DISNEY!!!!

I met Kathryn for lunch one day, and lamented that I hadn't had the chance to take Evelyn to Disney yet...and she was that perfect age for the magic to work all it's wonders.  Fabulous Kathryn's response?  "Well let's go then.  How does November look for you?"

It was a girls weekend and it was PERFECT.  Chloe, Ev, Kathyrn and me took Magic Kingdom by storm with Magic Bands and full-on Princess spirit.

We're Here !!!!

We met so many wonderful princesses...Ev was floating on air !

All the planning and complex itinerary stuff had us a little stymied, but we had a great Disney planner who laid it all out and all we had to do was show up in the right places at the right times.  We really felt charmed -- everywhere we went it was like we ended up in the perfect spot for a parade or a performance or an intercept with a fun character.  And we saw SO. MANY. PRINCESSES. The planner gave the girls each an autograph book and they filled the pages with their favorite characters.

Perfect, charmed moment after perfect moment.

It was so pretty everywhere, decorated for Christmas.  And there was a fun holiday parade in the evening as a bonus, with all of Magic Kingdom lit up in twinkle lights (we pulled an all-dayer-into-the-nighter --- whew, we were exhausted).  There was a show in front of the Castle that we somehow, inadvertently, got a perfect front-row vantage point for, and Elsa made it SNOW.  Yes.  It was incredible.  Ev was dumbfounded and beyond fascinated -- she was glowing with joy.  I cried. It was beautiful.

Watching Elsa in front of Cinderella's Castle - True Happiness

Ev impressed Mary Poppins with her ladylike manners

May 2015

Water makes everything better.  And goggles?  That's just straight up awesome.

Ev has fun cheering on neighbor Matthew at his high school water polo matches (SBA)

Rain never stops their fun

diva girl at a birthday party - she was the most elegant young lady there

All the Divas at Skye's birthday celebration at Sweet & Sassy Salon

Evelyn's flower garden, coming along nicely

Finger Paint is a favorite

those earrings that seemed like such a great idea...they back-fired :-(

Evelyn's Happy Family

Drumming at Rainbow Lake Playground in Overton Park

dinner al fresco on the patio

oh that swing ... endless fun !

My Teeth !!!

The Graham's

EMERSON
my emerson just gets yummier and yummier.  he has this beautiful soft skin, and these chunky little feet that are always wiggling and pushing up against you.  his hands are so perfect - even when i can't keep up with his long fingernails.  He has his Oma's hair, this straight blond hair that grows so fast - can't keep up with that either. His eyes are bright deep blue and so big and expressive.  Even when he pouts at you.  And boy can he pout (!).  I love him like crazy.

he is growing his vocabulary lightening fast.  "Pea!  Pea!" is his please.  He's very polite.  You ask him a question and you get "Yeah!" or "No." or "Okay!"  He's not sure how to say "may i have some of your drink?" so he does this straw sipping impersonation instead -- his little lips pursed together with this adorable little "sipping" inhale sound.  Irresistible.

Tag has proclaimed him an athlete.  He took one day to start walking on his own, with a little teetering here and there.  But by day 2 he was solid.  He is extremely good with macro motions - even throwing a ball.  And he's impressive with micro motions -- able to place small items into exact positions, like inserting cards back into the paperboard card box after he dumps them out everywhere.

Boys are indeed different.  That is obvious with Emerson.  We are learning which things are sturdy in our home, and which are breakable.  Things you can pick up are either good for swinging around, banging on other things, or throwing.  And all with great gusto.

His little body (i get the sense that he is petite for his age) is so strong and solid and capable.  He is learning to climb up onto things now (uh oh) mostly through his swim lessons where he's learned how to pull himself up and out over the edge of the pool.  Swim lessons have been good, but I'm not sure how much swimming he's learning. He LOVES water, and doesn't at all mind being dunked down into it. The issue is that he thinks he should be able to float around on his own, so it's hard to hold onto him.  And if he wrenches free from you, he sinks like a stone. This summer at the pool should be interesting....

EVELYN
Big sister.  Not an easy job, but one that she seems to be enjoying more and more now that her brother can keep up with her a bit. Emerson won't brush his teeth unless his sister does it with him.  and he even pretends to spit like she does. he watches her like a hawk.  and wants to do everything she does, good or bad.  They hunt for worms together in the backyard, each with a bucket and a small spade, lifting up stones one by one and peeking underneath.

She glows and fawns over him when they're having fun.  She tries to help when he's fussy...but that usually backfires and we end up hollering at her to let him be.  And she can be quite the conniving mischief maker when she's not in a great mood or she's frustrated that her brother is stealing more attention than he deserves.  Im so proud of her for taking it all in stride.

She lets him destroy her room without batting an eye - she enjoys his company. Always one for social activity, emerson helps her manage through times of boredom or loneliness for the mayhem of other kids.

she's been reading more and more.  it amazes me how she can sound out words that are totally foreign to her and sort out sentences piece by piece.  she seems to have a love of numbers and is always adding up numbers for us and asking about the days in the month and the weeks in the year. she makes these books out of random drawings and has a story behind each page that she can recall even weeks later, writing in the titles on her own, sounding out the words in her mind.

we picked up this pot holder weaving kit on our trip to san diego as a coming home gift for evelyn.  she took no time at all to figure it out, even wanting to crochet hook the edges on the finished square (we turned two of them into a super cute little purse - which turned into a battle around how to turn that purse into a merchandizing strategy so that she can start earning her own income...watch out world - this one is not going to settle for small !)

she's been asking about another trip - she wants to go on an airplane trip so she can use her suitcase with the rolling light-up wheels.  I need to plan some visits to cool places and get this girl out in the world.  I'd love to take her to europe again... we'll see...

April 2015

We had a bit of a rough Easter with some of us coming down with a bug, and with Elina's final days before heading off on her travel month.  But we still found the time and energy to dye eggs with friends, have a last-minute pulled-together easter egg hunt, and enjoy the warming weather.

Evelyn started her flower garden again this year -- I think it will be even better than last year.  We got a bit more organized with it, and she circled the seed plantings with some annuals that are already blooming for some instant color.  For this year, she selected: watermelon, carrots, english daisy, zinnia, cosmos, larkspur - all from seed.  Only after suggesting some live plants for the border did she agree to select a few for color: marigolds, dianthus, and petunias.  She and I worked out there for over 2 hours planting and marking the rows. Was a great morning.  And we got to enjoy the scent of the lilac bush nearby that is in full enthusiastic bloom for the first time since I planted it 10 years ago.

The patio is once again our evening hangout spot with the mild weather and (for now) zero mosquitos.  Emerson LOVES playing in the water and walking up and down the path along the back of our yard. Both kids got into finger painting the other evening, which is perfect patio fun. This really is a great house in the spring.

making her awesome sliders

with neighbor dog Sadie

watering her flower/watermelon/carrot garden

future golfer...for Brasil ?

March 2015

Evelyn cracks us up all the time.  Man, she's a dynamo - have to work hard to keep up with her.  Sharp as a tack.  I've been complaining about needing more exercise to boost my energy, so the other day we were out playing - making chalk hop scotch and decorating our names on the pavement (evelyn: "I'll go get more Scotch!!") - riding her bike up and down the sidewalk -- scootching around on plastic strap-on roller skates - etc - and Evelyn says, "Let's do jump rope mamma! You could use the exercise." Out of the mouth of babes... So she runs and gets two jump ropes (i had no idea she had two...i was thinking i'd get away with just watching her jump) and she says "Let's jump to 100!" She's proud, as she should be, of the fact that she can count to 100.  Got some great cardio that day!

She has tremendous ability to focus on a task that interests her.  She loves anything artsy, and is even learning to knit at school (much to Oma's delight). I love watching her apply herself to a project - she's so intent and engaged.  She wants me to sign her up for art camp this summer - she went to a camp at the botanic garden over spring break that she totally LOVED. Now she's not interested in dance camp - just art. Oh, and soccer.  She amazed Tag and I by running (full tilt run) and kicking along a soccer ball -- for like 20 minutes straight. I think we need to get her on a team.  Burn off some of that incredible energy (!)

Em is really in a hurry to communicate.  already he has a verbal vocabulary:  hi, bah-bye, yumm, hot, cheechoo (thank you), poppa (puppy), poppa (poppa), yeah-yeah-yeah!, uh oh, up, ow, and mamma. He's been pretty good at some sign language, but now that's getting pushed aside as he strives to use words - Evelyn has been instrumental in this. He will do anything she does - and even wants to drink out of big-boy cups thanks to her role modeling.  We're still struggling a bit with 'nah nah' -- that seems to have all sorts of meanings, from water to Elina to Evelyn to all-done to just-figure-it-the-heck-out-already.  It's amazing how much he understands (everything).

He's coming out of hiding a bit also - not so afraid of new people or places.  In fact, he was so comfortable at a Botanic Garden kids event the other week that he wandered out across the rehearsal floor into the middle of a circle of dancers, just checking things out.

He knows how to whistle.  That was a shocker.  We were out strolling in the backyard and pointed out some birds - I whistled just to mimic them and reinforce the concept of birds, and the kid whistled right back.  Sort of an in-and-out whistle, with the sound forming on the inhale.  Pretty awesome!

Snow Day ! with Elina

Just mopping the floor for ya mamma

Yes - feeding himself already.  In such a hurry to grow up!

Art Show at school - this work is titled "Tornado"  (yes, how very apropos)

with her friend Adrianna
wearing a self-made necklace of heart stickers and twine

middle of the dance rehearsal circle.  no worries.

with the prima ballerina, as the Black Swan - Ballet Memphis

He's walking!!

I knew it !  He has been "faking it" for quite a while now - it was just a matter of him letting go and then he'd be on the go.  While I was away in China, Tag documented Emerson's first stroll across the room and sent me the amazing, adorable video.  He chirps happily while he zombie-walks around the house -- so stinkin' cute. 15 months and walking.  From baby to toddler.  Big stuff.  Mamma is crying happy, sappy tears.

February 2015

as i type, i am sitting on an airplane over the pacific, en route to china/hongkong for business. i've left my beautiful family behind...knowing they are well and missing them. i am excited to bring home some gifts -- evelyn was decidedly disappointed when i suggested that i bring her home something silk - until i mentioned a chinese silk robe. then she was ecstatic.  she is so funny - no matter what she's doing, it's full throttle.  and she's not afraid to tell anyone what she thinks.

emerson will be testing out his walking skills...taking his first steps on his own.  i had the incredible pleasure of watching him, face bright with glee, as he took at least 5 quick tumbling steps toward me yesterday. it could very well be a whole new world when i get back home.  a tiny person stepping his way around the house, chasing puppies and seeing the world from a new angle.

evelyn is reading.  it is so incredible. and she loves it. i need to spend more time with her, listening to her read the Bob books she found at the book store.  we were hanging out at barnes & noble a couple weeks ago, i was reading a book to her and we were enjoying a treat, when she walks up and starts reading to me from this little paperback.  i was stunned. i looked at her and said, "where did you get that book?" she said, very matter of fact, "It's a Bob Book."  I said, "What's a bob book, and how do you know that?" "it's the same as the Mac books at school. this is a Bob book, see?" and she points to the cover.  I immediately asked her where to find more of those, and we left with a full set.

playing viola at PB&Jam

made special Valentines with Elina

Ev's best friend Skye

emerson is very mechanical.  he plays so differently than evelyn did at his age.  she was very macro.  emptying the linen closet and the pantry, filling random bags with bits of things, tossing items of interest across the floor.  emerson will play with a couple bowls and a wooden spoon for 5 full minutes.  put things in slots. loves to throw things away in the garbage can. absolutely mesmerized by my phone, even though i have it passcode locked.  he took a few selfies the other day at the grocery store.  buttons, lights, switches, he is all about that.  he was playing, over and over and over again, with the little cash register that dings when you hit the open drawer button.  evelyn keeps some change in the drawer. ev would always put coins in her mouth - store them like a gerbil. little rocks too.  always in the mouth.  not emerson. he is just jolly happy putting the coins in a little dish, then transferring them back to the register drawer, open, close, open, ding! transfer the coins back to the dish. happy as a clam.

we went to the fletcher creek playground on a warm day last week and ev's friend Ella was there with her bike.  evelyn has been getting pretty good at her bike, and also a little push scooter that she got for christmas. so ella and evelyn took turns riding this bike around the playground and evelyn is getting really good at braking and turning.  i look at her sometimes and i'm astonished at these long legs she has. she still loves to be held, and those legs just dangle all over the place. she lays in her bed and it seems as though she almost stretches across the full length. growing up so fast - it's a blink.  and emerson is growing up even faster.  i don't know how to slow down time. i try to sit and enjoy them. relax. but we're all so active and it's hard to sit still - everyone of us wants to go and do and play and move.  makes the time whiz by.  that, and all the business of life that keeps us hopping; eating up endless blocks of moments all stacked up end to end that tick tock by without us having the presence to notice.

i'm glad we're a huggy-kissy family.  both my kids love to give kisses.  emerson loves it - with the same hearty mmmmmmwwwwwaaa! that evelyn always used as a baby.  and he's learning to growl like a bear when we give hugs.  one of my absolute very favorite things in the entire span of time and space is the cuddle i get from my babies when they are at this age - baby age - and they wake in the middle of the night or wee hours of the morning and i lift them from their bed and they immediately curl into my shoulder, tucking against my neck, wrapping their little arms around me, warm and strong and solid and safe and healthy and amazing. i just want to bottle that up. my heart swells to bursting.  i miss them.