12-25-12

Holidays. We have had the PERFECT holiday season. We put our decorations up December 1st and have had weeks and weeks of lovely relaxed holiday time. Christmas movies. Hot cocoa. Visiting the drive through christmas light park..multiple times. Bringing cookies to the fire station, teachers, friends, etc.  

Annddd.. We visited Santa! 

SANTA!! and Charlie, who SWORE he didnt want to see Santa, could barely handle waiting his turn because he was SO EXCITED TO MEET SANTA. Adorable. 

 We played in the snow.

 We went to see an awesome little holiday train display. 

It was very fun. Charlie was so excited that he derailed a train. He was so sad to have hurt the train, but thankfully, no harm done. Up and running again quickly. 

And we took lots of naps.

and we wrapped lots of gifts and talked about giving and loving and being there for friends and family. And we spent a lot of time being thankful for what we have and who we are and how we get to live.

Because this life is so so special and right now, here with each other is all we really need.

Dave is at the restaurant, spending his Christmas preparing to serve 150+ customers a lovely Christmas dinner, so our family Christmas day is tomorrow, and we have loved seeing pictures from friends and family streaming in of their Christmas adventures while we rest and put last bows and ribbons on gifts and prepare meals for family for our very exciting belated Christmas.

Lots of love from us to you.

7-14-12

Grandparents and great grandparents- we have a ballerina in the house.

We will get nice pictures eventually. Here she is trying on her "ballerina uniform" as she called it.





And trying on tap shoes at her first class.


She's in a tap/jazz/ballet sampler class for the next six weeks. She's also doing tennis twice and week and gymnastics twice a week with little Charlie. Busy summer!

7-3-12

Since last we met visited our fearless explorers...

Childrens museum- at the city of Madison play table working on his civil engineer degree



At bratfest- liliana dancing to a band on the stage her restaurant sponsored.



Middleton splash pad- awesome!



Train ride at Fitchburg days- the kiddos needed multiple rides on this one









On the patio at lilianas- Probably trying to disassemble something.



In our "secret woods"- the best place, ever.


At the park-helped her make her first flower crown



"secret trail"- as you may guess, this is the trail used to get to the "secret woods" Charlie likes to take a little break in the same inconvenient spot every time.



At lilys tennis lesson- lily has tennis twice a week and it's super boring for Charlie so I always let him bring a backpack full of whatever he wants. This picture actually only includes the 15 of the 23 cars he packed, and also didn't include the thermometer, baby doll, half of a wooden toy lime, of 12 toy story band aids.


Our house- its been hot. Hot hot hot hot hot. I love our air conditioner so much, and I'm trying not to think of the electric bill. The kids are getting a little restless, though, so we are trying to think of lots of things to do. Puzzles, coloring, play dough, helping measure for baking, organizing cabinets, bouncy house, run around in circles, do it again!


Kindle fire, you are amazing. I love you for being cheaper than iPad (so I can let the kids touch you) and for your streaming video. Thanks Grammy and grandpa! This is a gift that keeps giving. Her new love is mister Rogers neighborhood.


Bounce bounce bounce! Today Charlie didn't nap, we are under a heat advisory, mommys patience ran out and I still had dinner to make. So I threw them in the bouncy house. Tomorrow- we add a whole bunch of plastic ball pit balls and hope the heat wave lets up soon.


Happy summer!

5-9-12

"mom! His boat says his name! It says Max on it! I can read that!"


We went on the little train at the zoo. This might be Charlie's favorite thing ever.



We were the caboose. Or as Charlie said, "bus-cooshths"



Carousel!


The one of the great joys of childhood. Hanging from your belly on a swing, dragging your feet around.


Beautiful sweet little boy.

5-6-12

Happy may!

4-12-12

You know what's super easy? Sharing pictures!


You know what's easy to put off? Coming up with something interesting and fun to say along with pictures.


So I put it off a lot.
Here's to a resolve to share more pictures of the kids.
Like these. I'm standing at the park right now posting pictures from 30 seconds ago. So easy. I should do it more.
I will!

3-31-12

Charlie! Ugh! Could this kid be any cuter?


Or sweeter? He stopped nursing recently but still wants the same schedule of sitting quietly together and snuggling close. He's a darling.



And lily. She is growing up so fast! She recently became very motivated to get praise for self sufficiency, so almost every morning she makes it her mission to get dressed, make her bed, go potty and brush her teeth without any instruction from us. My favorite is when she needs to ask us how she should dress (like what the weather is like, or whether we have any special plans) but she wants to do it on her own. She comes up with such funny ways of asking for information.



Charlie had a belated 2 year old exam. He got to wear a baby sized hospital gown. I can't explain my fascination with my children wearing these at their checkups, but i think they look so darn cute.

He was also very calm once it was on. Maybe it's magical?





My sweet chalk artist. I think its my California genes. Her free spirit longs to be making public art along the beach. She would do the whole length of our (loooong!) walkway in an afternoon if Charlie would stay out of the road long enough.


We have exceptionally low windows in our playroom. Charlie has left the house twice out this window. He mostly likes to sit with his feet dangling outside singing to himself.


Too silly.



Charlie hair was getting out of control long.

Too shaggy pics
Exhibit A:


Exhibit B


Mommys effort at making him presentable (keeping mind I had to leave it long enough that he still felt he had his curls or "cuwlie" at the ends)
Exhibit C


Exhibit D


Exhibit E