Hello Stranger!

I just checked my blog to check to see what my last post was about...whoa! I knew it had been awhile, but July? Clearly it's due time for a little attention! Life always seems to be crazy and has been seeming to pass by without time to even catch my breath, but that is all the more reason to stay updated with my only 'journaling/record keeping' method! I can't promise long descriptions, or daily posts, but I do want to try to 'get back on the blogging wagon'...at least in some form!
So for today, I will leave you with a recent picture of Noah and Millie. Since school has started (Noah in kindergarden - Millie in preschool) art has become a daily occurrence in our house - I love it!! Coloring, drawing, writing...you name it. A year ago, Noah's pictures were stick figures of our family and now he has drawn and written his first book (it maybe about Starwars, but nonetheless) and Millie loves to color - with every color under the sun, stays in the lines and is working on her name. They make me so proud!

Quiet and Content

We just returned from a nice trip to beautiful Northern Indiana. I HAD to snap this quick pic of the kids working quietly...yes, it is a mess, but I value the peace and quiet right now while I tidy up and unpack (hence the luggage still in the background!)
Now...back to work!

Cuddle Buddies

I just looked over and Noah was laying on the couch with Bowman. I giggled and Noah said he wanted to make Bowman cozy because he cares about him. Awww...
That's in complete contrast to Millie, who just moments before was walking on him and saying "Uggggh, Bow-maaaan!"

Rainy Day Play

It's Noah's first day of summer vacation and it's raining. Of course. But we aren't letting it keep us from having fun! We built a clubhouse and now Noah and Millie are watching Tangled in it. We haven't seen it yet!

Maybe later we will go splashing in the puddles?

Self service

Noah and Millie beat Jon and I out of bed this morning. We heard both of them in the kitchen and just thought they were getting themselves a glass of water. It wasn't until we heard a BOOM and an "Uhhgg! Millie, I slipped and dropped the strawberries!" that we realized they were up to something more. Millie responded with "Oh no Noah!". So he washed them again (in our hallway bathroom sink...he can't reach the kitchen sink) and then we heard another BOOM..."Ahhhgg! Millie! I dropped them AGAIN!!". At that point Jon and I were hysterical. He manages to successfully wash them for the third time. After a few more minutes go by, he comes running into our room and says..."Mommy, I made our favorite breakfast all by myself! Yogurt, strawberries and granola!" Jon went to assess the damage and quickly called for me..."You're going to want to see this!"
After dodging a puddle of water in the hallway (from the draining package of strawberries) I entered the kitchen to find this...



He rinsed the strawberries, 'cut' the tops off (with a Gerber knife that is as sharp as a spoon!), gave both Millie and himself equal amounts of yogurt and poured the granola on top. They were loving it and Noah was VERY proud! I was very proud to...I really expected to find a huge mess of yogurt with granola all over. Not the case at all.
The 'best' part...
Millie: "Uh oh Noah, I has two dog hairs!" as she picks them off her strawberries. I guess Noah needs to work on his rinsing skills.
Good work buddy!!

Crais-zy O's

I just thought I would take a quick minute to share one of N & M's favorite snacks...
We call it Crais-zy O's - mix Craisins (dried cranberries) and Cheerio's in a bowl and, voila! A nice quick snack! They have both loved this combo since they were toddlers...and since they could eat the craisins with out choking :0) I buy both at Costco so we always have them on hand. Enjoy!



....also, you might note that in the picture above Millie's snack cup matches her shirt...that is NOT coincidence. She like to make sure her snack bowls, vitamins, etc match what she is wearing whenever possible (not sure she gets that from me...I like to not be so matchy - matchy, instead coordinate in less obvious ways, but who am I to judge!)

Making the most of it

Today is April 19th and the second day of Noah's Spring Break. Unfortunately, it feels like it should be November! Yesterday we couldn't bring ourselves to leave the house (we woke up to a layer of SNOW outside!) so today we had a number of errands to run...despite the cold and wind and rain. I bundled Noah and Millie up in layers and their rain boots and we had a chilly, but splash-tastic time!




Thank you, my Little Stinkers, for your help today! My patience wore a little thin when you were chasing each other around the clothing racks with your balloons in tow while shrieking and giggling loudly, but I know these days don't last forever so instead I try to cherish rather than cringe when you tackle each other to the ground and hide from me in the racks. I love you! (Note to self - next time, think twice before leaving the stroller at home).

PS - Happiest Birthday to my wonderful husband!! We have a nice little celebration planned for you tonight!

Big steps for a big girl.

Millie now has a 'big girl room' and she loooves it. I'm just not sure I always do? I put all her dresses in a drawer above her reach (because she likes to change clothes 5 times a day), but I should have known it would just be a matter of time until she figured out a way to get to them...she is using the little step stool we keep next to her bed (so she can get in and out) to now climb up to her 'dress drawer'. I know I should probably look at this as a good thing, and it is...as long as she stays in that one dress for the duration of the day!



Wear apple dress Mommy?