on the other foot

As we searched for Audrey's red sandals, I asked her, "Have you lost them again?"
"I don't know," she said, exasperated. "I keep track of them, but they don't keep track of me."

happy father's day

I think Kim had a great day! It included homemade cards, a SodaStream, the U.S. Open, a dish of 7-layer dip, and burgers on the grill. But if you ask him, I'm sure he'll say his favorite part was this: 

If you guessed that this was Lauren's idea, you are correct. She came to me a few days ago and said, 

"I know what we should make Dad for Father's Day!" 

"Yes?"

"A FUZZY CELL PHONE CASE." 

I must have given her a quizzical look, because she immediately launched into a how-to: "We could get some pompoms, the NEON kind, and glue them all over the case." I laughed, but I knew she was onto something. On an errand to the craft store I spotted the pompoms and brought them home to three very happy girls who quickly went to work. The results exceeded their expectations, though this photo suggests the prototype might need a little work.

Lauren is not dissuaded. Thanks in large part to the confidence and entrepreneurial spirit her father has instilled in her, she's announced a plan to trouble shoot and mass-produce her fuzzy phone cases in a new Etsy shop! The large crowd of people who gathered around Kim and laughed hysterically in the church lobby will be pleased to know that they, too, can have a fuzzy phone case of their own, 

unless . . . 

sweetness

Kim seemed to have homework and bath time under control, so I slipped out to finish some yardwork I'd started earlier in the day.

Just as the sun was setting, Audrey came down the front steps. "I put my shoes on, in case you need some helping hands. Do you need some helping hands?"
"I would love some help from your helping hands!" I told her. She beamed.
"I thought you did. That's why I put on my shoes."

I asked her to hold the trash bag while I filled it with yard trimmings. She asked if she could help with the ivy, but I told her there were some prickly things in there I didn't want her to touch. As I filled the bag, some of the trimmings brushed her arms. "I didn't touch the prickles, Mama! I didn't do it. They touched me." She smiled at her own cleverness.

We finished our cleanup in the dark and Audrey exclaimed, "It sure would be handy to have a jar of fire flies right now!" Indeed.

Could it be that this funny little person is going to kindergarten this fall? That my short season having her to myself is almost though? I am resolved to savor every sweet day with her.

I love you, D$!

daily sighting

What's a girl to do when her necklace-wearing dog is on a leash tied to her jeggings, but she doesn't want to risk him getting dirty in the bathroom when she has to go? 

Strip and run. 

audrey marie moore

Today on the walk home from school Audrey took off ahead of us, as she sometimes does. But instead of stopping at the intersection nearest our house as usual, she ran dangerously across two streets. I called to her, "Audrey! Stop right there!" Lauren set out to catch her, but after a few strides stopped and turned back to me, "Mom?" she asked seriously, "Is this a time to use Audrey's full name?"

yeehaw

Lindsay

Begin forwarded message:

From: Kim Moore <kimmoore@gmail.com>
Date: November 17, 2012 9:41:33 AM EST
To: Lindsay Moore <moorelindsay@gmail.com>
Subject: Video for blog

compwiments

When it comes to original compliments, Audrey can't be beat.

Yesterday when I finished getting ready for church she said, "Mom, you look really cute, and (she paused as she searched for just the right word and then said it with great emphasis) . . . styling.

Tonight at dinner when I asked if she liked her chicken stew, she said it was, "Really good. Kind of . . .    Grandma."

Thanks, Audrey!

eskimo

This is Audrey, prepped and waiting for her Eskimo kiss. 

Why are her eyes so tiny?

                                                                   

singing time (out)

Ella made some crafts after school today -- a leafy crown and flaming crepe paper scepter for an "Autumn King" costume for Lauren's giant bear, if you're curious -- and Audrey destroyed them. Tore them up for no apparent reason. After a serious talking to, offering an apology, and being put in time out, she sat on the stairs and cried. After several minutes I heard her belting out a familiar tune (I'll try to do justice to her pronunciation):

"I am a chiwod of God/and he has sent me hee-yah/Has given me an oothwy home/ with pawents kind and dee-yah." She yelled, "DO YOU KNOW THE WOODS TO DAT SONG?!"

I called back, "Yes, I do. Why are you singing it right now?"

"So that you can REMEMBA the woods and REMEMBA that you supposed to be NICE to me."

bless her heart

Warmer weather means skirts, shorts, and scraped knees for our sweet Audrey. It's been a rough week. She's agreed to wear pants for awhile to let these heal. And I think she's learning to listen when I call out, "Au-drey! Slow down!"

peepers

As I tucked Audrey in for her nap I said, as I so often do, "Close your peepers." Audrey cheerfully replied,
"You want me to close my peepers because sometimes I wet the bed, right?"

I stopped to take in what she'd said. I thought of all the times I've told her to close her peepers, and all the times she's said, "Okay, Mom! I will!" and it broke my heart a little.

We had a chat to clear up her confusion and had a good giggle about it. Then she snuggled down, her eyes shut tight.

aunt jan

Kim's Aunt Jan was a big fan of this simple, little blog. So it seems fitting to record a conversation we had around the dining room table this afternoon.

While the older girls did homework, Audrey played with a gospel-themed felt activity board Aunt Jan gave the girls years ago. I mentioned to Audrey, "Aunt Jan gave that to us, but now she lives with Heavenly Father." She gasped, then smiled, and her huge eyes grew even larger than usual as she exclaimed,
"That's nice!"
"Actually," Lauren explained, "It's not really nice because she's dead."
"She's not dead!" Audrey was quick to correct her. "She's still alive. She just lives with Heavenly Father."

So, this post is for you, Aunt Jan! I knew you would appreciate it.

busy body

As Kim read aloud during family scripture study Audrey flipped through the pictures at the back of her Book of Mormon. She pointed to Samuel the Lamanite high on the wall and whispered to me, "That would be really busy with so many people throwing arrows at you."

all out of . . .

post-it tabs, apparently. Walked away from my cookbook and grocery list for 60 seconds and this is what happened. Bless Audrey's little heart. It was just too much to resist.

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.

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."

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

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

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.

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."