Ophish

I got an e-mail from Morgan the other day - asking if I remembered a language in which there was an "op" following every consonant and where it came from...  Sure do!  And it brought back happy memories.  :)  I love happy memories.  I called Grandmommy to confirm and her delightful laugh was all I needed.  I so remember her teaching us to speak it and all the laughing involved!  I hope one day that I can teach my own grand kids such cool things and give them memories to last a lifetime!
Until my next post,
Jopesopsopamopyopnop Lopauropelop (Goparopnoperop) Mopilopo

Randoms...

- Danny started giving kisses finally and I'm in love all over.
- Little boys should learn about gravity before learning to climb.
- I'm totally overjoyed today that Christmas is saved!! :) Abi wanted a Lalaloopsy silly hair doll in the worst way and they are sold out all over the country and on line! Though I was originally against getting one (cause they're stoopit!), I was so disappointedly that I couldn't find one anywhere - she tells us that she "wishes she had one of those" all the time! Auntie Beth found one in Michigan today and is mailing it to us! Yay!!!
- I love the feel of the keys on my wireless keyboard.
- I'm dreaming about the possibility (hope) of having all my siblings together for Thanksgiving or Christmas next year... It will have been 5 years by that point.
- I wish I had a lot more time for doing crafts... I have so many things that i want to do...
- Having little children is hard. I love them to death. I wish that it was easier. (at times.)
- I hope that we will have snow for Christmas and I can't believe I'm saying that! It has been an unbelievably warm and wonderful Fall, but I guess I do still have a little bit of a child in me somewhere - there must be snow for Christmas!!
- Abi sang a couple songs with her Sunday school class for the Christmas program at church! I've never been so proud!! Its so funny... Up till this year I always watch and wonder why they have the 3 year olds sing - they pretty much just look around and stare into the lights like deer. But how stinkin cute!!! I was a weepy mess of pride! My baby girl sang and she new all the words and it was more precious than imaginable!!!
- I have noticed that my OCD tendencies are lessening as I have kids. However, sometimes I worry that I passed them on a little too strongly to my daughter! ;) Gosh I love her.
- I love to watch my kids sleep. Yup - I'm that Mom... They are so perfect and cuddly and wonderful laying there in perfect calm. I want to soak up every moment and never forget.
- I'm wondering if the kids are allergic to dogs... this would actually make me really sad. We were at my parents for dinner Sunday. Abi got her face licked and her face turned fiery red - could just be sensitive skin, but then she was all itchy! Danny was sneezing the whole time... Even though we don't have a dog (or even want one right now), I'd still be sad. In my head it is somehow really important for kids to have a dog!

...OK - that's enough random thoughts for now...

1 Year Old

Our little man is one. He's developing quite the little personality - jolly as can be and starting to do whatever he can to make us laugh. He's such a happy little guy!  We're so happy to have you in our lives and hearts little Daniel James!


Danny started "cruising" around the house 4 months ago and within a couple months of that started taking a few steps here and there.  I was starting to wonder when he would get the confidence to realize that he really could walk...  I think today he finally flipped the switch!  He's a regular walking machine today!!  No more taking 2 steps and gingerly lowering himself to the ground to take off on the more confident all 4's!  This boy is on the move!  ... and quite proud of himself I must say!!!


He also learned 2 days ago that he can climb!  ...on chairs, on the couch, on boxes - on anything really!  I wonder though, why little boys learn how to climb before they learn about gravity?? Its good that he has a very solid head, because it often takes a good bump!

11 month pics - only a months late...

I made applesauce yesterday!

Well - it only took me about 2 hours between last night and just now, but I finally figured out how to send a pic from my phone to my blog!  So I'm not very technologically inclined, but at least I can finally figure it out if I have to!

I made applesauce yesterday!  I'm so excited by how easy it was!  For the last couple years, I've  made apple-butter by pushing apple much through a strainer with the back of a spoon....  and swearing that I would never do it again without a machine.  Kris got this for me for Christmas last year and I've been awaiting a chance to use it!  So amazing to not have to peal and core the apples before cooking them down - this does it all and made it all sooooo fast.  It only made 4 quarts, but I'm very happy with them.  Apples, a little sugar, cinnamon, and a hint of nutmeg - it met with MAJOR approval from the kids :)

10/10/11

All in one day Danny both got his first tooth (FINALLY! ...after only a mere 11 months and 5 days!) and took his very first step!! Little Man is getting so big so very quickly!!! I actually thought he may be walking sooner than this because he's been cruising around the furniture for about 3 months already, but he just hasn't quite had the confidence to walk. A few weeks ago we realized that he was able to walk behind a push toy and he's been great at standing in place, but just in the last couple days he's gaining the confidence to take a step - something he has now done several times in the last couple days. GO DANNY!!!

Lover of Books!

Abi is absolutely in love with books. Its funny - I remember when she was really little always trying to read to her and she wanted absolutely nothing to do with it. I was sad, thinking that she wouldn't be into reading. Though I'm not much of a reader I really feel that its important and want my kids to love books. I'm not sure what changed - for the longest time the only book she'd sit for was a Bible story before bed, but now she is constantly carting books around, asking me to read to her and "reading" to herself and everyone else. I think its been for about the last 6 months. Her memory amazes me too - If I read a book to her once, she will correct me every time from there on out if I say a wrong word! She remembers so much it baffles me!

Danny seems to love books already... He can be running around like a crazy man getting into everything and the moment I get a book to read to them, he'll just sit quietly in my lap and listen.

Abi's love of books is not the only to change recently. Once again I'm amazed by how things change. We've thought for a bit that she was going to be more of a shy, loner type because she's been fairly intimidated by people in general since she was little. All of a sudden - within the last 2 months she's come out of her shell in a MAJOR way! No longer shy, very outgoing, talks to everyone, and wants to have her friends around at all times. Its totally an awesome experience to watch our babies learn, grow and change. I wish I could document every single moment to remember!

So many changes!

 Its been so long since I posted, that I got on to post and its taken me an hour to figure out all the new changes to Blogger!  Must say - I rather like them!  Not quite as simplistic, but much better for being able to post things the way you want!


Anyway - I'm totally steeling pics from my Husband and posting them here :)  Abi did a fabulous job capturing her Daddy here! :)

 "3" has been tough on us lately...Fierce independence, constant chatter, emotions not yet able to be managed...  Gets a bit tricky at times, but I love our little lady.  She's full of energy, sweet as can be to her brother (a rather fab help to me with him), and an avid learner. She's had all her letter down for a long time, but now seems to know all the lower case letters as well, and many of their sounds. She's learning to right them now! Every evening that I work, I come home and find the next day that she's learned a couple new songs from Jackie and sings them to her little hearts content.  She forgets NOTHING!  Her memory amazes me!  Just last month she started a new Sunday School class at church and is very proud to have memorized her first Bible verse: "God is Love" 1 John 4:8  I struggle a little bit with the fact that I don't get as much 1:1 time with her now to help her learn things, but she just keeps learning anyway! :)

Dan the Man will be 11 months old tomorrow and has yet to pop out a tooth!  For a little guy that hasn't really wanted baby food for the last 3 months, its getting rough to figure out what to feed him! I kinda thought he would be walking by now - he was crawling at 7.5 months and cruising around the furniture by 9 months, but is still a little leery of letting go... We did discover that he's now a champ with a little walk behind toy though! His sleep patterns are slowly getting better...  He more or less sleeps through the night finally, but this week has been once again waking up at 5 am and not going back to sleep till 6...  Not my favorite time to wake up - especially if I've worked the night before and not gotten to bed till 1am!  We've been in the middle of "maybe" giving up the morning nap for a month too.  Seems to go OK for a couple days....  ...and then its a couple days of torture - but he just doesn't want it, so I have no idea what to do!  I've finally given up swaddling.  Though it was the only way to get him to sleep for so very long, this past week if you wrap him he works to get it undone and out in seconds - so I think its time to give that up! I must say though - for all his trouble with sleep, he really is one very delightful little man!  He's happy as can be, for the most part, even when sleep deprived!  And a very determined little fellow he is too! Mischief finds him at every turn!!!

We're headed to NH this weekend to celebrate Kris' grandfather's birthday with him - He'll be 86!  I'm excited to go up and see his family - its been about a year and a half and they haven't seen Danny yet.  Really want to get up there while His Gramp is still doing well too.  Then when we get back, I've been thinking that I need to get out to see Grandmommy and "have tea" with her!  She's 88 and going strong!  ...though her memory is failing and I want to get there a few more times while she remembers me and the kids!  


I've spent a LOT of time this summer (in 45 minute segments during naps) trying to get the deck painted and am sadly realizing it probably won't be totally finished before its too cold :(  Kris made awesome gates for both decks and I'm thrilled that they are now a bit safer and looking lovely!  Plus I'm in love with the fact that the upper deck is now a place to still "get outside" even if the ground is too wet to really play!  Its a fabulous thing in my mind!


OK - enough for now!  This has not been a very successful nap time and both kids are crying - time to go!!

Photo shoot for Daniel's 10 Months Pics

Mini photoshoot

090611, a photo by ...milo... on Flickr.

I had to ask Kris to help me take Daniel's 10 month shots since he will no longer stay in one place for more than a second. While we were at it, we took one of Abi and a couple of them both together. Love my cute kids :)