Things Unblogged

It has been almost a MONTH since I blogged!  I'm sure the one or two people who read my blog have already given up on it, so I'm just sending this post out into the void.  But whatever.

The first thing unblogged: I read the Hunger Game books.  I enjoyed them.  The first two better than the third, though the third was necessary.  I sat on my couch and read for 3 days straight.  I stayed up too late.  I ignored my kids as much as legally possible.  I let dirt and dishes and laundry accumulate (more than usual).  I had a vague rememberance that I used to be able to sit and read as much as I wanted.

I wish I could say that I've been crafty or have sewn, or at least STARTED Moose's scrapbook.  But no.  Nothing.  The frame to repaint is still on my kitchen counter.  The dress pattern got cut out, but not the fabric.  It did get washed, though.  The scrapbook is still a little nag at the back of my head.

I HAVE been doing something exciting, but I can't tell you what it is yet.  It's a surprise.  Just a little something that I'm working on that I don't want to blog about until y'all can see it with your own eyes.  But it'll be good, so wait with baited breath (but don't hold your breath completely, because I have no idea how long it'll take me).

And that's me.  My month in a nutshell.

Thankfully my kids give me ample things to blog about.

Like this one. 

He's a big nine-month-old now.  He claps, sometimes he waves.  He signs "eat" and "more" and likes to do just that (eat more, I mean).  He isn't so into walking yet--he likes to have something to hold onto, but he is quite a good cruiser in the meantime.  He likes his sisters, though it makes me wonder if he's crazy.  He's good at hugs, as well as crying really loud like he's being murdered.  I really like him.  Oh, and he gives kisses.  Big, sloppy, wet, open-mouth kisses.

This one is starting to count and tell us the color of everything that she sees.  It's quite a relief, actually, because I was starting to think that she might be color blind.  She's also doing pretty well with potty training, but some days she's really not good at all.  I don't know why.  Kids are complex.  She's a super funny little person, and is getting to the stage where she can talk a lot and says really funny things that aren't funny but they're funny because she's little and cute.

She's also the fall guy for her sister.   Tonight HH had to explain that Chick would get in trouble not only for getting out of bed herself (which she didn't do) but also for telling her sister to get out of bed (which she did do).



I guess Chick hadn't gotten over wanting to go to McDonalds for lunch and not getting to.
"There's no I in Team McDonalds."



And Chick.  She's reading more and more.  She's learning about things like earthquakes and counting in Spanish.  She gets her sister into trouble, she loves brussell sprouts.  She's good at walking on tip-toes and copying her dance teacher.  I got to sit in on a class during observation week and it was really fun to watch her.  She helps a lot with Moose, and is young enough to feel special for it, rather than underpaid.

By the way, Moose must be old enough that life feels more manageable to me.  I say that because there comes a time when I start thinking of things that we can do BEYOND basic survival.  It was after 9 months with Monkey, too, so I guess that's the magic number.  When your baby is 9 months then life can start to resume.  That's just a theory.

Anyhow, some of what I want to resume:  working on the house.  I'm hosting a party for my sister at the end of April.  I didn't want it here, because of the added stress of cleaning and fixing things up...but here it shall be anyhow.  Sooo, I've decided to fix up the downstairs.  It'll double our party space.  But that means that I need to clear things out, paint, carpet, make curtains, and do other general decorating all in 6 weeks.  And some of it (getting rid of the ripped and somewhat broken recliner) is against the wishes of my husband, but I really see no compromise available.....



This is probably the last time you'll see the dark panelling....

By the way, this is off the subject (Squirrel!), but I love this house:


I'm a sucker for black shutters.

Ok, other projects: teaching my girls some earth science in preparation for visiting BioSphere 2 (in Tucson) later this year.  If there is any upside to the earthquake in Japan, it is that it started discussions about our Earth.

Teaching them Italian.  Something that I've always planned to do, but have yet to make it much of a reality.  But Chick's window of prime opportunity is narrowing, so I need to get on it.  What I'm thinking of doing is one day a week of immersion.  That day will be entirely in Italian.  Including any books read, movies watched, etc.  I probably won't blog those days, because I think the people that read Italian AND that read my blog are scarse indeed (but not non-existent, so who knows?)  Anyhow, if you have successfully taught your child a language that is a second language for all in the household, please share your tips with me.

Ok, so do I have other news?  I've bought several things on Amazon.com.  I daresay that's my favorite place to shop lately.  Yesterday the DVD version of A&E's Pride and Prejudice arrived (I've only had the VHS all this time).  Also yesterday came  a little emergency radio to keep in our 72 hr kits--it cranks up really easily, and has a flashlight, and a solar-power option, and can also charge a cell phone.  Here's hoping that I don't ever need it. 

One thing that I'm still waiting on is a butterfly garden.  I'm pretty excited about that.

Ok, I think that's enough.  I wasn't meaning to make this post so long that it would replace the length of a month's worth of posts...but whatever.  It just feels so good to be blogging again that I'm swept up in the euphoria.  Deal with it.

Love you all.  Ciao ciao.

Little Miss Sunshine

Chick turned four last month.

Her birthday lunch was an informal "muffin tin Monday."

Dinner was chili soup with salad.

The cake was "Mr. Golden Sun."  Not my best cake endeavor, but Chick liked it.

She got a new umbrella (which she and Monkey both love), and some new boots (which I love.  Wish I could find them in my size....).

Grandma N made her a place setting placemat, which has been really fun.

She loves it.

She used it for breakfast the next day and spent quite a bit of time finding the perfect spoon for the spoon spot...and then I wouldn't let her use it because it was a grapefruit spoon.

Love you, Chickadee!!

showering

Last weekend I threw a baby shower for a friend.  Partly because I like her and she's a friend, but also partly because I needed something fun to beat the "Christmas/birthday/New Year's is over, now what?"   Besides, I've never thrown a shower and felt like throwing a party.  And Chick didn't get a party this year... so what am I supposed to do, wait until Moose turns one?  That's in JUNE, people!

So anyhow, I threw a shower.  A blue and green shower.  It provided ample crafty-project entertainment and fun for me.  Here's the recap:

Tissue paper pom-poms & sewn streamers



We played an elimination game with the cupcake toppers, based on what the babies looked like (ie: "Stay standing if your baby is wearing a blue cap") The last person standing won.  Kendra's was the top guy, and part of her present from me was the rest of her peg family.







Sweet Pea Seed Packets as the take-home favors.
The table cloth was a thrifted sheet, and I just serged the edges.



green food.



Be-ribboned & stacked plate sets.



Lots of CUTE presents for the little guy!  And doesn't Kendra look great?!





I absolutely LOVE this picture!



It was all really fun to do.  Thankfully a few other gals brought food for it, since I'm not a foodie : )

giveaway results

Grandma J, you are the lucky lady!  No guarantees on when I'll get it done (it's a very individualized gift), but when you least suspect it....

My date with Chick {and a giveaway}

It is Chick's birthday month, and our new tradition is a one on one photoshoot and a treat afterwards.

I MIGHT rethink that tradition after a few more cold and rainy January photoshoots, though.

At any rate, we had a fun time.  We ended up going into a leasing office, of all places, and taking pictures in there.  It was quite lovely.  And no one kicked us out, so that was nice too. 



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5



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Afterwards we went to Jamba Juice and had hot chocolate and girl talk : )

These are the "outtakes."

Since I like getting comments, this will be just like Monkey's birthday pics:  leave a comment telling me your favorite picture (from the numbered pictures), and you'll be entered to win a giveaway.  I'll pick the winner next Thursday, January 27th, at noon.  The prize will be a surprise, but it's awesome (if I do say so myself).

So THIS is what happens

when I'm at a meeting and Daddy is in charge : )

{This is a frame taken from a video...but he said their names and I couldn't show it here.  Any ideas on how to blank out names from a video?}

Twinkle toes and new apparel.

Ok, first of all, Chick started dance classes!  I'm definitely more excited than she is.  One of those "living-vicariously-though-your-children" sort of things.  One of those "I'm-destined-to-be-a-stage-mom" things.  Anyhow, it's ballet for 3.5 - 5 year olds.  As in pre-pre-ballet.  But it's so cute, and she did a great job at her first class.

After Dance class the kids and I went up to visit my sister, who had a friend that was liquidating all of her MASSIVE supply of kids clothes.  I got so many cute things!  I tried to not look at the kids' current sizes, but I did get some things for them to wear now.  But it's mostly grow into stuff.  Seriously, I think I completely outfitted Moose from 2t-4t (I already had up to 2t).  And Chick is set for probably the next 2 years.  I got about 5 garbage bags full.  Plus some baby food and diapers for Moose.  A winter coat for each child, as well as a rain coat for each.  Tap shoes, leotards, 18 pairs of shoes & as many pairs of jammies.  Thank you Becky!

Here are the girls in some of their new finery.  Chick is wearing a new sweater, skirt, and tights.  Monkey is wearing a new dress and socks.

And I came home to find that HH had worked on some projects.  What a great day!

Salt & Sugar & Moose.

I've decided that Chick is Salt and Monkey is Sugar.

Chick adds life to whatever she's doing.  She's full of it (life, I mean).  She is strong-willed sometimes, but she'll be good as new if you give her a hug and tell her that you love her.  She's a name rememberer.  A "who can I walk with to class" kinda gal.  I think she'll be a swing dancer someday.  She is always pushing herself to learn new things.  She NEVER wants to go home, regardless of where we've been. 

Monkey has always had a special sweetness about her.  From birth.  Noticeably sweet.  She's a peacemaker, a toy sharer, a cuddler.  She's shy.  She does like to go out if she's with a loved one, but also likes to come home.  She likes people, but takes a very long time to warm up and show them that.  She is curious and gets into everything.  From the time she could walk she was pushing chairs up to the counter so that she could get into things. 

The line from the "Sisters" song in White Christmas is them: "there were never such devoted sisters."  They love each other.  Despite their differences, they are best friends.  I hope it continues.

And then there's Moose.  I was thinking what ingredient he'd be.  For me, he's the flour.  One of those ingredients that you rely on.  You don't often want to go without it.  That's Moose.  I'm crazy about him.  Three girls in a row would have been really fun, but I can NOT imagine our family without that adorable, happy guy.  He's all boy (the gender difference is striking--there's just a different aura or something).  He's an eater.  He's a lover.

And me?  I'm happy to be around them (most of the time).  Breaks are needed, of course, but after a little while I'm anxious to get back and find out what adventures they'd had in my absence. 

Cute Little People Today

Cute Chick: watching "Annie" and doing her best to immitate the moves of the Rockettes. (Next time they watch that one I'll have my camera ready and try to get a video of it).

Cute Monkey: she'd pulled all of Chick's dresses and skirts off their hangers. I asked her why and she said, "cause." I looked sternly at her, and she picked one up as if to hang it up and jumped (about 1/2"). The she turned to me, and shaking her head said "Reach it." Then she handed them to me one by one while I hung them up.

Cute Moose: in his exersaucer, and Monkey was sitting on a stool next to him. It looked suspiciously like Monkey was feeding him homemade pizza, and when I told her not to Moose turned and GRINNED at me, as if to say, "Whatever, Mom." That boy has us all eating out of his palm, I'm afraid.



(They weren't quite so cute when Chick and Monkey used Wilton's red and green food coloring as makeup...or when a DVD got broken...or when Moose cried for what must have been an hour and never DID take a nap....  Everyone has their moments, I guess.)



The girls thought it was wildly hilarious to have CHICK sitting on MONKEY's lap, rather than vice versa.