Spring sunshine makes their golden hair
look even more gorgeous!!
look even more gorgeous!!
Posted by Bree
Saturday, May 30
Thursday, May 28
A Good Day
New recipe:
Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins -- I didn't burn them, overcook them, overmix them... or otherwise ruin them. And they are fantastic.
New dress:
Wishful thinking on my part paid off when Chloe asked to wear it this morning. She usually screams, kicks, flails... and otherwise protests dress-wearing. This is monumental!!
:-)
Posted by Bree
Wednesday, May 27
Surprise
We love to hang out under the tree in the back yard.
Today, I was laying there staring up at the clouds...
Chloe was playing next to me with her cars in the dirt...
Evan had just finished off a handful of strawberries and was sitting beside me picking open maple seeds...
It was peaceful... quiet...
Then this little green caterpillar fell out of the tree and just landed right in the middle of all three of us.
Cool.
Posted by Bree
Tuesday, May 26
For the Love of Rabbits
Aunt Bryce and Uncle Chris have three bunnies.
The bunnies used to live in their apartment, but the landlord found out... long story later... the little critters now live in our storage room (until August when their lease is up).
Evan is THRILLED!!!
Not only does he get to see Aunt Bryce and Uncle Chris every single day (twice a day) when they come to feed the bunnies and love on them, but he gets to play with them and feed them himself anytime he wants to.
Around here, bunnies are simply everything right now.
When we are outside, they collect pocketfuls of clovers, bouquets of dandelion greens and sticks for the bunnies to chew on.
Most days they pretend to be bunnies themselves. Evan is "Muddy" and Chloe is "Hay Lover." (formerly known as Cake Lover :-) This pretend play involves lots of hiding in burrows, hopping everywhere on their hands and feet... very tiring... and lots of high-pitched squeaky bunny voices... very, um, annoying after a while...
Anyway, one day in the burrow, Muddy left this letter for his sister rabbit, cut and mounted all on his own:
The bunnies used to live in their apartment, but the landlord found out... long story later... the little critters now live in our storage room (until August when their lease is up).
Evan is THRILLED!!!
Not only does he get to see Aunt Bryce and Uncle Chris every single day (twice a day) when they come to feed the bunnies and love on them, but he gets to play with them and feed them himself anytime he wants to.
Around here, bunnies are simply everything right now.
When we are outside, they collect pocketfuls of clovers, bouquets of dandelion greens and sticks for the bunnies to chew on.
Most days they pretend to be bunnies themselves. Evan is "Muddy" and Chloe is "Hay Lover." (formerly known as Cake Lover :-) This pretend play involves lots of hiding in burrows, hopping everywhere on their hands and feet... very tiring... and lots of high-pitched squeaky bunny voices... very, um, annoying after a while...
Anyway, one day in the burrow, Muddy left this letter for his sister rabbit, cut and mounted all on his own:
Posted by Bree
Monday, May 25
Memorial Day Weekend
The weekend in pictures:
Playing in the dirt.
Evan's hair is getting too long again.
His solution?
Headbands.
Driving to our friends' house visit and eat.
Evan's kittens always come along
and "dance" the whole way there.
Evan and Jed spotted a deer in the backyard.
They grabbed some supplies
and the nerf dart gun...
They grabbed some supplies
and the nerf dart gun...
Todd and Evan mowed the lawn.
Our old one died so now it's Evan's :-)
It's heavy.
Flowers are in bloom and we are loving their beauty!!
This is in my backyard. Honeysuckle I think??
This is in my backyard. Honeysuckle I think??
And I am harvesting every seed off this gorgeous tree
so I can grow my own forest of them someday.
It's a golden chain tree.
And photos do not do it justice :-)
*****************************
And on a more serious note:
Reading one of my favorite blogs,
I was brought to tears looking at these photos.
final salute
Remember the soldiers today :-)
so I can grow my own forest of them someday.
It's a golden chain tree.
And photos do not do it justice :-)
*****************************
And on a more serious note:
Reading one of my favorite blogs,
I was brought to tears looking at these photos.
final salute
Remember the soldiers today :-)
Posted by Bree
Saturday, May 23
I Should Have Expected
I took the kids to Walnut Creek at the access on my Dad's road yesterday morning. Before we went I packed a change of clothes for the occasional accident or big splash from rocks that they love to throw in the water. After 20 minutes of rock-tossing, I guess Evan couldn't wait any longer.
My step-mom was there with their dog Dexter so the kids were able to really walk all over in the water with her help. I just stood on the banks and watched.
So, next time, I need to remember dry shoes in that extra clothes bag. For me and them.
My step-mom was there with their dog Dexter so the kids were able to really walk all over in the water with her help. I just stood on the banks and watched.
So, next time, I need to remember dry shoes in that extra clothes bag. For me and them.
Posted by Bree
Thursday, May 21
Painting
Since they are so interested in painting....
their toys
their bodies
the driveway...
....we got out the "real" stuff this afternoon instead.
It only lasted 15 minutes.
Then they were asking, "Can we play in the mud now?"
their toys
their bodies
the driveway...
....we got out the "real" stuff this afternoon instead.
It only lasted 15 minutes.
Then they were asking, "Can we play in the mud now?"
Posted by Bree
Wednesday, May 20
Monday, May 18
Chloe Defined
When we had only one child in the house, it seemed so easy and natural for me to just notice all the little things that made him uniquely Evan. Now I find myself, far too often, feeling like Chloe is simply Evan's little sister instead of being able to define her own individual personality. Who is this girl?? Really...
She has always been a collector of tiny mismatched junk. Still is. Not many walks are without a basket for "treasures." She doesn't seem to put much thought into what she collects, but once we are home she knows each thing and notices if something's missing.
I always find her playing copycat versions of what (and how) Evan plays -- making a mud puddle, lining up cars in a caravan, driving them on off-roading trips. But this day, I just stood behind her and listened. She did make mud with the squirt bottle, lined up the cars and drove them through... but as she did they each had a voice, not a motor. They were swimming, not just splashing through mud. There was a story going on in her head. The cars are alive to her and she takes care of them.
She notices beautiful things and wants to touch everything God made. She is often the one to point out something we just have to check out while outside. She really studies things and holds them with such a dainty light touch. She never purposely destroys what God made -- she will walk around a flower in the grass, she won't step in someone's flower garden area, she only picks leaves and flowers off the ground.
She is so curious about tiny things and lays right down on the ground most of the time to get a closer look. She is not shy about holding bugs of all kinds or digging a worm out of the ground or watching a slug make a slimy trail up her arm.
She is an affectionate loving girl. Hugs, cuddles, kisses, nuzzles, tickles... She just wants to be close and be held. She gives love to most anyone who pays attention to her.
She has to do things her way. If it's not her idea there will probably be a fight. Of course, some things are not at all worth a fight, so she is allowed to make a lot of her own decisions. She always knows what she wants. This picture captures her independent way -- she wanted to sleep in the middle of her bed with no pants or covers on. Have it your way sweetheart :-)
She is "not a baby" or a "little girl"... she's a "big girl." She borders on being a picky eater and has a serious sweet tooth. She enjoys drawing in her blank notebook with colored pencils. She loves dried mango and asks for it many times a day. She loves dogs and rabbits. She spends the majority of each day pretending to be a dog or a rabbit (or a train) and refers to herself in the third person -- "he's hungry and he wants to eat." She loves polka-dots. She has a favorite shirt that she wants to wear every single day.
She is challenging and frustrating....
.....and entertaining and delightful and adorable.
She is Chloe.
She is my daughter.
She has always been a collector of tiny mismatched junk. Still is. Not many walks are without a basket for "treasures." She doesn't seem to put much thought into what she collects, but once we are home she knows each thing and notices if something's missing.
I always find her playing copycat versions of what (and how) Evan plays -- making a mud puddle, lining up cars in a caravan, driving them on off-roading trips. But this day, I just stood behind her and listened. She did make mud with the squirt bottle, lined up the cars and drove them through... but as she did they each had a voice, not a motor. They were swimming, not just splashing through mud. There was a story going on in her head. The cars are alive to her and she takes care of them.
She notices beautiful things and wants to touch everything God made. She is often the one to point out something we just have to check out while outside. She really studies things and holds them with such a dainty light touch. She never purposely destroys what God made -- she will walk around a flower in the grass, she won't step in someone's flower garden area, she only picks leaves and flowers off the ground.
She is so curious about tiny things and lays right down on the ground most of the time to get a closer look. She is not shy about holding bugs of all kinds or digging a worm out of the ground or watching a slug make a slimy trail up her arm.
She is an affectionate loving girl. Hugs, cuddles, kisses, nuzzles, tickles... She just wants to be close and be held. She gives love to most anyone who pays attention to her.
She has to do things her way. If it's not her idea there will probably be a fight. Of course, some things are not at all worth a fight, so she is allowed to make a lot of her own decisions. She always knows what she wants. This picture captures her independent way -- she wanted to sleep in the middle of her bed with no pants or covers on. Have it your way sweetheart :-)
She is "not a baby" or a "little girl"... she's a "big girl." She borders on being a picky eater and has a serious sweet tooth. She enjoys drawing in her blank notebook with colored pencils. She loves dried mango and asks for it many times a day. She loves dogs and rabbits. She spends the majority of each day pretending to be a dog or a rabbit (or a train) and refers to herself in the third person -- "he's hungry and he wants to eat." She loves polka-dots. She has a favorite shirt that she wants to wear every single day.
She is challenging and frustrating....
.....and entertaining and delightful and adorable.
She is Chloe.
She is my daughter.
Posted by Bree
Friday, May 15
Play Clothes
I have come a long way as a mom.
I like clean.
I like pretty.
But clean and pretty do not go with everyday life and children ;-)
Clean and pretty do not make for a simple life.
Play clothes do.
So, I have lowered my expectations throughout the years and realized that, although I do still like clean and pretty...
dirty and messy are completely wonderful too
(and way more fun, might I add).
Posted by Bree
Thursday, May 14
Marathon
She is the marathon runner of time-outs.She will fight and scream and run away and kick and cry and spit on the floor and say she has to pee and crawl around and kick the walls and fight and fight....anything but sit where I put her.
We do the "supernanny" technique. Sit her down, tell her why she needs a time-out (in this episode it was shoving Evan's train off the track because she was seriously ticked off at him), say "Sit here, I'll be back in two minutes" and walk away.
This worked with Evan. He tried to fight a handful of times, but usually gave up and sat quite easily.
This does not work with Chloe.
We've been doing the exact same routine since she was two and you would think that nine months of the same thing would make her realize she is not going to win.
Nope.
A typical time-out with Chloe lasts 25 minutes.
Sit her down, walk away, chase her, sit her back down, walk away, chase her... take deep breaths... repeat.... We don't talk to her or make eye contact and we stay as calm as possible. By the end I am utterly drained and exhausted and so is she.
Today's marathon lasted 45 minutes, including several trips to the bathroom to show her where spit goes, not on the floor, in the toilet... and back to time-out kicking and screaming.
Stubborn? Yeah, just a little bit.
Posted by Bree
