A Small Town Family

Toothless and Rough

2011-01-04T22:27:00.000-05:00

During the Christmas break from school Emma lost both of her top front teeth! She is very proud and super cute. It has changed the way she sounds when she talks and even the way she holds her mouth and lips and thus has changed her whole look slightly. Something only a mother would notice, probably! The first tooth was loose and came out when she and Libby bumped heads when they were playing. Apparently that knocked the second one loose, and that one came all the way out two days later when Libby kicked Emma in the mouth. Later that day Libby asked me, "Mommy, are I rough?"

10:45am Lunch!

2009-10-09T13:41:00.003-04:00

Emma, Allison, Kaci - - Mrs. Murfee's Kindergarten Cuties!

I went to the elementary school today to have lunch with Emma . . .actually to sit with Emma while she ate. Her lunchtime is at 10:45am! When a student has lunch with someone, we eat up on the stage and they get to bring two friends from their class with them. Today Emma brought a new friend, Kaci, and an old friend from preschool, Allison. Libby came along, too and we had so much fun meeting Emma's classmates and seeing some other community kids that we already know.

Peace

2009-08-24T13:52:00.000-04:00

Nannie took us on our annual back-to-school shopping trip. Here's Maggie and Emma giving me funny faces and peace signs. Emma was determined all day to get a piece of jewelry, so she picked out a necklace with a peace charm on it and so did Maggie. Peace, sistas!

Nags Head 2009

2009-08-10T20:45:00.002-04:00

Vacay! Our wonderful friends John and Sharon had us as their guests at his parents condo in Nags Head. Their two boys and our two girls had a blast. We ate out only once, Sharon did most of the cooking as I tried to keep Libby calm. She was always tired and hungry at dinnertime and crying her eyes out. I hadn't been to the beach in three years, and the sand and the sun and the sound of the waves was amazing. I hope I never go that long again without going to the beach. Some other friends and family were in Nags Head at the same time. Kevin, Amy, Maggie and Mason were there, and so were Blake, Leslie, Ashtyn and Ellie, and so were Jimmy, Mary Lee, Whit and Taylor. We all drove onto the beach at Oregon Inlet, popped up some tents, set out our chairs, grilled up some food, and stayed from morning until late afternoon. The kids had a blast searching for shells, jellyfish, and making slides out of sand. Emma swam a few strokes without her arm floaties and if we'd had a few more days at the pool I think she could have really taken off. Libby was close to learning how to swim with the arm floaties on. The pool had a great two-foot-deep area that the kids could walk around in, so I didn't have to hold Libby the whole time. . . I chilled on the pool steps . . . niiiice! Click here to view allll of our vacation pictures!

Emma and Libby, Linton and Garrison

Check out the sand/mud on Emma's face! The white gook is the only sunscreen I've found that will work for Libby's face, so Emma got it, too. It's good stuff.

Four kid pile-up!

The Furminator

2009-07-27T20:38:00.002-04:00

We got the furminator. It works great! We got enough hair on the first brushing to make a bird's nest. . . . so I left the hair in the woods.

Just another summer saturday

2009-07-19T22:27:00.004-04:00

At Wake beach on Saturday, Sharon caught a small blue crab and an even smaller fiddler crab. The kids were fascinated and searched for "more crabs" and "more crabs"! I asked Libby what we do with crabs and she said, "put em in a pot!" She learned that from her PopPop.

The girls really love the beach. Libby loves it so much she lays down in the sand to get the full enjoyment out of it (and as much sand in her hair possible).

Here we are looking for crabs, minnows, or anything that moves.

PS - Yes, this bathing suit is ruined. It has so much black sand in between the two layers of fabric that the bathing suit looks mostly black. This is the second bathing suit she has ruined this summer. The first one had to be thrown out (I didn't put a diaper on her, she pooped, a lot, it went in the trash and she went in the tub!), but I'll keep this one for more days at the muddy beach.

Ashland Visit

2009-07-14T11:56:00.003-04:00

That was my name when I graduated from Randolph-Macon College. They now have a brick for each graduate in the historical campus. I visited the college last week for the first time in eleven years. Some things were very different, others were comfortingly the same. The best thing about the trip was that I met up with four of my sorority sisters for dinner and a campus tour.

Laura, Cole, Kate, Wendi, Mary
We haven't seen each other in years, and we all have different names now, but we had a fabulous time. We couldn't decide if getting together made us feel young again, or just old. Thank you facebook, for bringing us together again!

Our old stompin' grounds! If these walls could talk . . .

Look at Mary's laughing face - gosh I miss that! Hey, anybody seen campus police? We used to care, and now we don't. The fountain was deeper and colder than any of us thought it would be! Ahem, I mean, than any of us remember (Mary).

Hair

2009-07-14T11:12:00.001-04:00

The girls pretend they are on an airplane. Their hair looks like they've been in a convertible!

Swimmin Lessons Are Good

2009-07-14T11:09:00.001-04:00

Emma's first day of actually letting go of the wall and moving somewhere in the water on her own:

5 years old, July 8, 2009

Toddler Beds and Potties

2009-07-06T15:51:00.002-04:00

Libby turned two in April. The pressure is on to potty train her. I wasn't planning on doing it until December, when we would all be home on vacation from work and school. She is not showing any signs of interest, but I realize that summer would be a good time to do it (less clothes to remove). Also, there's the fact that she is my baby. If I potty train her she'll be a big girl. I'm not ready to let go of my baby! She could be moved out of her crib into the toddler bed. Could be. Then she'd be able to get out! She'd come out of the bed, out of her room and down the steps whenever she wanted. I don't know if I'm ready for that. You see, this is really all about me . . . and my BABY!

Independence Day

2009-07-06T15:36:00.005-04:00

Our July 4th weekend was great. Saturday morning the girls were in the children's parade in Deltaville. Martha made a "Happy 100th Birthday, Deltaville" float out of their wagon. Libby and I went home for lunch and naptime while Chucky and Emma stayed in town for the big parade. We all met at 4 at the ballpark and set up our tailgating area, complete with our new camouflage easy-up tent. People thought we were kidding when we said, "Hey come visit us, we're just over there, under the camouflage tent!" We relaxed in lawn chairs, while the kids played on the blankets and went back and forth inside to watch the ballgames. The lights around the ball field went out and I pulled Libby onto my lap and Emma sat with Chucky. The first boom was loud, and I put my hands over Libby's ears. I looked over at Emma, and she had her hands over her ears, too. Libby was fussing and I held her ears tighter and bounced her on my lap. She settled down and watched the pretty fireworks. I love that moment on July 4th. No one is talking, we are all looking up, and if you're lucky, you have a kid on your lap, or at least one nearby. I realized that next year Libby will be three, and might not want to sit in my lap and be bounced. I know everyday might be the last day she wants to be rocked at bedtime. I do no take these moments for granted . . . at this point in my life I feel like I am doing what I was born to do.

The float for the children's parade. Maggie and Emma pulled while Mason and Libby rode in high style.

Emma and "Nannie"

Shaken It

2009-07-03T20:56:00.001-04:00

Turn down your speakers, unless you love AC/DC as much as we do:

We have never been accused of having too much rythym . . . the tradition continues.

Norfolk Botanical Gardens

2009-07-03T20:34:00.002-04:00

Wednesday the girls and I went to the Norfolk Botanical Gardens, where we met my friend Kristyn, and her daughter Aubrey, who is two and a half. Kristyn has another baby on the way! The girls played in the fountains for a while, we had a picnic lunch and we looked at butterflies and caterpillars.
I had not seen my friend in a while, but we picked up where we left off and had a good time trying talk in between the bathroom breaks, clothes changes, snack breaks and general whining. From the kids. You know.
Here is my friend, looking faaabulousss, and her beautiful daughter:

I miss my friend! She is an easygoing, laughing, breath of fresh air. Would it be weird to make her picture my desktop background? Yes, I guess it would. So here she is on my blog, forever!

Here are Emma and Libby playing in the fountains:

This is a very cool caterpillar that will turn into a butterfly:

Kitchen update

2009-06-29T16:12:00.002-04:00

New floor . . . check
Old cabinets painted white . . . check
Walls painted . . . check
New curtains . . . check
New light fixtures . . . check
New counter top . . . coming this week!

Before and after pictures coming soon.

Wedding Reception

2009-06-29T15:58:00.003-04:00

Chucky's cousin Jonathan got married on Saturday. We left Libby with Ghee and PopPop and took Emma with us to the ceremony. It was her first wedding, so she had a lot of questions, and was a squirmy wormy on the bench seat. We picked up Libby for the reception, and both girls had a blast after they got some food. Emma danced to every song as long as someone would hold her hands or flip her around. Libby danced and twirled, but as the night went on insisted on me holding her and dancing around. I was sore the next day but knew I might never get to hold her and dance again, so I did it, and I loved it.

Libby is glad her cousin Mason arrived!

The rare pose for a picture by Emma.

Emma and Daddy dancing. More like gymnastics.

My new favorite picture.

Emilyyyyyyy!

2009-06-29T15:41:00.006-04:00

Shannon, Tiffany, Janet, Emily, Sharon, Kate, Tracy

These are my girls. We get together once a month for dinner. Emily HAD to move to Ohio so we threw her and her husband a going away luau party. It was a party I will remember forever, I had so much fun! Joseph was the DJ and decided that from 7 to 1:30 was long enough "dudes"! I think we would have danced for another hour, we didn't want to say goodbye! She left two days after this . . . but the good thing is we have all found facebook and can live together online until she comes back. She WILL come back!

Emily named her special drinking cup "Deli" - short for Deltaville!

Check out Joseph's expression! He pretty much thinks she is craaazy!

CueHumber

2009-06-29T15:31:00.002-04:00

Notice at the end how she angrily pushes the food in the floor. Is she going to be ten and still doing that?! She needs an anger management class!

Hee-Haw!

2009-06-29T15:28:00.000-04:00

Happy Mother/Father's Day

2009-06-29T15:25:00.002-04:00

Mom was in Italy for Mother's Day, so for Father's Day, we celebrated "parent's day"! We did our favorite things - eat crabs and give gifts! As you can see, Emma is a busybody and wanted to "help" everyone.

Ssummmmertimmee!

2009-06-29T15:18:00.002-04:00

The girls are enjoying summer - the baby pool on the back deck, water country, sprinkler in the yard, they even think plucking worms off of tomato plants is fun! These are their best "funny faces".

Can't Believe I Did This:

2009-06-08T21:25:00.002-04:00

Green Anaconda. 7 feet long, 15 pounds www.mypetsforparties.com

Has it been a month?

2009-05-29T15:21:00.001-04:00

Wow, this blog has been neglected! It has gotten warm, and we're all outside! Mom and Dad have returned from two weeks in Italy, we planted a garden, went to the animal farm, signed up for kindergarten . . .will post more soon!

Kitchen

2009-04-24T15:20:00.002-04:00

The kitchen is being redecorated. We are getting the wood stained cabinets painted white, a new floor, new countertops and curtains. Finally. We have lived in the house for three and a half years and the kitchen has always been my least favorite room. Almost to the point of using the word 'hate'. The cabinets are already white and even though nothing else has been done yet, I am already happier when I walk into the room. It should all be finished within two weeks, then I'll post some before and after pictures.

Shelby

2009-04-24T15:18:00.001-04:00

I was playing with my macro lens and got what I think is a great picture of my original baby girl, Shelby.

Playin'

2009-04-24T15:13:00.003-04:00

5 is cool.

2009-04-24T15:11:00.003-04:00

This is totally Emma. Walking down the middle of the road without a care, two different shoes on, loving having her picture taken, and so proud that she gets to walk Shelby.

Kiss Shelby!

2009-04-24T15:08:00.001-04:00

She did this the first time without anyone asking her to, and I just happened to see it. So much for trying to recreate the moment.

2

2009-04-21T14:18:00.002-04:00

Libby turned two today! We had a great day, starting out at the Y, then to River Birch Animal Farm (ammmlllss!), then home to play in the backyard (lots of pictures), naptime, and some of her favorites for dinner plus homemade birthday cake! She talks in sentances, knows most body parts (shoulder and elbow are the new ones), and really knows she's cute and uses it to her advantage. If something is missing, she calls for it. "Here, toy! Come see me!" I have no idea where she got that from, but it is so cute and innocent. She also demands things "right now". We have been working on saying "get my milk please" instead of "get my milk right now!" Libby has violent fits every now and then, which convince us more and more she is going to be a football player. For about thirty seconds she'll wreak havoc on whatever is nearby . . . pull Emma's hair for no reason, throw books, kick a doll, swat at the dog. She's crazy I tell ya! People have talked so much about her red hair, she realizes it's something different than most people. I gave her a baby cabbage patch doll for her birthday that has red curly hair . . .and I asked her, "who else has red hair?" and she said, "ME!" Here she is kissing her new doll:

Even though the girls fight, Libby's best friend is Emma. When she wakes up, she says "where emma?" If we go somewhere without Emma in the car, "where emma?" If Emma has a banana, Libby says, "i want nana, like Emma!" Everything's gotta be "like Emma." They play great in the bathtub, pouring water on each other and whispering and plotting to get me wet, or make me laugh with their crazy hairdos and silly dances.

The time from age one to age two is my favorite, but I'm not sad it's over. There is so much to look forward to, and I have really enjoyed my girls being babies. I've soaked it all in and hopefully taken enough pictures and videos to help keep my memories alive. I know I'll forget . . . I forgot in the three years between the two . . . but I'll always be thankful . . . and ready for grandchildren!

Shelby Eat My Corn!

2009-04-20T15:06:00.000-04:00

Chocolate . . . and food stuck in eyebrow!

2009-04-13T15:03:00.000-04:00

More Easter activity:

Easter 2009

2009-04-12T14:50:00.000-04:00

To see more Easter pictures, click here .

Happy Easter! Church at Zoar Baptist, lunch at Ghee and Pop-Pops!

Birthday Party

2009-04-11T14:55:00.000-04:00

We had a joint birthday party for the girls at the firehouse. We had 52 people! I just wanted to get it all overwith, the family, the friends, the cake, the presents - and it worked out great! We had beautiful weather and happy kids! We have lots more pictures - click here to see them all!

Cutest Ballerina in the World

2009-04-06T12:19:00.005-04:00

Emma did her dance routine to Mary Poppins' Spoonful of Sugar. The teacher was dressed like Mary Poppins and there were fifteen (yes, 15!) little 3-5 year olds twirling and grinning all over the stage. I can't wait to see it again when we get the DVD! I sat in the audience waiting for her class to come on stage, and I was as nervous as if I were going on stage. I put her hair up in a bun, and slathered makeup on her face (two firsts for her). She had glitter sprinkled all over her face, hair and arms. She looked really weird, but she enjoyed it, and I did too. Being in the dressing room with all the mothers and daughters was a natural thing to me, I felt like this was where I was meant to be . . . I don't know what I would do with a boy!

Libby stayed home and Uncle Joe and Lindsay came to babysit. In a couple of years, she'll be dancing, too. If she wants to, of course! She might rather play football if she keeps up her tough-girl act!

Emma's not in this one, but look at how cute they are!

Gymnastics

2009-04-06T12:12:00.002-04:00

Emma takes gymnastics lessons every wednesday at preschool. The lessons are finished for this year, and the kids put on a show to show us what they have learned. Here's Emma doing a bridge, and she got herself in that position all by herself!

She also did rolls and cartwheels and they even finished up the routine with a small pyramid.

Kendall, Logan, Sarah, Evee, Emma

I am so proud of Emma. This spring she had to learn a gymnastics routine and a dance routine, and do them within a week of each other, and she was great, and cute, and great! No stagefright . . . yet.

5

2009-03-31T12:35:00.002-04:00

Emma is 5! She's a big girl, but still a little girl. Now that she's five, she has to take care of herself. The big rules are: dress herself, brush her teeth, and wipe herself. It's been a week and so far, so good! All I have to for her is her hair. She has even figured out how to get her socks on. The only setback is that she doesn't always put on the clothes I have laid out for her. She thinks pink and red look good together . . . ugh! Here come the battles.

She is a better big sister now than ever. She and Libby get in to trouble together, though! They shut the bathroom door and Emma played in the sink and Libby played in the potty. A whole roll of toilet paper was shredded, dipped in the water, and scattered around the bathroom. I have no idea what I was doing! When Libby needs help, Emma helps her and talks to her and brings her toys. This morning I needed to pull a splinter out of Libby's thumb and Emma brought her blanky to her. How sweet! Libby is almost two and Emma has finally accepted her. They still fight, but it's not as often. It is more violent, though. Libby can take more and dish more out these days.

I registered her for Kindergarten. I had butterflies in my stomach that day! She was very excited and is ready for kindergarten. She peeked in every door and checked out the cafeteria. We go back in May for orientation, and again in June for her screening tests.

We had a butterfly birthday party at the firehouse to celebrate both girls' birthday. Their birthdays are just three weeks apart, so we just did it all at once and got it overwith. My friend Julie took all the pictures, so I don't have any to share yet. We had 52 people! Emma has met so many wonderful little friends that it's hard to decide where to draw the line. Believe it or not, we did not invite everyone we wanted to.

I can't believe five years ago Chucky and I had a five pound premature jaundiced little girl, no sleep and a prayer. Now we are a family, we feel like a family. It's a great feeling!

More Computer Troubles

2009-03-23T12:21:00.002-04:00

My lovely lemon of a laptop broke. Again. The left hinge broke, and the monitor screen split away from the backing. It's tax season, I have work to do, I'm mad. I called HP, and after all the voice messages led me to enter my product number, it tells me there is a special hotline for people with my model . . . a left hinge hotline. I backed up just in case, and shipped it away to be repaired. It came back in four days and I was jubilant! BUT the jerks restored the operating system to the factory settings. I had to re-install every program and printer, and all the data. For a broken hinge! I'm still sorting it all out. HP Jerks.

Wish I Could Sleep This Well

2009-03-23T12:13:00.003-04:00

One night last week, I was doing my getting-ready-for-bed routine. One of things I do is put Shelby in her crate for the night. I couldn't find her. I looked in all her usual spots and in some unusual spots. Calling her was pointless because she is deaf. I was pretty sure she was asleep somewhere in the house. We have to touch her to wake her up, so I actually needed to find her, not just call for her. (When we touch her, she wakes up with a startle and it makes me jump every time) I went outside looking with the flashlight, and started to panic. What if she ran off? She can't hear!!!!! I told Chucky to get up off the couch and help me! He went upstairs and checked the kids rooms (I already did that) and found Shelby asleep under Emma's bed. What I thought was Emma's snoring was actually Shelby's snoring. Phew.

Our Lovely Weekend

2009-03-09T12:42:00.003-04:00

What did you do this weekend?
Oh, I'm glad you asked! I have most of it in pictures.

Friday night, we had parent night at Emma's dance class. Here she is in the van waiting to go inside. I'm not sure who's more excited, Chucky or Emma!

Libby really wanted to participate but settled for a front row seat.

Saturday was a blur of birthday parties and an open house. Sunday, we washed the vehicles and got this one ready to sell:

Anyone want to buy it? It's a great hunting truck!

We went for a walk, rode bikes, raced cars, swept, read, colored, and just spent the entire day outside, and as you can see from this picture, I pulled weeds. That dug up some earthworms, which the girls found fascinating. I was just trying to hold in my squeals and shudders because they are just grosssss! Ewww. Emma put two in her bug box, but they escaped through the screen. Libby found a baby one just her size. I really tried to teach her to be gentle and nice with it, but after they saw me lift one up with a stick, they did the same. Only it was not so much lifting as it was jabbing!

A Few Inches of Snow

2009-03-05T20:59:00.003-05:00

This is Libby's first moment in the snow. It's a little hard on the eyes with all the crazy colors, but hey - her hat and boots match! Just ignore the coat that is too small, with the broken zipper and middle snap. Her new coat arrived in the mail exactly one day after the snowstorm. The gloves were not waterproof, and when they got icy and wet, they kept falling off. I heard from a friend today that they taped their son's gloves to his coat sleeves. I will remember that for next time! Along with getting some waterproof gloves. Also, she has on the best hat ever. Whoever makes clothes with the little white snowman on the navy blue tag sure does know how to make a hat.

Emma

Chas - he made that snowball all by himself and it became the bottom part of a spectacular snowman, with gumballs for eyes!

Libby and Ghee

After-Dinner Entertainment

2009-03-05T20:54:00.002-05:00

We watched seven deer come out of the woods behind our house, go into our side yard and eat, and leave out of the front yard. I still am amazed they didn't run away from the sounds coming from Libby each time she looked out the window. "Dee-ah! Dee-ah! I seee, I seee!" Emma and Chucky watched them from the front porch, very still and very cold. Emma told Chucky, "this is great!" He beamed.

Walkin Down The Road

2009-03-02T10:50:00.003-05:00

Libby looks like she's telling Emma some juicy gossip . . . or something like "Oh my gosh, did you see that girl back there with the mismatched shoes?"

Small Town Couple

2009-02-23T10:15:00.002-05:00

This is about Kate and Chucky, Chucky and Kate!

What are your middle names?
My middle name is Lee, Chucky's middle name is Edward. He was named after his father and I was named after my mother - we are distant relatives of Robert E. Lee.

How long have you been together?
We've been married 7 1/2 years, together 11 1/2.

How long did you know each other before you started dating?
I met him when I was ten, and we started dating when I was 21.

Who asked whom out?
He asked me out.

How old are each of you?
I'm 32 and so is he. A lot of our married friends are also the same ages, we went to high school together and still hang out together.

Whose siblings do you see the most?
Chucky has one sister, who lives closest to us and has a child in daycare with our child, so we see them fairly often. I have a brother that we don't see as often, but he does live close. I have a sister that I am fortunate enough to work with two days a week.

Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?
Work. He works full time, I work part time. Nothing is equal.

Did you go to the same school?
We went to the same high school.

Are you from the same home town?
No. I grew up in Urbanna, he grew up in Deltaville (about twenty minutes apart by car). In our area Urbanna is like the city, and Deltaville is the country boy/boater area. There is a weird rivalry that only the Deltaville people seem to participate in.

Who is smarter?
Hard to say. Chucky picks up on things easily, he has a great sense of direction, can build things and remember things. I have to work hard not to get lost in a city, and if I don't write something down, it doesn't get done. It takes me a little longer, but I can usually figure out anything I try to. I'm far more driven and persistent than he is.

Who is the most sensitive?
Me.

Where do you eat out most as a couple?
Wherever our monthly supper club decides to go! Or the pizza place.

Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
Disney World in Florida

Who has the craziest exes?
Me.

Who has the worst temper?
Neither of us really has a temper, but Chucky is easily embarrassed and if anything makes his temper flare, it is being embarassed in front of his friends.

Who does the cooking?
We both cook, I probably do it more often. I get home later that he does two days a week, so he cooks on those nights.

Who is the neat-freak?
Me. But I'm really not a freak about being neat. He just won't put anything back where it belongs.

Who is more stubborn?
Me.

Who hogs the bed?
Him. But we have a King size matress so it's all good.

Who wakes up earlier?
Me. I have to wake Chucky up 4 or 5 times.

Where was your first date?
Goodfellas restaurant in Gloucester.

Who is more jealous?
Chucky.

Who eats more?
Chucky.

Who does the laundry?
Me. Don't touch my laundry.

Who's better with the computer?
Me.

Who drives when you are together?
Chucky. I work the DVD player and pass out snacks and drinks and keep the kids from fighting.

Fry Night

2009-02-11T15:25:00.002-05:00

On Frech fry night or green bean night, Shelby always gets a treat. Chucky puts a green bean or french fry (or a long noodle) in his mouth and Shelby jumps up and gets it. Emma wants to do it badly, but can't gather the courage. Libby puts it in her mouth and drops it to the floor by opening her mouth before Shelby ever jumps up. This time, Shelby got her French fry and Libby was quite surprised. We all laughed and clapped. We love fry nights!

Lib-Libs

2009-02-11T15:17:00.002-05:00

They bounce when she walks. There is one ringlet that actually springs to life as soon as the shampoo is rinsed out of her hair. When her hair is wet, it stretches down her back, when it dries, it shrinks up to her neck. It's longer than Emma's, who's is more wavy than curly. Love it!

Pug Party

2009-02-11T15:16:00.002-05:00

The kid were in bed, and I was walking around the house picking up toys and turning off lights. When I got to the playroom, I found Shelby settled down next to the tea set, like she was waiting for a friend to arrive:

I'm a Pretty Pony, Clippity Clop, Clippity Clop!

2009-02-11T15:13:00.001-05:00

You should see her dance, she's really got soul!

Family Update

2009-02-01T21:47:00.003-05:00

Libby's dirty chair is still dirty. We still have all five fish (after a scare of black spots, or what I learned from Google was ammonia burn). I am doing better with my headaches, for now! The head cold I have is not helping, but that will go away soon enough. I am part of a girls night out group now. Seven of us try to go out one night per month. It really makes me feel good to do that, more like an adult and my own person. I really look forward to it every month. Chucky is taking an EMT class that is every Tues and Thurs night. He hopes to one day be a professional firefighter and he is really enjoying the class. Now when we watch ER, he explains the terminology to me. I haven't decided if it is cute or annoying. Emma will start Kindergarten in the fall, so in April she will visit the school and be tested. She doesn't know anything about it but I am already nervous!
I haven't taken many pictures since Christmas, but here is one from November, when the parents got to sit in on a dance class:

It's blurry, but it's darned cute. She is concentrating on her dance moves!

21 Months

2009-02-01T21:30:00.003-05:00

I'm a little late, but I want to continue the monthly letter until Libby is two, so better late than never! Libby continues to be a star. She has the best facial expressions, the best dance moves, and the best grins. She is putting more words together. What Emma doin? Want some mommy? Her red ringlets bounce up and down when she walks. She is getting so big, soooo big! But everynight she lets me rock her. Rock-rock, nigh-night, luuuuh-you mommy, luuuuuh-you, we sing to each other while we rock. I know I will forget. I want to freeze time. Really, I do. Could life be better than this? I have a wonderful husband, and two little girls that think I'm the greatest person in the whole world. I live in a nice house in a nice neighborhood. I have family close by, I even work with them. I have a few good friends that really know me, and still like me. I have enough money for groceries and clothes and gas. Is it too good to be true? I thank the Lord every day.

Well this started out about Libby, and turned into a whole lot more. Looking at her precious face with her fat pink cheeks and curly red hair and perfect little lips, and blue eyes just like Chucky's . . . she just makes me realize how fast time goes by, and I am enjoying every moment.

Computer Troubles

2009-01-29T21:42:00.000-05:00

Ok so my laptop got some viruses and the hard drive went bad. Supposedly unrelated but whatever. It's fixed, the data was saved, I'm happy but out $300. I had a very stressful week without my computer and with a deadline I almost didn't meet. STRESS. Then I went to work and the laptop there was so slow I actually yelled at it. Turns out it is pretty old, and the processor and the RAM aren't enough to run the software I just loaded on it. STRESS. Maybe the people that avoid computers really are smart. But I am so happy to be back online. I feel like I'm back in the real world. I was lost for a few days. For real! Now I have email and facebook, and can check the weather and the news, I feel alive! Alive! (And I learned a lesson about backing up)

Shelby

2009-01-21T15:46:00.005-05:00

My first little baby is ten years old today! I received her as a puppy in 1999. My boyfriend (now my husband) took me to a breeder so I could choose which puppy I wanted. I chose Shelby and couldn't get her for a few more weeks. Those were some very long weeks! I agonized over the name choices. When I finally got her, I brought her home and set her on my bed. I sat down in the floor to take off my shoes and she tumbled off. Lesson #1, don't put a little puppy on the big bed! I took countless pictures, dressed her up, and tried to take her everywhere. We took an obedience class, and on the weekends I would take her to the fenced in tennis courts so she could run around off of her leash. I lived alone at the time, and she was my companion. She snorted, she snored, and I thought she was the most precious thing I'd ever seen. She has shed so much hair over the years I could have made twenty more pugs. Once or twice I thought I had lost her, she wandered too far into the woods. Now she's deaf and a little slow, but she's just as sweet as ever. She's been there for two moves, a husband and two babies, and the gaining and losing of a pug brother. Happy Birthday, Shelby. You and I were both different girls ten years ago.

Wii Fit

2009-01-12T11:15:00.003-05:00

Uh-huh. I rock at the Wii Fit. It loves me. I tells me I have great posture (I don't) and that my center of balance is great. Chucky, not so much. It asked him if he often trips when he walks! Uh-huh. I am actually beating Chucky at something. Yup. Read it again!

Kate's wii fit age: 32 Actual age: 32 (Hoola hoop champion)
Chucky's wii fit age: 54 Actual age: 32
Emma's wii fit age: 23, Actual age: 4 (Running in place champion)

Duhtee Chair

2009-01-12T11:13:00.002-05:00

Update on Libby's dirty chair. Emma now calls it "Libby's yucky chair." I need to take it all apart and wash the cover but I am really busy trying to relax and have less stress. Really.

5 Little Fish

2009-01-12T11:02:00.003-05:00

The thing Emma wanted most for Christmas was a fish tank. Santa Clause brought her a fish tank, complete with rocks and plants. We do not know anything about fish. We filled the tank up with water, squirt in some water conditioner that came with it, hooked up the filter, and left for Wal-Mart with fish on our list. She wanted five goldfish, so the five goldfish all went in one heavy bag together, and they had to be held upright, I couldn't set it down or one of the fish would get squished in the corners. It got heavier and heavier and we still needed groceries. I passed it off to Chucky, and he even held it the whole way home while he drove. When we got home, I thought Emma might explode before we could get the fish in the tank. She feeds them morning and night, and watches their every move from her bed, and even thinks its exciting when they poop. Chucky and I are completely amazed that two weeks later, all five of the 38-cents-each fish are still alive. Their names are: Goldie, Black Spots, Mama Fish, Lucy, and Tree.

Ten Years of Closet Space

2009-01-08T21:41:00.004-05:00

I cleaned out my closet today. It was an hour spent on memory lane. I made piles of clothes on my bed that I don't wear anymore and are destined for the local thrift shop. I came across a lot of clothes from Petite Sophisticate, the store that dressed me for many years and saw me through my first job. I sorted through dresses and outfits that my mother and I shopped for, outfits for my wedding showers. I found the jeans that were my favorite back in 2003, the jeans that got tight within the first six weeks of me being pregnant with my first child. I found the jeans that were baggy on me in 2003, then fit perfectly after the pregancy, but for some reason do not fit me now. I found the blue linen suit that I wore on my first mother's day spent as a mother. I threw out socks and underwear, sent away turtlenecks because just like my four year old, I can't stand to wear them. I saved my formal dresses, the dress I wore at my wedding reception, and the shoes, too. I laughed, I smiled, but I did not cry. It's all here typed out for me to remember. I won't forget. I can still remember some of my favorite clothes from middle school and high school. No need to cry . . . now there's space in my closet for some new clothes!

Congratulations

2009-01-07T15:07:00.001-05:00

She put it on facebook, so I'm assuming it's okay to put it on here. Congratulations to Susan and Rawleigh, the newly engaged couple!

Little Miss Chatterbox

2009-01-05T13:23:00.005-05:00

More words from Libby: doggie, shelby and a mixture of the two: shelggy, runnin, huntin, sticker, pickle, burgah, jump, bumphead, yoguht, shugah, oranges, wantsome, work, sweep, loud, wheredaddy, why, spicy, gotit! She also asks, "old?" She brings her cup of milk to me and asks "old?" if it isn't ice cold fresh out the fridge. If say yes, she hands it over. If I say no, she drinks it. She amazes me and amazes me. The sentences are starting. Emma finger hurt. Cat scratch hand. Daddy huntin.

In this life

2009-01-05T13:22:00.001-05:00

"In this life, you should read everything you can read. Taste everything you can taste. Meet everyone you can meet. Travel everywhere you can travel. Learn everything you can learn. Experience everything you can experience." Mario Cuomo

Duhtee

2008-12-29T20:46:00.002-05:00

Libby got a new chair from Santa for Christmas. A soft pink chair. She has had it four days. It now has pencil marks and smooshed in wet gummy candies on it. She came to me in the kitchen, said "wook, mommy!" So I followed her to see what she was going to show me this time. Her chair. She pointed to the mess and said, "duhtee!" (dirty) Thanks, kid. Thanks for notifying me. I'm tired now. I'll think I'll just leave the mess for a while.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-27T14:11:00.002-05:00

We had a fun, relaxing day. We were able to stay at home until 11:30 so the kids had plenty of time to play after getting up at 7am. Chucky and I awoke excited for Emma, and we enjoyed laying in the bed, listening to her whisper her exclamations as she saw all the loot Santa left for her.

She is most excited about her very own camera:

Libby got right into her stocking and started eating:

Emma put on her roller skates and wheeled around the house:

I dressed them up for lunch at Ghee's house and they were too excited to stand pretty for a picture:

Merry Christmas from the Olivers!

New Words

2008-12-27T14:06:00.004-05:00

Libby exploded with new words the day after Christmas: garage, pray, amen, spank, dirty, cut, scissors, okay, babytalk, babyoff, YAY! My favorite is still thankyoumommy!

20 Months

2008-12-23T20:41:00.003-05:00

Libby is twenty months old now. That means in four months she will be 2! I feel like she just was four months old a couple of weeks ago! She is quite the little package. She talks, and she talks with inflection and with so many facial expressions. She bellows, she demands, she yells, she whispers, and she says things repeatedly until she is acknowledged. She imitates almost anything Emma does or says, the utmost compliment to Emma. It's so funny to watch her try to do Emma's gymnastics tricks, or try to sweep the floor, or color a picture.

She has a special place in her crib where she always sleeps, with her head smashed up in the corner closest to the door. With or without the bumper, on her back or her belly, her head is always there and her blanky is tucked up under arm. One day I will sneak in and try to get a picture . . .

This week she learned to open the refrigerator. Nice! I can sit on the couch and send her to get her own cup of milk! She loves the Christmas tree and has pulled several ornaments off, but she really hasn't messed with the tree as much as I worried she would. That's probably because all the ornaments are out of her reach. Only the top two thirds of the tree have ornaments, it's gaaawgeous. I took her to the grocery store where she said Hiiii! to everyone we passed. She is a friendly, happy, hungry girl. She eats all day long. Nack, nack! (snack) she says, while she bangs her open hands on the pantry doors. She is also feisty. Maybe it's the red hair, maybe she needs an anger management seminar, but she hits, she pulls hair, she yells and cried with the best of them. It makes Emma more feisty and soon I have two yelling girls hitting and kicking each other. Lawd help me. Who do I send to time out? How do I prevent this, and should I? Should I let them fight it out? We have a lot to figure out over the next, um, 14 or so years.

Libby can say anything we ask her to, but some of the more recent things she has said are: loveyou!, ummmm, candy, Bella, house, muffin, movie, show, tree, light, on, in, out, help, alldone, allgone, rockrock, 'mon (come on) stop, nomommy, stopEMMA!

Santa 2008

2008-12-12T21:02:00.000-05:00

Exactly what I predicted:

Sick

2008-12-10T20:58:00.001-05:00

Last weekend I was sick. Most of the week I had headaches. Most of this weekend I had a headache. Being sick got me way behind with my Christmas shopping, and that gave me major anxiety/stress/no sleep. Today I wrapped most of our gifts and ordered Christmas cards and I am feeling a little more relaxed. If I could just have groceries delivered I'd be so relieved. Who knew grocery shopping would be my biggest dread? Here's a card that Emma made for me while I slept the day away on Sunday.

Parade

2008-12-07T20:36:00.001-05:00

Emma was in a parade for the first time! She rode in a wagon for the Urbanna Christmas Parade with the Urbanna Baptist Day Care. She was very excited and looked forward to it all week. She was more bundled up than she wanted to be, but it was very cold! Chucky walked behind the float and Libby and I sat on the steps at the Sentinel office and watched. Libby waved to everything and shouted "Hi!" Mickey and Minnie Mouse were walking in the parade and they came over to visit Libby, but she got scared and started crying.

Body Parts and Family Names

2008-11-28T21:37:00.002-05:00

The transition from age one to two is my favorite. So much happens in that time. A baby turns into a little kid. They learn to run, talk, feed themselves, and make 'deals' with their parents. And they do it all while being the cutest, sweetest, most devilish little things!

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-28T21:14:00.002-05:00

Chas has been taking piano leassons and played 'Happy Birthday' on Thanksgiving. Our cheesy family changed the words to 'Happy Thanksgiving'. Chas played it flawlessly one time through, but when we started singing, it was a little tougher for him. It was still amazing to watch him play and see how happy he was to be able to do it. This comfortable people around the den show that this was obviously filmed after lunch! Emma is hanging out on the massage chair, Chucky is in the recliner where he stayed for about three hours, and Libby is trying to get into trouble! I am thankful for all of these people, for our health, and for knowing that each year we pass on our traditions to the next generation. It is fun to have little ones around during the holidays (and every day)!

Update: Thanksgiving night Emma was up all night vomiting, which for some reason included loud crying and yelling. I think taking care of a sick child all night can sometimes make a person feel sick even if they aren't . . . I need to lay down.

Photography by Emma

2008-11-28T21:08:00.002-05:00

America's Got Talent

2008-11-28T21:01:00.003-05:00

One day your kid is just learning to toddle around the house, then all of sudden she can hula-hoop. It has been amazing to watch her change and learn. She taught herself to hula hoop, over several months of trying almost every day. The first time she really got it we were both screaming, cheering, high-fiving and hugging. I love these moments!

Libby's First Hair Cut

2008-11-26T21:19:00.001-05:00

Libby's first haircut at Shear Delight in Urbanna, VA by Jan Dunlevy.
She was an angel and deserved her lollipop!

Four Year Old Photographer

2008-11-24T20:31:00.002-05:00

Emma still begs for the camera and takes hundreds at a time. Most of them are trash, although I have saved a few cute ones of her feet, and a few of our dog. She took this one last week, and now that I have made a hair appointment for Libby I can't decide if I should cut bangs or keep fighting it everyday with clips and headbands. Girls are so high maintenance!

Classic Emma

2008-11-24T20:26:00.002-05:00

A Saturday in November

2008-11-23T19:57:00.002-05:00

On Saturday, I kept my neice and nephew for the day, and at 3:45 when Libby woke up for her nap, the rest of the kids cheered because that meant it was time to go outside. Yes, it was cold. I was the only one bothered by it! On her first jump Emma got a mouthful of leaves . . . and after the drama passed she jumped in again and again. Libby didn't like the big pile of leaves and just enjoyed watching!

Notice the red spot under Libby's right eye. She got in a fight at school. It's been there for almost two weeks. Yup, that's my feisty girl.

Seven Years Old

2008-11-16T20:13:00.002-05:00

Chas turned 7 on Saturday.

Here he is at about 21 months or so . . . just a smooshy baby!

Beautiful Fall Day

2008-11-13T21:05:00.002-05:00

The girls decided to stomp around in the crunchy leaves this morning.

Emma caught a leaf that was falling from a tall tree above. She was so proud of herself, she saved it in a 'special place'. I'll probably find that leaf in a very strange place on a cleaning day.

Libby was still for one moment, and I caught it:

Kooky

2008-11-07T09:56:00.000-05:00

Vote

2008-11-05T10:17:00.002-05:00

Emma and Libby,

2008, A Historical Election

I voted. You both were with me. We all got stickers! It was an exciting day. Our country was preparing for a big first, either an african-american president, or a female vice president. Emma, you were four and you wanted Barack Obama to win because his name was fun to say. When I showed you a picture of Obama and John McCain side by side you still picked Obama because you liked his blue shirt. You repeated 'Barack Obama' over and over again for days. I guess it was realllly fun to say. Barack Obama did win, and his party (the democrats) won majority in the house and the senate, so now we wait. Nervously. We wait for the change.

Fun Guy

2008-11-01T21:40:00.002-04:00

This is why, when the back door closes around 5:30pm, the kids go running to the door while screaming "Daddyyyyyy!"

And, unrelated, I had Libby's hair in my hands with the scissors around her bangs, and I couldn't do it. I put the scissors down and shook my head. I know as soon as I cut the bangs she will look like a "kid" and not a baby. I'll just keep pushing it over to the side and trying to get her to keep a clip in it. Stay little. Stay.

Minnie Mouse and the Spider

2008-10-31T23:30:00.000-04:00

Click here to see all of our halloween photos. We had a night of perfect weather for trick or treating. Just cold enough so that they didn't burn up in their costumes! The both had a great time, and it didn't take Libby long to figure out that when the wagon stopped, she should hop out and get her pumpkin bucket ready. She would stand up and try to climb out before we could bend down to help her, she was so excited. They both kept their costumes on all night, which surprised me because Emma has always hated costumes. We taught Libby to say "trick-or-treat" and is sounded like "wi-wee"! She didn't say it while she was actually trick-or-treating, though, only before and after. After the girls went to sleep, I sorted through the candy and threw the gum away. Libby got some animal crackers and that was the only thing left her bucket suitable for a one year old. I put all the rest of the candy back in Emma's pumpkin bucket. It is way too much candy for a four year old. Whatever will Chucky and I do about that?

Body Sculpting

2008-10-30T20:21:00.003-04:00

Every Tuesday and Thursday morning, I go to the local YMCA and exercise. I just started going in September, so I'm still new at all this exercise business. I usually get on the treadmill for a while and the stationary bike for a while. Today I was the only one there. Some days there are five or six young mothers in there. Today, no one. I was bored. I tried a different kind of bike, then I tried the elliptical. I didn't push myself too hard, and probably wasn't even going to be sore. Until. Until a friend invited me to come to a body sculpt class later at 5pm. Oh. My. I feel like I have been sculpted. All over.
I am so out of shape. I would be very proud of myself if I could do that entire class and not feel like I was being tortured. I couldn't finish all the reps of some of the excercises. It was obvious that I need this class, and I hope I can keep going. I need crock pot dinners all ready to go when I get home after class at 6pm. Tonight we had some kind of swiss steak over egg noodles. That's another subject, dinner.

Playtime

2008-10-22T22:27:00.003-04:00

The newest playtime fun is roughhousing. It makes me tired just watching!

Yogurt and Cheeeeese!

2008-10-22T22:15:00.005-04:00

There are so many things about this video that I love and want to remember:

Emma hiding the spoon behind the cup of yogurt so she can zoom it out.
Libby saying 'eeeee!' (that means cheeeeese!) for the camera.
How happy Emma is with herself.

18 Months

2008-10-21T21:52:00.002-04:00

24lbs,4oz
31.25"
One shot in each leg!

Libby has been the same size for so long! At her 9 month check up she was 20 pounds, and now she's only 24 pounds (still in the 50-75 percentile). She got so big so fast, and now she's stuck. The eczema has been better with Eucerin cream on it two or three times a day. The doctor prescribed some cream for when it gets "really angry". Libby screams when I rub lotion over her legs and I wonder if it stings or if she just doesn't want to be still for it. Emma is the one who told me "it's probably stinging her, mommy!" Oh, um, yeah, you're probably right, Emma.
Every day Libby is full of joy and determination. She is very loud and talkative. I realized this after I spent a day with her quiet peaceful cousin, Mason. What an easy going boy! You won't hear her talk much, though. She gets shy around strangers! She didn't say anything but 'hello' for the doctor, and she didn't say a word at the Record office when I took her to work with me Monday morning. She runs laps around the house and carries her Elmo doll most places. Tonight when I was rocking her she asked for him . . . and he was lost! I distracted her with a little blankie, she got over it and I found him later. Phew.

Eczema

2008-10-15T20:40:00.002-04:00

I don't have an upclose, ultra gross picture yet, but I (and her pediatric nurse via telephone)have diagnosed Libby's leg with eczema. I have lathered it with vaseline, aquaphor, cortaid . . . and it just keeps spreading. Everything I read says to be patient, that it takes awhile to get it under to control. I just have no idea if I'm doing the right things at the right time. She has a doctor's appointment on Tuesday, so I'm hoping to have it a little more under control by then - I really don't want to look like a neglectful mother, bringing my 18 month old for a checkup covered in cracked dry skin that I let go for a week because I thought it was poison ivy. Bad mommy.

Pizza Night

2008-10-12T09:05:00.002-04:00

Yes, there is pizza all in her hair! She went straight into the bath tub. The next morning her clothes and sheets were covered in poop. It's been a messy weekend.

Applesauce

2008-10-09T20:46:00.002-04:00

This is just, as Sarah Palin would say, darned cute.
Libby has rediscovered apple sauce. When we moved from baby food to finger foods, she refused to be fed. She wanted to do it all herself. Now that she can handle the spoon herself, she wants to use it all the time and brings me applesauce from the pantry several times a day.

Bye Bye Baby

2008-10-09T20:34:00.002-04:00

I sometimes put toys in the attic after birthdays or Christmas. They are brand new, but maybe there's just not room in our house at the time, or the toy may be too advanced at the time for Emma. A few days ago I pulled one of these toys out. A whole box full of doll baby gear. High chair (Emma calls it a hotchair), swing, carrier, and stroller. The girls are obsessed with the stuff. When they wake up in the morning they are more interested in playing with babies than eating breakfast. This is unheard of for our hungry girls. Nothing comes between them and their breakfast! The only problem is they fight over it. It doesn't matter who had what first, or that there are four new things, because there is always a 'toy of the moment' and they both want it. This video is a pretty good moment. Libby goes quickly from fired-up-mad to happy-cute.

This Girl Needs Her Own Camera

2008-10-09T20:23:00.003-04:00

Okay, so Emma wanted to take a picture of Shelby. I gave her my pocket camera for a few minutes, then told her it was time to put it away. Oh. My. Gosh. When I uploaded the pictures last night I couldn't believe it. One picture of Shelby. Fifty-four pictures of the TV show Clifford (not kidding), the dishwasher, her back pack, the refrigerator, just pictures of junk. It's not that I find this weird, no, I thought it was wonderful that she wanted to take pictures of everything. I have that problem myself sometimes. What freaked me out was that she managed to take about 80 pictures in what I thought was about two minutes. But as slow as that camera is, it must have been more like ten minutes. No wonder she was so proud of herself when she handed it over.

Baby Doll Discussion

2008-10-07T13:37:00.004-04:00

Emma: Here's baby See-See, you're the grandma and I'm going on a trip. You better get ready while I pack her clothes.

Me: Ok, I'm ready!

Emma: Make sure she takes two naps and goes on two, three or four strolls.

Me: Ok, no problem. Where are you going, who are you going with?

Emma: I'm just going on a trip for two days with the daddy, you know, my husband.

Me: Oh, what is his name?

Emma: His name is Calla. He's a surveryor just like daddy.

Me: Oh, that's a weird name, is he from some weird place in the world?

Emma: No, he lives just across the street from my house.

Me: Ok, see you soon!

Emma: I'm back!

Me: Oh, hi! Well where's the daddy?

Emma: Oh, he stopped off somewhere. He had to go out and make jokes with his friends.

Tailgate

2008-10-06T15:01:00.002-04:00

Sunday after church, we had a tailgate party in the parking lot to celebrate the kick off of the new sunday school year. Emma and Maggie stayed in Amy's car the whole time. Emma idolizes her older cousin. This is all fine and good for now, but is this the person that will be driving my daughter around buying her beer when she's in high school? Aaaaggghhhhh! They ended up spending the whole afternoon together. Maggie is six years older than Emma, but still has fun hanging out with her and teaching her all the girlie things to play. There is a pedicure party scheduled for the near future. Can I come?

Crazy Wiggly Pumpkin Girls

2008-10-06T14:55:00.004-04:00

I have to post photos of them seperately, because here it what happens when I try to photograph them together:

Where I Am Every Saturday

2008-10-05T14:20:00.000-04:00

2008 Southside Sentinel Headliners: Reese, Trevor, Alyssa, Coach Karen, Jackson, Riley, Christopher, Michael, Emma, Courtney, Coach Kate

Yes, that's Emma. She has hat issues. Hey, I'm just glad she put the thing on.

State Fair

2008-09-30T20:42:00.003-04:00

Libby loved the animals, Emma loved the rides. There weren't any rides for children Libby's size, but we did sneak her on one, and it was very thrilling to her even before it started moving. Click here to see all the photos from our day at the state fair.

Pumpkin Painting

2008-09-30T20:37:00.002-04:00

We have reluctantly admitted that fall is here, and are now accepting and celebrating it full steam ahead. Here's Emma painting her pumpkin on the front porch.

Carrot with legs

2008-09-30T20:32:00.002-04:00

We found this in our bag of carrots. Emma wanted me to peel it and cut off the top so she could eat it, but I just couldn't do it! It's still in the fridge and will probably stay there until it gets yucky and has to be thrown out. It kind of reminds me of a Barbie with her head taken off.

Bay-beeee!

2008-09-30T20:22:00.003-04:00

Libby has been playing little miss mommy lately. When she spots the baby she wants, she screams, "bay-bee" and brings it to me and repeats "bay-bee" until I acknowledge her excitement. She feeds her baby the bottle, and puts the pacifier in her mouth. Then she slings her across the room. I guess she has a way to go with her mommy training!

Libby feeds a freakishly small baby doll.

Libby surveys her children.

Libby becomes the baby! She alternates between putting the doll pacifier in her mouth, and carrying the baby around with its arm in her mouth.

Trash Can Crisis

2008-09-24T21:22:00.002-04:00

Today . . . I went to Wal-Mart . . . and bought a $82 stainless steel lidded trash can. All afternoon I have had butterflies in my stomach over it! Did I really just buy an $82 trash can? What will Chucky say? I told myself: it will last forever, and now Shelby and Libby won't be pulling things out of the trash! I started feeling better about it. . . then George Bush got on TV and scared the hell out of me. I might go through the trash in my new trash can and search for the receipt and see what else is on there that I might be able to return. Libby's book? Emma's pumpkin paints? The potatoes and carrots?

Dinnertime

2008-09-23T20:13:00.002-04:00

Dinnertime at our house is a crazy time. Chucky doesn't get home until 5:30 and by then Libby is almost starving, so I try to have dinner on the table promptly at 5:30. The crazy time is from 5 to 5:30, when I am preparing the food and setting the table. Libby is absolutely a wreck. She pulls on my legs, cries, screams, throws things, and this is her reward . . . a seat on the countertop in the middle of the action, snack included. These are the moments I wish time to speed up. The only moments. It's the hardest half hour of my day, and after five evenings of it in a row, the weekend looks better than ever.

Little Miss Active

2008-09-23T19:56:00.002-04:00

Emma started dance classes a couple of weeks ago. She goes reluctantly, but says she has fun when I pick her up. She's not a girly-girl, like a lot of her friends seem to be. She doesn't want things in her hair, and thinks dressing up is just for church. She's a lot like her momma.

The Southside Sentinel Headliners are at it again! Here's Emma at bam-bam. Thanks to Maggie for the baseball pants!

Libby gets her first batting lesson from an ol' timer.

Melmo

2008-09-22T20:23:00.000-04:00

Libby Loves Elmo! She has seen him in books, and on toys, but this was her first sighting of him on television.

To my little prizes:

2008-09-16T21:35:00.005-04:00

I know I already posted this picture, but it has gotten inside my mind like a disease and taken over my thoughts.

Dear Emma and Libby,

Hello my girls! I know you can't even read yet, but maybe one day you will see this. And one day you will love your curly hair. Because you'll see it on your own children.
My whole life I have wished for straight hair. I've been thankful for contact lenses since I was in eight grade, and I've wished away my moles and freckles every summer. And I wished to be a few inches taller until . . . well, who are we kidding, I still wish that! All these things about me are likely going to be passed on to you. And I will love it! I'll be so proud to be the mom of the short girls with the curly hair, freckles and glasses. You'll figure out the best way to deal with all of these traits, and when you see them in your own children you will be so proud, amazed, thankful, and finally at peace with yourself.
Emma, you are four now and you love your curls and you proudly count the few freckles you have on your legs like they are prizes. Libby, you are one and everyone compliments you on your curly red hair. These things make me smile and marvel at the miracles you are . . . but remember these physical traits are just bonuses, because I'd love you just as much without them.