on the move

Owen is on the move!  He started crawling a month ago already.... Some friends and I did the "day after Thanksgiving" shop.  I took him out of the carseat when we got home and watched him begin crawling in front of my eyes.  (he might not be a shopper?!!)  He started pulling himself up on things two weeks ago.  When he gets into the standing position, it's not long before he's screaming.  It begins as a happy-look-at-me-scream and builds into a yikes-now-what-do-I-do-scream!  I can't even tell you what all went through my mind as I saw him pull himself up onto the dishwasher the first time.  It feels like yesterday that I was watching Thomas do this!  The aerobics involved in very quickly unloading the dishwasher before the baby crawls over to help should count as exercise shouldn't they?  

sweet traditions

Cutting our own tree, baking cookies, hiding the pickle, eating crab, ear candles, acting out the Christmas story, advent angel visits, and Christmas card prayers...these are a few of our Christmas traditions.  What are some of yours?

young lady

The girls had their music concert tonight.  We went to Wendy's to have a frosty on the way home to celebrate.  After paying, the man enthusiastically said, "Thank you young lady!"  Ella laughed and said, "Young lady?  You have 4 kids!"  Apparently, this many children makes me OLD.  

synonym

Claire pondering the moose we saw while grooming the XC ski trail on the lake... "How old were you when you were on your own, mom?"  19.  "Oh, well that moose must have been 19 and I hope it's mom was 36!"

Ella at the dinner table this week..."Fart is a synonym for toot!"  Correct, but really now?

Thomas began eating a  peanut butter cracker and apparently it didn't taste good so he promptly spit it into my hand.  Claire then commented, "EeeOoo...we'll have to do that when we're moms!" To which Ella chimes in, "I'll make my kid spit in the garbage."  If it were only that easy, girl...

blessed.

The past several weeks have been all about friends at this house...The Spakousky's moved to Washington and the Poorbaughs to Anchorage.  It's been fun to pack in lots of fun with friends, both in anticipation of the big moves as well as good times with those we treasure nearby.  How grateful we are for the friends God has blessed us with!  

performer

Here is our little turkey in her recent class play, "A Boastful Roastful."  She did a super job!
Claire was also one of two chosen in her class to perform at an evening of Elocution at school.  If you're not sure what this is, it's simply the memorization and recitation of poetry.  She did a fantastic job with this as well!    

T is two

Thomas turned two on November 24th...  We celebrated a day early by sleeping in and lingering over fun new presents!  I loved how greed was missing from his celebration.  He opened a gift and was plum happy to play and play and play with it.  This was so painful for his sisters as they wanted him to rip into everything.  (It took him 3 whole days to open all his gifts:) In the evening, we went to our church's annual "Family Fun Fest" and had great fun there.  What a party!  There are tons of inflatables for the kids to play on as well as good eats, carnival games and prizes.  On his actual birthday, we had Young Life, so we enjoyed cupcakes with the crew.  The following day, we went to Rascals, a new jumping place in town, to jump with two of his buddies who also turned two that week...Remi & Noah.  Happy Birthday Thomas, you are a treasure!