Rapunzel, Rapunzel, Let Down Your Hair

Uncle M got us some free tickets to go see a Rapunzel play.  It was M's first live performance and she had such a good time.  After the show, all of the actresses lined the hall and you could go down the line and get your program autographed and pictures taken with the actresses.  M was so thrilled to get to meet Rapunzel in the flesh!  Especially since one of her favorite movies right now is the Disney version - Tangled.

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Balloons and Dafodils

 

Pick, pick, pick.  Don't pick 'em all, please!  The sun's in our eyes!  Just smile for a second!  I don't want to smile.  Show me your flowers!

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A Picture Really Is Worth 1000 Words

There really is a story behind these two pictures!

I took the kids to see Despicable Me at the theater a little ways back.  They've seen the movie before, so I was excited that they would want to see it on the big screen.  They sat through the whole thing, minus M's 5 trips to the bathroom!  We all had Sprite and popcorn while we watch an awesome movie!  On the drive from the theater to visit Uncle M, however, C started throwing the biggest fit - he just wouldn't stop screaming.  Until finally, relief came when he spewed up everything he had eaten at the theater. After he has purged all his stomach contents, he was very content and sat quietly in his seat while all chaos broke loose. The stench was unbearable - M started crying.  Luckily we were only a block away from Uncle M's.  Realized when we arrived that I had only one change of clothes for him - M's change of clothes... So, here he is pictured, in M's pink shirt and size 4T pants.  He put Uncle M's giant-sized tennis shoes on for good measure.  M complained of the smell in the car for over two weeks, even thought I had immediately scrubbed it clean with upholstery cleaner.  And to top it all of - its been a month since the vomiting episode and M still will not sit in "the barf seat" in the car.

M saved her allowance for several months.  This is mostly because we have to designate an actual shopping trip as an allowance-spending trip, and it hasn't occurred to me to do this for several months.  So, we headed to the store to pick out a new toy.  M immediately gravitated to the set of four princess shoes for a whopping $20.  I wasn't sure she had that kind of cash, so we counted out all of her $1's - exactly $20, with just enough change to cover tax.  When we got the shoes home, she has been so thrilled to have them and has been dressing up and wearing them around constantly.  C, whose beloved sister he enjoys modeling, decided he likes the shoes too!  So, he's been wearing them around now and again.  Here he is enjoying a snack on the couch with M's new princess shoes on.  Not quite sure why he is only wearing a diaper - just one of those days, I suppose.  This is totally one of those blackmail-you-when-you're-a-teenager type pictures...

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I don't even know what to say about this. But it was too funny not to post. 

Request: Please add a photo caption in the comments.

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C is for Cookie

Aunt D as well as Aunt S got M the neatest children's baking set for Christmas.  M loves it because its not just a pretend baking set - it is for actually baking in the big kitchen with Mama.

I try to remember to take pictures of the kids using their awesome presents!

We used the set to make cookies for a animal adoption recognition event at the Nature Center in February, with the theme "all you need is love."

The kit came with all of the utensils needed to make cupcakes too, which we did for Marti Gras in February:

Aunt D also gave M the children's pizza kit, which is totally awesome and we use all of the time! And M makes the best cheese and ham pizza!  It's the favorite in the house.  As seen here:

We've got a blossoming chef on our hands!

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Bestie Beasties

Roscoe has a special friend!  We've been fostering a friend's dog for a month or so and CaseyDog has been the best playmate for RoscoeDog!  They've just loved eachother's company more than I could have imagined.  Plus, they've both lost weight (in a good way!) from all of the romping and playing they do together.

Curled up after a long day of playtime!  They spoon in the dog bed every night.  Sooooo cute! ♥

 

Did you say you had treats?  Nom nom nom.

Supervising the kids playing outside.

Coming in for some chin scratches and petting.

Worn out!

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Here's my cuddle bug.  Too busy snuggling to wake up.  He really didn't to rouse on the morning this picture was taken!  I'm also happy to say that since this picture was taken, C no longer sucks on his bottle for comfort at night!  Even though he's really growing up - he's still my little cuddly guy.

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Chatter Box

C's speech has been soaring!  He produces new words and sounds every day.  You can actually witness him practice different sounds until he gets the right one.  He is even using full sentences, and barking orders already:

"Get me it!"

The cutest thing about it to me is that he cannot pronounce the "c/k" sound.  instead of a "c/k" he uses a "t" sound.  "cold" = "told", "buckle" = "buttle", and the cutest: "cuddle" = "tuddle".

Love watching my little guy grow up!

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Not Fakin' It

You know she's not faking sick when she actually takes a nap!  She rarely takes naps anymore, let alone for two hours!

It must be one of those tricky-mom-things (aka maternal instincts?) to know when your kid is actually sick or just faking it to stay home from school.  Luckily, she loves school and was really upset to miss it today, so I know that's not the problem.  The main issue we are fighting about is how much medicine she thinks she needs...

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Tell Me All Your Thoughts On God

I asked M why she had such a grumpy face. Her response:

"God made me with a grumpy face."

Does that mean that God had a grumpy face when he made you?  After all, we are made in the image and likeness of God...

Anyway, I couldn't help but laugh.

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Vacations

"You're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting,
So... get on your way!

...

You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any
you'll want to go down.
In that case, of course,

you'll head straight out of town."
— Dr. Seuss (Oh, the Places You'll Go!) 

 

M has been very into imaginative play lately.  She is especially immersed in playing baby-doll.  She even asks us to babysit her baby and gives us clear instructions on her expectations while she is away.  When she goes away, she usually is headed on an out-of-town vacation.  Said location is NOhio.  Like Ohio, but its NO-hio.

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Haircut

M's hair has gotten very long in four years.  With very few trims, we have just let it grow and grow.  She was continually irritated every time we combed it and would cry at the smallest tangles.  My empty threats of "If we can't come your hair, we'll have to cut it off!" were answered by M with "Cut my hair off!"  So we did!

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Careers

M's has already answered the age old question "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

"I want to be a librarian, and a mom"

She had mentioned to Aunt E some time ago that she wanted to be a mom, but now she has paired that vocation with a career as a librarian, which does fit well with her love of reading and books.

I'm not so sure she is set on her future aspirations just yet - today she told Daddy she was going to be a nurse.  I am awed that a young girl has goals like this already laid out.  I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up!

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Flashback: M's First Drive

Christmas Crafts

M loves crafts.  She asks me to spontaneously come up with crafts for us together.  "Can we do a craft tonight?" is a question heard almost daily at our house.

Luckily, for Christmas, I was ready!  We made construction paper chains, a gingerbread man bead necklace, and Christmas cards!  The last couple of years we have hosted a small Christmas card making party at our house.  The purpose is to use old Christmas cards to fabricate new and creative cards.  I bought most of our card fronts from the I.D.E.A. Store, a new store in town that focuses on reuse of materials for art and craft purposes.

Here is M and C's end-results.  C's are the two on top, M's are the two on bottom.

 

To see the rest of our card endeavors, feel free to browse them here.

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Here Comes Santa Claus

We attended breakfast with Santa at Silvercreek Restaurant this year.  It was such a joy to spend time with Aunt D.














Waiting outside for the doors to open!

There were lots of activities for the kids to participate in.  Cookie decorating was the favorite!  There was also story telling, bracelet making, a sticker craft station, and a balloon artist.














Live bunnies for the petting!














And the highlight of the event - Santa!

There was also a lovely breakfast buffet that we enjoyed.  We all had a blast.

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Stonehenge

M constructed Stonehenge in the playroom, and then invited RoscoeDog in for a ritual sacrifice.

He must be possessed. 

Just relax, Dog.  This won't take long.

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