Fun with phonics (warning:not for the faint of heart)

Tonight when we were driving to dollar ice cream cone night at Baskin Robbins I overheard a funny conversation going on in the back seat between Max and Molly.  It started out pretty typical, they love to converse about one another's parts...it went down like this:

"Monny, I have a penis, you don't have a penis, I have a penis (could he use that word any  more times in one sentence???).

"Puh....puh...penis...Mom, does penis start with "P?"

Yes, Max it sure does!

"Monny not have a penis, right?"

That's right, she does not.

"No, I have a bagina...buh, buh, buh....bagina start with "B," Mom?"

I'm not composed enough to answer at that point.

"No, Monny...it's jina.  Juh, juh, jina starts with "J."

"Oh."

Just when I hoped it was over, I hear Olivia quietly remark, "I think it starts with "V."

Hooked on phonics is working for us...don't say I didn't warn you!

a gift

Last night baby Ian gave me a gift.  A long overdue, much appreciated gift....(drumroll......) he slept through the night!  Yippee!  I finally cut the apron strings and put him upstairs in his crib, because with him right beside me, I think he smelled me and had to be with me all night (I am magnetic that way). When I fell asleep I thought it would be a night full of trips upstairs to comfort the little guy, but the next thing I knew it was 5 AM and Jon was sleeping next to Pamela Anderson.  Still no peep.  I fell back to sleep and he finally woke up STARVING at 6 :15.  He got in bed with me and we cuddled back to sleep until 8:45.  What a way to start a Saturday.  Wish me luck tonight!

Max's first REAL drawing...

I am not sure why I am so proud of this, except that it is the first time he has drawn something intelligible and it was of his own free will and choice.  I think it is a true masterpiece.  A side note:  I asked him what the pink thing below the eyes is, and he said "it's a rectangle so he can stay warm."  Hmmm... Any interpretations???

Rhododendron Gardens

We took a trip to the Rhododendron Gardens yesterday.  They were in full bloom!  The kids had the most fun chasing the ducks, but liked the flowers too, I think!

They were actually petting the ducks!

Cute picture, but no flowers in sight

and, we were there too!

Max's favorite you tube...he says "I yuv ugly girls"

Easter best

Easter was lovely here, despite the pouring rain! Here are my cute girls!

Best friends...

The whole cute clan...

Olivia made cute bunny cupcakes for dessert!

I love celebrating the holidays with my little (or not so little) family.  It is the greatest joy in my life!  All of the work, preparation, and planning aside, we just get to play, laugh, eat and enjoy each other.  I am especially grateful at this time of year for the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who made it possible for us to be together as a family forever!  I hope your Easter was as lovely as ours!

sad...

Today we were running an errand and we passed our favorite ice cream joint.  Olivia sat up straight and said, "I think I see Jaide and Tage."  I replied, "oh, that would be cool, but doubtful!"  She got quiet.  On our way back through town, we passed the ice cream place again, and she said, "Mom, do you ever wonder what people are doing or thinking?"  and I said, "sure," and she said, "well, I wonder what Jaide and Tage are doing right now, cause I really miss them."  UGH!  It made me cry!  She loves her cousins  SO MUCH!  Then, when we pulled into our driveway she said, "oh, I was hoping they would be here to surprise us."  Another pang! So, tonight I am sad and EXTRA missing some of my favorites....here are some pictures that lifted my spirits!

(by the way, guys, you can surprise us any time!)

I'm not lucky, but I'm definitely.......WICKED!

So, a friend told me about this great thing called the "Wicked Lottery."  It's where you show up at the auditorium box office 2 1/2 hours before showtime and enter your name in a drawing.  If your name is drawn, then you get the chance to buy two tickets to that show for only $25 each. And, they are best available seats.  So, I thought, what the hay, and Olivia and I headed off to try for the matinee showing this afternoon.  We stood in the cold, we entered our name, and we waited in agony as the guy in charge made us suffer through joke after joke between each name he called.  Well, surprise! My name didn't get drawn.  I swear I never win anything!  We were super bummed, but then the guy announced that a limited number of tickets would be available to lottery LOSERS (that's me!) inside at the box office.  I scurried in there and scored us a couple of seats on the fifth and sixth row (I could literally see the spit coming out of Elphaba's mouth!)!  For $41 dollars each!  Yippee!  So, today, my big girl and I had ourselves a DATE, and we are still on cloud nine!  

On Monday, Olivia is going to tell her teacher that the flying monkeys ate her homework...

It's a legit excuse!  If you haven't seen it, GO!  It's magical...