D's gradu"lation"

that's what she called it anyway. she was VERY excited about graduating and "flying up" to first grade. me, not so much. i want her to stay little. i asked her teachers to hold her back, but they would not comply.

here she is working hard on one of her last days in kindergarten. she is a very neat and concise student. she likes to do things right.

a.d.o.r.a.b.l.e.
they all had to go up individually, introduce themselves and say what their favorite work was. they also joined together and sang a song. it was quite the performance.

thirsty after all that singing.
ok. ok. enough pictures mom.

hanging with her friends, opening the gifts from their teachers. she looked a little disappointed when it turned out to be a journal. i think she thought it was going to be a fabulous new barbie or something.

she just shrugged it off and started making lists of goals for this summer.

singh farm

my friend had told me about a cool farm off of thomas and the 101. i hadn't been there before, so we checked it out last saturday. it was freaking awesome. it was like a hidden oasis. i guess it has some pretty cool gardening things about it too, but none of it made any sense to me as all i do in the garden is kill things. but here is some info :)

the kids chased the chickens until they all had a turn to hold one.

pretty garden. can you believe this is in the middle of the desert?
pretty black and white chicken. i didn't quite capture it's beauty. the colors were so vibrant.


burlap was laying around everywhere. i like burlap.
D took this picture. i like it.
they were selling yummy breads and freshly made honey. also lots of fresh and organic veggies for sale.

it was pretty just to walk around. i want to have a party there.

oh and there were huge piles of compost all around. just thought i would mention that.

last minute teacher gifts

at about 9:30 pm on the wednesday before school got out, i decided i wanted to put together some cute gifts for my kids' teachers. i know it was this late because it was at that time that i had to borrow sugar from my neighbor to make the cookies. i had already started the process and was not going to mess it up (like i had the night before and wasted the rest of the sugar... why i needed to borrow my neighbors)

anywho, i made the cookies and found these cute free download-able paper bag favor labels. i customized mine a bit in photoshop, but i'm sure you could do that in any editing program, and made them mine. turned out pretty cute... if i do say so myself... for a last minute thought that is.

no bake peanut butter chocolate oatmeal cookies. not paul's favorite. which may be why i make them. more for me.

not very appetizing looking either... but oh so delicious.

poems

the kids are auditioning for a play today. they have to recite a poem to the panel of judges. here are the poems they selected.....

S.

hug o'war by shel silverstein

I will not play at tug o' war

I'd rather play at hug o' war,

Where everyone hugs

Instead of tugs

Where everyone giggles

And rolls on the rug,

Where everyone kisses

And everyone grins

And everyone cuddles

And everyone wins.

L.

YOU AND I by mary ann hoberman

Only one I in the whole wide world

And millions and millions of you,

But every you is an I to itself

And I am a you to you, too!

But if I am a you and you are an I

And the opposite also is true,

It makes us both the same somehow

Yet splits us each in two.

It's more and more mysterious,

The more I think it through:

Every you everywhere in the world is an I;

Every I in the world is a you!

D.

the sunflower

Sunflower Sunflower

Yellow and round

You are the prettiest flower I found

Tall, strait, full of grace

I love the light in your bright yellow face

they are all pretty pumped.

summer's here....

and i'm feelin' crafty.

i want to do this.....

i also want to re-create with our own twist this and maybe even some cupcake canvas squares.

and i also need to get a picture for my groupon canvas that i bought.

hmmm.... so many things, so little time.

party time

baby R was pretty pumped about his first birthday. well, after he warmed up. he cried for the first part and during the bday song... but then when he got to eat cake, it cheered him right up.

he was the star of the show.

festive bday hats...
the cake. are you ready for this.....
wow! look at all the colors!
handsome daddy...
now this is my kind of party....
now i'm feelin the love :)

it's not a party unless there are bubbles!!
happy birthday big boy!!! (awesome #1 onesie thx to auntie natalie)

happy birthday to me

me. on my first birthday. wait. actually now that i'm looking at it, it says happy new year. so, anyway, somewhere around my first/second year :)

and a collection of random photographs on or around my birthday over the years.... memories that make me smile :)

fun memories w robin. i've always been a big believer in the german tradition of having a drink while you nurse... it helps your milk come in. at least that's what they say...
my 3 flowers.
my little bro home from the war.
we really catered to little L's eating habits...
story time! it just seems like yesterday... how could they be 10 and 8 now?????
modeling at a photoshoot for D. i did everything she said. i am such a good model. she even put the flowers up on my lap and told me how to tilt my head.
i can't believe none of us noticed we had anything on our teeth! this was the first time the whole family met dave. we were on our best behavior.
my birthday dinner with some indy friends. this was the year i ran a half marathon to say goodbye to my 20's. it was pretty awesome. i really screwed up my foot tho. that's what i get for not training. i did get to run around the indy 500 race track tho.
i guess making all of these fun memories makes it worth turning another year older.

i still keep peeking out the window for that pony with the ribbon around it's neck.

mother's day 2011

i had a lovely mother's day. i was awoken with the sounds of clinking and clanking coming from the kitchen... which resulted in a delicious breakfast that i think was intended to be consumed in bed... but i was already up.... and we needed to leave for church about 10 minutes before.
we had another delicious meal at my mom's house, prepared by the studly men in our family.

we then left them to clean up and mind the children while we went out for pedicures :)

this pic was pre-pedi....
i received the most beautiful cards. i also planted all the flowers i received from m's- d and easter.... which i'm soon will die very soon if they haven't already.


those clever girls....
and a flower pot i got for my ma. she's awesome and fun and cute and pretty and nice and would totally to this day give me the shirt off her back (or dress... which she just offered the other day)

thanks mom. for giving me life. and teaching me to enjoy the ride.

one

how did this....

become this....
so fast???

i can't believe a year has gone by. i sure love you, my little boy!

Forgotten Language by Shel Silverstein

Once I spoke the language of the flowers,

Once I understood each word the caterpillar said,

Once I smiled in secret at the gossip of the starlings,

And shared a conversation with the housefly

in my bed.

Once I heard and answered all the questions

of the crickets,

And joined the crying of each falling dying

flake of snow,

Once I spoke the language of the flowers. . . .

How did it go?

How did it go?

D

locks of love

this little one had been wanting to do this for a long time. well actually, she had been wanting to cut her hair for a long time. i kept putting it off because her hair is so pretty long and i wanted her to keep it. but she insisted, so i then showed her the locks of love website and suggested that she do that. she looked and looked at it and then shook her head no. i asked her why not? she would just look at the pictures and then say no. i dropped it. i then noticed her staring at the computer for a long time... thinking. she then finally said i just don't think i want to do that mom. i asked her why. she said it's just too short. i realized she was looking at the kids who had lost their hair completely and thought i was asking her to shave her hair all the way. i explained to her again that she would be donating her hair to those children so that they can make wigs out of it. she said ohhh! yes!! i want to do that!! i thought it was sweet how long she stared at the pictures, trying to discern whether she could do it or not. live with a shaved head. so sweet.

anyway, as the other girls were getting their hair cut, she asked if she could cut hers too. we measured with the stylist and she said it was long enough. 10.5 inches. it was a go.

she's pretty excited...

there they go.... those long beautiful braids....
and here she is. so proud!
she had a short regret period. i knew she would. but very soon, she was happy, skipping around the salon... writing thank you notes to the stylist. she was very confident in her decision and looks adorable!!!

way to go D!!!!

happy greenery day