Playing in the new sensory table that Santa brought!
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
Breakfast with Santa
So Saturday morning we went to have breakfast with Santa. Max sat on his lap just long enough to get a photo, but it was Annabelle's conversation with Santa that I especially wanted to remember.
Annabelle is sitting on Santa's lap and he says, "So do your parents like to read to you?"
Annabelle laughs, "No!" She acts like this is the craziest thing ever.
I am a little horrified to have Santa think we don't read to our children. but I say nothing.
Later back at our table, I ask Annabelle, "Why did you say your parents don't like to read to you?"
And she laughed again and says, "Pants can't read!"
She thought Santa said pants. When I explained it to her we all had a big laugh!
Annabelle's Fall!
I can't believe she is 4 and a half as she likes to say. Sometimes when I look at her I am surprised she has grown so much. She is so sure of herself at times and so confident and even independent too. She stills wants to "live with me forever!"
This fall she has been busy working on a "flower project." She has drawn and painted flowers, read books about flowers and how plants grow. We have went to local gardens to photograph and draw. She loves cutting flowers from our yard and making arrangements in vases. She has created paper collages and flower sculptures from clay. She has fallen in love with Impressionists painters, especially Monet and his flowers. She says she wants to be an artist when she grows up and made it a plan to try and paint everyday.
She loves to build zoos and she dances and sings everywhere we go. She sits on the couch and strums her guitar, singing her favorite song, "Do a Dear, a Female Deer..." She loves to pretend mama and princess and doctor and dancer and fairy and boat rider and queen and monster and ghost and gingerbread cookies or the "Tea," from The Nutcracker.
She and Max play so much together: ball and chase and dancing and blocks and brios and sandbox and dolls and cooking and eating and drawing and giggling and hugging and loving and living! She is so giving to him. Wants to help him and share with him and make him happy when he is sad. She also wants to play by herself (which is fine) and doesn't want to wait for him and sometimes just takes over (which isn't). She is respectful and kind more than she isn't.
She worked hard when we redid her room, cleaning and painting and organizing and being excited and then so very proud. Everyone who comes over has to see her room. She takes pride in cleaning it up and loves to sleep in her big bed.
What an amazing fall she has had!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
More Max!
One of Max's favorite things are birds, which are all called "du-du." Obviously ducks are at the top of the list.Annabelle wants me to type, "Maxie climbs a lot. He climbs on chairs and up slides and steps and stuff."
Max's Fall!
It has been a long time since I have posted. I have been very busy, but wanted to get back into posting. So much has happened this fall for Max. He is walking and pretending, painting and dancing. He signs a little and has a few words: mostly "du-du," (duck), "da-da," (sometimes it means Jack), "da!" which means yes, also "na-na," can mean Annabelle, another, or nurse. When he says no, he moves his hand from side to side and shakes his head no. He has just started say, "Mama," my favorite thing he says. For a boy with few actual words, he is really communicating.
He dances all the time, sometimes even creating his own music, with a few, "da, da, ta-das." He loves to push things around, like chairs and grocery carts, (that is how he learned to walk, by pushing the furniture all over the house!) He loves to do the yoga pose, "downward dog," it is one of the things he does when he is especially happy. He laughs a lot and it is one of the best sounds.
When we go on walks, sometimes we take his push car. He pushes the car up the sidewalk, stopping every now and then to carefully place a leaf or rock on his car.
He loves to paint and draw. He builds with blocks, by placing one block on the floor, then placing more all around it, all in a single layer. He will work for awhile on his "builidng." He has a lot of focus for such a little guy.
I find him so yummy, my heart swells and I am happy to be spending my days with this special boy, my Maxie!
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Annabelle sings at bedtime
Ananbelle pretty much sings all the time. She sings to her brother. She sings while playing at the Eno River. She sings while playing in her room. All the time! Sometimes she is singing songs she has learned from cds or songs we sing together, but a lot of the time she is singing songs that she just makes up, like the "summer song" she sang as we hiked at the Eno River earlier this week.
Well last night she, at bedtime, she was in a singing mood. She said, "Remember that song about the miller who trapped a bird and the bird caught a seed and the wind blew the seed and the bird jumped over a fence and the bird flew to its nest and fed its babies and then found worms and fed its babies worms?"
"Uh, no I do not know that song."
"I just told you the song!" (She looks at me expectantly, like she is waiting for me now to sing the song.)
"Oh, is this a song you made up?"
"Yes!" and she sings it again just as she had before.
"Sorry," I say, "but I don't know it, so I can't sing."
"Listen!" and she sings it again. Again she waits for me to sing. I start to laugh and she laughs and we giggle together. I guess I need to learn that song!
Well last night she, at bedtime, she was in a singing mood. She said, "Remember that song about the miller who trapped a bird and the bird caught a seed and the wind blew the seed and the bird jumped over a fence and the bird flew to its nest and fed its babies and then found worms and fed its babies worms?"
"Uh, no I do not know that song."
"I just told you the song!" (She looks at me expectantly, like she is waiting for me now to sing the song.)
"Oh, is this a song you made up?"
"Yes!" and she sings it again just as she had before.
"Sorry," I say, "but I don't know it, so I can't sing."
"Listen!" and she sings it again. Again she waits for me to sing. I start to laugh and she laughs and we giggle together. I guess I need to learn that song!
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
some words from Annabelle...
Yesterday, as we got ready to go blueberry picking, early (for us) in the morning, I asked Annabelle what she wanted for breakfast, and she answered...
Ima breakfasting on blueberries!
It had such a beautiful sound to it and everytime I think of her words, it makes me so very happy to be spending my days with this lovely poetic little girl.
Plus she picked so many blueberries, sharing tons with her brother and just being the best blueberry picking company I could have asked for. We went home and made some delicious blueberry muffins!
Ima breakfasting on blueberries!
It had such a beautiful sound to it and everytime I think of her words, it makes me so very happy to be spending my days with this lovely poetic little girl.
Plus she picked so many blueberries, sharing tons with her brother and just being the best blueberry picking company I could have asked for. We went home and made some delicious blueberry muffins!
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Landon and Khristine are Here!
After missing them for a whole year, Landon and Khristine are back in Durham. We are having a great time, though we are missing Phil and wishing he would just get on a plane now! After 2 busy days of very fun parties, we are having a quiet day at home, reading books, playing games and just spending time together.
Summer Readin'
Max loves this book right now. He loves the bold photographs, especially the photos of animals. He also loves turningthe pages all by himself.
Annabelle loves all books. We read chapter books, pictures books, and she "reads" to herself too!
Summer Eatin': Blackberries!
After going to the Farmer's Market, we had huge delicious blackberries for lunch. Max loved them! His hands and legs are stained purple, not to mention the clothes I was wearing.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Friday, June 20, 2008
Monday, June 16, 2008
Wow, time is flying past!
Wow, I can not believe how much time has flown by. Life with two growing kids has kept me busy. We have been spending time with other homeschooling families, plus continuing to work on our house. Jack still works two jobs, plus all he does to support me in this huge job of parenting! (Happy Father's Day, Honey, we are so lucky to have you!)
Max is now 9 months and is crawling all over the house. Plus he makes the sweetes sounds: dadadada, do do do (with long o sounds), raspberries and can even make a kiss sound. Today at the pool, he stood up ( by himself) for a record of 5 seconds before plopping down into the water. He ws so happy and laughing!
Annabelle turned 4 last Thursday. She is 4! We celebrated on her birthday and had a party on Sunday. Her dad and I built a swingset for her and she swings alomst everyday. She had such a great party, surrounded by all the people who really care for her, kids and adults alike.
Both of our kids love to be outside. Max loves to look at birds and will point up when he hears a bird call. We will say, "where's the bird?" And he will look up and point at a bird. When we are inside, he loves to stand at the widow and squeal in delight. If his sisiter or dad is outside and we are in, he is a very sad little guy, while I am desparetely trying to find my shoes so I can take him out too!
Annabelle loves to play in her sandbox, play in the wading pool, and take walks to look at geese and ducks at the pond across the street. She also loves to work with us outside, moving mulch for her new swingset, raking leaves, and picking flowers for vases.
Well, off to be with my 4 year old girl!
Max is now 9 months and is crawling all over the house. Plus he makes the sweetes sounds: dadadada, do do do (with long o sounds), raspberries and can even make a kiss sound. Today at the pool, he stood up ( by himself) for a record of 5 seconds before plopping down into the water. He ws so happy and laughing!
Annabelle turned 4 last Thursday. She is 4! We celebrated on her birthday and had a party on Sunday. Her dad and I built a swingset for her and she swings alomst everyday. She had such a great party, surrounded by all the people who really care for her, kids and adults alike.
Both of our kids love to be outside. Max loves to look at birds and will point up when he hears a bird call. We will say, "where's the bird?" And he will look up and point at a bird. When we are inside, he loves to stand at the widow and squeal in delight. If his sisiter or dad is outside and we are in, he is a very sad little guy, while I am desparetely trying to find my shoes so I can take him out too!
Annabelle loves to play in her sandbox, play in the wading pool, and take walks to look at geese and ducks at the pond across the street. She also loves to work with us outside, moving mulch for her new swingset, raking leaves, and picking flowers for vases.
Well, off to be with my 4 year old girl!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
A converation with Annabelle
Annabelle: Does the sun move? Does the clouds moves? (She has been asking these question lately.)
Me: I think everything moves in its own way.
Annabelle: Does the sky move?
Me: That's an interesting question. (Mostly because I do not know how to answer it.)
Annabelle: The sky is as still as a rabbit. (She says this in a kind of dreaming voice.) Yeah, the sky is as still as a rabbit.
I think she likes this explanation better than anything I could have come up with!
Me: I think everything moves in its own way.
Annabelle: Does the sky move?
Me: That's an interesting question. (Mostly because I do not know how to answer it.)
Annabelle: The sky is as still as a rabbit. (She says this in a kind of dreaming voice.) Yeah, the sky is as still as a rabbit.
I think she likes this explanation better than anything I could have come up with!
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Annabelle in the mornings!
As we lay in bed waking up and Max nursing on and off, Annabelle was busy pretending. Some of the game was just in her head, only she was aware of it. Then she would start talking to us, like we were in her pretending game. "This is my baby," she would say about Max. "I think he needs to nurse me right now." "You sing this song, while I nurse him." Then she wanted me to start singing a song, that I had never heard of before and she would look at me and say, "ok, go ahead," as if I knew the song too. So this is the song she taught me:
"The girl and boy went out to save the power.
They shoot their guns and then layed them down.
They run and run and run to catch their momma.
The girl run and catch her momma
and the boy stayed with the dada."
I sung it while she pretended to nurse Max.
Then quick as lightening she changed the game. She starts pretending to knock on a door. "Ask, 'Who is it?'" I do. She says, "open the door." I pandamimed opening a door. She says, "I am Khristine and this is my baby, Landon." "Actually this is a doll (meaning Max) and Landon is my big kid." "He is nine." "Look Landon gave you a present." She is holding an invisible box. She says, "take off the wrapping paper." I pretend to open a box and pull out a present. I say, "what is it?" "Landon will tell you." She means the imaginary big kid sitting beside her on the bed.
Then it all changed again. "Do you want to see how high I can jump?"
This all happened in a few minutes. Our day continues, with her wanting to get out a leftover burrito by herself for breakfast. This means opening the fridge door, pulling over a chair. Finding the burrito, then pulling the chair back to the table. Now she sits and eats as I type. "My belly is full." "I am going to wrap my burrito up." "Oh, Momma, it is falling a apart." "I need a new luma toil." (Aluminum foil)
I love my 3 year old girl. She is charming and silly, noisy and loud, creative and oh so busy!
"The girl and boy went out to save the power.
They shoot their guns and then layed them down.
They run and run and run to catch their momma.
The girl run and catch her momma
and the boy stayed with the dada."
I sung it while she pretended to nurse Max.
Then quick as lightening she changed the game. She starts pretending to knock on a door. "Ask, 'Who is it?'" I do. She says, "open the door." I pandamimed opening a door. She says, "I am Khristine and this is my baby, Landon." "Actually this is a doll (meaning Max) and Landon is my big kid." "He is nine." "Look Landon gave you a present." She is holding an invisible box. She says, "take off the wrapping paper." I pretend to open a box and pull out a present. I say, "what is it?" "Landon will tell you." She means the imaginary big kid sitting beside her on the bed.
Then it all changed again. "Do you want to see how high I can jump?"
This all happened in a few minutes. Our day continues, with her wanting to get out a leftover burrito by herself for breakfast. This means opening the fridge door, pulling over a chair. Finding the burrito, then pulling the chair back to the table. Now she sits and eats as I type. "My belly is full." "I am going to wrap my burrito up." "Oh, Momma, it is falling a apart." "I need a new luma toil." (Aluminum foil)
I love my 3 year old girl. She is charming and silly, noisy and loud, creative and oh so busy!
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Thursday, February 7, 2008
February for us
Picnics with treats
Books to read
Bare knees
Books to read
Bare knees
Boxes for playing
Leaves for jumping
Grass for running
Sun on our skin
Wind in our eyes
Winter for us
    |
My boy is five months.
I can’t believe how fast the time has gone. You are five months and you are amazing. You are sleeping all on your own right now, without me! You seem to be able to sleep lots of places and lots of ways, in the car, in bed, in my arms, in the sling or wrap, at friends’ houses, the store.
You are a calm guy, quiet, but happy. You lie on the floor and watch us, especially your sister. Sometimes you get so frustrated when you can hear her, but can’t see her, you try to move to her voice, wiggling and squirming. You love to lie beside her, but sometimes her hugs are too much, she loves you so much. You prefer to hold hands with Annabelle. She lies on the floor with you and you hold hands and she sings and talks to you for a long time and you are content.
You make lots of beautiful noises too. This morning, I woke up to your sweet sounds.
You laugh a lot, at all of us. We try hard to make you laugh; you think my hair is funny when I shake it around. You think your dad is funny when he makes funny noises and faces at you. You especially love to laugh at your sister. All she has to do is look at you and you squeal with delight, though your favorite is when she jumps up and down.
You also love being scared. I will play our version of peek-a-boo where I hide behind a blanket or my hands or my hair and then I jump out and say, “Boo!” Each time you jump and then laugh and laugh, who knew a baby would love that “BOO!” feeling?
You are so ticklish, under your chin, under your arms, your feet and your belly. I sing and tickle you and you laugh and laugh. You love it when we all dance and you get to dance too. All these things make you laugh and squeal.
When you are tired or want to nurse, you want me to hold you. We nurse in the rocking chair or we lie down in bed together. You get so excited about nursing, laughing right before you latch on. You love to play with my hand as you are starting to nurse. You are so gentle and your touch so light, as your fingers curl around my hand. Then you will quickly close your eyes and relax you body and fall asleep. Then I get to just watch you as you sleep and nurse and I relax too.
I try to put you on your belly every day, and you are strong and can roll over and lift way up and almost belly crawl, but mostly you don’t like it, you want to be held or you want to be in a position you can see everyone. You kick and squirm a lot. You can move lots if you want to. Sometimes you want to lay by yourself and play and you grunt and scream and talk and blow bubbles and raspberries and you are completely happy and you can turn almost all the way around like a clock. Sometimes when you are sitting in our laps, you push so that you are standing up or push so that you can almost touch the floor with your nose. You can now roll from front to back and back to front. Though you can do both, you don’t just roll the whole way around. When you roll from back to tummy, you get so frustrated to be facedown, you forget how to roll back.
I am so in love with you. What will you do in the next month, when you are the grand old age of a half a year!
I can’t believe how fast the time has gone. You are five months and you are amazing. You are sleeping all on your own right now, without me! You seem to be able to sleep lots of places and lots of ways, in the car, in bed, in my arms, in the sling or wrap, at friends’ houses, the store.
You are a calm guy, quiet, but happy. You lie on the floor and watch us, especially your sister. Sometimes you get so frustrated when you can hear her, but can’t see her, you try to move to her voice, wiggling and squirming. You love to lie beside her, but sometimes her hugs are too much, she loves you so much. You prefer to hold hands with Annabelle. She lies on the floor with you and you hold hands and she sings and talks to you for a long time and you are content.
You make lots of beautiful noises too. This morning, I woke up to your sweet sounds.
You laugh a lot, at all of us. We try hard to make you laugh; you think my hair is funny when I shake it around. You think your dad is funny when he makes funny noises and faces at you. You especially love to laugh at your sister. All she has to do is look at you and you squeal with delight, though your favorite is when she jumps up and down.
You also love being scared. I will play our version of peek-a-boo where I hide behind a blanket or my hands or my hair and then I jump out and say, “Boo!” Each time you jump and then laugh and laugh, who knew a baby would love that “BOO!” feeling?
You are so ticklish, under your chin, under your arms, your feet and your belly. I sing and tickle you and you laugh and laugh. You love it when we all dance and you get to dance too. All these things make you laugh and squeal.
When you are tired or want to nurse, you want me to hold you. We nurse in the rocking chair or we lie down in bed together. You get so excited about nursing, laughing right before you latch on. You love to play with my hand as you are starting to nurse. You are so gentle and your touch so light, as your fingers curl around my hand. Then you will quickly close your eyes and relax you body and fall asleep. Then I get to just watch you as you sleep and nurse and I relax too.
I try to put you on your belly every day, and you are strong and can roll over and lift way up and almost belly crawl, but mostly you don’t like it, you want to be held or you want to be in a position you can see everyone. You kick and squirm a lot. You can move lots if you want to. Sometimes you want to lay by yourself and play and you grunt and scream and talk and blow bubbles and raspberries and you are completely happy and you can turn almost all the way around like a clock. Sometimes when you are sitting in our laps, you push so that you are standing up or push so that you can almost touch the floor with your nose. You can now roll from front to back and back to front. Though you can do both, you don’t just roll the whole way around. When you roll from back to tummy, you get so frustrated to be facedown, you forget how to roll back.
I am so in love with you. What will you do in the next month, when you are the grand old age of a half a year!
Sunday, February 3, 2008
a few things from annabelle
We have all been sick this week, except Max, so I haven't taken too many photographs or worked on writing anything, but did want to share this:
Annabelle says to me in bed the other night as she is falling asleep: Momma, know how I love you?
Me: How?
Annabelle: All day long!
And this morning right when she woke up she said: Is Khristine, Phil, and Landon coming over?
Her Dad: No, they live in Colorado.
Annabelle: Well, can we go see them?
Annabelle says to me in bed the other night as she is falling asleep: Momma, know how I love you?
Me: How?
Annabelle: All day long!
And this morning right when she woke up she said: Is Khristine, Phil, and Landon coming over?
Her Dad: No, they live in Colorado.
Annabelle: Well, can we go see them?
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Interview with Annabelle
Annabelle, tell me what you are learning at ballet class.
Spins, hops on one foot. Jump. Spinning our finger an wiping our nose and head.
What is your favorite books right now?
Alfie and the three little pigs. (Annabelle loves anything by Shirley Hughes right now, especially stories about Alfie and Annie Rose. She says her favorite Three Little Pigs is the version by Paul Galdone.)
What is your favorite thing to play right now?
Ballet and tap.
What is your favorite song?
"Rudolf the red nose reindeer."
What is your favorite thing to wear right now?
Ballet and my ballet shoes.
What is your favorite thing to eat?
Soup, strawberry soup.
What is Max's favorite thing to eat?
Breastmilk.
What is Max's favorite thing to play?
Jumping jacks. (Annabelle jumps up and down in front of Max, which makes him laugh and laugh.)
Trains by Annabelle
This week Annabelle has been using unique items to create trains. Here are two I happen to catch with the camera. I especially like the one with the high heeled shoe or as Annabelle calls them, "Clippy-clop shoes."
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