A lot of personality!

So on the girls' first day of school(they are both, separately, doing little home preschool groups - most commonly referred to as a Joy School, although Jell's group is using the Mother Goose Time curriculum, and Meri's is following one of the mom's books from when she was a preschool teacher. Jell's group is the same five cute girls as last year and they really have the system down. Meri's is brand new, much younger, and with three boys and two girls. I'll let you know how it goes. I'm expecting a whole new ballgame.), I, of course, take out the camera and say, "Smile for the camera." Gotta record this moment, right? This is the result:




They crack me up.

Loving Vacation!

You know how some vacations are stressful, tiring, or feel like they're just not worth all the work? You know, the type where you need a vacation from your vacation? This vacation was SO not one of those! We just had the perfect time - I felt so rejuvenated that I wasn't even discouraged or overwhelmed to come home to a massive to-do list that meant a whole lot of work. We had such a great time!!! Here's a couple of pics. I didn't actually take all that many, I decided to just let the girls enjoy instead of harassing them all the time like usual :). And I was lazy. And plus I was busy enjoying the biking, rafting, viewing, playing, painting, bowling, swimming, mini-golfing, bouncing-place-obstacle-course racing, good eating, and sleeping!

I spy ...

My girls are obsessed with playing "I spy." When they guess what I spy, I am expected to say, "You got it, man!" every single time. And they do the same for me. Jell says it in a matter-of-fact, but supportive tone, Meri somehow sounds Jamaican.

Meri also cracks us up whenever she does something accidentally. Instead of saying, "oops" she always says, "Whoopie."

To any of my local friends

If any of you would like some of these peppers, or the bigger stuffing kind, or sun-gold tomatoes, or dozens of other tomatoes of all shapes and sizes, or cucumbers, or lemon cucumbers, or gold raspberries - our garden overfloweth. Honestly, we can't make it through it all. Not even close. In fact, I don't even have a clue what to do with the chilies pictured - they're called ring-of-fire peppers. They're spicy - go figure. Anyway, if you're around and would like some you are welcome to them. I really hope someone takes me up on this, because I hate to see any go to waste!

Too cute to sleep

The other day when I wasn't feeling well, Coop put Jell to sleep and then went in search for Meri who was doing her best to blend in and be forgotten:

Hum de dum, just reading the Ensign here, nobody pay any attention to me:

Ah, come on dad - could you really say no to a face like this?

The next night, this is how we found her sleeping - how could anyone sleep like this and ever walk again?

Is it possible that she was posing for the picture, even in her sleep?

Never Ceases to Amaze...

Check out this e-mail Alisha got yesterday:

"Congratulations! Your painting was one of the 80 entries selected for the Watercolor Society of Oregon’s 44th Annual Transparent Show. Our juror was pleased to have the opportunity to select this show from the 211 artists who submitted 360 total images."

Yeah, you read that right. My wife, one of 211 artists, created a painting that was among 80 selected out of 360! So now she's in the top 80. The next step, as we get closer to the convention date, is explained here: "Twenty paintings that the juror deems to be outstanding are selected to receive cash and merchandise awards. The award winning paintings are exhibited in a six-month traveling show."

This year the convention will be held October 4-9, in McMinnville at the Evergreen Space Museum’s IMAX Theater. More information, if you want it, can be found here: http://www.watercolorsocietyoforegon.com/fall09_conv.html. Unfortunately, because it's conference weekend she won't be able to participate in as many of the events as she would like.

What an honor, though. I'm so proud of her. The funny thing is, there are a lot of paintings she's done that she and I both like better than the one that was chosen. But as she was painting this particular one she knew that it may be good enough to win something, whether it was her favorite or not. She's been saving the painting for this show, putting "Not For Sale" on it whenever it is displayed, knowing it could get in.

When she got the e-mail, I was trying to make the girls join me in a "YEA MOMMY" cheer, but they refused until I explained to them what she did. They couldn't just trust me that she deserved it. They absolutely refused to cheer until they knew. And when they did, it didn't really sound exciting enough to them for a cheer--but they did applaud a little. Weenies.

Without further ado, here is Italian Fruit Market:


So proud of you, babe.

Happy Birthday Jenelle!

Okay, so I'm a bit behind - it was August Seventeenf, but it was too important to miss just because I'm a little late. Plus, it can't be too late, I mean the happy birthday sign with pink fringe is still up at our house. And anyway, a girl only turns 4 once, and she has been looking forward to this event and talking about it and planning for it for about a year now, so here it is - teddy-bear picnic party and all:

Teddy Bear Ring-around-the-rosie

The picnic - at a table, which is lame, I know, but so much easier to eat at and keep food on the plates with - and of course, the guests (I was a little overly ambitious and so we had 11 4 year-olds, including my girls)

Teddy Bear toss prep

The toss!

Fun, fun, fun! And we survived the day, which is always good. She LOVED her birthday, and has already informed me that next year, she will be turning 5. I really don't feel old enough to have a five year-old, so here's hoping this year slows down a bit so we can just enjoy 4!

Oh, and here's a shot of the lame princess castle cake I threw together for the family party the night before. For the party, the kids decorated their own cupcakes. Less work for me, and they LOVED it. True, they used a few more sprinkles than I would've ever, ever, ever, ever have used, but their greedy-little-twinkling-eyes told me not to care!

Kite-flying adventures

Okay, I've been a MAJOR slacker - and what's worse is that we've been having a lot of fun with tons of pictures. But between recovering from vacation, laziness, canning peaches and my poor husband hogging the computer to do some final projects for his summer term, I just haven't got around to posting. My house is in even worse shape. But that aside, here's some fun pictures from our beach trip:

MERI
Trying to figure out how the kite works (her pants got all wet, so she ran around in cutie patootie panties):

More or less, she started to get the hang of it, Meri-style:

Hey mom, you watching this?

A casual stroll on the beach ... with my pet kite:

When the kite wasn't cooperating, this is how she dealt with her frustration:

Laughing at her silliness and pretending to be shy for the camera:

JELLY
Things didn't start well:

For a few happy moments, it was going much better:

Check out this tantrum when the kite failed her:

And this sad face:

And this tantrum which only succeeded in getting her all dirty:

(This was at the end of a week-long beach trip, where apparently we'd had too much fun to handle it any longer - it was tremendously funny from a distance, where I could pretend she wasn't my child. Just kidding, I'd never do that.)

They have a rather unusual sense of style

The girls really like to dress themselves. Unfortunately, they often come out of their rooms looking something like this. I don't think we'll be leaving the house today.

We're in trouble

Last night Coop told Jell she was not to climb over the back of the recliner anymore (which Meri had apparently "just learned" her how to do). She sadly okayed. Then she perked up and said, "well, someday when you go on a date, and we have a babysitter, then I will go in the room and shut the door and THEN I can climb over the chair." What?! She's making extensive plans as to how to be disobedient behind our backs?? This is so not good.

I think you meant "Snap, Crackle, Pop"

This morning after Coop poured Jell's Rice Krispies in her bowl, but before he had a chance to pour her milk, she leaned her ear down close to her bowl, sat up with a grumpy look on her face, and said, "Hey! How come they're not "crap, snipple, snappin'?"

Ouch!

(Our conversation in the car on the way to church)
Mommy - Jell, you look wonderful.
Jell - Does that mean ... pretty?
Mommy - Yes, you look very pretty.
Jell - Thanks. But your hair looks kinda crazy. Nobody wants to see that.

Watch out for the local Lochness ...

His whiteness is a bit shocking.
Also try and keep the leeches from latching on - they don't let go without a fight (you really should click on it and see her face up close - hilarious).

What'd I tell you? They'll grasp on to anyone. There's no stopping them.

The girls' top playlists (we've heard these all a few million times)

Jell's weekday favorites:
1. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da by the Beatles
2. Here Comes the Sun by the Beatles
3. Sail Away by Enya
4. La Bamba from the August Rush soundtrack (Great movie by the way, with great music)
5. I Pray, I Borrow (actually titled Break) in August Rush
6. Loathing (her favorite part is when she says "blonde") from Wicked (although really, anything from Wicked will do)
7. What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong
8. A Whole New World from Aladdin (or of course, any princess song)
9. Hoje a Noite Nao Tem Luar by Legiao Urbana (I don't have any idea either, it's some Portugese song Coop sings her at night)

Jell's favorites for Sundays, naptimes, and nigh-nighs:
1. A Child's Prayer
2. I Feel My Savior's Love
3. Give Said the Little Stream
4. Called to Serve
5. Love One Another (Portugese preferrably, English is kind of acceptable if you can't do better)
6. I Am A Child of God
7. Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam
8. I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus
9. I Lived in Heaven

Meri's favorites, she's not as particular:
1. Twinkle Twinkle
2. Skin-a-marink-a-dink-a-dink
3. I Am A Child of God
4. Popcorn Popping
5. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Dah by the Beatles
6. Anything Princess
7. Anything from Wicked
8. I Am Like A Star
9. ABCs
10. Hush Little Baby

Lots and lots and lots of fun pictures!

We had SO much fun with my cousins and their kids in town (6 little girls to run around squealing to their hearts' content)!! There's a million and a half pics so I really only expect family to make it through them all - but I included so many pictures for those who didn't bring their cameras those days. I didn't bring mine the day we went crabbing so I hope to get those pictures from anyone who did! Come again soon!

So happy ...

that we're walking on air.
(by the way, Jell IS laughing her head off in the first picture, not screaming)

"Wicked" influences

After listening to the Wicked soundtrack, which Cooper so kindly gave to me for my birthday after I got Jell to suggest it to him :), I had this conversation with Jell:
J (sighing): Mom, I want to be popular.
M (trying hard not to laugh): Well Jell, there are more important things than being popular.
J (shocked): Like what??!
M (fumbling for the right words): Like having real, good friends, or like being a good person.
J (totally dejected): But I so want to be good at sports.

I guess I should be glad she didn't respond with some of the other things from the song like, knowing how to flirt with boys.

*Totally unrelated, but hilarious - Jell calls hand sanitizer the "hanitizer." It's really hard not to laugh whenever she asks for some "hanitizer."

Happy 4th!

We started out the day by riding in the parade - we were amazed! The girls pretty much rode the whole way (with a little break in the middle when we sat down on the curb collecting candy from the other riders before jumping back in and riding down the road). They loved it. When Meri did poop out near the end, she jumped in the stroller and sat waving at everyone lining the road like royalty. Jell got the biggest cheer I heard when she honked her bike's horn.

Last year's 4th was a fiasco - they were terrified of the fireworks. It was a total waste of the $10 we blew on legal Oregon fireworks that are about as tall as Meri.

This year, they loved it! So much more fun when they're not cowering inside, with tears streaming down their sad little faces! They loved sparklers, which we started with.

And, of course, they loved our visitors that dropped in to enjoy watching with the girls.

Jell loving the fireworks with Uncle Jim.

Meri did have to get used to the noise though.

All right, so there was a good deal of this:

But there was also a ton of this:

And this (even when we watched the lake show till like 3 hours past their bedtime):

And this:

Holidays and fireworks and everything just seem so much more magical when seen with children!