Barkdull Family Happenings

Christmas Photo Dump

2010-01-10T20:58:00.001-08:00

Really it's for the Grandparents. It's a weak effort but when you consider what I have done since Emery was born (oh, you mean you didn't know about her because I never blogged that baby #4 actually arrived? yeah, she's almost 14 months old now.) it's quite an improvement.

So, here is our December in not particular order with no explanation.

I tried.

2010-01-10T20:21:00.001-08:00

Christmas Eve

The title of the post pretty much says it all.

There are four of them.

I have no expectations when I attempt to take a group picture.

What are the odds?

2009-02-20T10:24:00.001-08:00

Really, what are the odds that I would be inspired (i.e. temporarily insane) to take my four children to the zoo on my own in the first place? I wasn't completely on my own though. I did go with a friend and her three children.

But seriously, what are the odds that as soon as we let the three two year olds out of their strollers that a zookeeper would inform us that a monkey had gotten loose and we would have to evacuate the zoo. Fortunately as we were headed to the gate they decided to let people into the carousel and gave free rides to pass the time while everyone waited. And I'll admit, I did find it amusing to be on the inside of the zoo receiving updates from the workers; they had him cornered, he wouldn't go back in on his own, they would have to "dart" him. Come on though, what are the odds?

Fall Festivities

2008-11-13T14:17:00.000-08:00

October was basically pumpkin patch mania with a little candy gathering at the end. I think I was the only one that really felt the mainia. Three seperate pumkin patch trips was almost more than I could handle but the kids had fun and that's what is important. Right? (If I keep telling myself that I may actually go to one next year.)

First, Ella had a preschool trip to The Farm. She survived the hay maze, pet a kitten, journeyed to the fields via tractor, picked a pumpkin, watched a pig show and ate an ice cream bar in the freezing cold.

Eli got to come too. (I thought that he would enjoy seeing himself in this picture but I can't get him to believe that it's not his friend Calvin. There is no winning with a one year old.)

Next, we took our traditional family trip to Craven Farms. We ate kettle corn, visited the animals, played on the farm and picked out our pumpkins. We were lucky enough to visit on a beautiful day.

Finally, I was a chaperone for Emilia's kindergarten class trip to The Farm. She rode a school bus for the first time, survived the hay maze, pet a rabbit, journeyed to the fields via tractor, picked a pumpkin, ate ice cream in the freezing cold, watched a pig show and the duck race. Then refused to ride the bus back to school with the rest of her class and rode back to the school with me.
We put our pumkins to good use by cutting them up. Emilia loved every minute of it. Ella wanted nothing to do with it. And Eli was beyond disgusted to discover what the inside of a pumpkin looks like.

Emilia removing the pumkin guts.

Eli the spectator.

Ella avoiding the pumkins completely. She did want to show off her chosen pattern.

Our little witch, cat and dragon collected far more candy than I will ever allow them to eat but had alot of fun doing it. We Trick or Treated with friends and even let Eli out of the stroller. He caught on quite quickly at one point running up to a door to get "mo cani".

Eternal Sunshine of the 5 Year Old Mind

2008-11-11T22:12:00.000-08:00

Background: A couple of months ago I was driving in the van with the kids. The bar exam was soon to be in the past and we were looking to leave apartment managing behind.

Emilia: Our van is really big. We could sleep in here.

Me: Sure.

Emilia: It's OK if we don't find a house. We could just sleep in our van. We're really lucky that we have a van that we can sleep in.

That's every parents dream. Graduate from college. Daddy goes to law school. Live in a van.

All I Want For Christmas. . . .

2008-11-09T16:52:00.000-08:00

She may have lost her two front teeth, but never fear, she received replacements at her school's Fall Festival on Friday.

Quick Update

2008-11-09T15:58:00.000-08:00

So, I've neglected blogging a bit lately. Here is what we've been up to. Fletcher studied for the bar exam. Who knew something could make him busier than working full-time and attending law school. He also decided to apply for a LLM program at UW (one more year of school) to which he was accepted. By the time the bar exam was over we decided that we were finished with school. He can always go back to school for an LLM. By the way, he passed the bar. It really is over.

Here is what the rest of us did.

Ella finished preschool for the school year.

Later that same day, Emilia finished preschool-forever.

Eli stopped grunting like a caveman in order to communicate. He then developed his own language that we've been trying to master. He has finally begun to convert to English, i.e. airplane is no longer bama it is now ah-pane. He did become a huge fan of Barack Obama (Baka Bama) during the campaigns and I think he just didn't feel right yelling bama at planes any more.

Roller skates were made.

As well as knee pads.

Surprisingly, no bones were broken.

We hit Diego Live once more. Yes, you would think I would have learned the first time.

Eli became an artist. While he enjoys painting, he seems to prefer his creations be in ink and on the wall.

We moved! We gained a third bedroom, a fenced in backyard and left an apartment management job behind. No tears shed over the loss.

Emilia began kindergarten.

Many tears have been shed on both our parts.

Ella began preschool.

No tears shed. Quite surprising since she cried every day (and I am not kidding when I say every day) last year.

I resumed my role as full time chauffeur.

Emilia turned 6!

And child #4 is on the way. I intended to blog about this months ago but since I haven't blogged in months. . .

We have been told it's a girl. But after two strikeouts with Emilia and Ella, I've become a "see it to believe it" girl when it comes to ultrasound predictions. I am due on Thanksgiving day. Two days after Eli's 2nd birthday. Since the first three came early I've been counting on this baby to come a little early as well. And I am fully aware that I am setting myself up to be in a really bad mood the week of Thanksgiving by possibly giving myself false hope.

Grocery Shopping With Daddy

2008-06-21T22:42:00.000-07:00

Let me just say that a trip to the grocery store is so much more enjoyable when it isn't just me and the kids. If I am going to do the awful chore, I might as well have someone to keep me company, other than the three tornadoes I bring with me.

Fletcher's reaction to the experience: "Are they always like this?"

No. They don't always do "ballet" moves as they maneuver the isles. And no, I don't let Eli out of the cart to walk halfway through the trip. There is usually no joy to our trip. I rarely have a smile on my face. Usually, through clenched teeth, I am issuing threats in an attempt to keep the girls from destroying the store and am doing everything to keep Eli from escaping the useless seat belt on the cart. And by the end Eli is screaming his head off because I am shoving him back into the cart wondering if I can get that belt any tighter and the girls have apparently gone deaf because they don't hear anything I say to them.

If he thinks tonight was bad, he really should take them grocery shopping on his own.

My Little Gumby

2008-06-14T12:39:00.000-07:00

We have been making up for lost time by cramming every activity possible into Fletcher's first week out of school. Is is sad when you feel like you are on vacation because your husband is only working 40 hours a week? So, on Memorial Day we hit the aquarium and Emilia hit the bin of scuba diving gear.

Getting a little help from Daddy.

Here she is! Our little scuba girl! Thanks to "Finding Nemo" Emilia and Ella spent a period of time thinking divers were evil.

Down she goes.

And she's not getting up.

This is better.

At Fletcher's Request

2008-06-09T08:44:00.001-07:00

For the most part Fletcher doesn't say much about what I post on our blog but yesterday he was congratulated on his graduation by someone who had read it on our blog. Now that he realizes that people (it's really not many) actually read our blog he told me he wishes I hadn't made my "take that" comment, essentially throwing it in the face of the full-time students that my husband was able to graduate Magna Cum Laude while working full-time and having a family. So, if you happen to browse the graduation post, please skip that part. Fletcher would appreciate it.

*Sorry honey. I can't help myself. You are amazing and I have to brag about it. At least I admitted it was bratty.

Introducing. . . .

2008-06-09T07:19:00.000-07:00

The newest addition to our family!

And if you don't think I welcomed this baby with open arms, you haven't been scared to death waking up at three in the morning to a one year old staring at you or put the little dear back to bed five times in 15 minutes.

It's arrival was not a moment too soon. My only mistake was ordering it online rather than giving in to instant shopping gratification. While Fletcher was in St. Louis for work last week, his darling children (in cases such as this they belong solely to him) decided to wage war against mommy each and every night at bedtime. It would seem logical that if you spent three hours getting out of bed, for the most part they took turns, and staying up until ten and getting up at seven in the morning, and sometimes visiting mommy at three in the morning (not just Eli) you wouldn't have the energy to do it again the following night. You would think that, but you would be oh, so wrong. What's more perplexing (i.e. infuriating) is that since Fletcher has been home, other than a quick visit from each girl tonight, we have not heard a sound out of them after they have been put to bed and Eli has slept through the night every night. Let me not forget to tell you (complain about) how Eli got up one night at 2:45 and didn't go back to sleep until after 4:30.

I love my Original Cozy Crib Tent. Eli was so excited to try it out. He laughed, jumped up and down in his bed and put on a show for his sisters, then screamed "mama, stuck!" for about 45 minutes. And while Fletcher was sending me pictures of his view of the St. Louis Arch from the Cardinal's game (he has a rough job), I sent him one of my beautiful tent. Yes, it is mine because apparently we have no use for it when he is at home. And no, I'm not bitter at all.

Chocolate Fondue = Messy Baby

2008-06-05T18:30:00.000-07:00

Warning: This blog post contains far too many pictures. Unless you are a grandparent, you may need to look away.

So, the baby of the family gets all the attention because he wasn't the only one dipping fruit in chocolate. Although, he was the only one not allowed to reach across the table and dip into the fondue pot. We may give Eli sharp, poky objects to stab his fruit with but we try to keep him away from the flame. And when I say we, I should actually say me. Fletcher was vocalizing is disapproval. (Once again I can feel that mother of the year award slipping from my grasp.)

Lovin' the chocolate. He is definitely my kid.

Finally, his own stick. He knew he was missing out on the true experience. And you can see he actually had some fruit to go with that chocolate.

I don't know what he is doing here but I think he would have gone in face first if her weren't buckled in.

Licking the plate is much easier.

In reality, I think he got more chocolate on his body than in his mouth. He certainly wasn't successful at getting it to stick to the fruit.

Clean baby! I was told I wasn't allowed to buckle him out of his chair until he was clean but a washcloth sure wasn't going to get that boy chocolate free.

It Happened! (a while ago now)

2008-06-02T08:03:00.000-07:00

You see that ticker at the top of this blog? It used to be counting down but not anymore. Yes, Fletcher has graduated!

There's my amazing husband. I still don't know how he did it. He's spent the last four years working full time and going to law school part time. He has changed jobs twice, once to work for Boeing and then a new position within Boeing. A year and a half ago he welcomed his third child into the world, two weeks before finals and managed to get the best grades of any that semester. And it wasn't because he was slacking on Daddy duty, poor guy got far too little sleep for someone who's entire semester grade depended on one exam. With all the time he had to spend with work and school he definitely managed to put his family first.

(Working from home a month ago during a week of rotating stomach bug. Fortunately he was spared infection.)

On top of all that, he also managed to graduate Magna Cum Laude. Take that all you job-free, spouse and child free, full time students. Ok, that was a little bratty.

So, here is the big day. I was worried that we would freeze sitting outside but we (meaning those of us not graduating) were able to enjoy one of the few beautiful days this spring. Poor Fletcher was stuck in sitting directly in the sun wearing thick black robes. I couldn't help but look at the other side of the stadium and wonder why they couldn't have set us up along the first baseline instead of the third. See all of that shade? I can't complain. I was sitting in the shade. Then again, when does it ever hit 80 degrees before noon in Seattle (other than those random days in August).

If you can't tell, because really, who can, Fletcher is being hooded. He's the guy in the black robe.

And despite dying of heat stroke, he humored us for a quick post-graduation photo sesssion.

Congratulations Fletcher! Although Emilia and Ella couldn't understand why you would want to miss the Cheese Festival, I know they are proud of you, in their own way.

Sabbath Meditation

2008-06-01T21:48:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know that my time during Sacrament Meeting should be spent listening to the speakers, pondering their message and discovering how it can apply to and better my life but it just doesn't always work out that way. I blame the 5, 4 and 1 year old sitting next to me. If it weren't for them I am sure I would be hanging on every spoken word because that's just how holy I am. (And if you don't know that I am joking, just sit next to me sometime at church. I'm sure I will ruin your concentration at some point by whispering to you when the teacher isn't looking.)

These are the things I couldn't keep out of my mind last week.

Why do I even bother to iron the clothing I wear to church? By the end of Sacrament Meeting I have been laid on, crawled on, sat on, drooled on, spilled on, slept on and it doesn't look as though I touched an iron. (OK, I probably didn't. Fletcher usually irons his work clothes for the week on Saturday night and irons anything we need for church as well. Yes, he is amazing.)
Why do I bother doing anything to my girls hair before church? I can fix it 15 minutes before we leave and by the time we enter the building it looks as though I got them out of bed, put their dresses on and sent them off to church.
Can one red vine, on our way out the door, cause all the wiggling, whispering, moving, crawling, silliness and, basically, insanity that we experienced from the girls during that first hour? If so, that is what I get for trying to sneak a treat when the eagle eyes are always watching.

Yea! I've completed my first blog post in over a month! And pretty much insured that no one will sit next to me at chuch from now on.

Teaching Moment Turnaroud

2008-04-28T11:44:00.000-07:00

The girls and I were watching Sesame Street the other morning (we've been watching it a lot since we've all been taking turns with a stomach bug) and they had a segment about getting out and staying out of your house when there is a fire. There was a little song stating specific things (teddy bear, doll) that a kid might want to go back into the house and save from a fire. The chorus sang "get out, stay out, don't you go back in." By the end my girls were singing along. Once again I thought I would turn this into a teaching moment by using their "most special" toys as examples. After they each had their "lesson" Emilia decided it was my turn. "And what if your phone was inside? What do you do Mommy?" It's great to know that I've led my kids to believe my cell phone is my most special toy.

Breakfast Conversation

2008-04-17T08:03:00.001-07:00

This morning, during breakfast, our topic of conversation somehow turned to immunizations. Emilia spent a moment reflecting on her last experience as the recipient of shots where it took mommy and two nurses to restrain her. Somewhat pridefully she let me know that next time it will take five people. Next time Daddy is taking her. Knowing that shots are not something that my children dread I thought I would take the moment to remind them why mommy allows strangers to stab them will needles. So I asked, why do we get shots? Ella jumped in with the response, "Because they keep bugs from getting into our bodies (good-we sometimes refer to germs as bugs) and insects (wait) and grasshoppers from getting inside and eating our brains (hold on a minute). Obviously I've gone wrong somewhere. Not only did I have to explain that immunizations are to keep them from getting sick but I had to explain that grasshoppers don't eat brains. And despite my efforts they walked away letting me know that they may not eat brain but they can eat body parts. I don't think I want to be there when they run into their first (man-eating) grasshopper this summer. I can already hear the screams.

And the Oscar goes to . . . . .

2008-03-30T20:51:00.000-07:00

A long time ago (it has been a long time since I have blogged) my sister's ward had their own version of the Oscars. They got into groups and made movies then later watched them and presented awards at their own Oscar party. I agreed to allow my children their five minutes of fame (or whatever the expression is) and they were cast in the film. Yes, they were paid for their labors, in quarters and Popsicles. It was the only way to get them to cooperate. In addition they were invited to attend the grand affair held at the glorious stake center cultural hall. They dressed in their "fancy" clothes which Aunt Leslie accessorised with purses, white gloves and hair bows.

Here are my little divas ready for a night on the town, handbags stuffed with as many toys as they could fit.

They walked the red carpet.

And they came home with this (of course):

And this:

I threw Eli in for scale. It's the biggest Elmo I've seen (I'm sure there are larger) and it even asks for kisses. Although when he came home with the girls he was dressed in a white shirt, tie, vest and suit jacket. Elmo had a role in another film and could not be seen at the Oscars in anything but his snazziest outfit.

And I am sure you are on the edge of your seats wondering if their movie won the best picture award. Best picture was a "People's Choice" award. All in attendance were given the opportunity to vote on their favorite film, including Emilia and Ella. One would assume the choice would be simple, vote for your own film, but they just couldn't help themselves and had to choose Elmo's movie. So, by two votes, Elmo's movie won best picture and by two vote's Aunt Leslie's lost best picture--that may be the last time 5 and unders are given voting privileges at the Oscar's.

The Family Dog

2008-03-27T17:19:00.000-07:00

Poor Eli. Usually he's only useful for dressing up or locking out of the bedroom so he doesn't take toys but now he's been give the role of family dog. The baby of the family just doesn't get any respect from the older siblings. Last night Ella knocked her dinner onto the floor. Emilia let her know she had nothing to worry about because when mommy got Eli out of his high chair he could clean it up for her by eating it. And again today Emilia called to me letting me know that Eli wanted a snack so she dumped some fish crackers on the floor for him to eat. What a lucky little boy.

Sleeping Through The Night

2008-03-05T11:46:00.000-08:00

It only took fifteen months but I think I can finally say that Eli has slept through the night. A couple of nights ago he slept from about 7:30pm until 5:45am. I'm fine with 5:45am if it means he's not getting up two or three times before then. Although, I am still waiting for a repeat performance.

And while I am on the subject of sleeping babies, I am convinced that whoever coined the phrase "sleeping like a baby" was a moron that never had children. I've been "sleeping like a baby" since Emilia came along and I haven't had a good nights sleep yet. My babies are worth it though. I wouldn't trade a good nights sleep for any of them.

Death To The Groundhog!

2008-02-27T22:01:00.000-08:00

Sorry, Phil, if that sounds a little harsh but seriously, you have got to get over that shadow thing because I cannot take another six weeks of winter. I am tired of being sick and stuck in the house (especially during the first sunny days we have had in months). I am tired of being the receptacle for my children's vomit and so is my bed. I am tired of getting over one illness just in time to catch another. I'm also tired of purchasing mass quantaties of Kleenex and using them all in two days.

I am tired of having so many antibiotics in my home that I could start running a black market pharmacy. I am tired of ear infections and goopy eyes but I am grateful for our pediatrician who offered to check Ella's ears during our second visit to him and our third to the clinic in three days. I was also grateful to find that her ears looked good and could leave with some confidence that I wouldn't be back the next day.

I'm sure Emilia is tired of being given a roll of masking tape to play with because the rest of us are too sick to play with her. She did have a great time making giant spider webs which goes to show you that kids don't really need much to entertain themselves.

And I'm sure Ella is tired of have lids tossed on top of her when she falls asleep on the floor. I'm sure she is also tired of being so sick that she falls asleep on the floor.

Ok. Maybe the groundhog isn't to blame and I should realize that these things just happen. But if Target starts selling HazMat suits in preschool and toddler sizes you'd better believe my kids will be wearing them until May.

Conversation In The Car

2008-02-02T22:20:00.000-08:00

Ella: Oh, no! I dropped my cat.

Me: Don't worry. We're almost to the doctor's office and then you can grab it.

Emilia: Rabbit? What rabbit?

Ella: I didn't bring my rabbit. I brought my cat.

Me: No, I said grab it. Grab it (spoken slowly and with emphasis).

Ella: There's no rabbit.

(Then I hear mumbling coming from the back of the van about rabbits.)

Me: Not rabbit, grab it, as in pick it up. You can pick it up when we get there.

(The rabbit mumbling continues.)

There is a little part of me that wants to believe that they couldn't hear me but I'm pretty sure they were just messing with me.

The Crazy Climber Strikes Again

2008-01-30T20:15:00.000-08:00

Because of this,

I did this. Note the baby gate tied to the bunk bed.

He also did this. But it doesn't bother me. He didn't get stuck and he's on the ground.

Short from permenant cement blocks on his feet, does anyone know how to get the climb out of my kid? At this point I'm not sure what will occur first, my heart attack or his broken limb.

And so you don't think that I let Eli hang out on top of the bookcase, I grabbed him first, took him with me to get the camera, put him back up there and then took his picture. Now he knows that it's cute to climb because mommy takes his picture.

Singing Time

2008-01-30T08:35:00.000-08:00

We heard this coming from the back of the van the other day. To the tune of "I've Been Working on the Railroad" Ella was singing:

"Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam! Because Sunbeams are the best!"

*'sunbeam' in the name of ella's primary class at church. there actually is a song entitled "jesus wants me for a sunbeam" that she has learned but it doesn't include the lyrics "because sunbeams are the best" nor is it sung to "i've been working on the railroad." just one more ella original.

Happy Birthday Ella!

2008-01-27T20:41:00.000-08:00

The day has finally come. Ella is now 4! She is so intense when it comes to her birthdays. I think it is because she is trying so hard to catch up to Emilia.

Once again I have created a slide show only a mother could love, far too many pictures but I couldn't control myself. I can't believe how much she has changed. Even with Eli being born it's been hard to believe she isn't my baby anymore.

Here are some of the things I love about Ella:

She claps for me when I get a match playing memory. She is also tough to beat at memory.

She didn't like going to nursery (a church class for 18 month olds through age 3) but she loves going to primary. She loves being a "big kid" but is happy they still give her a snack.

She spoke her first two-word sentence when she was 11 months old and took off from there but most people wouldn't know because she rarely spoke in public. At home she is always talking, singing and making jokes.

She is the most gracious kid I know. (I'm really just comparing her to her older sister.) She is grateful for and thankful for just about anything she receives.

She has little patience for watching television (which I think is great) and she has a low tolerance for junk food (I wish I was the same way).

I love that she has finally come to terms with her dislike of cake. She likes frosting but not the cake, so she asked if we could please put candles in ice cream and could she please have strawberry ice cream for her birthday instead of a cake.

And finally, I love how she like to play with Eli when she thinks that no one is looking. She really loves her brother even though she doesn't want anyone to know.

This is a video of Ella singing when she was almost 15 months old. Now that I know how to post videos, I just can't help myself.

Because It's Cute

2008-01-25T15:07:00.000-08:00

I treasure every moment I see Ella loving Eli. It's not that she doesn't like him, she mainly tolerates him. But every once and a while she decides that he's good for something and decides to play with him or wants a picture with him and I love it. So, I am posting a rare moment here when Ella requests photographic evidence that she has a brother and that she may even love him.

The Seattle Aquarium

Another One Bites The Dust

2008-01-23T18:05:00.001-08:00

Finally, Emilia's second tooth has been removed. It's barely been attached for the last few days, sitting crooked in her mouth. Fletcher and I have been going nuts trying to convince her to pull it. But tonight, during dinner, it was taken down by a kernel of corn. (I told you it was barely hanging on.) The funny part is that she spit it on to her plate and it fell into her rice, then she couldn't find it. She started digging through her rice mumbling something about her tooth as I tried to figure out what she was doing. When she found it she held up her trophy and told her tale. She decided to put her tooth in a plastic bag so she could take it for show and tell tomorrow. Although she was concerned the tooth fairy would come take it in the night, I convinced her that she didn't need to hide it under the couch. The tooth fairy would know not to take it. And yes, we haven't discouraged her belief in the tooth fairy. I know it doesn't make much sense but we have beaten down the idea that the tooth fairy is akin to Santa in that she brings presents. I have no idea where that came from.

Our Cookie Monster

2008-01-23T10:08:00.000-08:00

It always amazes me how easily kids catch onto things and how young they are when they do it. I had no idea that Eli knew what cookie dough was, let alone the store bought kind. Nor did I have a clue that he understood what the beeping coming from the oven timer meant. But now I know. Eli was in my arms as I pulled apart the little squares of dough and placed them on a baking pan. He grunted and tried to grab them as I told him no but when doesn't he try to take things. Eli was playing in the living room when 9-11 minutes later when the oven timer began to beep. I would have thought the earlier activity would have been long forgotten and please note that the timer has never elicited any response from this child at any other time but his head jerked up, toys fell from his hands, he dropped to his hands and knees, grunting as he raced to the kitchen. And I am not kidding when I say I have never seen him move that fast. He almost beat me to the oven and I had to run and jump over him to get there. That kid was in a frenzy over the cookies. He was one satisfied little boy when he finally got his hands on one. My poor deprived girls never got to eat an entire cookie when they were his age.

The Mighty Tooth Hath Fallen

2008-01-20T21:15:00.000-08:00

See that gap? She did it. She pulled her tooth. Much to her surprise. It wasn't hanging on by much when she gave it a couple of good wiggles and out it came. My favorite part was the look of absolute shock on her face when she realized it had come out.

Here is the tooth. Can't you see that blurry little thing in the palm of her blurry little hand?

I almost missed this picture. It cracks me up. She is cradling her tooth in her hand and this is her loving gaze upon it. You would think she was holding her first born child.

Ella was feeling a little bit like the middle child she is and made sure her "injured" finger had its moment in the spotlight. And it's not the one with the band-aid either. That's her "for fun" band-aid. But I do feel like a great mom now. Ella just got out of bed and caught me blogging about her finger. She went off to bed knowing that she is so important that mommy even posts her owie pictures.

Testing. . .1. . .2. . .3

2008-01-20T20:52:00.000-08:00

This is a test. This is only a test. I would not call myself computer literate. I would call my three year old computer literate but not me. I just want to see if I can figure out how to put a video on the blog. Sorry, it's nothing exciting but man my babies have grown up!

Merry Christmas!

2008-01-09T20:56:00.000-08:00

It's only been two weeks, so it's not too late to write about Christmas. Unlike Halloween, which I knew was a lost cause when I saw Thanksgiving come and go. The kids loved Christmas day but what kid doesn't. So, after a year of dreaming and saving their money for a Dora Kitchen we decided that if Emilia and Ella wanted one that badly we would get it for Christmas. (They had wanted it last year but I was hoping they would get over it.) We had it set up for them in the living room on Christmas morning and laid in bed listening to them when they found it. They loved it (and still do). But of course the anticipation of the gifts under the tree was an instant distraction. Except for Eli. He loved the Dora kitchen from the moment he saw it and could care less about christmas presents. (He loved it so much he got his head stuck in it.) We spent alot of the morning trying to pull Eli away from the kitchen so he could open his presents. Eventually we gave up and asked Emilia and Ella if they would "help" him out. All the kids had so much fun in the morning. We had barely conviced them to eat a little and gotten the chaos under control when Uncle Dustin showed up and Round 2 began. Thanks to grandmas, grandpas, uncles and aunts they were spoiled to their hearts content.

I've Been Summoned

2008-01-08T14:09:00.000-08:00

Dear King County,

Thank you for the kind letter informing me that I have been selected to serve as a juror in the King County Superior Court. I appreciate your confidence in me to serve honorably and fairly but I have to politely decline the opportunity at this time. While I truly believe serving as a juror would be a nice change of pace and an opportunity to exercise the portion of my brain which seems to by lying dormant at the moment I am afraid I am going to request an exemption. You have stated that an exemption may be given in situations where serving would create an "undue hardship" defined as "more than inconvenience or difficulty serving, circumstances that make it truly unfair for you to serve." While I don't feel it is unfair for me to serve, I do believe my undue hardships aged 5, 3 and 13 months make it more than inconvenient for me to serve, especially after reading on your website that superior court cases usually last 3-4 days. While I know you prefer jurors with dependant children to reschedule service to a later date (again, read on your website), I'm afraid at any date I will only be creating an even greater undue hardship upon whomever shoulders the burden of my three delightful children while I am occupied in court. (Although, the $10.00/day compensation along with the bus pass is tempting.)

While I have enjoyed opportunities to serve as juror in the past, even as jury foreman, I hope that my request for an exemption will be granted. If not my undue hardships will become your undue hardships because they are coming with me.

Sincerely,

Seattle Juror #10230966

P.S. Please keep me in mind for future service. Perhaps in a year or two when one or two of my children have started school.

Holiday Pictures

2008-01-06T19:33:00.000-08:00

All I have to say is at least I got them taken before Christmas. Even if I didn't pick them up until a few days ago. So, Grandma's and Grandpa's, they'll be on their way just as soon as I get them into envelopes and address them and put stamps on them and get to the post office. . . .

Until then, you can see your cute grand babies here including the pictures I didn't purchase. It was a tough photo shoot since Eli kept crawling away and I stand by belief that it will be a miracle if I ever get a picture with all three smiling kids. After a few pictures had been taken, Emilia asked if we could get one with just her and Ella. Poor Eli. Left out again, not that he cared. I though that it was so sweet. I hope their friendship lasts forever.

Pictures of Christmases past:

Always having fun together.

Last year. Was Eli really that little?

I love this picture. Ella really didn't hate her new baby brother but she did hate the woman taking the picture that kept touching and posing her (and she still remembers). I couldn't bribe a grin out of her to save my life.

The Great Debate

2008-01-02T15:20:00.000-08:00

As terrible as this may sound (to our parents and grandparents at least) we have never told our children that Santa is real. We even went so far as to teach them that he doesn't exist. Which lead to Emilia, age 3, telling her great-grandmother that Santa wasn't real when asked what the jolly man had given her for Christmas. Fletcher and I both cringed and laughed as we eavesdropped on the conversation. Even though we have had moments (just moments, not long contemplations) were we have second guessed that decision, we've decided we would keep to our original plan. And in case you are wondering, we tell them that their presents are given to them by their family out of love and not from a bearded man that breaks into our house by way of the non-existent chimney. We don't have anything against Father Christmas. He's just a character in a book we read each December.

Then Christmas of 2007 arrives and all of a sudden we have a 5 year old that believes in Santa with all of her heart. Where did this come from? Do we deny it? Do we let her have the childhood fantasy until some classmate or friend spoils it for her? Those "moments" returned. And what did we do? Nothing. Just waited to see if it would pass. In the meantime, Ella, with no memory of us telling her about Santa one way or the other (it's hard to believe, but it never came up last year) had decided that she did not believe despite the desperate pleadings and warnings that Christmas gifts would not be received by non-believers from her older sister. Ella would humor Emilia for a while, then stand her ground that Santa is a story and when she had heard enough we would hear exasperated groans, see the rolling of eyes as she approached us proclaiming "I just can't take it anymore. Mili keeps saying Santa is real and he is not real!" So, should we crush a childhood dream or convince Ella to believe a lie, knowing we would be found out in our fib.

Well, Christmas has come and gone and we have yet to give the parent's final word and Emilia didn't even notice that there weren't any presents from Santa under the tree. You may be asking, then why is she writing about this now? Because Christmas has yet to find an end in our home this year, every detail revisited on a daily basis (from a tired mother's perspective) with plans being made for the following year and the same endless debate between my darling daughters over the authenticity of St. Nick. And what did I do when Ella asked me today to confirm her point of view? I took a drink of my water while I thought of a good distraction. (Mother of the Year, hear I come.) Is avoidance an effective parenting technique?

Next up: The Tooth Fairy. Does the tooth fairy really fly? What will I get for my tooth? How much money will I get? Will the tooth fairy bring me a present? And how long does mommy have before she has to answer these questions? Apparently not long enough because as I was searching for a tooth fairy image to put in my blog Emilia informed me that it hurt her take a bite of snack. Sure enough, she has a loose tooth. Tooth fairy aside, we all got excited for her. She has been waiting for this moment for a long time, even asking the dentist when she was three how old she would be when she would loose a tooth. Tooth Fairy aside, I am just as excited as she is, terrified for her because I remember how much it hurt to pull out a tooth and sad because it is one more sign that my baby is not really my baby anymore.

I guess I'm not finished. Emilia just asked me why, when she pointed to the tooth that hurt I told her the one next to it was loose. Suprise, both teeth (middle, bottom) are loose. Have you ever heard the "I Have Two Loose Toothes" song? It's being performed live at my house. Looks like I won't have to worry about that Santa thing until next December.

Post Holiday Update On Pre-Holiday Activities

2007-12-31T21:07:00.000-08:00

We've been up to so much lately that I haven't had time to blog it all (have to keep the grandparents up to date). Lucky for me, my friend, Julie is much more diligent when it comes to blogging and I'm taking advantage of our shared experiences by posting links to her blog. Yes, it's pathetically lazy but now you get to see her great blog.

In November we (Julie and I) took our kids, those that can say Diego, to see "Diego Live" at the Paramount in downtown Seattle. How else would you spend a night on the town? And thanks to the library we have been reliving the experience with the soundtrack. It was so much fun to see their faces when they saw Diego fly in on his hang glider. Here are the little jaguars before the show began.

For more pictures and commentary about the night visit here.

Before Fletcher started finals we decided to revisit a tradition we had when we lived in Olympia, cutting down our own Christmas tree. Much to the delight of our children, the first snow of the season (not that we ever get much) began to fall just as we were arriving at the tree farm. Much to my delight, they offered free hot cider which kept me nice and toasty while Fletcher tied the tree to the top of the van.
The girls were so excited to get a tree and immediately fell in love with the one above, hugging it to show their devotion. For some crazy reason (we loved the freezing winds and pelting snow?) we tried to talk them out of it. That only lasted a moment, it's obvious we would have broken their heart had we passed this one up.

Later in the month the girls and I left Eli to sleep and Daddy to study while we went to our church Christmas Party. The girls ate goodies and drank hot chocolate to their heart's content and were thrilled to sit on Santa's lap. They even took pictures of all the kids with Santa and emailed them to the parents. Ella was so excited to see Santa but Emilia wanted Mommy to walk her up and stay close by. I'm still trying to figure out when my kids pulled a "Freaky Friday" and switched personalities.And finally, a couple weeks before Christmas we got together with some friends to make Gingerbread houses. It was one more opportunity for the girls to make themselves sick on candy; one for the house, two for the mouth. Julie, Robby and Erica were there and have some cute pictures on their blog (thank you again Julie).
While I had it in my mind that the gingerbread house was being built for decorative purposes, I apparently didn't communicate that effectively to my daughters, they began begging to eat it as soon as their friends left. My resolve lasted less than 24 hours. Fletcher had to stay late at church the next day, Eli was fighting taking a nap and I just didn't have it in me to keep saying no. I went ahead and let them have at it, before lunch no less. They ate, surprisingly not too much, and destroyed. Here is what was left of it:

I can understand going after the candy but they kept going. It appears they just ripped off the door for the fun of it. Next year we get to make two, one for decorating and one for destroying/eating.

I Love Boeing!

2007-12-28T22:39:00.000-08:00

Strange blog title, I know. In case you are unaware, my sweet husband works for Boeing full time while going to law school. Yes, we are insane but the madness will soon end (see above ticker). With that explanation, I do have two good reasons for proclaiming my love for this company.

First, Boeing is the reason that we only needed student loans for our first year of law school.

Second, Boeing gives its employees the week between Christmas and New Years off. This year it meant that Fletcher left work on Friday the 21st and will not return until Wednesday January 2nd. (And if it isn't obvious why this means so much to me, please remember, full time job and part time law school.) And if you wonder why this deserves a proclamation of love, this morning I woke up on my own (no kids, no alarm) after being allowed to sleep in, realized that Fletcher had taken care of Eli all night long, came out of the bedroom to find my children fed, bathed, and dressed and my husband doing the dishes. Yes, I have a wonderful husband but thank you Boeing for giving him the opportunity to show how amazing he is.

The Santa Train

2007-12-17T19:25:00.000-08:00

One of our adventures this month was taking a ride on the Santa Train the first weekend of December. It was our last family outing until Fletcher finishes with finals. (Just a few more days!) We caught the train in North Bend and about 20 minutes later we were in Snoqualmie. The kids loved being on a real train and I was grateful the it wasn't as cold as it was on our trip two years ago.

Once we got off the train it was time to see Santa. Ella wouldn't go near him with out me. Not much has changed in two years.
Santa looks as though he's getting a little tired of kids sitting on his lap, especially the ones that don't like him.
And after Santa, we wound our way through the "dining car" to get cookies and hot chocolate.
And in keeping with the theme of bad pictures, here is my attempt to capture all the kids together on the return trip. I have really given up hope that I will ever get a good picture of the three of them. I'll be amazed if I ever get one of all three of them looking at the camera at the same time.

The Santa Train 2005. My babies have grown so much!

Happy Birthday Baby Boy!

2007-12-15T10:18:00.000-08:00

My boy is one! One and a couple of weeks. Eli turned one on November 25th and celebrated by being strapped into his car seat for the long trek from Spokane to Seattle. He did get to party just not on his actual birthday. He has grown so much and I do morn the loss of my sweet little infant. I wish I could morn the loss of the sleepless newborn nights. Maybe by the next birthday.

Eli has proved himself to be more trouble in his first year than Emilia and Ella combined. He climbs. Everything. Into the bathtub, out of the bathtub, onto chairs and couches and the kitchen table. He's used open drawers, stools, toys and storage bins to get higher. Shopping with him is a nightmare. I have yet to find a shopping cart seat belt that can hold him in, no matter how much I tighten it. His favorite game is to throw something and then say "uh-oh" and then yell if you don't return the object immediately. He has discovered how to open the front door and as a post birthday surprise he climbed out of his crib. And he does everything with a beautiful smile on his face.

He is also the happiest baby and so easygoing. He give hugs and kisses and gets so excited when mommy and daddy come home. He loves to perform for his family, doing whatever he can to get us all laughing. He adores his sisters and strives to keep their attention. And he still loves baths. I can't believe he hasn't always been a part of our family and I can't imagine what we would do without him.

In honor of Eli's first 365 days on this earth I have created a ridiculously long slide show only a mother could love. Or a grandparent.

Emilia's Shiner

2007-12-13T23:14:00.000-08:00

This is old news but I haven't blogged for a while and if you compare the number of son to daughter blog entries Eli wins hands down (my poor girls). I never imagined that one of my sweet girls would get a black eye but here she is, the innocent victim of preschool bike accident.

Sugar High

2007-12-13T22:19:00.000-08:00

So, Eli found where I hid the leftover Halloween candy (yes, we still had it into December) and this is what I found:

Sugar must be too much for him. I've never seen him slumped down like that.

We've got trouble. . . .

2007-11-20T13:29:00.000-08:00

With a capital T.

That rhymes with G,

as in gee we're screwed.

I know it doesn't seem like much but this is a sampling of the climbing he does in a day minus all the messes he makes, drawers and cupboards he empties, and he still has time to torment his sisters. Emilia and Ella were never like this. But seriously, if this is what he is doing at 11 months what am I going to do when he is older?

And in full disclosure, I ripped this off from Conan Obrien's skit at last years emmys (who ripped it off himself, sort of, so it's ok) and it makes a little more sense if you know where it came from. I didn't watch the show, but thanks to my sister my first youtube experience was watching Conan sing and dance. In case you missed it as well. . .

Eli's B.F.F.

2007-11-08T15:11:00.000-08:00

My boy loves dolls. What can I say?

Well, I can say to my husband it's not my fault or the fault of Emilia and Ella (although I'm not sure how much he believes me considering what I have allowed to occur in the past). Eli has come up with this one all on his own and I think he is pretty dang adorable! I have told Fletcher he is such a good daddy that Eli wants to be just like him and is practicing on dolls. I also think that Eli has older sisters that don't play with their dolls and are more than willing to let him play with their reject toys with him. But let me tell you, when he has his baby don't mess with it. We have a careful routine for buckling him into his car seat when he has his baby, slowly moving it from one arm to the other as I slide him under the straps, because heaven help us if he thinks baby is being taken away. That is also the reason baby is not always left at home. But this is where Eli's gentle side begins and ends. Just ask Emilia, who recently had a book thrown at her face, and Ella, who seems to have the perfect hair for pulling.

Mother of the Year Moment # 1,395,786

2007-10-21T12:28:00.000-07:00

In general Emilia and Ella go to bed fairly well but there are some nights when they use every delay tactic they know to keep from falling asleep. These include needing a drink of water, going to the bathroom, a song from mommy and a monster check of the closets and under the bed by daddy. Again, these are delay tactics. Of course we aren't going to deny them use of the bathroom and they know it. As they also know they can get a lot of mileage out of a refusal to check for monsters, it's faster to check than deal with tears. But we also know they don't have a fear of monsters which is why I said what I said to Emilia last night after daddy did his check under the bed and I came in to sing her a song. (Ella had long since passed out.) She was telling me all of the places daddy had looked and when she finished I said "But there is a monster under your bed." Emilia looked at me curiously, probably wondering when her mommy had lost her mind. "Yes, there's a monster under your bed. It's smaller than you, three years old, and it's name is Ella!" (The girls have bunk beds, Emilia on top.) Of course, I said all this slowly for effect. Apparently there was too much effect which I finally clued into when, with a quavering voice, Emilia responded, "Let's not talk about monsters anymore, ok?" I told her I was sorry and that I was just joking about Ella being a monster. That would be when she bust into tears that were actually sobs. (stupid mommy! stupid mommy!) And that is why Emilia went to sleep on the couch last night, while mommy and daddy were up reading, instead of in her bed.

In reference to the title of this blog, while the number of "moments" I have had is more or less accurate, I am being sarcastic as to my standing in the race for mother of the year. As far as my mothering skills are concerned, my children are well fed, not dead and completely loved but I don't think American Mothers will be knocking at my door anytime soon.

Lessons Learned The Hard Way

2007-10-20T19:53:00.000-07:00

1. I have no business being at Home Depot at 6:30 at night with three children that haven't had dinner and have a bedtime of 7:00pm.

2. No matter how long the checkout line, the line free self checkout with its invitingly large (to children) touch screen, easily accessible (to children) card reader, and sensitive to extra weight (of children) bagging area should never be considered an option.

These really weren't "lessons learned the hard way" so much as exercises in stupidity.

The Pumpkin Patch

2007-10-19T09:03:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again! The summer was so busy it feels as though it left too soon and as much as I have been denying the onset of autumn the sun has gone and the rains have come. Except for last Saturday! We couldn't have been given a more beautiful day for our yearly pilgrimage to Craven Farm. We first went to this pumpkin patch three years ago and it has become our family fall tradition. The first thing we did was visit the baby animals in the barn. The goat was more than willing to stick his head out to let the kids pet him and nibble on the stroller. Eli seemed unsure but Ella loved the goat.

We took a hayride through the corn field. Emilia and Ella were so excited to reach out and touch the corn stalks. There were scenes constructed with pumpkins such Red Riding Hood and Ninja Pumpkins set along the path. So they kept an eye out for those.

And of course we got pumpkins. We broke two traditions this year. The first is letting the girls ride in the wheelbarrow with the pumpkins. The wheelbarrows are just too small now (i.e. my babies are growing up!) for both girls and the pumpkins. The second tradition to fall by the wayside was having at least one kid take a dive into the mud. I attribute this to the good weather (no mud) and the girls finally being able to walk on uneven ground without too much trouble. We may pick this one back up next year with Eli.

Our last activity was an attempt at a group shot of the kids in the pumpkin wagon. (You can see what a beautiful day it was!) Let me say, it was hard enough when it was just Emilia and Ella to get them to look at the camera at the same time, now that there are three I admit my defeat. I will never get all three of them to look at me for a picture unless serious bribes are involved. We came close though!

Where Eli Plays

2007-10-17T09:30:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to question it. There aren't many places that can keep him occupied for more than 30 seconds. He's stuck himself in there for almost 20 minutes once and it's less than two square feet. He can't get into too much trouble in that small of a space. Only one faceplant onto the tile and I'm sure the bruise will be gone in a day or two. And if his parents would move it onto the carpet we may only have to deal with rug burns.

My Ketchup Lover

2007-10-16T14:10:00.000-07:00

Ella came to me today asking if she could have some fish crackers for a snack. Although I told her we did didn't have any we fervently searched the cupboard "just in case" some were hiding. Much to her disappointment our search yielded nothing. I began offering her many alternatives, all of which were rejected. Finally with a pitifully sad face she declared, "I just want something to have ketchup with!"

What was I thinking? Of course fish crackers are served with ketchup. As I have seen her dip an ice cream cone in ketchup, I suppose I should have known.

A Science Lesson (as only a father can give)

2007-10-14T19:25:00.000-07:00

For the moment it appears we are being invaded by ladybugs. So Emilia and Ella have been feverishly chasing them down and stuffing them into an empty baby wipes container. I joined in the fun for a while and was amazed to find that they had 20+ ladybugs already captured and bugs were still crawling all over the walls.

(The Collection)

Not long after I came inside, Fletcher took my place and listening through the open door I heard him giving a science & nature lesson like only a Daddy can give.

Fletcher: Emilia look at this spider.

Emilia: Eeeew!

Fletcher: Do you want to throw a ladybug into the web and see what happens?

Emilia: Yeah!

They lost about half of the collection but were finally successful. Which led to the feeding of many other spiders, that I would rather not know about, living around the deck. Now I am surrounded by happy spiders with full tummies, the largest of which lives outside my door and received not one but two juicy ladybugs. I think I can handle it as long as they stay outside but if I find one in my house you'd better believe I will be spraying down Heavenly Father's creatures faster than they can spin a ladybug in their web (which was shockingly swift).

Riddle Me This

2007-10-10T08:03:00.000-07:00

How is it that a kid obsessed with baths and has a love of playing in the toilet can hate having his hands washed? Resists his hands being placed in the running water (but loves it in the tub). Hates having soap rubbed onto his hands. Tops it off by grunting protests and glaring at me in the mirror. I'm sure it will only get worse.

A Conversation with Ella...

2007-10-08T14:03:00.000-07:00

...while changing Eli's horribly messy diaper.

Ella: Yucky!!!

Mommy: Yeah. What are we going to do with him?

Ella: We can call Daddy.

In my dreams kid.

CPS Evidence

2007-09-28T09:05:00.000-07:00

Let me preface this by saying that Eli loves taking a bath. As soon as he hears the tub being filled he drops whatever he is playing with and kicks his crawl to warp speed. He gets so excited he makes this little grunting noise as he races to the bathroom. He's even been fooled by the washing machine, much to his disappointment.

Now I know you should never turn your back on your baby near water and if something ever happens to one of my kids it appears child protective services can turn to my blog for photographic evidence to use against. So, I basically turned on the water, turned by back for a second and the kid slipped into the bathroom and climbed on in the tub. I shouldn't be surprised since I found him playing in an empty tub when he was 8 months old. How did I ever think that my girls were trouble?

As you can see, I am the type of mom that runs for the camera rather than rescue the baby.

My Little Man

2007-09-25T22:26:00.001-07:00

So, Ella and I did a little shopping while Emilia was in preschool the other day. We let Eli come too and he got a couple new shirts.

Here is the shirt I picked out.

This is the shirt Ella picked out.

After comparing the two, I've concluded that Mommy is trying to get Eli beat up on the playground and Ellla is trying to save him. Ella was so excited to dress him this morning and I think he looked pretty cute.

The New "Do"

2007-09-23T21:59:00.000-07:00

After insisting that she wanted long hair like Aunt Leslie's, Emilia surprised me yesterday and decided that she wanted her hair cut "just above her shoulders." She looks so much older and it's killin' me. She also wanted her hair straightened for church today because "it looks pretty." I can totally empathize with 'straight hair envy' but come on she's only five! And despite the fact that I burned her (the very last piece I had to straighten), she has requested that I do it again tomorrow. I don't know if I'm up for that on a daily basis.

She's actually sitting on Eli here but I thought I would cut out his tortured expression. Although I have just admitted that I am the type of mom that will take a picture before getting the five year old off of the baby.

Breakthrough!

2007-09-23T21:02:00.000-07:00

For two years now Ella has had the opportunity to attend nursery each Sunday at church. Nursery is a class for young children ages 18 months through 3 years. You would think that she would be used to it by now but her weekly protests are pretty much tradition at this point. The dramatics increase if I am the one to drop her off. They don't last long, I've stood outside the door and waited, and she always has fun while she is there. Today something new happened. I wasn't there but I believe this is what happened. Ella went to the nursery room with Fletcher after tearfully telling me she didn't want to go. At the door they met Robby. (Robby and Ella have been forced into friendship since they were babies when thier mothers met while nursing them at church three years ago.) Daddy and Robby talked to Ella about going into class and finally Robby took her hand and said 'Come on Ella, I'll be your friend.' And much to Fletcher's amazement, for the first time Ella walked into nursery without a death grip on one of her parents.

In honor of their friendship, I have posted a few pictures of Ella and Robby through the years.

Still Can't Keep That Baby Down.

2007-09-23T19:20:00.000-07:00

And this is my futile attempt to keep that kid from climbing and standing on the chair. It's a loosing battle. He always finds something to climb. (I actually do put clothes on him once in a while.)

You Can't Keep A Good Baby Down

2007-09-12T13:39:00.000-07:00

So, Fletcher decided he was going to keep Eli from playing with the VCR and DVD player for once and for all. It worked. Now he can only get to the TV.

Ella's Turn!

2007-09-11T20:26:00.000-07:00

Today was Ella's big day. She went from excited to nervous to excited every ten minutes but she pulled it off and had a great time. Just so you know how great she was, Ella has been going to nursery (a class for 18 month to 3 year olds at church) for two years now and for two years she has let us know that she does not want to be there. Despite the initial tears each Sunday she does enjoy herself, gives us weekly updates on snack time and prides herself on not speaking for the hour and 40 minutes she is there. But there were no tears today. She had so much to say about her day when we picked her up. She is lucky to have two friends in class with her, Bryn and Robby (her friend since she was nine months old), and two really great teachers. She was the only kid who opted to have her hand traced onto paper rather than do a paint handprint. She didn't want to have to wash her hands, rode bikes in the gym, sang songs and played with toys. She's ready for Thursday.

Almost ready to go inside.

One more picture to humor mommy.

Inside and having fun.

Robby and Bryn after class. Ella bailed at the last moment. She hasn't been too hip on getting her picture taken lately.

Emilia turns 5 and goes to preschool!

2007-09-10T20:15:00.000-07:00

The two things Emilia has been anxiously awaiting: her birthday and the first day of preschool. Both events have finally come to pass.

For her birthday Emilia received a sore throat and fever and spent most of the day on the couch. It was actually day three of the illness but who's counting. She handled it really well considering much anticipated birthday plans were cancelled. She just needed the assurance that her gifts were not cancelled as well. Despite her illness she got up in the morning, donned her birthday girl party hat and dressed herself in a new dress and skirt (I think she was chilled from the fever), opened gifts and collapsed on the couch. My brothers and sister came over for dinner and cupcakes and she left her living room bed to blow out the candles.

Two years ago Emilia went to preschool at one of the nearby community centers and LOVED it. And now she's back. Her birthday falls just after the kindergarden cut off and I have been greatful to have another year with her but I'm not sure she is as thrilled to have the extra time with me. She was so ready to go today. As we pulled into the parking lot she informed me that my services as mommy escort were not needed. I gently let her know that although she was able to go in by herself that mommy wanted to take her in (even if it ment pulling a sleeping Eli out of his carseat). Crazy kid. She's not getting rid of me that easy.

One of her many poses before leaving for the big day.

Emilia and Ella outside of the community center--torn between the desire to pick berries and run into class.

As Requested

2007-09-10T18:24:00.000-07:00

Let it be known that I am beyond technology challenged. I think that my grandma and my daughters are more computer savvy than I. Sad but true. That is why I was thrilled to find www.shabbytulips.blogspot.com. (I'm going infomercial on you now.) Some wonderful person has created cute, easy to install blog templates and created a blog spot so all can enjoy. She has even posted instructions on how to do it yourself. It's beyond me but the made-to-download stuff was just at my level. Enjoy.

What big sisters get you

2007-09-09T15:52:00.000-07:00

Eli spends much of his day chasing down his sisters and trying to "play" with them. Emilia and Ella spend most of the day shutting the bedroom door in his face, building barricades to keep him on one side of the room, and eventually moving their toys to the bed out of his reach. At this point he lives to please them and, as you can see, is willing to put up with just about anything in order to keep their attention.

Everybody Else Is Doing It

2007-09-09T15:03:00.000-07:00

So, after receiving emails from friends announcing their blogs I have decided that I want to be one of the cool kids too. And since I'm basically a failure when it comes to keeping in touch with friends and family through other means of communication (letters, phone, email) I thought I would give blogging a try. We'll see how long this lasts but for now here's what's going on.

Emilia just turned five. And overnight she has decided that she is pretty much an adult. She starts preschool tomorrow--four days a week, three hours a day--and is almost as excited for the first day as she was for her birthday. It's hard to think of her being gone so much each week even though I have had days where thoughts of trading her to the circus have passed through my mind. She is so excited to go and make new friends.

Ella, now anxiously awaiting her fourth birthday, will be starting preschool this week as well--two days a week, two hours a day. Ella is not excited, but Ella is not excited about anything that takes her away from me (who can blame her?). She entertains us all with the things that come out of her mouth, only the family since she rarely speaks in public. She recently told me that she will go on a rocket ship into space on Monday when she is a grown up. Most of the time she tells us she is going to be a rock and roll star (thank you Barney) and we can watch her on tv.

Eli , now 9 months old, is my crazy crawler and climber and is working on giving me a heart attack with his stunts. Shopping cart seat belts are no match for his powers. He loves putting on a show for the family, taking his sisters toys, and partying all night long. He tricked us at two months by sleeping 10 hours straight. That was a long time ago but is still a dear and treasured memory.

(I'm obviously not as concerned about Eli choking as I was with the girls.)

Fletcher is a slave to Boeing and Seattle U School of Law. He is actually the hardest worker I know. He is working for Boeing full time and is in his last year (YEA!!) of law school for which he takes classes in the evening.

I get to hang out at home with my kids with a little apartment managing on the side (but I prefer to pretend it's just a bad dream). And I will soon be taking on the role of super chauffeur due to our crazy preschool schedule. I am also counting down the days until graduation, at which point I will begin counting down the days until the bar exam is finished. Then bust out the keg (of apple juice) because it'll be time to party.

*this entry has been edited by fletcher because he can't help himself