Ups and Downs

This school year - this year all together has been full of ups and downs. I apologize for not posting more of the ups we've had going on this year, which is what I traditionally like to focus on.... Sometimes the downs kind of paralyze me. Sometimes I swear when it comes to something that is working right, especially with my kids - if I post about it online...it is just like asking for it to go wrong. ...I know that is ridiculous and superstitious, but it happens often enough to make me wonder ;)

I want to back track and record more of our family's memories, but I'm not making any promises at the moment. I'm giving myself a little mercy on this because life is so crazy and complicated, and I just need a little mercy right now. 

Anyway...wanted to share a some cute pictures from this morning as Lily got ready for her 1st Crazy Hair/Pajama day this year. An up moment for sure. We did cupcake hair because we didn't have time for her usual crazy sticky out braids.

And while I'm at it I'll share a little family-funny related to ups and downs.

When Lily sees this out the window:

 it's the ups truck (pronounced like the word not separate initials)

and this:

she pronounces "Little Casers"

It's such a family joke we all say it now. 

She comes by it honestly. When my mom saw a sign like this when she was little:

she'd pronounce it Anti-Q's.  ....or maybe that was me - it could've been both of us!

Well, that's it for today. There is real work to be done. Hope life is treating you well :)

Green Beans

I've been avoiding my computer lately. Just uploaded a bunch of photos and these were some of my favorites! Not a dull one in the group. My kids should be models -- they can be so entertaining! -- if only they were more cooperative when you don't want them to be silly :)

While we're on the subject of these silly sisters I'll add a few random fun things they've said that I found scribbled on a paper in my desk.

These are old, but cute anyway..

Once when trying to reinforce her manners I asked Sierra: "What's the magic word?" Her reply: "Poof!"

"What kind of ice cream do you want, Sierra?" answer: "I want the chicken pox!" (She meant Moose Tracks)

Called kiwi - zukiwi (Sierra)

When potty training I offered her a little treat for a reward, but said no to her request for a lollipop. She was not happy and kept saying shaking her head with a glare as I offered other smaller candies. "Cawwots...cawwott potty tweat." she said, grabbing some from the fridge and stalking off. (which was hilarious and totally ok with me!)

These are from quite a long time ago! Here's another:

One evening Lily, Sierra and Mike were all playing hide and seek in our bedroom while I rested on the bed. At one point Lily was hiding really well in the closet or something. She was making a little noise as a hint to her location. Mike asked Sierra: "Where's Lily?" Sierra asked back with all seriousness and a little lilt at the end: "Is Lily in Mommy's tummy?

One day during a shopping trip to the Party Store Lily was taking a look at big lollipops in the Over the Hill party aisle. She pointed out the difference between two types of lollipops to her dad... "This one has 60 sucks, this one only has 50 sucks.

Here are some more recent ones things I found saved on my Ipod (from March)

Lily and Sierra were coloring at the table one afternoon. Lily was offering to give Sierra a drawing lesson -- talking to Sierra about .."what have you been wanting to draw? You just copy me.." 3 year old Sierra cut in with a tone of exasperation: "I've been trying to copy you for years!" 

One day when I was in the middle of some project Sierra called excitedly from the other room: "Mom, you have to come see this! I have powers!" A few minutes later when I came in to see her performance (not quick enough for her) She declared: "It's cancelled." :( 

These girls are growing up too fast for me to keep up with! And summer is slipping away too soon! Hope to post some more memories soon :)

Christmas Time

Wanted to share some cute photos from our church Christmas party earlier in the month. They did a photo booth so these scans are not the best quality, and we move kinda slow, but I still thought it turned out cute and fun! We had a great time!

Earlier in the day while Lily was in school Sierra went to Mama's beauty parlor:

 (Watching a little show while waiting for her hair and nails to dry)

 My two cute girls!

Sierra with her Grandma Elsie at the party!

First day of school 2015

Lily started school the day after Labor day. Much later than most kids in the country I take it. Personally, I was relieved to have a longer summer to settle in to our new home. I could go with a little more summer even, but alas - it is not to be...and the weather is turning on us. Hope our heater doesn't give out on us! We are so happy to be in our own home - finally!!! But I will expound on that another time. I have been too busy trying to make the house homey to blog much, but I wanted to share a few photos of the girls for my family. 

Lily's First Day of 2nd Grade!

 Sierra doing a little school with me at home

Lily started at a new school again this year. Her teacher seems very nice and she seems to be adjusting well. Lily rode the bus for the first time with a bigger girl friend from our neighborhood. She took it twice but decided to drive again this year for now as she's one of the few smallest kids on the bus. Lily bonked right between her eyes on a metal handle on our shoe cabinet the night before school started hence her little scrape. She had a big bump, but you can't even tell now. Healed up right in time for picture day :)

I've been trying to do a little preschool time with Sierra each day. The first was the most successful so far. Makes me look like a pinterest mom! Just adapted an idea from Lily's mommy & me preschool of yore. The other times have been even more thrown together. But I'm trying to get it consistent. We still have a few major projects to do around the house and the day just flies by before it's time to get Lily again. Hoping to step it up a notch once things get more settled around here. If things ever settle :)

I was going through deleting bad photos and came across these tonight from the night before school started. (That's a little stick-on ice pack on Lily's forehead.) Anyway, they made me laugh so I had to share them. I love these two so much! They are sweet little characters :)

Sierra's look kills me!

 Lily did the curlers. The whole time they were posing so I couldn't help but think of this old picture of me & luckily found it already on my computer. We look a little bit alike, eh?

 

Some things never change!

Flip Books

The other morning I was making some Alphabet cards for Sierra while the girls colored and crafted beside me. Lily wanted to make a little swimming girl like her cousin Audrey had shown her the day before when they were Facetiming. A drawing on a stick with a girl on one side and a picture of water on the other - when you twirl it in your hand it gives the optical illusion that the girl is in the water. I thought it would be fun to show my girls about flip-books so I drew a little cartwheeling girl on some index cards to demonstrate. Of course Lily wanted to make her own, and did on the spot. We had a little trouble flipping the pages to see our drawings animate so I thought of ImageReady and told Lily we could make a little animated movie and post them online. She was very excited about that! So we scanned our images and here are our animations! 

Up The Hill by Lily (age 7)

Cartwheel by Lissy (mom)

Cinderella

 

We loved the new Cinderella movie - I did especially.  I've long been into fairy tales. I think you can tell I was excited since we dressed up to go! I couldn't believe Lily actually agreed to go - she had a few conditions (which she listed off to me as such)... the Icee pictured included. I was willing to humor that. She wouldn't take a picture in front of the stand up Cinderella before the movie, but she did after. Good sign that she liked it pretty well! 

I loved the message: "Have courage and be kind." Definitely keen on not letting fear rule my life, and never suppressing a kind thought. I think with those two things ruling your choices you will do pretty well in life. Well done, Disney. The only criticism I really had was the Lizard footman. Kinda creepy. Would have been much better if it were a friendly dog Cinderella had a relationship with like the mice. (Would have been fun to see the mice singing & helping a bit more with the sewing too!) 

Anyway, it was fun to go to a non-cartoon movie with the girls for a change!

starting out shy...

The real Sierra - rockin' her silly style!

This is Lily's idea of dressing up - she wanted to blend in with the dark theater.

I had as much fun watching them as I did watching the movie.

We can be friends :)

A few fun pictures

Just wanted to share something quick. A few recent pictures of my girls that I thought were fun.

Lily's class could dress up like what they imagined themselves like at 100 years old as part of their 100th day of school celebration. Lily really wanted to spray paint her hair gray - so we did (though it didn't show as well as we'd hoped - Oh well, we tried!) She actually let me take some pictures and hammed it up pretty cute. As I was looking through these I couldn't help but wonder if Lamby and Little Lamby would make it to when Lily is (close to) 100 years old...

100th Day of School

 (Proof we did paint it gray!)

 A spry little 100 year old!

 Reminding me of her Uncle Andrew and his toothless old person impression.

 In case you didn't know - Lily's taken to carrying, not 1, 

but 2 Lambies around the house with her much of the time!

 Love this little character!

 Lily with one of her best friend's - Chloe, and then with another little old lady at school.

Such a fun idea!

Not to leave out my adorable little sidekick, Sierra! Here's some photos of:

The best place to be on a winter day.

(from January - No snow on the ground right now - we're getting an early Spring!)

Peeked over and saw this cutie over here one snowy morning while Mike and I were fixing breakfast. Brought back memories of eating my cereal over the heat vent under our kitchen counter when I was in elementary school. And she looked so cute all smiles with her hair blowing - I had to grab my camera! :)

 I love this one!

 Ha ha! Love my baby girl!

We do do more than just hang around heater vents, promise! ;)