oh, children. {#4}

Emma, to her little brother: "oh Bennett, you're not actually human. You're an alien and you come from the planet of cute."
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Annabelle, upon hearing talk of the Superbowl: "so, this bowl, it could save your life, right? What are its powers exactly?" (she was kidding. I think. She's a comedian, this one.)
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Rosalie found a snail outside one day, and brought it to me, wondering where she should put it. I told her to put it on the grass, since snails need green things to live. She did, and I considered the matter over. Only a few minutes later, however, she came back to me, worried and concerned. "mommy, I think the snail is dying!" I quickly reassured her that he would be fine on the grass, but she insisted I come and see. She led me to it and pointed, "see? It's dying!"
I looked. Oh dear. "Um, Rosalie, did you step on it after you put it on the grass?? "
"Yes..."
She wasn't wrong... it was definitely dying. Poor little snail, all smashed to bits.

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Recently, there was an old power plant here in our town that was blown up so they could take it all down. one day we happened to be driving down the road on which it was located, and I made sure to point it out to the girls, since it was kind of a big deal.
As we drove past it, I heard Annabelle say, in a jeering tone, "hey, power plant, you got blown up real good, didn't  you? Yeah. take that." 

.... did my 7-year old seriously just TAUNT an exploded building?

yes. yes she did. 

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We were at the dinner table one night and Rosalie was eating an orange. She looked up at me with a mildly concerned expression and informed me that she had eaten a seed. I quickly responded with "oh, it's ok. it just means you'll grow an orange tree in your tummy, and the branches will come out your mouth and ears." (oh come on, we mamas have to have a little fun teasing sometimes!)
But then I reassured her, "Don't worry honey, nothing bad will happen... seeds need to grow outside of our bodies, where there's dirt and sunshine and water." 

Emma chimed in, "Yeah... but if all you eat is dirt and water and sunshine, then you're in trouble."
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Annabelle, upon overhearing a conversation about digital camera and photographs: "Mommy, what's a mega-pickle?"

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Silly kids of mine. I'm so grateful for how they make me laugh and smile! Sure, they most definitely drive me crazy sometimes....but I wouldn't trade them and their funny little selves for the world.

once upon an Easter...

.... my kids all looked really cute. And I took a bunch of pictures. And then I never blogged about Easter, so the cute pictures of my cute kids simply sat in my camera, gathering a thick layer of digital dust and virtual cobwebs.

But it's never too late to blog about something, right?
Right.
(does anyone even still read my blog? or have you all given up on me? I mean, it's been since May 20 that I wrote something. I wouldn't blame you if you'd abandoned me. I sort of abandoned you. mutual abandonment. how awful.)

ahem. Here are those pictures, for memory's sake.

once upon an Easter uncle Elijah and Aunt Lindsey also came to visit!
They are some of our very favorite visitors.

I like this girl, too.

once upon an Easter, Bennett and his daddy took some awfully adorable pictures together.

And this? well, this about does me in.

Happy Easter!!
Wait.
I mean, Happy Independence Day!
The pictures from our fourth should be posted by Thanksgiving. Dream big, I always say!

three girls and a boy.

Have you ever noticed that the mere fact of having children invites people to talk to you when you are out and about?

 

It's true. When it's just little ol' me out running errands, no one even notices me. I stand in a checkout line and the chances of someone striking up a conversation with me are slim to none. I can peruse the home decor aisle at Target with nary a backward glance from a stranger. I can sit at Starbucks and practically be invisible, just another person drinking their favorite coffee drink.

But add my four children into the mix, and suddenly, I am glaringly obvious. I get comment after comment, from sweet nostalgic old people to young twenty-somethings who usually look slightly relieved that it's not them shopping with four kids in tow. Other moms with their hands full give me a nod and a smile and speak a word as we maneuver our carts and kids past each other. Solidarity, sista!

 

I don't mind this sort of thing at all. Really, I am the type of  gal who will happily chat with any random person. Usually, I'm the one who tries to strike up a friendly convo with the person behind me in line. I love talking to people, and I like to say things like "oh, I love your boots!" or, "your hair is gorgeous, how do you get it so shiny?" (yes, I'm a wee bit awkward, I'm sure.)

Quite often, I am thankful for the comments I get when out with my children:

"My, you have your hands full!" (The most frequent. I don't mind this one, because, well, I do.)

"Oh, this brings me back... cherish these days, they go by too fast."

"Cute kids. Looks like fun, mama!"

Most people are bright and positive, encouraging and friendly. I like that.

 

But every so often, you get a comment that really makes you stop and think, one that makes you wish afterwards that you had the chance to respond, the right words to say on the spot:

"Three girls and just one boy?! Oh, poor little guy. All those sisters to grow up with."

I've gotten variations of this one several times. And while I may not think to say something to whatever person is making it, this is what I wish I could say.



I have three daughters and a son. Just one son. A single solitary boy, the youngest of them all, and so he will grow up with THREE big sisters.

He gets to grow up with three sisters.
Three sisters who love him more than I can even properly put into words.
Three sisters who take delight in him and think he's the best thing ever... even when he's a little stinker.
Three sisters who show him affection and tell him how great he is every single day.

These girls will be the first women in his life, the ones who will love him first and most fiercely for a long time.
He will grow up with a front-row seat to the ins and outs and ups and downs of being a girl. (I'm hoping and praying that he will learn from this how to treat a lady and be a gentleman, and that someday he will make an even better husband because of it.)
Sure, there will probably be times in his life when he'll wish he had a brother, or at least maybe not all these sisters. (after all, siblings will be siblings.)

But I think God knew what He was doing when He planned our family just the way it is.
And I think it's pretty cool that our boy gets to grow up with three of his very own personal cheerleaders. Three little ladies to root for him and watch out for him and let him know just how special he is.

these pictures were taken a couple months ago when Bennett was first figuring out how to pull himself up to standing. Emma and Annabelle and Rosalie were amazed and thrilled by his latest accomplishment and literally cheered him on as he climbed up and fell down, only to climb up again. Such a sweet moment for this mama to watch.

oh, children. {Rosalie edition}



Normally, these posts feature all three of my girls, since they all say and do funny, silly things. But just this once, I thought I'd do one only about Rosalie. It's not that she's funnier than Emma or Annabelle, it's just that she's three-almost-four. And that, in case you didn't know, is a rather hilarious age. The things this girl says... oh lordy. She not only keeps me on my toes and drives me to distraction, she also keeps me laughing. I love her little voice throughout my day, and would bottle up all the fun things about this age and keep them forever, if I could. So, here is just a small taste of our Rosalie-roo and the funny she brings into our life.

The girls and I are making no-bake chocolate oatmeal cookies, and of course the most important part of making any kind of dessert together is the licking of the bowl and spoon at the end. Rosalie grabs the wooden spoon and licks off as much chocolate as she can. As she hands the spoon to one of her sisters, she rolls her eyes in ecstasy, clasps her hands in front of her, and sighs dramatically. "Oh, clock-ett (how she says "chocolate"), you are the best and I love you. Will you please marry me?"

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I'm helping Emma study for a history test, asking her questions to see how much she knows. Rosalie is nearby, having made herself comfortable in a laundry basket (yes, really), listening in to our conversation. Here's how it went.
Me: So, Emma, who founded the city of Detroit?
Emma: Ummm... you mean, like, which type of people, or someone specific?
Me: You know, was it the English, or the French, or the Indians, or...?
Rosalie: ....or the zombies, or the ghosteses (her plural for "ghosts"), or maybe pumpkins. No, no, not pumpkins. They're not really scary.

I'm not quite sure what she thinks Detroit is..... but her idea of history is quite intriguing, you must admit.

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She comes to me, crying. "What's wrong, baby?" I ask.
Through her tears she tells me, "I hurt!" When I ask her specifically where, she says "I think my heart hurts."
"Oh dear," I say, "that sounds serious! Why does it hurt?"
"Well, I might need to go poop."

I'm guessing she meant her stomach. Let's hope so.

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Rosalie is always coming to me and saying things that start with "when I get bigger..." or "when I grow up...". What follows is always sure to be very specific and usually entertaining. Here's just a few:
"....I'm going to wear high heels, like the black kind, and I will walk and it will make the clicking sound."
"...I will wear perfume and smell really good, like a mommy."
"...I'm going to be a fairy. Maybe a garden fairy like Rosetta. And I will dye my hair red."
"...I will ride a horse. Like, a really big one. It will go fast, and I won't even fall off."
"...I'll wear lip gloss whenever I want to, and I won't even need to ask." (the girl looooves her lip gloss.)
"...I'm going to be a princess. And I will have long hair, and always do it in a braid. Because princesses have long hair. Except... when Rapunzel's turned brown. But mine's not brown."
"...I will write letters and use a lot of stamps."
"...I want to grow flowers. And then I will paint them." (I'm thinking this has more to do with wanting to be a garden fairy than an aspiring artist. ha.)

I wish I could remember more of them... almost every day she has a new "when I get bigger" to add to her list. These aren't even the best ones!

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Rosalie likes to sing. In fact, she sings a lot. All day long, little snippets of songs, sometimes whole renditions with their own unique Rosalie twist. One of my personal favorites happened in the van one day on the way home from somewhere. I listened as she sang a very spot-on version of Jingle Bells (and no, this wasn't around Christmas-time), and then couldn't help but burst out laughing at her grand finish:
"....oh what fun it is to ride, in a one-horse open sleigh, CHICKEN NUGGETS!!!!!"

Every once in a while I throw that on the end of a song, just for fun. Try it sometime.

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One day, after we had finished reading our Bible story: "Um, I want to give God a hug. Can I?"

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Rosalie begged for raisins in her oatmeal one morning, since Emma had some. Then she decided after a few bites that no, she didn't like them after all. After proclaiming that they were simply "in her way", she grabbed a nearby piece of paper and pencil and passionately declared "I am going to write in letters that YOU MUST NOT EAT RAISINS!"

So there you have it. It has been declared and written, Rosalie has spoken. Raisins are an awful, evil thing and have now been forbidden.

(she actually really likes raisins and will happily eat a box of them. But apparently when joined with oatmeal, they become horrid and despised. I don't know.)

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Once when we were sitting on the couch I reached over and pinched her nose, just to mess with her. She pushed my hand away and calmly stated, "Mommy. You are going to make all my snot come out."

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That's it for now, as I've sat here racking my brain, trying to remember some of the other countless times she's cracked us up... I wish I would have been better about writing more of them down!

Because, seriously. This child. She's funny, bossy, argumentative, adorable, hilarious, stubborn, cute-as-can-be, sweet, affectionate, cuddly, naughty, loveable, frustrating, clever, and I can't fathom life without her.

And, I might add, thankgoodness for the moments like these that make me laugh with her, for they make everything else totally worth it. Lord knows I need them. :)

things I wish I had time to do, but totally don't.

yes, I really am writing a blog post about this.
prepare yourself.
it's going to be riveting.

are you ready??

ok. here it is.

I give you my list of Things I Wish I Had Time To Do, But Totally Don't.

1. gardening. Our yard has so many dead or unruly plants in it, so many bare patches that need some green. I want to be in the dirt and plant things and watch them grow again and bring some new life and color into our yard.

2. exercise. Because, really, I don't suppose this post-fourth-baby body of mine will magically tighten up and slim down on its own? will it? I have to exercise?

that's what I thought. sigh.

3. reading. I miss books, and I miss a great story. Besides, I have a feeling that getting a chance to read a book that's not written for a child would be good for my brain!

4. sewing. My closet shelves are stacked with fun and lovely fabrics and I have a good friend who just had her first baby, an adorable little girl. Those little girl fabrics are calling out for me to make a blanky. And my cousin is having a baby boy soon! and I realized the other day that my very own little boy has not one Bennett blanky made just for him. Yes indeed, a date with my sewing machine would be nice.

5. crafts. what are those, again? hot glue? paint? huh? these things are no longer a part of my life, and I want them back.

6. cleaning. I do what I can, when I can. but it never gets done as much as I want it to be done. this, however, probably does not bug me nearly as much as it should.  I do love to have a clean home, though. and I promise we don't live in a pig-sty.

7. talk on the phone. We have lots of family that is far away. and lately it feels like I don't get to talk to them nearly as often as I would like. I'm missing that connection. thank goodness for texting! It's the only way we can share the important parts of our day, such as what we're having for dinner, or what our favorite routine on So You Think You Can Dance was. You know, the really crucial things.

8. nap. I'm tired and sleepy. and I like naps. thankfully, since napping is almost never an option, I also really like coffee.

8. blogging. That way, I wouldn't have to resort to lame posts like this one... I bet that would make you happy too, wouldn't it??

It's true that there is never enough time in one day to accomplish half of the things I need to do, much less the things I just want to do. If I'm caught up on one thing it feels amazing.
Why, just the other day, all the laundry got washed, dried, AND folded. I'm pretty sure I now know what it feels like to successfully climb Mt. Everest!

Truth be told, silly lists aside, I don't mind the busy-ness of life right now. These four little people that inhabit my home and my heart are worth every minute of crazy.

 

 

this picture is just one of many from Bennett's newborn session, taken by the one and only Lorie Chambless.

in case you're wondering, yes, my mommy heart did melt within me when I saw this.

I'm blessed beyond words.

March 15, 2009.

It's a date I think about often, especially lately.

It's the last time I had a baby, and as I near the end of this pregnancy and get ready to give birth to another child all over again, I can't help but think back on that day and remember what it was like, how it all happened, even as I wonder what this time will be like.

I woke up that morning in March over three years ago, a Sunday, and cried in the shower as I began to get ready for church. Why, you may ask? Because I woke up still pregnant, and this was just too much. (pregnancy hormones make a girl crazy, you know.) Even though my "official" due date wasn't for another two days, I was just so done. I was barely getting any sleep at night, my body hurt and I was uncomfortable, and my doctor had told me at an appointment the Monday before that I would most likely be back that night for labor and delivery (I don't think doctors should be allowed to tell very pregnant women things like that.) Not to mention, Annabelle had come down with pink eye earlier that week, and it had felt like the longest week in history for a variety of reasons.

(funny side note: Emma came down with pink eye the day before Annabelle was born. No joke. I keep wondering if Rosalie is going to get pink eye anytime soon, now that the birth of this baby is imminent... it seems to be a standing tradition of ours.)

Anyway, so there I was, ridiculously crying in the shower, and simply praying that I could get through the day, praying that our little girl would make her appearance SOON.

Little did I know!

We went to church as usual that morning, and that's when it happened. I stood up for one of the songs at the beginning of the service... and there was a trickle. I froze. I didn't just pee, did I? No. That was... something else. My water had never broken on its own before, so this was new to me, and I just wasn't quite sure. I excused myself to go to the bathroom. Still not sure. But every time I stood up during that service, there was more trickling. By the end of it, I was fairly certain my water must have broken. And so, we quietly and unobtrusively skipped Sunday school and left to go home, so we could get ready to go to the hospital.

For as much as I wanted to be in labor and have our baby, I think it was hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that I actually was. I wasn't having any serious contractions yet, just that trickling. I didn't feel any different. I made my kids lunch when we got home from church, changed my clothes, got a few extra things together, made some phone calls telling people what was probaably going on, watched TV with Jeremy and my sister, who was visiting from Colorado at the time. It just felt too unreal that I could have a baby in a matter of hours; it was just so different from my previous labor experiences, which came on hard and fast.

Finally, around 2:30, I started having a few contractions and we decided we might as well head off to the hospital. They confirmed that my water had indeed broken, that I was in labor, and we were admitted. I remember being in our room as the afternoon sun filled it with light, waiting for the contractions to get hard and wondering how long it was until we'd meet our little girl, thinking that it was weird to be there at that time of day, instead of in the wee hours of the morning.

After this, things get a little bit more hazy. I know labor picked up and I started to really feel the contractions hurt as they got closer together sometime in the next hour or so. I also remember starting to panic, oddly enough since I'd done this two other time, as they got really hard. Annabelle's birth, which was painful like nothing I'd ever experienced before, was somehow fresh in my mind, and I just didn't want to feel that again.

And so, partly because I was curious what it might be like, partly because I could since this labor was taking longer, but mostly because I was finding it increasingly hard to not panic, I decided to get an epidural, which I hadn't ever done before. And even though I know I actually could have gotten by without it, that it would have been fine, I'm glad I did. I relaxed. Jeremy relaxed. I got to have a good phone conversation with my mom, who was in Colorado and NOT practically on the other side of the door like she had been the last two times, which was so different and rather sad to me.

Sometime around 10 that night, I realized things were moving along and I was starting to feel it. We had wondered if Rosalie would be born on her grandma's (Jeremy's mom) birthday, which was the 16th, at the rate things had been progressing... but it soon became clear that she would claim her own day. And at 10:55 that night, out she came, our Rosalie Hope, perfect and healthy, all 6 pounds and 3 ounces of her.

She was so tiny, and I still remember her babydays, some a little more clearly than others, and what it was like to have a new little life in our home.

This peanut of a child has now grown and changed into a three-year old, a kid, a girl with a personality all her own.

I've discovered, as she's become more independent and vocal, that she is a challenge. Really, believe it or not, this sweet little thing makes life positively difficult sometimes. She's stubborn (oh, SO stubborn), defiant, willful, headstrong, quite often disobedient, can be a little bully when she doesn't get her way with her sisters, and has a temper that results in meltdowns and tantrums at anytime. She fights and argues, sometimes just for argument's sake, and she refuses to give in, always thinking she can win. I'm learning to choose my battles with her carefully-- but also realizing how important it is, once a battle has began, for me to stand firm and not give in, for me to "win". Consistency is exhausting with this child, but so important. I'm constantly humbled as a mother when it comes to her, and I pray for wisdom and strength and grace quite often in our days. I pray for her, too, that all that spark and fire she has will become a beautiful and lovely glowing, shining life throughout the years, by His grace.

Yes, she's a challenge. But on the other hand, she is pure joy. She is funny and hilarious and keeps us laughing with her spunky little attitude and bold ways. She is sweet as sugar, generous and unabashed as only Rosalie can be in her affection, when she so chooses- her big kisses, bear hugs, loud proclamations of love, and spontaneous snuggles are some of the best things ever. She is adorable and darling, with her blond curls and big brown eyes and charming voices that she uses when playing. She is creative and imaginative, drawing and dancing and dressing up every day. She's not afraid to get dirty and grimy, but she loves lip gloss and pretty painted nails like the very girliest of girls. She is a total ham, loud and crazy and loving to make people laugh; and she is thoughtful and smart, always taking in the world around her.


She makes us smile, and our lives would be less lit-up without her, that's for sure. Even on the roughest days, I am so thankful to be mama to her, just as she is-- a true blessing.

I can't help but think how she's been the baby of the family for over three years now, the littlest in our group of girls, the smallest of us all. And soon, perhaps very soon, she won't be the baby anymore. She'll be a big sister, and probably seem older and bigger than ever before with the presence of a tiny newbie. I can't wait to see her with our baby, to experience her being a big sister, to see the ways in which she will continue to mature and change, even though my heart whispers a little of the bittersweet to me as I watch her grow up every day.

But, baby or not, she'll always be a baby of mine. Always and forever my Rosalie-roo.


I meant to use these pictures and write a story about her birth way back in March as a birthday post, when she actually turned three... which of course never happened, thanks to my blogging procrastination tendencies. But, I'm actually glad it worked out that way, because I think writing this post now was the perfect thing for me. As I always say when it comes to blogging, better late than never... and sometimes, even better later rather than sooner! :)

noodles and noodles

She always giggles when I say it.

But first things first.

I sit beside her small bed and she leans her curly blonde head against my shoulder as we say our prayers together. Her voice is precious, and so are her words. "thank you God for bless, and thank you for God, and thank you for..." and here she launches into a list of every single family member she can think of, each one with their own special name pronunciation.

She lays back on her purple hippo pillow pet, her tattered blanky under her cheek, and looks at me with those large brown eyes. "Mommy, can we sing?"

I can't say no.

and so, we sing. First, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Then, Jesus Loves Me. She knows every word.

Now, it's time.

I tuck her quilt around her, and I say "Good night, Rosalie-roo, I love you so."

"I love you so" she replies, and a smile begins to appear, because she knows what is coming next.

"Well, I love you oodles and oodles and oodles!"

Her face lights up and there is the giggle. She tries her very best not to laugh as she says "I love YOU noodles and noodles and noodles!

"Oh, really? Well, I love YOU oodles and oodles and oodles and oodles and oodles and oodlesandoodlesandoodlesandoodlesandoodles!"

"That's a LOT!" She is breathless with giggling. But she says it back one more time, always, trying her best not to laugh too hard. "I love you noodles and noodles and noodles and noodles and noodles and noodles!"

I can't help but laugh with her. I brush her hair from her forehead as I say "oh my! That's a LOT!"

She nods emphatically, her eyes wide and her face still lit up.

"Good night, baby."

Another bedtime, another lovely gift. No matter what the day was like, we have bedtime and prayers and singing and giggles and smooches and cuddles and love.

Noodles and noodles and noodles of love.

and just in case you didn't know, that's a LOT!

oh, children. {#3}

I can't believe it's been since October of last year that I posted about the funny things my girls say! Sadly, I know there have been many moments that made us laugh that didn't get written down for this blog, but here is a collection of some of them.

Annabelle is standing at the fridge, playing with some magnets, and Emma comes up behind her, stands for a minute, and then spanks her behind. Annabelle turns, surprised, and Emma politely says, in a thick French accent, "Merci, for letting me spank you. Eet was lovely."

It made the whole thing so classy, that I don't even think Annabelle minded.
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One morning I applied a thick green face mask before I took my shower. Rosalie came into the bathroom, took one look at me and exclaimed, "Mommy, you look like dina-soar!" teehee. Rawr.
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Emma and Annabelle are eating lunch, being their usual silly selves, and I'm listening from the sink, because it's always entertaining, and this is what I hear:
Emma: Guess what, I'm inside an apple right now.
Annabelle: Really?
E: yes, and guess what else. THERE ARE WORMS IN HERE.
A: That's disgusting. You should leave.
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I'm sitting at the table after breakfast, when Rosalie comes running up.
"Mommy, mommy, can I have some ooh-ooh-x-y-z?"
I stare blankly at her, trying to figure out what in the world this might mean.
She points to the mug in my hand. "can I have some? ooh-ooh-x-y-z?"
Then it clicks. "Oh! You want some of my tea? Is that what you mean? Tea?"
She nods. "Yes. T."

I love how in her little brain, it obviously made complete sense. X, Y, and Z are letters. So is T. How could I not understand? Duh, mom. :) (not sure why the ooh-ooh is there, but I'm sure she had a good reason for that too!)
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We had just gotten home from church one Sunday and were walking through the garage to go inside, when Annabelle says, out of the blue:

"so, what's going on with this short ladder?"

There WAS a stepladder she had just walked past. But it was so random, so casual, so completely unexpected and irrelevant, and so FUNNY how she said it that we all burst out laughing. Maybe you had to be there. But trust me. This kid is funny without trying.
Now, "the short ladder" is kind of a running joke around our house!
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One Sunday after church I was asking the girls what they learned about in Sunday school, what they did, were they good girls, etc. Rosalie, who recently joined the youngest class, had to pipe in her share too, of course. "Um, we learned 'bout a baby." Pauses. "Then, we all gave God a hug!"

Naturally. Why, what do you do in Sunday school?
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While shopping, in a store that was quite hot and stuffy, Emma says to me, as she fans her hand in front of her face vigorously: "I am so hot right now that I would happily and in a heartbeat visit the place where the penguins live!"
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When my brother, Uncle Elijah, comes to visit, there are always lots of funny jokes flying around (well, maybe only funny to us... but still.), and the kids especially always have a hilarious time. One afternoon when he had come up for the weekend, and we were trying to convince Rosalie to take a nap, he happened to us the word "nappy-poo." As in, "don't you want to go take a little nappy-poo now?" Coming from him, the older girls thought this was quite amusing.
So, that night at dinner, when going to bed was mentioned, Annabelle looked at her uncle and asked, "Yeah, don't you want to take a little bedtime-poo?"
Just say it out loud. Doesn't have quite the same ring as "nappy-poo", does it??

We laughed a lot. I know, our maturity is astounding.
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Me: "Rosalie, do you want to go somewhere with Mommy tonight while Emma and Annabelle are at AWANA?"
Her, with an excited smile on her face: "Yeah!!!"
She thinks for a moment, her face more serious, and then she lights up again. "Oh!!! Are we going to DISNEYLAND??"

I couldn't help but feel that telling her our destination was, in fact, Target and Yogurtland would be a slight let-down...
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Emma and Annabelle were in the bathroom brushing teeth and combing hair, when I overheard this conversation:
E: Hey, have you ever been to Fairyland and seen all the cupcakes?
A: No, I haven't. But I did go there and I did see Tinkerbell.
E: Well, I went there and saw the cupcakes (there are soooo many of them). But guess what else I saw.
A (eyes wide): What???
E: I saw a BALD Tinkerbell. She had no hair!
A: Oh my goodness. I can't believe that. Are you sure it wasn't just pink or something??
E: Nope. She was definitely bald. I felt bad for her.

I.... have no idea what to say about this. heh.
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These crazy, silly, wild, imaginative, weird, funny kids of mine. What goofy girls I have.

Life with kids.
It's never short on laughter, thank goodness!

magical dentists and big brown eyes.

it is day four, and today we went to the dentist!

a repaired filling for me, a filling for Emma, and a cleaning for Emma and Annabelle. They were champs. But the best part of all? Our dentist does magic! The girls are always blown away by his tricks and talk about for days afterwards. I'm all for it... anything that makes the dentist seem fun is a good thing! :)

It's actually pretty warm today again... but since the dentist's office always runs a little bit cold, I took advantage of that fact and wore a cardigan. wheee! I do love cardigans.

stripey cardigan: target
black tank top: target clearance
cut-offs: seven for all mankind, found at Plato's Closet for super cheap.
floral sandals: target clearance (there's a lot of target up in here today)
flower earrings (you can't see them very well here but they're quite cute): f21
pearl bracelets: gift

Rosalie was hanging around while I was taking these pictures and wanted some pictures of her own, so I happily complied. This girl has quite a mind of her own already when it comes to what she wears, and she picked out today's outfit, from the skirt to the headband. She looks rather adorable, don't you think?






































those brown eyes, they get me everytime.

and here's the link list for today. hasn't this been fun so far??

snapshots o' summer

A Civil Wars concert in LA with some of our best friends. Words cannot even describe how amazing.


Father's Day with the best daddy ever.

swimming lessons for two little wanna-be mermaids.

the cutest band of VBS-goers you ever did see. (Rosalie, Annabelle, Emma, cousin Faith, our sweet neighbor girl Hayley, and cousin Jason)

Lots of fun and laughs with Auntie Lydia (we love having her here everyday!)

Piggie-tails on a two-year old blondie. I die.

Playtime outside (when it's not too hot) and pockets full of posies. Gorgeous blue eyes and sun-kissed cheeks.

A shaven and shorn but oh-so-sweet puppy dog, who likes to snooze in our cool house and wait around for the lovin' we will inevitably give her.

Tomato plants growing large, corn growing tall. And we await the bounty.

a day trip to Cambria, alone, for the two of us. happiness and wonder. love.

summer-y and much-shorter haircuts for these sisters. chop, chop!

also: rompers and dresses and great big smiles. all-around cuteness.

trips to the library (it gets us out of the house! it's cool! it's FREE!) which always results in three little readers all in a row, and me smiling at the very sight.


this summer is flying by in quite a blur. But it's a happy, sunshiney, memorable, colorul, mellifluous, lovely sort of a blur. 

And we'll be soaking up every last little bit of it that is left.