Saturday, September 27, 2008

Friday, September 26, 2008

The State Fair of Texas Opening Day Parade

What a blast! Some friends from Oak Lawn UMC invited me and the kiddos to the State Fair of Texas Opening Day Parade in downtown Dallas. We had 4 adults, 10 kids, 3 strollers, and a wagon. What a great way to celebrate the opening of the State Fair!

I love this picture, Madeleine was the only preschool aged girl, the rest were boys. The boys seem a little bored here, not Madeleine!

You might think that this man, the mayor of Dallas, Tom Leppert, would be the big hit at the parade, nope, it was this guy...

Ronald McDonald!!!

My favorite memory of the parade was after the parade when the kids ran in this cool sprinkler downtown...

Everett loved watching the older kids get wet! I won't post the pictures taken after everyone disrobed because their clothes were too wet...

Pumpkin Decorating



The Lake Highlands Area Early Childhood PTA (that's a mouthful) had a pumpkin decorating that Madeleine loved!

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Klein Shout-Out!

I like to say that in college I was the cupid for Jason and Pam Klein (I think I was...?) who now live in Brisbane (after living in Oman). They have a great blog here. Jason and Pam came to visit and were awesome to hang out with me and the kiddos. The kiddos of course loved them (as do I).

Sunday, September 21, 2008

American Girl Doll

There is an American Girl Doll store in Dallas and Madeleine loves to go there and play with all of the toys. They have a sample of everything out so that the kids can touch and play with everything. We recently went down to Lee's aunt and uncle's to celebrate Lee's uncle's 70th birthday. Madeleine's cousin has an American Girl Doll collection and Madeleine was in love with this doll! Madeleine has said that she is going to ask for an American Girl Doll from Santa, but I am going to wait and see what Madeleine tells Santa. Last year Madeleine said that she was going to ask for a bounce house, but when Madeleine had Santa one-on-one she changed to dress up clothes! Unfortunately, I had already ordered the bounce house!

Friday, September 19, 2008

Getting Political

You've got to check out this article!

Tonight at dinner




Everett had lots of fun eating his spagetti!

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Watch out NBA!

Everett's new favorite activity is to play with his Leapfrog Basketball net. He dunks like LeBron James, baby! My mom bought this toy for Madeleine when she was 1, but I don't remember Madeleine playing with it too much. Everett, on the other hand, loves it! Everett loves to climb as well. I seriously have to wrestle him into his car seat every single time (or hand him a cookie or a sippy cup so he will face forward). Otherwise he wants to climb up his car seat and try to fly into the front seat. He has not hurt himself yet, but one time the only thing that I had ahold of was one foot, everything else was upside down in the front seat of the car. When Madeleine plays in Everett's crib (her old crib) she is still not able to climb out by herself (or at least she is not interested in climbing out because I still have to help her out of it). Everett, on the other hand, I think that he will be a climber... time will tell...

Friday, September 12, 2008

Hurricane memories

All day I have been glued to the hurricane coverage and thinking and praying for those in hurricane Ike's way. I grew up in Houston and hurricanes were exciting. I remember going to the grocery store to pick up our hurricane tracking map and following the hurricanes as they would come into the Gulf of Mexico. The big hurricane that I always think of is hurricane Alicia. I was 8 years old in August 1983 and we slept in the hallway. In my bedroom there was a big window and my Barbies were in my room but I was not allowed in my room to get my Barbies because of the big window. Whenever I think of Alicia I think of my Barbies...

I remember after the hurricane people telling stories after coming outside during the eye of the hurricane and how still and quiet it was. I doubt the validity of this story but I remember distinctly being told about a baby being snatched out of his mother's arms. Again, I don't think that story was true but as an 8 year old child that story terrified me.

As we await the landfall of Ike, I give thanks that mom sold her house in Seabrook! and pray for those who bought it...

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Art classes

Madeleine loves art and I have signed her up for an 8 week art class with a studio in the neighborhood. Madeleine made a bowl that is supposed to look like her.



Then today we went down to the Dallas Museum of Art for a Wednesday art class for preschoolers that they have every month. Madeleine had a blast. They visited furniture in the gallery and made their own furniture out of model clay.

The last photo is tonight at bed time.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

How sweet is this?

The last two nights Madeleine has wanted to take a bath with her brother, they are so sweet playing together!



Saturday, September 6, 2008

11 months old


Everett was 11 months old yesterday! How did that happen so fast? He also said his first recognizable words. We had been teaching him "all done" at mealtime, in baby sign language you wave your hands around (technical, I know) and say "all done". Well, last night Everett said a recognizable "all done" verbally as well as with the baby sign language! It sounded like, "Aaaa dooo" okay, now it doesn't sound like much but it's the little things, you know? It is so funny though that Everett who is not interested in food, would use "all done" as his first words... Ironic, maybe? Here's this boy who is almost on the weight growth chart for infants, a boy who I try to entice with food at every opportunity, a boy who only loves to eat yogurt and goldfish - and his first words are I've had enough, I'm good, I'm full. Yesterday he said "aaaa dooo" and was waving his hands after two bites of rice cereal. Are you kidding me? You're now empowered with the ability to communicate this?

Anyway, besides his pickiness for food, he is the sweetest boy. He loves to cuddle with anyone that is holding him. When he lays his head on your shoulder it is like heaven. He is a wiggle worm who does not like to be contained when he could be crawling. He puts everything in his mouth, and I have now begun to call him billy goat. He is into everything and is crawling so fast. If a bathroom door is left open, he will be pulling the toilet paper and he seems to like the taste of the toilet paper as well. He loves to open all cabinets, and last night found where the pots and pans were! He loves to pull up and can now reach the top of the kitchen table, nothing is safe! He is cruising along anything that he can and can walk behind a toy that he is pushing or walk with mommy or daddy if we hold him up. And he loves his sister so much. Here they are, both in footed pajamas, Madeleine wanted to match her brother. Happy 11 months brother! (My current nicknames for Everett are goosie or brother.)

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

vegetarians

Madeleine had her first day of school at Oak Lawn UMC Child Development Center today and Everett had his first day at Church of the Incarnation. Both seemed to really have great days! I asked Madeleine a ton of questions (she does not respond well to "Tell me all about your day," so I have to ask lots of questions) and the response that made me laugh the most was about her lunch. At her school they feed her lunch and so I asked what she ate. She replied,

Madeleine: "Red meat, a tortilla, and some beans."
Me: "Did you eat it all?"
Madeleine: "Yes, it was yummy!"
Me: "Did you like it?"
Madeleine: "I love tortillas!"
Me: "Did everyone in your class like it?"
Madeleine: "One boy didn't eat the red meat, he's a vege... veget.... vegee.... He's allergic."
Me: "Is he a vegetarian?"
Madeleine: "He's allergic."
Me: I go into a discussion about what it means to be a vegetarian, etc. but I just thought it was so funny that to Madeleine it was simple - he was allergic!