Monday, January 31, 2011

Dolly's Birthday and Rock People

Victoria really wanted to have a birthday party for her Dolly Victoria (yes, she calls her doll Victoria too :) The day before, she wrote out invitations and passed them out to me, her sister, and about 3 different dolls. The next day Marlee came over and helped us celebrate by having parade in Dolly Victoria's honor. It was hysterical watching Victoria pull the float/wagon while Bella and Marlee waved and cheered.
Later that night, I put four candles on some Little Debbie chocolate Valentine hearts and we sang her Happy Birthday. I'm actually really excited that Victoria is taking so much of an interest in playing dolls, she usually prefers to draw or something else. Note: in this bottom picture, Victoria made a Birthday banner and hung it on the wall.


Who would have guessed that rocks would keep our kids busy for so long?


Yesterday, the girls made rock people and accessories for two hours- their idea completely. Victoria started by pleaded with me to get the ribbon and cloth that I had used for our snowman painting a while back, but I couldn't find it. I found stickers instead, and she came up with the rest. Then Bella wanted in on it. And as the family of rocks expanded, I determined they needed more of a home then our windowsill, so I gave them an old shoe box. They made carpeting and curtains out of Kleenex, and decorated it.


Yesterday was such a beautiful day, and I could finally enjoy it some by going outside. (I had a cold the last couple of days before that.) We let the girls ride bikes outside and did some yard work. We cleared 3 large fluffy, wheat-like bushes that where in our front yard and took them down to their nubs- hopefully they won't grow as big this year. We also racked leaves and tidied up. I think it turned out pretty good.


This weekend was also Caleb's birthday, unfortuately I could not go. It was a Lego themed party with a pinata. I heard the kids had a blast. Renae emailed me some pictures.

Happy 7th Birthday Caleb!!!

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

So what has Cindy been up too?

Sometimes I forget to let people know what happens in my life, my adult life. I love talking about my kids, but I'm a person too. So here's what's happening... last Sunday, I painted the downstairs bathroom a brilliant red color with Jer. We took turns reading from a book of The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan and painting. Jer loves the book; I like the book. It took a couple of hours, and I have to say, it turned out great. (By the way, you thought I was joking when I said Victoria and Bella used the bathroom as their private office in playing school, well, here's proof.)
As of the 1st of January, I made the resolution to be healthier. I'm planning most of my meals in advance (so I don't eat junk last minute) and exercise at least 3-5 times a week. After doing much research on line, I bought an elliptical. I've been using it too! After supper we try to work out as a family. We put the girls' bikes up on blocks and they exercise too. Jer has his own stationary bike. Jer has the dream of "riding across Europe". He started in Ireland and is going slowly kilometer by kilometer. I guess I'm "walking across Europe" (whatever, as long as I get my half an hour in.) By the way, I'm also reading The Girl Who Kicked the Hornest Nest- love it!

Get A Kleenex!

We've had an amazing day! After school the kids played with our neighbor Campbell and made birthday cards for her mom. Then we went to the playground to play with our dear friends Nico and Marlee. We came home and ate some supper. (Jer's working late.) I was checking my emails and letting the kids play school in their "office" (aka- the bathroom.) They presented me with this present. They worked hard on it together. I cried when they told me what it said.

Remember when our hands where small.

Playdate with Bentley

Bentley came over the other day for a playdate. Victoria was so happy, since we had to cancel the last one due to an illness. They played tea party and danced around in ballerina costumes.
"I'd like four lumps please," says Bentley. Each girl had a job. Victoria poured the tea, Bentley poured the cream, and Bella put in the sugar. Yes, we used real tea- Sleepytime tea, luke-warm, of course.

They used the keyboard to turn on some different music. There was classical, country, a polka, and others. It was so fun watching them dance all their different moves.


Pretty Little Piggy

Bella was super excited last Friday to get a book entitled Pretty Little Piggy from her school's "Treasure Box" (-kids are awarded a little trinket if they are good for the week.) She came home and asked me to read it to her. Then she wanted to read it to me. It's a book with 8 pages and one rhyming sentence per page. She struggled, but she read it. Then this morning, I saw her working at her table with a pencil as I was cleaning house. She was diligently working for a good 30 minutes all by herself. Then she came and gave me what she was working on. My jaw dropped. She had written the entire book on the paper.
In the picture below you can make out the sentence- But Pretty Little Piggy loves to eat all day long. Then she drew a picture of Pretty Little Piggy. Amazing!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

While Jer's Away...

This past week/weekend Jer went skiing with some good friends- his brother Josh, our old neighbors Jay and Dan, Darryl, and Paul. He had a lot of fun on the 5 days he was gone, but he didn't manage to take any pictures of him skiing. They toured the Coors plant and skied the blacks of Breckenridge, Keystone, and Vale. Fun!

The girls and I had fun too, although on a different level (green- ha! ha! skiing humor). On the first day Jer was gone, Victoria was suppose to have a play date with her best friend, instead we went to the doctor after discovering a rash that was probably 5th Disease. She was acting fine (just had a rash and low grade fever.) She really wanted to play, so I let Bella and her go out in the backyard and enjoy the last day of snow. Here they made a "snow soup" as they called it.

On Friday night, Renae, Caleb, Chloe, and Keira came over to spend the night. We had a blast watching tons of movies, eating pizza and Cheetos, trying to see who could throw a Cheetos in the air and catch it in their mouth, and just plain playing nonstop. In the morning we played Lego's and did the girls' hair, make up, and nails, while eating a yummy oatmeal breakfast that Renae made.
We watched the movie Despicable Me with the kids- 2 thumbs up. Renae and I watched some other movies too (minus the kids)- Whip It and Night and Day- highly recommend Whip It if you liked Juno.
Victoria, Bella, and I had a busy weekend. After Renae and the cousins left, we went to a birthday party at McDonald's for a friend of ours Kayleigh who turned two. The kids played on the play ground, had a Happy Meal, and ate a Ronald McDonald cake. (This type of birthday hasn't changed since I was a kid.) Julie and Braelyn came over that night. We played Scrabble and let the kids play. The next day I took the kids to church by myself- that was an experience- between the cries of "I want to go home", "When is this over?", "I have to go to the bathroom, but I think I can hold it", "I have to throw up, but I think I can hold it", and turning around to see a nicely quiet Bella eating her buggers, I almost gave up :) We went to Carol and Dick's house afterward and had brunch and played the day away. The girls love to play dress up there- she has a beautiful wedding dress and the girls took turns putting it on.

On Monday I was checking my emails when Victoria came up to me and handed me this piece of paper folded in half. On the front it says- "Tea Party". The inside says- "Welcome to our tea party. Please, will you come to our tea party, Mom?"
I was thrilled to be invited and cordially accepted. We drank real tea with cream and sugar, ate animal cookies, lit a candle for ambiance, read the book Fancy Nancy Tea Parties, and played some tea party games- Follow the Hostess, Chase, and "I'm Going to Paris, and I'm Packing..."


Later that day, my Mom and Dad called and told me they had just gotten back from visiting my brothers Paul and Jeff and their wives Lauren and July in Albuquerque, N.M.
Here's a picture fromtheir visit. I wish they lived closer. The little dog Jeff is jolding is named Lily.
My parents came over to say hi that night. My Dad had a pillow fight with Victoria and Bella- they used their pillow pets that they got from Christmas.

We celebrated my Dad's birthday by eating some pizza and cake. Victoria and Bella decorated the cake.
Happy Birthday Dad!
Notice Jer's shirt- he got it over in Colorado. There was some kind of festival going on- Uberfest, I believe- celebrating the god of skiing?- Uber? and they gave him the shirt and a neat skiing hat. He also got the girls and I great T-shirts.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Victoria's 1st Sleepover

Victoria had her first sleepover last weekend. She was invited over to her best friend Bentley's house. Her mom emailed me these pics. They are so cute! Victoria can't stop talking about her fun time.


Monday, January 10, 2011

Don't Eat the Yellow Snow

Winter weather finally arrived in Dallas! On Sunday a storm blew in and dumped 3 inches of snow in our back yard. Victoria and Bella were so excited to go outside! After eating some of the snow, Daddy tells the girls that the most important rule of snow is to never eat the yellow snow. I love the look on Bella 's face.


Bella was really interested in the feel of the snow. She had to take her gloves off and draw in it.
Slides go so much faster when they have snow on them.
We built a snow woman named Frenchy. She only lasted a couple of hours before the sun peeked out and she came crashing down.
Afterwards, we made hot cocoa and warmed our feet by the fire.
Round 2. The girls wanted to go out later that day. Campbell and Anderson came over and they had a snowball fight in the backyard, while all the parents watched from the warmth of the living room.
The girls tried to use the Mr. Turtle Sandbox lid as a sled in our backyard, but they didn't get very far.
Later that night, we invited Jay and Julie to come over for some chili. I remember the first snowfall that we had in our first house with our dear old neighbors- we made chili that night too and took turns "skiing" on our driveway with our shoes- fun! The girls had a blast playing in their jammies and eating yummy Truffle cookies that Julie brought over.
What personalities!

Build A Bear

Lake Ray Roberts

Memorial Weekend 2009

Brothers Visit

Christmas '08

PA Vacation Slideshow