M e i e r W o r l d

Cooking and Dining Al Fresco

2009-07-19T14:05:00.000-07:00

Another favorite meal of the kids is grilled cheese sandwiches.

But it is too warm to cook anything in the house!

No problem. That's what the side burner on the barbecue is for.

Just don't use a nonstick pan - too hot!

Fret not - the main barbecue was not on.

I just used the upper rack as an extra shelf for serving the grub.

Lunch is served.

Quite a few rounds of 'Thank you, Mama!' were heard.

(and no, it wasn't just me saying it.)

I think they liked it.

Sunny Summer Days

2009-07-19T13:44:00.000-07:00

This is what makes for happy kids on a sunny summer day. Lunch poolside. Doesn't it just sound so summery and vacation-like?

Yep. We're fancy like that.

My Kind of Taking Action

2009-07-16T08:09:00.000-07:00

I was fixing breakfast for the kids and I this morning and was happily slicing open some english muffins we picked up at the store yesterday to toast when I thought I would just check out the ingredient list. Just for fun. Do you know what I found? High fructose corn syrup!! In the english muffins!! Not good, people. Not good. I am both angry with myself for breaking my rule of not buying anything without checking the ingredients and angry that the company that makes them felt the need to put any in there in the first place.

So now I am on the hunt for muffin rings and a good recipe. I dearly love a freshly toasted english muffin with a little melted butter and homemade strawberry jam. If I have to make them myself to accomplish my craving, so be it.

Here is the recipe I will try first: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/english-muffins-recipe

And here are the muffin rings I will buy: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/english-muffin-and-crumpet-rings

Wish me luck!

Homemade Pizza

2009-07-12T20:44:00.000-07:00

I made homemade pizza for dinner tonight.

We really like the pizza dough to be made with my favorite all-purpose bread dough recipe, with just a bit more olive oil added.

Fresh thyme and oregano from the herb garden went into the sauce.

Our favorite toppings are pineapple and black olives, and usually ham, but tonight I used some leftover hamburger patties from dinner the previous night. The kids loved it!

The toppings include; parmesan cheese, hamburger, colby jack cheese, pineapple and sliced black olives, and finally sharp cheddar cheese. I try to alternate toppings with cheese so that the cheese can act like a binder to keep the toppings from sliding around or falling off. The pizza, ready to go in the oven:

Anxiously awaiting the fresh pizza for dinner:

The finished product. Dinner is on!

It's Been a Long Time...

2009-07-12T18:02:00.000-07:00

It has been over 6 months since my last post, and so many things have happened in that time! Just to give an overview, I have done much sewing, cooking, and had adventures with the family in that time. Here are a few sewing projects:

I was asked to replace the lining on a belly dancing top. The old lining:

The new lining pinned in:

The front. So pretty!

I made some children's clothing for the kids preschool auction this spring. A pink dress:

A green dress with coordinating hat:
A boys outfit with shirt, shorts and coordinating hat:

I also covered some new window seat cushions and recovered 2 chair seats to match. The chair seats tops before & after:

The chair seats bottoms before & after:

And the new seat cushions (the notch out of the back cushion is to go under a window.)

More entries to come!

Kids Say The Darndest Things

2008-11-06T11:54:00.001-08:00

Char's favorite question lately has been what animal is that?

Which sounds like, 'Wha' ammo zat?'

Sometimes she is pointing to an actual animal (cat, dog, squirrel, bird) or to a stuffed animal, but she could just as well be pointing to a spider, fly, or a leaf on a tree. Someday we'll teach her what the word animal means. ;)

Yes!!!!!!!!

2008-11-04T21:05:00.001-08:00

Tonight, we opened the bottle of 1992 Dom Perignon that we have been saving for a special occasion. Yes. We do believe.

Yes we can.

I Don't Ever Want To Leave!

2008-11-04T09:02:00.001-08:00

Saturday, we went to OMSI with Grandma Meier and cousin Robin. The kids headed straight for the water:

Max got just a little excited with the whole thing:

(Note the Diego Rescue Pack still on his back!)

I managed to get Max away from the water for a bit and into a pretend tree trunk with super size plastic acorns:

Snack time:

What a fun (and exhausting) time we had!

Trick or Treat!!

2008-11-04T08:33:00.001-08:00

We had a fun (and wet) Halloween this year. Grandma & Grandpa Meier, cousin Robin, and neighbors Breein, Timothy, and baby Koen all came over for dinner and some trick-or-treating.

Char had to try on Grandma's hat:

Diego and the Princess:

(Dada was having them do arm motions to keep them standing together for the photo session)

The rainy trick-or-treating:

Dada in his Mexican Wrestler costume with Max trying to sound just as scary in his Diego costume:

Char didn't recognize Dada in his costume:

Let the sugar coma begin!

Cutie Pie

2008-10-28T20:55:00.000-07:00

I managed to get this shot of Char this afternoon while she ate her snack.

Couldn't you just eat her up?!?

Hello, Jack O'Lantern

2008-10-28T20:50:00.000-07:00

Well, Dada was really hoping for another pumpkin carving session like he had last year with Max. Last year, Max was really into the process and was pretty much glued to Dada's side through the whole thing. This year not so much.

So, Dada had a not so much fun time cleaning out and carving all 5 pumpkins. Behold:

At least the kids consented to posing with Dada by the pumpkins!

Howdy Y'all

2008-10-28T20:42:00.001-07:00

Last week Dada brought a special present home for Max:

No, not the planes.

Max really enjoyed wearing his new hat while he sat playing that day. Now it sits in the toy bin. What can I say? He's not really a hat kind of kid.

The Punkin Patch!

2008-10-28T15:40:00.000-07:00

Last week we went to the local farm to climb on bales of hay and pick out some pumpkins. It was a perfect day for it - sunny and crisp.

Here is Max climbing on the 'Hay Pyramid':

Char the eater-girl had to have an additional snack while we were out there:

Some kids from Max's class (including Charlie) singing a song:

Char sitting on a bale of hay in the hay maze:

Max on the hayride out to the pumpkin field:

Charlie on the hayride:

Since we have ended up with many pumpkins here this year (the subject of a post yet to come), I cooked a small one up and made pumpkin bars this weekend. Yummy Fall cooking!!!

Don't Be Such A Square

2008-10-18T18:12:00.000-07:00

Apparently there is more than one function for crayons:

I never knew. Pretty cool, Max!

Be Cool.

2008-10-18T18:10:00.000-07:00

The other day Dada dressed Char to go outside. The result:

You stay cool, y'hear?

Workin'

2008-10-01T19:29:00.000-07:00

The whole reason the extension ladder was out was so Dada could get up on the roof to add some much needed finish trim to the outsides of Max's and Charlie's bedroom windows. After getting nailed in the head with a falling chestnut, Dada got out his hard hat. Who can blame him?

Dada, workin':

Dada, workin' it:

Nice overalls.

This Isn't A Toy?!?

2008-10-01T19:23:00.000-07:00

Kids are so funny.

Check out the great play structure in the background with the cool yellow slide and swings. What is it that Max and Charlie choose to play on? The extension ladder that Dada has temporarily set on the ground.

Well, at least they are having fun and staying out of trouble!

The Cat Fixation

2008-09-24T17:58:00.000-07:00

If there were any doubt about how strong Charlie is, here is proof that she could be a tiny tot weight lifter:

Mommy carries around Cliffy, why can't I?

Oof. Hey, Cliffy, you ever think about going on a diet?

No Cliffy! Don't run! Why do you run away from me?!

Oh Cliffy, you are my favorite.

Walking for the Cure

2008-09-22T14:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I walked in the Portland Race for the Cure with my mom, Gail (center, in survivor pink) and my mom-in-law, Roselyn (right).

Look at the crowd! And this is while we were just trying to cross the starting line.

This is almost to the half-way point. You can see how far people are going in front of us, and it was the same behind us - over 45,000 people participated!

Woo hoo! This was my 5th year of participation, and for the first time ever I asked for sponsorships with the goal of raising $77, the cost of one mammogram for a woman without healthcare coverage. My friends really came through - and donated $152 for me!!

Thank you!!!

Flowbee Round 1

2008-09-13T19:35:00.001-07:00

Dada decided that he wanted to give Max a Flowbee haircut instead of taking him in to pay for a haircut. So he borrowed a flowbee from friends to see if it would work out before buying one. He carefully explained to Max that the vacuum would be running and it would be loud but that it is just a haircut and it might tickle a little bit.

Evidently it did tickle a bit at first!

Charlie felt it important to comfort Max by holding on to his legs and saying 'OK, Max' over and over. Not sure it actually comforted Max, but cute nonetheless.

Max really didn't like the trimming around the ears.

Then Dada used the flowbee on himself.

Not bad haircuts, eh?

Charlie

2008-09-13T19:31:00.001-07:00

These ones are just because I think she is so darn cute.

Hugging Buddha has lately become very important when we are playing in the back yard.

SO photogenic!

I made the little capri pants she is wearing, but she refused to model them standing up.

School At Last!

2008-09-13T19:23:00.000-07:00

Preschool begins at last for Max.

Yesterday morning was Max's first day at preschool for this year. Of course I forgot to take his picture before we left in the morning so I had to try to get one of him after lunch.

Hopefully next year I can remember to take his picture in front of the dogwood again!

His Best Cheerleader

2008-08-22T11:34:00.000-07:00

Overheard this morning as the cars are whizzing across the dining room floor:
(Max) 'Woohoo! Yay Max! Good job!'

Well, I guess when you need to be cheered on and are playing by yourself, you do what you need to do, right?

Max's Bike

2008-08-19T15:14:00.000-07:00

This year Max has graduated from a tricycle to a big boy bike with all the wheels.

He and Dada went on a special shopping trip the morning of his birthday to pick it out.

It didn't take him long to have his first spill,
but Dada helped him up

And he got right back on. What a tough guy!

Happy Birthday Max!!

The Big Party

2008-08-19T15:06:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday was the big day! It was a hot one, too, so out came the small pool and sprinkler for the kids (and a few of the adults too).

The kids really enjoyed the cupcake display and of course the singing of the birthday song.

After the food had been eaten and icy beverages enjoyed, we hope that everyone had as good a time as we did.

Happy Birthday Max & Charlie!!

Uninvited Guests

2008-08-19T14:57:00.000-07:00

On the day of the big birthday party I went out to the back yard in the morning to water the garden and heard a funny hissing sound. I looked up, and there were 4 raccoons on top of the fence, not more than 15 feet from me. I immediately dropped the hose and ran in to get the camera!

They watched my every move and eventually continued along the fence to the neighbors fence. Whew. Don't want to make that a regular visit!
I wonder where they sleep. It's not like we live out in the country or anything. Under someone's front porch? They are nocturnal so it has to be some place very quiet during the day.

Don't know. Goodbye Raccoons!

Charlie's 2nd Birthday

2008-08-19T14:46:00.000-07:00

Oh my, it has been well over a month since my last post. Well, this is the perfect reason to get back into it; my youngest child turning two! Hard to believe that two years ago we had an early party for Max's 2nd birthday and then the next morning went in to the hospital to have Charlie.

The big party this year fell right on Max's birthday, but we wanted Charlie's actual day to also have some fanfare. This year she received from us a wooden dollhouse. Both kids love it!

Wow - I actually get to have my picture on the blog? Amazing.

Max has to be told frequently that this is Charlie's new toy and to not take things from her!

Char through the dollhouse window

Mama and Char through the dollhouse window

Happy Birthday beautiful girl!!

Quick One...

2008-07-02T10:28:00.000-07:00

At first glance this morning, it appeared that a yellow ball
had been tossed into my zucchini plant.
As I got closer, I realized that it was a huge blossom!
It has to be 8-9 inches across. Does that mean the
zucchini will be that big too? ;)

Meanwhile, the kids are busy at work creating masterpieces
for the fridge. I had to get Charlie's look of absolute
concentration. Note the pursed lips:

This is serious work.

A happy day to all!

What's A Sprinkler?

2008-06-30T21:06:00.001-07:00

OK, so it's pretty well-known that we aren't lawn people. At all.
A byproduct of this is that our kids don't know what a sprinkler is
or how it works:

Charlie is holding a mini watering can over the water going up.
Not so effective at filling the can!
Max's turn:

Is there any in there yet?

The whole 'gleefully running through' the sprinkler that most
kids do doesn't even occur to them.
One of these days I'll have to show them how it's done!

Safety First!

2008-06-30T21:05:00.001-07:00

Good Kitty!

2008-06-22T07:29:00.001-07:00

This morning I was awakened by the scuffling sounds of a cat
running around and playing. That doesn't happen too often
anymore with Cliff. He is 12 years old and just doesn't run
around like he once did. I started telling him to stop, then
realized he was actually chasing something.
A mouse.
He literally had it pinned behind a couple of presentation boards I had leaning against the wall in the corner of the bedroom. So I pushed a heavy pair of shoes up against one side to make sure it stayed there while I went to look for some way to get it out of there. I guess I pinned it too hard because by the time I got back in there with my silicone oven mitts and a container, it was dead (I think it must have suffocated). Well, that's one way to deal with it. As disgusted as I am by it, I do feel kind of bad for it. Oh well.
But now something my mother has always said about mice comes to mind, 'If there's one, there's 9 more waiting back at the nest!' So I am left wondering how to deal with them. I want something that is
a) humane (or at least kills them quickly)
b) environmentally sound and
c) not a trap from which I will have to clean the bodies (traditional mouse traps give me the heeby jeebies). Any suggestions? How do you deal with mice?

Oh, and by the way, J, I told you he was a good cat!!!

Trying Something New For Dinner

2008-06-20T19:32:00.000-07:00

I thought we would try something new for our first 'girls dinner' this weekend, so we got a couple of salad wraps from our local friendly deli (those who haven't already must try the New Seasons deli!) and I sauteed up some zucchini in a little butter and garlic. Char also had a slice of cheese and a glass of milk to round out her dinner. She has been quite good about trying things in the past, so it wasn't that much of a gamble that she would get enough to eat without me resorting to getting other foods out for her. She absolutely loved the zucchini - I think she ate more of it than I did!

Next, she tried some lettuce from the salad wrap:

Not so sure about it...
Nope. She REALLY didn't like the lettuce!

So we'll go back to the cheese for a few bites:

In the end, we both had enjoyable dinners. Good to know that I can send zucchini her way once we start getting it from the garden!

Just Us Girls

2008-06-20T11:09:00.000-07:00

Its is just Charlie-girl and I at home this weekend after dropping the boys off at the airport to fly to Chicago for Justin's sisters wedding. Happy wedding Aine! I am thinking of you!
So far this morning Charlie has asked for and eaten 3 larges pieces of cheese, after which enjoying a great playdough session all by herself. She had a lot of fun and discovered that playdough, even the homemade kind, doesn't taste so good. Maybe later we'll live on the wild side and take some cans and bottles back to the store.
We're crazy like that.

Here's to a girls weekend!

Here We Go Again...

2008-06-19T10:13:00.000-07:00

I walked into the kitchen at one point this morning to find Max sitting on the time out stool.

Me: What's up, Max?
Max: Chahwee said time out.
Me: Oh, did you do something not nice to her?
Max: Yeah.
Me: Hmmm. Maybe next time you won't do that to her.
Max: Yeah.

Then he gets up and calmly walks out of the room. I wonder how many more time outs Charlie will dole out before Max figures out he doesn't actually have to go?

I Should Open My Own Food Cart

2008-06-18T12:43:00.000-07:00

OK, so maybe the hours would suck, I would have to make the same things over and over again, and who would want to be stuck in a little bathroomless trailer all day? But I think I have had a great idea with my pick-your-own-filling burritos.

Today's burrito:

Cheesy scrambled eggs, salsa, and black beans

The real key to the yumminess is the searing in a non-stick skillet to get the tortilla nice and toasty crunchy.

Char got her own cheesy scrambled eggs and some grapes for lunch.

I had to force myself to put it down so I could get another picture!
Yum, yum, yum.
I have put lots of different fillings in - leftover quiche, pasta with tomato sauce, any type of bean, and of course lots of cheese. They are all terrific inside this wonderfully crunchy tortilla! It is also fast to assemble while getting the kids lunches ready and most important, fast to eat!

My, That's Quite A Trailer You Have There

2008-06-18T12:13:00.001-07:00

Dada has what I consider to be an
unhealthy obsession with his utility trailer.
He recently decided that the plywood sides needed to be replaced with new plywood, which of course must be painted on all 6 sides to prevent rot (the reason the previous boards didn't last as long as they could have). Instead of going with the same green they were before (note the old boards lying on the ground) Dada decides to liven things up and paint the entire trailer red. (Where is the trailer? I don't know, I can't see it. I'm blinded by the glowing RED thing in the corner of the yard.) Then he decides that he needs special tie downs and hooks which of course require extra 2x4 sections installed for support and stability, which then must also be painted red.
Dada was so proud he had to be photographed next to the trailer with his handy-dandy drill.

An update to the earlier post about the lack of ladder on the fort:
Monday after work, Dada, with my help, made and installed the ladder. The kids (especially Charlie) were SO happy to be able to scramble up the ladder and go down the slide over and over! They slept well that night. ;)
Next up, the bottom level floor will be installed, the entire structure must be primed and painted (green, to match my raised garden and the kids sandbox, thankyouverymuch) and finally the color block tarp roof can be installed. Whew!

Max's Big Day

2008-06-18T12:05:00.001-07:00

Yesterday afternoon Dada came home and took Max to get his first paid haircut (the man in the hawaiian shirt got paid, not Max)

It was a father-son bonding time, which Max loved.

The result, after returning to Dada's office for some apple juice and popcorn!
Not too bad, eh?

Of course Dada thought it was hilarious for the newly potty trained Max to use the big-boy urinal in the office bathroom. It is pretty funny - he is barely tall enough for it!

What a big adventure for him. Then he fell asleep during dinner. (too bad we didn't get a picture of that!)

At Last We Have A Play Structure!

2008-06-16T15:06:00.000-07:00

Dada spent his father's day this year building the play structure for the kids. Dada's parents bought the kit and lumber for the structure last summer and the makings have been in a corner of the yard ever since, waiting for both nice weather and the completion of some other projects to start. Hooray for Dada!

The ladder isn't attached to the back side yet, but Max figured out in about 1/2 a second that he could climb up the slide to get up there. Needless to say, he was thrilled!
Char got to swing in her own little swing chair for quite a while this morning which made her completely happy. Wheeeeee!

What Kind of Holes?!

2008-06-10T13:37:00.001-07:00

Even if you don't sew, this is funny:

(Hint: They forgot the 'on' after 'butt')

OK, so perhaps this shows quite a bit about my level of humor, but you don't often see this sort of mistake in patterns.

Time Out Now!

2008-06-07T19:44:00.001-07:00

So this evening we were all sitting on the floor in the blue room just playing and spending some time together before the bedtime routine starts. Suddenly, Charlie gets mad at Max and says, "You no do that! Time out! Time Out!" With finger pointing at the door for emphasis. Justin and I don't say anything, figuring that it is a good thing for Charlie to stand up for herself. Max gets up and walks out of the room. Is he actually? Did he really? We walk out toward the kitchen and sure enough, Max is sitting on the time out stool in the kitchen.

I guess the policing each other is working - ?

Girl power! ;)

Hooray for Max!!

2008-05-31T08:12:00.000-07:00

One of the lesser known jobs of a parent is to document as many things that will mortally embarrass the children as possible and some day show to girlfriends/boyfriends and spouses. This falls into that category. We have been in intensive potty training mode for the past week and Max has been quite successful in using the potty! Hip, hip, hooray for Max! He now only wears a diaper at night and big boy briefs during the day. Whew. Only 2-1/2 months until his 4th birthday! ;) Way to go, Bubba. I knew you could do it.

The Sunny Weather Wear

2008-05-21T07:24:00.000-07:00

Many months ago, Grandma & Grandpa Nutmeg went to Hawaii and brought back some quite cute outfits for the kids. It has taken until the past week for it to be warm enough for them to wear them! Above, Char and Cliffy found a sunny spot on the warm tile.

Doesn't Char look like a little model in this pose?
Adorable!!!

With the way Max has been growing, he likely won't be able to wear his outfit for too much longer. Who said he was allowed to grow like this?!?

A Little Monkey Trouble

2008-05-21T07:17:00.000-07:00

The first one to break the new rule of no throwing stuff in the water was Char. She had a couple of warnings but continued so Dada put her in time out.

Max is not used to having someone other than himself getting a time out, so he thought he had to sit down too!

Char getting big on the dramatics. We would like to think that she is dwelling on what she did wrong so she doesn't get in trouble again... but you know, that probably isn't the case. She is pretty good at wrapping us around her little pinky finger.

Everything is rosy again when Dada talks to her and lets her get down.

Water Weather Finally!

2008-05-21T07:11:00.001-07:00

Aaaaaah, we had some wonderfully sunny weather last week. The kids finally got to break out their wading pool and hop in. We had to make a new rule for the kids that no sand, dirt, wood chips, grass, or leaves get put in the water (to make 'soup', as Max calls it) so that others can also enjoy the water.

Look at those thighs on Char! I love it.

After nap time, we got to get back in the pool.

How Dada enjoys pool time.

Dada, Let's Talk

2008-05-21T07:03:00.000-07:00

Dada and the kids were goofing around the other day, and when Dada sat down on the floor to talk with them, they each pulled up a little red chair to continue their chat.

Then we realized that we were all wearing our house slippers (aka crocs)

Kids Love Sunny Weather

2008-05-10T15:01:00.000-07:00

Wow is it ever nice to be able to have the kids in the back yard again. They play in the sandbox, push carts and pull wagons around the yard, and of course, have juice breaks.

Char loves going around and smelling all of the flowers. I have been only half successful in my attempt to teach her that flowers are for looking at and smelling only - no touching (though she thinks there is some sort of a loophole with licking).

The pink tulips (or too-tips as Max calls them)

Cousins

2008-05-10T14:32:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went down to my parents house to celebrate my Mom's (Grandma Kody) and Aunt Susan's (Aunt Grandma) birthday. Quite a few of the grandkids were there - 8 of my parents and 2 of Aunt Susan's. When you add in 6 dogs, the place was pretty crazy. Dada took the older kids outside to play and got some pretty good pictures. Above is Max as King of the Hill.

Here is Max and cousins Maiya, Sophie, Cassidy, and Benny.

A good action shot of Max, Maiya and Cassidy on the swing.

Elmo & Crew

2008-05-10T14:18:00.001-07:00

So many pictures to upload, so little time. This morning Max and I went to see the Sesame Street Live show (wif all of da monsters! as Max would say) Here is a self portrait - notice Max shoving popcorn in his mouth - he did that the entire show! And still ate lunch when we got home. Another growth spurt must be on the horizon!

We had pretty good seats (this was taken during intermission so there are a lot of people standing,) but we weren't too far back and Max could see pretty well sitting on my lap.
My kids aren't too good at sitting for very long, and Max probably would have been completely happy to have left at intermission,but we stayed until the last number (what was I thinking?!?) Regardless, we had fun and he clapped his little hands off and laughed and laughed, when his mouth and hands weren't full of popcorn. Seriously. He ate almost an entire large tub.

Ta-Da!!

2008-04-19T18:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I was in the kitchen and the kids were playing by themselves. Max had been having a good day and had earned back his legos bin from the basement. They were playing nicely with no whining or fighting, so I went about my business making dinner and cleaning the kitchen...

And then I glanced up and saw this:

Charlie hadn't noticed me yet:

Then, 'Oh, Mommy, it's you. Ta-da!' (Her version is 'Dah!')

Luckily, Max maintained his good humor through this. Then I was trying to teach Charlie that things in good fun like this are nice, but as soon as Max says he wants out, you have to let him out.
Got it, Char? 'Got, Mommy.'

15th Reunion

2008-04-08T15:38:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness!!!
15 years later and I still enjoy these people just as much if not more than I did back then. We had such a great time... laughing until our cheeks hurt and catching up with each other the whole time. As much as I missed my family and wanted to see them, a part of me just didn't want to leave the magic of this reunion weekend.
An extra Thank You to Taryn for being such a generous hostess and letting us take over her house for the weekend!

Just one of the many benefits of going to a small college:

The president of Cottey College, Dr. Judy Rogers and I.

I am already planning my trip out there again in 5 years!

Small Update

2008-04-08T15:17:00.001-07:00

Yet again, it has been way too long since my last update. Here are some recent cute pictures of the kids:

The kids coloring (Charlie's first time with a real coloring book!)

Charlie REALLY likes brushing her teeth. She is now getting tall enough to start looking at herself brushing while standing on the bathroom stool. Nice face while checking out the pearly whites, eh? ;)

I spent this past weekend at my 15th college reunion (!!!), so after I edit some pictures will update again...

Latest on the Kids

2008-02-24T10:49:00.000-08:00

The other morning when I went in to get Charlie in the morning, she had worked her whole arm out of her pajamas. The zipper was completely done up still, but she managed to get that arm out!

Max has taken to squinting his eyes when I get the camera out because he doesn't like the flash. I must have taken him by surprise because this is a great smile! Doesn't he look like such a big boy?!?

Bring On The Bread

2008-02-24T10:32:00.001-08:00

I am a bread maker. Just for the family and perhaps to take over to someone else's house for dinner, but primarily just for our enjoyment. When I heard about a bread making demonstration of how to make crusty artisan bread put on by King Arthur Flour, I got very excited! My friend, Brian, also enjoys making bread for his family so I asked him to attend the demo with me. It was really informative and well done. So, with new recipes, knowledge of techniques, and some rye flour, tonight I will attempt to make my very first ever Poolish (pronounced poo-leesh') and tomorrow will go for some round artisan loaves of rye bread. Updates to follow.

18 Months of Charlie!

2008-02-15T16:36:00.000-08:00

This morning Charlie and I went to the pediatrician's office for her 18 month checkup. She had to get 3 immunization shots, but took them like a champ and cried less than a minute. As soon as I offered her a cracker she was all over the sadness. What a toughie!
Her stats:
Weight 25 lbs 9 0z = 75th percentile
Length 35" = Off the chart super tall
Head circumference 48.6 cm = 90th percentile

She is doing so-so-so well! I told the doctor that she is saying at least 15 different words on a regular basis in addition to another 10 or so that she signs which impressed him. She has some stranger anxiety going on right now and really didn't want the doctor or nurses to touch her, but all in all made it through the appointment very well. Way to go, Beautiful!

Her Modelling Skills Need Some Honing...

2008-02-04T18:35:00.000-08:00

I recently finished this cute dress for Charlie and decided I should take some pictures of it for my new website. Charlie really wasn't in the mood to smile at the camera or stop moving while standing. Sitting in the chair for 5 seconds was the only time she was still without coercion!

Then after I took the dress off of her she climbed up on the stool to look out the window at the boys in the back yard. Look at those cute legs! ;)

Recently...

2008-02-04T18:28:00.000-08:00

Charlie loves getting a good view of whatever we are doing, especially if it has to do with food. She always keeps a very firm grip on the shoulder.

Max has figured out that if an ottoman is next to the baby gate, he can use it to climb over and back to get upstairs by himself. Sometimes, his pants get caught on the gate and of course we leave him until we can get the camera in there for a good shot!

The Napping Issue

2008-01-10T10:11:00.000-08:00

It has been less than a month since Max officially stopped napping. We decided that it wasn't worth it to fight with him over it only to have him play in bed in the evening about the same amount of time that he napped that day.

That having been said, some days he just can't make it and we'll find him curled up some place out cold. Here he is, in the blue room, TV on, Charlie playing nearby, lights on bright:

Don't worry, no children were harmed in the making of this photo:

Then a few days later:

Too bad he can't be this cute all the time (yes, the terrible 3's are upon us).

Christmas At Last...

2008-01-10T09:42:00.001-08:00

OK, so now on January 10th I am finally getting the Christmas photos up and entry written. I admit to being a slacker on this. Busy mom, yes, but slacker nonetheless!
Thank you to all who have written encouraging notes - so glad that you actually do check the blog occasionally! ;)

This is the photo shoot I did of the kids for our annual calendar. Their Grandma Nutmeg gets the kids Christmas sweaters every year and the kids were so happy to put them on!

Max wasn't really that into making the Christmas cookies this year, but very much enjoyed licking the beater!

Cookie batter face!

We spent Christmas eve at Grandma and Grandpa Nutmeg's house. Charlie really liked playing with the dog's toys.

It took a bit for Max to warm up, but once he got going, he wanted to open all the presents!

Grandma Nutmeg found the cutest little chair for Charlie!

Max received a shopping cart and cash register, with a bunch of play food and groceries for him to cart around!

Charlie tried the whole evening to cuddle up to Nutmeg. Nutmeg would put up with it for a while...

and then make her exit.

Dada and Charlie enjoying some snuggle time.

Nutmeg thought she was safe up on Grandma's lap!

Christmas morning we spent at home having a nice time opening presents and having a big breakfast before bundling up and heading down to my parents house for the remainder of the day. Somehow we didn't end up with any pictures from down there! Shame on me. It was a crazy time down there, with a relatively small house filled with 22 people and 8 grandchildren! Good thing Grandma and Grandpa Kody have a living room, a family room, and a separate sun room to house the Christmas tree!

Kickin' Back

2007-11-27T16:04:00.000-08:00

With our new TV room now in use, it became quite apparent that the kids needed some seating of their own. So Dada found a couple of leather kid-size loungers for them. Too bad Max doesn't know how to kick back and relax!

Reducing our Carbon Footprint

2007-11-27T15:53:00.000-08:00

We bid a fond farewell to our Matrix on Sunday.
With our move to north Portland almost 18 months ago, Dada has been riding his bike to work most days. Since the bus stop is directly in front of our house and lets Dada off 4 blocks from his work on the days that he is unable to ride his bike, there is no reason to drive/own/maintain a 2nd vehicle. So we listed it on craigslist and it sold in a little over a week! The buyer actually drove down from Vancouver B.C just to buy the car! I was very sad to see it go - it was my first brand new car and I loved it dearly, but wasn't the practical car to keep in the midst of all of our home remodeling and other adventures.
The other advantage to selling it is now we have the funds to start the next house project this coming spring - a new mudroom at the back of the house and a new deck/patio to increase the livability of the back yard. Woohoo!

Follow Me!

2007-11-27T15:47:00.000-08:00

The kids have been so funny together lately. Charlie really wants to do what Max is doing and when they are in the right moods, we parents just grin from ear to ear!
This past weekend Max took Charlie's hand and said, 'Come on, Chah-wee, follow me.'

It didn't take too long, though, before Charlie was leading the way.

Happy Thanksgiving! Where's my walking shoes?

2007-11-23T15:35:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all!
We had a wonderful day here yesterday, cleaning the house, preparing food, and of course the afternoon libations!

Once most of our to-do list had been crossed off, Dada had a football break (in the new TV room!)

This year, Dada had his heart set on trying a Turducken (a chicken inside of a duck inside of a turkey - all boneless!!) so he was in complete charge of the main course, including the 'carving'. Not so much carving as slicing, really, due to the lack of bones.

The feast before we all dug in - everything was delicious! We were joined by Dada's parents and our friends Amy & Brian and their two children. Many thanks to everyone for contributing to the meal. It was truly a collaborative event.

Now I need to find my walking shoes to work off all of the wonderful food!

The Blue Room

2007-11-18T09:19:00.001-08:00

As anyone who has been to our house in the past 3 months has seen, we have had an empty room downstairs ever since Dada finished the 2nd floor. Max had this room at the base of the stairs until he moved up to his orange room ('Max's Ohnch Woom', as he calls it). We have been planning for quite a while to turn it into a TV/media room but just hadn't done any work on it.
Yesterday we decided it was a project day and spent the whole day working on it - cleaning it up, painting, moving in furniture and electronics. Here is a photo after 1 coat of paint:

Later in the evening, after the kids went to bed, I 'helped' Dada get the electronics moved in there. Here is a photo of my help:

It's a little difficult to see, but Dada asked me to put the speaker cable through the tube in the stand up to the speaker and reattach it to the speaker itself. I was done and about to take them in to show Dada when I noticed that I had put each end of the same cable into the speakers and left the other cable laying there on the floor! Some help. Luckily, it was easily fixed (yes, I fixed my own mistake!)

Here are the kids enjoying the new room this morning as they watched their morning cartoons. Isn't it beautiful?!? I just love the color.

There is no art on the walls yet, but it is usable and the kids seem to really enjoy it. Now we have an extra room for 'living space' in our small home!

Our Little Hipster

2007-11-11T19:02:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, Dada got Charlie dressed and found an old belt of Max's to try on her. Isn't this the most adorable look ever?!?

The hat is one of Dada's - it is meant to be fairly snug on the head. I looks a little like a beret on her, no?

Halloween!

2007-11-01T15:05:00.001-07:00

Dada is helping Max get into costume.

Introducing, The Man With The Yellow Hat!

Here is The Man in Yellow and Georgina. We had a difficult time getting her to stand still for a picture.

Dada's assistance was required to get little Georgina to stand by her brother!
Now off we go for our first trick-or-treat experience!

Dada's Latest Project

2007-11-01T15:01:00.000-07:00

I would be remiss in my duties if I did not include a shot of Dada's latest design project. I think he could really go places with his specially designed 2x4 furniture, don't you?
All kidding aside, this is his new much needed work bench. Now maybe we will both be able to find something, anything, down in the basement!!

Pumpkins into Jack O'Lanterns

2007-11-01T14:55:00.001-07:00

Max and Dada did the carving of the Jack o'lanterns this year. Here they are cutting the lids and cleaning out all of the gunk.

Max helped clean them out too!
(OK, he did this one handful and then refused to touch it any more!)

Then the two boys got to work carving.

They shared in the design process.

Max had to supervise the work up close.

The finished product!

Boo!

Breakfast out with the girls

2007-11-01T14:49:00.001-07:00

We have a group of alumna from Cottey College in the Portland area and we try to get together for breakfast once a month (sometimes with all of the busy schedules it is every other month!). Here are those of us that were able to attend this past gathering. From left to right, Maggie, Dena, Kristin, me, and the baby on the right is Kristin's youngest, Lily.

Hopefully we'll have a few more at the next breakfast! (Although, it was really great to have more time to talk and hear from each person with the smaller group)

Cherub

2007-11-01T14:47:00.001-07:00

This one I had to post just because it is SUCH a great shot!

What's an Oreo?

2007-11-01T14:43:00.001-07:00

Dada decided not too long ago that the kids should have their first oreo experience. He got mint double stuff - what a first try!

Charlie dug right in, of course (this kid hasn't met any item of food she won't try at least once!)

Hey, this is pretty good!

Some might look at this picture and think 'Oh, what a mess, she has chocolate all over herself.' I, as the biased mother, think 'What beautiful lips!!'

It's been a while...

2007-11-01T14:37:00.001-07:00

Yes, it has been quite a while since my last post. The memory card in my camera decided to go kablooey and took with it about a months worth of pictures, which entirely took the wind out of my sails for a while on taking pictures at all not to mention posting on the blog. So here goes a whirl wind posting session!

One sunny weekend day Max and Dada decided to go on a bike ride. Max got a hold of Dada's riding sunglasses and had to try them on... they were a little big.

Max sitting happily in the chariot.

There they go!

Life is a Beach

2007-09-10T15:14:00.000-07:00

We got back yesterday from a week in Seaside with Dada's parents. They found a lovely 4 bedroom rental house that was 3 short blocks from the beach. I had never been to Seaside before, and I gotta say it was great! It is very level and not too spread out which made for super easy walking around town. We got to the beach every day (of course) and had many great walks and times digging in the sand. Even though being in a different house can be more work for parents of young children; how childproof is someone else's childproof, how fast will Charlie figure out how to turn on the gas stove (not very long), how fast will Charlie find the on/off switch for the garbage disposal (again, not very long); this house had obviously had children in it frequently and after a couple of baby gates were put up we could let the kids roam at will.
Grandma made sure we ate really well and we of course had happy hour every day (it seemed to get earlier and earlier every day). Ahhh, life is good.

This was our first day there. We got right to work digging and letting the kids feel the sand with their fingers and toes:

Grandpa Max playing with their dog, Nutmeg. She had a fabulous time running around in the water and had quite a few baths during the week!

Charlie really got into the spirit of the digging and playing. Plus, it's not too windy in Seaside so the sand didn't get blown into eyes and such as we were playing.

The next morning Max and I fed the seagulls some bread. They aren't shy and came to within 4 feet of us!

Dada decided to walk with Charlie into the water to see what she would do. She obviously has no trust issues with her Dada because she was quite all right in there with him!

Charlie is in a great mood sitting on Dada eating a cookie!

Max got to have his first marshmallow. Not s'mores, just a marshmallow for dessert one night. Look at the smile on his face!

He and Dada had to clink a little cheers before eating.

Yum! I like marshmallows! More marshmallows please!

'The Chariot'
This is how we went walking, once with both kids in there but mostly with Charlie in the backpack on Dada and Max in the chariot. Max insisted on being carried quite a bit and this was so much easier on the Mama!!

Of course there was a little down time when Max needed some entertainment so we put on a movie or show on Dada's laptop and he would be miraculously quiet for a while! Here he is making himself at home.

One morning we went down the coast to Cannon Beach and had to pose in front of Haystack Rock. Haystack is beautiful and though it can't be seen in the picture, it was constantly swarmed with various sea birds flying all around and over it.

Dada and Max decide to start building a sandcastle.

It was still in a rough state when we decided we should head back to the house soon for lunch. Max and Dada show the volcano shaped sandcastle:

Then Dada plops Max right on top of the mound! 'What? No! I have no idea how Max got so much sand in his pants!'

Dada and Max put hand prints in the side of the crushed sandcastle:

Charlie fell asleep shortly after, on our walk back to the truck. She was so out she didn't even feel Dada take the backpack off and set it on the ground!

The boys watching a movie. Max was really into whatever they were watching. Look at the chin resting on the hands!

Almost Square!

2007-08-23T11:34:00.000-07:00

Max had his 3 year checkup this morning with the pediatrician, and is doing very well! The doctor said he is right on track with his language skills. Max was quite inquisitive with the stethoscope, blood pressure sleeve, and even the doctor's pen in his shirt pocket!

Here are his stats: (He was actually weighed and measured on an adult scale!)
35.5 lbs, 75th percentile
40 inches tall, 90th percentile

We (the doctor and I) had a little potty training pep talk, so hopefully we will see some sort of progress on that soon. No pressure, but when Max shows awareness of BM's, it is time to get him seated! So, the training of the Mama and Dada as well as the boy begins.

Max is completely normal with the tantrums and meltdowns we have been experiencing lately. He is getting to the age that he thinks he can do more than he actually can, thus the temperament switch on occasion. 'This too shall pass!'

Charlie is 1!

2007-08-16T20:15:00.000-07:00

Charlie had her 1 year checkup with the pediatrician today. She is in great health and is doing very well with her verbal skills for her age (she can say kee-kee, doggy, and dada), and is already cutting her 18 month molars (she is so advanced!) ;)
Here are her current stats:
Height: 31 inches - 95th percentile
Weight: 20 lbs, 15 oz - 50th percentile
Head Circumference: 46.7 cm - 90th percentile

She's nothing if not consistent!

It's Birthday Time!

2007-08-16T20:00:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday we hosted a birthday party for Max and Charlie. Max is just starting to understand about the whole birthday thing, but Charlie was just wondering why all of these people were in her house!

Max got really excited come cake time. He was laughing and couldn't wait to tear into that cupcake. Charlie, on the other hand, had no idea what was going on. Look at the sullen, lost look on her little face!

'Yo, Max! What are we supposed to do with this thing?'

'Lick all the fwosting off, Chahwee, then eat the cake!!'

'How's about I just feed it to Dada? He really seems to like it!'

And this is what a sugar crash looks like:

Most of his friends had left by this time, and poor Max was in need of a bath and his comfy bed!

Our thanks to everyone who came and helped our little monkeys celebrate their big days!

Closer... closer...

2007-08-05T20:24:00.000-07:00

We have carpet!!!
The carpet is in and Dada is working on getting all of the trim installed. The kids slept in their new rooms last night and had naps up there today. Dada and I got to sleep in our own bed for the first time in 3 months!! Oh, so much more comfortable than the couch and the cot.
Dada is still working on finishing the last of the trim and all of the nail holes need to be filled, but at least they are up there! Seriously, we can't express how excited we are to have them in their own rooms. Max's book shelf and bean bag are up there, and soon Charlie's furniture will be up in her room. Then, my sewing space! Woohoo!

Oh my are we in trouble...

2007-08-04T09:09:00.001-07:00

Charlie has been very good about showing us where we had become lax in our baby proofing, and here is yet another example of her getting into things before I am fully prepared. Luckily Dada had put the kid-proof doorknob covers on the exterior doors to keep Max in. We didn't realize Charlie would be testing them quite this soon!

Check out the huge grin on her face as she reaches up!

Who is that girl?

2007-08-03T20:42:00.001-07:00

The kids and I spent the afternoon at Grandma and Grandpa's house, and while Max was napping Charlie had the opportunity to explore. She quickly found Grandma's mirror and started kissing the baby she saw looking back at her. Adorable!

Hey, there's a Mama in this mirror too!

(I love the hand on the mirror in this one)

Naked Max

2007-08-02T14:49:00.000-07:00

Oh my! Hard to believe almost a month has gone by since my last post! We have been very busy here in the Meier household. The kids rooms upstairs are very close to being move-in ready. I have been doing some seamstress projects that have been fun and taught myself some techniques that came out very well (and have inspired me to make a few things for myself!). Max has finished his summer preschool sessions and anxiously awaits the real thing to start in September. We are ramping up for the kids birthday party coming up in a couple of weeks.
Here are a few pictures of Max from a couple of weeks ago - Dada was letting him run around naked in the back yard to see if we could make him more aware of the 'pee-pee feeling'. Pretty funny to have the occurrence surprise him! He would just stand there and stare at the puddle on the ground. We would ask him, 'Did you go pee?' He just looked at it like it had appeared from outer space or something. Anyway, we got some super cute pictures of his skinny little body running around playing.

Then when we came in the house we just wanted to do a quick cleanup before dinner:

Hands and feet please!

Progress!

2007-07-08T19:23:00.001-07:00

We have made huge strides in the visible progress upstairs this past week. I got the colored walls painted, and this afternoon Dada (with a little help from me) got the new windows installed.
In the photo above, looking through the play area outside the kids rooms, the wall to the left is a robin's egg blue.

This is Charlie's room, which I painted a soft green.

From the very beginning of this project I would periodically ask Max what color he wanted his room. Every single time without fail his response was, 'Ohnch!' So he got 2 orange walls in his room. He even helped me pick out the exact paint swatch of orange he wanted!

Very soon this little corner of the play area will be a custom sewing desk all for me! I am so excited about the prospect of not needing to pack up my sewing machine each and every time I am through using it for the day.

What did you say?

2007-07-08T12:41:00.000-07:00

Dada likes to tease me that both of the kids have said his name first (although I haven't heard Charlie say it in a verifiable way yet), so at dinner the other night we had this snippet of conversation:
Dada: Max, what was your first word?
Max: Potato!

I love that kid.

Boys Like Digging

2007-07-02T14:08:00.000-07:00

A couple of weekends ago while the guys were working on the drywall and Dada didn't need to be up there helping, he built a new sandbox for Max. I wanted something taller so that Max wouldn't sit in the sand and get entirely filthy every time he played in it, so Dada figured out this box made of 2x6's. The sand is only about 5 inches deep, which is plenty for Max's trucks and shovels.

He loves it and only occasionally dumps sand on the grass around the box! The bonus of this system is that we can use it as a buffet table when the plywood cover is on it. Bring on the barbecues! (Well, bring them on when we have the upstairs a little closer to being done and can actually spend time cleaning up the back yard!)

We Have Paint!

2007-07-02T13:59:00.000-07:00

I took these pictures yesterday afternoon. Everything has been primed, and the ceilings and the appropriate walls have been painted white.

It looks so different now! I am just thrilled with the results so far.

There is still plenty to do, but it is getting there!

And here is the gear Dada had to wear while tackling the dusty awful job of sanding the mud before the painting began:

He is SO glad that portion of the project is done!!!

Aaaaah, Summer...

2007-06-28T10:44:00.000-07:00

Dada got out the hammock so that he and Max could climb up and 'swing, Dada!' (as Max would say). As soon as the major house projects are done they should be able to do this more often (Yeah, in about 6 years or so).

Look What I Can Do!

2007-06-28T10:34:00.000-07:00

Last week on a sunny afternoon all four of us were playing in the back yard. I had Charlie in her excersaucer to keep her from putting grass, sticks, rocks, and whatever else she can find in her mouth. Dada decides he wanted her to crawl around and enjoy the weather. She noticed pretty quickly the back steps were quite close, and in about 5 seconds flat made it over there and crawled all the way up - she is only 10 months old!!! Dada got her and put her back on the grass but after she made it up the stairs two more times, he put her back in the excersaucer. ;)

Can I Help?

2007-06-28T10:25:00.000-07:00

If I'm going to help you, Dada, I'm going to need a toolbelt that fits me!!

Little Dear/Deer

2007-06-23T20:12:00.000-07:00

Last week Dada found an old pair of holiday antlers in Max's toy bin and put them on Charlie's head.

Of course, they didn't stay there long and quite soon were in her mouth...

Well, at least her immune system is boosted by putting all of this stuff in her mouth, right? Right?!?

More on the Home Reno...

2007-06-20T10:31:00.001-07:00

Here are a couple of pictures from a couple of weeks ago after Dada put up the insulation and done the prep work for the drywall.

And here are a couple of pictures from this morning of the drywall and first coat of mud. It is coming along!

I Like School!

2007-06-12T10:46:00.000-07:00

I have been emotionally preparing myself for Max starting preschool in September and found a great one near our house. This summer they also offer summer school in 3 week sessions to help keep kids busy. With us being tied to the house in the mornings for Charlie's nap, poor Max has been very bored so we decided to try out the summer school for him. He loves it! When we first walked in yesterday morning he went straight for the playdough.

Then, as soon as the painting easel was free, he started on his first masterpiece. He wouldn't even say goodbye to me!

When Charlie and I returned at 11:30 to pick him up, he was very busy playing in the sandbox.

He didn't want to go home, and ran all over the playground like crazy before I could catch him with the promise of lunch when we got home. He kept saying all the way home, "I go to school tomorrow! I go to school tomorrow!"

Can I Play With You?

2007-06-12T10:36:00.001-07:00

This past weekend the kids and I went down to my parents house so that Dada and the guys could work upstairs installing drywall without nap interruptions. Max immediately pulled out the toy bin, and Charlie figured out pretty quickly to hang out with Max next to the toys.

So this is grass...

2007-06-12T10:25:00.000-07:00

We had some weather warm enough to put Charlie down in the grass to see what she would do. She immediately started looking at the tall blades of grass sticking up in front of her (we have been working inside the house and the yard is badly in need of mowing!)

Just after this one was taken, she took off across the yard. Go speed racer, go!

Sunny Days

2007-06-06T20:33:00.001-07:00

Last week we had a few really nice sunny days (of course, this week is the Rose Festival, so we are back to rain) which meant that Max got to go outside and play on the dirt pile. Dada got him doped up with sunscreen... and likes to mess with Max's hair during the application. Max is playing the king of the hill and looked so cute I had to capture the image!

I, for once, got to be in a picture with one of my kids!! That doesn't happen very often when you are the one usually taking the pictures. Charlie and I were matching last weekend (with clothing color, not hairdo's) so Dada got our picture.

Fence

2007-06-06T09:53:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Dada began putting up a new fence along the far end of our back yard along with the help of our neighbor (it's his new fence too). Here are some 'in process' pictures. Above, the new posts are in.

Max and the two neighbor boys are enjoying the dirt pile created by the planting of the new trees. Boys like dirt!

Above, the cross braces are in and the fence boards are being installed.

Our neighbor had never used a saw before. Dada made sure he got to try out a couple different kinds and now he is a pro!

Cheesy Max

2007-05-20T15:48:00.001-07:00

I decided a while back that I didn't want to buy mac-n-cheese in the box anymore because I didn't know what chemicals and preservatives were in it plus they didn't taste enough like real cheese. My version of 'easy mac' is cooked & drained macaroni noodles put back into the still hot pot, a little bit of sour cream mixed in, and then a hand full of shredded cheese mixed in until melted. The one side effect of this is the cheese strings! Max just loves it and practically licks the plate every time I make it. You'll notice he holds his left hand up there to help shovel the noodles into his mouth off of the fork!

"I Have A Cold"

2007-05-20T15:41:00.001-07:00

One day this past week, Max insisted he have one of his extra blankets. He spread it out over his lap, making sure his feet were well covered. Then he told me, "I have a cold, Mama." I asked him, "Do you mean you feel cold?" "Yes, Mama, I feel cold." But then a few minutes later he would tell me the same thing. "I have a cold, Mama." We'll work on that grasp of the English language. He sure was good for a while, though, sitting there quietly reading a book!

Busy Girl

2007-05-20T07:48:00.001-07:00

My 2nd little mischievous blue-eyed monkey is such a busy little girl! Not only does she show me all of the little specs and fluffs on the floor, she showed us the paper tags on the undersides of all of our dining room chairs (by ripping them off and sticking them in her mouth), she shows me all of the outlets that don't currently have protectors, all of Max's toys she shouldn't have that end up on the floor...

But how could I be mad when she smiles at me like that?

Trying out Max's sunglasses

It is amazing how many new things she is doing just in the past couple of days! Suddenly she is getting up on her knees and will even let go of whatever she pulled up on and will balance on her knees and wave her arms around. She has begun sitting up without a hand tripod on the floor for balance. Yesterday I caught her in a downward dog yoga pose - the getting up on the feet has begun!

What a monkey!

Max vs. the hose

2007-05-20T07:43:00.001-07:00

Dada turned the water off after watering in the new plants, but there was just enough water left in the hose for Max to empty into his cart and play for a while. Once again, it is a good thing Max likes baths. During the spring/summer months, he gets lots of them!

Max is looking a little tired after a nice afternoon playing outside.

Landscaping

2007-05-20T07:35:00.000-07:00

The landscaping project outside the fence continues...
Here are Dada and Max with the newly planted trees and soon to be planted bamboo.

Max was very helpful, taking his little shovel with him all over the place. (Must be ready to dig at a moments notice, you know)

Office Mate

2007-05-15T08:48:00.000-07:00

Max got to go to the office with Dada yesterday morning while Charlie and I were at the pediatricians office. I packed toys and crayons for him, but those were so old news since he gets to use them every day at home! Dada got him fixed up with a cartoon and some headphones so he could chill while Dada was on a conference call. Thank goodness for technology!

He-Who-Digs-Holes Jr.

2007-05-15T08:39:00.000-07:00

When Dada and I moved into our first house (some 8 years ago) we joked that if Dada were a Native American, his name would be He-Who-Digs-Holes because of all of the planting and putting up of new fences and such that he did around the yard. Well, now we have Junior who loves being out in the yard with Dada. Over the weekend the two of them planted 2 trees, 3 bunches of bamboo, and 3 wisteria. These large holes were for the trees. Max did actually get some dirt out of the hole and into his little cart!