"The Baby" Turns Two

 

Our pretty Lilly Baby turned two years old yesterday!!  We were able to have a fun family celebration last Sunday with most everyone that lives close by and then just a little dinner and gift opening with my parents yesterday.  No one can believe that she is already two years old and while the fact that she can have a complete conversation with you would indicate that she is no longer "the baby", her size does not.  She still seems pretty pint-sized for a two year old but that's alright with us.  She is our wild child and has some very strong opinions about pretty much everything.  By far my most head strong of the three, if you can believe that given how head strong Emma is, she gives me a run for my money everyday.  She says the funniest things and is a great source of entertainment at our house.  Here are some pictures of Sunday's festivities.

 

Oohing and Ahhing over one of her gifts.

 

We saw this baby doll bed at Deb and Val's garage sale a few weeks back and the kids knew she had to have it.

 

Later she decided that it was more her size though.

 

 

 

 She is hugely into My Little Ponies right now, much like her sister and cousin Kendall.

 

Emma had a difficult time coping with the fact that her baby sister was getting gifts that she would like to have.  She got over it once she realized that Lillian still has the attention span of a 4 month old, which meant that she would get to play with them on a regular basis.

 

 

So excited about the pony on her cake!!

 

Some of the guests.

 

 

I had to include this picture because both Cory and Bridgett are attempting to eat in it.  Cory would probably kill me if he saw this but I can say pretty confidently that he doesn't read this blog so I should be safe.

 

 

Lillian feeding sweet baby Ethan, Tammy and Richard's new baby boy.  I'm pretty sure that he would much prefer his mom just feeing him.  This picture was taken seconds before she pulled the bottle out of his mouth and announced "He's all done!"  Tammy is such a patient mom!

 

As I looked in on her while she was having her nap yesterday afternoon I couldn't help but stare at her for a few minutes.  Sometimes I feel so overwhelmed when our kids have birthdays.  It feels like the time is racing by too fast and I panic that I won't remember the way they looked and sounded and smelled at every stage.  I sat for a minute and tried to memorize everything I could; the sound she made as she sucked her little thumb, the way her little eyelashes fluttered when I moved the hair from her eyes, even her chubby little pinky that's hooked on the side of the mattress.  Then I took a picture to help me remember.

 

Now in traditional fashion, here are my 2 favorite things about her.

 

1) Her crazy and goofy personality.  It doesn't take long after someone meets her for them to comment on what a character she is.  She is so enthusiastic about everything!

 

2) Her sweet little voice.  I love to hear her talking away in her crib in the mornings, having her ask me questions and tell me stories.  Her voice is so cute.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Dinosaur Excavation

I made a goal this year to have a more productive summer with the kids.  I love the summer months when the kids are all home and we have nowhere to be at any specific time but after a while the lack of structure starts to wear on me and on them.  They fight non stop and whine more about being bored so I decided to get ahead of the game this year.  I've made us a weekly schedule pieced together by numerous things I've found on Pinterest, which typically is a huge time suck but in this case was enormously helpful, and each day we have a specific theme.  Yesterday was library day, today was baking or cooking day, and tomorrow will be our service day.  They also have chores they are expected to complete each day along with reading, exercising (not like The Firm exercising but walking, biking, sprinkler running exercise.), practising a skill and so on.  Anyways, to fill in the time that we aren't spending around our theme and required activities I also have pre-planned activities, also found on Pinterest, to keep them busy and away from the television, which again is cable free for the Summer.  That was a very long winded intro to the purpose of my post tonight. 

 

Yesterday, as one of our fun time fillers, the kids excavated plastic dinosaurs from a huge block of ice.  I spent $3 at the dollar store to get said dinosaurs, froze them in a plastic tub from the basement, handed the kids some excavating tools and let the fun ensue.  And ensue it did.  Easily the best $3 I've ever spent!  Emma and Walker spent well over two hours outside retrieving their "dinosaur babies" from the ice and refused to quit until they were all rescued.  My favorite part was that they called each other "Dr. Emma" and "Dr. Walker" the whole time, it was very serious business.  They are already begging to do it again.

Dr. Emma and Dr. Walker ready with their tools.

 

 

 

Allan was a little alarmed when he found out that I gave them screw drivers as an excavation tool, but they did just fine.

 

Eventually they moved into the sunshine to help speed things along.

 

Look at those delighted faces!!

 

Lillian is absent from the pictures because we waited until she was in bed to begin the extraction of the dinos, for obvious reasons.

 

Kelsey you must try this with that Eli boy, particularly after baby #2 arrives and you need a couple hours of peace.

Grade One Graduate

Emma has finished another year of school and I can't believe that our beautiful girl is going to be in the second grade next year.  She did so well on her report card, receiving all "excellents" and her teacher had some wonderful things to say about her.  At one point she said that Emma "is an inspiration to her classmates" and later wrote "it is so refreshing to see someone so compassionate, gentle, and courteous at this young age".  We are so proud of her and the example that she sets for those around her.  Walker and Lillian have been so thrilled to have her home with them all day and I am loving it too. 

 

She had pictures taken at the beginning of the school year and at the end and while I usually pass on the end of year pictures, this year I couldn't resist.  I was amazed at the change in her over nine short months.  She certainly is not our baby girl anymore and while at times it makes my heart ache, other times I am excited to see what the next stage will bring.  She is such a bright little thing and I can't wait to spend the rest of the summer reading, playing and learning with her.

 

September 2012

June 2013

Gardening Success

I decided this Spring that I would try again with a vegetable garden.  I've never been all that successful with it.  One year I managed to grow potatoes and lettuce and some half grown squash and was a little discouraged so didn't try again for a couple of years.  This year, however, I was determined, and my determination is paying off. We already have carrots, beets, squash, lettuce and pumpkins growing in our little vegetable garden.  Not to mention our strawberries that are flourishing beautifully.  The kids are so anxious every day to run out and see how much their veggies have grown.  It's very exciting!!

Carrots

Pumpkin

Lettuce

Beets

 

Our first yummy strawberry almost ripe enough to eat.

 

We have had a peony plant in our backyard since before we moved in and this year is the first that it has actually blossomed.  It is so gorgeous.  The kids were thrilled to help me cut the pretty white blooms off and make a pretty bouquet for our kitchen table.

 

 

And just because this blog is about our kidlets and not my flowers, here are some pictures of them too.

 

 

 

 

Art Galleries

Walker and Emma discovered some brand new shiny felts in the computer room this week and have spent every possible moment creating works of art that they can put in their "art gallery" in their bedroom.  Typically I'm not too thrilled with the idea of them taping things all over their walls but I can't complain if they are busily using their creative little imaginations.

 

 

 

And while I love their desire to create, I don't love that they usually leave the felts lying around where their baby sister can find them.  This is what she looked like 15 minutes after getting out of the tub tonight. 

 

 

I love having to bathe a child twice in an hour.

 

 

Nine Years and Counting

Today Allan and I are celebrating nine years of marriage.  It's hard to believe that nine years can go by so quickly but you can still feel like you've been with someone forever.  Our "song", when we were first together and anxiously awaiting our wedding day, was "Wouldn't It Be Nice" by The Beach Boys.

Now, after nine years, we have lots of songs.  This one is my latest favorite.

 

A Week of Eli

For weeks I've been meaning to post these pictures from our week with my sister Kelsey's little boy Eli.  Our kids look so forward to any time that they get to spend with their funny little cousin and it is so much fun to see Walker play with a little boy for a change.  Weeks later both Walker and Lillian ask if Eli will be at Grandma's house when we visit there.

 

Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of their sweet faces because they were too intent on catching tadpoles in the little ponds by the John Janzen Center.

 

This is possibly my most favorite picture ever!!  I asked her to pet the goat so that I could take the picture and the next thing I knew she was practically riding the thing.

 

We can't wait to get a chance to spend more time with our cute Eli and his soon to be baby sibling in July!!