Sunday, January 31, 2010

SOME-day (hopefully not too soon!)

Summer taught Naomi a new song, which she started singing the other morning while she was playing with puzzles.

I thought it was so cute, I sneaked up behind her to try and record her before she realized what I was doing.


Snow!

Last week, we were tempted by this view of snow. It is an infrequent treat where we live.

We didn't drive far enough to get really good, deep snow, but there was enough to have a little fun in.

We saw rabbit tracks.

I was glad to have Stan along for many reasons, one of them being that I never could have figured out these tracks by myself. He took one look and said, "kangaroo rat."

The kids made one snowman together...

...and Kelly made another, littler one on her own.

Naomi was thrilled with this new experience.

It was a great to mess around together.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Yesterday...

...Rachel made a cake with rolled fondant icing.

I ate the last piece for breakfast :)

Naomi got herself dressed again.

She picked everything out and put it on herself :)

I like the socks.

Friday, January 29, 2010

This Morning

Summer needed to get to school early and get ready with the orchestra to play at Disneyland this evening. It's pretty fun for them: they go on rides all day and then perform in the evening.

Stan needed to get to work early because he has reports to get done today, so he was going to take Summer and then I would take the other three school girls.

We had it all planned out, but you've heard what they say about the best laid plans...

6:15 - I was in the throes of a nightmare about Rachel getting engaged at 16 and married at 18 when Stan woke me up to ask for help getting a permission slip filled out for Summer.

6:32 - Stan took Summer and Rachel to seminary

6:53 - Summer, after leaving seminary early, was almost to school on time when she realized that she left her cello at home.

6:55 - I dragged the three little kids out of bed an hour and a half earlier than they are used to and tossed clothes at them, while I told them to get dressed because we had to take kids to school.

7:10 - Summer rushed in to get her cello. I got a second goodbye kiss from Stan (not a bad development).

7:15 - I left with the five youngest to pick up Rachel from seminary.

7:25 - Rachel peered into the car and asked, "Where is my stuff?" I asked if she needed it and she pointed out it means a detention if she doesn't have it, so I pulled out my phone to call Stan.

7:26 - Stan realized that he had Rachel's bag and we called each other simultaneously a couple times, which caused our calls to go to voice mail twice each. Then he got smart and called Rachel's phone to plan a spot to meet.

7:35 - We arrived at the gas station we agreed on and Rachel got her bag and hoodie.

7:44 - Just as I was pulling up in front of Rachel's high school, Summer called. She told me she was in big trouble because she forgot her close toed shoes and Disneyland WILL NOT allow any performers on stage in open toed shoes. Rachel went to school.

7:47 - Gwen ran into the house and grabbed Summer's close toed shoes.

8:01 - I dropped Heather and Gwen off at school.

8:08 - I handed Summer her shoes through the locked fence at her high school while she sheepishly agonized over walking past the entire orchestra with her shoes in hand.

Whew!

When it was all done and everyone was where they belonged, it seemed kind of funny, ha ha :)


Vases

My mother (hi, Mom!) asked for pictures of the vases I've acquired lately, so here they are.

This is the one Stan gave me for Christmas....

...and this is the one I bought at the thrift store the other day.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Funny Things the Kids have Been Saying #3

Gwen is working on a state report for school. She was assigned Connecticut and she is in the research phase. This morning she asked me if she should put "seal" down as the state animal. I replied, "I guess. Did you read somewhere that it was the state animal of Connecticut?"

She said, "Well I saw something about a seal on the flag..."

If you're curious, go here and here.

Last night, Naomi came up to me and, artfully brushing her hair back behind her ear, she asked me, "You like mine hair better?" Hoping she wasn't about to tell me whom she was prettier than, I asked her, "Better than what?"

She said, "Fuzzy!"

I think maybe she had just brushed it :)



Kelly's Artwork

Kelly has been working on drawing eyes...

Friday, January 22, 2010

The Lineup

The Occasion

The local high school's Midwinter Formal.

*

The Shoes


Rachel made the ribbon roses from the sash material.

*

The Dress


I finished it twenty minutes before Summer's date arrived.

I was
really glad he was ten minutes late.

*

The Girl


Summer is good at multitasking.

*

The Date


Anthony looked sharp when he came to pick Summer up.

*

The Couple


Here they are ready to go!

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Big Girl

Today, I told Kelly and Michael that it was time to get dressed. A couple of minutes later, without looking at her, I asked Naomi what she would like to wear, thinking I'd help her get her clothes on. She announced, "I'm already dressed and I'm wearing these clothes!" She was just finishing pulling her pants on and there she was - ready to go!

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Summer's Dress, Version One

I am sewing Summer a dress for the Midwinter dance.

I made a trial dress out of fabric we got cheap on clearance to see how it fit and if she was happy with it, before I cut into the good stuff.


Now, I am cutting out the next version, after I altered the pattern per her request as follows - raise the midriff 1 inch, widen the bottom of the skirt, make the sleeves smaller (these ones are too "Napoleon Dynamite") and take the bodice in.

Wish me luck!

Watch for pictures...


Saturday, January 16, 2010

I thought...

...this was so cute (I bet they don't appreciate that adjective)...

...when I saw Rachel helping Summer put curlers in her hair!

And, for good measure, here are a couple of other cuties!



Friday, January 08, 2010

Naomi's Movie Review

We went as a family and saw, "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" at the dollar theater (now it is the $2 theater) on New Year's Day.


Fast forward to today when Kelly, Michael, Naomi and I were standing in line at Kmart. Our friend Siu got in line behind us and offered to take us all to lunch. She took us to Carl's Jr. and the kids got kid meals which came with toys promoting the movie.

On the way home, as she clutched her "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" toy, Naomi and I had the following conversation.

Mo - I didn't like that movie when it was scary. The noodle part was scary. I was crying at the noodles. The other part was funny. I liked the funny part.

Me - What was your favorite part?

Mo - I liked the jello! I liked to two little people walking in the jello and when they put their faces in the jelly and they were dancing, dancing, dancing in the jelly! I liked that part.



Thursday, January 07, 2010

This week…

Naomi has discovered the joy that females everywhere consider their right - changing her mind. Maybe she waffled before, but now she has the vocabulary for it.

All week, she has been saying, "Actually."

I'll ask, "Do you want the pink or the the green bowl?"

Mo replies, " The pink one!"

Then, after the pink one already has cereal in it, she will say, "I want the green one, actually."

Or, I'll ask, "Which book do you want to read?" and after we are half way through the first page of the one she picked, she'll say, "I want the cat cupcake one, actually."



Kelly has been busy trying new things, herself...



...and Summer had to defrost a big chunk of ice to discover she was asked on her first date to Midwinter.

Tuesday, January 05, 2010

Heather's Reflections Program Poem

The theme for this year's Reflections Program was "Beauty is..."

Heather won first place for her age group at her elementary school.

Here is her poem...


Beauty is the peaceful forest, the majestic trees towering above, the soft leaves of ferns curling under, the animals, silent and watchful.

Beauty is Winter, the soft whiteness of snow spreading around like a blanket, the snowflakes drifting softly to the earth.

Beauty is Autumn, the vibrant colors all around, the trees shedding russet, scarlet, orange and yellow leaves on the ground, the fresh, crisp, scent the breeze carries.

Beauty is wild horses, their hooves pounding a rhythm on the fields of heather, their manes whipping in the wind.

Beauty is gentle, kingly grizzly bears, their shaggy golden heads raised to roar at the setting sun.

Beauty is deer, their large brown eyes that seem to look everywhere at once, their ears pricked up, listening for the slightest sound, their legs tensed, ready to dash.

That is Beauty.




Friday, January 01, 2010