sugar plum fairies

Lauren had her Winter Recital tonight. She did a great job and, most importantly, had lots of fun. When we came home she looked at me and said, "I kind of want to do that again."

KO

Lauren tripped and fell into the wall. Lots of blood a few minutes later, she looked like this.

After the tears subsided, she smiled at me and said, "Now I've lost TWO teeth. Three more and I'll be tied with Olivia Ames."

new penny

There are few things more precious than a baby fresh out of the bath.

very punny

Today at breakfast we had the conversation again. Ella asked, "Mom, is there any chance we could get a gerbil?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because gerbils stink." Lauren offered a solution.

"We can keep it outside!"

"In the heat and the cold?" I asked.

"We can give him an ice cube in the summer!" Lauren chimed.

"And in the winter," Ella smiled, "We can give him gerbil tea!"

thanksgiving

Lauren colored a Thanksgiving turkey at school, and on each of the feathers she wrote something she's grateful for. She wrote:

I am thankful for my family becus they help me, and I am thankful for Ms. Reed.

I am thankful for my sister because she stands up for me when I git hrte and becus she is helpful in the citchin.

I am thankful for my warm coz house becus it ceps me warm when it is cold.

I am thankful for my grama becus she alwas helps me and she make cookes with us.

monday

Tonight I helped Ella correct her homework and apparently corrected her one time too many. Pushed her right over the edge and she launched into this monologue:

"Why does it have to be perfect everyone wants everything to be perfect first Dad this morning about the B on my test and now you with my homework and today in P.E. while we were running Mr. Turner said, 'Why are you touching that boy?' but I couldn't help it because it was so crowded and we had to have a TALK and Sam said, 'WHAT THE HECK?' and I had to dance with Ben and I hate dancing with Ben because he has a huge mole on his hand and I had to touch it the whole time AND because he's been in my classes since kindergarten and he always pulls up his shirt and dances the macarena." She let out a sob, then paused long enough to wipe tears and blow her nose. "I'm not ready for third grade."

love note

Lauren really and truly loves her kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Bellin. She still runs to hug her every time she sees her and, it turns out, still writes her love notes. I found this in her notebook:

1 Grad is cool But it wod de Betr if you wru Hear ms. Bellen. I hope that you aur having so much fun evin withawt me.

seminary blessings

Kim started teaching early morning seminary recently, as the scripture mastery teacher who teaches on Fridays. He loves it, which is great. But what has me excited are the "seminary blessings" our stake high councilman and our ward's former seminary teachers keep telling us about. The blessings are different for everyone, they've explained, and they're very real.

I wasn't so sure this morning when Kim accidentally woke up the girls while getting ready to leave and I found them awake with their bedroom light on at 6 a.m. I told them they could either go back to bed, read, or play quietly until 7, when I would be getting up.

Imagine my surprise when I woke up later to see Audrey at my bedside, completely dressed for preschool with her hair done. Curious, I walked downstairs to find Ella and Lauren both dressed and ready for school, and apparently working together to put things away in the kitchen. "We did our assigned reading for school. And then we had breakfast," Ella told me. "And scripture study. And I packed the lunches."

I told them how amazing they were, how much I appreciated them, and how happy they'd made me, and then I hugged and kissed them until I was certain they'd had enough. "It was fun, actually," Ella beamed. "We're just practicing for when the baby comes."

Seminary blessings, indeed.

book deal

Today I offered the girls an opportunity to make some extra money. If they organized all of the children's books (which had been crammed into our bookshelves in every possible direction) I would pay them $2 each. Lauren was thrilled. "I'll do it!" she shouted and went right to work. Ella was more reluctant, but joined in as we emptied and organized the shelves.

As we worked, Lauren kept commenting, saying things like, "I'm making so much money right now!" and, "Wow, I'm going to have so much money." Finally, Ella said,

"Lauren, $2 isn't that much money."

"But Ella," Lauren reminded her, "Mom said $2 each. And there are a lot of books."

I clarified my offer and, bless her heart, she had a good, hard laugh at herself.

first day

Audrey started preschool! I don't know what excited her more -- going to school or taking her new lunch box. She kept saying, "It's a puppy, a lunch box AND a purse!" What could be better? Nothing, that's what.

stocks

We found these in "London" during our super fun day at Busch Gardens. Perfection.

she nailed it

For her birthday, Lauren requested a real manicure. When we arrived at the nail salon she couldn't decide between the pink or the purple. I mean, it was such a huge decision! And she loved them both. So, I asked the technician if she could polish one nail in each color to help her choose. The woman just smiled at me and in broken English said, "It her bir-day, ri?"

"Yes," I told her.

She winked at me, painted two nails in alternating colors and then just kept going. I'm not sure I've ever seen Lauren with a bigger smile on her face. As she finished the second coat she asked Lauren, "You wan spawkas?"

Alternating pink and purple polish with SPARKLES? It was like a dream come true. A very, very happy birthday dream.

Happy birthday, Lauren!

stick it to me

We'd barely finished breakfast when Audrey came to me with a snack in her hand. "Can I eat this cheese stick?"

I gave her a skeptical look as I wondered to myself if she could really be hungry.

She responded with a coy look of her own and the perfect justification: "It was just . . . sitting in the refigerato . . .waiting fo me to eat it."

baby girl

We saw Baby Girl's sweet face today! The technician commented on her thick eyelashes (which apparently aren't normally visible with ultrasound) and, no surprise, all of that hair!

I haven't had an ultrasound at 36 weeks before, and it was really fun to catch a glimpse of what she looks like. We're so excited for her to arrive!

Isabella Moore

Over the summer Ella announced that when school started she wanted to be called Isabella. I told her I was all for it, but asked her to really think about it to be sure.

As we walked into her classroom on the first day of school I asked her, "Are you sure you want to be Isabella?" She smiled.

"Yes."

So, I introduced her to her teacher as "Isabella Moore" and explained the change. It was no problem for her teacher, but something tells me it still may take awhile . . .

i vant my polo

After spending a day at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg waiting for the Outer Banks to recover from Irene, our group of three families was finally heading for the beach. Kim emerged from our hotel room wearing his pink polo with a popped collar. It didn't look bad, but I couldn't resist teasing him a little, so I asked, "Did you mean to pop your collar this morning?" He smiled and shot me a look. As we climbed into the car where the girls had been waiting Lauren said,

"Dad, you look like a pink dracula." It was so unprovoked and so perfect. We shared one of those big, family laughs that happen so rarely and are so much fun.

Before we left the parking lot we let all the kids draw on our row of minivans with window markers. Ours was covered with big yellow suns, and the words, "Yay!" and "We're going to the beach!" Ella wrote, "Sun and Fun are the only rules!" I added the customary, "OBX or BUST." And right there on Kim's driver side window, in Lauren's handwriting, pink letters spelled out: "Our dad is a pnk dracule."

The girls had the giggles for miles.

B & W

Today I introduced the girls to Lassie. They love it! Every time Lassie does a trick -- holding something in her mouth, pulling a wagon, or going for help (Doesn't that happen in every episode?) they laugh and laugh at how smart she is.

My favorite was when, a few minutes into it, Lauren asked me, "Mom, in olden times were things colorful?"

the big 3

Audrey turned 3 this week! It was a fun day, made so much better because Kim happened to be home for a few days from his extended trial work in Richmond. Hooray!

As always, we opened presents as soon as everyone was awake. Audrey got two books, two swimsuits she'll need for our upcoming beach trip, a cute and cuddly stuffed horse from Grandma and Grandpa Humble, a matching game, some play-doh, some dress up clothes, and her very own "compoota" -- a Leapfrog laptop that apparently makes her feel wonderfully older than three. Kim made some yummy pancakes before he headed into the office, and the girls and I picked up some balloons for the day's festivities.

Mid-morning, Kennedy Burt and Sophia Green came over for a Dora birthday party. Audrey dressed like Dora for the occasion, but quickly changed into her new princess dress ups, over and over and over again. The girls colored, played with play-doh, had lunch, decorated Dora cupcakes, played "Dora Says" and (of course) watched an episode of Dora. My favorite moment was during lunch when Audrey surveyed her friends and sisters sitting around the table and said, with complete sincerity, "You are all really awesome girls."

Kim called later in the afternoon and said he'd finished up his work and could join us at the pool. So, we had an early dinner and spent the evening swimming. The girls had so much fun showing off their swimming skills and jumping off the diving board for Dad. When everyone was tuckered out, we headed home to sing happy birthday and have cupcakes -- a nice end to a very fun day.

After we put the girls to bed, I thought about that night three years ago when we met our Audrey for the first time, and all of the fun we've had with her since. She's such a sweet, spunky, funny little person. We're so blessed that she came to our family. We love you, Audrey!

xoxox

bugged out

After a recent trip to the pool I opted to shower the girls in the somewhat rustic locker room. Lauren stepped into a stall and immediately spotted a giant daddy long legs. I had just returned from disposing of it when Lauren pointed out a small, brown beetle. Eager to get on with her shower, I tried to comfort her by saying, "Oh, that's just a baby beetle looking for his mom." She looked at me horrified, "That means his MOM is IN THERE."

hooked on phonics

Today as I drove the girls to gymnastics class Audrey kept asking, "Where are we going?" I had answered, "Gymnastics!" at least 10 times before adding, "And I'm not saying it again." Then I heard Lauren from the backseat, "She won't say it again, Audrey, but . . . it starts with a 'j' and it ends with an 'x'."

spokane summer 2011

Well, they've done it again. Grandma and Grandpa Humble have managed to pack a whole summer of fun into three weeks. The girls have:

Ridden the carousel

Played in the Riverfront Park spray ground

Shopped at the mall, and the Mercantile

Visited Manito Park's gardens, greenhouse and playground

Had lunch at the Park Bench

Fed the seagulls

Checked out books at the library

Picked glorious peonies from Grandma's garden

Pulled weeds to earn money for gleeful trips to the Dollar Store

Enjoyed delicious dinners on the deck

Slipped and slid down the hill

Camped out in the backyard

Watched deer and spotted wild turkeys from the windows

Visited Fairchild AFB and saw the planes Grandpa used to fly

Covered the driveway with sidewalk chalk

Blown lots of bubbles

Slept with the windows open

Gone horseback riding at the Powells

Run around in a real backyard!

Played with the neighbor's dogs

Eaten homemade ice cream

Watched movies

Seen a movie in the theater

Picked strawberries on Green Bluff

Helped make jam

Baked cookies

Painted pictures

Slurped root beer floats at A&W

Watched grandpa fly his airplanes and helicopter

Played at the park

Swam at the pool

Walked the hills with Grandma

Visited Coeur d'Alene Lake

Played with visiting cousins

Learned a new song . . ."Do, Re, Mi" (and performed it over, and over, and over)

Told lots of jokes at the dinner table

Left their footprints in a concrete stepping stone

and last but not least . . .

Taken lots of baths in the "bubby tub."

Grandma and Grandpa, thanks for making so many memories with us! We love you.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

weight for it

While at Grandma and Grandpa's house we contemplated trying out a local trampoline gym. "It sounds fun," I told the girls, "but I won't be jumping on a trampoline."

"Why not?" Ella asked.

Lauren was quick with the obvious answer, "Because it can't hold her weight."

I think I gasped a little. "That's not true," I told her. "I can't jump because it's not safe for pregnant ladies to jump on trampolines."

Completely unconvinced, Lauren asked, "Is that the other reason?"

baptism

A lot of planning went into Ella's baptism, mostly on Ella's part. She planned her program from beginning to end, inviting Grandma and Grandpa Humble to give talks, and asking Lauren to sing "Baptism" while she accompanied her on the piano. Ella felt excited, but nervous, and a little unsure of how it would all come together. She wasn't the only one.

Fortunately, we had lots of help. A great seamstress made Ella a pretty white dress to be baptized in; Miss Ashlee, Ella's piano teacher, helped her learn her music; Grandpa Humble and Kim printed the program; Grandma Humble made almost 100 cupcakes; and good friends volunteered for other tasks.

About 50 people came to the baptism, and a lot of them were kids -- most of whom were tired after a busy Sunday, and less than reverent. But as I watched Ella sitting on the front row, her attention was fixed. She listened to the talks and really seemed to appreciate the importance of her special day. She played the piano beautifully, and Lauren sang like a bird. (I was so relieved!) Their performance was enough to amaze the children into silence.

Soon, the moment had arrived. I stood at the stairs to the font and watched as Kim said the baptismal prayer, lowered Ella into the water and then raised her up, as new as the day she was born. I wrapped her in a towel, dried her off, and slipped her into another pretty white dress. As I braided her hair and tied it with a ribbon I said to her, "Well, you're as pure and clean as you've ever been. How does it feel?" She had a quick answer, "Cold." But when I turned her around to look at her, she smiled up at me and I could see it in her face. Her sleek hair, bright eyes and rosy cheeks glowed with it -- the light of Christ.

We rejoined everyone, then Ella received the gift of the Holy Ghost and a beautiful blessing from Kim. There were lots of handshakes and hugs, followed by cupcakes and congratulations afterward. It was a special night, and one that I hope she'll always remember with joy.

Well done, Ella! We're so proud of you and the decision you made to be baptized. We love you.

xoxoxo

cheese, please

At dinner recently we asked Lauren if she wanted a hamburger or a cheese burger.

"I want a hamburger," she said, "with cheese."

"That's a cheese burger, honey," I told her.

"No," she explained, "A hamburger without cheese is just a meat sandwich."

hit girl

Lauren and Audrey were at it again. I don't know why, but sometimes those two just don't get along. At some point during this particular skirmish, Audrey felt incapable of exacting her revenge. She came into the kitchen where Ella and I were standing and announced, "Ella, I want you to kick La-wen in da face."

"Audrey!" I scolded her, "Why would you say something like that? We don't hurt each other." She didn't even look at me.

"Ella, " she said again, "I WANT you to KICK La-wen in DA FACE." Ella and I looked at each other in silence, and then Audrey burst into tears. "Ella!" she sobbed, "I know you can do it! I KNOW you can."

She's so cute when she's angry.

helper

I spent most of the afternoon in the kitchen, preparing for Sunday dinner guests. Kim was out home teaching, which left me feeling a little short-handed. Ella and Audrey were napping, and I thought Lauren was, too, until she wandered into the kitchen in her underwear holding her blanket. "Can I help you, Mom? I love to help." I was already watching the clock and didn't feel like I could afford to be distracted, so I said,
"Not really, honey, but thanks for offering." She watched me quietly for a couple of minutes and then said again, "I really love to help you, Mom."
"Okay," I told her, and came up with a couple of small jobs to do. As she did them, she chimed, "I sure love to be in the kitchen with you, Mom. I like to help. But I mostly like to be here with you."
She watched as I poured the milk mixture over my tres leches cake, and told me, "You make the best cakes, Mom! They taste so good. But they're also made with a lot of love."

I needed that.

prelude

Ella requested some help getting ready for her piano recital. She asked me to paint her nails and curl her hair. And she shyly suggested that maybe she could wear a little blush. And maybe . . . some lip gloss? I was happy to oblige.

We sat at the dining room table and painted her nails a pretty pink that Ella commented made her fingers look like flower petals. Then we went upstairs to the bathroom where I took a deep breath and made my first attempt at styling Ella's thick mane with a curling iron. I sectioned her hair into three ponytails, each one of them with enough hair for any seven-year-old girl. Curling all of it took about 40 minutes, and Ella opted to pass the time with a Real Simple magazine from my nightstand. I watched her read entire articles with titles like, "Modern Manners: How do you ensure that the office won't bother you when you go on vacation?" and "Life Lesson: A mom bids a fond farewell to carpooling." My favorite was when she, while surveying Father's Day gift ideas, laughed out loud at how each of the featured alma mater-style gifts was from a school with a team in the Big 10 Women's Golf Championship.

After an hour of pampering, Ella's requests had been granted. She looked as beautiful as ever, but felt a little extra special. She was ready for her solo.

This photo was taken after the recital, when her heavy locks had lost most of their curl.
The ringlets were so pretty while they lasted!

essays

Ella had some free time at school today, so she wrote a couple of essays.

Pretending by Ella Moore

Pretending is using your imagong going be ond your drems. You can be a pirat, a mouse, a chef, a host, a factore worker, a princec, a super hero, a indan and much more. Some of your wildest dreams can come but you need the right tools. Not the kind of hamer kind of tool. The stick and ball kind. Pretending has come from cave man to cars from acent Rome to Obama. Pretending has came a long way. My sisters and I have done a lot of pretending. Still a lot of peopel pretend dayly. It is still a comen thing. Some games have pretending like Srades and Who am I. I like prentending. The End

Golf by Ella

Golf is a sport. It is very fun to play. But it is hard. First you learn abot the game. You learn about the profesonels. Then you get clubs. Then you learn the swing. The swing is very crucil. If you miss a move the ball will go in the oppuset direcson. If you are a pro and you tap the ball a teny bit it conts. Each hole has a par. A par is a estemet of the emout of hits. Let's say the par is 5 so if a player gets the ball in the hole in 4 shots he gets a eagel. If he gets the ball in the hole in 5 shots it's a . . . par! If he gets the ball in the hole in 6 shots he gets a Bogey. If he gets it in the hole in 7 shots a dobel Bogey and so on. My 3 favrote players are Tiger Woods, Fil Nicelson and KJ Choy who just won the PGA tore. I am going to a tornemet too in June. I will be abel to see my favrot playres ther and I will be happy! I wont to be a pro when I grow up and my dad will be my caty! The end.

fine print

As souvenirs from Arizona, the girls each got a geode with instructions that read:

So you think this looks like an ugly rock? Well, break it open and see what Mother Nature has created -- beautiful crystals in all colors and forms. Use care opening. Leave geode in bag and tap gently with hammer to open.

The girls and I sat on the driveway while each of them took a turn opening their geode. Ella started out by "tapping gently" but soon turned to hammering with all her strength. After two or three minutes without success she turned to me and asked, "Somewhere on the instructions are there tiny letters that say, 'Results may vary?'"

H2. . .oh

As I cleared the dinner dishes, Audrey approached me, her extended arm holding what was left of her water. "Thanks," I told her, and turned to dump it in the sink.

"It's fo yo baby," she informed me.

"Hmmm, " I said as I surveyed the swirling backwash and continued to the sink. "Thanks."

"It's FO yo BABY," she said again, louder this time. She had a determined look.

"You mean . . . you want me to drink it?" I asked her.

"Yes." She waited.

I put the cup to my mouth and pretending to drink. "Mmm, thank you!"

"You welcome," she sang, and skipped away.

Post-edit: Audrey observed recently, "You baby likes soda."

breakfast table

The girls surprised us by setting the table for breakfast and even making toast! I don't know which part is my favorite -- the single strawberry on each plate, or the yogurt pyramid.

shenanigans

Guess who got a toddler bed this weekend?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsB3oL0WesE

royal confusion

The girls and I enjoyed watching William and Catherine's royal wedding this weekend.

When Lauren came downstairs and saw Ella and I watching, she asked what was going on. "That girl is marrying a prince," I explained, "and is about to become . . . a princess!"

She looked at me quizzically. "Mom, I thought you said fairy tales were not real."

patriotism

Today Lauren and I had this conversation in the car:

"Mom, a worm doesn't have a stomach, right?"

"It does have a stomach. And guess how many hearts an earthworm has."

"Ummm, one?"

"Nope."

"Five?"

"No. Ten!"

"Ten?" She was shocked. "He needs a lot of arms to say the Pledge of Allegiance."

Note: Turns out I was wrong about worms having stomachs. Technically, the have guts. Just in case you were wondering.

bellisima by blumarine

Lauren is a sensory child.

She chooses her clothes based not on looks, but comfort. Sock seams must align with toes. Pant legs must not "hug." Shirt collars should not brush against her neck. She prefers the texture of crocheted blankets, and the smell of one crocheted blanket in particular. Her right hand clutches the blanket and strokes it repetitively with her index finger. Her left hand holds the blanket to her nose while she inhales what appears to be pure comfort.

On Sunday, Lauren sat to the left of me. Half-way through the meeting, she started nuzzling my arm, rubbing her nose into my sleeve as if tracing its paisley pattern. I was amused at first, but after a few minutes I whispered, "Do you think you could get off my arm?"

"You smell good." I remembered I had tried a new perfume sample that morning and decided to let her enjoy it, which she did for the rest of the meeting.

This morning she climbed into our bed to get warm. She cuddled next to me and sniffed at my shoulder. "How do I smell?"

"Normal." So, for fun, I climbed out of bed and spritzed my arm with the perfume. I snuggled next to her and waited. As expected, her peacefully closed eyes opened wide, and her sleepy pout spread into a huge smile. "How did you do that?"

"It's perfume." I could see her wheels turning.

"Where do you keep that?"

"I'm not telling."

She snuggled up with my arm and seemed content to smell me. And I have to admit, I was pretty content being smelled.

Her blanket's got it good.

tender mercy

I was so tired last night, but I couldn't get to sleep. Instead, I lay awake thinking of everything I could be doing better. I worried that I'm not giving the girls enough of my time and attention, that they don't have enough fun, that in some ways they're not having the childhood I want them to have. Eventually, rest quieted my thoughts.

Then this afternoon, as Audrey and I walked hand-in-hand to pick up the girls from school, she suddenly said, "I love my life so much."

"What?" I asked, wondering what I'd heard. She repeated herself clearly.

"My life. I love my life."

And just like that, a tired mother's prayer was answered.

no such recipient

I found this series of emails in Ella's inbox. She tried to email a thank you to one of her teachers, but it was returned. I amused by her response:

what ever

- Show quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Final-Recipient: rfc822; aicarodriguez@apsva.us
Action: failed
Status: 5.0.0
Diagnostic-Code: X-Postfix; host

aeschylus.groupwise.instruction.nds[158.59.252.67] said: 550 No such
recipient (in reply to RCPT TO command)

- Hide quoted text -

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Isabella Moore <isabella.j.moore@gmail.com>
To: aicarodriguez@apsva.us
Date: Thu, 30 Dec 2010 15:24:00 -0500
Subject: Thank you

Thank you thank you thank you for being A part of first grade !

take down

So, I haven't been feeling great lately and I'm maybe behind on a few things.

Last week our landlords hired a crew of 14 Virginia country boys to take down two huge, dead trees in our backyard. We had two guys in the tree tops with chainsaws dangling from their belts, cutting branches that were lowered to the ground by ropes held by four or five other guys charged with keeping the branches from crashing into our house. It was awesome. I thought it would be fun to let the girls sit on our bed upstairs and eat popcorn while they watched the spectacle.

When we picked Ella and Lauren up from school I asked, "Guess who's at our house?" I must have seemed pretty excited because Ella immediately yelled, "The Poulsens!" (They're our good friends who moved away last summer.)
"No. Guess again."
"Grandma and Grandpa!"
"No." I was beginning to realize I'd oversold this a bit.
Lauren beamed, "You got us a puppy!"
"Wow. No."
With pure excitement, Ella announced her next guess: "Someone is doing our laundry!"

early recruiting

As we drove to the grocery store, Ella asked me, "Mom, do you think I get can into BYU?"
"Sure," I told her, "if you do your best and get good grades."
"But I heard it's getting really hard to get in."
"I don't think you need to worry about it."

It was quiet for a minute while she thought about her chances, then said, "Well, I guess if I don't get into BYU I can always go to college in my pajamas."
"What?"
"You know, college in my pajamas. On the internet."
Lauren decided to help me out, "She saw it on TV."

Which made me wonder, are they really airing online college commercials during episodes of Spongebob Squarepants? Phineas and Ferb? MythBusters?

child psych 201

Almost eight years into this parenting thing, and I'm happy to say that I'm learning.

Audrey was really tired tonight, so I took her upstairs to put her to bed early. She was fine until I started to carry her toward her crib. "Ella and Lauren?" She was frowning. "Downstayuz? Downstayuz!"

"They're coming to bed in a few minutes, Audrey," I told her, "but you get . . . a headstart."

"Headstot?" she asked, now beaming. "Me? Headstot? YAY!"

Two Twinkle Twinkle Little Stars and an "ABCDEFG song" later she closed her eyes and went to sleep, happy as could be.

Yay.

TLC

Ella wasn't feeling well today and stayed home from school. She rested in bed most of the morning, then brought me a piece of paper, rolled up and tied with ribbon. "What's this?"

"My lunch order," she said quietly, then turned and went upstairs.

I opened the scroll:

oster crackers

red gater ade

a good book

I love that girl.

pure gold

Today Lauren brought home her St. Patrick's Day essay, "My Pot of Gold."

It reads:

I fawd a pot uv Gold udr my beb. it was big. I was shoct. I bot ckade. it was grat! I bot a tv foe the cklas room. I saw a nackid lepprchon. I olso saw a mucke that ws nackid. I cootit blev it.

As she read it to me:

I found a pot of gold under my bed. It was big. I was shocked. I bought candy. It was great! I bought a tv for the classroom. I saw a naked leprechaun. I also saw a monkey that was naked. I couldn't believe it.

the most awesome board in the world

Ella did a biography project on Dr. Seuss recently, and loved it. She researched the life of Theodore Geisel and created a display board that she presented it to her class. She did a great job, and I was really proud of her.

The night Ella practiced her presentation Lauren asked, "Can I do . . . an introduction?" And then she gave Ella the most enthusiastic and sincere introduction she could have imagined. I love it. And I know Ella did, too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTUbnjntz7M

sock hop

The girls look forward to Taylor Elementary's Annual Sock Hop every year. It always has a fun 50's theme and lots of great music. This clip is a little long, but I never get tired of watching it. Lauren's got moves. (And I love watching the girls' reaction to the show off! Classic.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pt5969v0HZg

good medicine

I caught Audrey with her fist deep inside a new jar of Nutella, and her mouth covered in evidence. "Audrey!" I scolded her. "Why did you do that?"

"Ummmm," she said, thinking about it. "I'm sick." She frowned.

"And this is your medicine?" I was trying not to laugh.

"Yup," she said, smiling. "Medicine!"

Who says money can't buy happiness?

snapshot

Today Kim and I grabbed a quick lunch before he headed out of town for the week. As Audrey basked in our attention, laughed, and helped herself to our french fries I gazed at her at thought: You happy girl, I want to always remember the way you look right now.

amen

At dinner tonight the girls asked me why we don't pray in restaurants. I explained that since restaurants are noisy places with lots of people it's sometimes easier just to say a prayer in your heart.

Ella said, "I just pray in the bathroom."

"You do?" I asked her, surprised. "Really? When?"

"I do it every time at Lily's house. Right before we sit down I say I have to go to the bathroom and I bless the food in there. Works every time."

"Wow." While I thought about what to say, Ella continued.

"The bathroom isn't the most reverent place, but it is a place where you can have your privacy."

signs of the times

Earlier this week, Audrey and I held hands as we walked along the sidewalk to pick up the girls from school. As we reached the top of the hill, Audrey saw a Red Top cab. She gasped, "Daddy car! Daddy car!" She turned her face up to look at me, "No work?"

Today happens to be Kim's birthday. When I went into Audrey's room to wake her from her nap. She first asked her usual question: "Ella and Lauren?"

"They're here!" I told her.

"Daddy?" she asked hopefully, "No work?"

"No," I said, "Daddy's at work." He's in Palo Alto this week. Again.

She looked at me disapprovingly, "Birthday."

"I know. No fair, huh?"

Not fair. But hopefully short-lived. Happy birthday, Kim! We love you. Maybe next year we'll be able to celebrate when you walk in the door just in time for our nightly family dinner.