Name Calling

While the Anita Purves Nature Center is wrapping up a naming contest for its new red phased screech Owl, on our visit today C decided to do some naming of his own.  He named two snakes "the little one is Sparkles and the big one is Whiskers" and he named two turtles "this turtle is DragonFire and this one's name is Boose" 

I love his emerging creativity!

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Crazy Hair Day

Speaking of hair, my creative little girl fashioned her very own hair-do for Crazy Hair Day at school. 

Here she is sporting what she calls "pencil hair"

Even after six years, it still amazes me how this little human I created has a mind to create, write, think, and dream all her own.  So cool.  Can't wait to go along with whatever crazy hair do she comes up with next year!

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CurlyQ

M and I thought curling her hair would be fun to do.  I'm not much of girly-mom.  I was raised like one of the boys, among four brothers...  So, easy is my thing when it comes to this sort of task.  I had heard of rag rolling, but never tried it.  So, we looked it up and went for it! 

 The rags are in! Ready for a good night's sleep!

The morning results. Amazing! And the curls lasted all day.

I liked it so much I even did my hair the next day!

Curly girls.

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Say "Ahhh"

"is my tongue blue?" is the question every time suckers are brought into the eating equation.  And the answer is usually "Yes!"

I also love his fluffly-just-cleaned-out-of-the-bath hairdo.

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Monkeybar Milestones

M has successfully learned to navigate the monkey bars!  She's so proud and I'm so proud of her!

Monkeying around at Clark Park

Showing off her monkey skillz at Southridge Park.  You did it, girl!

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BabyLust

Someone around here has babylust. 

















M holding baby J, born March 12, 2012

M holding baby E, born April 21, 2012

M holding baby A, born May 9, 2012.

M is in babylust heaven. Just like her mama. :)

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A Poet in Our Midst

While M and I were reading this evening, she brought her My Poetry Collection to the couch for perusal.  I was so impressed! I don't remember having read any of it before (which doesn't neccessarily mean I haven't!), so it was really refreshing and inspirational to see her creativity coming out through her poetry.























Joy Makes Me Feel
joy makes me feel like happy
joy makes me feel like a birthday party
joy makes me feel like holding hands
joy makes me feel like a nap

A Bed Is Like
a bed is like a stuffed pig
a bed is like a trampoline
a bed is safe
a bed is like sitting by a fire

Peace Makes Me Feel
peace makes me feel like a nap
peace males me feel a river
peace makes me feel like a tree
peace makes me feel like a house 

This one's my favorite!

A Car Wash Is Like
a care was is like a washing machine
a car wash is like a spook house swimming
a car wash is like a water slide
a car wash is like a shower

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The Lone Snow of Winter

This was the third warmest winter on record in Illinois.  In fact, we rarely had any snow, and only once did it blanket thick enough to build a snowman.  We took full advantage!

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Christmas (in July!)

Here is a quick recap of our first Christmas in the new house:

The halls were decked.

The tree was bright.

The children were full of sugar and spice.


















Santa arrived singing jolly creepy songs.

 Time was spent with those we love. ♥  Here are the kiddos showing off a few of their cherished gifts.

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New House, New Playroom!

When toys sit in the same spot for a long time, they tend to be ignored and overlooked.  It's amazing to me how a change in location can create a whole new found love of the same everyday toys.  Today the playroom at the new house became an airport - those are the run ways!

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Fall 2011 and Halloween Fun

Yes, yes, I'm still playing catch up on my blog.  I'd like to get back to doing short non-picture posts about all of the cute things my kids say and do.  But the constraints of life leave me doing photo bomb posts for the near future.

We had a crazy fall, mostly because we bought a fixer-upper in January 2011 and it was finally ready to move into in October.  Much of our happenings were put on hold during the renovation and move, but here are a few snippets of that chaotic time.

Pumpkins were carved.  Mason jars were painted.

For C's birthday we went to the Monticello Railway Museum and rode the Ghost Train. 

M was terrified of the train ride.

We moved into the new house on October 29th, just in time to celebrate Halloween in our new neighborhood.  M was a princess-witch.  C was a cowboy-monster.

The cowboy-monster story originates just after Halloween 2010.  I purchased a few costumes on clearance after the holiday, to use for 2011.  Unfortunately, unbeknownst to me, C had already decided he wanted to be a monster for Halloween.  I had purchased a cowboy costume.  Hence the cowboy-monster!  I added some white face paint to make him pale, and some red hair spray - done!

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Line 'em Up!

For some reason C fascinates himself with creating lines of objects.  And for some reason I enjoy taking pictures of these creations.

Chess pieces stand at attention at Grandpa's house.

bumper to bumper hallway traffic jam.

 This photo was taken two months later, and M joined in the line up game.

Lately he has taken to lining up Lego trains and seeing how many he can link together without them coming apart from their own weight when he pulls them.  Photo to come, but need an opportunity to take one!

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A Stint of Soccer

We signed M up for Sharkey's Soccer with the Urbana Park District last fall.  Of course they are always short-handed for coaches so I agreed to coach her team.  Boy did I underestimate what that involved!  Anyway, it was very fun and I enjoyed not only teaching M beginning soccer skills, but also getting to know many of the other kids and parents on our team. Overall it was fun - and I never want to do it again!

M warms up on the sidelines
















M kicks and runs!

Circling up for a team talk!

The sun sets over the goal on my short stint as a soccer coach.  Maybe M will want to play this fall...time will tell!

If anyone is interested, I wrote detailed plans for each of our practices, as well as a weekly newsletter that went home to parents, I'm willing to share these with anyone, just let me know!

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Decatur, Baby!

We traveled to Decatur with bestie A and J.  We ran the Shoreline Classic 5k race, me with two kids in a running stroller - in the pouring rain.  It was miserable - it was fun!  Afterwards we enjoyed a trip to Scovill Zoo in a very light but bearable drizzle.

M proudly displays her race medal.

Our whole race crew!

M riding on the Scovill Zoo carousel.

C enjoys his carousel ride!

The coolest thing about the zoo is that they allow some animals (birds mostly) to roam free! here are two peacocks traipsing along our path.

M is one with the red pandas

The petting area had sweet baby goats.  Here is M enjoying a pet.



















C says Moooo.  M says E-I-E-I-O.

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Gone Fishin'

My friend O came by to visit.  She is passionate about fish and she passes her love of fish onto my kids through fishing poles, fish toys, and fun fishing experiences!

We fished at Crystal Lake Park and it couldn't have been easier!  Both kids caught (and released) three fish!

Proud fishermen:

"There is certainly something in angling that tends to produce a serenity of the mind."  

~Washington Irving

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Beep Beep Jeep Jeep

 "I'll return home later than they, as I'll not travel so fast
While I drink in nature's glory, not just a blur moving past.
And they'll smirk as I return - dirty, tired and tanned,
Then I think, "It's a Jeep thing, you wouldn't understand." 
by Anonymous

Order In the Streets
"1.2.3 
Switch on. 
Jeep rushes 
to the scene 
of riot. 
Jeep goes 
in all directions 
by mystery action..." 
by Donald Justice
 
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Exploring Our Town

We had not been to see the new Boneyard Second Street Detention Project by Scott Park.  After are usual Saturday morning trip to the Market at the Square with Uncle M, we stopped by the Boneyard to check it out.  It is pretty amazing how aesthetically pleasing the new fountains and walkways can be.   The sounds of the trickling streams and bubbling fountains were soothing and serene.

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