Jan 5

Dancing Princess Leia asked if she could join the ski club this year.

We said yes and then found out that 2nd graders could join only if an older sibling was participating, too.

We got special permission,
paid lots of money,
bought all the gear
(including this hat, but minus skis)
and prepared to ship her little 7 year old bummy
up the mountain on Friday nights
to ski with a bunch of strangers.

Jan 4

Rex found a new game on the computer and the girls are REALLY interested.

It's called ROBLOX.

It's a megablocks (in quality, not brand) version of a Lego game.

He nicely showed them how to register and log in to play their own game.
And we have to keep telling them that if they want to play the game
they have to know how and we won't help.

So Rex does.

Jan 3

Mmm. Pumpkin Bread!

Even better, it was made using mommy's new mixer paddle with built in scrapers to keep the bowl clean.

WE LOVE IT!

Jan 2

We had our second Christmas today.

The kids got stockings and grandparent presents on our trip, but because of the limited space in the van, we saved family and Santa gifts for today.

The kids left out a plate of cookies, a glass of milk and a note when they went out to the grocery store with dad. Before they left, they noticed the elf was gone and when they came back they saw that Santa had come.

Along with many fun and thoughtful gifts for each other, the kids each got a big set of Legos and put themselves into a "Lego coma" for most of the afternoon.

Jan 1

We arrived home from our Alabama Christmas vacation at 4am to a happy puppy. Being greeted by an energetic puppy is a great way to start a year.

She wore herself out, though.

Being a (10 year-old) puppy is hard work.

2012 Resolution

Let's try this again!

My plan is to take at least one photo a day to post and allow a glimpse into our everyday life.

Wish me luck!

A Little Behind

Since the posts lately have been few and far between,
you get photos taken today of each of us.

Here is Belle, all smiles with a
sad bruise on her chinny-chin-chin.


Dancing Princess Leia with her new purple cast.


Captain Rex in his safari hat,
trying it out before using it for his Halloween costume.



Mommy laughing at a HI-larious email
sent by a great friend.


Daddy with his concentration face
while completing level 9-5 on Super Mario Bros Wii.

Sept 8-16

Sept 8


Baby Belle began preschool today.

She was so excited to have made a butterfly
for the cover of her farm number book
and stamped circle paper.

There was no drama, just walked right in.

Such a brave little big girl.


Sept 9

Dancing Princess Leia and Mom
spent part of the evening in the ER today.

Leia was playing with the dog and
ended up with a sliced lip.

Fortunately, there was free wifi in the hospital
so Mom could make updates.

But only when Leia wasn't passing the time
playing games on the iPod.

Leia ended up with 4 stitches.

Bringing her total up to 13.

2 per year of life.


Sept 10

Belle is silly.

She wore this chair for a necklace today.

And yes, she IS wearing her Cinderella jammies.


Sept 11

The girls had their first soccer games today.

Leia and her Lime Green team
played the Kelly Green team.

I'm sure the colors had no affect on their playing.

Leia is the one poised to kick the ball.

Both girls had fun.


Sept 12

Rex read about a LEGO competition
so he designed a model for submission.

This is one view of it, the only image taken in focus.

The LEGO plate looks like you're driving down the highway
past farmer's fields and looking down the rows of plants.


Sept 13

"Mommy, take my picture because

I'm a fancy girl on the phone."


Sept 14

These two could be twins.

This was taken outside of Target
while mommy was chatting with a friend
and the kids found something entertaining to climb upon.


Sept 15

Thick fog and a brown cornfield.

Fall is upon us.


Sept 16


Check out this pair of friends.

Everyone has their own priorities.

One wants to get around when he gets there.

The other is worried about hydration.

HAHA!

Sept 1-7

Sept 1

The dog went crazy when we got home from the bus today.

She ran back and forth from the kitchen to the family room.

And this is what we found.

Our little 11 pound puppy was so hyped up
that she slid across the floor on the rug,
gave it a 90 degree rotation and mounded it up.

Silly puppy.


Sept 2


An image of this place that makes us smile.

How do you suppose they decide what color bucket
they should use for their mailbox?

And do you really need the decorative finial
on top of a mailbox planted in a bucket?

Sept 3


This is the totally cute lunchbox Leia is using this year.

She says the only problem is that it is not red.

But the red one was not nearly as cute.



Sept 4


Mommy wants this in her mudroom.

She will settle for something else, but she wants this.

Stay tuned for what actually happens in there.

Oh, and the race is on with Uncle Jack.

It's his bathroom vs. our mudroom.

Sept 5


Mommy!!

What?

My cupcake!!!

What?

Come see!!!!

Just tell me!

My foot!!?!!

This can't be good.

My baby can catch with her foot!
(How do we market that talent?)

The situation turned out better than expected.

Instead of having to clean up creamy pink frosting from the floor
we just had to clean it off her foot.

And the puppy got to help!



Sept 6


Leia asked us to take off her training wheels.

She's been riding in the backyard (grass for cushioning) to practice.

And she has had a perma-smile on her face.

It is so nice to get this real smile on camera,
since the staged pictures look like constipation ads.

Mommy and Daddy are proud.

Good job, sweet girl!

Sept 7

Happy Brazilian Independence Day!

In honor of the occasion, we dressed Belle in yellow
and took her to her first soccer practice
with the ball we bought in Brazil.

She had a great time and actually kicked the ball in her first scrimmage game.

Wo-hoo!

September Sketch Challenge

I found a new blog yesterday
(when I was supposed to be doing something else)
that has monthly scrapbook layout challenges.

I decided to have a go at it.

The layout was presented in 12x12 form,
but since I am old-school I adapted it to my 8 1/2x11 lifestyle.

Here is their template:


And here is my page:

The fibers on the title did not behave inside the scanner.

I really like it.

note: I guess I didn't pay attention to the part about using 75% of their products,
but I still feel accomplished by getting it done.

Pennance

I'm a bad blogger.

Not a surprise.

But when I take a month and a half off to vacation/play with family and friends, my picture-a-day really suffers. I have not given up, in fact I have WAY TOO MANY pictures from every day to decide on just one.

I am very far behind.

So I decided to start from today and move forward.

I'll catch up (whoda thunk?) later, but I gotta start with now, for now.

June, July and August happened (for sure) but September pictures will come first.

Stay tuned (I'm still not all that together, yet!).