trust.

This is my mantra for the week. Well, for my life. Wouldn't life be grand if there was no holding back, only moving forward in a state of constant wonder and openness...with only the drive to keep moving forward? Life is meant to be breathed in and out, and not held in. Oh the wind in my hair from it all.

Toddler School

If you got to go to toddler school, I bet you would be so excited!

What would you wear?




I am sure you would wear your brand new swim suit over your pink pajamas with your green summer speedo shoes. I would, woudn't you?

Where would you study? Outside of course...in the sunshine with lots of snuggly blankets. This way, you are sure to hear the birds and the airplanes. Can't miss that!

What would you study in Toddler School? Mother Goose of course. There are very important events that happened...and you have to catch all the details!

I am sure you would always be polite and never forget to raise your hand when you have something you want to share.

What would be your reaction to everything you learned? I am sure that you would be thrilled and taken back by how many wonderful things can happen to a pumpkin and a spider and a big egg man.

But What ever you do in Toddler School, I am sure it would be so much fun!!

(all pictures and text courtesy of Adriana Wright, who came up with all these great ideas herself!)

I want sunshine!

I wanted to have some time to paint, so when Ian went down, Addie and Kenneth had the whole place to themselves. But where did Addie want to go? Outside, of course. Well, it was cold (er) out, and so Kenneth came up with a brilliant idea to put our picnic blanket outside with some pillows, and get some sunshine. Addie was in HEAVEN!!! they were out there for about an hour, as Addie just rolled around in the blankets, just FEELING the sun. "I want more sunshine!" she'd say when they finally came back in. Kenneth sure loved it...what a fun babysitting job!

my favorite mother's blog

So, my friend Kelli, and her two friends Lindsey and Missy have started this GREAT mother's blog that to be honest, I have become addicted to! They are three mothers with one child each (all age one) and are different, but so much in common....like all of us moms. They have AMAZING finds, fun articles, they are great writers and seem to have so much to say about this role called motherhood. The blog is starting to grow, and on Monday, they are having their first giveaway. Visit Kelli's site for more info on the monday morning giveaway, or just visit here for "Tangled and True: Life in the Nest". If anything, mark 'Tangled and True' in your bookmarks...it's a great read! You'll get hooked:)

my latest...

Ok, so here is my latest. This is about 9" x 12" I think. It is so interesting to see the difference from the origional to the scanned image...the colors are close, but not exact. close enough though. THis is a rough draft, but I think I would like to do a final peice. I like the idea, the composition, etc. But any opinions? ideas? I think that the final will have rushing water out of the faucet to give it more action and life. whadya think?

PS: We tell Addie to Tickle her Teeth...she responds to it so much better. Tickling is FUN, where Brushing isn't I guess:)

Ahhh...the life.

This morning, Kenneth had a 1/2 hour phone interview with a teacher placement Company in the UK. It went really well, and who knows what will become of it. But it got us thinking about what it would be like to live there. And then, it got me to thinking of the trip Kenneth and I took when I was 2 months preg with Addie. We backpacked through Europe for a month, and had the time of our lives. I have hundreds of pics, but these are some that I have been meaning to frame and put up in the house, but haven't yet. Kenneth and I LOVE to travel. We love exploring different cultures, traditions, people, food, art, etc. The time we had exploring together before we had children was priceless. If we were ever to go back with our children, it would be a dream!

cupcakes.

Random, but I just got in a cupcake mood. Not to eat them, just to look. Really...I am so not in the mood to binge on these goodies (wierd) but I just think they are so pretty! I am trying to think of an excuse to make these for someone. We'll see if I do. In the mean time, they just look so nice.

Ok, now I am hungry:)

walk like a man.

Ian is a new man. These pictures were the VERY first steps he ever took, about a month ago at the park. But since then, he just wasn't very interested...I guess I could have bought Doritos for him, but I wasn't up for that. However....dun dun dun dun.... on April 7th, just last Saturday, Ian officially is a walker!!! He literally made the decision to walk, and hasn't stopped since.

Kenneth and I were helping him practice by holding up a box of wheat thins, and he would walk a few steps towards it. Kenneth and I took turns holding the box, and he would walk back and forth between us, until we moved apart so that he was walking the entire distance of the room...about 14 steps! There was so much laughter and tickles and hugs (and yummy crackers) that he didn't want to stop! He loved all the attention, and soon, the crackers were gone, but he wanted to keep it up! He LOVES to walk now, and feels SO confident when he does! He walks down the hallway with this HUGE smile on his face. It is the best feeling to see your child feel a sense of accomplishment.

In the mean time, Addie was on the side lines going 'one...two...three...jump!' She would walk a few paces and then fall down, expecting to get a big applause...which she did. It was so cute.

Ian is just a new man. He has a cute boy haircut, he is walking, and he said Mamma for the first time. That is his first word! We think he also says "Hi" and "Amen". So cute! He is really babbling all the time now...especially when he has a full tummy I have noticed:) This is when personality really starts coming out...and I love it! I love you Ian!!!!

Our Easter Weekend

We had a great easter weekend. On saturday, we went to the nursery to pick up some flowers for our patio. While we were planting, we decided to take a little break and open easter baskets (addie was going to get a little watering can, so we wanted to give her a chance to learn and practice).

Addie and Ian both got little wind up chickies that they LOVE, a board book and little watering cans for our spring "garden".



Addie and Ian have played with their little chickies for two days now, and still won't part with them!



After the excitement, they wanted to read their books with Dad.

Before church on Sunday, we attempted to take a picture of them in their Easter best. I was trying to get it to be as good as this:

But instead...this is what we got:

And they were just as excited the rest of the day. They both woke up a little too early for their liking...and mine.

We had a family Easter dinner, and my cousin Katherine cut the kids hair! The first real haircute for Addie and Ian! They both sat still, and did really well. Ian needed it BAD! We just evened out the bottom for Addie. We are going to try and grow her bangs out.

Well, we had a great weekend, and now it's monday...back to the grindstone. Hope you all had a good weekend!

thought of the day...

Try as hard as we may for perfection, the net result of our labors is an amazing variety of imperfectness. We are surprised at our own versatility in being able to fail in so many different ways. - Samuel McChord Crothers

This is so comforting to me! My imperfections are just the stepping stones of getting to where I need to be. Every time I fail, it serves as the platform for trying again...and again...and again. Thank goodness no one is keeping score.

Easter weekend

Well, this is probably my first holiday with the kids where I can really feel like they can appreciate the traditions we can start. Christmas was not at our house, so maybe that doesn't count. But Easter, Addie is already loving the decorations around the house, the easter eggs and the hunt that we just went on this morning, and has yet to find out that she will get an easter egg basket. It's so much fun now that she can really comprehend these things! Ian loves it too...but so far he is just in it for the food:)


This morning, we had bunny pancakes, and then went upstairs to have a little easter party with our neighbors. Upstairs and next door, there are kids ages 1-5, so it's perfect for Addie and Ian. We dyed easter eggs, and then had an easter egg hunt outside the condos and finished with yummy cupcakes and shooting toy rockets at the part by the condos.



Addie and Ian were blown away by how much sugar I let them have:) they each had a cupcake, and then who knows how many jelly beans. Addie was a little more energetic than usual for her before nap reading time. But oh, they were so cute, and had so much fun! I think that this is the age where we are going to really start having a lot of fun!!!

Addie...I love you!

Yesterday, Addie turned 27 months, and I am 27. It is the only month where we will be the same age in numbers!

I put the kids in the car yesterday, and had to run up to the apt. to grab one more thing. When I came back, addie exclaimed: "good job walking mommy! How was your day?"

Yesterday at the park, I asked her if she wanted to go inside to get some juice. addie's reply: "oh no! I like the swings though. NO problem mommy" She is trying so hard to put all these phrases together that she hears all the time!
THe other day, she walked into the room where Kenneth and I and Ian were. She put her hands on her hips and exclaimed: "what is going on here!"

She has quite a few books of her COMPLETELY memorized. If you give her the first word of the phrase on the page, she will say it...even if the first word is "The". She is something else.