Christmas Cookies!

We hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!

Deck the halls...

"what do you think Daddy"... "Perfect!"
Evie decorated the tree this year. She did a fabulous job, very serious about the whole thing. She would put some ornaments in her little chalk box take a step back to study the tree and then hang away. Seriously, I didn't move any and it looks wonderful - all spaced nice and even.
Daddy and Meri put the angel up.

What she thought about the Santa hat
Decorated the front porch but no lights this year.

We're so proud.

This wasn't censored to be funny... she really didn't have anything on under there! And I have to add for the sake of my Mothering, we didn't teach her this. We always play, "get your heiny" after baths and during changings and well she's just so smart that when you say heiny now she sticks out that little bottom and points with her finger. Okay, I will confess that while I would never have taught it to her, I do think it's awfully cute!

Tree planting time!

Our order finally came! Nathan and I can't decide if we're cut out for this country life. We'd much rather be watching cartoons on Saturday morning than digging holes...but I guess you only have to dig them once, right?
The girls enjoyed mixing up the potting mixture, maybe a little too much. I told Evie it was like making a cake, one bucket of this, one bucket of that. She seemed to understand and did a really good job, until I turned my back...
I hope the ratio wasn't vital for the trees survival! Nathan had to finish planting them at night, poor guy was out there with a light attached to his pick axe, I really have to wonder what the neighbors thought, digging holes at 10:00 at night in 30 degree weather? Hmmm seems kinda fishy. And now there are just a bunch of sticks out there. Very stange indeed.

I love this one. They had both fallen asleep in the car, Nathan and I brought stuff in and he went out to get the girls. I messed around waited awhile for them to come in and finally stepped out to see what was taking so long. He sat down on the swing and they both fell asleep again. Such a sweet Daddy moment.
So the other day Evie was sick and I got out my nifty forehead thermometer, and took her temp. I said, "oh poor baby you do have a fever" and she told me "I not a feber, I Ebie". Lol! I'm loving this whole talking thing!
Meri is napping right this moment but she has been so busy lately. Doing the spider song at the dinner table is a favorite thing as is carrying around my baking chocolate all day long. I had to pry some kisses out of her hands at the checkout yesterday, you would have thought the child was giving up a million dollars! She's definitely getting a candy ornament for the Christmas tree this year!

Check it out...
www.mogphoto.com
Let me know if you can read it okay!
I am so proud of this! I wrote the code (okay I copied some of it! but still) and figured out how to do most of it all by myself! Little 'ol computer illiterate me, I can still remember when somebody had to show me how to open an email account!

Now some Evie stories but no pics, I've been so busy on business stuff I haven't had much time for pictures. I just read a marketing book - wonders never cease do they? Now if I can just conquer the small business association website and the whole IRS thing the most mind boggling things will be done!
Anyway, I let her wear her cowboy hat and boots to school today since it was show and tell. She informed me before leaving, "it's not a cowboy hat, it's a horse girl hat" same deal for her pink boots! Isn't she cute! AND... this is HUGE for me, she's been singing with me! Like I'll sing some lines and she'll sing them back, might not mean much to you guys but I've been trying to get her to sing with me for well, years now! She never has been willing to do hand motions and things like "itsy bitsy spider". So that's been super fun, I can't really attibute it to her therapy though, I mean she's been 3 times - surely that can't be enough to do anything. Really all they do is play with her. And lest anyone be worried about Meri Rose, the therapist(Evie's that is, we haven't had her evaluated yet) commented on how much she was talking and something about synataxes or something like that, point is she might be a smidge delayed but she is saying new words all the time! Which is weird to go through since Evie never did that.

Just a couple from this weekend, went up to Birmingham for a visit. Evie loved the animals at the petting zoo but wouldn't ride the horses, we're wondering if she has some objection to riding them! Would that be a conscientious objector? And... I thought I'd show the real Meri, too bad I can't post sound clips or you could hear the squeal that accommodates this look!

Once upon a time...

... there was a little girl who had to cook and clean for her family. It was such hard work and at the end of the day she didn't even have a bed to sleep in. Poor little thing had to sleep on the bench in the hall with no covers.
Seriously though, where did the drama come from? She's only three!! It worries me, combine her dramatic nature with her spirit and whew, what does the future hold! She was actually playing on the bench and just conked out, poor thing, she gets so tired on the days she has preschool but refuses to take a nap. We were making cookies in the second on and it was just too much work, she couldn't handle it!

Mmmm!

This girl loooves her candy. She still goes to where the Halloween candy was and grunts and reaches for it! She got very mad when I tried to give her just a half of a candy cane, don't come between Meri and candy!
Also just wanted to let you know that I changed the comments - you shouldn't have to be a registered member now to leave a comment.

we're cooking!

Holidays are about traditions, or at least they should be. We always have scalloped corn for Thanksgiving and I always had to make it. This year we let Evie "cook" it, she actually does really well in the kitchen. I just open everything up for her and tell her what to do and magically she listens and follows the recipe. Although yesterday she did sneak extra sugar in to the cookies! And like her Poppa she does try to eat all the dough before it goes into the oven which is always a struggle and her egg cracking is hit or miss but over all I'm very proud. Now if she would just learn how to go grocery shopping...

Photographers children syndrom...

Chrstmas picture outakes. Otherwise known as ... why I was in a such a bad mood last night.
Somebody pee'd on the backdrop, somebody decided they needed to take a nap, somebody thought the dog should be in the pictures, somebody was home late and soembody lost the remote oh and the backdrop wouldn't iron out and didn't even match. It was a good time. Ha ha. I did get some good ones, but you don't get to see them yet!

Reflections...

• I am dictator of the worst kind. Ivan should quiver in fear. Water instead of milk, milk instead of juice, and no candy. Oh and eat your dinner too.
• Socks are cannibalistic.
• You can never have enough brushes or hairbands.
• The laundry is never finished, ever.
  
• Dogs do not belong on the key board, the ironing board or the stove. Nor should they be shut up in the buffet.
• Don't drink the dog's water. And don't let him share you glass either.
• Put your sister down. PUT your sister down. PUT YOUR SISTER DOWN!
• Get your arm in your seatbelt.
• Cheesy noodles are a delicacy. Finish with marshmallows and you've got a gourmet meal.
• Love is limitless. Patience is not. Bluelight special on gameboys in isle 3 ?
• You leave your undergarmets on after you visit the bathroom.
• Wash your whole hand, not just your fingers.
• With soap.
• We eat with utensils. You are not a dog. Don't lick your plate.
• Don't place small plastic toys in containers. They're like rabbits.

When Evie's away, we always play! Miss Meri is getting sooo big, and heading toward those two's awful fast. It's hard to believe they're switching places, she's becoming the difficult one and Evie is suddenly turing into this helpful child(on our good days anyway!). She laughs gleeful after doing the most awful things; throwing my glasses to the floor, pulling Jaq-Jaq's hair(and Evies too!), scratching Daddy's face, dumping her plate on the floor, running away... you get the idea.
And it's so hard to correct her becuase she's just so happy about it. On top of that she is a dare devil, climbing the furniture and jumping off things - no fear! But she is finally sleeping through the night so I guess I won't complain. Evie starts her speech therapy tomorrow, Mons and wends for 30 minutes. I sooo hope it goes well, it's going to totally disrupt our schedual so I know it will take her awhile to get used to that so maybe in a couple weeks I'll be able to tell if it's going to help.

Just an old one rediscovered but I love it! Doesn't it look like they are gossiping? I am sure E was actually yelling at Meri though! I just noticed - this was before the door got painted pink!
And this one, to show how sad I am that everybody is in Texas and we're not. I don't usually put up other people on here because of privacy and all but I figured this was okay since it doesn't show her face. Amber - let me know if you want me to take it down.
It's pretty lonely and quiet here, Evie is in Piedmont and Nathan is slaving away on the fence so it's just Meri and me and she's sleeping so I'm going to go work!
Everybody have a safe trip home!
Edited to add: Lest my lovely family that does not belong to the vast Texas clan think we don't miss them let me fill you in on why I am so sad to have missed this Thanksgiving in good 'ol Texas.
My Grandparents are propsing to move away and we will never again all get to gather for Thanksgiving at that house in the fields. I will miss so much, turning that dirt corner and bursting out into their little patch heaven. Those climbing trees and kichen smells and all the memories that house holds. I can't say more, cause if I think about it I'm going to cry!
Anyway, that's why I specifically said I missed Texas! We miss you guys in Illinois and South Carolina too!

Happy Thanksgiving!
Actually Christmas came early for me, I got a new camera, lens and some other fancy stuff. I suppose I should be excited about the superior quality of my new camera versus the old one and I am but the thing I am most excited about is that this camera has a remote control! How cool is that?
Now that I have my new camera and I've figured out how to use it I am going to officially begin portfolio building. So get in touch and let me take some pictures of you, really it would be a big favor to me. I'm up for anything from head shots to family groups. Of course, screaming toddlers who run away are my specialty !

Daddy's girl

I wonder if they'll ever realize how much alike they are? I'm glad he has somebody to ride his roller coasters with, I don't know that he'll ever get me on one again. This was at our local little rinky dink amusement park. Lake Winnepasuka or something like that, Lake Winnie to the locals. It was Roper's Corpate picnic which included the plant so I think it was probally more cowded than if it had just been a normal day but that's okay Evie loved it! She rode her very first coaster and played expensive rigged games, Meri mostly just sat back and ate popcorn. I didn't really feel comfortable putting her on a ride alone, those straps are NOT tight enough. We did do the merrry go round and Evie drove the rail car thingy, so Meri got to enjoy those. It was a good day and next year we'll get there earlier so Daddy gets to ride some of the "real" coasters and not jus the baby caterpiller one!

I can't remember if I told anybody about this or not... I walked in to this late in the summer. Meri on the table, Evie sitting down and everyrhing in site covered in superfine hot pink glitter.
My fault, I left the art box down! I was sooo glad it was summer - we just went outside and hopped in the baby pool. Meri had glitter in hair for months - she might still have some in there! That stuff sticks to everything - it's like sparkly sticky dust.

Hi everybody!
I have some very sad news, a virus has chomped on our computer and we can't get it to start. Hopefully Nate can fix it tonight and that's all that is wrong with it.
I knew it had been acting wonky lately, being veeeeeeery sloooooow which was why the blog just had pictures and no posts. Well now I can't access my pictures, can't load any, can't play with any in photoshop, heck I can't even see any! I am in withdrawl! Seriously, I think I had the shakes yesterday. He just did this thingy with something ( soo technical, I know!) so I have internet, if nothing else. Just wanted to let you knowsince I know you must be having girlie withdrawls too! Love to you all!

Curls... I neep some help here. I'm *thinking* of cutting them off. Yes, she likes her "princess" hair but she HATES and mean hates with a passion, having it fixed and even worse is having it washed. So what do you think, would it be any better chin length, would that stop the drama and the tears, the throwing of the body onto the floor, the shreaks of "NO BRUSH, NO BOW" ? Anybody have any ideas? Jesse, are you out there? Did you ever get your curls cut off and not be traumatized? I'm just afraid we'll make that first cut and she'll be heart broken and even worse that it will still be impossible to fix her hair. And will she even look like herself with out all those curls? Sigh, I guess if this is all that is pressing in our life right now then we're good. We should all have our biggest concern be the length of our hair, right?