rats. it's hot outside.
Van starts.
Praise the Lord.
Plans change: go to mechanic first, home for a/c repair guy, THEN children's museum.
Take kids to grandma Anna's; she graciously babysits them so P can nap while I'm getting van fixed.
A new battery goes into the van and we're good as new.
RATS. my money is in the diaper bag at Anna's.
We work it out.
I talk to Anna; we decide I will go backpack shopping now, and pick the kids up after the a/c guy is done.
I get to the store, 20 minutes away, RATS. I still don't have my money.
I shop anyway, putting my choice on hold for later.
I go home, sit with a/c guy, busy myself while he (well, they) work. They work for 4 hours.
I realize we do not have time to go the museum, which closes at 5.
I'm discouraged.
My hubby saves the day and suggests dinner at the Amazing Pizza Machine.
I prepare to leave.
I have someone at the door.
My sweet friend came by!
We chat, she encourages me.
My sweet friend comes by! Another one! She has a care package for me to help me survive the first day of school. I cry. I'm blessed.
I go to the garage, ready to go get my kids and take them for pizza and fun.
My van starts!
Praise the Lord!
I pick up my kids, take them to the Amazing Pizza Machine, find that somehow, my money was still NOT in my bag, but still at grandma's house. Rats.
The kids and I sit and wait for 30 minutes until Brian arrives. He didn't get out of work early. Rats.
but THEN, then, then the fun did begin.

And real quick, I must point out that while the day was full of disappointment, it was also so full of encouragement. God is so good to provide for us, time and again, for our physical needs and spiritual. Though the day did not look the way I wanted it to (perfect) it was a perfect day nonetheless; full of reminders of our dependence on our all knowing, unchanging God who cares deeply for us - and with great built in opportunities for me to discuss these things with my kids. *love*

Romans 8:28

And we know that for those who love God,

all things work together for good,

for those who are called according to his purpose.

Without further ado, here are some pics from our evening at the Pizza Machine. A really fun place that we would love to visit again, when we have more time!

(there's a cartoon playing on the wall - the whole wall - behind me...)

.f.i.r.s.t. .d.a.y. .o.f. . K.I.N.D.E.R.G.A.R.T.E.N!.

2010-08-12T09:30:00.001-05:00

March 5, 2005 at 5:10 in the morning, a sweet Elisabeth Adelaide was put into my arms and her daddy and I have not been the same since. She's a blessing far greater than we've ever deserved and we delight in our time with her. SO, I suppose it isn't surprising that August 11, 2010 I had mixed feelings about letting her go. But, there are those of you who have been there, and you know all about it. And there are those of you who haven't, and you can well imagine it. So, instead of a pouring out of my soul, let me share with you a little recap of the day that Miss Libby Lou first went to kindergarten. :) fun day.

The backpack packed, dress and shoes laid out, when she went to bed the night before, Libby was "ready" for school. Thanks to some hard work behind the scenes, her 24 pencils were sharpened and returned to their box. That part, incidentally, was not as fun as I remember it from 4th grade.

When she woke, Libby cuddled with me for a bit. After she was showered, dressed and styled for her big day she headed out to the kitchen waffles. Her first little surprise awaited her. . .

i must say, i'm really thrilled about the way our new "my special day" slip cover turned out, and my kindergarten baby was pretty excited about it, too. :) "aw, mom! you SEWED that for ME?" And I know at least one of you will recognize her plate...and remember the fun day we stamped those little feet. *sigh*

after breakfast we headed out for some traditional "front porch" shots.

and the side shot, to model her backpack.

okay, we then loaded up and headed to school. by the time she graduates to middle school, i'll drive her to school another 1079 times. and then some. what a privilege.

outside the school we gathered with Libby's class on "the blacktop." the rest of the school did the same, moms shedding tears, dads taking pictures, kids aglow. the band played us a lively tune.

these two share a special love. daddy and his girl.

and then it happened. the band started in with "when the saints go marching in." the kids began to line up. it was time to march forth!

token smile from the girl in polka dots. i love that girl. she doesn't look as confident as the dude in sunglasses. but maybe those are to hide his hesitation. . .?

and now this is a shame. she turned, she smiled, she waved at her family, and i captured a blurry picture. a moment later she was in the school and we were on our way. just like that. *sigh*

From there, Xander and Phoebe and I did some shopping, some baking, some playing, and before we knew it we were heading back to school to get our lovely libby. we were so anxious we were 20 minutes early. :)

and here she is, post first day!! the smile is more genuine than her hesitant ones at the front door...

and there's my girl. all smiles, beautiful libby. let's get some sonic!

and let's call daddy and tell him all about it!

and when he got home, he joined us for baked ziti, libby's favorite dinner ever (after Panda Express, but when I specified that I wanted to know her favorite meal that I make, it was ziti :) and finished the day with rainbow frosted cupcakes. they were pretty excited about the cupcakes. what a special day.

and then, she got a candle on top. and so did xander. my kids love having a candle in their food. as we do with sprinkles, we indulge the burning of candles. because, why not? if you don't put sprinkles on your pancakes and candles in your lasagna, you're missing out! live it up! :)

and then it seemed silly not to sing, if we were blowing out candles and everything. so we did. "happy first day to you, happy first day to you, happy first day dear libby.... happy first day to YOU!" and just like that, we established a new tradition. firstday parties. *love*

the guy loves some ziti. and he got to blow out his candle. what a good end to the day!

but there's more! another first - libby harvested our first home grown produce!

and another first!

at the end of the day we opened some presents, took a bath, and collapsed exhausted in our beds. at least some of us did, and some of us are about to. it was a fun day, a hard day, a good day, praise be to the Lord. He was so gracious to Libby today to allow everything to go so perfectly. after a day like yesterday (yesterday most certainly did NOT go perfectly) i am reminded to be thankful for little things, like a smoothly executed day, as well as the big things, like a beautiful girl who is growing up to be a fine little lady, who is such a joy that she is dearly missed when she is gone, who brings more life and warmth to our home when she returns, who is embarking upon a most exciting season of her life, and i get to call her my own, as she has been entrusted to my man and me by the great God who made her. you did a great job today libbs. i love you, sweet girl. i praise God i get to be here to help you learn and grow, and i pray you do so most of all in the ways of the Lord. <3

p.s. thanks to my girls for thinking of us today. i was so encouraged by your calls, texts, messages, care packages, and distractions. you're the best!

as they say, lol

2010-08-06T15:29:00.000-05:00

okay. testing something here. but in the meantime, i'll tell you a funny story and show you a funny picture.

Life is not all berries for Libby and Xander, who occasionally "bother" one another, as we say. They have started to disagree, and from time to time I hear "is not, is too, is not, is too" and the like. I remember those days. Sometimes we would shorten that to "snot, stew, snot, stew" just to keep it interesting.

Anyway, one particular morning, rollin' in my swagger wagon (oh how i love that video), i hear it. "No it's not, yes it is, not it's not, yes it is, no it's not..." I decided to lay low. Let them sort it out. Ya know. Welllllllllll, sort it out they did, when Xander rollllllllllllllllllllllled his eyes super dramatically (somehow I caught that in the rear view, don't judge) and said, "Wibb, I fink I'm really getting tired of this."

Naturally, I ducked out of view and snickered to myself. A moment later Libby busted out laughing. I love that she gets a kick out of him, too. :)

Now for the picture. What fun is a blog post without a picture? Not much. So here it is, via my mom. My kids on a ride at a kids' amusement park that they frequented while spending their week with grammy and grandad. It makes me laugh because I think they couldn't look more ho hum about the ride. ha! And notice Xander's shiner. That was about 2 weeks post incident. The incident being Xander coming face to face with a croquet mallet. boo.

the girls

2010-07-17T17:00:00.000-05:00

can i hold her? can i hold her? can i hold her?

libbs loves herself a phoebe, and phoebe loves herself a libby. libbs has a knack for entertaining princess P, and she is rewarded with phoebe's unmatched squeals and wiggles and huge large smiles. they're precious. :)

she's up!

2010-07-17T16:53:00.001-05:00

no, i did not capture the first pull up to standing. busier than i used to be, i was thrilled to have the camera nearby when Phoebe stood up this particular morning. since then, she's become a professional stander-upper, and even took her first cruising steps last thursday! oh me!

slugger

2010-07-08T17:08:00.001-05:00

This summer, we are embarking upon a new adventure: competitive sports. Toeing the line between providing opportunities for our kids and avoiding the madness that accompanies opportunities, we waited and waited and then finally decided to enroll Libby in T-ball.

But wait! 5-year olds don't play T-ball! Whatever were we thinking? 5-year olds, so diverse in their skill-set, play coach pitch baseball. So, we enrolled Libby in coach pitch baseball.

She practices once a week and has games on Saturday mornings (and so it begins. *sigh*) Since this was her first baseball experience, we were relieved to find that her coach is excellent. He has done a great job of teaching skills to the kids, as well as basics. (Coach: THIS-IS-FIRST-BASE! Kids: THIS-IS-FIRST-BASE! running. stop. Coach: THIS-IS-SECOND-BASE!! Kids: THIS-IS-SECOND-BASE!! ...) While some of the little ones are advanced sluggers and can throw the ball hard enough to snap coach's glove (yes, those kids are boys) they are all having fun practicing their hitting, fielding, running, and daydreaming.

Libby and Elyse represent the girls, and they do a fine job. Libby has hit the ball every time at bat, and has scored every time, too!

Confession: each kid gets 3 swings at coach's pitch. if they miss 3 times, they get to use the tee. (out of 6 at bats, Libby has only used the T once!) the opposing team fields the ball, but heavens!, they never throw the batter out. The batter proceeds around the bases as their teammates are at bat, and the last batter of the inning hits an in-field home run.

So, pictured is Libby hitting, Libby scoring, and Xander having fun. He already LOVEs baseball, and I think it a worthy sport for him. He cannot wait until he gets to play. Next year, he thinks. ugh. we'll see.

here, Libby tries to hit the ball down the first base line.

xander watches libby, fake smiles, and models his big bruise. he collided with a croquet mallet.

xander is super. he takes after his daddy.

run on through, libby!

.s.i.s.t.e.r.s.

2010-07-06T17:29:00.003-05:00

my girls have an amazing privilege. they share a room. :) now, sharing a room has it's ups and downs. they have very little privacy, the closet is a bit crowded (and phoebe doesn't even have shoes yet...), and one has to deal with the other's messes. so far, none of these have proven to be problematic.

on the upside, the girls LOVE meeting one another in their little beds at sleepytime. each night, when i take phoebe to bed, she looks over to libby's bed to see if she's in it yet. libby usually isn't, but she soon comes in to kiss her sister goodnight, then she winds the music-box on her cinderella jewelry box to lull phoebe mirabelle to sleep. phoebe LOVES this little ritual and libby is so thrilled to have discovered phoebe's love for that music box. in the morning, when libby wakes up, she immediately checks on phoebe who is generally already awake and quietly sitting in her bed, waiting for the rest of us to catch up. libby delights in opening the blinds, winding up her cinderella jewelry box, and giving phoebe toys to play with before she heads out to find mom & dad.

i love the way (all) the kids love one another. it is so encouraging and endearing. well, this day, the girls were loving one another well, despite the time. :) i had put phoebe in her bed for her afternoon nap, and not much later i instructed libby to sneak into her bed for a little nap as well. she typically doesn't nap, but she had had a late night and a busy day and i thought she was tired enough she would appreciate one. she did sneak, but phoebe was wise to her ways. a little while later i heard phoebe making noises, and it surprised me that she wasn't already asleep. i continued to hear her squealing, so i decided to peek in and see what she needed.

what i saw was utter delight on her sweet little face as she peered across the room to libby's bed. libby was there, tucked in under her blanket, peering out at phoebe. they had been peeking at one another, and phoebe was simply giddy with excitement over the game. libby was all smiles, and though they were *supposed* to be sleeping, i couldn't help but smile, and grab the camera. :) libby carried on, and i got to be a part of their special *sisters moment.*

after all, who here hasn't skipped some sleep to giggle with her sister? those are some of my favorite childhood memories!

8 months

2010-07-06T17:26:00.001-05:00

and as beautiful as the day she was born!

june 19

2010-07-06T17:20:00.002-05:00

we waited, and we waited, and we counted down the days, and we woke up with excitement and eagerly arrived at the theater to be among the first to see.....

and while the smiles are less than genuine here, be assured that we all loved it!

.z.o.o.

2010-07-06T17:10:00.002-05:00

one fine day at the zoo and i do not have many pictures to show for it. i do have one of a crew about to ride the skyfari. it was fantastic.

and i have one of a bright-eyed-brown-eyed girl.

the only one of those in this household!

good taste

2010-07-06T16:48:00.002-05:00

one day, quite by accident, the boyz were wearing the same outfit. however, only one of them wore his bib at dinnertime. . .

PreSchool GrADuATe

2010-07-06T16:32:00.003-05:00

libby lou successfully completed coursework and met the requirements to be considered a graduate .pre.school. a prodigy, she knows her alphabet, her numbers, and the words to a bazillion songs and poems. :)

look how grown up! my sweet baby. i love you elisabeth adeliade!

one minute you're just chillen...

2010-07-06T16:27:00.001-05:00

mom? what is that thing?

i guess i don't mind it... sounds kinda funny...

oh xand.

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-07-06T16:21:00.002-05:00

On the way home from the Springs, we stayed at mom & dad's and celebrated mother's day. Brian snapped a picture of grammy with her kiddos before we left. Sometime later, we misplaced Xander's hat. his faaaaaaaaaaaaaavorite hat. :(