Emily and Madison

Santa Monica 2011

2011-07-25T18:12:00.001-07:00

McDonalds, the beach for a couple of hours capped off by ice cream and a few rides on the carosel. Family tradition every summer.

This year you both ventured out a little further into the ocean. Maddy without any hand holding and Emily into waves that broke above her head at times. As soon as you master swimming Em, I'll teach you to boogie board. :)

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Santa Monica 2011

2011-07-25T18:06:00.001-07:00

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Thankful For?

2011-07-18T14:03:00.001-07:00

At church Maddy drew what she was thankful for. Most kids drew their families. Maddy drew a spider :)

She also drew something she said was "saddness.". She said,"Im thankful for saddness because then I can show them the light of Jesus!"

Wow.

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Fashion Show

2011-07-02T23:49:00.001-07:00

Tonight at the Evans.

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Maddys Prayer

2011-03-22T16:21:00.001-07:00

God you're great. You can make anything out of Playdoh or Bend a Roos.

Age 5

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Christmas 2010

2010-12-25T22:18:00.001-08:00

Emily, you said it was the best Christmas ever and I couldn't agree more. Your big surprise was a giant Barbie doll house which was quickly taken over by the Monster High Dolls.

Maddy, your big gifts this year were Dance Star Mickey and Hot Wheels Criss Cross Crash. Two funny stories.

First CCC was something that I had found awful reviews online for. The cars can't stay on the track they said. You, undaunted, began saying you wanted Criss Cross DON'T CRASH because the cars fall off the tracks. It's the face you made each time you explained that the cars fall off the track that made me laugh.

Dance Star Mickey was every other word out of your mouth leading up to Christmas. In fact you began saying good night to a large wrapped box because you were certain DSM was in it. The box was much too small BTW. But hey, you are 4 and scale is a lot different to a 4 year old.

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Quotable

2010-05-23T19:26:00.001-07:00

A loose tooth is a toy for your tongue.

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Emily makes breakfast for herself

2010-05-22T09:35:00.001-07:00

This morning Emily made breakfast for herself for the first time. She is 7 years and one month old. :). Mom and I were ver proud and excited that Saturdays may soon include sleeping in.

We left milk for her in a Royal
Carribean thermos so she could reach and pour without help. Thank you Valenti's for this idea!

Now if we can just get Maddy to eat before she come crawling into bed we'd be set. :)

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Emily at Dance

2010-04-12T16:31:00.001-07:00

I am at dance practice with Emily. A boy litteraly just walked in an joined her class and she is already looking at him like he's the only boy on the planet. She is starring smiling and giggling.

Busted. The teacher just told her to stop giggling.

She's in first grade. What is high school going to be like. :)

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Maddy putting jelly on toast

2010-04-11T22:20:00.001-07:00

Forgot a photo.

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Maddy

2010-04-11T22:18:00.001-07:00

Putting her own jelly on for the first time.

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Emily Makes Her Own Breakfast

2010-04-11T22:14:00.001-07:00

Today Emily made her own breakfast for the first time. She cooked waffles in the toaster and later made toast as well. Go Emmy!

6 years 11.5 months

Oh, Maddy also made toast today. She pushed her little stool up to the counter and I showed her how to set the dial to 4. She stood there the entire time waiting for it to pop. She even insisted on putting her own jelly on. It took her awhile but she did it. :)

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Maddy learns to cross her eyes

2010-04-11T22:08:00.001-07:00

Today Maddy pulled my face up to hers threw her eyes open wide, crossed them and said ,"Look! Two Papas!"

4 years 4 months old

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A Proud Moment

2010-03-24T22:37:00.001-07:00

Tonight Emily, Madison and were watching hockey when an Av player took a high stick to the face. I paused the Tv and told the girls to go brush their teeth and then play. Emily wanted to stay but I explained that the player was hit hard and there may be a lot of blood. He may even have lost a tooth.

Emily left but returned shortly to see if the player was ok

When I told her that he had not lost a tooth she looked relieved and explained how she was about to pray for him but wouldn't need to now.

It was soooo sweet to hear her say that she would pray for someone she thought was suffering. Sondra and I both feel very good knowing that our little 6 year old knows the power of prayer. :)

Go Emmy!

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Maddy and Emmy

2010-03-11T16:46:00.001-08:00

4 year old Madison keeps running around saying, "I'm too old to marry boys."

Go Maddy. You are singing my tune.

In unrelated news, 6 year old Emily keeps talking about kissing boys and has her first serious crush. She was sick over it one night to the point where she didn't want to go to school. The crush was a secret that she feared might get out!!!

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Maddy said

2010-02-09T22:31:00.001-08:00

I love u even when you spank me.

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1st Grade

2010-02-09T22:29:00.001-08:00

Fart noises and poop jokes. Yes everything that has anything to do with going to the bathroom is now funny. My Daughter is now a middle aged man. :)

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2010-01-24T22:14:00.001-08:00

Recently Emily received her very first phone call from a friend. It took a second for it to sink in that the little voice on the other end of the phone had just asked for Emily. The call was from Faith and it eventually ended up in a play date at her house.

A couple of days ago the phone rang and this time it was Emily calling to say that she had gone from Reece's house to Joe's house and she wanted to know how long she could stay.

Wow. Our little first grade girl is growing up. :)

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Emily has a problem

2010-01-24T22:08:00.001-08:00

Last night Emily met a friend if mine and told Sondra,"He's cute." then she went on to say "I have a problem. I think every boy I see is cute."

Shoot me now. :)

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The Ratings are In

2010-01-12T18:18:00.001-08:00

Emily decided to rank the family members in order that she likes them...

1. Mommy
2. Gammy
3. Papa
4. Katie (a dog)
5. Kristin
6. Nana
7. Uncle Jason
8. Madison
9. Grampy
10. Uncle Jim (how the mighty have fallen)

Madison said...
1. Nana
2. Mama
3. Chocolate
4. Papa
5. Emily
Lost her attention...

How much you want bet the rankings change tomorrow. :)

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Dance Today

2010-01-11T16:51:00.001-08:00

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Dance Class

2010-01-11T16:30:00.001-08:00

Emily. I am watching you dance. It is magic.

It is only your 4th class. I hope you are loving it as I am.

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Happy 4th Bday Maddy

2010-01-07T22:32:00.000-08:00

Today was a Thursday. You woke up and exclaimed "ITS MY BIRTHDAY PARTY!!!"

You referred to yourself in 3rd person all day as "the birthday girl.". Like when u knocked on my bedroom door as I changed after work you said,"it's the birthday girl"

It's a thrill to see u so excited because it's the first year that you are really aware of what's going on. You have been talking about this day for weeks. Today u went to the store to pick ou your cake. When u came home you told Emily she could have the largest piece of cake because honestly that's simply how nice you are and how nice we hope you will always be

Before bed tonight you told us that you wanted a new mommy. You mentioned it several times. Mommy asked who you would want for a new mommy and your reply was...

A duck.

Sorry, you can't get everything you want on your birthday. :)

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Maddy a day before 4

2010-01-06T15:53:00.000-08:00

Maddy I am typing as I sit here at your dance class. Tomorrow is your 4 th birthday. I am stunned at how much you have changed in the last few months.

U are fully participating and in many cases following the teacher better than the others. A song just ended so u ran over to give me a high five as you exclaimed "Papa I did it!!!"

Mom and are thrilled that you are enjoying dance esp since Emily doesn't seem to like it near as much.

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Reading Time?

2010-01-03T15:51:00.001-08:00

On the toilet today Maddy went potty then looked and Sondra and said,"Go get me a magazine because I have to go poo."

Maddy 4 days from her 4th birthday

Test 2

2010-01-01T21:26:00.001-08:00

Working with photos

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Testing 1 2 3...

2010-01-01T14:39:00.001-08:00

I have uploaded an app so I can do this from my phone. Testing

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Madison Knows The Lord's Prayer

2009-08-25T20:08:00.000-07:00

Every night as I rock her to sleep I ask if she wants to say "Thank You" prayers or "Our Father." Lately it has been Our Father every night.

She loves to say, "Trespasses." :)

A few nights ago I asked her to start and I would repeat after her instead of the other way around. I was amazed at how much she could recite. She skipped "Thy kingdom come.." otherwise nailed it.

Go Maddy. I am so proud.

Madison's First Day of Preschool

2009-08-25T19:56:00.000-07:00

Maddy,
Today was your first day of preschool. It's days like this that I wish I was a better writer to describe what a huge moment it is in a parent's life when their baby starts school.

You were excited to go. You had taken right to your teacher a few days prior at open house so I think that helped. It's hard to get the events of the day out of toddler but you did tell me that you heard a story about a snake that ate people and that it was very funny. You got to play with 2 pink toys and when I asked if you colored you said no, "I scribbled." (with pink and red). Love the self-assessment. :) You also said that you only played with the girls!

Lullaby

2009-04-07T19:16:00.000-07:00

Today I was sick and on the couch struggling to take a nap. My little 3 year old Maddy came up to me and said,"let me sing you a lullaby papa."

She sang Rock a Bye Baby and I fell asleep.

Thank you Maddy

Emily Bathed Herself for the First Time Tonight

2009-03-30T21:33:00.001-07:00

Emily, tonight I taught you how to wash your own hair and body. You will be 6 in a month and while you have had the ability to do it for a long time, you have not been willing to try it. Mommy says it's because you are a perfectionist and don't like to try things until you know you will get them perfect the first time.

Well guess what? You were perfect tonight! I showed you how to squeeze the shampoo into your hand and how to make sure you scrubbed really well. I set up a mirror so you could see yourself. You were surprised at how soapy your hair gets! After your hair was done you washed the rest of your body without prompting. You were awesome.

You were eager to try tonight and had fun doing it. We had a great time together. After the bath you even wanted to blow dry your own hair and that is when I snapped this photo.

I love you!

Madison LOVES Church Songs

2009-03-19T16:23:00.000-07:00

I've got the JOY JOY JOY JOY

Down in my heart

Where?

Down in my heart

Where?

Down in my heart to stay...

Anyone who was brought up in a protestant faith probably sang that as a kid. Maddy learned recently and LOVES to sing it. Her version goes like this...

I've got the JOY JOY JOY JOY

JOHNNY IN MY HEART (she puts a lot of emotion into this part)

Word!

JOHNNY IN MY HEART

Word!

Johnny in my heart to stay...

It is hilarious to hear and when you try to correct her she says, "NO Papa, it's JOHNNY IN MY HEART!" Thank God for the video camera.

Emily Goes to Joes

2009-03-19T16:11:00.001-07:00

As I type, I am watching Emily cross the street for the first time to ask a friend to play. She stood at our curb for awhile, I wasn't sure if she was going to go through with it.

She's there now. Will she ring the bell??

The door just opened and out ran their giant dog. Brianna stepped out and gave Emily a hug (Brianna is our babysitter).

She is standing in the doorway

Out comes Joe!!!

Scratch that, back in goes Joe.

Must have needed shoes. They are both running around the yard now.

THIS IS A HUGE moment for me as a parent. I wish Emily would stop growing up but apparently there's no stopping her. :)

Coming Home

2009-03-04T17:27:00.001-08:00

Maddy,
When I come home, you come running and give me a squeezy hug. I love it!

Thank you. :)

Famly Game Night

2009-02-22T09:42:00.000-08:00

A few Fridays ago we had a family game night. The four of us started with Handy Manny but Madison just seemed to want to play by her own rules. Instead of putting tiles back after drawing them, she kept them and would growl at you if you tried to take them. :)

We decided to play by Madison's "house rules."

Maddy ended up winning so I guess she knows what she's doing when she modifies rules. We all played by the same rules so I guess you could say she won fair and square.

After Handy Manny, I went to hall to get another game. Emily came chasing after me protesting that she wasn't getting to pick but turned all smiles when I got down Ticket to Ride.

Sondra would later say that she felt bad because she was playing so hard to win. It didn't matter. Emily won again, this time running away. We all started with one route face up and hers was a 20 pointer. Something like Vancouver to NY. Later she would draw a route that used a lot of the same track. Throughout the course of the game, Emily used the longest links possible to complete routes.

No one helped her this time aside from pointing out the colors she may need to complete her first route. The rest was her.

Kids 2
Parents 0

Emily Learns Her First Adult Board Game

2009-02-22T09:24:00.000-08:00

They say apples don't far fall from trees. If that is the case then perhaps Emily is still on the tree somewhere.

You see, I taught her the board game Ticket to Ride. A game designed for adult play and she is but 5. I played with only 2 small modifications. We each started with one route which we played face up. I put a marker at the beginning and ending cites so she could see what colors she needed to build. From there it was all her. Asking her on occasion, "what color do you need to collect?" She would reply by scanning the board and grabbing a card that she in fact needed.

My play was only intentionally helpful twice when I grabbed cards I did not need in order give Emily different colors to choose from.

At one point in the game I was trying to explain to her the she could make her route (2nd or 3rd one) shorter by taking a short cut in the middle. She insisted on collecting green cards and taking the long way so I just let her play her game.

Funny thing is, she won. She won fair and square. She won because she took the long way around and got the 10 pts for the longest route!

Go Em.

Emily Defines "Getting Old"

2009-01-01T16:23:00.000-08:00

Sometime this year Emily said (she's 5 - found this on a post-it to blog)...

Em - "I'm getting old"

Papa - "Huh?"

Em - "I'm half the size of mom"

Papa - "What does it mean to be 'old'?"

Em - "I need a lot of rest"

Papa - "Well, what happens when you're old?"

Em - "I feel weak."

Christmas Photos

2009-01-01T15:36:00.000-08:00

Here is a link to our Christmas photos that I took at our house Christmas morning.

Maddy Counts to 13

2009-01-01T15:24:00.000-08:00

Maddy is 7 days shy of 3 years old so we'll call her 2.something when she did this.

Gammy, Emmy and Maddy were playing Elefun. I sat with Maddy to count the butterflies she caught fully assuming I'd have to help. No need. Maddy dumped her butterflies out of her net and proceeded to count them one by one. Not only did she count to 13, she also won the game!

In many ways Maddy still seems like a baby, our baby, then she goes and reminds us that she is growing up all too fast.

For those without kids Elefun is a game were you load a toy elephant with "butterflies" that fly out of it's trunk and into the air. Each player has a net and must catch as many as he or she can or be the first to grab a butterfly from the floor if everyone missed it. Maddy caught a few but won by being the first to grab a lot of the butterflies that hit the floor. Good strategy Maddy!

Santa Hears the Wisper of My Heart

2008-12-24T10:27:00.000-08:00

"What do you want for Christmas?" *shrugs*. "Emily, what are you going to tell Santa you want for Christmas?" *looks shy and dumbfounded* "Emily, you have to tell Santa so he'll know what to bring you." Emily, pauses, tilts her head and smiles as if she is hugging a teddy bear or has a schoolgirl crush and says, "Santa will hear the whisper of my heart."

Oh crap. "The whisper of her heart?" Sounds cute and all but we need information and we need it now. It's Christmas eve eve and she has never really put emphasis on what is most important to her. As we stand in line, I am appreciating it's length. Mommy and I use the time wisely.

Littlest Pet Shops, OK, that was easy we knew she wanted that, but what else?...A carriage for my Barbies... Huh? A carriage for your what? Those things you never play with? OK, I'd heard this one once, maybe twice before but now it's at the top of your list??? Now you're asking the big man for it???

In completely unrelated news, I spent last night shopping frantically for some last minute items for, um, Sondra.

Merry Christmas One and All. :)

What Emily Will Never Outgrow

2008-12-17T20:39:00.000-08:00

Clearing out old toys in the wake of Christmas, tonight we were talking about what toys we can give to less fortunate kids. I said that some toys you simply outgrow. Emily turned to me and said, "I'LL NEVER OUTGROW MONEY!!!"

Um, she's only 5 and I'm in trouble. I guess apple don't fall far from trees. :)

Emily Breaks the Code

2008-11-04T20:17:00.000-08:00

Sunday Sondra and I were driving home from church when we began talking about something we didn't want the kids to hear. As all parents do we began spelling out the words as if it was a cryptic message. No sooner than I had said, "P-I-N-K" then I hear a voice in the back of the car yell, "PINK!"

The beginning of the end is near for all parental secrecy...

A New Boyfriend?

2008-10-17T20:09:00.000-07:00

Tonight Emily went to a birthday party at Pump it Up. She came home with this report.

E -"Tonight I played with my boyfriend Robert."

Papa - "Boyfriend?"

E - "Yes, he's my real live boyfriend!"

Papa - "Well what about Matthew?"

E - "He wasn't invited to the party"

TOOT

2008-10-17T20:05:00.000-07:00

Today Maddy let out the biggest FART you ever heard come out of a 2.5 year old.

Me - "What was that!?!"

Maddy - "Oh, it's just my gas."

To hear that come out of our little girl was hilarious. My blog doesn't do it justice. :)

Emily is Student of the Month

2008-09-29T19:54:00.000-07:00

Emily was selected by Mrs. Tessarro to be her first "Outstanding Student." Emily was thrilled, we were thrilled.

Here is what her teacher said...

Emily is just an all around amazing student. She is always on task and friendly with everyone. She is very bright and extremely helpful. When I was informed of the award the first student I thought of was Emily. You and your family have done an excellent job with her, and I am very pleased to have her in my class.

Emily talked for a week about how she was going to get a "prize." The prize turned out to me a medal, a nice one at that. She wore the medal all weekend and continues to wear it with great pride.

GO EMILY!

Catching Up on the Kindergarten Fiasco

2008-09-16T17:23:00.000-07:00

A fiasco to me at least and it goes like this...

Emily enrolls at Veterans begins to attend making a strong connection with someone who seemed to be a great teacher.

Then the bomb drops.

Veterans informs us that Emily will be transferred to Norris. Now Norris is where she should have been all along but the district said that it was overcrowded and Emily would have to change schools. They sent us to Veterans with the consolation of busing (although Emily would have to transfer buses mi-route which made us nervous - she did fine, of course). We went to Veterans with open minds and fell in love. Emily, who had just spent 2 years at St. John's pre-school, took to her new school with ease. She connected so strongly with her teacher that Sondra and I were put at ease.

Now we are told that Emily will have to change schools, 2 weeks in. Emily cried at dinner when we broke it to her.

And us - we are not happy! Sondra was brought to tears. As teachers we know what this means. Someone was just hired to fill the new kindergarten spot. Hmm. Let's think about that. Who gets hired 2-weeks into the school year? I can tell you it's either a brand stinking new teacher or someone that no one wanted over the summer.

Again, we are not happy about this.

I decided that I had to meet the teacher ASAP to clam the storm that is my house. Thankfully the teacher appeared to be a good one. Very open and honest about her situation (getting the class ready 2 weeks in). That she was willing to see me on such short notice said a lot about her as well. Her room looked good too.

Afer orientation and back to school night, all was well. Luckily Emily's closest friend Riley transferred with her. Emily seems to like her new class though she doesn't talk about it as much. It could just be that the newness wore off a little. Who knows..

Shopping with the Allowance

2008-08-31T17:17:00.000-07:00

Emily,
Today you went shopping with mom and spent your allowance for the first time. Mom took you to Target and said that you had to go up and down 3 aisles of girl's toys so you could comparison shop and find the most you could get for your money.

You came home with a "Littlest Pet Shop" toy. This one had camping items, a tent, row boat and some torches. You were thrilled and can't wait to earn more money and go back to Target!

:)

Why Women Worry About What They Wear!

2008-08-29T07:32:00.000-07:00

Today was "Red Day" at Emily's school. When she came home I asked her if everyone in her class had worn red. Then she broke out with this..

"NO!, there was one girl who wore pink shorts with a purple Strawberry Shortcake shirt, white tennis shoes and black socks!"

OH MY Goodness! So girls pay attention to what other girls wear even in kindergarten and with such detail.

:)

Day 1 of Kindergarten

2008-08-18T21:41:00.000-07:00

Emily was beaming as she told me about how on day 1 of kindergarten she was moved up to the "blue" area for good behavior. Her teacher has a chart (you all remember them) that starts every student at green. Good behavior moves you up to blue and then to yellow (Sunshine). Bad behavior moves you down to purple (warning), orange (no recess) and red (letter home).

Yay for Emily!

She also talked excitedly about a new friend she made today named Rylie. She's not in Emily's class but she has the same recess time. Emily was so proud when she told us how Rylie was afraid to ride the bus so she held her hand and made it better.

What a big girl Emily is growing up to be. Mom and I are so proud.:)

Emily was so excited about school that tonight she played teacher and we were her students. Mommy and I started on green but by the time we were done, Papa was on purple. I guess it's not ok to tickle Ms. Emily.

Kindergarten Starts Tomorrow

2008-08-17T15:22:00.000-07:00

Sondra and I took the day off to attend Emily's kindergarten orientation last Thursday. It was a thrill to sit in the cafeteria and think, "Hey, this is it. Our first daughter is going to school." Pre-school just wasn't the same because it was more of a discovery whereas now it's all academic.

We listened to the principal give an overview of the school and then we went to Mrs. Freeman's room where she gave a detailed explanation of her class. I had 50 million questions swirling in my head but only asked when language arts was taught. The teacher in me wanted to know all about the curriculum but I held back.

The letting go begins.

I think the hardest part for me will be seeing her step onto the school bus. That feels so grown up to me. Your baby steps onto a bus and goes somewhere on her own. No mom, no dad, no grandma - traveling out of sight and growing up when we really want her to stay our baby forever. I think many parents would agree judging by the many who will be bringing their children to and from school.

We are so proud of you Emily.

Reading

2008-08-16T17:48:00.000-07:00

Allowance

2008-08-16T13:34:00.000-07:00

Emily has begun receiving an allowance for chores she completes around the house. Before going to bed she picks up the toy room, family room and her bedroom. For each clean room she receives what she calls "A Money."

She is a very determined little girl who likes to get the job done by herself for fear of having to share her reward. This great reward? - it is a nickel to you and me but to her it is far more valuable.

Emily is at an amazing age when she holds a coin like you or I would hold a diamond. Once we gave her a dime and tried to explain that it was worth 2 nickels. No good. She wasn't having it. She wanted a nickel and nothing else.

What happens to all of these nickels you may wonder. Well, she has 3 small piggy banks. One is for her to spend, the second is to save for the bank and the third, get this, she says she is saving to buy her daughter some nice toys.

Oh, my does it start early! :)

Papa's Great

2008-08-12T20:21:00.000-07:00

As I was leaving Emily's room tonight at bedtime she said.

"Tonight we read the story "Mommy's Great." We don't have a book, "Papa's Great" but I still think you're great.

:)

Maddy's First Trip to the Beach

2008-08-01T09:08:00.001-07:00

Here is Maddy walking to the ocean for the very first time. Emily was very excited to "go get in the water" but Maddy wasn't so sure.

She tried to hide behind Sondra when the waves came in. :)

Madison Set the Table

2008-07-28T22:24:00.000-07:00

Madison is only 2 and a half but some days you'd never know it.

Tonight before dinner she set the table. The non-breakable plates were recently moved to the pantry so the kids could reach them. Maddy went to the pantry and one at a time brought out a plate announcing who the plate was for. "This is plate is for papa" she would say.

She then picked out the forks for Emily and herself while Sondra handed her our forks (don't want her grabbing a knife). She put the forks by the plates and was beaming with pride the entire time. :)

War

2008-07-25T10:21:00.000-07:00

I taught Emily the card game War yesterday. I took out the aces and face cards so we had 36 cards in play. After going through our decks one time we counted our cards to see who was the winner.

Emily 31
Papa 5

You can't make this stuff up. She is already a card shark, ready to knock me off of my game playing throne. :-)

Papa is so proud!

Step Stool

2008-07-24T08:30:00.000-07:00

Maddy, obsessed as ever with pink, received a pink step stool the other day for the bathroom.

She carries the stool with her all over the house and it is hilarious to see her place it in front of the TV and pretend to do step aerobics with it. She even counts as she steps. 1-2-3-JUMP!.

She is 2 and a half.

Tonight Emily Tried Her Food At Diner

2008-07-20T21:01:00.000-07:00

This is a miracle here people. The kind of stuff you only hear about.

If you don't already know, diner at our house has gone something like - Sondra puts food on plate, Emily refuses to touch her plate. We have tried everything to get her to eat but she simply will not. She would rather go hungry than eat a meal that doesn't include PB&J or a cheese quesadilla.

Tonight we had Lasagna at Nana's and out of the blue she tried it. And guess what? She likes it. She ate all of her lasagna and wanted more. We are thrilled!!! It's 3 hours later and I think Sondra and I are still smiling. What's next, baked chicken? Spaghetti? The possibilities are endless. :-0

The Great Momnents of My Life

2008-07-12T13:13:00.000-07:00

Everytime I dance with my girls I am living one of the great moments of my life. How wonderful to be living a great moment and be aware at the time that I am living it.

Today I bounced around with Maddy to the Beatles "Balad of John and Yoko." Her smile, her giggle and her hug when we were done, forever a memory.

One of my favorites is the time I held a 2.5 year old Emily tight and danced a slow father-daughter dance to "Sailing." I must confess I think of their wedding days at times like these.

Emily and Swimming

2008-07-08T16:01:00.000-07:00

Emily's fear of the water has faded and returned over the years. Just when we think it's gone, it returns stronger. One summer she was jumping off the step to mom, the next she was glued again to the step.

Then this happened...

She went with mom to Cary's and wore "floaties." Even still, she glued herself to the step. Or so she thought...

At some point she realized that she had floated away. :)

Seeing that she did not sink, she was no longer afraid. Well at least not afraid to float. Sondra and I are hoping it's a step to swimming and not an addiction. We'll be patient. :)

Madison Swimming

2008-07-08T15:47:00.000-07:00

Maddy sounds very intelligent when she speaks.

Me - "Maddy do you want to come in the pool?"
Maddy - "No, it's Ok, I'm standing on the step." (pause - looks at me) "I'm Ok."

As if to say you can go away. :)

Last weekend we were swimming and I did drag her off of that step. As Emily was before her, she is terribly afraid of the water. I carried her around the pool. I held her belly as if she was "flying" in the pool and she practiced kicking.

Then I looked at her and said,"Do you want to go under water?" She said yes but must not have had any idea what I was talking about because when we came up her eyes about popped out of her head. Crying ensued but she settled and we continued about the pool all the while she was insisting we return to the step.

Later Cary took her out amid screams for PAPA! Cary transfered her to be with a push just enough to make her do a half stroke to reach me which she did with ease. Kids are natural swimmers. They just need to get over the fear.

Sorry Kids

2008-06-15T14:50:00.000-07:00

I just haven't had the time or energy to keep this blog up lately. I need to write about Disney, Father's Day, and all the little things that have happened lately. Maddy is changing daily - getting grumpy if you ask me - and I guess I'll just have to write a giant summary some day as best I remember at that point. For now, this is it.

Papa

Disneyland Day 1 - Photo Sunmmary

2008-06-10T15:58:00.000-07:00

Yep, this says it all.

Maddy's into Everything!

2008-06-03T12:15:00.000-07:00

Maddy-
You are our little climber. Emily seemed to know her limitations or at least have a sense of danger where you have none. You climb, or try to climb, everything!

We bought you a little riding toy when you were 1. To you, that is now a mobile ladder. :)

You push it up to counter, stand on it to reach something you shouldn't, then push it to your next objective.

You also love to get ANYTHING left on a table. The second our backs are turned you pullout a chair and climb up the chair and onto the table.

Today you got into some games I left on the big table. My lesson. ;-)

Bye Bye My Sweet Papi...

2008-06-03T12:08:00.000-07:00

...I love you up to the North Pole.

We've come a long way from, "No PAPA!" or "NO HUGS and KISSES!"

Now anytime someone leaves you say, "Bye bye my sweet ________, I love you up to the North Pole.

At first you said,"up to heaven" but then you decided that the North Pole was farther away. :)

AWANA Award Night

2008-05-15T21:07:00.000-07:00

Emily's first AWANA Award Night. She received a certificate for completing the second year and sang the prayer thanking God for the snack. :)

Emily, you get very nervous performing in front of a crowd. You are just like your parents. We were very proud of you tonight because we know you were scared to do the prayer. Your teacher led you by the hand to get you on stage but once you were there, you did great!

Emily Turns the BIG 5

2008-05-15T20:29:00.000-07:00

Emily, you had another Little Mermaid party to celebrate your 5th birthday. With Mommy in the midst of a job change (to librarian) and trying to complete a college course for said job change, the task fell to me to plan your party. Well actually, it fell to me after our initial plans to have it at the park fell through. Mommy was already stressed with everything else and said enough is enough and handed the party off to me before she had a breakdown. :) Papa the party planner - Yikes.

You wanted an Ariel cake but refused to go to the store with me to pick it out. In the end, I chose the cake (chocolate on chocolate as requested with chocolate ice cream to boot), the decorations and even the party favors - squirt guns, all by myself. We rented some tables and held the party in the backyard.

The great thing about kids your age is that it really doesn't matter where you have the party, it's all about just being able to run around and play like the kids you are, scream, yell and have a good time - oh, and squirt each other (and me) in the process.

You got a lot of gifts and it's hard to say which is your favorite. So far it seems the action figures from Disney are the biggest hit. You play with so many different toys it's hard to discern a favorite.

Everyone stayed for about 2 hours and it wasn't long after that your mom and I were laughing because in the middle of the chaos that is a birthday party we forgot to give you our gift - you very first bicycle! You love it and ride it almost daily on the patio. We can't wait to get you out to the bike trail. Our plan is to someday have bicycles for everyone in the family and go riding on Saturdays. Can't wait.

Teaching Maddy to Pray

2008-05-01T17:01:00.000-07:00

At dinner Maddy is the one who says, "HOLD HANDS PRAY GOD!"

Tonight I taught her to kneel by the toddler bed, put her hands together and pray before going to bed. I guided her and I'm almost embarrassed to write this but here is how it went...

P -Say Thank You God for mommy.
M - Thank you God for mommy

P- Say thank you God for Papa
M- ....

P- Say Thank you God for Emily
M- Thank you God for Em-ee

P- Say Thank you God for Papa
M- Thank you for THOMAS! (she saw a Thomas the Train book on her bed)

P- Say Thank you God for Mickey
M- Thank you God for Mickey
M- Thank for Yellow B

P- Say Thank you God for Papa
M - Thanks for GRAMPY!

I get no respect. :)

Emily Turns 5 Today

2008-04-21T20:35:00.000-07:00

Wow, time flies. Our baby is 5. I am speechless.

Darby and the Red Shoes

2008-04-10T17:09:00.000-07:00

...what Emily calls "The Wizard of Oz."

Emily 14 Days Before Her 5th B-day

2008-04-09T21:46:00.000-07:00

Maddy, You're Turning Into a Drama Queen

2008-04-08T20:45:00.000-07:00

Oh my.

Maddy has figured out that when she cries mommy and papa come running and "big sisi" or "Em" gets in trouble.

We knew this was coming.

Now Maddy cries to try to get Emily into trouble. It's not working. She expects it to work. It's not.

So now Maddy is developing a flare for the dramatic - Emily barely touched me and now I am mortally wounded. Emily to her credit is always quick to apologize when there is a "real" accident.

Maddy's acting career also extends to spankings. Take for example tonight when I am changing her diaper. We always play games with each other, often tickling. Tonight we were playing and I ever so lightly tapped her leg. She instantly began to try to cry. I mean full blown, as if I had really spanked her! I looked at her and said, "Hey, that wasn't a spanking" and she instantly stopped crying.

She's a clever one this Maddy. Can't wait to see her as a teen. :)

A New Name for Papa

2008-04-08T20:35:00.001-07:00

As I mentioned before, Emily has been very affectionate of late. She has taken to calling me "Papi" and does so in very loving voice.

Sometimes she puckers her lips and says, "I Luv my Papi." It's kind of like the way some people talk to their dogs using baby talk - "Dats a goood gurl!" - Yep it sounds just like that.

Then there are times she just calls me Pop. It sounds odd, but she does it with a smile so I'll take it.

I was just recalling with a friend tonight how when Emily was Maddy's age she would scream at the top of her lounges, "NO PAPA!" when I would try to do something with her esp. at night. It's hard to picture now but she would stand in a panicked state with her left arm extended to keep me away and scream and scream. I hate to admit this but sometimes Sondra and I would break out laughing because it was soooo dramatic.

At the time, my friend didn't believe me when I told her about the tantrums so I would call her mid-screaming and let her hear it. It was a real eye-opener because at the time Emily was always the perfect shy angel around company.

Emily's 1st Pinewood Derby

2008-04-08T20:27:00.000-07:00

AWANA holds the Pinewood Derby every year. It's the same event that I entered when I was a cub scout. I thought it would be fun to make a car with Emily. Here is what we came up with.

Emily is Turning 5

2008-04-06T11:17:00.000-07:00

Terrible 2's - not really. It was more like the 3's from hell. With 4 came a slight but continuous mellowing. Enough to make Sondra and I beam with pride every time we see the manners et. al. that we have fought so hard to instill in her.

Now 5 is almost here and it is such a turning point. I guess we all have key ages in our lives:

16: driver's licence
18: adult
21: um, well you know
30: Oh, crap, I'm old
etc..

But my 20/20 hindsight, tells me that age 5 may be the biggest of them all. For Emily is changing from a toddler/little kid into a young lady (or something akin to that). The maturity is feels overnight to me though that's probably the trauma of age 3 lingering.

Emily is by and large a very nice girl. She has her moments, but don't we all. Emily is good about sharing with Maddy. She asks instead of demanding. Her protests are even less weepy and/or dramatic. For example, she came in to wake mommy this morning. Mommy had been up during the night with Maddy and needed to keep sleeping. When asked to go play quietly, Emily did without hesitation. In the past, she would have stomped her feet and began yelling that it wasn't fair.

Emily did come back into the bedroom BUT she did so qietly and only to ask if someone could reach a puzzle for her. The cool thing here is that she had already attempted to get it herself. In the past she would just play helpless and not even make an effort. Way to go Em!

Guess What?

2008-04-06T11:12:00.000-07:00

The question lives on (about 4 years and going strong). I still ask my daughters this about 5 times a day...

"(Emily or Maddy)Guess what?"
"PAPA LOVES YOU."

Maddy says the "Papa loves you line before I can." :)

Yesterday Maddy and I were in the backyard eating lunch together when she looked towards the back fence and said..

"Trees, guess what?"
"Papa loves you." :)

edit: 2 days later Maddy said to Sondra over and over, "Mommy, guess what?" - "Papa love you!"

Indeed.

The Birth of Christ as Told by Madison

2008-03-25T20:23:00.000-07:00

"Joseph and the Wiggles went to Bethlehem."

"Jesus was a special baby of Captain Feathersword and Wags the Dog."

Coloring Eggs

2008-03-22T20:33:00.000-07:00

This was Maddy's first time coloring eggs.

Yes, Emily is wearing clothes. She was wearing long sleeve feet pajamas so she unzipped the top. :)

Emily on Easter

2008-03-22T20:32:00.000-07:00

"I would eat all of the candy at once."

(pause)

"and throw-up, in an orange bucket of course."

Ok, So I Taught the Kids to Throw Their Toys

2008-03-10T18:50:00.000-07:00

What do you expect to happen when mommy is gone? I mean really, can you think of a better way to clean up the stuffed animals besides playing basketball? I didn't think so. :)

Nursery Rhymes

2008-03-06T20:05:00.000-08:00

Maddy's current obsession is reading nursery rhymes. She loves to pick up a book and recite as if she is reading the rhyme. Wee Willy Winky is her favorite and if I'm not mistaken, I have video taped this. She reads with great emphasis grinning ear to ear.

She goes something like, "wee willy WINKY runs thru town UPSTAIRS downstairs in NIGHTGOWN.

Doom and Gloom

2008-03-06T20:02:00.000-08:00

Lately Emily has been talking about death. Cheerfully she will say to Sondra, "I'm going to die before you." or "I want to die at the same time as you mommy."

It's gut wrenching to hear her say these things and I wonder where she's getting it. Natural curiosity I assume

No Good Pictures?

2008-03-03T21:05:00.000-08:00

Sondra was saying the other day how we now have friends who have wonderful photos of their kids. And you would think since I was the photographer that we'd have some decent shots of our own.

We'll since everyone else's kids sit still for me but my kids do not, it's a challenge. Here is my first crack at it with Maddy.

In case Blogger drops the photo, it can also be found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22471754@N04/2308581809/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22471754@N04/2308673495/in/photostream/

Manners

2008-02-05T16:02:00.000-08:00

Maddy is so used to getting what she wants when she says please that she now says, "Please OK". It runs together and sounds like "pleaseok"

Emily's manners have improved dramatically as the grumpy wears off. She still tends to whisper please and thank you but we'll take them any way we can get them. :)

The Toddler Bed

2008-01-16T18:03:00.000-08:00

Maddy took her first complete nap (that I know of) in her toddler bed today. We have tried many times but today was our first success. Sondra had to stay with her until she was sound asleep. :)

Hey, I Forgot Christmas

2008-01-15T21:23:00.000-08:00

The big hits this year were:

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and figures
Doll House
Formal Purple Gown for dress-up
Little People Pirate Ship

Maddy and Emily played with each other's toys and their own. They even did a good job sharing.

It was Maddy's first Christmas where she was aware of what was happening. On Christmas eve, her favorite toy was a dollar store mug her uncle Jason received as a gift. :)

On Christmas morning the kids seemed to enjoy each others gifts more than their own. This was especially true of Madison who played with the doll house non-stop so much so that the first words out of her mouth after her nap were "doll house." She was obsessed with it for a few days.

Madison began Christmas morning by opening her gifts very meticulously. By Christmas night when Gammy had arrived, she was running to any unopened gift she could find, hers or not and tearing into it. :)

Family Movie Night

2008-01-15T21:14:00.000-08:00

Last Friday we had the first of what we hope to be many family movie nights. All 4 of us go into our PJ's and watched Ratatouille. Madison did remarkable well for someone who just turned two. She watched most of the movie going off to the toy room to play only at the end.

Both girls got to stay up way past their bedtimes which was a thrill to them.

Oh, and thank God for preschool because earlier in the week we bought the movie only to have Emily turn her nose up at it and insist we watch Charlotte's Web on Friday. Emily, always trying to exert her independence almost automatically hates anything mommy and papa suggest. Lucky for us they showed Ratatouille at preschool one morning before class. By movie night she loved the movie and happily sat through it.

It was a great night!

Maddy Wins a Game!

2008-01-06T11:49:00.000-08:00

WOW! Madison just won "The Wiggles Memory Game." I am not joking or exaggerating. She won fair and square without any help. I am still in awe.

The memory game is a card game with all of the cards face down. You drawn 2, trying to get a match such as two cards with Dorthy or both cards picturing Jeff Wiggle.

To shorten the game I removed all of the cards that didn't have a picture of a character, that way Maddy recognized all of the pictures. That meant we were drawing from a pile of 16 cards. Maddy would pick up a card and I'd ask her who was on the card. She'd reply "DORTHY!" or "Cap Fe-sord" (Captain Feathersword). If her second card wasn't a match, I'd make her put both cards back. She seemed to catch on to this game mechanic quickly and after a few turns would toss her cards down the way toddlers do when it wasn't a match.

What can I say, she got lucky. I lost to my daughter who is 3 days shy of her second birthday. My 4 year old was playing too, so I wasn't the only loser.

In all seriousness it was amazing to watch. She would pick a card from the pile, reach down and grab the match. Then a turn without a match but the next one she'd match again.

The final score was 4-2-2. I really only had one match. I just happen to go last when there were only two cards left. Funny thing is, I was really trying.

Emily's Great Chistmas Gift

2007-12-24T17:49:00.000-08:00

Today Emily had a tantrum.

We were amid the time crunch to get to the Christmas ever church service. Emily was refusing to brush her teeth for her mom. In steps Papa and soon Emily is screaming at me but brushing her teeth.

The tantrum continued after she was through. She told me to go away and never come back (grounded me to another house).

It happens that at the same time I had to leave to get us seats at church. Emily thought I was leaving because she had sent me.

Enter the Christmas miracle.

I told her that I needed a bye bye kiss. With a stunned face she began crying that she didn't want me to leave. I was leaving because she had sent me away??? She hugged me and held me tight so I picked her up as she snuggled into my neck.

When I did finally leave, tears welled up in her eyes.

Um, this is papa, not mama, what is going on here?

I told her I would save her a seat next to me BUT she insisted that she would sit in my lap. WOW. Unless you are around the daily struggle for mama's attention you have not idea how exciting this was for me.

In church she came right to my lap and never left save the time she sat in the seat next me head leaning into my lap as I rubbed her hair. Even when mama left with a loud Madison, Emily stayed attached to me.

I am typing this in the middle of what has to be the greatest Christmas eve of all time. As we opened gifts tonight I had little interest because I knew that I already had the greatest gift of all.

My Future Assistant

2007-12-24T11:21:00.000-08:00

I took the family to Hart Park last month to shoot some portraits. The day was a disaster save this shot of Maddy.

Seeing Santa 07

2007-12-24T11:11:00.000-08:00

If only I could catch them both smiling at the same time. That would be a Christmas miracle. :)

Christmas Play 07

2007-12-24T11:08:00.000-08:00

Mickey Mouse

2007-12-08T10:33:00.000-08:00

Maddy's obsession is Mickey Mouse. At this age Emily loved Nemo and Dori. Maddy is also taking an interest in the Wiggles as Emily did. She loves Dorthy whereas Emily first loved Wags the Dog (before her well documented crush on Jeff. :)

Photos are Disappearing from this Blog

2007-12-08T10:31:00.000-08:00

It's happened before and I am done trying to re-post. If I ever get around to opening a Flickr account, I'll post a link here.

Maddy's ABC's

2007-12-08T10:27:00.000-08:00

Here at 23 months, Maddy can get to G consistently. She says the rest of the alphabet in chunks from the alphabet song such as LMNOP or XYZ but forgets many letters and mixes the order. Even still, it makes us very proud.

Emily Doesn't Want to Go See Santa

2007-12-08T10:25:00.000-08:00

Said Emily, "I don't feel good enough to go see Santa today. I'll have to send him an email to let him know what I want."

Madsion's First Spanking from Me

2007-11-28T16:20:00.000-08:00

I spanked her yesterday. Not a little tap on the hand but a full swat on the back side. She didn't flinch. She held the spot with her hand but no tears. I thought I spanked her hard enough that she would cry. We thought Maddy might be the sensitive one but it appears we have another daughter tough as nails. :)

Christmas Season is Here

2007-11-28T16:12:00.000-08:00

It felt like as soon as we finished the Thanksgiving dishes, we put our Christmas tree up.

This year both Maddy and Emily helped decorate. There is no gate to protect the tree this year as we have decided to teach Maddy not to tough the ornaments.

Emily may be outsmarting Santa this year. She is refusing to tell us what she wants insisting that she will wait and only tell Santa. If only she knew... Can you picture me in line to see Santa with Emily.."Hey Santa, what did that little blonde girl just ask for?"

Let's just hope that Christmas morning we don't hear Emily say, "that's not what I told Santa!"

Dancing with Maddy

2007-11-28T16:08:00.000-08:00

This morning Maddy came in while I was getting dressed and starting dancing. She is not yet two so dancing is standing in place, squatting and quickly standing back up all while grinning ear to ear (repeat over and over). I stood beside her in my towel and mimicked her motions. It was a great way to start the day.

My Day at Pre-School

2007-11-14T22:06:00.000-08:00

The day went perfect! Emily was excited that I was driving her to school and when I came back to eat lunch her teacher had left me a spot at her table. Emily kissed me twice when I arrived on the cheek. She was so affectionate when she did.

What a great day!