Madonnamusing

Jolea

2012-02-09T08:02:00.000-08:00

Well, we received a phone call Sunday that one hopes to never ever ever get from a friend. And we have spent the week in tears, heartbroken for our friends who have lost their beautiful six-year-old daughter, Jolea. We know there are no words we can speak to comfort them. We can only give love and support - so we will be in California this weekend celebrating Jolea's life together with her friends and family.

Crazy Heart

2012-01-26T11:42:00.000-08:00

We just watched this movie. I have one pro and one con:

PRO: Jeff Bridges - what a great actor!

CON: Colin Farrell as a country music star? Sorry, I just couldn't buy this.

Christmas in London

2012-01-23T21:02:00.000-08:00

Happy January! We are home and back in the swing of work, school, regular life.

There are a million photos from our trip - I've broken them all up into different posts to keep them manageable. I will let the photos show it all - the only words to say are that we had a wonderful time! A lovely English Christmas that delivered all the magic I had promised my girls (and my husband who we all know loves Christmas as much as any child!). And, a special thank you to whoever arranged the slightly milder winter weather for that week - it was cold but not it's usual freeeezing.

our home before we left

jetlag - boy, were we all hit with that!

my heart grows an inch every time I look at this sleepy matching PJs picture

Christmas Morning

2012-01-23T20:54:00.000-08:00

Santa Claus (that's Father Christmas while you're in England please) delivered presents to the bottom of Nanna's staircase! Abigail had written to him earlier in the month to explain that she "would not be at my Arizona house" - (a note that I will keep forever because it has her first real, unattended, no-help writing). She was very concerned about the logistics involved for Santa and, accordingly, very relieved that he figured it all out and delivered as promised.

little pile for each sister

most wished-for gift

second most wished-for gift

Nanna bought this one - I think she was hoping for help in the kitchen later that day

Christmas Day

2012-01-23T20:46:00.000-08:00

Uncle Jonathan - who wanted and received pipebenders for Christmas?!!

Aunty Alex showing us her Uggs

Master Chef, Master Decorator, Master Organiser, Master Nanna

Bryony caught in headlights, Abigail playing with the box!

not sure what the sly look was for

Aunty Alex with her boyfriend, Chris, and two best friends Lizzy and Emma, who I must say love my kids like family!

Grandad's Favourite Time - Breakfast

2012-01-23T20:41:00.000-08:00

Out and About in London

2012-01-23T20:38:00.000-08:00

waiting on the platform for the train

come on, really, where IS that train?!

Christmas in the City

Arsenal Football Club

2012-01-23T20:31:00.000-08:00

Jake got to experience his first Arsenal game! The English take their football very seriously and the loyalty to a club passes from generation to generation. You can feel it in the atmosphere at a game - something I experienced often with my dad as a teenager but obviously not so much these days! We had a brilliant time and came back to Arizona promising to try to follow the season from here.

Aunty Natalie's House

2012-01-23T20:25:00.000-08:00

Lunch at Aunty Natalie's house

The Red Lion

2012-01-23T20:21:00.000-08:00

Few drinks at the pub with Alex, Chris, Jonathan, Claire, and their friends:

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-22T07:41:00.000-08:00

Today I will complete the crazy process of shipping 8000+ toys to boys & girls all over the country (along with the awesome team of staff that work for me). Tomorrow I will start my well-deserved Christmas break!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to All

At 9pm tomorrow night the four of us will be on here, on our way to London for the holidays - I'm so excited!

Costume

2011-12-17T10:28:00.000-08:00

Remember last summer's Ballet Recital?

Wish me patience and luck again - I just placed my order for this this morning:

Oh, and Grandma, I got the date: Saturday 9th June

Flowery First Birthday Party

2011-12-04T21:23:00.000-08:00

I am becoming known for theme parties! In honour of Bryony's name being a flower, we had a Garden Party. The invitation was made with the artwork of Cicely Mary Barker, who wrote a series of children's books in the 1920s named The Flower Fairies, and included the Bryony Fairy:

I grew up with these books - would never have thought I'd have a Bryony!

Then we decorated the house with flower trimmings:

you can see my revamped chandelier here - so very Novogratz of us ;)

the favours - flowerpots with a lollipop and some seeds to take home

hung on the wall behind the favours

And I am also becoming known for making a theme cake:

Bryony's cake

cupcakes for the guests

Guests of Honour

the cake moment

Bryony had a whole huge petal and, see the video clip, finished it!

Bryony - One Year Old

2011-12-04T20:38:00.000-08:00

Grandma, Aunty Milly & cousin Morgan came to stay with us for Bryony's First Birthday. Nanna and Grandad are always here at this time of year too so she was surrounded by family for the big occasion. We all cannot believe she is ONE! Lil' Miss is not so Lil' Miss weighing in at 22lbs and 70th percentile. She is my little delight. Always smiling, always happy and the prettiest little face to wake to in the morning. Boogie-Boo, we love you and HAPPY BIRTHDAY DARLING!

last one of these!

Grandma and Aunty Milly made sure that Bryony would be included with the big girls for the weekend by bringing her her own first Princess Dress:

Excited COUSINS!

Planting Dandelions

2011-11-26T10:51:00.000-08:00

Just finished another book - 'Planting Dandelions' by Kyran Pittman. Her sub-title is 'Field Notes from a Semi-Domesticated Life'. It was a lot of fun - a delightful read for a mum. It's a memoir - the story of a woman who trades in a somewhat reckless, wild chapter of her life for marriage and motherhood(sound familiar?) She talks a lot about her path to moving abroad and raising kids in America when she's from Canada herself (again, sound familiar?) I felt like I could've written the exact same words in some parts.

There's a chapter on everything - partnership with a husband, financial struggles, parenting milestones, in-laws, getting older, friendships. It's both a laugh and a cry. And while the whole thing is a huge celebration of family life, one of my favourite parts is where she says that on some mornings, as she opens her front door to grab the newspaper, still in pajamas, she's pretty close to just walking straight on down that front path, to the street, and away. Just leave husband, kids and home and waltz right off.

In quote: "You can love your husband and children with every breath in your body and still feel restless and detached sometimes. You can be a good mother and have daydreams of running, or simply walking, away. It's the ones who can't accept this paradox who have the most to fear"

And, to end the post on a lighter note, and since the book was very comical too, my other favourite quote. While discussing kids birthday parties at Chuck-E-Cheese: "Nothing says safe, clean and child-friendly like a snaggle-tooth rodent wearing a baseball cap gang-style". Ha! Exactly how I feel about that place!

Pick up this book - you'll finish it in a weekend and you'll enjoy it along the way.

Inside Job

2011-11-16T07:43:00.000-08:00

If you have not seen this documentary, rent it now! That's all I'm going to say in this post.

Bryony - Eleven Months Old

2011-11-09T14:24:00.000-08:00

Look how big our Boogie-Boo is getting!

a whole playroom full of toys in this house ...

but none of them as exciting as mummy's pantry

WALKING with her 11mth sign!

big girl!

equivalent photo of Abigalil - walking on her first birthday

Baby's First Halloween

2011-11-05T19:57:00.000-07:00

This year we had a Strawberry Shortcake, and a Ladybird - both costumes courtesy of cousin Morgan (I love hand-me-downs). The photos I got aren't that great but you get the idea:

at school, Strawberry Shortcake must be attracted to SuperHeroes

Happy Anniversary Jake!

2011-10-26T08:26:00.001-07:00

xxx All My Love From Kelly xxx

And, to help celebrate this wedding anniversary, here is the video link to our photo shoot:

Madonna Family Photos

Catching Up

2011-10-16T12:25:00.001-07:00

I just spent my precious Sunday morning catching up on the summer for this Blog. Hope you enjoy the posts. Maybe somebody will even leave a comment ;)

Family Photo Shoot

2011-10-16T12:23:00.000-07:00

Since we've never done them before, Jake bought me a family photo shoot for Mothers Day (sorry, Abigail and Bryony bought it for me I should say ;). I am beyond happy with the photographs - we sure are one beautiful blessed family! I feel so lucky.

Bryony - Ten Months Old

2011-10-16T12:15:00.000-07:00

These pictures are harder and harder to take the older she gets. Because Bryony won't sit still! She is a wriggle-bottom. Her teachers tell me that she eats the most but works it all off because she moves the most. She is actually quite close to, gulp, walking! She is everywhere and we had to get the baby-gate back out because I caught her climbing our wood staircase twice already.

just got this - it's both a walker and a ride-on, she is thrilled with it

Abigail's First Baseball Game

2011-10-16T12:11:00.000-07:00

Jenn & I took Abigail & Matteo to a Diamondbacks game. Abby was super-grumpy about going, for 2 reasons. Firstly, because she insisted that baseball is for boys?!, and secondly, because I forced her to where something she hated, ha.

before leaving - can you tell the mood?! :)

oh how quickly we can change our mind once there

especially if cotton candy is involved

California

2011-10-16T12:06:00.000-07:00

We took our summer trip to California later this year, mostly because of the move. We went for Labour Day weekend and, being that little bit later in the year, we had less time at the beach as it wasn't really beach weather. More time inland, in Ojai, where you can always be guaranteed that the ocean fog has dissipated and it is clear, bright and gloriously warm. Here we are at the park:

And at the beach in jackets:

with Jess, Eli, Corey & Nick

Tayten pushing Bryony

Boccali's Pizza

cousin Morgan looking about 7!

first attempt to get a picture of all 3 of them

second attempt - ha!

Sisters

2011-10-16T11:50:00.000-07:00

I've included these pictures just to show Abigail's feelings towards Bryony at 4.5yrs old. This is what we go through, oh, probably five times a day:

"no, Bryony, you cannot have this - mum, help, she's taking this from me!"

2 mins later: "but I do really ... "

"REALLY .... "

"really love her!"

Bryony 10mths

Abigail 4 1/2

Enjoying Our New House

2011-10-16T11:45:00.000-07:00

Saying goodbye to our old house was bittersweet for me - I was sad to leave the memories but excited to move on and build new ones in our new home. Here are pictures from the summer:

last object left to pack!

Abby saying goodbye to her pink room

For years before I'd even had children, I had dreamed of a beach-themed nursery for them. I couldn't wait to pull it together when we bought our first house and found out we were pregnant. Jake painted this ocean wave around the room and I bought turtle, octopus and fish baby bedding for Abigail. (I was trying to find a photo of the finished room but can't find one). Bryony used the room for a few months before we moved too. I was choked up leaving this room behind. I nursed them both in the middle of the night in here, stared at crabs & whales while I rocked teething baby back to sleep. It was the room with the most memories for me. It will always be the house I brought my daughters' home from the hospital to. I'm sure the new owners will paint over this as their first project, ha!

But, moving on, we spent the first two months in the new house enjoying the pool:

And just playing in the family room on weekend mornings:

And, I only have a couple but these are the new house:

my new kitchen - Jake's going to paint the cabinets white like he did for me in the old house, not a fan of the distressed pinkish wood

and this is (was) the eggplant purple master bathroom - we immediately changed to blue

Bryony with Grandma

2011-10-14T15:33:00.000-07:00

This is an old one, from June at Abby's ballet recital but I forgot to post it at the time and it's a great photo:

The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman

2011-09-22T10:07:00.000-07:00

FINALLY I can say this: I just LOVED this book!

I have been thinking recently about the fact that I can’t find the right words to express my disappointment in the books I’ve been reading. The irony that I can’t articulate any better than the novel I am criticizing, ha! But, here we are - book eleven since I started recording, and I can finally post that I thoroughly enjoyed this one. The author is young, it’s his debut novel, and I found it on Entertainment Weekly’s Top Ten Books of 2010. The writing is so clever - each chapter almost its’ own short story, new characters and experiences each time, with the occasional reference to each other skillfully woven in. It’s amusing, captivating and poignant all at the same time. 10/10!

9/11

2011-09-11T12:49:00.000-07:00

Today is the tenth anniversary of September 11th, 2001. Ten years! And yet that morning feels like yesterday - I remember one of my first emotions being that all flights are grounded and I won't be able to fly home if a war breaks out (I was not yet married or in the least bit settled, just living a carefree life in Santa Barbara 6000 miles from my family). It was the only day I've ever lived here that I've panicked that I may not get home. I couldn't even get through on the phone most of that day.

Of course, I got off lucky; that day was so much harder on most others. A day we will one day try to explain to our daughters. But not yet, while they couldn't possibly fathom acts of terrorism. I'm still not sure I can. Friday night's Dateline special episode had me bawling. Which was why it was so inspiring to watch New York Says Thank You last night. What an amazing way to grow something great out of the tragedy of Sep 11th. If you didn't see it, watch it online as soon as you can. And get yourself one of these badges by joining Action America. All the cool kids are doing it, ha ha. But, seriously, we can all find a way to Pay It Forward! I know I will this year.

The Comfort of Strangers

2011-08-30T09:34:00.000-07:00

I just read this because it's short, and because I am willing to try anything by Ian McEwan. My daughter is (loosely) named after a character in his best book, 'Atonement'. This one, however, was ... odd; actually, disturbing might be a better word. It was along the lines of his novel 'Saturday' which I didn't like as much as 'Atonement'. Either I'm not intelligent enough to figure it out, or it's just not my type of read. I still hope to find another book by McEwan with the power of 'Atonement'. I'll keep trying.

Bryony - Nine Months Old

2011-08-29T20:56:00.000-07:00

19lbs 6oz of nine month old baby! The same size Abigail was at 15mths, ha.

This One Is For Grandma!

2011-08-19T19:48:00.000-07:00

Just one week in her new Pre-K class, and Abigail has mastered this:

Swimming Lessons

2011-08-07T15:13:00.000-07:00

With the new house having a pool, and watching Abigail not get out of nanna & grandads' pool for HOURS, we knew it was time to sign her up for swimming lessons.

A girlfriend of mine recommended the City of Phoenix public pool programme. I didn't expect much because the whole course (8 lessons) cost me just $15. But they were on to something because the eight lessons were every afternoon for two weeks. With just a high-school student lifeguard and my $15 pass, Abby was swimming within days. I was highly impressed - we quickly signed up for level 2 and did two more weeks, and we'll definitely go back next summer for more.

Bryony, so patient in the heat while we watch Abigail

bunch of 4 year old heads at the side of the pool

Certificate of Completion

teacher Ms Alissa, and fellow swimmer Donovan

And here she is in action - my lil' swimmer!

Our New Home

2011-08-06T13:05:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to let everyone know that the biggest news of our year is that we have moved! We are only about 4 miles from our old house, but we're in a bigger space (we were busting at the seams) and a nicer neighbourhood, and we have a POOL that we can't keep Abigail out of :) Jake & I always said we could only survive living in Phoenix if we had a pool and I'm not sure why we bought our first house without one. We love it so much - we're in it every day!

But we're also very busy - the new house had no kitchen sink, no light fixtures, no ceiling fans, no appliances and hundreds of projects for us to tackle. It's going to take quite a while to fix up but I am so lucky to have Jake who works so hard and is so great at this stuff, and who wants to make it my dream home for me. He is so productive that it is already coming together nicely - he hops right to it, while I take about four months just to pick a paint colour, ha.

So, pictures to come when we are all out of boxes. And, all friends and family are welcome to come see it for themselves and stay whenever they want now that we have a spare bedroom again! The door is open .....

Minnie Mouse

2011-07-30T17:04:00.000-07:00

The daycare the girls go to had an Open House this morning. It's the closest they are going to get to Disney at least in the near future so here are the pictures I got with Minnie Mouse.

Bryony - Eight Months Old

2011-07-30T17:00:00.000-07:00

There she is! Eight months old. Hair has slowly grown back in - all blonde. Gaining weight. And waving! She loves to wave. But, JUST like her older sister, she is defined best by one characteristic: she's a HUGE eater. Her school report from last week looked like this:

7:40am drop-off
8:15am handful of Cheerios
9:10am bottle
10:20am fruit
11:00am school lunch - spaghetti & peas (she's the only baby in the room who has this)
11:30am nap
12:15pm bottle
12:30pm crackers
1:00pm mashed potatoes, water
2:30pm fruit again
3:45pm bottle
4pm pick-up

Here she is at home already handling her sippy cup like a pro:

And forget the high chair, she already sits at the dining table with her sister:

Don't be fooled by their size, these two will eat us out of house & home!

Avery's Fifth Birthday

2011-07-30T16:52:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago Abigail went to her friend Avery's 5th Birthday Party - a tea party hosted by Cinderella. Eight girls in their favourite princess costume and a whole bunch of birthday fun!

the perfect princess table complete with china

tea, in the form of apple juice

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

2011-07-11T20:17:00.000-07:00

I just finished this hugely popular best-seller.

I'll just say I fully agree with Amazon's rating of 3.7 out of 5 and leave it at that.

Seven Months Old

2011-07-09T07:42:00.000-07:00

Taken two weeks late but lovely photos of Bryony by the pool on Fourth of July:

Baby in a Sink

2011-07-02T08:12:00.001-07:00

Memorial Day Weekend

2011-07-02T08:05:00.000-07:00

Ballet Recital

2011-06-20T21:53:00.000-07:00

Abigail's dance school rounds out the year with a Recital, and it was a way bigger production than I expected. We had nothing like this in the ballet I did growing up. I had mixed feelings on it. Read on.

About two months before the end of the year, the teacher had the girls practicing a 'dance' that, to me, looked less classical ballet and more Toddlers & Tiaras (if you don't know that show, I'm referencing crazy pageants where girls 'perform' as made-up dolls). I was not a fan of the Recital right from that first practice. But I understood that this was part of the dance year and we persevered in learning it.

A few weeks later the costume we had ordered in December came in. And it's everything I both expected and feared. Pepto-Bismol pink and layers and layers of tulle with tights, socks, huge hairbow and instructions on how I'm supposed to handle the precious delicate thing. Eeeek, SOOOO not my style. And not really my daughter's since she usually won't even let me put a simple grip in her hair to keep it off her face. (She is mine, after all).

But, of course, these dresses represented not only ballerinas, but Princesses, and dress-up, and everything magical that the girls wanted them to, and Abigail was instantly in love with wearing the thing. She looked both lovely and distasteful prancing around practicing her dance in it.

Still, I know my place and I never said a word to spoil her excitement. UNTIL, two weeks before the show, when us parents are given instructions for the Big Night. The teacher happily talks us through ... wait for it ... MAKE-UP and CURLED HAIR. Oh Lordy. I just kept my mouth shut but was dying to express my discontent. There's no way in h*ll I'm putting make-up or a curling iron near my four-year-old! We are already busy trying to teach her that beauty is on the inside and is not wrapped up in a Princess dress, and I'm also of the belief that a four-year-old is beauty perfected already and certainly doesn't need the 'enhancements' of make-up and hair.

But, alas, I crumbled with this strong stance, because, well, "all the cool kids are doing it". I mean that I compromised. I made sure she had a lovely blow-dried pretty rounded bob but certainly no unnatural curls. And I let her use a pink lipgloss of mine but certainly no eye make-up or blush. It was a compromise to appease the teacher. And I was still disappointed to see how interested and fascinated Abigail was in the 'getting ready'. But it wasn't my Big Night - it was hers.

So, the Big Night rolled around. Actually there were to be two performances - one Wednesday and one Saturday. My girlfriend Megan came with me Wednesday and got to see Abigail walk off the stage halfway through the dance because she had to tell the teacher that she found a button on stage. Hee-hee. Megan treated her like the Royal Ballerina she is and presented her with a bouquet of carnations at the end. And then Grandma came from California to see Saturday's performance which Abigail completed with perfection. I am grateful to both Megan and Grandma for building excitement for Abby when her own mother was less than thrilled over the whole thing ;)

But I have to end with explaining those mixed feelings I mentioned. Because despite my grumpiness, my lack of dance-school-spirit, my upset at 'dolling' my daughter up, I was surprised to find myself BEAMING at my little girl on stage. I clapped and whooped loudly when she was done. And I got it, I got why mothers love this stuff. I was proud of her, and I DID think she was the most beautiful little doll on stage. She was beautiful because she was happy. And that's my job after all; I take her to weekly ballet lessons because it makes her happy.

So, here are the pictures. I am fighting with Blogspot trying to get the video to work:

The best video is from afterwards, at home, in pajamas:

Deja-Vu

2011-06-20T20:51:00.000-07:00

There are fewer and fewer times that I think Bryony looks like Abigail but look at this!

Bryony 6mths

Abigail 6mths

Bryony - Six Months

2011-05-23T21:16:00.000-07:00

Happy Half Birthday Bryony!

Absolutely the quickest six months of my life. She has swept me through 2011 so quickly because she's just so, well, ... easy. My always-happy beautiful piece of perfection! (I am completely in love in case you couldn't tell). She's weighing in at 15lbs 10oz and well on her way to much more now that we've introduced these:

Yep, that's sweet potatoes, peas, carrots, pears and the like, all pureed into cute little jars. Just like her older sister, we've yet to find one that she doesn't greedily suck down faster than you can refill the spoon. I am really enjoying this next stage and she is too (wouldn't you be if all you'd ever known was breastmilk and formula eight times a day?!)

So, at six months old, I am indeed sad that the infancy chapter is complete but also excited to see what the second half of her first year brings. Bring on the crawling, babbling, belly-laughing ... teething even?!

The Lovely Bones

2011-05-13T20:13:00.000-07:00

I said last year that I would post every time I finished a book just to see how many I got through in the year. I started off strong, but then lost my summer to my busy job, and my pregnancy, and only managed one book from June to October or something. I think the total count for the year 2010 was six books. Not very impressive. And, sadly, I haven't kicked 2011 off to the best start either since I only just finished my first book of the year and it's already May! I will blame having a young baby; can I get away with that?! My work has definitely slowed down but my personal alarm clock, Miss Bryony, has not. I am determined to read more than six books for this year, if I can, and will continue to cut crappy TV shows out of my life to achieve it. Wish me luck!

So, book number one was The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. Another book that was a big hit a few years ago and I'm only just getting around to. And I'll be honest here and admit that I've had it checked out of the library since December. I just kept renewing and renewing it and never started actually reading it. I thought it was a heavier read than it was so I kept postponing it for that elusive day when I could sit and concentrate. Silly. I should have given it a shot so much earlier because it was a pleasant easy read (and because I never get quiet days to sit and concentrate, ha). I liked it. Liked it but not loved it. I got a lot out of the suburban picture and the family relationships. And it kept me gripped enough to finish it pretty quickly which means I must have liked it. And that's all I needed out of this book - just to get the reading ball rolling again. On to number two ...

Aunty Lesley & Uncle Barry's Visit

2011-05-13T19:53:00.000-07:00

Aunty Lesley & Uncle Barry came to stay with mum & dad for a few weeks. We saw plenty of them:

Aunty Lesley bought the girls matching dresses

daddy even matched in blue

breakfast at "nannagrandads" (Abby calls them one word)

Beeeaaauuuuutiful Bryony

first swim of the year

Bryony with Uncle Barry

such a hard life for this four year old

first taste of banana

Mothers Day

2011-05-08T21:48:00.000-07:00

Two videos for this Mothers Day, one from each of my daughters:

Then, because there are hardly ever pictures of me with both girls, some good ones from baby Joey's Christening a few weekends ago:

nanna and Bryony

Easter in California

2011-05-02T21:55:00.000-07:00

PLENTY of photos from Baby's First Easter:

Jake and I spend a lot of time relaxing on Grandma's couch

while Grandma and Abigail colour the dogs with marker pens!

church in the park

Bryony with pseudo Aunt Kelie

about to start the Easter Egg Hunt

GO!

great picture of pseudo Grandma Carmen

"sharing" Easter candy with Bryony

happy Grandma

Easter Bunny Bryony

sisters

daddy squeezing his family

Bryony - Five Months

2011-05-02T21:33:00.000-07:00

A lot less hair. A lot more chub. 100% perfect.

Royal Wedding

2011-04-29T13:38:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the (likely) future King of England and his beautiful bride, the new Duchess of Cambridge:

Wish I were there to hear the wedding bells myself, enjoy the street parties myself; I'll have to settle for flying the Union Jack from my car today.

Disney on Ice - Princess Classics

2011-04-20T18:11:00.000-07:00

My parents' gift to Abigail for her birthday was tickets to Disney on Ice - Princess Classics. Nanna & I took both girls and we joked that we probably should have paid for Bryony to have her own ticket because she seemed to enjoy it as much as Abby!

Abigail, Nanna, Bryony

Abig-ariel after the show

not to be left out: Princess Bryony

granting magic spells & wishes

If anybody knows how to rotate this video, PLEASE let me know!

Feeding Time at the Zoo

2011-04-20T16:58:00.000-07:00

Bryony - Four Months

2011-04-05T20:54:00.000-07:00

Here she is! Four months old and every picture smiling :)

Still feeding and growing like a weed (13lbs 2oz at her 4mth appointment), Bryony is an easy-going happy baby. She is very alert and hardly naps at all. Well, she'll nap at school, where it's nice and peaceful I suppose, but has been known to only nap forty-five minutes the whole day on a Saturday or Sunday. What else? Well, we know she is a Parker because she loves TV. She'll crane her neck to make sure she can see it, sometimes contorting it 180 degrees I think. Here she is watching Tangled with Abigail, set up in her own armchair:

a rare nap, with her face squished against the back of the couch

Abigail Turns FOUR!

2011-03-29T21:11:00.000-07:00

Another year has passed, and March 23rd marked Abigail's 4th birthday. This year, all her Preschool friends were invited to the party so we held it in the park instead of our house.We also had Grandma, Aunty Milly & cousin Morgan all come out from California, and of course, Nanna and Grandad are here at this time of year too.

Abigail was very excited to help me arrange an 'Ariel - Little Mermaid' theme. We made invitations with this image:

I had paper plates at one table for the kids to make fish (although the wind meant that most kids didn't even see I had this there):

I made these ocean jello cups with Swedish fish:

And this awesome (if I do say so myself) Ariel cake for Abigail's big moment:

So, here we are the park waiting for guests to arrive (I suppose we forgot we have Bryony now, ha!)

I also had bubbles, sidewalk chalk & sand toys but the only pictures we have are of the cake moment:

We had a great time at the park - I hope everyone did! And when we got home, Abby opened piles & piles of Ariel-themed gifts. Including the full costume from Grandma, which I used to get this shot for the thank-you cards. I've been calling her Abig-ariel when she wears this:

And this last picture is from school on her actual birthday, the Wednesday following the party:

Miss Abigail Rae - so spoiled and so lucky, but oh so deserving too :)

Happy 4th Birthday Darling

xxx

Abigail on Film

2011-03-29T20:08:00.000-07:00

this is what she does if you ask her to pose

oh, alright, I'll share the spotlight then, if I have to

Painting

2011-03-29T11:19:00.000-07:00

Abigail paints quite a lot. This particular day she asked if she could paint the lid to a shoebox. Why not? It started out as a really pretty colourful thing with all these paint colours used. The bowl might give you an idea where this went though.

This is about 10 layers of paint I think, along the way she just decided it might as well be 100% pink:

And, of course, how could it count as complete if we didn't also do our hands?!

Recent Happenings

2011-03-29T11:14:00.000-07:00

early morning girls

first time trying rice cereal

as predicted, it was a hit!

Willaby-Wallaby

2011-03-29T11:04:00.000-07:00

Love is ......

2011-03-16T18:38:00.000-07:00

...... your four-year-old reaching out to hold your hand while you're in the dentist chair because she saw a tiny bit of blood. My heart melted.

...... and it also might just be knowing that you can take your kids along to the dentist appt and they'll be well-behaved and not break anything while I have a 'poking-thing' in my mouth.

Abby-isms

2011-03-06T08:52:00.000-08:00

Abigail says so many funny things that it's impossible to record them all. But I've tried to remember a few to come & share them here. So, recent conversations with an about-to-be-four-year-old:

"You look pretty mum, I like your eye-lipstick"

When racing with her, she says "I beat you up, I beat you up!". We have to remind her that it's just "beat you". Where she has learnt about beating up I don't know.

A: "Jaysen flashed me & I was upset"

Me: "what do mean he flashed you Abby?"

A: "we were in the bathroom and he flashed me" (at this point, I'm getting concerned)

Me: "well, why did he do that?"

A: "because I was at the sink and he wanted the sink so he flashed me"

Me: "do you mean he splashed you?"

A: "yeah, he splashed me & I was mad" (ah, OK)

Me: "finish your dinner Abigail, or you won't get any dessert"

A: "but I don't have room in my stomach for any more dinner"

Me: "OK, well, if there's no room for dinner, then there must be no room for dessert either"

A: "well, there is because, look, I keep dinner on this side and desserts on this side"

Me: "Abby, I talked to her mum and your school friend Keira can't make it to your birthday party"

A: "oh, but I wanted her to come"

Me: "I know, but unfortunately she will be in California so she has to miss it"

A: "oh, OK, that's OK, she can just come to my five birthday"

A: "when I'm a mummy, I'm going to live in Ava's old house because nobody lives in there now" (our next door neighbours recently moved out)

Me: "oh, really?"

A: "yes, and would you like to come over for dinner mum?"

Me: "today is Presidents Day, Abby, do you know what that is?"

A (excited): "yes, it's Presidents Day because you get PRESIDENTS"

(Hmm, she's going to be disappointed!)

"mum, I ate sooo much breakfast and my tummy is getting sooo big, look, soon it will be big enough to have a baby in there" (hmmm, how to answer this one?!)

"mum, you know Connor at my school? You know, Connor - with fuzzy sticky-up soft fluffy kind of short but not that short fuzzy yellow hair?"

Design

2011-02-25T21:37:00.001-08:00

If you happen to be reading my Blog at 10:30pm tonight, you're seeing it's awful new design. I HATE IT, and now I also hate Blogspot for throwing out my old design so easily, and for being so dang impossible to work with in changing it back. GGRRRRR.

Three Months Old

2011-02-25T20:49:00.000-08:00

Wow, time is flying! And Bryony has really settled. She is not yet sleeping through the night (that post below was a one-off apparently) but she's almost there. I also feel like she never actually had colic. She just had rough evenings. But I think parents forget that that's just what newborns do. And when you're in the thick of it you can't imagine it being much worse. You can't imagine even making it past six weeks old! But when I really read about colic, I learnt that it's a lot rougher time than Bryony ever gave us. And, in the daytimes, well, she's just a delight! A happy smiley baby :)

we're doing this again already?

really? come on, I've had enough

seriously, mum, I'm bored!

And, again, to show Abby at the same age:

And if you really want to see the growth, take a look at the swing photo again:

Thanksgiving Day - 5 days old

Feb 25th - 3 months old

Darling Daughters

2011-02-25T20:12:00.000-08:00

I want to try the swing too

this is how my feet look in the swing :)

Mammoth

2011-02-25T19:48:00.000-08:00

After having his gear stolen and having to rebuy it all, Jake really needed his snowboarding vacation.

Abigail: Too Big For Her Boots

2011-02-25T19:41:00.000-08:00

or, more to the point, MY boots:

Newsflash!

2011-02-11T17:13:00.000-08:00

Bryony slept through the night! Till 6:20am and she may have gone even longer if Abigail hadn't come in our room to wake us all up this morning. But, yay, I repeat: Bryony officially slept through the night!! And not a moment too soon since my hairstylist laughed when she found my first greys last week.

Mumma's Got a Brand New Bag

2011-02-03T15:35:00.000-08:00

All the women at my work recently spoiled themselves at the Coach Outlet Sale. Women just can't resist a great sale. I picked up this white one:

I'm not usually a designer purse person; you're much more likely to find me in the shoe department. And even when I do buy a purse, it's never a classic design like Coach. But this one is very me. I will use it on the days I don't feel like carrying a diaper bag and hope that Bryony doesn't mess up a diaper or an outfit that day.

Two Months Old

2011-01-29T21:27:00.000-08:00

Bryony looks a lot like Abigail at this age, minus the crazy hairstyle:

And this picture doesn't show it but where she differs is in size. She's huge! For comparisons sake; Abigail was born 3 days late at a healthy 7lbs 12oz. At two months old, she was 1.5lbs bigger weighing 9lbs 2oz. Bryony, on the other hand, born 3 weeks early and starting out at only 6lbs 12oz, just checked into her 2mth appt at 11lbs 3oz. Yes, she has gained 4.5 lbs and is 2lbs more than Abby at the same age! As mentioned before, I'm so proud. Instead of a baby born at 50th percentile and quickly dropping to 10th, I have one born at 10th who quickly fed her way to 50th :)

my chunky monkey!

She is still a handful in the evenings and pushes our patience to it's limits with her colicky fussiness. It's hard because you can see your baby is obviously uncomfortable and there seems to be nothing you can do for her but listen to the crying :( Jake even tried driving her around in the car last night to calm her down and that resulted in an even bigger headache: he forgot to close the garage door behind him when he got back, so this morning we woke to discover golf clubs, bike and brand-new snowboarding gear gone! Not a good start to the weekend :( He spent the morning on the phone filing a police report and an insurance claim and we cursed the bad people of the world together. Luckily the girls cheered him up this afternoon with their adorable sisterhood. Especially Abigail reading her Body book to Bryony, check out the video:

it's a good job she's this flippin' CUTE!

About Bryony

2011-01-15T21:10:00.000-08:00

So far, I've posted lots of pictures of Bryony but not stopped to talk about her. Where to start?

Well, firstly I'm patting myself on the back for doing a great job breast-feeding. I struggled with Abigail (clueless first-timer) and armed myself with more information this time. And, unlike Abby, I now have a big fat healthy baby! It's a great feeling to watch her grow so well off of my efforts. I am pumping at work and so far staying ahead of her which is not easy because she likes to feed all the time, night and day.

Which brings me to sleep. Hmm. She likes to get up to feed. Abigail was a sleeper. Bryony is an eater. I am learning how to function on a lot less sleep than I'd like and haven't slept more than a 5hr stretch since the last trimester of pregnancy. But there are signs that she's getting it! She is now able to sleep 7:30pm to about 3am, then it's usually 5:30am or 6am. That's pretty good for a baby, right? Just not so easy for her working mother ;)

Other that that, there's not much to report yet! She is just now starting to smile at us. It is the first sign that she's about to make the leap from heavy blob that eats, sleeps, cries and poos to an actual personality and I can't wait! Despite some rough evenings (colicky inconsolable fussiness right about 5pm), I am head over heels in love with Bryony. She has already captured my heart like I didn't think anyone but her older sister could. I want to stop time - stop her from turning two months next week, and stop both of them from this rush to grow that they both seem determined to do. And even though I'm thoroughly excited to watch Bryony do all the things Abby did, plus watch the relationship between the two, I'm having so much fun with her NOW. Stop rushing ahead Bryony. Just enjoy infancy for a while :)

Random Pictures

2011-01-15T20:45:00.000-08:00

Since I'm getting all caught up and closing 2010 here, I'm posting my first Random Pictures post where I'm throwing in some odds & ends for fun.

another Saturday ballet morning

not sure where or when but a great picture of my parents

Bryony getting huge already

Abby as Lady Gaga (oh my)

Morgan's Christmas picture

Christmas in Ojai

2011-01-15T20:40:00.000-08:00

We came home from Christmas in California with 122 pictures. Grandma and Aunty Milly went overboard this year and were beyond excited to meet & spoil Bryony. Abigail and Morgan had a blast together. It was definitely a special Christmas this year and hard to choose which of the 122 I should post!

baking cookies to leave out for Santa

Milly's Martha Stewart skills

Christmas Eve at the Neiderhisers: Tayten, Jayci, Abigail & Morgan

ah, sweet new niece

still the most handsome dad in the world

Christmas Morning!! Do you think ....

she was ....

excited??!?! :)

top gifts: Giraffe Pillow Pet

and a guitar

far too much excitement for a five-week old

first attempt at a family picture

second attempt

ok, forget it

the Hollands & the Madonnas

hanging out waiting while mummy breastfeeds again

first bath together

and when we got home to Phoenix - one more gift, from nanna & grandad!

One Month Old

2011-01-15T20:39:00.000-08:00

One special thing we did with Abigail was take a monthly photo every month for her first year, next to the same sign and on the same chair every 23rd. It was great to see the growth & change. I printed them all and have them in a small plastic album. While pregnant with Bryony, I made sure to pick up another one to do the same with her. Here's her first entry, December 20th 2010:

And, just as comparison, here's Abigail's first from April 23rd 2007:

Jake at Christmas

2011-01-15T20:06:00.000-08:00

I shouldn't have posted below that maternity leave was 100% baby-time, I should have said 90% or something. We did get to do Christmas-season activities, mostly because Jake forced them upon us, ha ha. Christmas is his absolute favourite time of year and no breastfeeding, sleeping, pooping, newborn excuse was going to stop him!

with his girls - hard to get Bryony to look at a camera, that's a challenge when you cannot yet hold your own head up

making a gingerbread house

the finished house - little candies kept 'disappearing' off the roof throughout December

and we did get some Starbucks time, right before we saw the lights at the train park

daddy loves Christmas!

Thanksgiving

2011-01-13T20:53:00.000-08:00

Bryony was five days old on Thanksgiving Day. She spent it like this:

But thanks to my mother, the rest of us did get to enjoy a (somewhat) traditional Thanksgiving meal:

Jake carved the turkey:

And Abby performed her Preschool Thanksgiving song for us (I only caught the 2nd half):

Maternity Leave

2011-01-13T20:47:00.000-08:00

What a whirlwind maternity leave is! It's a time-warp because your days & nights are all mixed up (up every three hours so it doesn't matter which is day and which is night) and your house is a sudden explosion of diapers, bottles, spit-up and pink gifts. I had visions of it being this wonderful time off from my crazy job to wander the shops with my new little family, wrapped up in boots & jackets, Starbucks in hand, Christmas shopping at my leisure. Ha! I was pretty quickly reminded that maternity leave is to recover and take care of a new little human. Here's Jake & I for most of it:

But of course it's also wonderful to give into it. To forget about bills, and work, and a tidy house, and Christmas shopping, and emails. To realise that there will be so few times in life where you're fully allowed to lay around in bed just soaking in your precious baby. And take your time over your morning coffee because 'morning' could be 5am or 1pm depending on said precious baby.

And to watch your daughters get acquainted - this part is magical.

To give your baby her first bath ...

... then swaddle her up & gaze at her peaceful sleeping:

Obviously, I could go on and on with the special moments on maternity leave. I think I'll just put the pictures. Here are all my favourites from this fleeting six weeks at home:

Two Weeks Old

2011-01-10T20:48:00.000-08:00

Big Sibling Class

2011-01-10T20:41:00.000-08:00

My posts are going to be all over the place because I'm still catching up on things that happened before Bryony was born. Don't worry, I'll catch up to real-time. Just not that quickly because there's a 7wk old running my life for me now :)

Anyway, just three nights before the baby was born, Abigail took a Big Sibling Class at the hospital (just in time it turned out!). Matteo was there too in preparation for his younger brother on the way. Both of them were among the youngest but they did very well. They learned about what's going to change at home (some interesting comments at the breastfeeding part) and left with a Certificate to prove they were prepared to be a Big Sister/Brother. It was particularly fitting for Abby because she's been telling us for a while that she wants to be a doctor when she's grown up so she LOVED the part where they got to wear scrubs and visit the maternity ward to see a baby born just that day. Here are the pictures!

bringing a baby doll to practice putting on a diaper

Dr. Abigail

cutest doctor I've ever known

Happy Due Date!

2010-12-08T20:42:00.000-08:00

So, today, December 8th, was the date I focused on all year. The Big Countdown. And somehow it feels like Bryony's been here forever already. It feels even longer since I was last at work. Maternity leave is such a time warp.

Where do I start with the last two and a half weeks? It's been ... challenging. What is that saying? Out of the frying pan, into the fire! You definitely trade one set of aches & pains in for another. Bryony is thriving and already a pound more than her birth weight which is WONDERFUL. And not surprising because all we do is FEED. But the commitment to breastfeeding has been very challenging for me. In fact, 'recovery' in general - much more difficult than the first time. Nobody talks about the first two weeks at home and how hard they really are!

There have been two things that have really helped get me through. Firstly, I've read some silly light humour while I breastfeed and, while these two books won't count as intelligent reading for the year, they have really helped with perspective and comfort:

I could pull quotes out of both books for hours!

And, secondly, the support of my mother this time. I wouldn't have stuck with the breastfeeding if she weren't here with her words of encouragement too. And her home-cooked meals, ha ha. It makes it particularly fitting that Bryony has her middle name.

THANK YOU MUM!

Daddy-Time

2010-12-04T16:58:00.000-08:00

Jake took Abby to the zoo on his day off:

And, every now and again he sets up a 'tent' in her bedroom. It is a bed-sheet stretched across the room to enclose them about a foot off the floor. Then they prop a laptop up under there and watch a movie together. I have been told I'm not invited:

End of Pregnancy

2010-12-04T16:50:00.000-08:00

Work threw me a surprise baby shower - it was really nice for Bryony to get some things that weren't already Abigail's once.

diaper cake

Abby with all the gifts

And, one of our last days out to the park as a family of only three:

2 days before Bryony was born

Halloween

2010-12-04T16:34:00.000-08:00

Fall School Pictures

2010-12-04T14:05:00.000-08:00

So, I'm going to have to work backwards here and post all the stuff that happened before Bryony was born. I wasn't really expecting her three weeks early so I hadn't posted Halloween, or school pictures or anything yet.

Bryony's Birth

2010-11-27T19:13:00.000-08:00

Here are the first few pictures:

And here's a little help with her name:

1. pronounced 'Bry-uh-knee'
2. it's a turn-of-the-century botanical name - the Bryony plant is a vine
3. it's a literature name - read the book or see the movie 'Atonement' by Ian McEwan
4. it's more common in the UK than in the U.S.
5. check out these 2pgs:
http://appellationmountain.net/2010/01/06/name-of-the-day-bryony/
http://xanthelinnea.wordpress.com/2009/08/06/name-of-the-day-bryony/
6. The Royal Navy have used it for 2 battleships:

Introducing: Mini-Madonna #2

2010-11-22T18:43:00.000-08:00

Bryony Ann Madonna

born Saturday November 20th 2010 at 2:53pm weighing 6lbs 12oz

The Moonlit Cage

2010-11-05T15:33:00.000-07:00

I didn't expect this book to slow down my path of reading as many books as I can this year. But I finished this one today after starting it in ... June! And, actually, I can only partly blame the book itself - I mostly blame my work; which has consumed my summer, and September, and October.

Anyway, this was a long old read for me, and my interest sort of died along the way. I didn't like it nearly as much as The Linnet Bird, which I think most critics agree is Linda Holeman's best. It wasn't bad - just sort of dragged out, maybe? I'm moving on to a totally different genre next. Assuming I'll have time to read AT ALL once Mini-Madonna #2 comes home :)

Abigail's Two Stories

2010-11-05T15:25:00.000-07:00

At school, they have started asking the children to stand up and tell the rest of the class a quick story. Here are Abigail's two stories:

1. The monster will scare away the pumpkins. And then all the other kids run away. They just run away to there. My friends run away too. The monster follows them. They run even faster. The monster gets them and eats them all up. The monster is happy. The End.

2. Leaves grow on trees and then they started to fall down. Then it was Halloween so the leaves got on their costumes. They had lots of fun. When they got back home, they ate all their candy and then they got tired from eating all the candy. The End.

Pregnancy Progress

2010-11-01T21:26:00.000-07:00

Mini-Madonna #2 is threatening to come early. Too early. But I am not panicking too much because Mini-Madonna #1 did the same thing and still ended up being three days late. In fact, I spent the last month of my pregnancy with Abigail anxious because I kept being told 'any minute now' and I over-analysed every movement. I am not going to spend this November the same way!

Having said that, I am 3cm dilated, I am cramping/contracting and OB does have me on modified bed-rest to make sure that Mini-Madonna #2 makes it at least another two weeks. I think it's pretty safe to say we'll be having a Thanksgiving-Turkey-Ball instead of a Merry-Christmas-Miracle. Either way, I can't WAIT to meet you my new Darling. xxxxx

Product Rave

2010-10-25T21:05:00.000-07:00

My beauty regime has been transformed by this stuff:

I was sceptical because any Veet-type product I've ever tried in the past has been awful. But it's not the easiest thing to bend & shave your legs in the shower with a 28lb watermelon in front. So, I gave it a shot. SOLD! And while I am definitely nervous of whatever chemical they use here to literally kill your leg hair right before your eyes, it is so worth it! Spray it on, wait five minutes and shower it off. DONE. I am converted for life. I'll just try not to ever breathe it in, ha ha.

Motherhood

2010-10-01T13:57:00.000-07:00

I spent the morning today doing a three-hour test for gestational diabetes after I failed the one-hour test last week. Honestly, it was nothing more than a chance to read my book in peace for three hours, only interrupted by an hourly blood draw. Quite relaxing apart from not being able to eat or drink anything all morning.

I wanted to post some pretty pictures & fun things concerning 'Motherhood'. I love to look at fun things to buy for babies, new things they come out with for babies, pretty pictures of babies. I can chat about sippy cups & naptimes for hours (what happened to me?!!?) I love this stuff so I wanted to share some recent finds:

Firstly, here are pictures of Mini-Madonna #2's new nursery:

I kid, I kid! I WISH it was! This is another incredible design by www.littlecrowninteriors.com, check out their website for more, like this one I also love:

Next, some great photographs of some celebrity mothers, not trashy celebrity, real celebrity:

Audrey Hepburn

Twiggy

Grace Kelly

and the most lovely Royal ever

Next up - this Blog, it has me laughing daily: www.shitmykidsruined.com. You'll love it, kids or no kids. Also check out www.spearmintbaby.com and www.bleubirdvintage.typepad.com.

Something for dads: what do you think of this tee-shirt design for Jake?

And, lastly, the ultimate way to end a Blog post about Motherhood, some newborn photography:

there's nothing more beautiful in this world, I can't wait to snuggle my own newborn again

Mini-Madonna #2

2010-09-13T21:34:00.000-07:00

I am 28 weeks pregnant which means two things. Firstly, that I'm up twenty-one pounds and baby is about so big:

And, secondly, that I have only 12 weeks to go. Or less, if baby continues to measure two weeks ahead as she has been. So, even though I've been working crazy hours and 100% focused on getting 1500 pallets of toys from one warehouse to the next, it's now time to focus on the fact that BABY IS COMING. SOON. It was all too easy to walk away from that ultrasound telling myself "OK, another girl, we have it covered". Because, as mentioned before, we have boxes & boxes of girl clothes in the garage. And toys. And bottles. And a crib. And pretty much all the essential stuff.

Except now I'm not talking about stuff. I'm referring to the fact that this little girl is her OWN person, coming on her own schedule, that won't care much about mine! I need to focus on her having a name, and a personality, and day-dream about who she'll look like, and give the pregnancy as much attention and excitement as my first. She is much more active & kicks far harder than Abigail ever did so she might be trying to do this to me herself. She's already determined not to be just 'Abby's little sister'. She is Mini-Madonna #2, equally as important as Mini-Madonna #1. And I don't ever want to feel like I swam through this pregnancy and forgot to stop & treasure it.

So, what better thing than retail to kick me into gear? I went shopping to help picture this little girl in her own right. So, now she has these:

and Grandma bought these for our little 'winter delivery'

and this shirt really moved me - doesn't it just scream 'I am COMING!!!'?

Aunty Alex's Visit

2010-09-13T21:03:00.000-07:00

Aunty Alex and her boyfriend Chris came to stay at the end of August. We had a great time with them and they fit more into a 10-day visit than most - shopping, swimming, eating out, a night in Las Vegas, the Hoover Dam along the way, and still plenty of time with us. The best pictures we got were from a lovely day out in Sedona:

Ballet

2010-09-13T20:55:00.000-07:00

In August, Abigail started weekly ballet lessons! I have never wanted to over-schedule my child's day, especially at three years old, but ballet is the one thing I always imagined a daughter doing. If she showed interest, that is, which she did. I danced ballet from age three to age fourteen and it was a huge part of my childhood. I searched for a local ballet school that resembled what I went to, and feel like it may be the only thing she experiences that's even close to my upbringing.

We found this place - www.benderperformingarts.com, only a block away, and the home of this year's So You Think You Can Dance winner, if you watch that show. We also really like that parents can bring their morning coffee and sit outside the classroom and watch.

Abby LOVES ballet - from trying on & buying the leotard & shoes, to the very first lesson when she ran right in without a look behind her, she loves loves loves it. So, you can find us there every Saturday at 10am.

you already know this guy has to come everywhere

Life at Home

2010-09-12T22:01:00.000-07:00

Abigail & Matteo are old enough now to spend the night at each other's house. They both love it & hate it (which is how goes their relationship in general!)


can't believe how old she looks here


this is not an ad for Bisquick - it's Abby's Sunday morning making waffles with her dad, we do this every Sunday

Beach Vacation

2010-09-12T15:28:00.000-07:00

You'd be forgiven if you thought you were looking at the same post as last year - we took the exact same trip: staying on the beach in cousin Morgan's motor-home. Thanks again to Grandma & Aunty Milly who always arrange such a great beach time for us.


As mentioned last year, Bocalli's pizza is now Madonna family tradition


Morgan, Jayci and Abigail


It's only fair if you share your pizza with a squirrel


she seems to be eating corn in almost every photo this year

brushing the sand off our feet at the end of the day

sparklers for the girls

Cutting

2010-09-12T15:13:00.000-07:00

It is not often that a three-year-old plays quietly in their room, undisturbed, for an hour. UNLESS they have just been given a pair of plastic pre-school scissors and a pile of scrap paper. I was told "this is a pile of mail, mum":

Then, another hour the next morning:

At least it's a neat & orderly pile, right?!

Hamburger Cookies

2010-09-12T15:08:00.000-07:00

I made these for Abby's end-of-school year party - they were a big hit. Thanks to Sherri for the dead easy recipe! Email me if you're interested :)

Pregnancy

2010-09-12T15:03:00.001-07:00

Whether I feel fabulous & glowing or not, I want to be able to show my daughters how I looked while pregnant with them: