Evie has been working on Big Girl bedtime, in which she lies down in her bed and just... SLEEPS. She's becoming a little more accustomed to the idea after a few weeks of working on it. :)
Showing posts with label Evie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Evie. Show all posts
Friday, November 23, 2012
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
chaos on the home front
Jack is doing his semi-regular "throw a ball at Boone and then get MAD and YELL when Boone grabs it and runs off."
He
chases Boone around in an absolute fury while the dog is wagging his
tail and giggling to himself about what a fun time they're having....
And 6 times out of ten, Evie is in the middle getting repeatedly knocked on her buns!
Thank goodness for story time in 30 minutes. These kids are no good at at-home independent play right now!
Friday, January 13, 2012
It's official: I have no more babies!
I was just singing a "little baby, little tiny baby" song
to Evie (that she has loved for a loooong time now) and she gave me kind of a dirty look.
So I apologized and said "Should I stop calling you a baby?
Are you ready to be a toddler?"
And she said, clear as day and looking straight into my
eyes, "YES."
I don't think she could have made it any clearer -- my baby girl is in fact a toddler!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
warm day in the yard
While Jack was at school this morning, Evie and I spent some time in the garden! It's a nice, 50+ degree morning here so I was digging up irises and day lilies to divide and share with others. Evie was finding plenty to do on her first real garden excursion since she's gotten her legs under her!
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| I found a Thing! |
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| I know where this goes.... |
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| Okay, I want it back now! |
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| Coming to get more Things. |
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| Found a good one! Now I just need to pick it up.... |
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| Snagged it! |
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| Aaaand tripped as soon as she stood up. :P |
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| Now where did I drop that Thing? |
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| Even after she got her sweater soaked by playing in a water-filled pot, she didn't want to go inside. "How about some football instead, mom?" :) |
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Oh, Christmas Tree!
Alison and I decided that we need to go to cut down our own Christmas trees this year. It's something neither of us has ever done, though the idea is treated as no big deal around here! We went this afternoon and though it was freezing cold and windy, it was really great fun. We brought our own saw and went hunting!
That one was a Douglas Fir -- very pretty, but the needles and small branches all drooped fluffily to the floor. This made us think these trees wouldn't be great at holding ornaments. (Especially when kids are helping to hang them!)
And where was Evie this whole time?
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| "Mom. This one. This tree. It's perfect! PERFECT." (Also what, 10 feet tall?) |
That one was a Douglas Fir -- very pretty, but the needles and small branches all drooped fluffily to the floor. This made us think these trees wouldn't be great at holding ornaments. (Especially when kids are helping to hang them!)
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| Jack fell asleep in the car but Alex basically dragged him out by his ear, at my insistence. |
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| He did NOT approve. |
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| The Webbers thought they found the perfect tree! But was it tall enough? And just the right shape? You can't be sure until you look at at least a hundred more. ;) |
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| Meanwhile, Alex found a tree for us that was quite nice. After I browsed around a bit myself, I conceded that he really did find a great tree. ....Timber! |
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| As usual, Jack thinks his daddy is awesome. |
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| He can carry a Whole Tree! I think Jack was torn between the desire to help move the tree and the desire not to get smushed flat underneath it because Daddy was moving too quickly! |
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| Meanwhile, the Webbers shopped on.... :) |
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| Okay, no, SERIOUSLY. This one is PERFECT. |
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| Alison sawed down her own tree! (With a hefty dose of heckling from Alex....) |
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| She even helped to carry the tree back to the car. It was REALLY heavy. |
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| Jack decided that maybe this whole tree farm thing wasn't such a horrible idea. |
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| We even got a smile out of him after all. :) |
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| Our tree. :) |
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| Where do you think? :D |
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Bonus Video: Peek-a-Boo
Evie was playing peek-a-boo with Melissa one evening and I managed to capture it National-Geographic-style.
Fall is Here
I have a few videos from the leaf raking today. Some of you might not know that here in McMinnville, you can simply rake your leaves into the street and the street cleaners will take care of them for you. :)
The videos are now linked from YouTube so that you can view them in full 720p resolution (for those of you that know and care what that means). :)
Jack started out raking them out of the tree:
Then after a little bit of a lesson was doing this:
Finally, the master makes his own piles and jumps in them:
Evie helped by playing with a plastic softball:
(Duck fans, please excuse the Stanford hoodie - Evie's grandma is an Alumna.)
The videos are now linked from YouTube so that you can view them in full 720p resolution (for those of you that know and care what that means). :)
Jack started out raking them out of the tree:
Then after a little bit of a lesson was doing this:
Finally, the master makes his own piles and jumps in them:
Evie helped by playing with a plastic softball:
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
meeting the cousins
Some, if not all, of my readers know that my sister Alison and her two kids recently moved to McMinnville (and more specifically, to a room in our house) for a few weeks/months while they get settled in Oregon and find their own apartment.
We've had four kids under five years old in the house! Hence the silence on the blog. ;)
Here's a quick video from the very first day when everyone was meeting each other. I figured I'd get the blogging-ball rolling again with this, and see if I can't get more posted tomorrow!
We've had four kids under five years old in the house! Hence the silence on the blog. ;)
Here's a quick video from the very first day when everyone was meeting each other. I figured I'd get the blogging-ball rolling again with this, and see if I can't get more posted tomorrow!
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Wheatland Ferry and State Park
Jack recently saw a kids' show involving a little boy who gets to ride on a ferry boat. Naturally, we were inspired to head out to a nearby ferry that connects to a state park! This was adventurous for many reasons. :)
Mommy's favorite part of a state park visit...
...proved to be difficult. While I was trying to coax not-quite-crunchy leaves to burn and wishing I had brought more pre-kindling, Jack was wandering around explaining the many reasons that the situation was not okay with him.
The smoke was going to Get him. The (two, in the entire park) bees were going to "stung" him. He needed to wash his hands. He couldn't eat his apple because it was dirty. Evie was going to take his piece of cheese. And the smoke was really going to GET him, Mommy.
As soon as I got it burning he changed his tune and was very excited to have fire-roasted hot dogs. Then we had a new problem: If you want to have a hot dog, you have to help Mommy find some sticks for the fire! Well, after some coaxing and instruction on where to look, here he is excitedly displaying the world's tiniest stick. :)
Mommy's favorite part of a state park visit...
(I'll give you two guesses.)
...proved to be difficult. While I was trying to coax not-quite-crunchy leaves to burn and wishing I had brought more pre-kindling, Jack was wandering around explaining the many reasons that the situation was not okay with him.
The smoke was going to Get him. The (two, in the entire park) bees were going to "stung" him. He needed to wash his hands. He couldn't eat his apple because it was dirty. Evie was going to take his piece of cheese. And the smoke was really going to GET him, Mommy.
As soon as I got it burning he changed his tune and was very excited to have fire-roasted hot dogs. Then we had a new problem: If you want to have a hot dog, you have to help Mommy find some sticks for the fire! Well, after some coaxing and instruction on where to look, here he is excitedly displaying the world's tiniest stick. :)
"Wook, Mommy! I found one stick!!"
Yay, hot dogs for everyone!
"Seriously, do you have any idea how delicious these are? Mommy, we're going to need yours too."
Here's Evie trying to figure out how to make the magic plate produce more bites for her....
And I was able to get one picture before we boarded the ferry for the drive home. Jack has officially declared that this is the Best Ferry In The World. I'd call the trip a success. :)
Sunday, August 7, 2011
summer projects
Living in Oregon gives one a fine appreciation for summer weather. The days have been hovering around 80 degrees, usually with clear skies and a gentle, cooling breeze. Perfect for just about any summer activity one could imagine.
There are so many things to do, from picking berries, to playing in the river at a park nearby, to taking beach trips, to having playdates with our friends who will be back at work when school rolls around again... and special summer activities like the county fair this week!
We've been having a very busy time of it, and I'm still turning down activities here and there. "Stressed" is not the right word, but sometimes the kids just have enough of activities and it's time to stay at home and mellow out.
Or, you know, the "mellow out" that you can do with two little ones, which is usually pretty busy in its own right. ;) At home one of our big activities is the garden, which is going gangbusters. This leads me to my first picture:
That's fifteen cups of basil right there! I picked it yesterday from my four basil plants. Today I used 2 cups of olive oil, 2 1/2 of Parmesan, 1 1/2 of walnuts and pine nuts, and all that beautiful basil to make an enormous batch of pesto. The end tally was 5 1/2 cups! That went into the freezer tonight as Alex fed dinner to the kids. Pesto is one of my food passions, and I'm so glad we'll have plenty for the winter. The basil plants are growing so well that I'll be able to make another big batch in just a few weeks.
The garden is also ramping up production on the veggies. (At last, more than just lettuce and herbs!) Here's Jack showing off one of the carrots. He's been waiting and waiting to pull one out of the ground! We kept digging one up just a tiny bit and seeing that it still wasn't ready. He finally got to gobble this one up without any more prep than just washing the dirt off.
We also have peppers and all our tomatoes finally showing signs of ripening, along with a few eggplants that are SLOWLY getting bigger. Add our few cucumbers to that mix and we're in business! We also have chard, lettuce, winter squash, more carrots (a later planting), summer squash, zucchini.... In about two weeks I'll be complaining that we have more produce than we can eat, I'm sure. ;)
We also have projects going indoors. Jack is being a wonderful helper these days. There are a lot of projects related to the fact that the people who lived here before us were... not of the same mindset as I am.
Painting is one big thing. Scrubbing is the other. If/when we ever move again, I'm hiring professional cleaners before we take occupancy! Today I finally got back to my project of scrubbing the kitchen floor. I don't think the previous tenants ever mopped -- literally. I've been hand-scrubbing one tile at a time to actually find the floor under all the grunge.
Well, I scrubbed for a while and then took a quick break. What do you know, Jack scampered over, grabbed my sponge and cloth and took up right where I left off! He did a wonderful job, getting 20 squares clean before he was distracted by Daddy returning from work.
The best was what he told me as he scrubbed: "Mommy, I making your day! I making your day! By scrubbing the floor!!!!" Boy, does he know when he has figured out a good way to help me. :)
As if that weren't enough, there is one more project we worked on today. It's nearly time to plant the winter garden, which means I am in need of more garden space. Jack and I tag-teamed this one. (I mentioned he's been a great helper recently, right?) I dug up big clods of the dense clay, and Jack beat the stuffing out of them with his hoe. His mission was to break them up small enough that we could blend in some of our homemade compost.
Here's the completed hole, with loosened clay down to 12 inches deep. We ultimately had to call it quits for bedtime, so tomorrow we'll be mixing in the compost, filling up the hole, and planting a little more lettuce and lots more chard.
Why all the chard, you may ask? Well, Evie LOVES chard cooked up with a little onion and garlic, so we have to keep her well-supplied! She can literally eat an adult portion in a day, and I'm more than happy to indulge her.
You may also notice a few cars parked by the side of the hole. Jack got tired after a while of swinging the hoe (the whole thing so far has taken at least two hours) so he drove his cars over the bumpy, dirty landscape while I finished digging. I can really appreciate that he wants to spend time with me. He was right there by my side until I dragged him in for his bath and bedtime!
By the time the end of the day rolls around, I spend a little time loading up the dishwasher, tidying toys out of the kitchen or putting away laundry that we've folded earlier. I keep a notebook handy so that as it occurs to me, I can write down what's happening tomorrow.
I try not to forget anything too important -- like the fact that I told Jack we'll make blueberry muffins together tomorrow. Or that Evie needs more diapers. Or that I haven't talked to my sister Amy in a few weeks now.
And I trust that whatever I am forgetting, I am forgetting it in favor of something worthwhile like spending time planting seeds one by one with Jack, or blowing raspberries on Evie's belly, or having a quiet moment with Alex after we get the kids to bed.
In closing (since I can't say "in short" after such a post...) it's a busy, busy life right now. But that's part of the flavor of summer, and part of the joy of it is that I know winter will come again. It will bring the rain and the slower pace, and we will all take a deep breath for a few months until it all ramps up again in the spring.
Yes, I'll admit it. Part of the glory of gorgeous, hot crazy summer days is that they make me think of how I can't wait for the winter season.
BUT there is just so darn much good stuff to do right now, and I'm thankful for the sunshine and the long days, and the many friends and family who are accompanying us on our wild ride. And now -- good heavens! -- it's almost midnight and I have to get to bed! I know a very happy baby who will be up with the sun, waking me with her latest words: "Hi maaaaaama!"
It really is a beautiful life. :)
There are so many things to do, from picking berries, to playing in the river at a park nearby, to taking beach trips, to having playdates with our friends who will be back at work when school rolls around again... and special summer activities like the county fair this week!
We've been having a very busy time of it, and I'm still turning down activities here and there. "Stressed" is not the right word, but sometimes the kids just have enough of activities and it's time to stay at home and mellow out.
Or, you know, the "mellow out" that you can do with two little ones, which is usually pretty busy in its own right. ;) At home one of our big activities is the garden, which is going gangbusters. This leads me to my first picture:
That's fifteen cups of basil right there! I picked it yesterday from my four basil plants. Today I used 2 cups of olive oil, 2 1/2 of Parmesan, 1 1/2 of walnuts and pine nuts, and all that beautiful basil to make an enormous batch of pesto. The end tally was 5 1/2 cups! That went into the freezer tonight as Alex fed dinner to the kids. Pesto is one of my food passions, and I'm so glad we'll have plenty for the winter. The basil plants are growing so well that I'll be able to make another big batch in just a few weeks.
The garden is also ramping up production on the veggies. (At last, more than just lettuce and herbs!) Here's Jack showing off one of the carrots. He's been waiting and waiting to pull one out of the ground! We kept digging one up just a tiny bit and seeing that it still wasn't ready. He finally got to gobble this one up without any more prep than just washing the dirt off.
We also have peppers and all our tomatoes finally showing signs of ripening, along with a few eggplants that are SLOWLY getting bigger. Add our few cucumbers to that mix and we're in business! We also have chard, lettuce, winter squash, more carrots (a later planting), summer squash, zucchini.... In about two weeks I'll be complaining that we have more produce than we can eat, I'm sure. ;)
We also have projects going indoors. Jack is being a wonderful helper these days. There are a lot of projects related to the fact that the people who lived here before us were... not of the same mindset as I am.
Painting is one big thing. Scrubbing is the other. If/when we ever move again, I'm hiring professional cleaners before we take occupancy! Today I finally got back to my project of scrubbing the kitchen floor. I don't think the previous tenants ever mopped -- literally. I've been hand-scrubbing one tile at a time to actually find the floor under all the grunge.
Well, I scrubbed for a while and then took a quick break. What do you know, Jack scampered over, grabbed my sponge and cloth and took up right where I left off! He did a wonderful job, getting 20 squares clean before he was distracted by Daddy returning from work.
The best was what he told me as he scrubbed: "Mommy, I making your day! I making your day! By scrubbing the floor!!!!" Boy, does he know when he has figured out a good way to help me. :)
As if that weren't enough, there is one more project we worked on today. It's nearly time to plant the winter garden, which means I am in need of more garden space. Jack and I tag-teamed this one. (I mentioned he's been a great helper recently, right?) I dug up big clods of the dense clay, and Jack beat the stuffing out of them with his hoe. His mission was to break them up small enough that we could blend in some of our homemade compost.
Here's the completed hole, with loosened clay down to 12 inches deep. We ultimately had to call it quits for bedtime, so tomorrow we'll be mixing in the compost, filling up the hole, and planting a little more lettuce and lots more chard.
Why all the chard, you may ask? Well, Evie LOVES chard cooked up with a little onion and garlic, so we have to keep her well-supplied! She can literally eat an adult portion in a day, and I'm more than happy to indulge her.
You may also notice a few cars parked by the side of the hole. Jack got tired after a while of swinging the hoe (the whole thing so far has taken at least two hours) so he drove his cars over the bumpy, dirty landscape while I finished digging. I can really appreciate that he wants to spend time with me. He was right there by my side until I dragged him in for his bath and bedtime!
By the time the end of the day rolls around, I spend a little time loading up the dishwasher, tidying toys out of the kitchen or putting away laundry that we've folded earlier. I keep a notebook handy so that as it occurs to me, I can write down what's happening tomorrow.
I try not to forget anything too important -- like the fact that I told Jack we'll make blueberry muffins together tomorrow. Or that Evie needs more diapers. Or that I haven't talked to my sister Amy in a few weeks now.
And I trust that whatever I am forgetting, I am forgetting it in favor of something worthwhile like spending time planting seeds one by one with Jack, or blowing raspberries on Evie's belly, or having a quiet moment with Alex after we get the kids to bed.
In closing (since I can't say "in short" after such a post...) it's a busy, busy life right now. But that's part of the flavor of summer, and part of the joy of it is that I know winter will come again. It will bring the rain and the slower pace, and we will all take a deep breath for a few months until it all ramps up again in the spring.
Yes, I'll admit it. Part of the glory of gorgeous, hot crazy summer days is that they make me think of how I can't wait for the winter season.
BUT there is just so darn much good stuff to do right now, and I'm thankful for the sunshine and the long days, and the many friends and family who are accompanying us on our wild ride. And now -- good heavens! -- it's almost midnight and I have to get to bed! I know a very happy baby who will be up with the sun, waking me with her latest words: "Hi maaaaaama!"
It really is a beautiful life. :)
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
07092011277.jpg
Evie got to sit between the lavender bushes and nibble on a few stalks of flowers. She liked it at first, but quickly wondered what the point of it all was! Here you can see her beginning to get suspicious.
07102011289.jpg
Hallelujah, we have a double stroller! We walked about a half mile for that muffin Jack is munching on. We will now be able to go to the library, pool, and the million fun places around 3rd street, all without having to get in the car OR walk at Jack's (short-legged two-year-old) pace! I'm rather excited about this. :)
07122011298.jpg
Jack has been wanting to hold Evie a lot recently. When she was really little he was always telling me to let go, because he could do it! I'm so glad she can sit up on her own now so he can do what he wants and hold her all by himself. It really makes him feel grown up!
07122011312.jpg
Evie really, really likes the black raspberries from the yard! They're one of her favorite treats, and just the right size that she can eat them without help. Actually, that's probably the best feature!
07122011319.jpg
Well, that was a very satisfactory snack. Thanks for the raspberries, mom!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Miss Baby is growing up!
Pay attention, folks! Evie has officially learned how to crawl FORWARD. Hide your valuables!
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Evie eats!
Evie has been very excited to start eating foods. She is eating pureed veggies and fruits, teething biscuits, and various incarnations of rice cereal.
I just got her some small rice puffs, which proved to be VERY difficult for her. She had to do a lot of whacking and punching while trying to get her hands to cooperate!
Here it is trying to jump back out of her mouth, but....
I let her hunt a few until she got frustrated, and then I picked them up and fed them to her. She's on her way to grown up things, but she still has a little way to go!
I just got her some small rice puffs, which proved to be VERY difficult for her. She had to do a lot of whacking and punching while trying to get her hands to cooperate!
She snagged one!
Here it is trying to jump back out of her mouth, but....
She finally gobbled it!!
I let her hunt a few until she got frustrated, and then I picked them up and fed them to her. She's on her way to grown up things, but she still has a little way to go!
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Happy 6-month-day, Evie!
For everybody who doesn't get to play with her on a regular basis, here's a little Evie on her 6-month "birthday". :)
Friday, June 10, 2011
silly kiddos
I just put batteries in Evie's jumper chair, and she and Jack got totally silly over it. :)
(I didn't think to keep the camera upright.... so sorry about the sideways view!)
(I didn't think to keep the camera upright.... so sorry about the sideways view!)
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