The QUEEN

Do not call her a princess.  

She will none so gently remind you she is a girl and the QUEEN.

And has the outfit to prove it.

When she isn't wearing her crown she enjoys her cowgirl hat and a little country/western music on her vtech "computer."  I stuffed playdough in the cursed thing when the volume got stuck on high. 

A little pre-school fun with her awesome teacher-me!

 That one day Renn took a nap and I wasn't sleeping too.

Fancy ladies.  

That about sums up their relationship.

Her Owl family.  

"Jara, Jack, ELISE, Renn" not sure which order.

She's a good mommy.  

Quotes:

As she is putting her hair in Renn's face.

Me: Don't put your hair in Renn's face it will hurt him.

Elise:  indignantly Hair doesn't hurt.  CHAINSAWS hurt.  (good job mom)

In the grocery store

Elise:  Can we have some non-nutritious, food dyed an obscure, unnatural color?

Me:  No

Elise:  Why not

Me: Because...pause

Elise:  BECAUSE is not an answer mommy!!!

Long live the queen!

Ballet Recital

This year we were prepared.  Prepared and successful.  Jara did great.

Fair performance

End of the year recital

I wish I had a better shot of this because she was smiling!  I might have threatened her but I blame it on Donna Davis.  Let me explain.  Donna is THE nicest, most loving woman I know.  We were talking in church one day about kids and watching them etc. and she revealed to me that she always told her children there was one rule for performing; "You do it with a SMILE on your face, I don't care if you hate it!!!"  I took that advice to heart.  Lovingly before the performance I reminded Jara about Donna's advice:  "I didn't care if she forgot everything she knows, it didn't matter, but there better be a smile on her face."  She laughed.  And then smiled.  The whole time!!!  You are a genius Donna because of it she was even happy afterwards and was so excited to have "performed her best dance ever."  All this time I was trying to be loving, supporting and non-threatening.  

I just didn't know the right threat.  Thank you Donna. 

Jara-it WAS your best performance ever!  I loved seeing how much you have learned this year.  Most importantly, I loved your smile and good attitude!

May Day

I have 2 May Day kids!  

And a sneaky three-year-old.

My kindergartner, doing the same dance his dad did in kindergarten.

The bubble, a tried and true crowd pleaser. 

Jara performing the Mexican hat dance. 

 She had to touch a" horrible, stinky boy."

(As opposed to a nice, stinky boy.)  

Light on her feet.  I loved watching her perform this dance.  

She knew the steps very well and was confident in her ability. 

Way to go Jara!

Renn was a good sport.  

And Jed had made it home just in time. 

He had been at a four day conference for work, where he had won project of the year.  

Just thought I'd throw that in there.

BEST Fair EVER

I figured out the key to success.  Don't go.  Send daddy.  Jed took one for the team and went with Jack's kindergarten class and then bought his own wrist band and took all of the kiddies on the rides.  I bet in their heyday Jed, Mike and Ty never pictured themselves and 10 kids at the fair.  Annie was sick.  Danielle was going to have a baby any day and I had just had a baby.  Our husbands filled in and even had fun, they also think that we were plotting against them.  Nope, but maybe this should be a new tradition.  Dudes in charge of the fair. 

Elise went on the ferris wheel and loved it.  Carousel?  Not so much.

I finally called Jed at nine to make sure they hadn't joined the circus.

The spinning dragon.  gack.

The view from on top

Happy Us

11 years

Jed brought me home a lemon and lime tree, just like I asked him to, and these beautiful roses. I could create a symbolic/metaphorical reason like turning lemons into lemonade or some other cheesy crap to represent marriage but the real reason is I love lemons and wanted my own tree.  They are beautiful.  May there always be lemonade.  

Renn 2 months

We have been out of the newborn fussy stage for about a month now.  He still loves to be held and snuggled but he is more easily soothed at this stage.  Jed had taken this picture when he was about 6 or 7 weeks when he would go on an angry bender every night for a few hours.  We spent a lot of time pacing.  Good exercise.

The calm after the storm a happy, smiley, 2 month old and little chubbers.  

He likes to lead his people.  

I love when babies explore the possibilities of their limbs.  

He goes crazy with his kickers too.

2 month stats:  11% weight, 33% height

my little guy

Happy even when sleeping

Curled up in the swing.  Elise lovingly rocks him to sleep in the morning when I am doing the crazy get ready for school business.  It surprises me that this happens safely and efficiently.

"Spring brake"

I thought it was lovely.  We played every day.  I didn't have to make lunches.  It was so hot we were able to go swimming.  We had fun playing with our Astling cousins and Wheeler cousins.  We colored eggs, ate chocolate bunnies, watched conference, however, I don't think Jara's outlook was quite the same.  (see below)

Sorry cousins, she's working through some second grade angst. 

 She asked me just the other day if we could go visit you.

She is not plotting your demise I promise.

You may be asking why I would choose to share this, well if the whole school saw the final draft in the hallway I figure why not share it with the whole world???  No secrets here.