Halloween is for the Birds

A Peacock, Flamingo and Swan that is...

Proud as a peacock

Shake your tail feathers Sarah

Sweet Swan!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!



Back to School 2011

These beautiful girls are back to school in the 3rd and 1st Grades.

One of the best things about going back to school is seeing

all the friends you missed over the summer.

Here's to a great school year!

Just Keep Swimming...

The girls started swimming for the Tigersharks again about a month ago.  We have had an unseasonably cold spring and we've had to encourage them to "just keep swimming" to keep warm.  They've been troopers and toughed it out though and have had fun competing in a couple meets already.  The weather is starting to warm up, so it should be smooth sailing...I mean swimming, from here on out.

Take your mark...the two in orange and black are my little Tigersharks.  I get the privilege of cheering on two swimmers in the same race.

That's Grace.  The fluorescent green cap makes her easy to spot in the water!

Sarah looks pleased with her race!

So does Hannah

This is what it looks when they are waiting to race and...

This is what it looks like after a long fun day at a swim meet.

3 Sisters Art Gallery

My priceless art collection is growing!

Jesus Sighting

No we didn't see Him on our grilled cheese sandwiches or in our Cornflakes, but that would be cool too. 

Each morning I try to pray with the girls before school.  We always thank Jesus for going with us to school and ask him to give us eyes to see Him and ears to hear Him during the day.  I try to remind the girls that He really is with them and that they can talk to Him anytime. 

Anyway, today I thought I would ask them if they saw Him.  Grace said very matter of factly that she did and when I asked her where, she said "I played tag with Him at recess Mom.  My friend asked me who I was playing with and I told her Jesus".  Sarah said she did too and when I asked where, she said, "No one wanted to play with me and I was making a bark castle, (they don't have sand), all by myself and I saw Him".  They said these things with such honest, childlike faith.  May they remain in that faith their whole lives! 

Thank you Jesus for really being with us!

Halloween 2010

I made it my New Year's resolution to post pictures from Halloween 2010 sometime before Halloween 2011.  I don't mean to brag, but I'm way ahead of schedule.

This year we had a princess, unicorn (again) and a clown. 

What a clown

 Pretty as a princess

Oh look...unicorns do exist.

This year was our first year to really trick or treat.  I don't know what we've been waiting for.  It was great.  The girls got lots of good candy to share with me and we had a really fun time seeing our neighbors and just being out in our neighborhood.

Ok, Maybe One More...

Last night Sarah came to me and asked "Does it cost a lot of money to change your name?"

"I don't know Sarah.  Why?  Do you want to change your name?"

"Ya.  I just really like the name London".

"Ok, how about we just start calling you London.  It'll be cheaper that way."

"Ok"

I figure London can be her stage name someday.  She's a funny kid!  I think I'll keep her....forever and ever and ever!

A Few Funnies Until I Can Get Back to Bloggin'

I haven't had time to blog properly lately.  I have a couple posts started and lots of pictures piled up on my computer where they will just have to stay until I wade through a bit more of my real life.  Until I find time to sit down and get caught up, here are a couple funny things the girls have said to me lately...

A few nights ago, the girls had their Christmas program at school.  Hannah borrowed a cute little skirt and top to wear from a friend since we didn't have any Christmas clothes in her size.  I insisted she tuck in the top so the bow on the skirt would show and she told me very matter of factly that "If I didn't have a mom, I wouldn't tuck in my shirt"...Yeah, no kidding, you and about every little boy who ever had to dress up for something.

About a week ago, when I was tucking Sarah in to bed, she told me "Mom, I get so tired of smelling Matthew's breath.  I try not to talk to him, but he just keeps talking to me and I am tired of smelling his breath".   Ha!!!  Matthew is the little guy who sits next to her at school.  I let her know that her breath doesn't always smell like roses and maybe Matthew gets tired of smelling hers too.  She didn't think so.

Just today, Grace came in from the backyard rubbing her backside and whimpering.  "What's wrong Grace?", I asked.  "My bad word hurts", she said.  I'd tell you what her bad word was...but, well....it's a bad word.  She was upset, so I tried really hard not to laugh, but Hannah and I ended up busting a gut anyway. 

Fair Time

It's that time of year again.  The time when everyone starts coughing and sneezing...the dust in the air is so thick you can see it, you wonder if the weather is ever going to cool off, and the smell of cow poo hangs in the air.  Around here, that means it's Fair time.  Time to go eat some overpriced, seriously disappointing fried food and step in some animal excrement.  Oh yeah and see your kid's artwork (the highlight of course)...

Here's H posing in front of her artwork.  She won an honorable mention this year.  Way to go girl!
Here's a close up of her old lady (no...that is not a portrait of me...very funny!).

In case you couldn't tell, we are not really farm folks.  This was evidenced this year at the fair as we walked up to the cows and Sarah exclaimed, "Daddy that one is a girl because she is wearing earrings".  If they had an animal decorating contest at the fair, that girl could compete. 

Birthday Celebration

For their 6th Birthday, we took these two ladies to Hume Lake for a weekend celebration complete with fishing (they got poles for their birthday), row boating, swimming and cake and ice cream eating!

Daddy taught Grace how to cast her Disney Princess fishing pole.

Sarah was a pro with her Barbie pole.  Nobody caught anything, but the fun was in trying anyway.

This great looking bunch of kids joined us for the celebration!

Row, row, row your boat...but first put on some sunscreen!

It was a fun birthday weekend!

6 Years Ago Today...

Six years ago today, my babies looked like this...

A year later, they looked like this...

And a year after that...

And a year later...

And the year after that...

And one year later...

Happy Birthday my sweet, silly, special girls.  Stay tuned for this year's birthday picture.

My Babies are Gone, but They'll be Home at 3

School started this week and everyone is officially in school full time this year...except Mom as Grace observed.  "Everyone is going to school, except Mom.  What is she going to do?"  Good question.  I still don't have an answer. 

Everyone was ready and excited, even Hannah.  The only one who cried was me, but I managed to hold it together until I got home.  I'm glad they were all so excited and ready to be there.

Here they are all ready to go showing off their new outfits and backpacks.  The outfits were compliments of Grandma Claudie who took us all back to school shopping over the summer.  In the wise words of one cute little kindergartner, "Grandma Claudie Rocks!"  Yes she does.

One very cute 2nd Grader

One silly Kindergartner

One more very sweet little Kindergartner

Checking out her desk

"Who cares about desks...we've got tricycles to check out!" 

No one ever accused Sarah of having her priorities out of whack.

It was a good day!

Swimmers Take Your Mark...

Our three little Tiger Sharks competed in their first swim meet Saturday.

Here's Daddy congratulating Hannah on her first race.  We really weren't sure if she would do it.  She was very nervous...but her coach convinced her and I think the look on her face here says she was glad she went for it.

Grace and Sarah swam too.  Here they are getting some pointers from their coach after their 25 yd backstroke race.  Watching 5 year olds swim backstroke is sort of like watching a giant game of pinball.  It's pretty funny!

Graduates

I still can't really wrap my brain around the fact that these two little stinkers just graduated from pre-school and are headed to Kindergarten.

My very favorite part of the graduation ceremony are the Possibility Awards.  Each child has told their teacher what they want to be when they grow up.  It's a really fun surprise for the parents.  Hannah wanted to be a Mommy.  I cried.  I was equally touched when I heard that Grace wanted to be a Ballerina and Sarah wanted to be a High School Teacher.  I don't know where they get it from!

Kiddie Kollege Mother's Day Tea

Kiddie Kollege moms and grandmas were treated to cookies, tea and a fashion show for Mother's Day.  It was a fun time for all of us and I came home with two hand drawn pictures of me and the special flowers the girls are holding.

Easter People

Regarding the lives of Christians, Barbara Johnson says this...
"We're Easter people living in a Good Friday world." 

May the hope of Easter fill your hearts today and always.

(Easter art by Grace and Sarah)

Snug as 3 Little Bugs in a Rug

We went to the beach last weekend and this is the only picture I took the whole time.  It's a beautiful sight though isn't it? 

Nowhere Today

Today Sarah and Hannah sailed to New York via Australia in a molded plastic outdoor chair with a jump rope for a seat belt.  They were going to see the Statue of Liberty but got sidetracked when their sister asked them to help her build a workshop out of some old scraps of wood.

Sometimes I get so busy doing whatever it is I do that I forget to slow down and be present for these great little moments.  Sarah and Hannah really weren't going anywhere, but as one of my favorite authors points out nowhere is really just now-here.  So at least for a moment today I was nowhere with my girls.  It was nice.

Wacky Wednesday

Last Wednesday was "Wacky Wednesday" at Kiddie Kollege.  Our wacky kids didn't need any help putting together their own special ensembles.

Sarah on Fine Dining

Sarah in the line to get lunch at Costco:  "Mom, are hot dogs made of dog?"
Me:  "Only weiner dogs honey....No!!! Hot dogs are NOT made of dog Sarah."
Older gentleman in line in front of us:  "Hahahaha!  Kids are funny!"
Me:  "Yes they are!!"