Thursday, August 16, 2012

back-to-school

'tis the season...and the girls were ready!

back-to-school night

back-to-school night

day #1











cutting it up

the girls had their annual "back-to-school" haircuts again this summer...wren decided to go short (gasp! me, not her) and linnea just went to her shoulders.  they look adorable!  a wee bit sassy, too!












Friday, August 3, 2012

little eyes are watching...

...their momma who has decorated parts of our home with "stickers" and words...
so, i could not be upset when i found these renderings on her wall, down by the baseboard...
(she wrote our last name, too, but i have blurred/x'd it out)
still makes me chuckle.

Friday, May 11, 2012

My Girls

amazing young ladies.
that's these two.

they are finishing up the school year.
and it has been a very, very good year!

both were Top Readers each (& every) month for their respective classes.  
that means that they each read, or were read to, the most.
this is nothing new at our home.
we have always read to they girls.
both The Daddy and me.
and I love that they love to read!

linnea reached 150 days of "Walking Club"! 
wren was disappointed that she was 2 days short.

next week they have their year-end celebrations and classroom awards.
i am so proud of these two!

and i cannot wait to spend the summer with them!

Monday, April 30, 2012

You Don't Know Jack. . .

. . . but you soon will.

This is Jack.
His full name is "Jack Dempsey".  Not sure if he is named after the boxer from early 1900's...but we have given him numerous nicknames:
jackaroo
jick-jack
lil buddy boy
jacky-mcjackerton

He is an 8-yr-old Jack Russell terrier and so far is getting along quite well with Alice and Puddy McFluffkins.  It did take Jack a bit to get used to his new kennel...at his previous home he had a doggy-door and huge fenced yard.  And Alice was/is a bit jealous, but both are super cute together!  Jack was quite curious of the cat, but that has worn off for the most part.  Not saying Puds doesn't get chased, he does occasionally, but he can at least come onto the floor some now.  And the girls?  Oh my are they smitten!  I know Jack was not used to this much attention but he ADORES the girls.  And their belly rubs.  And that are treat-givers.  He enjoys storytime, too.



Jack moved in with us in mid-February.  He moved to Omaha from western Nebraska because his owner, my Dad, came to Omaha.  Part of my Dad coming to Omaha was that Jack would be able to come, too.  And while my Dad was in a hospital I was able to take Jack up and visit a few times.  Jack sure enjoyed those visits!  He was very well-mannered and I think Dad appreciated seeing his lil buddy, too!  Unfortunately Dad's move to Omaha was short-term...we had him transported to a hospital in Omaha so my siblings & I were able to spend more time with him close to all of us.  

My Dad was in the end stages of COPD and on April 5th died peacefully with all of his children surrounding him.  It was not the ideal ending - would have preferred a miracle cure.  But it was the best we could do for him in his last few weeks:  close to where we kids live so we were able to visit daily and spend time with him.  Had he stayed where he was, over 4 hours away, it would not have been possible to be there (not that some of us did not try...numerous trips during January & February were made)...and it would have been quite lonely for him.  So while there were some expenses with having him transported here, it was all worth it.  I could tell numerous stories about the entire "situation" - some funny, some not so much.


LAWRENCE A. ANDERSON
"grandpapa pancho"
06/22/37 - 04/05/12
(Grandpapa Pancho & Linnea - 2007)


Wednesday, February 15, 2012

mothering

"Mothers who know do less. They permit less of what will not bear good fruit eternally. They allow less media in their homes, less distraction, less activity that draws their children away from their home. Mothers who know are willing to live on less and consume less of the world’s goods in order to spend more time with their children—more time eating together, more time working together, more time reading together, more time talking, laughing, singing, and exemplifying. These mothers choose carefully and do not try to choose it all."
Julie Beck

Sunday, February 5, 2012

if you give a dog a cupcake...

WARNING:
graphic photos are included
in this post!!

********
and, technically, the title is not quite right.
it really should read:
"if you give THIS dog a dozen or so cupcakes"



friday was an epic fail in the story of our household.
on a normal morning one of our girls will  kennel up the pooch.
but, last friday morning the girls & I had to leave about 15 minutes earlier than usual to go pick the 2 dozen donuts for Wren to take to school for her birthday.
The night before I frosted the chocolate, vanilla and strawberry cupcakes that Wren had requested for her birthday gathering with a few friends.  I put them on 2 containers, laid out a clean tablecloth and placed to 2 containers center on the table.  I did think fleetingly that the cat, puddy mcfluffkins, might mess with them...but i decided he was probably not strong enough to really do any damage.
anyhoodles, back the dog.  so, we leave and the daddy is still home & since one of the girls normally kennels up the pooch he did not even think about it.  probably because the pooch was hunkered down for a snoozer.  well...an unkenneled dog will get herself into trouble.

we were greeted at the door by the pooch.  odd, since she is supposed to be in the kennel.  (and, no, the daddy did not come home early)  as I picked up the pooch i noticed one of the cupcake containers over by the piano.  it was then i realized that the little dog had been naughty. 
very, very, very naughty.
very, very, very, very naughty
indeed!

after i put little dog into her kennel i returned to the kitchen and found...
no tablecloth on the table.
and no cupcake containers on the table.

the container by the piano was still closed as it was impossible for the "treat-seeking-missile" (aka the little pooch) to get into it. 
the other container?
not so much.
it probably broke when it hit the floor.
and then?
well, the "treat-seeking-missile" then helped herself to the cupcakes.
not all the cupcakes.
there was one left.  and some frosting.
and the decorative "7" picks.
it could have been worse.
(or i keep trying to convince myself)
she could have tried to eat the sharp picks.
(she did not)
she could've gotten sick from the dozen+ cupcakes she did eat.
(she did not - and yes, I did call the vet)
i am guessing she had zero restraint and devoured those cupcakes early in the day because the frosting smears on the kitchen floor were hard & caked on.
(she could've had her "party" on the carpet)
and, so, the fat-bellied "treat-seeking-missile" celebrated Wren's birthday all by herself.  well, puddy mcfluffkins might have observed the carnage, but for the most part it was "alice, party of 1" for that reservation.

and so..............
"if you give THIS dog a dozen or so cupcakes"

a few hours later she just might do this to this momma's favorite, handmade, one-of-a-kind llama named gunther:

poor, poor gunther.
now i have to do some
crazy, leg-re-creating stitching
to fix him up.

poor, poor llama.
bad, bad dog.

moral to this story: 
do not give THIS dog a dozen or so cupcakes.
ever.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

things that make a momma's heart melt

my oldest is an amazing tender heart who is so caring and sensitive and genuine to others that it makes my heart melt!

my youngest is a spunky spitfire who is kind and funny and reads like she is much, much older and she also makes my heart melt.

these two are best friends.  that really makes my heart melt!

today, a "backseat" convo i overheard as i drove the girls home from dance classes:

nea:  so, wren, i thought that maybe i would talk to momma & daddy tonight about what i am getting you for your birthday - but you can't hear!

wren:  ok, i've got a bunch of things to do anyways...so while you chat with momma & daddy, i can feed junior and give her a bath and blowdry her scales...

nea:  perfect!  i'll let you know what we decide!

wren:  you can't tell me what you are getting me for my birthday!

nea:  i won't....i'll just give you hints!  i'm going to get you 7 presents BECAUSE YOU ARE GOING TO BE SEVEN!

and that led to high-pitched giggles.

my favorite lines above?

"and blowdry her scales"  (if you recall, junior is one of her lizards...)

"i'm going to get you 7 presents BECAUSE YOU ARE GOING TO BE SEVEN!" (how sweet is that sister?!?!?!)

life is good!

Sunday, January 22, 2012

seasons

"i am not all introvert quiet
or all extrovert energy. 
i am small and big,
loud and quiet,
thankful. 
i am not just one thing,
don’t fit in the corner of a box.
live in your seasons,
take the breaths you need,
keeps eyes wide open when you can
and close them tightly when you need to.
this life is a gift and
the giver is God and
we live full in
each season
as it comes."

Monday, January 16, 2012

of lizards & reading and such

WE HAD A WONDERFUL COUPLE WEEKS OFF FROM SCHOOL TO CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS.  THE GIRLS LOVED HAVING "SLEEPOVERS" IN EACH OTHER'S ROOM.  THEY CHOSE AMAZING GIFTS FOR ONE ANOTHER - LISTENING TO IDEAS FROM THE RECIPIENT TO BE ABLE TO CHOOSE SOMETHING THEY WOULD L-O-V-E!  I LIKE TO GET OUR CHRISTMAS SHOPPING DONE BEFORE DECEMBER...THAT WAY WE CAN ENJOY ALL THE FESTIVITIES THAT COME OUR WAY...CONCERTS, PARTIES & GET-TOGETHERS, CHURCH ACTIVITIES, DANCE RECITAL, (& WHILE THE GIRLS ARE YOUNG) THE T.V. SPECIALS, ETC.  EACH YEAR I LIKE TO MAKE SOMETHING FOR THE GIRLS...THIS YEAR IT WAS JUMBO "BUTTON PILLOWS".  AND THE REACTION FROM THE GIRLS?  TOTALLY WORTH MY TIME AT THE SEWING MACHINE FOR SURE!
WREN IS GOING THROUGH A "LIZARD" PHASE.  SHE DID ASK SANTA FOR A REAL ONE, BUT MOMMA EXPLAINED THAT SANTA WILL NOT BRING A REAL PET WITHOUT GETTING PERMISSION FROM THE PARENTS.  WREN'S PARENTS (ERRR, MOSTLY MOMMA) SAID, "NO!".  WE REMINDED HER THAT HAVING A FURBALL CAT AND A POOCH WERE PLENTY FOR OUR HOME.  SHE WAS OKAY.  BUT SHE DID GET VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT WHAT KIND OF STUFFY LIZARD SHE WANTED:  A BLUE, GIRL LIZARD - NOT A CHAMELEON, BUT A LIZARD...AND SOME FAKE FLIES SO THE LIZARD HAS FOOD.  LUCKILY, NEA & I DID SOME SURFIN' O' THE NET AND WERE ABLE TO FIND:

CHICKEN, THE LIZARD, WAS A GRAND PRESENT FROM LIL SISTER
JUNIOR - THE NEWEST LIZARD
CHICKEN, THE LIZARD & JUNIOR 
AND WREN LOVED THE LIZARD FROM SISTER!  NOT SURE WHERE THE NAME "CHICKEN" CAME FROM, BUT IT FITS.  ADDING IN "JUNIOR" A COUPLE WEEKENDS AGO AND THEY MAKE AN AWFULLY CUTE GROUP, EH?!

AND HERE ARE THE "READING CORNERS" IN EACH GIRLS' ROOM.  THESE JUMBO BUTTON PILLOWS ARE SUPER COMFY...I MIGHT NEED TO MAKE A COUPLE FOR THE BASEMENT, TOO!  A BIG HIT WITH THE GIRLS...THEY GET COMFY COZY AND DO SOME "ALONE READING"...OR TUCK IN A BUDDY OR TWO AT BEDTIME...AND IT HELPS THE GIRLS REALIZE THAT WHILE SHOPPING AND BUYING IS FUN, NOT EVERYTHING HAS TO BE BOUGHT...BEING RESOURCEFUL & CRAFTY ARE GOOD TRAITS TO HAVE. 
I THINK WREN MIGHT HAVE PUT IT BEST: 

"THESE ARE BETTER THAN STORE BOUGHT BECAUSE MOMMA SEWED IN SOME OF HER LOVE INSIDE!"

NEA'S READING AREA

WREN'S READING AREA

OH, AND WHILE I HAD A FEW MOMENTS OVER THE WEEKEND...I GOT THE PORCH A LITTLE "VALENTINED"!
$1.49 GARISH WREATH, 15 MINUTES, SCRAPS OF PAPER & SOME HOT GLUE CAN BE PERFECT FOR THE VALENTINE'S SEASON ON OUR FRONT DOOR