100th day of school

Goodness, that 100th day of school seems to get here fast, doesn't it??  Next thing you know, we'll be at spring break and then it's summer.  So far, both girls are having a really good school year.  I'm very thankful for that.  For Lauren's 100th day project, we decided to make a few pinwheels.  They're so easy and fun.  Originally, I wanted to adhere them to the board in a manner that would still allow them to turn.  In the end, it was much easier just to cut them, fold them, and glue them on.  We didn't even glue the folded edges down in the center but I think it turned out really cute anyway. 

Lauren seems extra jolly in this picture, doesn't she?  Wanna know why?

Jacob was in the background trying to pull my pants down!  Let me explain.  My kids are up by no later than 0530 each morning.  We started the pinwheel board around 0600 Sunday morning.  I was still in my pjs when it came time to take the picture.  Lauren started out with a sullen face.  Jake came over and grabbed the leg of my pants and was saying, "Milk, Mommy."  He tugged a bit too hard, my pants went south, Lauren began to laugh and it was all over from that point.  He thought it was hilarious and kept following me around tugging.  Thus, the giggles from Lauren and the blurry picture from Mommy.  Hehehe.

Earth and Stars

~If I could reach up and hold a star for every time you've made me smile,

the entire evening sky would be in the palm of my hand.~

Busy planning Lauren and Jacob's birthday parties.  I think I need woodshop classes.

These are the pictures that will go out on the invitations.  Jacob's picture was inspired by the amazing Lisa Rostoen of Fotografix Studios.  Her work is beautiful and inspiring.  Well, I'm off to do some glo-in-the-dark stenciling.  Yippeee!

Anna

My sweet Anna...she has such a gentle soul. She is my reader, my dancer, my singer, my artist, my thinker, and my planner. I think sometimes she feels left out because Lauren and Jacob require (demand loudly) so much attention. She may feel that way but she has her Mommy's heart. I'm so proud of her every day.

Attitude Adjustment

Hope you all had a Happy New Year's Day and are looking forward to 2011!  If not, I may need to send my boy over to have a talk with you. 

Our day was very slow, quiet, and rainy.  It was just right as we seem to have spent the past week going full speed.  Between birthday parties, playdates, a books and bagel day, and a trip to San Francisco, there hasn't been much time for lounging around.  On Friday we took advantage of the fact that Doug was off and headed to the Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park.  The girls were very impressed with the massive T-Rex skeleton and the beautiful sea life at the entrance.

We headed into the Rainforests of the World exhibit first thing.  It was really amazing, butterflies, fish, snakes, geckos, the most incredible chameleon I've ever seen, and beautiful flowers.  Unfortunately, my camera fogged up as soon as we entered and stayed that way the entire time we were in the rainforests.
When leaving the dome, you walk straight into the underwater aquarium.  I loved their underwater aquarium.  The kids were mesmerized.

Jacob, however, was even more fascinated by the tuh-tel and the bug "bait and trap" we came across at the end of the visit.

After lunch at the cafe in the museum, we stopped by Alamo Square and let the kids play at the playground in the square's park.  You may recognize the square from the beginning shots of "Full House" many years ago.

We ended the day at Fort Point at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge.  Fort Point is such a special place.  I could spend the entire day there taking pictures.

The girls were such good little models for me.

 I'm so proud of our beautiful girls.  My heart just skips a beat whenever I see their sweet smiles.

However, this one....

I spent most of the time looking at the back of his head as he ran away from me.  I took almost 500 pictures and I do believe 482 were me trying to get a non-blurry, face shot of my busy son.
It was hard work but I managed to get a few.  My goal was to get a shot of all three together to go on the cover of our 2010 family album.  It didn't happen.

 This and the pouty lips are my two favorites of Mr. Man.

Have a Happy Weekend!

2011

I asked the girls this morning what they were most looking forward to in 2011.  Lauren responded, "Sandwiches, eating lots of sandwiches."  Anna said she was hoping to find someone in school who she liked and who liked her back.  I said, "You mean a boyfriend?"  She giggled, "Yes, a boyfriend."  May you all find what you're looking for in the New Year as well!

Conversations with the Peanut Gallery

I know this post is quite large but I'm trying to get in all of the conversations that I haven't posted before the end of the year.  Enjoy!

Too many infomercials perhaps??
Anna: Mommy, I have an idea. We can use oxyclean stainfighter. It gets the tough stains out, even the hardest ones.
Lauren: Yeah, even blueberry. Action Stain Clean Fighter is some sort of powder.
Anna: Guess what! Mr. Steamy is cool. You put him in the washer with some flower smelling spray and he gets off the stains. He irons them and he makes them smell good. Mr. steamy can do those three things in one wash!

Watching a show about the Titanic:
Anna: Are ships girls or boys?
Doug: All ships are girls.
Lauren: What about boats?
Doug: Yes, boats too.
Lauren: What about canoes?

Watching a show on” Animal Planet”
Lauren: “Look, everybody, pokey-pines!”
Anna: I think there is an animal kingdom and the king is a giraffe.

Despite our constant reminders to avoid snakes, Lauren killed a snake in the street the other day with a tennis racket. She then picked it up and put it in our garbage can where it revived as she had apparently only knocked it out for a moment.

Anna: Daddy, can we get a car with a TV in it?
Doug: No.
Anna and Lauren: Why not?
Doug: I don’t believe in it.
Anna and Lauren: But they’re real, Daddy. They’re real.

Jacob doesn’t want to sleep in his own bed anymore. He’s determined to be in bed with Mommy and Daddy. Putting him in his crib the other night we had the following conversation:
Jacob: Bay-ed
Me: You want a band-aid?
Jacob: Bay-ed.
Me: You want a family band? (We’ve been playing a lot of music recently).
Jacob: Bay-ED!!
Me: Bed? Mommy and Daddy’s bed? Is that what you want?
Jacob: Want!!

Lauren: I wonder when I’ll be old enough to go to the moon. I’m gonna bring my bike along and go to all the planets and that one with the ring around it.
Anna: That’s Saturn.
Lauren: Yeah, I’m gonna take my bike to Saturn and when you see writing in the sky that will be me.

Looking for a particular chapter in a Harry Potter book for Anna:
Anna: Mommy, just look at the continents. (Table of contents)

Where did we go wrong:
Lauren is so intent on contributing to her school’s recycling program that I have to stop her from emptying unused water bottles, ketchup bottles, and jugs of milk.

Thurman is hard of hearing now and we have to shine a flashlight at him to get him to come in for the night. He can’t hear us call.

I tried to put my tennis shoes on yesterday and found a ¼ cup measuring cup in my right shoe with a ¼ cup of raisins in my left.

Jacob keeps trying to clean the toilet in his diaper and his sister’s tap shoes.

The phone rang at 0530 the other day. It scared me because normally a call at that hour implies bad news is coming. Anna and I answered at the same time, she on the downstairs phone. A man’s voice said, “Hey, Baby.”
Anna said, “Hello? Hello?”
Me(to Anna): Anna hang up the phone.  I have it.
Me (to caller): I’m sorry but you have the wrong number.
Caller: Naw, naw. You’re the girl I met last night that I paid to (fill in the blanks here).
Anna: Who is this, Mommy?
Me (to Anna): ANNA, HANG UP THE PHONE NOW!!
Caller: Wait, baby, what’s your name…Anna? Yeah, Anna is the girl I met last night.
Anna: Mommy, he said my name. It’s for me.
Me: ANNA, HANG UP THE PHONE NOW!!!
We both hung up and he called right back.
Me: STOP calling this number.
Anna: Who is it Mommy?
Caller:  Is this Anna?
Me: ANNA, HANG UP THE PHONE NOWWWWWWWWW!!!
I called my stepmom and asked her to talk to me for a few minutes until he got bored and gave up. Afterwards I tried to explain to the girls that just because someone calls us doesn’t necessarily mean they know us or are good people. Later in the day the phone rang and the caller hung up. Lauren said, “Mommy, it might be that unwell-mannered man again.

Christmas goodies:
We asked the grandparents to only send one gift this year to each child as we just are overrun with toys.  Anna wasn't too happy with this plan.  I overheard her on the phone with my mom.
Anna: Nana, I only have five presents under the tree. Can you send me more?

On our way out of the parking lot heading toward the Nutcracker:
Lauren: Wow, look at those highscapers.

Making gingerbread cookies and houses:
Me: Girls, I’m going upstairs to get ready for our playdate. Don’t let Jakie get into the cookies. A few minutes later, I walked back downstairs to find several legs eaten off of unbaked gingerbread men as well as all of my roofs and two doors devoured by our busy boy.

This year my dad and stepmom sent the kids 12 envelopes for the 12 days of Christmas with dollars bills rolled up for each day (for example: Day 1: $1, Day 2: $2, Day 3: $3, etc.) At the end of the 12 days the kids split the money and each were left with $26. A few days later, the kids got Christmas cards in the mail. Anna opened hers and said, “Where’s the money?” Lauren said, “Yeah, all they sent were words.”

Watching a show about the life of Jesus a few days prior to Christmas, we learned that (according to Anna) Jesus was crucified by the Germans because he was political trouble for them.

Looking at “Bible Stories for Little Eyes” and a picture of the Three Wise Men at the manger holding gold, frankincense, and myrrh, Lauren said, “Oh, look. They’re taking pictures with their cameras.”

Jacob on Christmas Day:
Me: Jacob, say “Merry Christmas!”
Jacob: “Cheese!”

Anna talking to Doug about her new Barbie Video Girl Santa gave her:
Doug: Have you been taking videos?
Anna: Yes, but I’ve deleted them all.
Doug: Why?
Anna: Because I want to keep the news fresh.

Wrapping last minute presents while Doug and the girls were sledding, I ran out of paper and ran upstairs to get some more. When I came back down, Jacob had the scissors at the Christmas tree cutting all of my garlands in two. At least now, they cover the whole tree and not just the lower half.

After eating beef tenderloin on Christmas day:
Anna: What animal is this?
Doug: A cow.
Anna: Ooh.
Lauren: What other animals do we eat?
Doug: Pig, deer, lamb, sloth.
Anna: We don’t eat sloth, Daddy.
Doug: Sure we do. Haven’t you ever heard of cole “sloth”?

Lauren checked the oatmeal we sprinkled on the lawn the night before to guide Santa’s reindeer to our yard: “Mommy, I checked the oatmeal and it looks like the reindeer nibbled on it!”

The day after Christmas:
Doug: Sandy, have you seen the large key ring with all of the spare keys on it?
Me: I used it to take the kids to school a couple of weeks ago because I couldn’t find my keys.
Doug: So, where did you put it when you were done? Is it in a coat pocket somewhere?
Me: I don’t think so. I thought I put them back where they go.
After a few minutes of frantic searching:
Me: Girls, have you seen the big ring of keys?
Anna: No.
Lauren: Yes.
Me (to Lauren): You have?
Lauren: Yes.
Me: Where are they, baby?
Lauren: I buried them.
Me: You buried them?
Lauren: Yes.
Me: Um, where did you bury them?
Lauren: In the back yard.

Written in a card we received from Anna on Christmas morning:
Dear family,
Merry Christmas!  It's the joyfull day a savior was born!  It's also time to thank Santa, and open presents, and a feast!  Let's start!  Hooray!
Love,
Anna
P.S. hugs and kisses
 
See you all in the New Year!  Best Wishes!