the garretts

Nothing much

2012-01-17T21:23:00.000-06:00

There isn't anything too special or exciting to report about around here.

Silly girl. Helen still sometimes needs an afternoon nap. I guess I thought she didn't need one this afternoon. I was wrong.

Smart girl. We picked up a 300-piece puzzle at the toy store over the weekend. I thought it would surely keep her busy for a few days. Kevin and I did help her a bit, but she had this thing put together in a few hours. She loves puzzles.

Sweet boy. I feel like Peter is finally setting in. His sleep patterns are getting more predictable and the rough nights are getting fewer. He's growing and changing every day. He's a mama's boy.

Hat day

2012-01-10T17:14:00.000-06:00

Caroline had "Hat Day" last week at school. None of her hats were particularly appealing to her, so I let her choose from my collection. She chose this lovely beret. My mom brought it back for me from Canada several years ago. I'm not quite sure what went on at "Hat Day". Details of Caroline's day are sometimes hard to come by. But considering how much we practiced the day before, I imagine she said, "Bonjour!" and "Ooo la la!" a lot all day.

Tres belle...

Mes enfants adorable...

Tigger

2012-01-09T14:07:00.005-06:00

The dog is our first child. Almost seven years ago, Kevin was finishing up an ER rotation and one of the nurses was complaining about their wild dog, saying that they really couldn't handle him and needed to give him to someone else. As luck would have it, Tigger was the exact same kind of dog I had grown up with (wire-haired fox terrier) and I was in love with the idea of having one of my own before we had even met him. He was already a year old and house trained, but WILD. This poor dog had had zero obedience training or discipline. He knew no boundaries and literally bounced from one piece of our furniture to the next. He paced our apartment, unable to relax. I took him to my parents' house for a visit right after we adopted him and all he could think to do was run to the upstairs bathroom to eat the bar of soap. My dad told me to give him back. They wouldn't take him.

We were stuck with Tigger. About that time we found out I was pregnant. So we enrolled him in obedience training and did "doggy bootcamp". He's turned into a good dog, despite a few neurotic obsessions and behavoirs. He still gets on my last nerve. I'm convinced he only barks during the following situations: 6:30 in the morning so the neighbors are bothered, naptime so the children wake up, Kevin is on call or out of town so I'm sufficiently on edge.

The best thing about him is how he loves our kids. He actually plays gentler with the girls than he does with Kevin. The most interesting development within the past few months, though, is how much he loves Peter. He likes the girls, but he loves Peter. When Peter cries, Tigger shows up and hangs out next to Peter until I come. Sometimes we get home from an errand and I leave Peter napping in his carseat. When he wakes and I go to get him out, Tigger is right there beside him. I don't remember Tigger ever caring if the girls cried. It warms my heart and makes Tigger a little less annoying to me. It's going to be fun to see how their relationship develops.

Pinkle, Pinkle

2012-01-01T22:43:00.000-06:00

It's so cute that I kind of hope she never learns the real words.

Christmas celebrations

2011-12-31T10:30:00.000-06:00

We had a lovely Christmas. It was the first time in 11 years of marriage that we celebrated here in Memphis. I love visiting our families over the holidays, but something about celebrating Christmas in our home was really lovely.

On Christmas Eve, we headed to church. We went to a family service (which the girls loved) and then stayed for the communion and candlelight service. Both services were great.

In my family, we always opened gifts from each other on Christmas Eve. So that's what we did when we got home from church.

Peter is shocked... It's pants and a top - not a dress!

Play food!

I thought this game would occupy Caroline for days. She had plowed through over half the puzzles in a little over an hour. Smartie pants.

Caroline is the best gift opener. She is so excited over even the tiniest things. It's really fun to watch.

This one is pretty excited over presents, too. She and Caroline both got scooters from us. She was thrilled and couldn't wait for Daddy to get the box open so she could ride it.

We fed the reindeer.

And Santa came! He brought bean bag chairs, Fur Real kitties, slippers, and stockings full of little fun things. It was "wunnerful", as Helen said.

Santa even found some little things to make Peter happy.

We headed out Christmas Day afternoon to spend some time with my family. This is my dad, my mom, K and me, Erin and her husband, and all the kids - Lila, Danielle, Ian, Helen, Caroline, Autumn, and Peter. Whew! It can get pretty crazy at times.

It was so fun to watch all the kids opening their gifts. Kind of controlled chaos.

After Erin and her crew left, these two decided it was time for a bedtime snack. Ham. Of course. Doesn't everyone eat a few pieces of ham when they're hungry before bed?

Yes, that's my 5-month-old baby, who still prefers to be swaddled at night. It took quite a bit of convincing to get everyone settled down for the night. It was an exciting, fun Christmas!

We headed out Tuesday morning for Kevin's parents to celebrate with them. Caroline has the pictures from that celebration on her camera, so I'll have to figure that out and update this post with those pictures.

It was a very, very lovely Christmas!

Peter: 5 months

2011-12-27T20:31:00.016-06:00

Oh, baby boy...your smile makes my heart sing. I want to do nothing but make you smile all day long. I have a gigantic soft spot reserved specifically for you. Everyone told me there was something special about little boys and their mommies. It's so true. Happy 5 months, sweet Peter!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T08:24:00.001-06:00

The 12 Days of Christmas

2011-12-24T11:43:00.000-06:00

Caroline learned the motions in music class at school. We've done this at least once every day since. One of my favorite things about the video is how Helen is in her own little world, doing her own little thing. So typical Helen...

Cookies

2011-12-23T23:37:00.001-06:00

Caroline came home with a paper from school that asked her what her favorite thing to do at Christmas was. She had written, "Make Christmas cookies." I immediately rethought my "no baking" declaration. Luckily, I have a super-easy sugar cookie recipe and I always have all the ingredients to make them.

We had a good time making cookies and then decorating them the next day!

My favorite thing about this recipe is that the dough doesn't have to be chilled. If I'm going to make cookies, I want to roll them out, use cookie cutters, and bake them right then! It's from Southern Living several years ago and I can't find the recipe online anymore. The frosting is a must!

No-Chill Cut Out Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder

Cream together butter and sugar. Add egg, vanilla. Mix. Sift together flour and baking powder. Gradually add to butter mixture and blend well. Form dough into a smooth ball. Roll out on a lightly floured surface (1/4-1/8" thick). Cut out with cookie cutters. Bake at 400 degrees for 6 minutes on ungreased cookie sheet. Cool and decorate.

Vanilla Frosting

2 cups powdered sugar
1 T melted butter
3 T milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract

Mix until smooth. Color if desired. (I love almond flavoring, so most of the time I use 2 tsp of almond extract and no vanilla extract.)

Happy boy

2011-12-17T22:50:00.000-06:00

I just had to post something more upbeat. So here's my sweet, smiley Peter...

This, too, shall pass

2011-12-17T20:02:00.004-06:00

I wish I had a post filled with all the fun December happenings and projects and baking we've got going on. But life around here looks a lot more like this these days:

That's one very feverish little girl. Peter was only a little bit sniffly here. Helen was febrile for a full week. She got better and then Daddy was sick for a few days. I was hopeful that the rest of us had escaped, but Caroline is now running a fever. Peter and I are the only ones left. I'm waiting for the next victim.

I'm exhausted. I called a good friend whose children are mostly grown. I'm sometimes reluctant to reach out in need of advice, but I needed her shoulder and I really needed her perspective. She did not disappoint. She reminded me to look for tiny blessings, to make lemonade out of lemons, as she puts it. This a chance for pajama days and movies with popcorn, an excuse to decline social obligations and take care of all of us (myself included), an opportunity to really be with my littles and enjoy them. And perhaps, she told me, the real blessing from this will come several years from now, when my children are mostly grown and I get a phone call from a young mom in a similar situation and I am reminded of how precious and fleeting these long days are.

I am taking my friend's advice. I'm giving myself a big ol' serving of grace and freeing myself from the expectations I had for baking and crafting and running around and partying. And I'm thankful for so much. Caroline was perfectly healthy until the afternoon after her last day of school. She would have been devastated to miss any of her performances or parties. (I need to post about some of those things next - much more upbeat and fun.) Helen is back to her crazy self. Peter is so soft and snuggly and smiley. They are healthy, despite little fever viruses. The Christmas tree is decorated and Christmas TV shows abound. Christmas cards keep coming in the mail. I love Christmas card season. Helen calls says the nativity angels are fairies. I had the most wonderful conversation with Caroline this morning about Jesus's birth - the coming of our Redeemer.

I keep hearing my grandmother's voice telling me, "This, too, shall pass." And I know it will.

Daygown

2011-11-30T10:13:00.002-06:00

I love babies in daygowns - girls and boys. And I love making daygowns. I made this little daygown for Peter a couple of weeks ago. I know the daygown days are quickly coming to an end and I'm taking advantage of them as long as I can. I'm really, really grateful to my patient husband, who lets his son wear dresses. :-)

It's made from blue imperial broadcloth. The pattern has machine pintucks on each front panel. I embroidered tiny french knots between each set of tucks. I opted for a collarless style and used large pleats at the sleeve openings instead of gathers. This gives the "dress" a little more boyish look.

I'm finishing up one last daygown for Peter's first Christmas season. Then it's time to move on.

Peter: 4 months

2011-11-27T21:57:00.008-06:00

Our sweet Peter is 4 months old. We are really enjoying watching his little personality emerge. He is a happy boy. He loves to snuggle and rock, prefers to fall asleep with a soft lovey on his cheek, and still likes to be swaddled. He sleeps through the night fairly consistently now. He can already roll over, back to front. I think he's strong. I don't remember the girls doing that so early! He loves being sung to. My two favorite things about Peter right now are making him giggle and staring into his eyes as he's falling asleep.

He weighs 13 pounds and is 25.5 inches long. He's tall and skinny - just like the girls were.

I'm completely smitten...

Can't get enough

2011-11-25T14:33:00.004-06:00

Of this boy's smiles and giggles:

Of this girl's silly faces:

And of this girl's delight in every task:

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T13:44:00.000-06:00

We are so thankful here at the Garrett house. I can't even begin to count all of our blessings. We have been blessed beyond any measure. Our hearts are happy and singing His praises today for all His goodness in our lives.

Psalm 100
1 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!

2 Serve the LORD with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!

3 Know that the LORD, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!

5 For the LORD is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.

These little turkeys are most certainly among our biggest blessings.
<p>&amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;gt;Wishing you &amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;gt;</p>

They are awesome. I love them so much and am so proud of each of them.

Wishing all of you turkeys out there a very happy Thanksgiving!

Hula hoop

2011-11-18T10:23:00.001-06:00

Caroline is a hula hoop champ. She comes by it honestly - I won a few contests in my younger days. You didn't know that about me, did you? It's true.

And Helen is hilarious. I love that she's hula hooping in her own unique way. She's just so fun.

Weekending

2011-11-13T21:12:00.000-06:00

It was the most perfect weekend in recent history. There was nothing that anyone had to do - no parties, no hospital call, no errands, no children's Sunday school lesson. It left plenty of time for...

...hanging out in PJs and making "pain au chocolat" (canned crescent rolls with a chocolate square in the middle) for breakfast...

...earning smiles from the sweetest baby boy I know...

...family day at The Dixon Gallery and Gardens...

...letting Caroline practice her photography skills...

...and studying for boards with a snuggly little study buddy.

We even had time for family movie night, sewing, football on TV, naps, Uno, dress up, dinner out, and church. Yes, it was a good weekend indeed.

Petting zoo

2011-11-09T12:02:00.000-06:00

The petting zoo is at Helen's school/MDO today. I asked her what animals she'd like to pet.

"Giraffes and a dinosaur!" she answered.

Such an imagination! What animal would you like to pet at the petting zoo?

Budding writer

2011-11-08T18:30:00.000-06:00

Caroline is doing great in school. The girls write frequently and are supposed to use "kindergarten spelling". I was kind of worried that I'd have to encourage Caroline a lot because she's such a perfectionist. She likes things to be just right and I assumed that she would get easily frustrated at not being able to spell things correctly. But she has really embraced trying to spell things out on her own and writes notes all the time. Caroline wrote and illustrated this book for her sweet friend Shelby a couple of weeks ago. I thought it was so cute and had to photograph it before she gave it away.

"We are friends forever" (the title)

"Hi! Can we be best friends?"

"Sure. I will be your friend."

"We will be best friends forever." (The girls are hugging - too sweet!)

"Let's have a playdate!"

"And they did." (The girls are playing superheros. I love the capes!)

Peter's gown

2011-11-06T21:22:00.000-06:00

We have an heirloom baptism gown in our family. It is over 60 years old and was handmade by my great-grandmother. Six girls have been baptized in this lovely gown. It's beautiful - gathered lace, hand-embroidered flowers, pintucks, puff sleeves. But I just couldn't see our son wearing it.

I was probably just looking for an excuse to sew something new. Peter's gown is not too frilly, so I feel like he can wear it on regular Sundays. The pattern I picked out is #101 from Creations by Michie. I used a scrumptious (Caroline's new frequently used word) striped swiss voile for the gown and satin batiste for the smocked insert. I added tiny swiss edging to the neck and sleeve edges. I loved making this gown. It was the perfect garment for our son to wear to his baptism. Our beautiful boy...

Halloween

2011-11-03T11:47:00.002-05:00

The girls designed their jack-o-lanterns.

I try to make dinner on Halloween fun in hopes that the small people will actually eat something other than candy. It never works. (The recipe is from Southern Living several years ago. It's easy and quite tasty.)

Super girls to the rescue!

I'm so thankful for these three super children.

Boots

2011-10-30T20:55:00.000-05:00

Maybe she needs a pair in her size...

Baptism

2011-10-29T14:21:00.001-05:00

We celebrated Peter's baptism this past weekend. I've been thinking about almost nothing else since. (Yes, even my sewing thoughts have been pushed aside a bit!)

We look great, don't we?

But the fact is that we're sinners - every single one of us. Even sweet Peter is a sinner. Every single one of us needs a Savior and renewing grace. Kevin and I claim Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and our children's Savior until the day comes when they can claim Him themselves. We made that commitment at each of our children's baptisms.

These men standing beside and behind us and the entire congregation promised to assist us in responsibly raising our children. I was texting a friend later that evening and I thanked her for consenting to help us raise these kids. "No problem," she answered. "We've got you covered." We are covered indeed. Not only by the prayers and support of our church and family, but also by God's blessings and righteousness and most of all His grace. Completely humbling.

It is a frightening thing to unreservedly dedicate my children to God. My sinful heart has lots of reservations and wants total control over everything - especially my children and their lives! What if they grow up and don't profess Jesus as their Lord? What if I don't teach them correctly? What if one of them dies? What if, what if, what if?

Yes, it's frightening. But there's a freedom in knowing that God is sovereign over all of my "what ifs". His wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth are infinite, eternal, and unchangeable. And everything has been foreordained by Him. That's comforting.

So I do the only thing I can do. I pray. I pray that our teachings will accomplish their purpose, that everything we do and say would point to God, that the days of our children's lives would be many, that each of them would grow to know Jesus as their savior, and that we would praise Him and glorify Him in all things.

3 months

2011-10-27T17:47:00.001-05:00

Pumpkin dresses

2011-10-23T18:23:00.001-05:00

I love to sew. You'd be frightened by how many of my thoughts are about what I am sewing or what I'd like to sew. My sewing time is a bit limited these days. While making a red and green dress smocked with Santas would be fun, it's just not very practical. I try to make dresses that will last several seasons. That's not easy to do with baby clothes, since babies grow so quickly, but the girls are at an age where I can add extra length to the hem and they can wear the dresses for a year or more.

Last year I made green tattersall dresses that were finished just in time for Christmas. I sewed two buttons on the front of each dress and embroidered a Christmas tab that buttons on and off. Here's a picture of Caroline's.

I also had a friend machine embroider the girls' monograms on some bibs that I made. This is just a generic look for any season of the year.

So now it's time to debut the fall look for the green dresses. I embroidered pumpkins on the new tabs.

I'm very happy with the fall look. The Christmas tabs are ready to be buttoned on right after Thanksgiving!

Swing

2011-10-18T16:00:00.000-05:00

Someone thinks the baby swing isn't just for babies.

I said, "Helen, you are too big for the baby swing!" She replied, "I not too big, Mommy. I fit!" And then she showed me that she does indeed fit into the swing. And the bouncy seat.

Peter: 2 months

2011-10-17T13:54:00.000-05:00

You are surprising. Nothing about your life thus far has been expected. We didn't expect to have a third baby. We certainly didn't expect to have a boy. I never expected that you wouldn't hurry into the world like your sisters did. I'm so very thankful that God's plans for us far exceed our expectations.

Your sisters adore you. And nothing entertains you longer than your sisters' antics and silliness. I can't wait for you to start laughing out loud at them.

Your little head is so round and perfect and fuzzy. You are a beautiful baby. We sit around and stare at you.

You are a snuggly baby. Daddy always wants to know how I get anything done around the house because you are so fun and easy to hold. The truth is, the housework gets left undone many days because I spend them holding you. It's an easy decision.

You love your Daddy. He knows just how to hold you that makes you feel safe and secure. His arms cradle you and you are instantly soothed.

You love your Mommy, too. Other mommies told me I would love having a boy. They were right. I'm very enamored with you.

You are my best eater, but my worst sleeper. That's not always a good combination. The first few weeks with you were hard. Really hard. Several of those early nights we saw you every hour and a half to two hours. It was exhausting. Things are moving in the right direction now. You are up once - usually around 2 - and then we can convince you to sleep until 6 or 6:30.

I was concerned in those early days that you would not be the easy-going, laid-back baby we needed. You don't cry nearly as much as you used to and we can almost always identify why you are fussy. You are becoming a very easy baby. We are always driving somewhere - school, church, errands. I'm so lucky that you are content in your carseat.

You love to be swaddled. You are strong, so we had to devise a "super swaddle" to keep you tucked in for longer periods of time. Daddy calls it "maximum security prison".

Your smile is easy and so very sweet. We get to see a lot of it these days. It melts my heart every single time.

You love being sung to. Your favorites are "You are My Sunshine" and "I Love You a Bushel and a Peck". Sometimes you sing your own little songs back to me. Then my heart melts again.

Your eyes are big and bright and inquisitive. You are absorbing all the activity around you.

At two months, you weighed 12 pounds and were 24 inches long. You are long and skinny according to the charts. Just like the girls were. You cried for 10 seconds when you got your vaccinations. You were perfectly fine once I picked you up. You are brave.

We are so glad you are here, little Peter. We are so excited to learn about you and see who you are becoming. You are a perfect addition to our family and I already can't imagine what we did before you came into our lives. We love you very, very much.

Helen: 2

2011-10-15T10:21:00.002-05:00

You are two. You have a joie de vivre that is completely infectious. Your life philosophy is summed up in one word: fun. Your main goal in life is to have as much fun as possible. No matter what. It makes disciplining you a challenge sometimes. Happiness is your default emotion.

You are cute. You always have been. You know how cute you are and try to use it to your advantage. Your cuteness often goes right along with mischievousness. It's part of that life philosophy you have.

You are a very physical child. You are strong and brave and boisterous. If I need to get your attention, I usually have to touch you in some way.

You love to tell stories. Last week in the car you told me that I needed to be careful so we wouldn't fall in the giant hole with the monsters and baby crocodiles. No clue where you came up with that one.

Your hair is beautiful. I don't do anything to it and I dread the day we will need to get it trimmed. I don't think your curls will stick around after that.

You are smart, but you don't always like to let us know how smart you are. You don't perform "on demand", but rather wait until the mood and setting suits you. You can sing your ABCs and I'm fairly sure you can count to 20. You know all your colors. You like to sing and know all the words to several songs. Your current favorites include "You are My Sunshine" and "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star". I get tickled because you say, "Pinkle, pinkle..." It makes me giggle every time.

If we tell you to ask for something nicely (milk, for instance), you say, "Nicely have more meelk, please?" It's adorable and I never want you to stop saying "nicely". Or "meelk".

You go to school (Mothers' Day Out) twice a week. I wrestled with the decision to send you two days a week. It's turned out to be a good decision. I think it makes you feel special. It's good for you to be around friends your age and I know you love it there. Now we're trying to make the decision to send you to preschool or leave you at MDO. You still seem too little to go to a big girls' school.

You love Caroline. You don't follow her around quite as much as you used to. I'm seeing you develop more of your own way to play without letting her lead all the time. You play so well together 99% of the time. You and Caroline share a room now. It's like a slumber party every night and you both couldn't be happier. I'm glad you have each other.

You became a big sister in July. You are so quick to help out with whatever Peter's needs are. You are excited to play with Peter. You are sometimes a little too bold when you play with him. I have enjoyed watching you grow into your big sister role. I know you can't wait until Peter is running around chasing you.

You are a true people person. You have never met a stranger. You have an empathy for others that is humbling. You love going to the grocery store with me and I love taking you. If it weren't for you, I would never have met all of the workers in the store. We know them all and love them because of your outgoing personality and lovely smile.

I am so thankful for you. You are so different from me and that makes our days together so interesting and fun. People often tell me, "Don't let your middle child get lost in the shuffle!" And I just smile. Because, sweet Helen, you will never be lost in the shuffle. You are my shuffle.

Caroline: 5 and a half

2011-10-14T16:52:00.001-05:00

When people ask you how old you are, you tell them, "I'm five. And a half." It's a very important thing, that half of a year.

You started Senior Kindergarten at Saint Mary's this fall. This is a big deal and you are so proud. You love school more than I ever imagined you would. If you have a few days off, you count the days until you can go back. And even though that makes me a little bit sad, I am so thankful that you love school and love to learn.

You love reading. I asked you what you wanted to do over your fall break. "Go to the library," you answered. No hesitation. So that's what we did. You still like children's picture books, but are branching out into chapter books and even some nonfiction. You've been bringing home nonfiction books from the school library about the planets. We've learned about Pluto ("It's not a real planet," you inform us.), Neptune, Uranus, and Saturn. We love that you love to read. I see myself in you - reading every chance you get. Sometimes I go in to wake you up in the mornings, and you are already awake, reading.

You became a big sister again in July. As amazing as you were the first time around, you are even more amazing the second time around! You are so gentle and loving with Peter. It warms my heart to see how caring you are toward others. He adores you already.

Over the summer we found out that you love to swim and are really good at it! You passed two levels of swimming classes in record time. Your teacher says you are ready for a non-competitive swimming club next summer. I'm looking forward to that.

I've started teaching you piano lessons. You are also really good at that. You catch on very quickly. I need to do a better job of setting aside specific times to have your lessons. You love singing, too. Church choir and musical theater at school are two of your favorite activities.

You are definitely an introvert. You are sensitive sometimes, too. You are a beautiful little girl and we are enjoying watching you grow. It is easy to be your mommy and daddy. You are fun and funny and smart and talented and creative and sweet and just all around amazing. We love every bit of your five-and-a-half-year-old self!

"I've made a huge mistake." *

2011-10-14T16:50:00.000-05:00

Well, that might be a little bit dramatic. Maybe a small mistake. I've been looking back through some of my posts here and have realized a few things:

A lot happens and changes in a year and a half.
These days are precious and very short.
Even mundane things like playing on the floor with the dog and laundry piles as tall as a small mountain become treasured memories when recorded in a meaningful way.
Posting pictures on Facebook doesn't take the place of writing down my thoughts.
I'm sad that I haven't deliberately journaled the last year and a half of our lives with pictures and words.

It feels awkward to start this again after neglecting it for so long. I think I'll just skip trying to catch up. I'll start with three of my favorite things: the kids.

*Please tell me you love Arrested Development as much as we do?

Reds vs. Cardinals

2010-05-27T12:25:00.000-05:00

We took the girls to a Reds game. It was so much fun. When we entered, an attendant asked if this was the girls' first game. We said it was and he took our seat information. Before the game was over, another attendant brought the girls certificates for attending their first MLB game at the Great American Ballpark. And they both got free Reds jerseys. Very cool.

Just a little off the top

2010-05-05T13:44:00.000-05:00

One of Caroline's favorite activities is cutting shapes out of paper. She's really good at it. And she's very safe with scissors, so I don't hover over her.

(Anyone see where this is going yet?)

Last Friday, I was walking through the dining room and picked up a lock of hair on the floor. I thought it was strange, but didn't worry too much about it because we had just been to get Caroline's hair trimmed that morning. I figured some hair had gotten stuck to the bottom of her shoe. It was a good two inches long and Caroline had maybe an inch trimmed off.

Later that afternoon we were playing on the floor. I looked up at Caroline and saw some hair around her face that was quite a bit shorter than the rest of her hair. I immediately started giggling because I had solved the mystery.

Me: Caroline, did you cut your hair?
Caroline: No.
Me: Caroline, I'm not mad at you and you are not in trouble. Did you cut your hair?
Caroline: No.
Me: Caroline, I'm not mad at you and you are not in trouble. Did you cut your hair?
Caroline: No.
Me: Caroline, I'm not mad at you and you are not in trouble. Did you cut your hair?
Caroline: No.
Me: Caroline, I'm not mad at you and you are not in trouble. Did you cut your hair?
Caroline: No.
Me: Caroline, I'm not mad at you and you are not in trouble. Did you cut your hair?
Caroline: No.

I must have asked her 50 times. She finally told me "it was an accident." Sure.
An "accident."

I found the whole situation (except for the lying part) really funny. I giggle every time I think about her sitting in her chair, wondering what it would be like to cut some hair, and then doing it. For such a straight-laced, obedient little girl, this was a real act of rebellion! It could have been much worse. She didn't go crazy with her scissors (thank God). I always fix her hair so you can't tell. You can hardly even see it if it's not fixed either.

Is it too much to hope for that all her rebellions will be this minor and easily handled?

(We dealt with the lying thing by taking the Proverbs 12:22 and then Colossians 1:14 stance. It was a good reminder for me, too.)

Easter dresses

2010-04-15T10:12:00.000-05:00

I went all-out for the girls' Easter dresses this year - satin batiste, smocking, lace, ribbon, pearl beads. These are some fancy dresses! I got my inspiration from a picture in a magazine. Would you believe that the Monday before Easter these dresses were in 8 separate pieces each? Yikes. I kicked it into high gear. I wound up hemming Caroline's dress Saturday night, but thankfully the girls didn't have to go to church dress-less. :-)

I love my girls in blue!

Helen is such a character. This picture makes me giggle every time I see it.

I even smocked and embellished the backs. See what I mean by "all-out"?

So here's the deal: I told Kevin that next year when I start talkin' crazy about birthday dresses AND Easter dresses, he needs to slap me. Birthday dresses and Easter dresses will be one and the same in Spring 2011. Help me remember that, will you?

The Day of Resurrection

2010-04-04T20:20:00.000-05:00

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We've been preparing for Easter all week long. We hunted Easter eggs. We dyed eggs. We made special treats like marshmallow sheep and bunny rolls. And most of all, we are so grateful to celebrate by serving a risen Lord! We hope your Easter celebrations were as special and blessed as ours were!

The day of resurrection! Earth, tell it out abroad;
The Passover of gladness, the Passover of God.
From death to life eternal, from earth unto the sky,
Our Christ hath brought us over, with hymns of victory.

Our hearts be pure from evil, that we may see aright
The Lord in rays eternal of resurrection light;
And listening to His accents, may hear, so calm and plain,
His own “All hail!” and, hearing, may raise the victor strain.

Now let the heavens be joyful! Let earth the song begin!
Let the round world keep triumph, and all that is therein!
Let all things seen and unseen their notes in gladness blend,
For Christ the Lord hath risen, our joy that hath no end.

The birthday dresses

2010-03-29T09:30:00.002-05:00

The birthday dresses deserve a post of their own, don't you think? I wanted to make the girls a dress that would would for early spring with turtlenecks, late spring with short sleeves, and summer with no shirt underneath. I'm all about getting as much use out of a dress as possible. I used the same jumper pattern that I used for the blue corduroy snowflake dresses. I chose a floral cotton print.

For a fun little embellishment, I embroidered the girls' first initial on a tab that is attached to the yoke with buttons. It's something I've wanted to try for a long time. I like how it turned out. What I didn't plan was how perfectly the embroidery would mimic the floral pattern of the fabric. I picked the design out of a book without even realizing how perfectly the little lazy-daisy flowers and leaves matched the fabric. A very nice surprise!

I'm looking forward to a full six month's worth (or more) of these dresses!

Birthday celebrations

2010-03-28T21:33:00.000-05:00

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Get your own

We have had a fantastic month, full of birthday celebrations! We're so proud of our big four-year-old and our little one-year-old.

We took the girls to the Children's Museum and to an Imax film right before Caroline's birthday. Both of the girls really enjoyed that. Caroline got a special date with Mommy - manicures. I got to go to Caroline's school and deliver cupcakes and read a story to her class. The girls each got special birthday meals and cupcakes. And presents, of course! Caroline was so sweet. She said, "Oh my goodness!" with every present she opened. She was genuinely thankful of each one. My sweet big girl helped to make her little sister's birthday very special.

And finally, a couple of birthday videos:

I do this every year for my girls. Caroline got sung to probably six or seven times all day.

Helen didn't quite know what to think of her cupcake at first. But she got into it after a little experimenting.

Helen Renee

2010-03-25T09:33:00.046-05:00

Happy birthday, Little Sweet Pea! You are a joy in every way and a precious part of our family. I can't believe you were this tiny just one year ago. You came into this world in a hurry and it's been non-stop activity and excitement ever since.

You are a delightful, fun-loving, high-spirited, little girl. We are so blessed! God was so good to give us you.

Your first year has been wonderful! We are enjoying the wonderful person you are and are becoming.

We love watching you grow and learn. You fill us with gratitude and happiness.

We love you so very much! I hope you have a most wonderful first birthday!

Caroline Suzanne

2010-03-07T21:12:00.011-06:00

You are four! We've been teasing you for weeks that you are really only turning three this birthday. But you are insistent and sure that this is your fourth birthday.

I can't even begin to quantify every single thing that makes you so awesome. But here are just a few things the we love about your four-year-old self.

You love reading. You read several words and can sound out easy ones by yourself. You are always up for reading a book together. We've started reading bigger books to you. We read The Tale of Despereaux and recently started The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. You really get into the story. You tell us all about what is happening in the book. Your eyes light up with delight when you say, "Aslan is on the move! Spring is coming to Narnia!" I am so excited about this. There are so many great books I want to share with you as you grow.

You love school. You are very smart. You can write all the letters, spell easy words, and do very simple addition problems. You have an amazing memory, as evidenced by the fact that you know several Spanish words, lots of sign language, tons of songs, and the Lord's Prayer. We are all excited about Junior Kindergarten starting this fall!

Princess is your favorite pretend scenario right now. Daddy is your Prince (of course!). You run off and say, "Where is my slipper? I can't find it anywhere!" And Prince Charming brings your slipper and it's magically a perfect fit! Then you dance together. You are definitely a Daddy's girl.

You are now big enough to play many games. Go Fish is a lot of fun and has become our "go-to" game or time-killer. You tell me that your favorite is Hullabaloo. We have so much fun playing games together.

You play and pretend and flit and dance and sing and twirl and party. All day long. You play so well by yourself. It is highly entertaining to watch you entertain yourself.

I feel like there are pages and pages I could write about you and all of your awesome attributes, sweet Caroline. Your Daddy and I think you are amazing - inside and out, head to toe. It is a joy and a privilege to watch you grow. It is exciting to think about who you are becoming, what you will do, where you are going. We are lucky, blessed, and humbled to be your parents. You are an incredible gift and we thank God for you.

Happy birthday, beautiful girl! We love you so much!

O LORD, you are my God;
I will exalt you and praise your name,
for in perfect faithfulness
you have done marvelous things,
things planned long ago.
-Isaiah 25:1

Adorableness

2010-03-06T21:31:00.003-06:00

Mornings are so fun!

I love the greeting that I get after her every sleep.

Caroline celebrated Dr. Seuss's birthday at school this past week. It was "Mixed-up Monday." I let her pick out everything - inside out and backwards dress, two different shoes, unmatched hair barrette. How can she be all mixed up and still so adorable?

11 months

2010-02-25T13:32:00.004-06:00

Teeth: two on bottom and one on top

Walking: almost

Baby signs you can do: dog, more, hello/bye, hug, yay (clapping)

Words you can say: Mama, more, bye-bye (only said it once, but I'm still counting it), hug

Favorite book: Neighborhood Animals by Baby Einstein (this was your sister's favorite, too)

Favorite snack: Cheerios

Favorite games: Jumping on the bed with Caroline, playing boo

Favorite rhyme: Pat-a-cake

Favorite song: Good Morning, Merry Sunshine

Snow #5 (or is it 6? I've lost count.)

2010-02-15T21:09:00.004-06:00

More snow. It fell all day long. And the snow from last week's winter storm was still on the ground. We certainly weren't expecting a winter this exciting! Caroline's school Valentine's Day party keeps getting pushed back until the next day. Kevin says it will be March before they can celebrate!

Gotta love a man who shovels snow in a shirt and tie! Or who just shovels the snow.

Funnies

2010-02-15T08:45:00.002-06:00

They've been doing a little bit of social studies in preschool - talking about presidents and the White House. Kevin was giving Caroline a pop quiz one evening.

Daddy: Who was our first president, Caroline?

Caroline: George Washington!

Daddy: Good. Where does the president live?

Caroline: The White House!

Daddy: Alright! Now, who is our president right now?

Caroline: Um....?

Daddy: Barack...

Caroline: -TOBER!

And this little conversation happened in the car on the way home from dinner out one night.

Caroline: Are we going home now? I don't want to go home. I want to go somewhere fun.

Mommy: Where do you want to go?

Caroline: Um... How about IKEA!

That's my girl!

Loveliness

2010-02-14T21:07:00.007-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

Craft time: Valentines for classmates, family, and friends

I added an embroidery floss tail and wrote "Have a MICE day!" on the back. Then Caroline signed them herself.

Sweet treats: sugar cookies with glaze, decorated with markers

Favorite: roses

Silliness: a "pacy" found in her safe-to-play-in kitchen cabinet

Snowed in

2010-02-11T20:49:00.002-06:00

We've been snowed in for a couple of days.

But it hasn't been that bad.

I feel guilty saying "snowed in" when we have friends on the east coast that are really snowed in. This is nothin'.

We've wintered a lot this year and have made the most of it.

The girls and I were excited to finally get out of the house this afternoon.

But, come on, SPRING!

Two talented little girls

2010-02-02T20:18:00.006-06:00

I caught Helen doing two of her latest tricks today on video. She spots the dog and does the baby sign. Then I convince her to wave at Tigger. Her wave makes me laugh every time: she uses her wrist and rotates her whole hand. Adorable.

And now for our sweet Caroline. I've always heard that children's minds are like sponges. Now I know it's true. We started having her repeat small phrases of the Lord's Prayer about a month ago. Within a couple of weeks, she was saying it all by herself! She amazes me. Kevin and I get so cracked up at her inflection and tone. 4-H speech competition winner perhaps?

Hans Brinker

2010-02-02T20:08:00.002-06:00

Sometime in January, we took Caroline ice skating at Fountain Square in downtown Cincy. We all had a good time. She fell a lot and I thought she might get discouraged. But she hopped right back up every time and kept going.

It is really hard to keep yourself balanced and help a small one stay upright, too!

Shucks... Kevin just missed getting photographic evidence of my triple toe loop.

Please tell me you've seen the movie Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates? It's a classic. It was one of my very favorite wintertime too-sick-to-go-to-school flicks.

10 months

2010-01-25T20:27:00.006-06:00

I held a 1-week-old baby last week who is one pound heavier than you were at her age. I don't remember you being that small (smaller, actually) 10 months ago. You've grown so quickly. How have 10 months passed so easily?

You are lovely, bright, spirited, and just all over cute.

You are noisy now - making all kinds of sounds. You even mimic us sometimes. You say "mama" and we are sure you use it correctly. I'm really quite pleased "mama" is your first word. We've also been doing some baby signs. Caroline really gets into that part of your education. We are pretty sure you do "dog" (sticking out tongue and panting). Regardless, you know and love your dog and get so excited when he is patient enough to let you pat his back and tug his ears. It's just a matter of time before all these silly sounds and motions we make start to click in your amazing little brain.

You eat almost everything we eat. You love feeding yourself and get frustrated if I offer you too much from a spoon. Your very favorites are sweet potatoes, saltine crackers, toast, and pineapple.

Playtime is so much fun these days. You love playing hide-and-seek and "boo". You have discovered that splashing in Tigger's water bowl is very exciting. When the refrigerator door opens, you crawl as fast as you can to see what treasures you can grab from the bottom door shelf. Your favorite toy is whatever Caroline is playing with at the moment.

I have a hard time keeping up with you. I've caught you trying to climb onto Caroline's step stool. You love opening drawers and cabinets. You are bold and curious and adventurous.

I've said it one thousand times, but you adore Caroline. You search for her every morning and after every nap. You get so excited when we find her - bouncing in my arms, smiling, reaching out for her. You're very lucky to have such an awesome big sister.

(Winter dresses I made - blue corduroy jumpers with hand-embroidered snowflakes)

You have a shy side. If we are around someone new, you tuck your head into my shoulder and peek out at them. It's very flirty and endearing.

You aren't much of a snuggler. You almost always put yourself to sleep. I lay you down and you grab your lovey and fall asleep with very little fussing. I occasionally get to rock you to sleep at night after your last meal of the day. Rocking you (and your big sister when she was little) is a huge privilege to me. I love coming to get you out of your crib after your naps. You are HAPPY!

I have a hard time finding the right words to praise and thank God for the precious gifts He has given me in you and your sister. I find myself praying, "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you." It feels like such an inadequate way to describe how immensely grateful and joyful we are for you both.

The LORD is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.
My heart leaps for joy
and I will give thanks to him in song.
-Psalm 28:7

Marshmallow World

2010-01-17T14:36:00.000-06:00

Funny girl

2010-01-09T20:00:00.004-06:00

We saw a commercial for the Olympics and I got excited, telling Caroline all the things we'd be able to watch on TV.

Me: People will be ice skating and skiing and sledding!

Caroline: Yeah, and probably making snow angels, too!

At dinner one night, Caroline was telling Daddy about her day. One of the things she told him about was lunch. She said, "Mommy fixed me peanut butter and jelly for lunch. But I didn't want peanut butter and jelly. So I ate it sadly. Like this." She then makes the most mournful, depressed face I've ever seen. Similar to this one:

Tee-pee

2010-01-08T21:44:00.000-06:00

The tee-pee...

There's a children's store just down the road from our house. I've never been in, but we walk past it to get to the world's most awesome children's book store (Blue Manatee). In the front windows sit two adorable fabric tee-pees. And guess what? Every time we walk past the store front (which is quite frequently because we all love books), I tell Kevin that it would be so cool to have one. Could I make it?

And this is when my husband normally tells me that I have too many ideas, too many unfinished sewing projects, it's more trouble than it's worth, just buy it if you want it. But not this time. Kevin came home, did the complicated geometry/trigonometry, and calculated how much fabric I needed.

The fabric arrived and we were able to put the entire thing together in a couple of late-night sewing sessions. I wish I had pictures of the construction process. I think we both thought this was going to be a royal flop. It is anything but a flop! The girls LOVE it. And I am really very proud that we were able to build this!

(If you want some generic guidelines to build your own, let me know. It was really very easy.)

I do have to tell you that for weeks before Christmas, Caroline was asking Santa for a "ladybug tent" that she had seen in a catalog. She was very specific about wanting a ladybug tent. We decided that this would take the place of the ladybug tent. I worried that Christmas morning would arrive and Caroline would look around and say, "Where's my ladybug tent?" Much to my relief, when she saw it and played in it she declared, "This is BETTER than a ladybug tent!" Whew!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-02T21:43:00.004-06:00

From January 2010

We had a very quiet celebration at home and got two of our New Year's Eve kisses a little bit before midnight. It was perfect.

Every year, Kevin and I have a champagne toast. And every year at midnight we are bewildered as to why we choose to toast each other with a beverage we just do not like. There. I publicly admit it. Next year we're toasting with Blanton's or Disaronno or even Lorina. Remind me next year.

2009 was a fantastic year for us, full of change and adventure. I wish I could eloquently write about all God did for us last year. I see His work in so many little aspects of our year together and I am incredibly awed and grateful. We are eager to see what He does for us in 2010!

Christmas at our house

2010-01-02T10:45:00.010-06:00

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We waited until we returned home to do our family Christmas. Our third celebration was a very sweet time. Caroline was so appreciative of all her gifts and was so excited to see others open theirs. It's really fun and special to see her "get" Christmas. We all got some very nice things from each other: a new baby doll for Helen, bird-watching gear for Caroline, a Dremel tool for Daddy, an enameled cast iron skillet for Mommy (to name a few).

This week Caroline has been out of her regular activities, so I took the girls to the Newport Aquarium to see "Scuba Santa." It was kind of silly, but worth it to see my three-year-old's delight. Caroline has been asking us what Santa is doing now that Christmas is over and we've been telling her that he's probably sleeping. When she saw Santa scuba diving, she said, "SEE! I knew he wasn't sleeping!" Then she asked me, "Why is Santa scuba diving?" I told her he is on vacation and people sometimes scuba on their vacations.

Christmas in Mayfield and Paris

2010-01-01T10:40:00.000-06:00

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We had a great Christmas! There was baking, duck hunting, playing, eating, unwrapping, worshiping, celebrating, laughing, resting, merry-making. We were all sad when this Christmas came to an end.

9 months

2009-12-25T21:33:00.001-06:00

Sweet little one, you are growing and changing every day. We delight in you!

The dresses

2009-12-14T20:27:00.002-06:00

It wouldn't be Christmas if I didn't have hand-made dresses for the girls! Caroline still fits into the dress I made 2 years ago. I was so happy when she tried it on and it still fit. Three Christmases in a row is an awesome run for one of my favorite dresses ever! Sweet Pea will be wearing it next year, I guess. I'm pleased that this dress has gotten and will continue to get a lot of wear.

For Helen's dress this year, I wanted something similar to Caroline's dress, but not an exact match. I bought the same fabric (satin batiste) and matched the lace from Caroline's dress. I used the same pleated daygown pattern that I used for Helen's Easter gown and embroidered 3 sets of holly berries with leaves. It's simple and looks so sweet on her.

My daughters are just beautiful - no matter what they are wearing!

Helen is saying, "Please rescue me! I'm all done here!"

Wee little tree

2009-12-14T14:14:00.005-06:00

Last Christmas we had no idea what our living situation would be this year. We didn't know if we would be in an apartment or a home or if we would have tons of storage or busting at the seams. So we packed up 95% of our Christmas decorations, including our tree. (We do a prelit, artificial tree.)

Caroline said one morning, "Mommy, when are we going to put up our Christmas tree?"

I said, "Well, we put our tree and ornaments in the storage unit in Memphis."

"But...it's almost Christmas," said Caroline sadly. I was crushed.

Kevin heard about our daughter's lament and came home with a tiny tree. A $12 tree. It leans and has a huge bald spot. It's a Charlie Brown tree. I love it. And, in a way, it's perfect for this season in our lives. I would have never been able to keep Helen out of our big tree. This one fits on our window seat.

Caroline had the best time picking out a few ornaments and the colored lights. And there was plenty of room for her hand-made ornaments.

Caroline is thrilled to flip the switch that turns the lights on each night.

December crafts

2009-12-14T13:28:00.003-06:00

I love finding little things that Caroline can create. She really loves it too. All I have to do is say, "Caroline, do you want a project?" and she comes running to see what Mommy has planned.

This was a card-making activity. She dipped cookie cutters in glue, "stamped" the glue onto a card, and sprinkled glitter on the glue. She loved it. I supervised her for a while to make sure she had everything under control and then went to start dinner. I heard, "Uh-oh. Mommy, I got glitter on my chair." Luckily, it was not as much of a glitter disaster as I had envisioned and the vacuum took care of it pretty well. Caroline is a very neat child.

This project was making tree ornaments by stringing beads onto pipe cleaners. This kept her little hands busy off and on for a few hours.

Snow

2009-12-14T13:12:00.000-06:00

Caroline woke up one morning to something very exciting! She couldn't get through with breakfast quickly enough! We didn't get very much and it wasn't good snow to play in (too dry). It was freezing cold this day, so we were only out for a little bit. I'm sure there are more snowy days ahead for us here in the North. (You all know how much I love snow. Bleh.)

8 months

2009-11-25T21:20:00.004-06:00

We all agree: You are the busiest baby we have ever seen. Nothing is off-limits or impossible in your eyes. If we allowed it, your favorite toy would be a magazine. You would eat too much of it, though. "No" is just a minor interruption in your never-ending quest. You love to explore and are not easily distracted. Getting you dressed in the morning and at bedtime is an interesting challenge. Determined is one of the words that best describes your personality. After happy, of course.

You love your sister to the moon. And she loves you that far and back. Your smiles are extra-big for Caroline. She loves caring for you - giving you juice in a bottle, showing you how toys work, teaching you sign language. You already have such a special relationship with each other and I pray daily I can foster that as you both grow.

Dancing, singing, and making music are joyful activities for you. If we are dancing together and I stop, you jerk your legs in excitement until the dancing begins again. The piano provides several minutes of entertainment, much to my delight.

Despite all your busyness, there are a few moments of calm in the day and I cherish them. One of my favorite things is to be around when you first wake up from your nap. I take you up and you are happy and cuddly and peaceful. The end of the day is lovely, too. You snuggle your head against my chest as we rock. Your energetic-self gives up for the day and is ready to recharge. You grow warm, soft, heavy in my arms. I hesitate every time I lay you down, remembering that this time in your life is so short. Too short. Your Daddy and I stare at you as you sleep, marveling at the wonder of you.

You remind us that our lives, plain as they feel on some days, are the biggest and most exciting adventures of all. We see that big things really do come in tiny packages.

Lollipop Symphony

2009-11-24T23:08:00.002-06:00

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra has a special set of concerts for young listeners, called the Lollipop Series. It was the perfect introduction to the orchestra for Caroline! They gave out crayons and fun programs in the lobby. All of the musicians wore colored shirts that coordinated with the family of their instrument (strings wore red, brass wore blue, woodwinds wore yellow, and percussion wore green). The program included instrumental pieces, singers, ballet dancers, and sing-alongs. The theme of the program was Thanksgiving, so the pieces were about thanks, food, and animals. It was so much fun and Caroline really enjoyed it. Her favorite piece was the "Old MacDonald Sing-Along" and her favorite instruments were the big drums and the trumpets.

Going to the Symphony is one of my most favorite things and I really hope that is something we can continue to enjoy together.

Mermaid

2009-11-24T13:42:00.003-06:00

Caroline passed Level 1 swimming lessons! On to Level 2...

Mommy: Caroline! You swim like a fish! I'm so proud!

Caroline: No, Mommy. I swim like a mermaid!

Prima ballerina

2009-11-23T09:09:00.004-06:00

Last week was Parents' Day at Caroline's dance class. Luckily, Kevin worked nights last week, so he was able to come with me. We were so enchanted by our oldest girl's dancing. We were proud, proud parents that afternoon! We took some video, but now need to figure out how to get it off the video camera. Hopefully, I can figure that out soon!

There was a lot of singing, which was nice. This is "I'm a Little Teapot."

Their last tap dance routine was to "Mama Mia" and was adorable!

And this is Caroline's favorite part every week: the Choo-Choo Train.

Indian summer

2009-11-21T21:26:00.007-06:00

Y'all, I've got so much to post and I'm so far behind in posting it!

We really, really enjoyed every moment of the warm weather two weeks ago. It was wonderful.

I let Caroline do some art projects out on the deck.

Helen is always up to something.

We took a trip to the zoo. It was perfect - warm weather, no crowds. Awesome.

We've been busy! More to come...

Playing Mommy

2009-11-18T19:47:00.004-06:00

Caroline's best friend at school is Sydney. She tells me every day that her favorite part of school was playing with Sydney. They play "Mommy" many days. Kevin probed her a bit tonight at the dinner table to find out exactly what playing Mommy means.

Daddy: So, Caroline, how do you and Sydney play Mommy?

Caroline: Well...usually Sydney is the Mommy.

Daddy: And are you a Mommy, too?

Caroline: No, I'm the Honey!

It was all I could do not to die with laughter at the dinner table!

Cuties

2009-11-04T21:07:00.000-06:00

Here's just a cute picture of the girls before ballet class last week...

Preschool songs

2009-11-02T20:56:00.003-06:00

Caroline's been learning several songs at school. It's so fun when she comes home and just breaks out in a new, cute little ditty. For Halloween, they did a little song about 5 Pumpkins.

And this one is about 5 frogs. You'll probably get the gist of this one after one verse!

Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T20:15:00.003-06:00

We had a very fun Halloween! Doing little things like making sucker ghosts and having a spooky meal make Caroline so excited. That's so much fun for us as parents.

Caroline (with a little prompting) decided a long time ago that she would be Emily Elizabeth from "Clifford, The Big Red Dog." I ordered a little Clifford for Caroline to take to her preschool Halloween party. Dogs don't go to school, according to Caroline. And then Kevin and I decided it would be fun if we could dress Tigger as Clifford by painting him red. As you can see, it worked really well! Tigger is such a good sport. Caroline - I mean Emily Elizabeth - and Clifford were a neighborhood sensation! Everywhere we went, people wanted to take their picture! They laughed and thought it was the best idea for a costume. And of course, they wanted to know how we made our dog red. Kevin and I really didn't expect the costume to create such a stir. We couldn't stop laughing!

It was really sweet to get out the cute duck costume for Helen. She stayed toasty warm in her suit and was very content riding in the stroller, taking in all the activity.

This is one Halloween we'll be talking about for years!

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St. Louis trip

2009-10-25T22:06:00.002-05:00

We visited St. Louis this month and had a blast. Because Kevin took a little extra time off, we were able to make it a small vacation. We loved staying with Emily and getting to spend time with her. We took Caroline to the top of the Arch ("March," as Caroline says) and to the Children's Museum. We also met up with our good friends, the Halfords and the Wilsons. We all went to a "Life is Good" festival. And then we celebrated Elizabeth's 4th birthday a couple of weeks early. The girls decorated pumpkins with stickers and watched "Cinderella" together. Caroline was the only one without a baby doll to snuggle up with during the movie, so her pumpkin made a great substitute. It was a wonderful and busy weekend!

Here are a few pictures. To see the whole set of photos, visit my Picasa album.

Swimming lessons

2009-10-25T21:55:00.001-05:00

In addition to dance class, I enrolled Caroline in swimming lessons. Her first lesson was last week. I hung around just to see what went on. She did great! I was so proud of her! Her instructor told me that she follows directions very well. I can't wait to see how far she progresses by the end of her lessons!

7 months

2009-10-25T21:04:00.002-05:00

Please stop growing so quickly, Sweet Pea!

Ballerina

2009-10-05T21:08:00.000-05:00

Caroline started dance class this fall. It's a combination of ballet and tap. She has been so excited for them to start. Thankfully, the class didn't disappoint! She had so much fun! She hasn't stopped talking about class and showing me all her new dance "tricks". She says she loves tap the best. I didn't get to see any of the class. I can't wait for the first parent day!

My favorite part of the first day happened when we got home. Kevin came in right behind us and Caroline went right up to him and said, "Daddy. I have a secret for you. I love to dance!"

Destin 2009

2009-10-05T20:44:00.005-05:00

We had so much fun at the beach with the Wilsons last year that we decided to make a repeat trip. I didn't think it was possible, but we had even more fun this year! We are really hoping this becomes an annual event. It was a great time of year to visit - we had the beach to ourselves. It made a perfect end to the summer. We unfortunately won't have the luxury of late September beach trips when the girls start school.

Caroline and her friend Elizabeth were so excited to be reunited. We were all really happy to see each other again! We miss our friends!

I'm adding a few of our pictures here. We took a bunch, so if you'd like to see more visit our photo album.

6 months

2009-09-25T22:51:00.001-05:00

Helen is 6 months old! We can hardly believe half of year has passed already. I don't know how we lucked out and got 2 really good babies. Helen keeps us entertained with silly faces and noises. Her favorite "game" is putting her forehead to my forehead and staring into my eyes. We both giggle over that one. Helen loves Eskimo kisses and getting her tummy tickled. Caroline is her favorite person. Caroline can always get her to smile. She is busy and hates to sit still. She gets around quite well on the floor by scooting along on her tummy and rolling. And she's making big progress toward crawling.

13 pounds, 6 ounces; 25 inches long

First day of preschool

2009-09-15T22:41:00.001-05:00

We've enrolled Caroline in Redeemer Episcopal Preschool, which is right around the corner from our house. She had a great first day. She loves school - just like her mommy and daddy!

Helen and I walk Caroline to and from school most days.

She is so excited to learn!

Sunflowers

2009-09-14T20:36:00.003-05:00

Remember this dress? I made sure it was plenty roomy so Caroline could wear it at least one more fall season. This year Helen had to have a dress to match! I decided to make Helen's a coordinating dress instead of an exact match and that's my favorite thing about them. I love how they both turned out.

Diaper change

2009-09-10T14:37:00.004-05:00

Caroline loves to help with Helen. Last night she wanted to change Helen's diaper all by herself. She does really well diapering a babydoll, but quickly found out the real thing is a lot more wiggly! I was so tickled (as you can tell from the video). Caroline got a little intense and frustrated toward the end of the video, so I stepped in and gave her a little help.

Diaper change from Emilee Garrett on Vimeo.

New 'dos

2009-09-09T22:14:00.000-05:00

Caroline and I got haircuts recently. Caroline will be starting school soon and I thought a little hair update would be an appropriate way to start the new year.

Silly and sweet

2009-09-09T21:44:00.000-05:00

Things around here are a little silly...

...and a lot sweet!

5 months

2009-08-25T22:52:00.001-05:00

Sweet Pea turned 5 months old on August 25. She's still tiny, but growing up so beautifully.

And the big sister is growing up beautifully as well.

I still have to pinch myself. I have daughters. Incredible.

Lucky Daddy

2009-08-23T22:23:00.000-05:00

Daddy gets this sweet greeting from Helen after a long day at work.

Summer sewing

2009-08-12T10:56:00.000-05:00

In addition to the bonnet, I've made 2 shirts with diaper covers for Helen. These little outfits are perfect for displaying some shadow embroidery. The first one is sleeveless and collarless, is embroidered with a little beach umbrella and pail, and has a lime green seersucker cover.

Sorry for the sun, but you get the idea.

The second has a collar and puff sleeves, is embroidered with a little pink whale, and has a pink microcheck diaper cover.

This is a very sweet pattern and I love it! (Don't I say that every time?) It sews up quickly - even the embroidery goes quickly. It's the perfect cool outfit for hot summer days. And isn't my model cute?

Sunday morning

2009-08-11T10:08:00.004-05:00

Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other. Keep his decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land the LORD your God gives you for all time. -Deuteronomy 4:39-40

Clifford's Big Red Train Adventure

2009-08-09T20:43:00.003-05:00

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Get your own

Saturday, we took Caroline on a big adventure - Clifford's Big Red Train Adventure on the LM&M Railroad. It was so much fun! Caroline was really, really excited to meet Emily Elizabeth and Clifford. We boarded the train and had a 30 minute ride to the junction, where Clifford was waiting! We had a short stop for photos and playtime, and then we got back on the train for the return trip. And little Helen was such a trooper - she just looked and smiled and looked some more. It was a great afternoon, made even greater by Caroline's happiness. I hope we can take another train adventure very soon!

(If you got this as an email, click on the links to see the picture album.)

When she grows up...

2009-08-08T10:58:00.007-05:00

Caroline was thumbing through one of Kevin's tomes of radiological knowledge one day this past week. And it sparked a little conversation that went something like this:

Me: So, Caroline, do you want to be a doctor like Daddy when you grow up?

C: Um... No, I don't think so.

Me: OK. Well, what would you like to be when you grow up?

C: I think I want to be just like you are, Mommy.

Me: Really? What do I do?

C: You're a mommy. I want to be a mommy just like you.

Me: And that will make me very proud.

High chair firsts

2009-08-07T08:30:00.001-05:00

Helen's bonnet

2009-08-06T16:00:00.000-05:00

I smocked a bonnet for little Helen. How adorable is she?

A really big deal

2009-08-05T10:17:00.000-05:00

This grocery store trip was a huge adventure to Caroline. For weeks she's been begging me to get one of the car carts. With a baby carrier and tons of groceries to get, I just couldn't accommodate her wishes. Kevin was on night duty a few weeks ago, so I left him and the baby napping at home and made Caroline's day. Her joy is evident, isn't it?

Dressing alike is so fun

2009-08-01T08:30:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Aunt Jolene and Uncle Wesley, the girls have these adorable matching ladybug outfits! Caroline was so excited that we had to put them on immediately and have a photo session.

Inspection

2009-07-31T08:45:00.000-05:00

Little lovey

2009-07-31T08:00:00.001-05:00

Craft time

2009-07-30T10:45:00.000-05:00

Afternoons go so much more smoothly if we have some little project. I cut a door and a window into an OJ bottle with a box cutter and after some creative interior and exterior decorating by Caroline - voila! - instant fairy house. We went to Michael's and picked out some tiny wooden things to make the fairies' abode a bit more comfy. I got some peg dolls and fashioned some wings out of pipe cleaners and faces with markers.

The great thing about this project is that it has entertained her for hours. I had been looking at fairy dolls at toy stores for around $10. This entire setup probably cost me $10 and she loves it! A toy store doll would have been boring after a day, I'm certain. This homemade version has inspired a whole lot of imaginary play, flitting about, and pixie-dust sprinkling. Happy Caroline = Happy Mama!

More visitors

2009-07-29T20:42:00.003-05:00

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Get your own

Emily and Jonathan came to visit us last weekend. Saturday morning was yucky and rainy, so we waited until the afternoon to head downtown. We went to the Contemporary Art Center. It was built by a famous architect, so Emily and Jonathan really wanted to see it. It's also the home to the Unmuseum. Caroline had a blast exploring and touching and doing. I think the adults enjoyed it a little bit, too!

It's really easy to entertain two architects for an afternoon. We just hopped in the car and took them by all the neat and famous buildings in town. :-) There are quite a few, especially on the University of Cincinnati campus.

After the driving tour, we headed down to Newport and went to the Hofbrauhaus. It was very fun. Caroline is still doing the chicken dance.

Sunday, we had waffles at the Coffee Emporium - about 2 blocks away from our house. That's dangerous. Those waffles were delicious! Then we took Caroline to the park. Emily must have pushed Caroline in the swing for 30 minutes. Kevin swung the baby right to sleep. With all the children in expert hands, I really wished I had brought a book along with me.

It was another great weekend entertaining guests!

4 months

2009-07-25T10:20:00.004-05:00

I just don't have words to express how incredibly blessed the three of us feel to have this little one as a part of our family. She is so amazing and we praise God for her life!

Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-
Psalm 103:1-2

Stats: 11 pounds, 11 ounces; 23.5 inches long

Play dough

2009-07-23T22:28:00.001-05:00

Homemade play dough inspired an afternoon of creating.

Mommy made a bunny.

It was a very fun activity!

Visitors

2009-07-22T20:39:00.000-05:00

We had a special set of visitors last week - the Halford girls! We loved having our friends here!

Story time

Slumber party!

The Dales visit

2009-07-21T20:55:00.004-05:00

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Get your own

My family came to Cincinnati and it was a lovely visit. We went to the Zoo on Saturday. It's a really nice zoo and we enjoyed so many of the exhibits - the gorillas, the manatees, the baby tigers. We wanted to eat at the Hofbrauhaus Saturday night, but the wait was too long. So we wound up having a good time at Johnny Rocket's instead. I was a little disappointed, but as my mom reminded me, it's really just about having a good time together no matter where you are! And we certainly had a good time all weekend long!

Park

2009-07-13T20:18:00.001-05:00

Home in Cincinnati

2009-07-06T11:29:00.009-05:00

Here we are! The move went well, but we could have done without a bum U-Haul, a shared illness, and plumbing problems. We think our new home is very nice. We are very fortunate to have found such a well-kept rental home. I think we were able to adjust quickly because it's very similar to our Midtown Memphis house.

Our living room

The girls' rooms are upstairs with a bath between them. Caroline wants to show you her room.

She has a huge closet for an overabundance of toys. Closets are a novelty for us. We had one real clothes closet in Midtown. Now we have 3!

Helen's room needs some work. She's still Mommy and Daddy's roommate, so it's a low-priority room. I'll get some better pictures of it later.

This little area at the base of the stairs is our "playroom." The window seat opens up for storage. I'm thinking I need to make some pillows for it...

Downstairs master bath

Our bed really isn't this shiny. The flash must have been working overtime.

Dining area

Here I am, probably on my way to do something wifely.

We have a lot more counterspace in this kitchen, but we miss our big pantry!

The basement isn't much to look at, but it's a fantastic multipurpose room - laundry/ironing areas, a sewing/craft area, an extra refrigerator (Kevin's much-coveted "beer fridge" :-) ), a computer workstation, a TV/play area, tool storage, and plenty of room for Caroline to have wheely bee and tricycle races. It's a really great space.

Yay...all of my sewing things! I've been using this area quite a bit already. I picked up about 6 new projects to work on before we left Memphis. I feel very lucky that we had enough room for me to bring all of my fabrics and ribbons and notions.

Our backyard is lovely. It's shady and has a great deck.

Guard dog - looking for squirrels, I'm sure.

Our neighborhood is nice. There are a few young families, but we haven't made any playmates yet. We can walk to a downtown-type square with shopping and dining. One of our next door neighbors is the sweetest lady - 82 years young and does all her own gardening! It's an amazing yard and she has already been very generous in sharing her flowers with us.

Everything we need is so close by. Caroline's school is about 1 minute away from the house. It will literally take me longer to load the kids in the car than it will to drive there. I'm sure Helen and I will be doing some strolling to drop her off and pick her up.

Our adventures here in Queen City are off to a wonderful beginning! We're looking forward to this year!

Independence Day

2009-07-05T21:47:00.002-05:00

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Get your own

About a week before the 4th, I bought tickets to the Cincinnati Pops concert on the river. I purchased lawn tickets and had grand visions of lolling around on a picnic blanket, enjoying the music. No one told me to plan on rain and temperatures in the 60s on the 4th! We decided early in the day to upgrade our tickets to pavillion seats. We were still able to make it a very enjoyable evening. Caroline got a tattoo at the kids' station - very exciting. Caroline really enjoyed the music, but was scared to death of the fireworks (even though she told me as she was headed up for bed, "Mommy, I really liked the fireworks!"). Helen was good and relaxed in the sling for most of the evening. I don't think she fussed once - not even during the fireworks. It turned out to be a fun evening and I'm sure we'll always remember it!

(If you're getting this update as an email, make sure you click on "View All" to see our pictures.)

31st

2009-06-29T22:15:00.000-05:00

My 31st birthday party was planned by Caroline. She did a great job. I had dancing, balloons, a cake, singing, and presents - a perfect party! (I did cook dinner, but that's hardly a chore for me!) Kudos to Kevin for always involving the kids in planning and executing special days for me. It's neat to have a husband who really listens to his children.

My cake top was a little haphazard because the real bakery worker was on a break. Didn't make one bit of difference in how yummy the cake tasted!

Caroline sang "Happy Birthday" to me. It was great!

Kevin told Caroline what letters to write on her card envelope. She did the writing all by herself. She wrote her name on the inside of the card, too. Kevin did not have to tell her the letters for that word! This was a gift in itself! I am so proud!