I do like my daughters so very much

How have I come this far in life having never listen to Muse? Tell me this.

Anyway. It is rather apparent that I need a real camera.But maybe it's for the best. Most of the pictures I take of these girls are a blur, which fits since that's pretty much how they look in real life. Elliot in the last week has finally got a hang of potty training, and is even dry through the night. Whew! I was seriously starting to get concerned that she would be the only kid in preschool still in a pull-up. Thank goodness she finally got it all figured out. Since i finished her blanket, she's been telling me that when she grows up and is a mom that she is going to make me a blanket too. Sweet. I like her.



Last night in sorting laundry, I started a box of newborn clothes that Rou no longer fits into. Not fair. Can't she just stay tiny for a wee bit longer? She scoots all over the place, hunting for paper to shove in her mouth. She still won't eat ANYTHING but what i can provide for her, but she will eat paper. Nice.


Also, the more I hang out with Stori, the more I realize that she is more like me than I previously realized. She is obsessed with books. Not just interested. OBSESSED. I hear the phrase "weed it, mommy, weed it! Oh Pweese mommy, weed it!" more than almost anything else. (except maybe "can I? can I?" it's adorable) We probably read at least 15 books a day, minimum. It doesn't matter what i'm doing, she will find me, shove a book in my lap, and insist that I read it to her. The funny part is that halfway through the book she usually takes over, pausing only when she encounters a word she doesn't know ("mommy, what does this says?"). She can read more words than Elliot, easy. I also was an early reader. She dances whenever she hears the smallest snippet of music, and is not only fiercely competitive, she has a bit of a mean streak (also a lot like me).

In summation: I think my kids are pretty awesome.

Down with Winter. Thermophiles Unite.

I probably just made that word up.

Therm = Heat
-Phile = One that loves or has a strong affinity for

But in all seriousness, I live in the wrong climate. Nevertheless, I'd rather not indoctrinate my kids with this hatred of winter, soI made them go outside and play in the snow. They, of course, had a marvelous time dancing



catching snowflakes

making footprints

and check out my super-fake smile:
This Sunday Blair blessed our little french woman. I wanted to take some amazingly adorable pictures of her in her pretty blessing dress (made by Grandma Maureen), but all I had on hand was my phone, which attempts to take photos, but really I don't classify them as photos more like blurry representations of what a photo would look like when painted by Monet... or something.

She's still pretty cute though huh.

Even when she's yawning at me. (or growling like a dinosaur... can't really tell)

Elliot and Astoria: Also cute.

I want it to be spring so badly, that a flower spontaneously erupted from my head.

The End.
I love you.

Be Nice

I am not a very neat person. So I really don't have seizures or anything when my kids have toy explosions in the living room, or decide that it's a good idea to eat popcorn in my bed.
I am, however, a reasonably nice and polite person. So it stands to reason that all my kids should be the model of affability right?
Not so much.
Astoria is... well, (how do I say this nicely?) A bully? A terribly violent and sadistic bully?
No day is complete without an episode involving Astoria grabbing Elliot by the hair, pulling her down to the ground, ripping the toy she was playing with out of her hands, then run away top speed. This is not a joke, nor an exaggeration.



Maybe it's a middle child thing? I don't know.

I know that at times I put some unrealistic expectations on her. I mean she is, after all, only two. But because of the fact that she is so ridiculously smart, I sometimes forget that she is not the same age as Elliot. For example, Astoria is obsessed with letters. OBSESSED. Her favorite song is the ABC song, she reads every letter she sees no matter where we are, and she can even read a couple words by sight (to, we, me, go, and jump). It's pretty amazing. But even though she has the literacy skills of a four-year old, her emotional level is still definitely TWO.

So we've tried time-outs, spankings, taking away privileges (like toys and treats). Nothing seems to be sinking in. All I can really hope for at this point is that is just a phase, and that someday her, uh... assertiveness will turn into positive adult traits, like confidence and determination. But as for now, i'm just trying to figure out ways to keep her from getting us kicked out of nursery (again) or the play room at the gym (again).

sigh...

My Two Year Old

This is my Astoria. She is 2 today!

I love love love this little girl.

Even when she gives me death glares (often), and responds to every question with "NO!" Well, she is 2. i should give her a break. Besides she ate every bite of eggs off my plate at her birthday breakfast at the ihop yesterday. Can't complain about that.

Here are some awesome things you should know about my miss Stori-pie:

• She is a marvelously artistic dancer. Not just simple kicks and turns, she rolls on the floor, makes pretty poses with her arms, and even throws some yoga poses in the mix.
• She used the potty for the first time yesterday (all by herself) this is a big deal for me. Elliot is still struggling with this concept. So yes, a very big deal
• Astoria is named after the little town of Astoria, Oregon. Which is where The Goonies was filmed, and also sung about on the album So Long, Astoria by the Ataris. It's also one of my favorite places on the planet.
  
• She is left-handed, which I take a strange kind of pride in.
• Her favorite thing in the WORLD to do, is take all the sippy cup lids and put them in rows and circles. I need to get a picture of this.
• She loves to sing pretty songs. My favorite ones she sings are the "Pick it Up" song from Yo Gabba Gabba, and "You've got a Friend in Me" from Toy Story

Happy Birthday!

Snow Day

Try as I might to ignore the fact that winter even exists, there are occasions where taking the kids out to have fun in a snowy backyard can be rather enjoyable. So last Sunday morning before church, (1:00 meetings are the best) we got dressed all warmly and had some adventures.


Getting ready to go. With matching hats.


Making footprints.


Some serious posing. Kevin? I found you a model for your next TEP class.


Exploring in the trees.