diva see, diva do

Now that Audrey is walking (a few steps at at time, anyway) she's also begun carrying a prized accessory -- Ella's favorite hot pink Hello Kitty purse, complete with glitter and rhinestones. She holds it in the crook of one arm and grips the furniture and walls with the other. You know what they say: fashion before balance. 

faith of our fathers

One of the books Ella picked out at the school library today is about James Madison, which prompted this conversation: 

Ella: James Madison was a president!

Lauren: President Hinckley was an old president. 

Me: Gordon B. Hinckley was the president of the Church, and James Madison was president of the United States.

Lauren: I knew that. 

Ella: But almost all the presidents believe in God, Mom. At least, I know the first ones did. 

the graph

Lauren has the most adorable little laugh. It's kind of a grunt. I call it a graph. She makes the sound with her mouth closed and a smile on her face. She makes it when she's really happy about something in a quiet way. Like when she's amused by her own joke. Or sees the ice cream cone you're about to give her. Or sits on your lap and doesn't want to be anywhere else in the world. I love the graph. 

first annual

Tonight we had our First Annual Back-to-School Dinner, inspired by the remarkable Nielsen family. The tradition: Every year, on the night before school starts, have a fancy dinner at home and present a theme for the school year, give the girls their father's blessings, and let them don their selected first-day-of-school outfits in a family fashion show. 

This year was extra special because Uncle Steven and Aunt Krystal were visiting for the weekend. It was a beautiful night, so we decided to eat on our screened porch.  I pulled out the nice dishes and christened a pretty vintage table cloth I fell in love with at a flea market. I let Ella and Lauren pick out a fresh bouquet at Eastern Market, and set the table with the mod podge votives the girls made in preschool; they were so proud.

The menu: herb-crusted pork roast, chunky apple sauce, smashed red potatoes, asparagus, mandarin salad and vanilla ice cream with fresh peaches for dessert. 

After our fancy dinner, I read The Little Engine That Could, and presented the theme, "I Think I Can." It can be hard to tell when they're learning what Kim and I want to teach them, but I hope they hear those words in their heads whenever they face a new challenge this year: "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can."

It's so fun to have family traditions! I just love it. I hope the girls do, too. 

stairway heaven

No preposition necessary for Audrey. 

Despite the baby gate we installed, she makes it upstairs several times a day. It's as though she consciously waits for someone to leave it open, then seizes the opportunity. When she does, Ella yells her now familiar warning: "Baby on the loose!" 

the dark side

At breakfast this morning the conversation turned to Halloween costumes. Lauren announced, "I want to be a bat. A scary, scary bat. You can make my whole face black and make tiny ears." She pointed her index fingers on either side of her head. 

As I imagined this hideous costume, and wondered how to talk her out of it, I saw her face light up. "Or," she said, " I could be a bunny!"

"Oh, you would be a very cute bunny," I said, relieved. 

"I would be a bunny who wouldn't go in her cage," she whispered, "because I would be evil." She narrowed her eyes in my direction, "An evil bunny."