a peak into the thoughts of e

things for thanks

fruit saturday storys bagels

Quinn Me Lemon heads

meatballs kittens poppy cats uniqorns

dogs mom mirikles

dad God puppys kaylie

happy endings picnics

p
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s
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s

i found the above on a piece of paper in e's nightstand. she is notorious for making lists of things... lists of friends, favorite books, things she wants to buy with the money she doesn't have (giggle) and other things of that nature. i found this one today. it made me smile. i thought i'd share. it was written with the spelling and capitalization that you see and done with a red colored pencil. i love it. i love her. enjoy.

not a garge sale part deux

you may recall that last year we cleaned out our garage. it was a comical event that we refer to as "not a garage sale". well, that was all good and fine until we had to up and move AGAIN. as you can imagine, moving with three kiddos (one who is in the pull everything out of every drawer, bin, closet etc. stage) is a little chaotic. as a result, our garage has been a wee bit of a disaster. and so, yet again, we hauled it all onto the front lawn and got down to the business of putting things into place.

e was delighted when a few people drove up to see if we were having a garage sale. while we didn't have a steady flow of traffic like last year (and didn't need to make a sign), e loved telling people that we were just cleaning the garage.

we discovered that it is inevitable. very soon, we are in fact going to be having a garage sale. with three growing babes we have a lot of stuff to unload. but in spite of the tight quarters, i was able to pull my big 'ole gas guzzler into the garage and close the door. it was a good feeling.

i would also like to report there was some suspicious activities going on while this momma and daddy-o were cleaning. i went to investigate. e was standing over a closed box with a roll of tape in hand. poppy was watching intently from the sidelines with a very perplexed look on her face. once the box was taped shut, e went on her merry way.

suddenly the box began moving a little bit and the tape was starting to loosen. look closely.

any guesses on what was inside? i'm pretty sure you can do the math.

a family of 5 becomes a family of...

it has been a busy week around here. we went from a family of 5 to a family of 7. that's right... we finally caved and bought the girls a pet. well, two pets, because their momma is a little bit of a sucker. i spent the better part of last week tracking down breeders and visiting pet shops. i must say, i rather enjoyed it.

without further ado, here is stardust (e's baby mini-lop):

and d's bunny named lucy (named after my mom's mom... when i told my mother i believe she was slightly offended that we named a bunny after her mother. d thought it was a grand name as it was the second runner up to be her own moniker):

since i sort of had to twist my husband's arm to agree to the new family members, i thought it would be best if i kept expenses down. i posted a want add on freecycle and was able to get everything i needed for free except the bunnies, water bottle and food bin. pause for a moment on that... the hutch you see is a pretty penny at various sites on the web. the toys, the timothy hay, a few bags of pellets... all free! i was over the moon. which might explain why we came home with two bunnies instead of one... you just can't have a hutch that big with just one girl. it beckoned for a sister.

on the way to pick up our bunnies e said, "my life is going to be amazing. today it is going to change forever." she was beaming from ear to ear.

d loves her bunny, too. lucy is a sweet girl who is very tolerant of her pint sized momma.

and the biggest fan of all... well that's p, of course. the bunnies might not like her as much as she likes them though. it's a work in progress.

and just to keep things over the top insane... we bought a leash and have been walking the girls around the back yard.

it sure is a rodeo over here.... but a very fun one, that's for sure. if you see me on the street with a bunny attached to my leash, promise not to laugh. it's for the girls.

happy birthday to you!

when i get behind on blogging, i always run into this mental dilemma... do i back track and post about the things that have happened over the weeks or months where i was negligent or do i pick up right where i am and go from there with a clean slate?

since the purpose of my writing is for my children in future years, i thought that today called for a back track.

you see, in february, we had a very special visit from some very special people: my girlies auntie merritt and uncle jon! scott's sister and brother-in-law made the journey from michigan to visit us for about a week. and with them, they brought the most special gift of all... cousin stella. it was such a treat to meet this precious little muffin.

we had a delightful week together. i have such fond memories of special times with my cousins and auties as a child, that these days mean ever so much to me. even though we live so far away, i just know that they are going to be near and dear to one another. i imagine sweet stella coming to visit in her teenage years or sweet e tagging along on a vacation with auntie merritt as resident babysitter. it will unfold and i know that it will be beautiful.

we took a trip into the city and rode a boat under the golden gate bridge, hung on pier 39 and some of us rode a cable car. we took in china town and i'm sure a few other things that i am probably forgetting.

auntie merritt also did a nail salon party for the girls and we had family game night (with jiffy pop).

sweet stella took in her first ride on the swings. it was fun to part of this milestone. she was somewhat indifferent, but it was sweet to see.

and then to keep things fun, we made them pose for a masked girlie photo. poppy was a little less than cooperative as she wanted to play peek-a-boo, but stella obliged her auntie and sat like a good girl (might have something to do with her lack of mobility at 7 months of age).

and now... when i finally have gotten around to posting these, sweet stella is celebrating her first birthday. happy birthday, pretty girlie. your auntie, uncle and cousins love you very much!

making a comeback

if you've been a blog follower of mine for a while, you may remember this post from the early years. go ahead and check it out. i'll be right here when you get back...

now that you are up to speed...

i would like to report that i baby beth is alive and well. she's been hanging out at the bottom of the baby basket for the past few months.

today, d and p were out front playing while momma was painting some furniture. d asked me if she could go inside to get some babies to push around in her stroller.

sure, muffin. mamma's down with that. oh- and could you grab one for p because she's going to want one if you have one.

a few moments later d emerged with her own favorite baby doll and... wait for it... baby beth, for p. and while i was slightly injured that it wasn't d's first pick, i was excited that she was making an appearance.

p pushed baby beth around for the better part of an hour. i was stoked. after our playtime, i ushered the girls inside for nap. as we headed for the stairs i reminded the girls that the dolls needed to be put away. both girls obediently trucked up the stairs with babies under their arms (p under my arm). when we arrived in p's room, she went about her normal routine of running away to avoid the inevitable pre-nap diaper change. she stood next to her bed and proceeded to toss her blanket, giraffe, and be-po over the crib rails in preparation for bed. as i was about to reach for her and engage in the diaper changing tackle... my little muffin grabbed for baby beth. yep- then she tried to hurl the big 'ol beloved baby over the side of the bed. momma was happy to help with this task. and so today, my sweet p slept with her normal collection and her momma's favorite dolly. (geesh- it's getting crowded in there!)

when i went in to get her from nap, she was laying her head on beth's belly. snuggling, if you will.

and then at bedtime... well, here. you can see for yourself.

baby beth is making a come back! that's right- she has no place in the "must toss" pile that e may have chosen for her a few years back.

watch out- the koosah's next.

a game

a little game: it's called, "Do you know the name of the baby in this picture?".

if you'd like to play along, leave a comment and share with with us. you can even include a caption if you'd like.

and then there's this...

bepo and other cute things

in the event that you want to catch up with the smallest suburban momma munchkins...

here's a little chat we recently had. i love watching p watch d.

a future blogger?

today i was going through some papers and found something e had been working on a few months back. i had tucked it away to analyze later.

well worth the wait.

tristar

far far away i see a tart shaped like a heart.
oh so yummy to eat.
my heart still beats.
who will i see next?
to give the tart to.

i have not changed any spelling or punctuation (except caps 'cause i reject them on this blog... you know, because i'm the mom and i say so... or something like that). anywho. it is her first poem. i have no idea what inspired this little piece of love on a page, but i just thought i'd share.

and now i must go... and squeeze my little girlie and give her some kisses on the head that she will not understand, hug her again and then look at her with disbelief as i wonder how my baby is even old enough to say "mama" let alone write poetry.

tiger momma

recently i have been hearing a lot of scoop on the homework situation for kids today. the debates can get pretty heated and the opinions range from a preference for zero homework all they way on up to tiger mom style homework (just google it if you are saying, "huh?").

if you want to know where i stand...

well, i'll just let the pictures speak for themselves.

just kidding. calm down. i don't really think wee ones should be doing homework.

but i did walk into the kitchen the other day to find my littlest intellectual tackling a bit on her own. it was too cute not to capture. she didn't even look at me as i snapped away. now that's what i call focus. watch out tiger mom! suburban momma is hot on your tail.

joking, joking, no worries...

a delightful detour

i pass by this hill of daffodils at least once a week. each and every time i drive by it, it takes my breath away. i don't know what it is but this carpet of yellow is such a visual treat for me. not wanting to miss capturing this, i took the babies there today to delight in the daffies, camera on my shoulder.

it was a sweet start to our day. another family had a similar idea and brought their newborn and toddler for a birth announcement photo shoot. i wish i could see the finished product as i can only imagine how precious those pictures will be. we had to share our daffodils hill, but that didn't keep us from having a good time.

these two little monkeys are a handful- especially together, but the little bond that i had hoped would form between them is starting to take root. i love the moments when they are loving and thoughtful to one another. it melts this momma's heart.

when life hands you lemons

or in our case a lemon tree and a mandarin tree, well of course, you must pick the lemons and mandarins.

and make some lemonade...

"it is rather tasty", says my eldest taste tester.

but in her opinion, the oj is a little tart. either way, we are making about a batch of each a week (thinking i might swing for the electronic juicer in the new future). yes, life handing you an abundance of lemons will land you in the garden of lemonade eden...

but as we have learned, it will also lead to some other less predictable things... like the lemon stick sculpture that i spied from my new kitchen window a few weeks back.

or it might lead to a cozy lemon bonfire... and you know a bonfire is always better when snuggled together.

and i have also witnessed that it makes for a great centerpiece at the kiddie play table.

fun in the midst of insanity

just in case you were missing us

i thought i'd pop in and let you know we are alive and well. moving... at a snails pace... this weekend... pretty sure this will go down as the most disorganized move in t's history... but that's ok. see you soon!

once, twice, three times a laney

my d turned 3 this week. when asked about her birthday in the weeks leading up to it she was emphatic about two things.

"i want a bike party!" (leaving her mother very confused about what such a party looks like)

and

"i want a rainbow cake."

we decided that with 50 degree temps, traveling friends and a rainy season upon us, we would throw the party in june for her half birthday (a much more fitting time for a bike party and thus allowing her momma some time to come up with a better idea of what this might entail. truth be told i love planning a party, so i've come up with a bunch of the details are already. but the weather, that was out of my control.)

but for the now, i was determined to figure out this rainbow cake thing.

after a bit of time on the net and digging deep into the memory banks to recall an idea i read about more than a year ago.... voila! a rainbow cake for my colorful little girlie.

my d was a little bit sick on her big day, but she did her best to enjoy the family festivities. she was tickled when we cut into her white cake with a skittles rainbow on top to discover a true rainbow inside.

and with watery eyes, a runny nose, and some coughs... my d determined to choose the sunny side of life. she was delightful- dancing around the room with her new apron (to help her momma make the rainbow cakes of the future, or course), practicing splits with her new ballet barbie, setting up pet shops and vowing to share all of her new toys with her older sister. it was a sight to see.

and to my d-

while i love watching you grow, i secretly admit that i will miss some things from your toddler hood. as your pronunciations become more clear, i often silently mourn the last time i will hear your little voice push out words like "beckbest" and "slumpy club". when you put your shoes on the wrong feet day after day (intentionally) i smile to myself because it is such a "d" thing to do and it brings you great joy. but lately, you've been wanting to get it right. sigh. the end of an era.

year two has been marked by chatter. your little head starts going the minute it lifts from the pillow and doesn't stop until we've said our darth vader version of "now i lay me". it leaves me tired and feeling a lot like i can't even squeeze a thought of my own into my head, but is beautiful none-the-less. it shows that you care about the world and your questions emphasize the giant sized thoughts that are going on in your mind. you are processing it all and leave nothing left unasked. you ask me when if i am breaking or pushing the gas pedal, where rain comes from and why clouds are in the sky. you aks about palm trees and wires running alongside of the road up in the sky. you ask about song lyrics and are very interesting in the meanings of words. you love wrapping your mind around them and then pushing them back into conversations later on. my favorite "d" phrase of the year is when you declared something to be "outrageous". i smile to myself when i think of it and never want to forget these moments. while your non-stop questioning tires me out, i try to imagine the teenage years and say silent prayers that you'll never stop talking to your dear ole' momma and sharing your thoughts and asking your questions.

and speaking of darth vader prayers, you have melted my heart this past year. as your momma struggled with how much to share with you about auntie stacy and her cancer experience, you have embraced each and every moment. because of your open heart, we've shared a great deal with you. each and every night, i find myself pushing back tears as you openly pray for her healing, for her strength, for her head not to be cold and for her kids to be absent of fear. you pray for uncle barclay and for grandy, that they would be strong and good helpers. i wonder how this will define you and if i could see into the future, i imagine that it has helped elevate your compassion. it has always been in you, but this has just taken it to the next level. for you my dear, i pray that you never loose the gift of caring and seeing other's needs. that is a special gift and i believe it will be a guiding force in your life, sweet girl.

i could go on and on about my d, but for now, i'll wrap it up. happy birthday, laney-lou. your momma and daddy are so in love with YOU.

the tale of a wee little piggy

my baby

is turning into a toddler.

i don't know what it is, but my sitter sent me this picture last friday and i haven't looked at my p-nut the same way since. she just looks so... so, grown. i'm not sure how pig-tails can catapult a child into a new era, but i'm here to say, they do!

sweet p, in your first piggy-tails ever, you are the twinkle in your momma's eye, the song in my heart, the crows feet coming from my eyes and the dimple in my smile. (just kidding there on number 3... well, not really but it is with such joy that i wear those stinkin' facial adornments...)

i'll cry if i want to

i keep taking video clips of my girls to share with ya'll, but trust me when i say they don't turn out well. the phone rings, the doorbell chimes, the un-videod child interupts... or what have you.

you know, like this:

thanksgiving, 2010

last year i told you all about how i'm not much of a thanksgiving fan. a year later, i would like to retract that statement. yes, folks, i have become a fan of the big day.

on tuesday i began the adventure and brinned our 19 lb. friend tom. it was a little dicey as i had no idea what i was doing. but teamed up with my friend marcie, we pulled off our rookie thanksgiving. it was wonderful! yup, i'm a convert.

and that was just the beginning of an amazing, full, fantastic, exciting, joyful, weekend. on friday we went to tilden park in berkely to meet up with my chicago friend sarah and her family. lucky for us, sarah's family celebrates a mini-family reunion in the area every year. we had a lovely time and our two girlies (who played together as babes) picked up right where they left off.

i'm not sure what this meeting entailed, but hannah and ellie were leading the charge. max and delaney were eager to participate. it was adorable.

on the way home, i discovered this little sign in the side of a hill. it summed up my emotion!

the next morning, as we headed out on another adventure, we saw this little prize in the sky.

d was a little thirsty, so she caught some raindrops.

and after we experienced all the fun we could handle, we headed to a fish market for some good eats to take home with us... fresh squid for calamari. my hubby, the master deep fryer, made a delectable treat for us all to enjoy.

and one of our babes crashed before we left the parking lot. i think it is fair to say we wore this one out.

and what could evoke these precious smiles?

jiffy pop, of course!

and if all of that wasn't enough, we topped off the weekend with the trimming of the tree.

i think it is fair to say that i have a lot to be thankful for!