Easter Hunting

We decided to do B's Easter basket hunt after church and a good nap. And with a little help, she found it!

At first she seemed a little lost--(note the post-nap hair and glazed look).
But she got the idea pretty soon . . .

Especially when she discovered the jelly beans . . . mmmmmmmm . . . yummy!

Then, we went out side and joined some friends for an Easter egg hunt.

She hunted . . .

And hunted . . .

And hunted . . .

Look at her stash!

When she was done looking on the ground, she "found" some in a friend's basket.


Here's B with all her friends.


It was such a beautifully wonderful day!!

Easter Weekend - Duckling Day Parade

Well, B is sleeping more during her sick days, so I guess I do have some time for blogging . . .


The Saturday before Easter B was invited to a birthday party and got to march in the annual Duckling Day Parade. Here she is as a little duckling. I think she's soooo cute but she was rather overwhelmed by it all so she had a blah face on. Also, it was SOOOO cold. So, she wore her coat for most of it.
She LOVED the big ducks that were posing for pictures outside the library--as she is an animal lover at heart. She wasn't even afraid to walk right up and give it a hug.

She was also pretty excited to see some dogs being walked and to collect this rubber ducky dressed up as a fire fighter--placed along the duckling's route.

But her favorite part of all was afterwards . . . at the birthday party, EATING CAKE! You can see the little hand reaching up for another cupcake. B is sooo tall for her age that she can reach most things a 2 1/2 year old can, but she does not have the capacity or self control for understanding "no." Plus, it was Easter weekend. So, did I really care how many (19) jelly beans she ate in 1 hour?! :)

I must say to the party planners, it was the best party and best food I've had in a loooong time. Of course, these friends are notorious for their fun parties and invites and craftiness, and all around creativeness. Unfortunately, I did not get a good picture of B and the birthday boy together. But, thank you & Happy Birthday!

Sicko

Well, B has been a bit sick the past couple days. We couldn't figure out why she wouldn't eat and just wanted to be held. We found her this morning with throw up all over her bed and she was just crying miserably with a fever of 103.

So for now I'm going to be taking a short break from blogging until I don' t have a little 18-month-old lying limply in my arms . . . poor baby.

On the upside, E is home more this week to help! And he has most of April off! Yay!

Playgroup

This is B's playgroup. She loves it and goes once a week. I love this picture that was taken last week by one of the other mothers and just had to share it with you. I think it captures some of their personalities well. While my observations are probably inaccurate--this is just my opinion:

First, there is A who is sweet, in a nice dress and tights--a little lady--watching the world around her, very observant and taking everything in. She looks at her two little friends--perhaps longing for their same freedom and courage, but possibly also thinking "they are crazy." Her hair is pulled back in little tight pigtails with precision and I doubt she even cried while this was happening.
Then, there is A who has a glimmer of mischief in her eye, although she is being very good at not spilling her snack--using the proper manners, and looking at the camera when told. Her hair is cute and orderly--but one bow is never enough. If you look closely you can see some bottled up energy in her eyes, ready to let the chasing and "I get you" begin!
Next there is B. This blog has shown some of her personality before now, and as her mother, I am a bit biased in interpreting pictures about her. But, I think anyone can see that she is a firecracker and the tallest of the bunch. Her hair is disorderly (although there is a feeble attempt made at a bow), her undershirt peeks through, and her posture says: "I dare you." Mischief and laughter in her flow. And her cuteness is obvious. But to tame that spitfire takes more than a little energy, ingenuity, and wit.
Then there is M, who has her moments, but is sitting as told and looking at the camera. She has an abundance of hair that is well-mannered, except that it grows at an inordinate rate (much to the chagrin of her mother who must constantly trim her bangs). You can see her transition from baby to little girl in her cute little overalls (as I hardly consider overalls a baby wear). There is also a slight hint of rebellion in her as she does not tolerate any confinement of her hair. "Let it grow!" she says.

Thanks everyone for making playgroup so fun! And for dealing with my little spitfire--even as she now hits the keyboard with her hair clip as I type. We are working on that . . . ;)

B's New Kitchen

Well, I broke down and bought B a play kitchen at our amazing "Twin Sale" that is held bi-annually. It was a whole whopping $10.00! Of course, when we got it home we had to clean it--and B had to be right in the thick of it, helping with the 409.

As you can see, B was pretty delighted with herself and HER kitchen.

It's pretty cool cause it's double sided--on one side is the Kitchen, on the other is a little "store" complete with a cash register that rings when you push the red button. B is demonstrating here.

She's pretty pleased with herself.

It's so nice that it entertains her--as she was getting pretty bored with her old toys.Peekaboo! Looking through a cupboard . . .

Thanks for playing!

Match Day continues . . .

Our Friends and Placements: Meg, JR & Alyssa - UT San Antonio; Kenny, Tara & Ashley - S. Carolina; Ethan, Scott (& Emily-not pictured) - Cleveland; to the right: Annie & Brian- Riverside in Columbus, OH; and below right: Katherine & Lee - Indiana.

So, of course the Match recipients had to wait until noon to open their letters. We arrived around 11 am for a little ceremony and a reception and waited with our friends in a big auditorium. Our row was pretty much the only one with kids--but they all did a good job waiting.


All the students had to go to the front of the auditorium to pick up their letters at around 11:45. You can see the posters with giant letters in the background, according to last name.

If you look closely, you will see a little foot and hand hanging over E's hip--since B accompanied him up to pickup the good news.
And here's E & B, returning with the letter! She was a little stone-faced the whole day. I think it was a bit much to take in.

And I know you guys all wanted an up close and personal look at E reading his letter. He got a little choked up when he realized what it said. We both did.

Anyhow, the school put on a nice reception with yummy food, then B had naptime, and then we got together with some friends for a pizza party and more food! It was a great, busy day--E remarked that it reminded him of a wedding because of the emotions felt and how it was so busy, going place to place, and eating tons of good food. I must admit, I had to agree.

Match Day?!

A picture's worth a thousand words. But here's a few more to help . . .

Although E and I are ecstatic about the Match results, B voiced her concern once she heard about the -40 degree F record this Winter. We tried to reassure her that summers are divine. :)

But seriously, we feel so blessed to have matched where we wanted. We were both near tears today when he read the letter. Oh, the tender mercies of the Lord!

More to follow . . .

Photography Lessons, Anyone?

Ok, photography is not my strength. In fact, it is rare that I take a good picture. E is interested in it, even has a nice point-and-click camera that he received for college graduation, and has taken a few classes (in high school I think). But, I--the one usually with B and with the camera--am the one who needs to know photography.

Yes, I attended a little seminar on the subject (i.e. Enrichment), but really, it was too technical for me. I have figured out that pictures look better if they are taken from above--thanks Heather and Stacey.

So, can anyone tell me how I got B's eyes to shine like they do in this picture? I think I must just have been slightly higher than her level. I'm not even sure if I used the flash. I know that light is important, but it's hard for me to figure it all out. I also like the way the light is on her face and hair. And I remember something about the "Rule of Thirds." But, her face is centered and still looks good, right? Would it be better if it wasn't centered? The only thing I do know is that it is a digital camera and the shutter was partially closed (due to the fact that B jammed her little finger up there a couple weeks ago).

Anyhow, random post, but I'd like a few of these questions answered if anyone has the time. I would like to recreate pictures like this at some future date.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can all provide! And Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

The Little Mother

In one of her quiet moments (not a common occurrence), B can be found taking care of "her baby." She is learning to be soft and that babies need bottles and diapers. Of course, her size 4 diapers go up to the doll's neck. I should have saved some of those newborn diapers! Rats!
What a good mommy! Look at her aristocratic pinky up in the air as she gives the baby the bottle (and yes this picture was a couple weeks ago). Of course, 5 seconds later I think she threw the doll down on its' head and ran off to the next thing. You can only be so good . . .

But really, aren't we all just practicing at being good mommies (& daddies)? My parents told me I was their practice child, as I was the oldest. And don't doctors "practice?" In fact, in the nursing profession, the order is "watch one, do one, teach one." I guess that's just how life goes. What do you think?

Daddy?!

This is how B often waits when I tell her Daddy is coming home. Of course this picture is from her days of the cast, but you can imagine her hopeful face, nose against the glass, looking at E's parking spot.

We miss you and hope you drive home safe!

Missing MyMy

Two days ago, my friend called to ask about her daughter having oral thrush, which looks like this (look closely at the tongue):



But it didn't sound right to me because she was describing something that looked like this (sorry for the gross cavity picture) and resembled canker sores and "white bumps", although they were on her tongue:








After hearing she had a fever, was inconsolable, not acting like herself, not sleeping and not eating as well, I suggested some other causes besides thrush (i.e. teething, canker sores, ear infection, etc.) and advised she trust her instinct and call her doctor. Mom's just know when something is not right with their kids.

Later on, she told me her daughter also had these (note the small sores on the palmar surface) and would not take her pacifier (i.e. the tongue sores were painful):





Ohhhhhh . . . Now I get it. A picture's worth a thousand words.
And we have (ta da!) Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease. So, watch out. It is very common in nurseries and daycares

Unfortunately for her poor baby, it also comes with a rash and sore throat and is moderately contagious so B can not play with her for a while. Which is probably good since both B and I have had colds which we would not like to pass on to anyone.

But it was very sad as this morning these little friends saw each other from a distance but could not play together and B just kept calling, "Mymy! Mymy!" (which is what she calls her friend) over and over again. They both were a little frantic & B cried at the prospect of not being able to hug and play together like normal. Luckily B and "Mymy" will be able to come off quarantine soon!




B & "MyMy" 1 year ago.
Now what do you think is going through their little heads?

"Blizzard '08"

So, this is what they are calling the massive storm we had over about 2 days. It pretty much snowed straight from Friday morning through Saturday evening. This is the final result of the snow:

But B still had a fun time helping Dad to dig out the cars and sidewalk.

This is when we wish we had a garage. For sure, if we move to Minnesota, that is a necessity. Also, snow tires would be nice. The thing about here is that they are not prepared for such storms (they only have ~30 trucks for the whole great Columbus area which is ~ 2 mill) because they are not very common here. It really hardly snows here at all. Especially when compared to Utah, Wyoming, etc. But, then again, it is colder and freezing rain equaling icy roads are more common. So, they are pretty good (or rather overkill) with the salt. As a result, I have learned we must wash our undercarriage as a part of our car maintenance.

Hope there's not a Blizzard '08 part II. :)

SNOW DAY!

Well, today we officially had a blizzard. People were let go early from work and school. Unfortunately, E did not get the memo or pages so he stayed past his full shift waiting to be relieved by the next student who never came. Our basketball games were canceled too. :(

But, when he finally got home we played in the snow (and E shoveled thank you!) before dinner. These bibs on B are 4T I bought for next year but they worked!
B helped shovel too! One spoonful at a time . . .


What a fun snow day! Tomorrow we're supposed to have 1 foot of snow!

Do you ever feel like this?

March 4th

Did you Vote today?!

We voted on Issue 29, Issue 26, and the candidates.

Here are a few links to the candidates:
www.barackobama.com
www.johnmccain.com
www.hillaryclinton.com

Let's face it, few other candidates are going to get the nominations or be in the running for President.
So check 'em out. Look under "issues" for particular questions you have.

Interesting note: McCain is wanting to overturn Roe vs. Wade (a landmark Supreme Court case on abortion for those of you who don't know). What do you think about that?! Very controversial . . .

Apologies

First off, "I AM SORRY FOR NOT TELLING YOU ABOUT MY BLOG." Let me just say that this started out as a hidden practice blog that E and I decided to try for 1 week to see how much time it consumed. We did not intend on emailing the address out to anyone or anything.

Anyhow, somehow "people" (aka friends) have found my secret and now I am getting comments left and right about "how come you didn't tell me about your blog!" (I've been told red is an angry color)

So, I've already explained reason number 1.
Reason number 2: this blog was created mainly for my selfish purposes of talking about myself to myself and showing E how witty I truly am. ;)
Reason number 3: this blog was then created for the purpose of possibly showing pictures to my family instead of having to email them long slideshows of pictures from Shutterfly, etc.
Reason number 4: after figuring out that it really took us too much time, E and I decided that this blog was not going to happen. Until recently . . .
Reason number 5: I have no idea how to invite people to view my blog. E tried to figure it out LAST NIGHT (thank you very much!) after I thought perhaps I would pursue the blog avenue since a couple friends told me some shortcuts to make it less time consuming. But his attempts failed.

So, I am still probably going to continue not spreading the word about my blog, because I like to think of it as a hidden "treasure" that you may find through a lesson in cartography (i.e. Heather or Brittany's blog). Thank you them for being the gatekeepers.

Ok, and to finish off this post: here's the most recent picture of my cute brother N. He is in Panama on an LDS mission and returns in May! So, mark your calendars girls! Here is one cute eligible bachelor! He is a strapping blonde-haired blue-eyed farmer-tanned 6'6"(you think I'm tall?) gringo ready for the taking as of June. (OK, i REALIZE that my small readership is most likely all married . . . )

Come on, like I'd really try and place a want ad for a missionary. PLEASE . . . what type of person do you think I am?! ;)

But seriously, I am sincerely proud of him. He has been a hard worker and even recently when he has had to camp out in his apartment due to gang wars, he has stuck it out. I can't wait to see him and pray for his safe return!

We have liftoff!

Ok. So, I just want to apologize to my faithful readers. You two know who you are. :)
Sorry for the delay, but from now on I am going to try and be better at posting. I'm debating about doing it randomly or doing it weekly. I like my friend's blog that is updated every Sunday, so you can plan on it. I'm more of a routine/predictable person. But, then again, as I told Heather, I like to throw people (i.e. my neighbor who I swear taps my phone) off by doing something out of the ordinary.
So, that is yet to be decided . . .
Anyhow, the latest "Big Event" in our lives has been the breaking, casting, and uncasting of B's chubby baby leg. Yes, she fell down the stairs and broke her tibia (the big bone below her knee). Luckily, it was a minor break and not all the way through the bone, so she only had to have the cast on for 3 weeks! But, I am so glad it was not longer than that. I can not imagine how she slept with her whole leg in cast from toes to hip and bent at a 90 degree angle! But I guess we all adapt.

Oh yes, and don't you love my purple Christmas pj pants?! Purple is my favorite color and my mom made them for me. I know, the runway is calling my name!

I must say, we spoiled B a bit just because of her disability. She got to wear earrings one night! (a beautiful gift from E to me for Vday. Thank you!) I just want to say that this is one of my favorite pictures that I have taken of her. To me it captures her personality, blue eyes, curly hair and slightly drooled on shirt. And there, behind her, are the fateful steps on which she fell.
I am by no means a photographer, and am rather handicapped at this skill. So, it was by accident that the shutter was partially closed (thus resulting in the shadows on the edges), however, I like it that way. And I think with a little editing this picture may even be frame worthy.















On a separate night, B got to choose her dinner. She pointed to the live lobster in the tank and we obliged. (Ok, that was my choice for Vday dinner that we went to at the Fish Market. So cool, don't you think?! I've never had a whole lobster before! But I couldn't look the poor guy in the eye after I started eating. I had to eat with the eyes away from me. )

Anyhow, that's about all I have time for. B is crying so got to go.