It's been a while since I checked in here -- TONS is going on in my life. We're working on getting permits to build our new house, chasing around two active toddlers and keeping up with piano lessons (Joey), violin lessons (Lillian), playgroups, and the like. I had to show off some cute photos of my kids -- Allison & Sarah are in love with fruit, especially apples, which they prefer NOT cut up. I think I also may have mentioned the fashion shows that go on when the girls are supposed to be sleeping. This picture shows Allison all decked out, complete with her footed pajamas underneath.
I've also been designing. I'm almost ready to submit my 2nd "Grubbies" CD -- this one full of 6 matching element packs. And I had a chance to do another Weathered Threads kit -- this time my "Chance of Sunshine" kit, above.
Here's some more on the developments in our lives, from the weekly letter I write to grandparents:
Here’s a quick update on the major happenings in our lives:
House. We’re still waiting for permits; the remaining issue we have to figure out is the basement level. Our builder met with the city this week and if we have an engineer do a geo-technical survey and give us an engineered flood plan (perhaps French drains, perhaps a sump system) we can go down as far as the engineer thinks is safe. So the builder has it scheduled that for tomorrow. We’re hoping everything will go well. Though we are near the river, the height of the land where we’re building is well above the water level. Our neighbors building in lot 1 did the geo-tech survey and found no evidence of water as low as 6 feet under. So we’ll see. The builder says even if we can go down only 2 more feet, we’ll save enough money from fill dirt to pay for the geo-tech plan.
Lillian. Lillian is happy as usual. She let me curl lots of ringlets in her hair today, and in her yellow dress, she looked just like Goldilocks. She is a loving sister and has taken to giving the babies piggybacks all the time, even going to Church. They grin the whole way and simply adore her. She’s getting old enough to play real games with Aaron & I, and it’s been fun to take a few hours here and there and play Phase 10 with her. Joey got a 4 pack of card games – War, Crazy 8’s, Old Maid, Fish -- at a gift exchange at a birthday party last week, and the two of them have been playing them constantly. They also build lots of lego pyramids and houses. It’s nice to see them such good friends.
Joey. Joey has become quite inquisitive lately, asking me all sorts of questions I don’t know the answer to. “Mommy, how does a hurricane happen?” “How come we don’t have hurricanes here?” “How does electricity get into the wires?” “How come the birds can stand on the wires and they don’t get burned up?” “How does a storm start?” and so on. I tell him that he asks lots of good questions and perhaps we can look things up at the library or on the internet. We did check out some videos about weather & hurricanes this week, which has helped some. I’ve told him that someday when he’s a scientist, he’ll know all the answers to these things, and that he sure asks good questions.
Michael. Michael continues to be our charmer, running around constantly in his super outfit. We were at the mall yesterday in one of the stores, and the older ladies at one store got the biggest kick out of him “flying” around the store. He’s taken to bringing me pretty rocks from the yard.
Sarah & Allison. They are quite interesting right now. They’ve been fighting a lot more lately, and throwing a ton more tantrums. It used to be I could put some apple slices between them and just let them eat; now they get mad if they don’t each have a plate. They take things away from each other and just aren’t sharing very well at all lately. Allison in particular has been a trial this week – she will not let me change her clothes without having a major tantrum. She screams & fights me and tries to take off the clothes even as I’m putting them on her. Interestingly, though, once she has them on, she leaves them on. Sarah, on the other hand, is a stripper and a Houdini, wiggling her way out of first her pants and then her onesies. She’s had enough sense most days to at least leave on her diaper, which is a blessing. Allison also throws a fit when I try to put on her shoes, so I’ve left them off her a few times, which causes more problems, because later on I’ll allow Sarah to walk holding onto my hand because she has shoes on, while Allison gets mad that I’m still holding her. I just hope these tantrums are temporary. I think they are because Sarah has been trying to talk this week, and I think Allison will follow her lead soon. Sarah has said “Papple” (Apple), “Bawa” (Bottle) just this week, adding them to the words she already knows.
At the same time, they are completely charming. I can tell Allison I need an Allison-size hug and she will grin, run over and wrap her arms around me tight. I’ll ask Sarah for a Sarah-size hug and she’ll smile sweetly, come over and give me a soft hug. Allison let me read an entire (short) book to her this week for the first time.
It was sweet to watch them last night, though. We just bought “Lady & the Tramp,” and we allowed the babies to lie down on the big bed (what we call our hide-a-bed) last night with Joey & Michael and watch it (Lillian was on a chair). Allison shrieked and laughed every time the dog walked around and LOVED it, while Sarah smiled calmly and proceeded to poke Michael’s nose and give him hugs. It’s so sad and wonderful at the same time how they are growing up and joining the family. They’ve been conning their brothers into giving them wagon rides in the yard this week, digging in the sand box, and walking into places holding onto Joey’s hand. He’s a loving brother to them, always thrilled when they give him attention like wanting to hold his hands or giving him hugs.
It's been a while since I checked in here -- TONS is going on in my life. We're working on getting permits to build our new house, chasing around two active toddlers and keeping up with piano lessons (Joey), violin lessons (Lillian), playgroups, and the like. I had to show off some cute photos of my kids -- Allison & Sarah are in love with fruit, especially apples, which they prefer NOT cut up. I think I also may have mentioned the fashion shows that go on when the girls are supposed to be sleeping. This picture shows Allison all decked out, complete with her footed pajamas underneath.
I've also been designing. I'm almost ready to submit my 2nd "Grubbies" CD -- this one full of 6 matching element packs. And I had a chance to do another Weathered Threads kit -- this time my "Chance of Sunshine" kit, above.
Here's some more on the developments in our lives, from the weekly letter I write to grandparents:
Here’s a quick update on the major happenings in our lives:
House. We’re still waiting for permits; the remaining issue we have to figure out is the basement level. Our builder met with the city this week and if we have an engineer do a geo-technical survey and give us an engineered flood plan (perhaps French drains, perhaps a sump system) we can go down as far as the engineer thinks is safe. So the builder has it scheduled that for tomorrow. We’re hoping everything will go well. Though we are near the river, the height of the land where we’re building is well above the water level. Our neighbors building in lot 1 did the geo-tech survey and found no evidence of water as low as 6 feet under. So we’ll see. The builder says even if we can go down only 2 more feet, we’ll save enough money from fill dirt to pay for the geo-tech plan.
Lillian. Lillian is happy as usual. She let me curl lots of ringlets in her hair today, and in her yellow dress, she looked just like Goldilocks. She is a loving sister and has taken to giving the babies piggybacks all the time, even going to Church. They grin the whole way and simply adore her. She’s getting old enough to play real games with Aaron & I, and it’s been fun to take a few hours here and there and play Phase 10 with her. Joey got a 4 pack of card games – War, Crazy 8’s, Old Maid, Fish -- at a gift exchange at a birthday party last week, and the two of them have been playing them constantly. They also build lots of lego pyramids and houses. It’s nice to see them such good friends.
Joey. Joey has become quite inquisitive lately, asking me all sorts of questions I don’t know the answer to. “Mommy, how does a hurricane happen?” “How come we don’t have hurricanes here?” “How does electricity get into the wires?” “How come the birds can stand on the wires and they don’t get burned up?” “How does a storm start?” and so on. I tell him that he asks lots of good questions and perhaps we can look things up at the library or on the internet. We did check out some videos about weather & hurricanes this week, which has helped some. I’ve told him that someday when he’s a scientist, he’ll know all the answers to these things, and that he sure asks good questions.
Michael. Michael continues to be our charmer, running around constantly in his super outfit. We were at the mall yesterday in one of the stores, and the older ladies at one store got the biggest kick out of him “flying” around the store. He’s taken to bringing me pretty rocks from the yard.
Sarah & Allison. They are quite interesting right now. They’ve been fighting a lot more lately, and throwing a ton more tantrums. It used to be I could put some apple slices between them and just let them eat; now they get mad if they don’t each have a plate. They take things away from each other and just aren’t sharing very well at all lately. Allison in particular has been a trial this week – she will not let me change her clothes without having a major tantrum. She screams & fights me and tries to take off the clothes even as I’m putting them on her. Interestingly, though, once she has them on, she leaves them on. Sarah, on the other hand, is a stripper and a Houdini, wiggling her way out of first her pants and then her onesies. She’s had enough sense most days to at least leave on her diaper, which is a blessing. Allison also throws a fit when I try to put on her shoes, so I’ve left them off her a few times, which causes more problems, because later on I’ll allow Sarah to walk holding onto my hand because she has shoes on, while Allison gets mad that I’m still holding her. I just hope these tantrums are temporary. I think they are because Sarah has been trying to talk this week, and I think Allison will follow her lead soon. Sarah has said “Papple” (Apple), “Bawa” (Bottle) just this week, adding them to the words she already knows.
At the same time, they are completely charming. I can tell Allison I need an Allison-size hug and she will grin, run over and wrap her arms around me tight. I’ll ask Sarah for a Sarah-size hug and she’ll smile sweetly, come over and give me a soft hug. Allison let me read an entire (short) book to her this week for the first time.
It was sweet to watch them last night, though. We just bought “Lady & the Tramp,” and we allowed the babies to lie down on the big bed (what we call our hide-a-bed) last night with Joey & Michael and watch it (Lillian was on a chair). Allison shrieked and laughed every time the dog walked around and LOVED it, while Sarah smiled calmly and proceeded to poke Michael’s nose and give him hugs. It’s so sad and wonderful at the same time how they are growing up and joining the family. They’ve been conning their brothers into giving them wagon rides in the yard this week, digging in the sand box, and walking into places holding onto Joey’s hand. He’s a loving brother to them, always thrilled when they give him attention like wanting to hold his hands or giving him hugs.
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