State Fair

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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:

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.

Dinner Table Conversation

Daddy: Libby, do you want some more chicken?

Libby: vigorous head nod yes, bawk!bawk!

Mommy: HAHAHAHHAHA! spits food everywhere

Yup, our child made a chicken sound to signal she wanted to eat more chicken. I hope God is not a vegetarian.

Libby says:

sit, bag, tweet-tweet, woof, meow, baaa, alright, down, loud, man

she has also added the 'yes nod' to her vocabulary, which helps immensely given that she always answered no even when she meant yes! thank you.

30 minutes in our back yard

Here's a typical afternoon moment in our backyard:

Libby thinks she is a big girl and tries to climb up the rock wall.


Emma zooms around the yard on her tractor, and


Libby thinks it's hilarious.


Libby gets stuck under the table.


Emma finds a "double acorn"


They fight over toys in the sandbox and throw sand on each other.


Libby displays her red curls and everyone is happy again.

My Favorite is Periwinkle

The Crayola 64 box is 50 years old! Go to the
Crayola Color Quizzer to test your knowledge on the color names.

Child's Prayer

The things, good Lord,
That we pray for;
Give us strength to work for.
-Sir Thomas More

This prayer came from a children's prayer book that we borrowed from the library. I decided it's not only for children and I don't want to forget it, so here it is.

Bugs!

Libby is crazy over bugs. If she sees one crawling on the floor, she searches for something to beat it with, usually a napkin from the top of the trash can(I know, gross!), or a toy. If she sees one in a book, she slaps it. When a thank you card arrived in the mail last week that had little dragonflies all over it, I showed it to her and she slapped at it over and over. I tried to get her to do it again for the video camera, and what you see here is pure adorable Libby (with a pause to say cheese for the camera):