oldies

There's just not much worth watching on TV these days, especially for kids. Some of my old favorites, like Little House on the Prairie, have been enjoyed by the girls on cable TV. But our recent subscription to Netflix has opened up a whole new world.

First up, Brady Bunch. Before I played the first episode I explained to them, "Girls, when I was your age, every day after school I would race off the bus, get a yogurt out of the fridge, and sit down in front of the TV just in time for this show to start. See what you think." Safe to say, if Brady Bunch were still on TV they'd be racing home to watch it, too. I let them watch the first three episodes for Friday Movie Night, and by Sunday night they'd watched the whole first season. Two things dominated our discussion afterward: The girls wish we had a Tiger, and I wish we had an Alice!

Next up, Leave It to Beaver. I wasn't sure if they'd go for black and white, but it turns out black and white TV is to kids what subtitles are to adults; a few minutes into it they didn't even notice. They were too busy laughing at Wally pretending to take a bath to stay out of trouble, and The Beaver carrying a toad in his pocket. Personally, I'm amused by June and Ward's perfection and, at times, educated by their parenting. It's funny to see what the girls are picking up. Today I found a gift tag Ella made for Audrey's birthday present to Kim. It reads, "This book was made by Audrey Moore on account of her Dad's birthday." Ha!

We just got Brady Bunch Season 2 in the mail. Next in the queue: The Cosby Show.

Who needs cable?

stocks

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

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.

sugar plums

The girls have been wanting to see The Nutcracker for a couple of years now, so I decided this would be the year. I bought three tickets online today, for the girls and myself, since Kim said he didn't really care either way and could stay home with Audrey. On the way home from school I announced my plan.

"Girls! Guess what?"

"What?"

"Today I bought tickets for us to see . . . The Nutcracker!"

"Yeah!" They shouted for joy. I loved seeing the excitement on their faces, and hoped they wouldn't be too disappointed by what I would say next.

"So, I bought three tickets. One for each of you, and one for me." The celebration ceased.

"Hey!" Ella protested, "What about Dad?"

"He said he would stay home and watch Audrey," I explained. "We decided it was the best idea." It was quiet while the girls walked ahead of me and glanced at each other as if to decide which of them would break the news.

"Um, Mom?" Lauren began, "We really like you, but we see you all the time. We want to go with Dad." As I thought about how I should respond she very politely added, "But thanks for getting us the tickets."

Of course, I'm happy for the girls to go with Kim. It will be date night with Daddy, and it will be magical.

I couldn't have planned it better myself.

things overheard while cleaning the bathrooms

Ella: "I get to clean our bathroom!"

Lauren: "No. I get to clean our bathroom."

Me: "You can clean my bathroom, Lauren."

Lauren: (inspecting the toilet) "Hmmm. The other one is dirtier. I want the dirty one."

Ella: "Mom, we're having a contest to see who can make their bathroom the cleanest. And you can't just say that they're both the same. You have to be the hardest judge in the world."

Me: "Ella, I think a half a bottle of Soft Scrub will be plenty for the sink."

Lauren: (squirting cleaner into the toilet): "Mmmmm, Minty! Look, Mom. I'm so good at cleaning the toilet! It's so . . . sparkly."

Me: "Audrey, you can stop cleaning the floor now. It's all done. Really. All done." She burst into tears.

Ella: "Mom, can I scrub the toilet by myself. Please?"

Me: "Lauren, could you bring me the Folex?"

Lauren, reappearing moments later, strikes a pose, ready to spray: "It's Folex here! On the job!"

Ella: "Everybody! Get off of my clean floor!"

Me: "Lauren, could you bring me a white trash bag?"

Lauren, holding it open as wide as possible: "I've got it! Look at me! I'm so strong."

Lauren: "I love cleaning the bathroom! Heeheehee . . ."

It would have been easier to do it myself, but I'm going to enjoy this while it lasts.

second annual

Tonight we had our Second Annual Back to School Dinner. I really struggled with the theme this year. After considering several options, I was still trying to come up with just the right one even as I set the table. When I realized I'd forgotten to pick up flowers for the centerpiece, I looked around for what I could use instead. I focused in on my white ceramic owl and it hit me -- Mosiah 4:27.

"And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order."

I put my owl on top of a Book of Mormon in the middle of the table, and used them during dinner to explain the theme to the girls. I'm not sure how much Lauren understood, since every time I asked her a question she asked, "Is the owl our clue?" But I'm sure the girls will come to understand the meaning of the scripture more throughout the year.

To be honest, I think this year's theme is as much for me as for them. It will be a good reminder for me as I work each day -- sometimes against considerable resistance -- to help the girls learn the value of daily scripture study, family prayer, jobs, homework and (new this year) piano practice. If we are diligent, it will all be worth the effort.

entrepreneurial spirit

Something about summer brings out the lemonade stand in us all.

At our house we've seen two new businesses set up in as many days.

Yesterday, Ella handed out coupons for "Free mosojis and Jello." She would have been busier, but her target market was at work.

Today, it was a blanket fort in the living room with a sign:

"Welcome to hotel Moore!

Free Books and Reading"

The hotel was hugely popular, and since it's heavily subsidized by a parent company, it will reopen tomorrow.

Its proprietors are thrilled.

spring break

April 1st and 80 glorious degrees. It was one of those days you have to make the most of. And we did.

We started at 10:30 with an egg hunt at a friend's house. Brunch buffet, a pack of preschool friends, friendly parents, green grass, singing birds and sunshine. Oh, and a field full of hidden eggs filled with candy. Could it get any better than this? We intended to find out.

At noon it was on to Parkhurst Park to meet up with three friends and their combined total of 10 kids for a picnic lunch and an afternoon of lazy fun. The park was just improved and now features a big gazebo with picnic tables, a climbing wall, and a rope walk. But all of that may have been invisible to the girls and their friends. They spent our entire four hours there playing in two natural sand areas that feature old-fashioned water pumps. Moat digging, dam building and sand castle construction kept everyone happy as could be.

As the afternoon drew to a close, I decided to let Ella in on the rest of our plan. "I didn't tell you about it before now," I said, "but you know the author who wrote When You Give a Mouse a Cookie, and When You Give a Moose a Muffin, and all of those books?"

"Yes," she said.

"Well," I told her, "She's coming to our neighborhood today and she wants to read you her new book." Ella squealed, put both hands to her mouth, danced a little, then ran to tell the others.

I changed the girls into clean, dry clothes and piled them into the car. We were surprised to arrive at the book reading and discover it was also a giveaway. Each of the children got their own copy of Laura Numeroff's new book, "The Jellybeans and the Big Book Bonanza." She read it, and then signed each book to each child individually. She told us how she came from a family of three little girls, and that it was nice to meet us and remember how fun it was growing up. Ella beamed.

Since it was already dinner time, I decided to stop and get happy meals. Oh, the celebration. On the way home, Ella informed me, "This was my best day ever!" Then added, "And you're the best Mom ever!"

"You are!" Lauren chimed. "The best mom ever!"

"Thanks, girls," I told them,"I try."

Before we ate our dinner on the screened porch, Lauren offered to say the blessing. Right in the middle of it, Ella leaned over to her and whispered, "And thank you for the absolutely, positively best mom ever."

I think it was one of my best days ever, too.

holy rollers

Sure, it was Sunday. But it also happened to be one of the prettiest days of the year so far. And Mom and Dad were visiting. And besides, we all needed some fresh air. So, we decided today would be the day -- the day that Ella learned how to ride a bike.

She's been ready for such a long time. We just rarely go for bike rides in our roller coaster neighborhood. For her maiden ride we chose the level basketball court and slightly more forgiving baseball field at Taylor, her elementary school.

As we arrived, I shouted to her across the field, "This is the day, Ella! You're going to ride your bike!" She didn't seem convinced.

We took off the training wheels, then strapped on her helmet. And knee pads. And elbow pads. And wrist braces. And then it was time for Kim to do what all dads have done since bike riding began. He held the back of her seat as she peddled her pink cruiser slowly and cautiously, then faster and more steadily, until it was time.

He let go. And she kept going. And going. Just like that.

She had a pretty good run, then stopped pedaling and fell over. She repeated the predictable sequence a few times, smiling occasionally but generally pretending it was, as she would say, "easy peasy lemon squeezy." After a couple of hard falls, she'd had enough and needed a break.

While Ella sipped water from her sports bottle, we watched Lauren proudly ride her purple bmx (with training wheels) around and around the basketball court. She reminded us then, and several times later, that she was really the best bike rider, because she wasn't falling over.

And then it was time for one more triumphant ride across the field to the car so that Ella could end the day with a happy memory. And she did.

Way to go, Ella. I knew you could do it.

how do I love thee?

This year I decided to start celebrating Valentine's Day on February 1st. Every night before I bed I told the girls one thing I loved about them. I was surprised they didn't always appreciate my selection ("I think Lauren's was better than mine," or, "Why did you say that?"), but I enjoyed it. And I think they felt the love.

This is the complete list for each of them:

Ella, I love . . .

1. that you're such a good helper

2. your beautiful hair

3. that you're a wonderful big sister

4. that you're such a good reader

5. your style

6. the sweet cards you make for people

7. the excited way you talk when you're telling a story

8. that you do your best in school

9. your optimism

10. your big hugs and kisses

11. your smile

12. that you're a great golfer

13. your gorgeous eyes

14. that you're always so much fun

Lauren, I love . . .

1. your little laugh

2. that you always say thank you

3. your sparkly eyes

4. how you share

5. that you are so brave

6. that you say such wonderful prayers

7. your spunk

8. your cute bum

9. the way you think about other people's feelings

10. your sneaky look

11. how when you're not sure of something, you say it and then ask, "Right, Mom?"

12. the way you fall asleep anywhere

13. your dimple

14. that you say "I love you" so many times, every single day

Audrey, I love . . .

1. your chunky thighs

2. your little ponies

3. the way you scrunch up your nose when you laugh

4. that you're such a great sleeper

5. that you love books

6. when you put your head on my shoulder

7. that you can keep up with your sisters

8. the way you make a "mmmmm-wah" noise with your kisses

9. hearing you sing to yourself

10. the way you laugh when you get exactly what you wanted

11. your rosey cheeks

12. the way you always look like you're about to tip over when you walk

13. the way you say "mama"

14. your stink eye

xo

warm & cosi

Tonight was one of those nights. The dinner hour snuck up on me. So, with little time and less energy, I piled the girls in the car. Rather than hit a drive-thru, I chose Cosi - a little soup, salad and sandwich place with soft lighting, nice music and lots of upholstered furniture.

As we sat and waited for our food I surveyed Ella's outfit - the third or fourth she had tried on before leaving the house. She was wearing a sweater, over a dress, over jeans, accessorized with a grosgrain ribbon tied around her waist, a chunky necklace and mary janes. She has her own uninhibited style, that girl. I made a mental note to try to appreciate it when she's seventeen.

Our food arrived and the girls began enjoying their pizza, fruit cups and milk. Soon Ella was explaining the nuanced flavors in her food. Then she paused, turned to me, and said quite dramatically, "I was born for food . . . and fashion."

Our fun conversation was made even better when the manager brought us four chocolate chip cookies, on the house. Dining alone with three little girls has its advantages.

As we left, Lauren said to me, so genuinely as she always does, "Mom, thanks for taking us to Warm. It's a nice a place to be."

I laughed out loud at how completely adorable she is. "Did you mean Cosi?"

She laughed at herself, "Haha! Yes."

"You're welcome."

marketing

I asked the girls what they thought of having pasta (farfalle) and a green salad for dinner.

Ella thought it sounded "okay," and Lauren yelled, "Noooooo!"

"How about . . . bats with blood sauce and weeds?"

"Yeah!"

Note: As I typed this Ella came downstairs requesting my attention.

"In just a minute, when I'm done typing something on our blog," I told her.

"Don't write anything about us," she pleaded, then plodded up the stairs and whispered under her breath, "So embarrassing."

sweet justice

Our friend, Tyler Green, is clerking for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and generously offered to take our family on a personal tour of the Supreme Court. We met him and his family on a Saturday morning, when we would have the whole place to ourselves. It was an impressive tour that included the courtroom itself, the library, the rarely seen basketball court and gym and, of course, Justice Thomas' chamber. It was fascinating to see the items selected for the walls of his office and get a sense for who Justice Thomas is as a person. As we looked around, we noticed that the children had found the open file drawer of Justice Thomas' desk, which was filled to the top with candy. I instinctively moved to pull them away, but Tyler assured us it was intended for giving. So, I watched as my daughters each picked out a small handful of candies from a Supreme Court Justice's desk and thought about how fun it would be to tell them the story years from now, when they really appreciate it.

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. 

ladies and gentlemen . . .

Tonight I tried a new arts & crafts idea with the girls. I gave them each a few sheets of paper, two ink pads and (drum roll please) permission to put their fingers in the ink to their hearts' content. You should have seen their faces.

I demonstrated how they could press their fingertips into the ink, onto the paper, and then, by drawing on simple ears and a tail, make mice! Oh, they were thrilled. They immediately went to work, pressing and drawing. I joined the fun for a few minutes, and then slipped out to finish the dishes.

About 20 minutes later, Ella came to me and declared, "I GIVE YOU . . . MICE ON A SKATEBOARD!" She flashed another paper, "AND . . . MICE ON A TRAPEZE!" The drawings really were comical, and I complimented her on her creativity. "Thanks, Mom," she said. "All I do is draw something really scary, then put in the little woodland creatures." She disappeared.

A few mintes later, I checked the girls' progress. Ella held up more papers as her voice boomed, "I GIVE YOU . . . MICE ON A TREADMILL! AND . . . MICE SHOOTING OUT OF A CANNON!"
"Very impressive, Ella. Maybe two more, then it's time for bed."
"This is so fun, Mom. I could do 100."
"I think you could, Ella. I do believe you could."

cake points

For this year's Independence Day barbeque, I decided to make Ina Garten's flag cake -- a vanilla sheet cake decorated with (a lot of) buttercream frosting, blueberries and raspberries to resemble the American flag. I was placing the berries on the cake when two kitchen chairs with little girls on them appeared on either side of me. "Wow," Ella said. 

"That is amazing," added Lauren, "You are a good baker." 

"Thanks, girls," I said, continuing with my work.

"No, really, Mom," Ella assured me. "You are a really good baker."

"The best," Lauren beamed. "And you are the best mom!"

They went on, and on, and on until it was finished. And while I ordinarily would have been a bit annoyed trying to work in the midst of their incessant chattering, I have to confess: I loved every minute. 

At the barbeque, I mentioned to Adrienne that the girls really enjoyed watching me make the cake and she said, "Oh, I know. Ella came up to me and said, 'Did you see the cake my mom made? Isn't it extra-ordinary?'" 

A tradition is born. 

happy birthday to me

Today I'm 33. Not much to celebrate, except the love of my sweet family and friends. My favorite gift this year was from Lauren. When I woke up, she was standing next to the bed, waiting to give me her homemade card. I rubbed my eyes and could just make out a couple of stick figures underneath some circular scribbles. "Who is this?" I asked.
"You and me."
"What are we doing?"
"Just looking at the clouds."

I took the girls to the park to read a book about clouds and watch the clouds go by. Once. Four months ago. It's the little things they remember. And being reminded of that fact is a wonderful gift, indeed.

happy father's day

Kim purchased two fancy, new golf clubs for himself for Father's Day, but I think the cards the girls made him are even better.

The card Ella made at school is absolutely covered in glitter (picture hopefully coming soon) with multi-colored zig zags decorating both sides. As I admired every garish detail she explained, "I tried to make it as Mexican as I could."
"Really? Why would you do that?" I smiled.
"Because Daddy's Mexican."

The card she made at home shows the growing creativity that's been really fun to see in her drawings lately. On the front, she drew a Jetsons-inspired space vehicle, complete with bubble canopy, powered by rockets and suspended by a huge bunch of balloons. On the inside, it says, "I love you to Mrse -- anD Back."

The dictated content of Lauren's card included heartfelt appreciation: "Thank you for inviting me to go with you to your work house. I hope you had a great day at work with me, and another day when you go to work. I love you giving me some hugs and kisses. And thank you for letting me watch movies all the day. From, Lauren." When we finished she said, "Oh, and we can't forget thank you for making homemade bread!" I suggested she draw the bread, so she did -- a lovely, purple loaf.

Today after church we had a U.S. Open barbeque picnic in the living room, complete with Kim's favorite cheddarwurst, kettle chips and Dr. Pepper in his new, huge plastic cup big enough to fit an entire tray of ice.

Happy Father's Day. We love you, Kim. xoxo

top o' the mornin' to ye

We started the morning with Celtic music. Predictably, Ella ran downstairs and did a caeli in the kitchen. I'd planned on Irish oatmeal, but in the interest of pure St. Patrick's Day glee, decided on Lucky Charms instead. With green milk. And green apple juice sipped through green-striped straws. The girls loved it all, but my personal favorite was Ella's very sincere prayer: "And please bless us to have a leprechauny week." 

Of course, the girls wore green to school. Before Ella left, she said, "Mom, if you could find me a dress with a big rainbow, and a pot of gold, and a leprechaun, that would be really great." 

"I'll keep my eyes open, Ella."

happy birthday to daddy

He's 31 today! To celebrate, we went out for Mexican food and gave him his gifts. The girls made him cards (Ella's included a piece of gum taped on the front and Lauren's featured a very good drawing of "Mike" from Monsters Inc.) and we gave him some of his favorite golf balls emblazoned with the words "PRACTICE MAKES AWESOME." After a nice dinner we went home, built a cozy fire, and roasted marshmallows for dessert. It was a fun night.

Happy birthday, Kim!