Valentino Days

Virtual Christmas Carol 2011

2011-12-24T16:48:00.000-08:00

Juliet's Sixth Birthday

2011-12-09T21:28:00.001-08:00

Juliet had her sixth birthday! We had a very fun family party which was dragon themed per Juliet's request. She really enjoyed having family members over and eating dinner, cake, and of course opening presents.

She made this pin the flame on the dragon game all on her own.

Don't touch the cake Cole! Actually, Cole has come a long way as a few years ago he would be attempting to lick the cake.

Yea! Birthday Girl! I thought this dragon cake I made from a design online turned out pretty great.

I was really proud of this Chinese dragon I made out of balloons and streamers because I came up with the concept and design myself.

Juliet woke up to find lots of balloons in her room.

And also this sign made by Grandma Kathryn.

These are not dragon related, but we made these super hero pops to give out to Juliet's classmates to celebrate there. They have little capes and masks and say, "Today is a SUPER day, it's Juliet's birthday. I should have looked for something dragon, but these were fun and did the trick.

Cole's Eighth Birthday

2011-12-08T22:18:00.000-08:00

Since Juliet is turning 6 today and I will be posting pictures from her special day, I realized that I had not posted any of Cole's pictures (from July!). He wanted to have a monkey party, so here are his monkey decorations and cupcakes. I loved the way the hanging "vines" looked, and the little monkey Juliet made to hang from them.

A Trip To The Columbus Museum of Art

2011-12-06T20:44:00.000-08:00

The Columbus Museum of Art recently did a huge remodel, and the kids had a fun time there earlier this year. They have a great kids room as well as hands on "stations" throughout the museum. We enjoyed the puzzles you could do of works of art, as well as the creation stations with a few materials you could go wild with. Definitely a fun trip!

A Visit To The Columbus Zoo

2011-12-06T20:34:00.001-08:00

One of many lovely trips to the zoo. As you can see, Vivien really enjoyed this one!

A Trip To COSI

2011-12-06T20:24:00.001-08:00

Our family loves COSI and we've made countless trips there. Here a few pictures I found of us at COSI last spring.

A Few Pictures from a Trip to Firefly Cafe

2011-12-06T20:04:00.000-08:00

There is a cute place we've gone to a couple of times called Firefly cafe, which is set up as a large play area for kids. A nice place for a rainy or cold day.

Vacation to Port Clinton in August

2011-12-02T07:29:00.000-08:00

In August we got to take another trip to Port Clinton. We went to a few favorite restaurants and spots, but we also enjoyed trying some new things like the African Safari and our first family trip to Cedar Point. It was a great time.

Here we are playing around at the resort where we stayed. They had great pools that we enjoyed and open grounds to stroll around on. Lot's of beautiful birds everywhere. I'm not sure why I decided to take a picture in front of the gravel pile...but it really was pretty despite that.

A day before we left for the trip Cole broke his little toe while jumping on the trampoline. I got some pictures of his boot and Juliet helping his around. Really after the first day he was back to himself and was able to get around with only a little difficulty. In truth the broken toe probably saved us from losing Cole at Cedar Point or at other spots. So it had its up sides.

The African Safari was a hoot. I guess I hadn't realized how exhilarating it would be to have animals coming right up to your car to eat. It was actually terrifying at times, but a lot of fun, and very memorable.

They also had pony and camel rides that Juliet and Cole enjoyed.

It was too busy at Cedar Point to get too many pictures, but here is one of the kids ringing out their clothes after getting soaked on a water ride. Vivien and I opted out of that one.

One of our favorite spots is on the shore right by the lighthouse.

Here is Juliet sketching Vivien. She looks like such a serious artist.

We had a great time and loved just being able to be together as a family!

Leeds Farm 2011

2011-12-02T07:12:00.000-08:00

I just thought I would share a few pictures from our Fall trip to the Leeds farm "pumpkin patch." This is something that we really look forward to each year.

October Camping Trip

2011-12-02T06:51:00.000-08:00

In October we braved the ward camping trip! It was kind of a last minute decision and we had a lot of fun. We did learn some more things for next year...like bring a lot more blankets for night, and don't dress babies in tiny socks and shoes that can fall off somewhere in a huge pile of leaves. But I'm really glad that we went.

Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T10:43:00.001-07:00

Cole was Zip the Robot. Zip the Robot has a great story that I will tell sometime. It is one of Cole's favorite toys/obsessions and he was very happy with his costume.

Juliet was Peter Pan. She love Peter Pan and has been planning on this Halloween costume all year. She was adorable and in the second picture, very cold.

Vivien was a little pink fairy. And was of course extremely cute. She had her first taste of candy, a pink lollipod of course. We let her suck on it briefly then wrested it from her (very sticky) hands.

Oh the Smiles!

2011-04-17T19:32:00.001-07:00

Juliet the Dancer

2011-04-17T19:27:00.000-07:00

After promising to do so for a long time, I finally got Juliet signed up for a dance class. She is the rowdiest kid in the class, and I'm not sure she loves it, but it has been a good experience for her to have. Also, a nice bonus is she looks awfully cute in her dance togs.

Vivien Waves in Her Sleep

2011-04-17T19:23:00.000-07:00

I love my big brother

2011-04-17T19:12:00.000-07:00

Vivien stares you down

2011-04-17T19:00:00.000-07:00

This Picture Definitely Tells a Story

2011-04-17T18:54:00.001-07:00

Oh the things that poor Cole has to endure. I used to dress my little brother up as a girl and call him Ariel. He was so pretty! Sorry Mike.

Sleeping Beauty

2011-04-17T18:40:00.001-07:00

Hanging out....

2011-03-06T19:29:00.001-08:00

Hey Mom, can Vivien lay next to me while I watch Saturday morning T.V.?

Alright, I think she's done now.

More Juliet disguises

2011-03-06T19:17:00.000-08:00

Cowgirl......

.....video game addict. I like cow girl a lot more.

Daddy loves Me!

2011-02-27T21:10:00.000-08:00

Charles is soaking up time with Baby Vivien, since he had the flu and couldn't touch her for a whole week. I love the picture of him laying beside her, because you can see how tiny Vivien is.

Vivien's first trip to church

2011-02-27T21:03:00.001-08:00

Here's Vivien getting ready to head to the church for the first time. Juliet chose a red dress so they would match. Yes, the both look very Christmasy, but cute. Let's say they are still dressing for Valentine's Day.

Creative Cole

2011-02-27T20:58:00.000-08:00

I love this complex structure that Cole built with tinker toys. This is a "tall building" which is one of the things that Cole is obsessed with right now. For some reason he loves to look at pictures of skyscrapers.

The Many Faces of Juliet

2011-02-27T20:49:00.001-08:00

Juliet is so creative and is the queen of imaginative play. It is a creative whirlwind wherever she goes. Here are a couple of cute pictures of her the first is mask of a "sack person" that she made.

(Sack people are from the video game Little Big Planet which she plays with her dad).

No costume here, I just couldn't resist this picture of my cutie. I love when her hair is back in a pony tail, but it is still short enough that it usually gets destroyed after a couple of hours of Juliet play.

This is a picture of Juliet in her self designed Link costume from the video game, The Legend of Zelda. Can you tell she's been playing a few video games with Daddy while Mommy recuperates? I especially love how she made the hat by putting a T-shirt on her head.

3 Weeks Old!

2011-02-27T20:32:00.001-08:00

Vivien Skye born February 4

2011-02-25T18:42:00.001-08:00

Our family has been very happy to welcome Vivien Skye to our family. She was born on February 4 at 5:51 p.m. This was exactly a week after her due date. I don't know how long she would have taken to come on her own. I wonder if it EVER would have happened, although I am assured that no one has ever given birth to a 2 year old.

When I went to the Doctor on Friday morning I was 4 cm. dilated and had been having on again off again contractions for weeks. The Doctor gave me the option of heading right over to the hospital and having the baby, and I'm afraid we took him up on it.

They broke my water which got me a little further then they gave me a very small amount of Pitocin which got that baby right out. I went from 6 cm dilated to 10 cm dilated in about 20 minutes. I can't express how painful that was, but I'm really glad that I didn't have the epidural because I didn't have any of the negative side effects that I've had in the past (spinal headache or scary drastic drop in blood pressure). I also thought that the pushing was MUCH better when I could feel what I was doing.

Baby Vivien is doing great. She is beautiful and a really good baby. Here are some pictures of us loving on her.

p.s. The sign was Juliet's gorgeous work.

Fun in the Snow

2011-01-24T19:06:00.001-08:00

Christmas morning

2011-01-24T18:49:00.001-08:00

Juliet's Friend Party

2011-01-10T10:08:00.002-08:00

Juliet had a princess party for her friends. I wasn't sure how many people would be able to come since December is a very busy month, so I invited lots of people and had periodic panic attacks that no one would be able to come (did I mention I'm a little neurotic about throwing parties).

Turn out was great with 7 little girls plus Juliet. We had quite a full house. We had a couple of crafts, played some princess themed games (Frog, frog, princess, pin the crown on the princess, etc...) and had fun playing.

One thing that made the party especially fun was Juliet's aunt did some gorgeous face painting for the little girls and set up a back drop for them to have their pictures taken in front of. I was thrilled that it went well and thrilled that it was over. We only do friend parties on special years, so it will be awhile before I have to do that again. Whew!

Playing with Juliet's new art easel

2011-01-10T10:02:00.003-08:00

Both kids have been enjoying this awesome art easel that Juliet got for her birthday.

Juliet's family birthday party

2011-01-10T09:25:00.001-08:00

Juliet turned 5 in December. It was a big birthday for her since she got to have a family party and and friends party this year. Here are a few pictures of her at her family party. She was very excited about Goldie the Goldfish, her pillow pet, and her other wonderful gifts.

Thanksgiving

2011-01-10T08:37:00.000-08:00

I was so thankful this Thanksgiving to be able to travel to Rolla, MO and spend the holiday with my wonderful Grandma, my mom, and my brother Michael and his family. It was so fun to spend several days with everyone. The only disappointment was that I didn't get to have my husband there as he couldn't get time off work. Not to fear, he had a good time with his Dad and family on Thanksgiving and had the opportunity to get together with lots of friends who were in town over the holiday.

Here's Grandma Kathryn enjoying a play dough session with her grandchildren.

Cute Lucas who will have to deal with being a big brother come March.

Me, taking a nap. Apparently there was a competition to see how many stuffed animals could be placed on my face without waking me up.

We brought our dress up clothes and Noah spent a lot of time dressed as a cheetah.

Juliet loved playing with her cousins.

Kensie was a wiz in the kitchen. I stepped mostly into the role of prep chef.

Many football games were watched.

I enjoyed spending time with my wonderful grandma.

Baby Elmo made an appearance.

We continued our tradition of placing five candy corns by each plate to remember the lean times that the pilgrims experienced before the first Thanksgiving.

It was a wonderful trip! Thank you Mom for doing the driving.

Our Family

2010-11-21T20:42:00.000-08:00

I thought this was a cute picture of our little family, which will soon become a little bigger as you can see from the size of my belly.

Fall at Highbanks

2010-11-21T20:19:00.000-08:00

We loved this beautiful walk at Highbanks on an amazing sunny November day.

Raking Leaves

2010-11-21T20:11:00.002-08:00

Here's a few pictures of the kids playing in the fall leaves. Juliet dove right into a pile and was having a blast.

I thought Cole would get into it to, but he sort of sat off to the side and just watched for a while. Finally, he came up to me where I was raking and said, "You're raking leaves. I'm jumping in the leaves."

Then he dove right in.

A Couple of Halloween Pictures

2010-11-21T19:57:00.000-08:00

We didn't really go all out for Halloween this year. Juliet really wanted to be a witch again, so we went with that. When I named some suggestions to Cole he also wanted to go with his past M&M costume. So, we didn't do anything new this year. We went to the church party, went Trick or Treating in Grandpa Al's neighborhood, and of course had Halloween parties at school. So, they got to do the Halloween thing. No family costume or costumes for me and Charles this year. We'll get back in the swing of things next year.

Adorable Juliet videos

2010-11-21T19:19:00.000-08:00

The first video is of Juliet making adorable fish faces.

The second video is of Juliet dancing in front of the Merry-Go-Round, can we say performer. I wonder where she got that?

Port Clinton- Part 4- Lighthouse and Weird Dinosaur Park

2010-11-21T18:19:00.001-08:00

We had so much fun exploring this lighthouse. We ran around on the rocks and climbed to the top of the lighthouse. The second batch of pictures is from a little Dinosaur park where various paper-machete dinosaurs were hiding throughout the trees. It was a little strange, but as you can see we had a lot of fun posing for pictures.

Port Clinton- Part 3- Trip to Put In Bay

2010-11-18T09:21:00.001-08:00

We had a very nice day taking the ferry over to Put-in-Bay where we enjoyed visiting two caves, going on a tour, seeing a butter-fly house, learning about the local fish, eating lunch, and a few other adventures. It was really a pretty little island and, heck, the kids were thrilled just with the ferry ride over. We did have a less than comfortable adventure getting poured on by rain for about an hour in the afternoon. Let's just say that the little open tour bus/train was not made to be water proof. But, all together it was a really neat day and Cole still mentions going back.

Hiding the frisbee

2010-11-18T08:58:00.000-08:00

Cole loved playing in the water. Here he is playing frisbee with Charles. He loved hiding the frisbee under the water and pretending he couldn't find it.

Port Clinton- Part 2- More beach time and minature golf

2010-11-18T08:32:00.000-08:00

Trip to Port Clinton- Part 1

2010-11-18T07:53:00.000-08:00

As I'm looking through my pictures in order to update the blog I realized that most of them are from the little family vacation we took this Summer. We decided to stay close to home and went up to Northern Ohio to Port Clinton.

We stayed for week up there in a hotel. For some reason my kids love staying in a hotel more than anything in the world. Cole requests going to a hotel at least once a week. "I want to go on Vacition (yes he says it that way). I want to go to a hotel." He does flush the hotel toilet about 10 times a day (a favorite Cole pass time). And of course both children enjoy the all time joyous childhood vocation of jumping from double bed to double bed. The hotel pool is also a favorites.

So here are some pictures from day one.

We had some amazing ice cream at a little local place. As I recall mine was black raspberry and was delicious.

Then we went to a little playground and a local beach. The kids really had a lot of fun by the water.

Family Pictures

2010-07-14T14:57:00.001-07:00

Playing in the Rain

2010-07-06T12:01:00.000-07:00

More Spring Pictures

A Few Pictures from the Park

2010-07-06T11:18:00.000-07:00

I thought that I would share some pictures I took of my wonderful husband and kids at the park earlier this Spring. We've still been enjoying park time, but we don't usually need sweaters and long pants these days.

Is it just me or is there a lot of good out there...

2010-06-18T22:43:00.000-07:00

Every where I look there is some story about horrible cruelity, abuse, evil. It's in the news every night, it is in the novels I read, it is even in personal stories I have heard other people tell me. But when I look at the experiences of my life I see not this great evil and human cruelity, but kindness and human goodness. Really, I have known so much goodness in others, that the alternative seems unreal to me.

Am I tremendously lucky, or are there others out there who've experienced the world in this way? I've been so blessed by loving family members and friends. I have tremendous parents and grandparents. But also when I go out into the world, I am usually met by the kindness of strangers. Strangers have often helped me when I've been in need, and countless times have been open and friendly, sharing a smile, a kind word. When so much goodness seems apparent, it is so hard believe in the evil.

Have the people in my life been perfect? No. Have they shown goodness? Yes, sometimes in astonishing amounts. I know the bad is out there, and I don't intend to seem flippant toward it or those who suffer. In fact, I feel so strongly for those who are hurting because I know it should and could be so much different. But, oh, the goodness is out there, and I will never take my eyes off of it, never.

Hairy Legs and Other Important Qualities....

2010-06-12T19:47:00.000-07:00

So, I have two over night shifts every weekend when I have plenty of down time to up date my blog. Only problem is that I'm not at my own computer, so I can't update pictures. I guess I can at least make sure to write some posts.

I had a realization today about the powerful impact that my children have on my self image. My self esteem was boosted several points as Juliet was dragged away from me to get her teeth brushed yelling, "Mommy, I want Mommy. I just LOVE Mommy. Mommy I will miss you so much if you aren't here when I wake up." On the other hand, I was taken down a couple of notches when Cole came and sat down next to me, gently placed his hand on my lower leg, and said with great delight, "Mommy has hairy legs!"

Of course, Cole meant no insult at that hairy leg comment. From his bright enthusiasm it is clear that he thinks my hairy legs are one of my best qualitities. Juliet shares a similar joy in my facial blemishes. She will stare at me with great concentration until she can point to a bump and say, "Mommy, what's that?" With only slight embarassment I'll answer, "that's a pimple honey," at which point she will reply with great chagrin, "Why don't I have any pimples!" I guess we can't all be so lucky, Juliet, you will have to learn to live with your absolutely flawless skin....until adolescence comes as puts you out of your misery.

At what point to we lose our appreciation for chubby thighs, hairy legs, and skin blemishes as potentially endearing qualities? I challenge everyone to take a chance to gaze with great love at your spouse some time soon and then make that fervent announcement, "I just love your nose hairs!" It may just make your spouse feel a little bit more loved and accepted. Of course, that may not be the result at all, in which case I want to absolve myself of any personal liability.

Our escape artist...

2010-04-16T21:47:00.000-07:00

We are always trying to find new ways to keep Cole out of things he shouldn't be getting into. He has a special talent for making trouble and we are running out of solutions, he quickly masters any obstacle we put in his path. Hook locks on tops of inside doors- Mastered, Dead bolt on the top of the front door- Mastered, Items placed out of reach on the top shelves of closets- Mastered.

We've started locking our bed room door and then keeping a screw-driver in a high hook on the wall which we use to get into the room. This has been working pretty well, and so we've tried to keep things we don't want Cole to mess with in our room. Today, around 7:30 pm I lay down to try to get a couple hours sleep before working an all night shift. I hear lots of things being dragged and a lot of giggling, and then I hear a scratching at the locked bed room door. I ignore it and hope that Charles will get the kids in bed soon. Suddenly, my bed room door swings open and Cole bounds in with a huge pleased grin on his face. He has gotten the screw driver down
and picked the bed room lock. Eeek!

Luckily he hasn't figured out the combination lock on our patio gate, but that is pretty much our last defense.

A Few Pictures from a Beautiful Sunday Afternoon

2010-03-21T19:18:00.001-07:00

Every one looked so nice after church today that we decided to do an impromptu photo shoot. My kids are definitely not super cooperative with picture taking, but I thought we got some nice shots here. Charles and Grandpa Jim were busy right after church, so that is why they are not featured in any of these pictures.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2010-03-21T19:03:00.001-07:00

I hope everyone had a great St. Patty's day! We all wore our green here. Thought I'd get a couple of cute pictures of my cute leprechauns. The kids also got a kick out of eating green mac n' cheese, spinach, and green jello for dinner. Later I thought that perhaps I could have been a little more natural and done a green pesto sauce instead of eating frighteningly neon green mac n' cheese. Maybe next year...

Tea Party

2010-03-21T18:47:00.000-07:00

Is their anything cuter than two little girls in their dress up clothes having a tea party? Probably not. Here Juliet is having fun with her little friend Kaylie who came over for a play date.

Farewell to Winter

2010-03-21T18:12:00.000-07:00

Now that Winter seems to have reliably left us, I can look back at February with a degree of fondness. We had record levels of snow fall last month, but we did get some good sledding in. The kids were both proud of themselves for learning to go down the hill on their own. The first time I sent them down, I managed to send them right into a tree, so I guess they were more motivated to do it on their own after that. As you can see, Cole still constantly eats snow, so please don't tell me all the horrible things that are in it. It is a battle that I can win.

New Year Trip

2010-02-21T20:07:00.000-08:00

My mom took the kids and I to see My Grandma Dawson over New Year's Weekend. The trip to Missouri went well, and we really enjoyed the time we were able to spend there.

My Grandma is a square dancer, and Juliet loved seeing her dressed up for one of her dances and both kids loved going to the dance and watching/joining in. Juliet loved Grandma's petticoat, because real princesses always have petticoats.

Taking a walk by this freezing lake was not nearly as comfortable as we had hoped.

Here is Juliet bringing in the New Year! I was too tired to stay up until midnight.

We also enjoyed stopping in Indianapolis to see my Aunt Jennifer (my mom's sister). We enjoyed a meal and some conversation with her. The kids enjoyed taking a break from the car and running around a bit.

A Very Cool Christmas Present

2010-02-21T19:34:00.001-08:00

I love this Christmas present my mom came up with. She made Juliet a little red riding cloak and found a wolf head for Cole. She presented it in a little basket with a copy of the book. So fun.

Not too often that you see the wolf being chased by Little Red Riding Hood like in this video.

A Few Holiday Moments

2010-02-21T18:43:00.000-08:00

Well, I haven't had a chance to update the blog for awhile since it had to get a new hard drive. Wanted to start by documenting some of the great times we had this Christmas. These first few pictures are of the night my Mom and I took the kids to see the zoo lights.

Here is Christmas Eve, we had the kids dress up as Mary and Joseph and reenact the Nativity, which Juliet undertook with a great deal more enthusiasm than Cole. Notice that the animals at the manger include a Dalmatian and a white horse.

And a few pictures of the Christmas morning fun!

On Nativity Scenes, and Holy Nights....

2009-12-24T12:39:00.000-08:00

Early this season we took out the nativity scene as a family, unwrapped the pieces, and arranged them around the little wooden stable. I helped my children arrange the pieces in what I've always felt was the suitable and artistic manner. Mary and Joseph in the stable with Jesus in the manger, various animals gathered around. Outside are the visitors, arranged in two groups. The shepherds with their sheep on one side, and the wise men and their camels on the other side.

Through the season little hands have consistently rearranged the pieces, nearly on a daily basis. Sometimes the pieces have all been bunched up inside the stable in a decidedly unattractive manner, sometimes they have been making a procession across the table in one big line. Other times they have been gathered in unorganized groups around the stable, ox, shepherd, and wise man shoulder to shoulder. Only one thing has remained unchanged, the babe, in the manger, in the center of the stable.

As these little dramas have played out on our living room side table I have realized something important. We all kneel at the manger together. Heavenly Father never meant for us to worship in distinct groups made up of the rich and learned and the poor and humble. He is much happier when we are jumbled together in an unsegregated group of believers, labeled only with the common name of disciple. Whether we have gold in our pockets or only wool, we bring the gift He wishes for most, our Hearts.

Merry Christmas to all those who kneel at the manger with me on this night.

Christmas Traditions

2009-12-24T06:05:00.001-08:00

You can copy and paste it on your blog/email. Just copy and fill it in. Have fun!

1. WRAPPING PAPER OR GIFT BAG?
I usually try to do a mix, and I am definitely never going to be named as gift wrapper extraordinaire. I do like wrapping gifts though. I do usually reuse any gift bags that I have gotten from the year past and I have a couple of decorative gift boxes (reusuable) as well. I like to think I’m being green. I bought and used three rolls of wrapping paper this year, and while they did not follow a theme, they were color coordinated.

2. REAL OR FAKE TREE:
Real trees are lovely and it is fun to choose one and set it up, but they are also expensive, messy, and time consuming. So, I must admit, I love having a fake tree. We’ve had ours for 4 years now, and it did decide to not be prelit anymore this year. If we get into a house rather than a townhouse, I would like to get a bigger one (prelit please).

3. WHEN DO YOU PUT UP THE TREE:
Whenever we have an evening with Charles and the kids available (after Thanksgiving). Charles works 4 ten hour shifts a week and is usually not home till after eight, so we have to wait for a good night. I like to pull out the Christmas stuff, put some music on, and decorate the house together.

4. WHEN DO YOU TAKE THE TREE DOWN:
When we get around to it, hopefully not too far into January.

5. DO YOU LIKE EGGNOG:
It’s yummy, but in small quantities only. If I go the season with out having some, I don’t miss it.

6. FAVORITE GIFT RECEIVED AS A CHILD:
I was always happy with what I received for Christmas, though I don’t remember too many specific gifts. I only remember one year when I had hoped to get a Barbie type doll and didn’t get one. My Grandpa Dawson asked if I had gotten everything I wanted and I said, “The only thing I didn’t get was a Barbie doll.” He told me to wait and then rummaged around in the other room for a minute and came back with a Barbie type doll. He had bought it a couple of months before when he had seen it on sale and then forgotten about it. It was a happy coincidence that is what I asked for.

7. DO YOU HAVE A NATIVITY SCENE:
Yes, I have a nice one that my little sister Jocelyn bought for us for our first Christmas after we were married.

8. HARDEST PERSON TO BUY FOR:
I have a really hard time picking out gifts for anyone other than immediate family members.

9. WORST CHRISTMAS GIFT YOU EVER GOT:
I am usually grateful that someone thought of me. Some things I have liked more than others, but I always appreciate the thought.

10. EASIEST PERSON TO BUY FOR: My kids, because they love anything right now. And my Mom, because she is always so grateful, and there are always a few standards I know she’ll like.

11. MAIL OR EMAIL CHRISTMAS CARDS:
I haven’t done too well with Christmas cards, but I always appreciate getting them, especially when they include a family picture.

12.FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MOVIE:
It’s a Wonderful Life

13. WHEN DO YOU START SHOPPING FOR CHRISTMAS:
Usually in December, and usually too late to be stress free.

14. HAVE YOU EVER RECYCLED A CHRISTMAS PRESENT:
This is kinda embarrassing, but yes. If I have something in good shape that we haven’t used, I might give it. I hate to have things go to waste.

15. FAVORITE THING TO EAT AT CHRISTMAS:
Oh, everything. I really do love Christmas candy and Peanut butter kiss cookies. Christmas dinner is great too, and I love a good Christmas brunch too.

16. COLORED OR CLEAR LIGHTS ON THE TREE:
I lean slightly toward white lights.

17. TRAVEL AT CHRISTMAS OR STAY HOME:
We have a nice set up right now. We have a lot of family that lives nearby. So this year we are going have open gifts in the morning with our kids, head over 11ish to Grandpa Valentino’s house for a brunch and gift exchange. Then go over to my Mom’s house for Christmas dinner and gifts. The next day there is a family gathering with Charles’s mom’s side of the family. So, we have our bases covered. I don’t mind traveling on Christmas sometimes.

CAN YOU NAME ALL OF SANTA'S REINDEER:
Yep.

19.ANGEL ON THE TREE TOP, OR A STAR:
Right now we have a star, but it looks it little bit like a fancy snowflake.

20. OPEN THE PRESENTS CHRISTMAS EVE OR MORNING:
Christmas morning!

21. MOST ANNOYING THING ABOUT THIS TIME OF YEAR:
Getting stressed out about getting gifts and worrying about money.

22. WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT CHRISTMAS:
I love the spirit of the season. I love Christmas music. I love heart rending stories. I love anticipating giving a gift I know someone will love.

23. HOT CHOCOLATE OR CIDER:
Hot Chocolate with lots a marshmallows up top.

24. WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR CHRISTMAS: Lot’s of quiet peaceful moments.

25.FAVORITE CHRISTMAS SONG: Oh Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel.

First Real Day of Snow

2009-12-23T08:29:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, we were running really late as we were trying to get ready for school. It was just one of those days, full of delays. When we finally made our way the car we were already a good 20 minutes behind schedule. When we got outside it was snowing, and there was some snow on the ground. It was the first snow the kids had really seen this season and it was really very beautiful. As they ran out in the snow, rapture on their faces, I made a decision. What was 10 extra minutes of being late. They loved having a few free moments to run around in the snow, as you can see by these pictures. We were about 30 minutes late, but, so what.....

o

Juliet's Birthday

2009-12-22T09:57:00.000-08:00

On December 9, my beautiful 3-year-old became a beautiful 4-year-old. She had a very special day with much cake and presents. We love you Juliet and we are so glad to have you as part of our family.

Four things I love about Juliet:

1. Her dramatic flair. Juliet does everything dramatically. She even runs dramatically. You'd have to see it know what I mean.
2. Her creativity. She is always creating something new, whether it is a picture of a princess or a redesign of Mommy's new shirt with some scissors.
3. Her curiosity. She loves to learn new things. Recently when Charles was taking physiology, she loved to have him explain how the body works. She understand it pretty well too.
4. Her love. Juliet is always telling the ones close to her that she loves them, and she's free with her hugs too (sometimes to Cole's chagrin).

I love you so much 4 year old.
,

Hike to Indian Seats

2009-12-17T11:35:00.000-08:00

While in Georgia we also took a little hike to see the Indian seats. It was a pretty easy 20 minute hike up the mountain with a huge view as a pay off.

Grandpa Craig hiked with Cole and found that he has two speeds. Full-out run or dragging along like a snail.

Our just sitting.

Southern home cooking

2009-12-17T11:30:00.000-08:00

This place looks authentic huh? It was pretty good.

Visit to Helen, Georgia

2009-12-17T11:09:00.000-08:00

While we were in Georgia we got to stroll around this neat town, Helen, where everything is styled to look like an Alpine village. It is right on the Chattahoochee river and it was a beautiful day.

Yea, those aren't real Juliet.

"Okay, I'll bet the horse, but I don't have a good feeling about this."

Grandpa and Cole having a little bonding time.

Charles and Cole enjoyed listening to this man and his one of a kind homemade instrument.

Trip to Cabbage Patch General Hospital

2009-12-07T11:40:00.000-08:00

While we were in Georgia our family went with Grandpa Craig to the Cabbage Patch General Hospital in Cleveland, GA (which is the birth place of Cabbage Patch dolls). It is basically a huge store/museum of cabbage patch dolls. In the cabbage patch which you can see behind me in the picture you can see cabbage patch dolls born. A nurse comes and does a big presentation where the doll in pulled on out and weighed and wrapped in a blanket. The audience gets to name the doll and if you pay some ridiculous price you can bring the doll home that was born. They also have the more normally priced doll available to buy. Grandpa secretly bought Juliet one and we gave it to her later for her birthday.

Grandpa secretly bought Juliet one and we gave it to her later for her birthday.

This place was heaven for a 3 year old girl.

Trip to Atlanta

2009-12-07T11:27:00.000-08:00

For Thanksgiving we spent a week down in Cumming, GA (North of Atlanta) with my Dad and family. Juliet loved hanging out with Aunt Maddie, and would have followed her around everywhere if possible.

Cole was really interested in Pearl the cat, and loved watching petting her.

We also had a lot of fun seeing my brother John and meeting his cute girlfriend Tonya (I didn't get a picture of her).

Thanksgiving dinner was great, thanks to my Dad and Step-Mom Paula for cooking and extending their hospitality for a whole week. We had such a great time.

Church Christmas Party and Santa

2009-12-06T14:45:00.000-08:00

We had a very Christmasy day yesterday, as we went to a Breakfast with Santa, and a Church Christmas party. Both kids were having fun with Santa and had a great time at the party. It was a Feliz Navidad party with lots of great Mexican food, several pinatas, arts and crafts, face painting, Santa, balloon animals, Karyoke, etc... Everyone in my family was pretty happy. I guess they also did a "posada" which is a reenactment of Mary and Joseph looking for an inn and had a program that included the three kings. We ended up leaving a little early so we didn't get to see that part. It was a great party though.

Ward Halloween Party

2009-12-01T15:45:00.000-08:00

We did a family costume for the Ward Halloween party. Goldilocks and the three bears. Here we are with the award we won for cutest family costume (not to be confused with scariest costume, funniest costume, or pinkest costume). Anyway, it was fun night, and the kids of course got more candy.

School Spirit Days

2009-12-01T04:24:00.000-08:00

On the week before the Ohio State/Michigan game Cole's school had a spirit week where they had a different theme every day. I didn't manage to do much all week since I was preoccupied with taking the NCLEX (nursing boards which I passed). I did manage to do a red Mohawk for crazy hair day, and get the kids in Ohio State gear for Friday.

Trick or Treating

2009-12-01T03:29:00.000-08:00

What is it, Dec. 1st? Seems like a good time to finally post my Trick or Treating pictures. Juliet and Cole went as a witch and a Boohbah (PBS show that Cole loves, similar to teletubies). The weather in Ohio was fabulous in October as well as November, so everyone really got into the spirit of the holiday.

Cole adored this Barney. Kuddos to whoever is in that hot stuffy costume. He could have happily hung out with Barney all night long. Of particular fascination were Barney's giant toe nails. I guess toe nails can be cool....

Good thing Grandpa Jim is nice enough to carry Cole. Mommy wouldn't have done this for long.

Impulsively we decided to go Trick or Treating a second time with Mike and Kensie and family. They were going on a second night.
Juliet decided to wear an old costume of Lyna's this night. Here she is as Dorothy.

Nothing beats Trick or Treating with your cousin.

Good times in the garden of Valentino

2009-09-13T17:57:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share a few more things that we've been up to for the last couple of months. We've had fun outdoors with a remarkably cool and comfortable Summer. With the kids at home we had a chance to do some fun projects like making this colored rice. It was a really fun tactile activity and Juliet thought it was fun to add some shells and pretend was sand.

We have been so lucky to have my brother, his wife Kensie, and their three beautiful kids living so close to our family. We've had a lot of fun with these guys, and gone on a lot adventures together.

Sometimes when their wasn't much to do, new methods of fun had to be invented. Juliet came up with this innovative "mud paint" project. As you can see, she really had a blast with this one. In fact, as we were getting ready to go to Grandma's today she said, "If you mix dirt and water together it makes mud paint." and I said, "Um...Juliet, I think we are getting ready to go, let's mud paint some other time."

Some moments we've been less than happy (isn't that the cutest sad face you've ever seen?)

But happiness always shines through!

A Bitter-sweet Summer

2009-09-07T18:57:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted much this Summer, and it has been a Summer to remember, for many reasons. We've had 3/4 of the birthdays for our little family (Juliet keeps asking when her birthday is coming), we've played together, we've pulled together, we've worked together, and we've mourned together. We are a little tired, some days we are a little sad, but we are closer as a family.

This was Charles's face for much of August. On August 1, day before my birthday, he noticed that he couldn't move one half of his face. That is a pretty scary symptom, so we rushed to the ER. Thankfully, it was not a stroke. He has Bell's Palsy. This caused the nerves in half of his face to stop working. For several weeks he just couldn't use that half of his face. The worst for him was the dryness in his right eye. Blinking took major effort, and did not happen unconsciously as it normally does. It is amazing how much we take blinking for granted. So, blink a few times, it is a blessing.

On Tuesday, August 11, Charles's Mom Margaret passed away. We had a memorial service for her that Saturday, which was a beautiful event, and a celebration of her life.

Here's Charles with his Bell's Palsy smirk. He sang an amazing solo, and spoke with the use of only half his face. You go, Honey.

Juliet loves her cousin Analita, who didn't mind playing with her during the visiting time. Thanks Analita!

I'm so lucky to be Mom to these two beautiful children.

Don't you just want to snuggle this cutey, and nuzzle into that fuzzy head?

With our major loss from our family, we did have one small gain. We welcomed Zucci, the giant Zucchini into our family. Juliet loves her dearly. Thanks Lisa, for bringing this new family member to us.

Good night...and peace to all our loved ones. May you find many pleasant surprises in your life (like giant zucchinis) and find yourself stronger from the less than pleasant surprises as well.

Please keep us in your prayers.

2009-08-10T20:59:00.000-07:00

This is a post from Charles's blog and his mother's carepage.

Hello friends and family, I bring sad news.

PLEASE MAKE TIME TODAY, THAT'S TUESDAY (AUGUST 11) DURING THE DAY TO VISIT MY MOTHER AND PREPARE TO SAY GOODBYE. Please be advised that Margaret is currently in a comatose state and does not really look like herself compared to even a few days ago and some may wish not to remember her in this way. Please spread the word to all of her friends that may wish to say goodbye. She is at OSU Hospital in the SICU, at Doan Hall Suite A, on the 4th floor. The nurses have been advised to allow visitors to Margaret at any time tonight and tomorrow.

It is with great sadness that I make this entry. Our family gathered again today to meet with Dr. Ross. He was very gentle and kind in explaining to us that Margaret's current condition requires us to make a decision tomorrow about whether to continue with her on life support. She will be given a final assessment by the neurologist. Dr. Ross explained that this third day marks the amount of time necessary to gauge whether or not Margaret will make "some recovery". He explained that the amount of time that her body was without oxygen has caused brain injury. He told us that if she makes "some recovery" she would not necessarily be the "Margaret we used to sit around the table and drink coffee with". If it is deemed that Margaret has not and will not progress in her recovery, then she would remain in her current vegetative state.

Margaret recently created a living will which states that she does not wish to remain on life support in such an unconscious state. She has emphasized to my brother and I on many occasions especially recently that if such is the case, that life support should be withdrawn. My mother also commissioned me with the responsibility of having medical power of attorney. I cannot express to you how conflicted I feel about the decision that will likely lie before me tomorrow. Even so, it is out of love for my mother, and respect for her wishes and her personal dignity that I shall fulfill my obligations when the time comes.

I want you all to know how much love Margaret has for all of you. I think back about the people she took care of in her lifetime including my brother and I and what a nurturing and wonderful person she was. I want you to know how happy and thankful she was for all of your thoughts and prayers and every little kindness you gave her. Though I know God has heard every one of yours and my prayers for her health and well-being, I feel that his will is to bring my mother back to him and away from the agony and suffering that she has endured here. I think we should all take comfort in that. I know mom will be at peace there and that she we will be with Grandpa and our Father in Heaven. I will miss her so much. All I can think about tonight is all the times when she would wake me in the middle of the night to bring me medicine when I was sick. She has given me so much I can't even comprehend it. I love you Mom. God bless and keep you forever.

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-20T21:24:00.001-07:00

There are some special dads in my life who I get to celebrate today. My husband (dad to my kids), my stepfather (AKA, Grandpa Money), and my father-in-law, but there is one special dad who I won't get to give a big hug to on Father's Day, and he's a pretty special dad, MY DAD! So, I wanted to take a moment and send a big cyber hug down to my dad in Georgia.

Here are ten favorite memories I have of my dad:

1) The stories he would make up in the car and tell us about the Rain Man (a super-hero who could dodge raindrops, not an autistic Dustin Hoffman) and his nemesis the Umbrella Thief.

2) The time he was teaching me to ride my bike in our new home in Virginia, I got a really good momentum going, but I don't think that either us realized the ramifications of the fact the field we were practicing in ended in a steep slope (ouch).

3) Dad coaching my soccer team when I was in 3rd grade. He even allowed us to chose the name of our team and didn't roll his eyes when we voted on "Hot Stuff" as the moniker for the team.

4) Numerous, numerous times of getting Peanut Buster Parfaits with my dad after games or just whenever.

5) Praying with my dad at the sacred grove in Palmyra, NY.

6) Spending a summer with my dad when he was stationed in Frankfurt, Germany. We got to see some really neat castles and other attractions. Also, my Dad has to get a gold star for trying to shepherd Michael, John, and I through New Amsterdam while only exposing us to the wholesome elements of the city.

7) The visits I had with my dad during car trips, something about riding with my dad just makes the conversations interesting.

8) The pair of dark-wash Levi's and the brown loafers that my dad would change into every day after work for what seemed like years on end. Every time I see you in casual wear I really expect to see that combo.

9) Great homemade pizza that my dad used to make and also visiting his old friend John's pizzeria in Kansas.

10) Spiritual discussions, shared scriptures, Father's blessings, my dad really is one spiritual guy, and role-model to me.

Okay, I have lots of other great memories, and I hope to make many more! I love you dad, and I hope you have a great Father's Day.

I DID IT!!!!

2009-06-03T13:57:00.000-07:00

Well, I've now officially passed nursing school, and I will graduate next week. It has been such a long road that I can't believe it is over.

Now I just have to pass state boards, that will be another post....

Cooking with my kids

2009-04-16T20:00:00.001-07:00

I thought I should actually post on the blog since the full three weeks has past since I posted about Juliet's leg and the cast came off today. I wanted to post some pictures of cooking with the kids. These kids sure love mixing stuff up with me, and if I'm organized enough, it is a great activity to get them involved and do something together. Juliet is always game, as long as she gets to wear that chef hat.

2009-03-27T15:07:00.000-07:00

Well, I haven't posted in awhile, because this has been happening. Yep, Juliet broke her leg. She just came down on it funny while she was jumping on the trampoline at Grandma's house. We went to have it looked at at the emergency room that night, but the X-rays didn't show a fracture. We came home, but it was still hurting her, and she just wouldn't walk on it. We brought her back later in the week, the X-rays showed a hairline fracture, and the cast went on. We went to Children's Orthopedic today, and we are happy to report that it is coming off on April 16. Yay!!!

An End in Sight!

2009-03-14T10:32:00.000-07:00

I am officially done with 6 out of 7 quarters of my nursing program. Now, only one left! There might actually be an end in sight.

Magical, musical Cole

2009-03-13T18:36:00.000-07:00

When Cole was about 14 months old, we started to notice that his baby babble had a distinctly musical element. Suddenly, Charles and I looked at each other and said, he's humming Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star! This was remarkable to us, especially since this young boy was showing no inclination to say anything. He continued to hum Twinkle, Twinkle and then started to branch out to other songs. As his musical repertoire continued to grow, he finally began to pick up a little language around two. He continues to gain speech, little by little, but music is still his first language. He is always humming or singing a song, and not just children's songs either. He knows many, many classical songs (thanks Baby Einstein and Little Einsteins) and many Hymns. He just really loves music.

Recently, just as he started to pick up on humming songs at 14 months, he is branching out into another avenue, playing the piano. Occasionally, he goes over to piano, fiddles around with it for awhile and then starts to pick out a song. So far, he has played Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star (of course), Row, row, row your boat, Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater, and Ode to Joy. He won't do this on demand, we just have to catch him at it, and he still only does it occasionally, but when we can catch him at it, it is so fun to watch. I'm hoping that he will start doing more of this and we can help him to develop his talent. Meanwhile, it is always an enchanting surprise when he shows us just how talented he is.

Ward Talent Show

2009-03-12T18:25:00.000-07:00

Here is a clip of Cole singing at the Primary ward talent show. Not the most polished performance (He is singing the Spirit of God), but we thought he did a great job.

Kid Clips

2009-03-12T07:08:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of cute tidbits about the kids.

Yesterday Juliet was playing in the bathroom, and she kept talking about taking care of her baby Harriet. I walked into the bathroom and she had taken a brush and made a bed for it out of toilet paper and towels and tucked a brush into the towels. Her baby Harriet was a brush. The child has about a million dolls and stuffed animals, but she still likes to take random objects and pretend that they are babies.

Cole was so cute yesterday too. He decided that he would take care of getting a snack a couple of hours after dinner. He found some pudding cups in the pantry and carried them over to the table and placed one by his chair and one by Juliet's chair. Then he went and found spoons and put one by each pudding cup. I just thought it was so cute that not only did it all himself, but he got one for Juliet too.

Oh warm weather...I love you!

2009-03-06T18:32:00.001-08:00

I really love going outside with my kids. It makes me feel alive again. These pictures were actually taken on the one warm day in February, but we have been putting in a lot of park time in the last couple of days. It is so wonderful, like a big hug from Heavenly Father. The kids are doing so great too. It wasn't long ago that it was SO hard for me to take them anywhere alone and now they are doing great with that. They will walk to and from the car with me and pretty much stay in the same vicinity as me. It is so fun and a big blessing.

Pajamy Time...

2009-03-06T18:23:00.000-08:00

I really love my kids at night after they put their PJ's on. They just seem so cuddly and sweet and yes, it is an appealing thought that they will soon be going to bed. That makes them seem even sweeter.

Come on....REALLY!?!!

2009-03-06T18:01:00.000-08:00

Cole had the worst week last week! At the beginning of the week we took him to the dentist and found out that he had a tooth abscess and he had to have a tooth extracted. Later in the week he had a fever and infection, both where the tooth was taken out and an ear infection. He had to stay home last Thursday and Friday. Friday I decided to take the kids to the library for awhile and let them play in the play area. I thought it would be a nice low-key activity and allow us to get out of the house. While we are in the kid's area of the library Cole was walking around and the one other child who was in there was messing around with a rocking chair. Cole managed to get hit in the eye as he was walking behind the chair. He has this lovely shiner to show for it. When it happened and Cole was lying on the floor in a crying heap with a rapidly swelling eye I just had to laugh....because can any thing else possibly happen!

On another note...Cole is actually doing great. He is interacting great with me, saying longer sentences, and generally in a great mood. Another wonderful thing is that he is eating so well now! I used to have to cut up all of his food into little pieces (I'm talking sandwiches, chicken nuggets, and toast, things you would just normally pick up and eat) and feed him half the time or watch him eat next to nothing in a day. Now he is eating independently and will eat a sandwich without it being cut into pieces. It makes things so much easier! I'm so grateful for this beautiful little soul who lights up my life and my heart.

A moment of creativity...

2009-03-06T17:56:00.000-08:00

I'm always trying to come up with creative things to do with Juliet. She is just so crafty. Here are some gift tags that we made by going through magazines and finding neat images and then reinforcing them with cardstock. Anyway, it was fun, and now I have lots of gift cards. This was also one of those projects I like making with "found" materials. It makes me feel like a "green goddess."

How to show true love...

2009-03-06T17:49:00.000-08:00

Doesn't everyone show their love with spoons? Here is my Valentine to Charles who had been complaining a lot lately that we didn't have any spoons left. Where do the spoons go? Is there a hiding place for miscreant table wear somewhere? Anyway, not really the most romantic of gifts, but quite useful. I think I may start a new Valentine tradition of giving Charles some random and unromantic gift each year in the form of a Valentine.

Did you blog about it?

2009-02-05T19:25:00.000-08:00

Whenever I tell Charles a funny story about what one of the kids did that day, he always asks, "Did you blog about it yet?" Well, the answer is usually an annoyed "No, do you want to blog about it?" But, I do think I should record more of the cute things the kids do, not because I think everyone is dying to read about them, but because this is our family journal, and I want to remember that cute stuff.

The other day Cole was sitting at my lap and staring at a really awful pimple that I had developed on the side of my chin. I don't usually break out, but this was a doosy. I called it "the witch maker" because it was seriously making me look like a witch. He kept staring at the thing and saying in a low voice "yucky, yucky." Then later, he asked for a band-aid. Cole asks for band-aids constantly, whenever he slightly bumps or hurts any part of his body. If we get him the band-aid he immediately calms down. So, I got a band-aid and held it out to him, "Where should I put this Cole?" He took it from me and put it right on the zit on my chin. I guess he didn't want to look at it anymore either. It is funny to see this kind of thing with Cole. Because he is Autistic, we don't often get to see the inner workings of his mind, so it is funny when his behavior shows us what he was thinking about.

Another funny Cole story. Until recently Cole did not give us any trouble at bedtime. We would tuck him into bed and he would stay in his room and sing or play in the dark if he didn't go to sleep right away. Recently he discovered he could turn his light on and leave the room if he wanted to. This was causing a lot of trouble and he was really having a hard time winding down for the night. Plus he was cutting into my sacrosant "after kid's bedtime" time. We started to unplug Cole's lamp so he couldn't turn a light on. He figured out how to plug it back in. I started moving the lamp into my bedroom. He went into our bedroom, dragged the lamp into his room again. Moved his dresser so he could get the plug back over the outlet and plugged it in (all in the dark). We moved the lamp downstairs. He came downstairs, grabbed the lamp and was trying to drag it upstairs before I wrested it from him (this is tall free standing lamp). Then he decided he could just bring his toys into bathroom or our room and play. We started locking the bathroom and our bedroom door and then "breaking in" with a screwdriver when it was time for us to go to bed. Then he started coming down stairs to play. Finally, I've just gathered some things outside of the kids' door and I'm camping out here to put an end to any funny business before it gets too far. Seems to be working so far. Hopefully we'll get back to a good pattern.

Juliet does funny things all the time. Here's one I remember. A conversation in the car today.

Juliet, "I want a pet, not a stuffed animal pet, I already have lots of stuffed animal pets."

Me, "Yeah, we're not getting a pet right now."

Juliet, "But Lyna has a pet, a real pet."

Me, "Yep, we can share with her."

Juliet, "But I want a pet."

Me, "You're really scared of cats and dogs (she is terrified!)"

Juliet, "I'm only scared of mean cats the bite little girls."

2009-01-17T00:10:00.000-08:00

Hello people, Charles here. As you can tell by the hour of this post, I cannot sleep. So in my boredom I decided to add captions to my old Youtube vid of my "Gimme the Mike, Columbus!" Footage. Czech it out below, however the captions are obscured by the Youtube logo. If you view it at the Youtube site itself, this does not happen. Do a search for my name there and the vid should pop up in the first few results.

Go to Candy Mountain, Charley....

2008-12-20T21:18:00.000-08:00

Recently, our ward (church congregation) had a big "Candyland Christmas" party. Different rooms in the church were set up to represent different places in the children's game Candyland. It was very cute and well done, and I didn't actually get any pictures of the actual party because I forgot to bring the camera that I had carefully laid out. Charles was in charge of painting and decorated the Candyland Castle, which some other men in the ward had cut out. He did a great job, as you can see in the pictures.

I think kids are often reluctant to go to bed at night, because they are sure that their parents are doing exciting and fun things without them. I wonder if in their wildest dreams our kids imagined that after they went to bed their parents were decorating a big castle with gum drops and gum balls. Charles and I laughed together as we spent an evening hot gluing many pieces of candy onto this castle. I understand some of the candy was pried off and eaten by a few of the many children at the party. I'm hoping that hot glue is not toxic.

Juliet's 3!

2008-12-20T20:32:00.000-08:00

Can you tell from the picture above that Juliet is 3? Well, you can tell she was excited about it anyway. December 9 Juliet had her third birthday (Yes, I know I am behind on posting). This was much anticipated birthday this year. Cole, Charles, and I have our birthdays within a month of each other in the Summer. Juliet's cousin Lyna also shares a birthday with me. This year, as each of us would celebrate another birthday, Juliet would ask, "When will it be my birthday?" We had to assure her that it would come in a few months.

Here's our happy girl posing with both of her parents.

These pictures are of a small family party we had, where her favorite part was finally opening gifts, and as you can see from the picture below, Cole's favorite part was the cake. We did manage to A) not have Cole blow out the candles and B) not have Cole directly lick the cake. These have been problems in the past, so we considered this a success.

Here is Juliet wearing a cute Sun Bonnet sue hat from her Grandma Marian. Thanks Grandma!

We also incorporated a birthday theme into Juliet's playgroup earlier in the day. Here are the children playing and eating the cupcakes that they had decorated. I had the children color their own crowns to wear. The boys did not initially get into this, but eventually did deign to admit that they wanted crowns too. One snaffu that occured is that I had baked cupcakes for the play group and cake for the evening gathering the night before. I used a from scratch recipe that my brother makes and which is one of my favorite cakes. I don't know what I did, but the cake had a bit of a bitter aftertaste to it. Luckily, the kids had piled their's with candy and frosting and did not seem to notice the problem too much (kid's generally just eat the icing off cupcakes anyway), but I ended up throwing the cake away and sending Charles to the store for a cake mix. It turned out fine and we all survived. I don't want to make another cake for awhile though.

Christmas Joy...Finally I post

2008-12-03T20:30:00.000-08:00

Can I tell you how excited my kids are about Christmas! They were so overjoyed decorating the tree. Charles and I spent the next day subtly shifting the forty ornaments that were hung on the bottom branches upward so they covered the tree. Every time Cole comes into the house he exclaims "Christmas Tree!" Juliet likes to make small changes to the tree and then call everyone into the room to look at the christmas tree.

Two nights of Trick or Treating

2008-10-31T20:23:00.001-07:00

Incase we didn't get enough candy this year from the various and sundry Halloween parties, we had two nights of trick-or-treating. There was some discrepancy in different neighborhoods in regard to what night would be "Beggars Night." We spent Thursday trick-or-treating with Grandpa Al in Bexley, and Friday trick-or-treating in Worthington with Grandpa Jim and Grandma Kathryn. I love Halloween, but I'm now officially glad that it is over.

A True M&M

2008-10-31T20:19:00.000-07:00

Church "Fall Festival" Party

2008-10-31T19:57:00.000-07:00

Just a few highlights of the church Fall Festival. The kids of course looked adorable and enjoyed their first round of trick-or-treating. Michael and Noah were awesome as Dr. Evil and Mini Me (see below). Cole ran around a lot, and ate too many Fritos. Kensie cooked an awesome pot of chili, which did not win the cook-off, but should have. I ate some really delicious jalepeno cornbread, best corn bread I've ever had, and I wish I knew who made it.

Dr. Evil and Mini Me

2008-10-31T19:48:00.000-07:00

Okay, this is my favorite family costume of the year. My brother Michael and his son Noah as Dr. Evil and Mini Me. Aren't they adorable? My sister-in-law whipped those costumes out on her sewing machine in no time flat.

Carving the pumpkin

2008-10-31T19:39:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, I waited to take a picture of the pumpkin more than a week after it was carved, but it was really cute. In this picture it has the dentures removed collapsed mouth, and you can't see the cute bow and eyelashes very well. This was mostly a daddy-daughter project, Cole helped a little bit.

No Polly Pocket, You have so much to live for...

2008-10-31T19:29:00.000-07:00

I found poor Polly Pocket in this state while I was cleaning the house. Sadly, it all just had become too much for her. I wish I could have found her in time.

Daddy-daughter project

2008-10-15T19:56:00.000-07:00

Charles had recently made this step stool for the kids while he was hanging out with his dad. He and Juliet had the project of decorating it. Juliet helped Daddy pick out the supplies, paint the bench, put on glitter, and glue on those flowers and butterflies. They both had a lot of fun doing it!