Pip and Pemberley Poppets

a penny saved is a penny to give

2012-02-05T16:45:00.000-08:00

The children each have new spend-save-share coin banks. My secret trick for making phone calls -well, until I run out - is to give the children a couple of handfuls of coins to put in their banks. They sure have a blast taking turns putting a coin in each part of the bank.

These photos are from the first day the children had a new bank. Since then, they have added over $30 in coins to their two banks (the pink one came in the mail a few days after the space one). After putting coins in the bank for about a week and a half, Pip wanted to know more about the different chambers. I explained that each child would get to choose how to give away the money in the "share" section. Pip was briefly opposed to sharing his money, until I told him that some children did not have the sort of things he loves, like playdoh. When he considered a life without playdoh, his expression transformed from three year old avarice to a compassion that made my eyes tear up a bit. Pip thought about it a few minutes, then decided that he is saving in his "share" section to give a warm fuzzy blanket (what he calls "soft moss") to another little child who does not have a blanket. We decided to give a copy of The Very Lonely Firefly to a child without books on Pem's behalf, since that's her current favorite book.

I like seeing my children save together, but I love their generous hearts!

Sunday photo shoot

2012-02-05T16:06:00.000-08:00

The children were pretty tired at church today, so they needed to play puzzles to get through the sermon. They always love Feast of Peace when we get to it, though.

Pemberley very much liked the cat and dog puzzles, as they are two of her favorite animals.

Pemberley found the usher's stash of bulletins when he went in for the sermon. She helpfully sorted them toddler style. You can see her new pink bloomers in the above photo. They are a bit large yet, but Pem can wear them under her cute little dresses for at least the next year.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Friday afternoon picnic

2012-02-04T19:16:00.000-08:00

One of the listservs for area playgroups to which I subscribe mentioned a local church that has a great playground. When Poppa took an early afternoon (after a few weeks of working late), we headed over to check it out. It was the best playground we've come across in the area. Since it's technically private, there was no crowd. The children had fun and free reign to explore. Best of all, we all got to play and cut up together.

We want to add one of these sand boxes with a built in digger next year to our backyard.

The children really liked playing in the little house that is just the right size for them.

a blanket for Big Bird

2012-02-02T19:38:00.000-08:00

I learned the mini ripple crochet pattern to add to my afghan repertoire by turning a little 50 gram skein into a nice pink blanket for Big Bird. Pip carefully tucked the afghan around his little friend.

Then he made Big Bird say "cheese" for the camera. I announced that I was ready to start my mother's afghan. But seeing his little yellow friend's blanket persuaded Pip that he wanted to share in equal felicity. I'm making Pip's afghan next after all.

tandem sliding

2012-02-02T19:23:00.000-08:00

The children really love playing together a lot of the time. Pip has started offering to help his baby sister with various things, such as going down slides when she's hesitant. I spot the landings to keep them from tipping their big little heads into things, but they adorably slide together much of the time.

playing with volume in the sand box

2012-01-30T19:46:00.000-08:00

Besides helping me cook, pretend cooking inside with water or dough, and playing with playdoh, Pip and Pem are developing an instinct about volume through sand play. They came across some old baby bottles in a packing box and quickly made them over into sand pouring toys. Pip kept asking to go back out to pour some more.

Sunday jam session

2012-01-29T19:55:00.000-08:00

Why, oh why won't the camera go faster when a little tot picks up her brother's pink ukulele? But you get a hint of how cute she was.

Kazoos were distributed, and Papa was invited to play the banjo.

Papa decided to multitask and drink tea while sort of strumming.

Pem has ever been a natural on the kazoo. She hummed Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star to great effect. There was applause.

Then our maestro kazooist took the stage, combining not three, but four kazoos!

The original tune sometimes sounded very like one of the Alleluias we use at church. There was applause.

a return of warmth and sand

2012-01-28T19:58:00.000-08:00

We have had a spate of unseasonally warm weather. It seemed that the sand table ought to be refilled. The children had a blast playing together all afternoon.

a pink sort of day

2012-01-25T20:13:00.000-08:00

This morning, Pem decided to dress up a bit. She wanted to wear her tutu over her corduroys, and she put on the fake diamond lavalier. As you can see, we have started to get some of her room more in order, bit by bit. We have two mouse houses so the children can play with their animals side by side, and various small toys sit on Pem's little shelves.

Pem loves adorning herself. She often picks up shirts or strings or playsilks and drapes them over her shoulders or her head. Then she walks about gracefully. We know she is playing pretend, but she does not always draw our attention to her game right away. When she does, with a playsilk on her head, for instance, we often sing a little song. One of my favorites is when she puts a green playsilk on her head and parades around. We sing, "There's a little green float going round and round, a little green float walking over the ground, a little green float going round and round, Pem is the little green float!"

Pemberley LOVES the firefly book. We bought her a copy after she became so enthralled with the library version. Also notice our fun new Pride and Prejudice board book. It's a counting book that doesn't tell the story unless you already know the story. But the Poppets totally know the story! It's Pem's favorite movie, and one of her mother's favorite books.

The mobile that Pem's godmother made for her goes swimmingly in her bright pink room.

In the afternoon, the children piled into the push car for a ride. Pem had to get used to Pip (at that moment Princess Aurora, I think) having such big hair. You can see that Pem has paint all over her shirt. There was much arting in the intermediate time between pictures.

The children look a bit bored because I had to stop pushing to take a photo, but they really like riding along this way when they are not playing chase (Pip on tricycle, Pem in car).

Pip's icon

2012-01-19T08:50:00.000-08:00

Papa Poppet has been studying iconology for a few years now. One of the reasons we loved our new house right away was because of the basement room we call the Scriptorium, a room we have set aside for icon writing and (eventually) for my writing longhand. Pip has joined his Papa to observe the process of Papa's first icon writing. Pip has even helped mix the paints!

It's really cool to hear a three year old describe the yellow stoplight as "not really orange, and not really yellow. I know! It's yellow ochre!" He also talks about vermillion and cerulean, and so many other shades of color.

On Sunday, Pip wanted to paint his favorite icon- Made Without Hands. This is his first go.

Pip's favorite bedtime stories

2012-01-19T08:44:00.000-08:00

We have settled into a bedtime routine with Pip these last weeks. He wants to read his favorite story from his fold-out Jesus story book, then his Nutcracker pop-up that he received at Christmas, then, in the dark after lights-out, he asks us to tell him the story of "Jesus Made Without Hands."

Pip loves his pop-up books, but this one tops the list!

Back in December, we visited a local Orthodox parish that had a hand-written icon, Made Without Hands. It completely captured Pip's imagination. At first, he would ask about "that museum church with the icon Made Without Hands." Then he wanted to hear the whole story of Christ's passion, focusing on the moment with St. Veronica's veil. He has asked me to sing the story to him, and he never minds when my improvised adaptation to a hymn tune does not rhyme. Earlier this week, he told his Poppa that he wished he had a pair of pliers. Why, Pip? So I could pull out the nails from Jesus' hands so he wouldn't be hurt. He asks why there are angels in the icons. We tell him they hold the instruments of the passion, that they would have pulled Jesus down if he had wished. But Jesus allowed himself to be killed violently so he could destroy violence. He died in order to destroy death.

Christmas tea

2011-12-17T19:32:00.000-08:00

I was too busy having fun at our British Accent Christmas Tea party to take photos of the children and our friends who were in town. But I managed to get a few photos to capture a little of the charm and vivacity of our youngest Poppets. What's funny is that both of them say a few words with British accents, owing to their frequent exposure to British shows such as Pride and Prejudice (Pem's favorite movie, which she requests by calling it "Lizzie") and Kipper and Peppa Pig.

Both children fancied the reindeer cookies our friends brought. You can see half of one by Pem's foot there.

I thought Pem was innocently admiring the tree, so I grabbed the camera. She was innocently trying to eat an ornament, actually.

But then she went back to looking beatific.

... as she searched for more ornaments.

Pip got on his pajamas early and headed upstairs for some down time. Our little introvert loves his friends, but needs his quiet space as well.

Pem was pretty tuckered out by the time I tried to get a photo of her in her little outfit as well. But it was well earned with a very good day (and perhaps more than one nibble of scones and cookies).

At the Nutcracker

2011-12-10T19:21:00.000-08:00

This year, we were able to score tickets to the Nutcracker performance in our city's venue instead of having to drive to Raleigh. Pip was very excited and packed his backpack with some favorite toys (including Big Bird).

As usual, Pip really enjoyed the show. It was longer this year, so he got a little squirmy towards the end and thought every set of dancers was the last set. Our local ballet company offers a couple of hour long children's ballets each year that Pip enjoys as well. Even though musical theater is his favorite, it's nice to mix things up a bit. Hopefully next year Pem will be up to joining us!

update

2011-12-09T09:42:00.001-08:00

Pip twirls joyfully in the air and lands with a smile. Pemberley talks like someone twice her age. She knows the characters in Pride and Prejudice, says "No, no!" to Wickham, calls out for Lizzie and "Arcy." Pip and Pem do so many art projects that I just pile them up to get them out of the way for the next round. Pip's paintings tend toward fossils, dinosaurs and volcanoes. He loves, loves, loves playing with Playdoh, so much so that I can barely keep up with the demand. Cloud dough is such a favorite that the children go through quarter batches in a couple of days, the upholstery and floors proof of its staying power.

Pemberley dances as we sing Advent hymns. The Christmas tree gets redecorated every day or two. Our favorite whole-family game is Hide and Seek. Pem usually finds us first, since she does not wait till the counting is over to go seeking. The children get impatient with hiding and call out, "Here we are!" or "He-yah!" tumbling out of closets, under blanket tents, from behind chairs, popping out of boxes. Their smiles are so big that I am taken aback that they are so easy to find. We grown-ups laugh, the children giggle. Toddler flies, and a little boy leaps so very high, spinning as though the air laughed with him.

I'll try to get back around to posting again soon. But for now, we are quite busy laughing.

Advent preparations

2011-11-27T21:30:00.000-08:00

Advent One means we put up our Christmas tree.

We decorate the outside of the house.

We get out the Advent wreath and fill it with fresh candles.

Out come the Christmas books that we only see six weeks a year (Advent plus Christmas season).

The nativity set is where the children can play with it, all except Jesus, who we'll find and put in the stable on Christmas Eve. The wise men hide around the living room, switching to new hiding places each week of Advent. They will find their ways to the creche come Epiphany.

Board books and library books go in the bin by the story chair. More Christmas books are piled by the reading couch downstairs and by Pip's bed.

The children went straight to the nativity to play. Another year, we'll find the Little People nativity for them as well, but it is still partially packed.

Pip helped a bit with making pomanders. He decided to do playdoh instead, so I finished up the two we had started.

Happy Advent!

hats with Poppa

2011-11-25T11:01:00.000-08:00

Does Pemberley have Poppa wrapped around her little finger?

Well, he has also promised her a puppy when she's three. So, yes.

Going to Lowes

2011-11-23T12:02:00.000-08:00

Having a new house means we have to go to Lowes now and then. Our trips have a routine. Today we saw the Christmas decorations for awhile. Pem found a doggie (Snoopy), and Pip spotted Santa and an angel, and we all saw the other giant creatures. Then we selected the supplies we needed before we headed on our rounds. First, we saw the hammers and let Pip hold the large rubber mallet. Then we circled the lighting area a couple of times. We sang the ceiling fan song, then headed past the coolest fixtures: one shaped like an egg, and the one you see above, shaped like a ball. Then it was okay to check out.

Today I planted quantities of bulbs in the front yard. Claire helped shepherd Pem away from the street while she helped rearrange various leaves and pinestraw. Pip chose to rest and watch a cartoon while I was digging.

museum Tuesday with lots of dinosaurs

2011-11-22T08:16:00.000-08:00

In the video, Pem says "BRO-ther" and I thought she said "Fluff" until I heard it at home. Pem said Fluff after I said fluff.

Sunday photo shoot with photo shoot

2011-11-20T08:01:00.000-08:00

We spend large parts of the service by the prayer station in the Narthex. The children both love "Mama Mary."

Pip was pretending to read aloud from the prayer book.

I took this photo so you could see Pem's red shoes before she outgrows them. They are the first item I bought for Pem, before I had confirmed that she is a girl in utero. I like how well they suit her personality.

Pem was a camel in the annual Nativity photo shoot. She did remarkably well for one who wanted her mama. (Pip flatly refused to dress up for the photos, so he just played while the photo shoot went on.)

The Pipster also refuses to wear shoes recently. When it's cold, we make him wear thick socks. He is so sensitive to textures that he thinks all of his shoes are "squishing" his toes. (It's not as though I don't sympathize. I find shoes to be profoundly uncomfortable as well.)

At the Advent Workshop, the children spent time helping Claire at the K.I.N. table, scooping beans for bean soup to sell. K.I.N., Kids in Need, was started by Claire several years ago as a way to raise money for a schoolchildren in Molas, Haiti, while standing in solidarity with children for whom bean soup is a luxury. Each year, kids and teens from our church make up bean soup and spice mixes to sell in our Alternative Christmas project and during Lent. The money goes to provide lunches for Haitian schoolchildren. Of course, the little ones just thought it was cool to scoop a giant vat of beans. But good works have to start somewhere!

Beethoven and blocks

2011-11-20T07:57:00.000-08:00

Pip had a very busy Saturday. Pip and I went to see Beethoven Lives Upstairs by the NC Symphony. We got there early enough to have front row seats, right in the middle.

PIp enjoyed seeing the five double basses (!) all on stage at once, and he enjoyed the performance as well. When we got home, he summarized for his Poppa, and he told our friends about it on Sunday morning.

Saturday evening, Pip built this tower and other, less enduring structures with Poppa. Such a full day for a boy/princess!

when brother naps

2011-11-16T07:54:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, but rarely, Pip still has a nap, rarely at the same time as his sister. On those occasions, we go around the house doing small things. Pem likes to sit in her chair in the dining room, and she likes to drink cups of tea or water. So, that is what we do.

Sunday photo shoot, at Jim's

2011-11-13T07:49:00.000-08:00

One of our favorite habits is to eat out on Sundays after church, often with friends (especially the children's godparents). I forgot to get a photo of Pem until we were at the restaurant, but here she is. This particular Sunday, she wanted to bring bear along with her (you can see bear by her right side).

Museum with Poppa

2011-11-13T07:34:00.000-08:00

Every now and then, we get to go to the museum with Poppa on a Saturday morning. This Saturday was Harvest Fest, so the children got to plant seeds. Pip and I also participated in a couple of country dances with a live band and a caller. It was so much fun!

Poppa got a photo of Pip an me dancing. Unlike his momma, Pip is actually a quite good dancer. Sometimes he even held strangers' hands when we were in groups of four or six, which impressed me. Pip's natural cautious and reserved attitude will bend a little for the sake of art.

Pem wanted to climb on Fluff. It's pretty cute hearing our tiny girl say "Fluff."

I loved watching Pem walk around the dinosaur trail while Pip and Poppa were exploring the maiasaura, Pip's favorite. Pem would stoop to pick up leaves, walk back and forth to the dinos, and say, "rawr!" and "inosaur!"

We coughed up the chunk of change to see the special train exhibit. Knowing their audience, the museum made sure one of the trains was Thomas. Pip very much enjoyed being in a room full of electric trains.

Pip and Pem played in the indoor play area for awhile before we went home. They both played in the kitchen for a good while, Pip used the giant ball track, and Pem liked exploring this little tunnel.

After a long day playing, the children had good car naps on the way home. Saturday evening saw us with our friends at our monthly supper club. It was good to have so many joys from the day to share with them.

*Pip and Poppa stuck together a lot at the museum so that I could let Pem walk at her own toddler pace. Pip did not have less fun, of course; I just don't have as many photos of his adventures.

reading books

2011-11-12T07:31:00.000-08:00

Pemberley is acquiring language rapidly. She loves books and pretending to read books. I caught Pem paging through the Storybook Bible, chattering to herself as she looked at the pages.

Sidewalk!

2011-11-11T07:27:00.000-08:00

You can tell that the children spent their very early lives living in a townhouse. Pem still calls outside, "Sidewalk!" The children enjoy playing side by side in the sand and water table. Though the weather is so changeable in autumn that they may not always go out, the experience is just that much sweeter.

Library puppies

2011-11-08T07:22:00.000-08:00

Financial constraints while we wait for our old house to sell have finally convinced me to use our local library more. We love it! Like book shopping for free. Poppa was working from home on a library day when Claire was on a Haiti trip, so he joined us on our lunchtime outing. While Pip and I wandered around finding books on favorite subjects (dragons, dinosaurs, princesses, and a whole slew of Christmas books), Pem and Poppa found the giant stuffed puppies. Pem likes puppies so much that she has secured a promise from her Poppa that she may have a puppy when she is three.

Poppa was amazed to see Pem lift a puppy that was bigger than her little person, and weighed half as much.

"Puppy!"

Tall!

2011-11-07T07:20:00.000-08:00

Young Pemberley likes to be tall. "Tall!"

Sunday Photo shoot on a cool morning

2011-11-06T07:18:00.000-08:00

Rembrandt Saturday

2011-11-05T16:00:00.000-07:00

Today we went to the NC Museum of Art's Rembrandt exhibit. I'm on their email list and snapped up some tickets as soon as they announced this special exhibition. I've always wanted to see Rembrandt's paintings in person. You can tell from photos that he painted for the eye. All of the textures look so real. The exhibit did not disappoint. Velvet, pearl, lace, metal, and skin were all glowing from the canvases. But my favorite qualities, besides the luminous faces and soulful eyes, were the golden ornaments. They seemed to be real objects lain on top of the paintings rather than part of the paintings themselves. I'm so glad we got to see such masterful portrayal of light!

I'm not going to be so crass as to suggest the reason why, but there was a definite breeze under the Thinker there. Pip had to hold his wig on.

Photography in the exhibit was strictly prohibited because they don't trust people not to use flashes. I did not use flash, but I did break the rule a very little.

Pemberley enjoyed looking at the paintings and the fellow museum patrons from the comfort of her wrap. Here she is going eye to eye with the master painter himself.

Pip and Poppa spent a fair amount of time by this painting. The light seems to come out of the crucified Lord.

Here you can see my little girl reflected in the glass surrounding a little girl painted by Rembrandt. According to infrared photos of this painting, Rembrandt did not do an underdrawing first, but just painted this portrait onto a wooden panel with no line guides. Cameras can't see like we see, so you cannot tell how real the details looked. We didn't get illicit photos of my favorite paintings in the exhibit, but trust me, they were pretty awesome. They had some contemporary portraits and scenes there, which really showed me Rembrandt's genius even more. Their gold looked gaudy, where Rembrandt's looked regal.

Pip was getting squirrely right at the end of the exhibit, so I guess we timed it well.

We saw a bit of the other exhibits as well. This amazing photo of a woman flying was Pip's favorite. He decided she was Mary Poppins' sister.

Walking out, we passed some of the large scale outdoor sculpture. This silver tree is pretty cool.

Here are Pem and I heading back to the car.

When we got home, our little culturally enriched Poppets took advantage of the not too cold weather and played in the water and sand table for a bit.

We ended the day making chocolate chip cookies from scratch. Poppa won a place as chief cookie stirrer with his debut performance. The cookies are so light and crisp thanks to Poppa's spoon skills. It was fun to cook as a family.

Hallowe'en Party

2011-11-01T10:08:00.000-07:00

This weekend, we went to a Hallowe'en party at our friends' house. Pip wanted us to dress as characters from Shrek, but we didn't have the things to make all of the costumes last minute. Pip wore his princess wig, but did not want to dress up the rest of the way as Fiona (tiara, Mama's green shirt for a dress). Poppa did dress up as Gingy, though, per Pip's request.

Poppa wore khaki clothes, "gumdrops," dusted himself with flour, and even submitted to letting me whiten his eyebrows with stage makeup. Pip refused to wear shoes, so he hung out in Poppa's arms for a lot of the party.

Pemberley was Grace from Little House. I was a fat cat.

Pip liked looking around the games in the backyard of the party, but he didn't want to get down and play. Instead, he and Poppa found all the ghosts in the trees and counted them.

Pemberley stuck close to Mama all evening.

Well, except for when Mama went to get a plate and some witches brew. Our friends did a great job catering to the littles. They had mac and cheese to eat and cookies to decorate, as well as fun kid games.

There was lots of blabbing and there were numerous adorable children.

Pip's favorite part of the evening was playing the M-O-M/W-O-W game with Poppa. They would turn the cookies upside down and right side up, and Pip cracked up laughing each time. It was just hilarious to him that M-O-M spells "Mom," and W-O-W spells "wow." He laughed so hard that I couldn't get a nonblurry photo. He kept laughing about it all weekend when it came to his mind.

For Hallowe'en proper, it was rainy and cold and the children had developed a little sniffle. Pip didn't want to go trick-or-treating, but he was very excited about giving out treats. Pem added "trick or treat" to her vocab and said "treat" a lot when we were watching at the door. Pip and Pemberley would stand at the window, gazing out into the darkness to see when the next group of children would arrive. It was kind of adorable. Pip was dressed as a princess, Pem as a wizard.

Pip developed rules for the treat distribution. He wanted me to give treats to the children in scary costumes, leaving the happy ones for himself. When a group approached, he would run to the door to open it, calling to me, "You do the mean ones, I'll do the nice!" He hid behind me when the scary ones were at the door, but was very, very happy to give everyone a treat. In between groups, Pip and I danced around the living room, spinning and spinning and singing silly songs.

My favorite memory of the night was when Pip grabbed some treats, opened the door as a [nice] little boy approached, and leapt out on the porch shouting, "Trick or Treat!" and giggling. He made the little boy's father laugh, and the boy smiled as Pip put the treats in his bag. I love that Pip takes so much joy in giving.

Some family members were concerned that I didn't take my children around to trick or treat, but believe me when I tell you they had far more fun giving treats than asking for them. We had some natural dye M&M type candies for the Poppets to eat, and they barely touched them. Candy and crowds just aren't the Poppets' things right now. Rest assured that our choice to stay in and greet trick or treaters rather than joining the throng did not deprive the children. The Poppets were very, very happy and slept like little angels last night.

Craft play dates

2011-10-29T11:45:00.000-07:00

This week we had two craft playdates at our place. We plan to have a craft playdate here every other week this autumn so that we can make some seasonal projects with Pip's little friends.

Pip caught me setting up the table and testing the paint, so he came to play before our friends arrived. Since I mixed the paint myself, I was able to scent it with cinnamon and orange extracts - yum!

Pip liked the apple printing.

Pemberley also enjoyed the apple printing.

Pip made his first apple print into a dinosaur with the aid of a glue stick and some glitter.

Pemberley explored the paint with her hands and painted a couple of feathers as well.

Pip asked that we get out the paints. He made another dinosaur.

Pemberley used all of the supplies in reach for her art project.

Once the children were done with the main project, we moved to the deck to paint with some fresh sidewalk paint. Pemberley dipped rocks into paint and made rock prints. She was very into all the different textures, all of which she explored in a self-initiated manner.

Then the children played together in the sand until they were all getting hungry and sleepy.

Pem decided to cook with the paint, too. She says "cook" when she pretends to cook, which is all very cute.

Here is Pem's pumpkin art project. She also matched the orange paint bottle with the orange lid and said, "orange." Yes, it is, baby.

Rhapsody in Clouds

2011-10-27T11:30:00.000-07:00

I discovered cloud dough on Pinterest. (1 cup of oil + 8 cups plain white flour, mix) Since Pip has grown increasingly interested in helping me with the dry ingredients part of baking, I suspected this dough would be a hit. It exceeded my expectations. I made our dough with almond oil with bergamot essential oil added for scent, rather than the mineral oil (a byproduct of refining crude into gasoline) for which the original recipe called. My goal was for the dough to be edible if Pem tastes it, and also to avoid overexposure to petrochemicals. Also, since I have eczema on my hands right now due to stress over my father's failing health, I wanted a nice oil that would moisturize them while I mixed the dough and joined the children in their play. You can use any liquid oil, though, whatever suits your ideals and budget.

Cloud dough is like the middle stage of quick breads, the flour with the oil rubbed in. It sticks together when molded, then crumbles when you squish it again. The texture is smooth and silky and sort of magical. I highly recommend it for any children in need of a good sensory experience.

I gave each child some dough in a bin, along with measuring spoons, a mini (IKEA kids) bake pan, and other baking accessories each. Pemberley's bin had feathers to one side, in case she wanted to mix them in. She also used whisks. Pip spent the first thirty minutes transferring the dough by spoonfuls into a small mixing bowl, then back again. He was making ratatouille. Then he moved on to making cakes and cookies by impressing the dough into the bake pan and spoons and turning the mushed dough out. I would tell you how long this would last, but as I'm writing, he is still going an hour after the introduction of the dough. Even young Pem played with the dough for some thirty minutes.

So glad we found this recipe!

Dandelion joy

2011-10-26T14:05:00.000-07:00

One of the lovely parts about our new yard is that, since it was not well maintained, we have so many wonderful dandelions. Pip likes to blow on a dandelion when we go out for our walks.

Pemberley's tea

2011-10-26T14:01:00.000-07:00

Pemberley has been desirous of tastes of our tea for awhile now. Last week, she found the toy teacup in the play kitchen and toddled over to me, a huge grin on her face, exclaiming, "Tea! Tea!" So we started giving Pem her own cups of tea every couple of days.

There are surprisingly few spills. Pem is at least as expert a tea drinker as some of her parents.

I totally know from whom she gets these expressions.

Current favorites from the library

2011-10-24T13:21:00.000-07:00

Well, we finally sorted out a library routine that does not result in huge fines (I learned to renew!). We have had out our current batch of books for over a month now, so we know which are the real favorites.

First is Forty Fortunes, a tale of wits and grace. Initially, I picked this book up so that Pip could see a wise and richly dressed man, since he loves dress-up so much. I wanted a remedy to the princess phase raging through the house. The story is a clever tale, filled with luck, whereby a man and wife are provided for and thieves are overcome.

Sort of continuing the theme of divine providence, but in the Christian tradition rather than Islam, we have enjoyed Pascual and the Kitchen Angels. The monastery chef, Pascual, cannot cook at all, but when he prays angels arrive to cook for the community. The brothers come to see that Pascual's desire is to feed the poor, so they allow him to participate in such work in addition to his prayers. I love the bright illustrations and the straightforward telling of this tale.

Pemberley has very much enjoyed the Eric Carle classics, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? and The Very Hungry Caterpillar. I like giving all the children in the end of Brown Bear names each reading.

Such a Prince is another nontypical princess story, focusing on a very kind and good man and his trials (with the help of our fairy narrator) in getting to marry the princess. Pip likes this one, and so does Pem.

There's one book that I didn't expect to be a hit, that Pemberley seems to especially enjoy. Sun & Moon is kind of a hippy, vague book about a boy and a girl who eventually find one another and fall in love. It's not the way we generally talk about love around here, preferring practical knowledge. But the illustrations are lovely, and there is a happy ending.

From Sun and Moon

This page is one of my favorites.

As is this one.

giraffe tent

2011-10-24T09:52:00.000-07:00

Sunday photo shoot

2011-10-23T11:37:00.000-07:00

Pip didn't want to wear shoes to church, but he had to wear socks. We took too long getting out the door, so he snatched a few minutes of play.

Reading books on Sunday, when the girl actually has on her barrette to keep her hair out of those bright eyes, and the boy actually matches, and Poppa has not had any chocolate and/or yogurt rubbed on him (yet).

At church, Poppa has a cup of tea while Pip drinks milk. I had to get Pip a refill during the service. Yes, half and half mixed with water does taste like milk! Now you know. These two were making sort of silly faces every time I got a snap.

Pemberley walked around the coffee room nibbling a bagel and making serious faces.

I want to walk

2011-10-22T14:08:00.000-07:00

Now that Pip often walks with me at the grocery store, instead of going into the cart, he has more numerous adventures. Did you know they have a whole free glasses try on station at Whole Foods? How cool is that?

A warm day at home

2011-10-19T12:48:00.000-07:00

We've been having very nice weather interspersed with cool and rainy days. Yesterday was a fine warm day, so the children played out on the deck. Well, Pip is having a bit of reaction to his flu vaccine, so he didn't play as much as Pemberley. Oh! And as you can see in the photos, we had our deck rails repaired (they weren't sunk through and bolted before) and a gate added. Now I feel more comfortable letting the children play while I run in to get something. In these first photos, you can see Pemberley playing with Claire. Claire was awesome yesterday, reading to and playing with the children while I worked on a book outline.

When Pip came out to play, he decided to wash the windows. I like the days when Pip decides to wear this 80's hair band style wig (actually, a princess wig if you ask him) at the same time as his Plaid & Irony band shirt. He looks like an 80's mini rocker.

Hat!

2011-10-14T13:42:00.001-07:00

A rainy Tuesday at the museum

2011-10-12T09:03:00.000-07:00

This week's museum trip was the first since Pemberley has been a steady walker. She was able to play a lot more than she had been before. Pip is still getting used to his sister's new abilities. The two of them play well together for the most part, but have to be watched carefully. They are still learning one another's limits and how to share. Pip worked hard to let Pem have a turn with the umbrella, even though it's his favorite.

Pemberley enjoyed jamming at the rhythm station while Pip climbed on the climbing park with Claire.

Both children liked the new fish and the new tiny fountain in the butterfly house.

Oh, no! Fluff was slippery from the recent rain.

We ended the evening with the children sitting with Mama, then Poppa, to read their new Fancy Nancy books, plus a few more thrown in on the fly.

Well, I say "ended," but in reality, we spent at least twenty minutes dancing about to songs from the Beatles and the final scene of Swan Lake. For classical music, I help Pip imagine what the music is saying - do you hear the sparkles of the jewels and water? This morning, Pip came up to me and said, "Mama, I want to dance like a swan again." Being able to identify images and feelings in music will help the children become better musicians. So much of the art of making music relies on that sort of awareness.

Paint and Rice

2011-10-11T10:50:00.000-07:00

We discovered that Pip was sneaking bites of the sidewalk chalk, which was putting him off food and disturbing his sleep (Pip is sensitive to dyes). So we switched to sidewalk paint, and we made our own. The recipe, which I found on Pinterest (and which you can see on my Kidstuff Pinterest board) is simple, and we can make the children's favorite colors.

The children have had a lot of fun playing in the rice bin, either pouring or pretending to cook, or even sitting in it. We have it put away for a little while right now, owing to Pip's new habit of tossing rice all over the living room floor, but we plan to pull it out again this winter.

Walksies

2011-10-10T08:13:00.000-07:00

I'm afraid the glorious weather has kept us out of doors and away from the computer a lot recently. Autumn in North Carolina is one of our favorite parts of living here. We scored this cool double stroller for free on freecycle, which has made it even easier to go on family walks in the evenings. Our new neighborhood has miles of shaded trails, perfect for taking the children out. As Pip is still in his princess phase, we are actually airing the princesses in their coach in the above photo. The rule for being a princess, by the way, is that one must have long hair. Gender is irrelevant. Thus, toddler Pemberley often plays the boy roles in Pip's pretend.

This photo was taken in the corner of our yard. We love this new house, where the front and back yards, once we get to all of the improvements we have planned, are both great places for children to play.

I will try to remember to take more photos while we're playing so that this blog is not so slow to update.

Poppets in Motion

2011-10-05T11:32:00.000-07:00

Pemberley talks a lot at home, but she prefers to observe in public. Last week I caught a conversation on film for all y'all to enjoy.

We got a Tapi for the powder room so Pip can play with it and get drinks. Here is Pip playing with the Tapi, a very cool device.

Sunday Photo Shoot in early autumn

2011-10-02T08:17:00.000-07:00

Pemberley wore one of her autumn dresses for the first time.

Pip, in week four or five of wearing his wig all the time, was that tuckered and fell asleep during church. It's difficult for a little one to transition his nap schedule. Pip is at the stage where he is outgrowing nap, but still really needs one most days. He's still a super sweetie.

Pemberley walked up to the girl in the mirror, reflected in the glass dividing the nave and narthex (Sanctuary and foyer in the language of other denominations).

Pemberley sang "holy, holy, holy" in church. She's our happy girl.

last week's play

2011-09-26T08:36:00.000-07:00

We had a very rainy week last week, so our activities were mostly indoors (except a few trips out of the house - to the library, a craft store drop in art area, and the gardens). Here are a few highlights.Pip was very into playdoh last week. Especially making cakes and candles.

Pemberley has enjoyed playing with the play kitchen now that we have the boxes out of her way.
Pip took this photo on one of the occasions when he borrowed the camera. Most of his photos are blurry due to Pip's fingerprints or constant motion, but some of them give a great Pip's eye view of the world.
Pip with a cake and candle and a craft he made at our drop-in craft outing. It's a magic wand, of course. Pip has also been interested in cleaning things up this week, which is nice, but also disorienting. He keeps helping by putting away my things so they don't get lost, but not always where I know they are. Still, I am encouraging this new phase.

Sunday photo shoot

2011-09-26T08:33:00.000-07:00

Here's Pem on Sunday morning with another short-lived ponytail. She's scooping rice that came from the rice bin I set up for the children over our rainy weekend. (Yes, rice is EVERYWHERE, and yes, it's worth it for fun.) I'm putting Pem in her summer dresses in these last few weeks before the cooler weather comes.

chillaxing together

2011-09-23T08:30:00.000-07:00

Playing on the new deck

2011-09-22T05:36:00.000-07:00

above: Pip sliding in my sweater and the big wig.

Pip has been going through a wig phase this week. Long term followers of Pip know that he previously carried around a red toy hammer everywhere for about six weeks and went through several months of refusing to set down his tiny violin. It's the same with the wig right now. He started wearing it on Saturday and has not taken it off except for instances of hygienic necessity. He has worn it throughout our house blessing on Saturday evening, through church on Sunday, to the grocery stores, the library, Duke Gardens, painting at the craft store, and at home for several days. Sometimes he is Mary Poppins, sometimes Winifred from Once Upon a Mattress. Mostly he has been Mary Poppins the past couple of days. He calls Pemberley "Michael" and me "James," which is what he thinks Jane's name is. This is a very fun time of playing pretend. Pemberley joins in, too, putting on little hats and playsilks. Both children are wearing one of my necklaces today for the second day in a row. I think it's fun to watch the young ones learn about body ornamentation in a free play way.

above: Pip was Winifred, performing "F-R-E-D, Fred!" for us on Saturday.

above: Pemberley chalked the slide while Pip played with chalk (and tasted it a little - the texture attracts him) on the floor of the deck.

above: Pemberley chalking. I bought this dress for Pem while she was in utero. It was the first outfit I purchased for her.

wigs and hats

2011-09-21T14:28:00.000-07:00

Pem's first ponytail

2011-09-21T08:23:00.000-07:00

Pemberley has also regaled us by walking more than one or two steps at a time this week.

Duke Gardens with Mary Poppins

2011-09-20T08:45:00.000-07:00

Pip was Mary Poppins today. I was James (Jane), and his sister was Michael. In Pip's pretend, size and age and importance to the story matter more than gender. [I don't think he pays much attention to gender distinctions, actually, given his way of narrating characters into whichever gender he perceives at the time.] At any rate, Pip as Poppins told us the weather was very nice, just as one might expect from someone who can fly with an umbrella.

After visiting the usual bamboo forest, we had a lovely picnic by the water. First we fed the ducks (and turtles and catfish), which the children enjoyed no end, then we settled in. (This is my new favorite dress for Pemberley, the first dress I bought for her when I was expecting her.)

This socially awkward goose who spent most of lunch with a feather sticking out of his nose befriended us. At first we mocked him or shooed him out of fear that he would try to rob the baby's meal. But soon he looked at us with his gentle eye and won our hearts. By the end of lunch, we had dubbed him the Adorable Socially Awkward Goose.

Pip found a remarkably large stick with which to play.

Pip always likes to stop and wonder which type of nest this is, and where the eggs have gone.

Look! A roving double bass player!

Pemberley was a happy girl. (And yes, grandmothers, I did find the shaggy fingernail that scratched Pem's face, and trimmed it.)

recent museum trips

2011-09-08T05:44:00.000-07:00

mixing paints

2011-08-28T05:40:00.000-07:00

A fun part of moving is coming across different objects with which to paint. Pip was helping me put away some kitchen utensils when we came across this huge basting brush, which called out to be used for paint. Pip had fun mushing the rainbow together for awhile.

around the new house

2011-08-24T16:08:00.000-07:00

Pip was excited about the movers, so he helped them move by carrying in our piano music stand.

The children have enjoyed playing with the new paint brushes with built in watercolor while we wait to unpack the rest of the art supplies.

Pip has started putting on hooded towels for his Princess Winifred hair.

We made our first dessert at the new house together: brownies! I had to wing it because we have not located the measuring spoons or cups. They were gooey, but good. Pip added the chocolate chips, and Pem helped taste them to make sure they were good.

Noni was a life-saver. You can see behind her that we only have up two of the five paper lanterns for the basement reading nook.

Pemberley and Pip have enjoyed playing in the prayer station. We call it our family chapel.

Pemberley beaded her first bead! (several times!)

Noni!

2011-08-24T11:29:00.000-07:00

We had a great visit with Noni, who came to help us while we moved. Pemberley and her Noni were thick as thieves, playing and singing and napping together for the whole week. We could not have done it without Noni. Let's just hope Pem doesn't get too mad at us when we Skype and she discovers that Noni can't come through the computer screen.

Holy, holy, holy

2011-08-24T11:21:00.000-07:00

Pemberley has taken to singing, "Holy, holy, holy," especially at bedtime and in church. It's pretty adorable.

Sunday Photo Shoot - before the move

2011-08-14T11:20:00.000-07:00

Our last Sunday photo at the old house.

Ms. Linda's School

2011-08-14T10:07:00.000-07:00

Our friend Linda runs a small learning establishment that serves elementary and jr. high students who have been abandoned by every other school. She was having a work day and invited us to come by and play for awhile. The children had a lot of fun exploring, and I enjoyed getting to talk with Linda a bit. Linda is a true educator in that she brings out the best in one. I left with the seed of a thought that perhaps my soul is beautiful after all.

Here are a couple of video highlights:

You can tell that Pip really really loved Once Upon a Mattress.

Pemberley is so remarkably dextrous for a one year old. I love watching her intelligent hands explore.

Moving House

2011-08-13T05:16:00.000-07:00

We've been packing for our big move, so I haven't been able to post much this month (except for back-filling our very busy July a bit). But I'm coming out of the packing chaos to talk about two books that mean a lot right now.

First, we have Fuzzy Fuzzy Fuzzy, which I only found again while we were packing up the children's books. Although we love lots of Sandra Boynton's books, this is probably my favorite for littles. It is highly tactile, just perfect for my tactile children. Though the words are simple and there is no real story, I think this book goes above and beyond in the textures it offers. The only other touch and feel book that comes close is an out of print UK published Kipper book. Pip learned to read "Bob" by reading this book, and his sister is getting to learn "yes" and "no" from the flaps at back.
This book has been a lifesaver. Pip was very anxious a month ago when we first started talking about moving, but after employing several strategies (taking him to see the new place, telling neutral stories about his friends' moves, letting him pick his room color, assuring him that he would have his friends at the new place, talking about how we would arrange his favorite toys, and getting face stickers so he could help pack by labeling boxes) including reading this book, Pip is very excited and eager to go to the new place. I looked at several moving themed books, and this one laid out the steps of house moving in a thorough and unintimidating way. I especially like that the illustrations show what a messy process moving can be and that it shows the family meeting new neighbors. It's a nonthreatening tell-all.

painting together

2011-07-31T16:14:00.000-07:00

Pemberley has been expressing interest in her brother's painting, so I started letting her paint, too. Here she is the first time around, feeling the textures of the paint.

I enjoyed watching the children create together.

Pemberley's first painting.

The painting session ended for Pem right after this photo, because paint does not taste very good, even if it is nontoxic.

archangel uriel

2011-07-30T16:12:00.000-07:00

Pip has liked to dress up for a long while now. His most recent angel costume is for Archangel Uriel. He told us, "I am Archangel Uriel. I clean up." Well, there you have it.

Pem's first painting

2011-07-29T08:41:00.000-07:00

Pem has been showing interest in Pip's art projects recently, so we set her up with some finger paints and a brush. She got this far in the painting before tasting the paint and having to be whisked away for mouth cleaning. Pem also likes to use colored pencils to make little dots and lines on paper.

Aunt Boo-Boo's Wedding

2011-07-23T07:10:00.000-07:00

We were in Texas for a week for Aunt Boo-Boo's wedding on Saturday, July 23. The bride looked gloriously beautiful.

Pemberley and I were attendants. Pem was the flower girl, and I was the flower girl's escort. (Meaning I wore the wedding color dress and carried Pem down the aisle.)

Just after the service, we found precious Pemberley playing with a spare flower.

Here is Uncle TJ, Aunt Boo-Boo (Alyssa), Aunt Packy (Kristin), Mama and Pem. The "good" photos are not yet distributed, but Grammy was able to snap this one on my cell phone for me.

At the reception, Pem and Poppa danced. I took "flower girl" to mean I should dress Pem like a flower, of course!

Our little girl was plumb tuckered out and had a good nap on Poppa's shoulder.

Pip borrowed the small camera and took photos of his favorite food: Cake!

Pip also got to enjoy some cake. It was seriously the best wedding cake I've ever tasted. Aunt Boo-Boo wisely asked friends and family to pitch in on things, and a friend's mother made the awesome cake. Think British sponge but better.

Pip and I also danced a few songs. As soon as Cousin Carly posts photos of Pip and I dancing, I will add them to this blog. Here is a quick one I caught of Pip playing with my fluffy dress.

Aunt Boo-Boo's wedding was lovely. Pem spent most of it playing in the pew with Aunt Keely, and Pip spent most/all of it napping on Poppa's shoulder. I sang "Ave Maria," which is why I passed Pem to Aunt Key. But of course, she was having so much fun that she might have gone to play anyway. We had fun seeing everyone and getting to see the girl cousins all dressed alike. The boy cousins, all of them in the age of defiance, refused to wear their matching outfits, as we suspected they might. We all decided not to pick a battle there. :) I hope to add more photos soon.

Happy Birthday, Poppets!

2011-07-17T13:23:00.000-07:00

Since we planned for the Poppets to have a joint birthday party at Little Gym, we held off on their presents until Saturday, the day of the party. They both received toys that both enjoy. So far, they have had a lot of fun with cooperative play with their new presents.

Pemberley likes her ball track.

Pip likes it a lot,too.

Pip's set of 500 wood plank blocks has been a hit with both children.

Poppet soup.
Going back in time, I would give a thumbs up to my previous self, the one who had the foresight to pay for a fun-filled Little Gym birthday for the Poppets AND hired our mother's helper Claire to take photos so we could play with the children. Self, you did a fine job with those decisions. You can see we were having a ball.

Pip and Pem and their little friends had a blast on the air track, not to mention free play.

Pip had fun chasing around the air track path to get back to Poppa.

I took advantage of the entirely padded surface to toss Pem in the air a bit, accompanied by her huge grins.

Poppa discovered that Pemberley loved dangling from the bar.

Pem liked playing near her friend and fellow one year old G.

All the children sunk some dunks. They have game.

Pip also enjoyed a little mama lap time. (Don't make fun of my do-rag. It lowers my head temperature about 15 degrees in this summer heat AND keeps my hair out of my eyes.)

Pem dunking one.

Pip liked being in soup.

A silly face. I have a series of about six of these silly face photos, but I thought I would let your page load sometime today.

We ended the play part of the party with Pip's other favorite activity, the parachute. I was singing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."

Pem watched everyone carefully under the parachute. Pip had loads of fun with the parachute, but also checked to make sure his sister was okay several times. It was very considerate of him.

Cutting up with another baby friend.

Pem crawling about.

After a homemade cake debacle, during which the naturally dyed icing and cake turned out less than appetizing in appearance, we went with a couple of bright and beautiful cakes from Whole Foods. Pip can't eat artificial dyes and sleep before 4am, so I'm glad we have a Whole Foods bakery nearby. Pip picked the colors for his and his sister's cakes.

Pip with Claire.

After blowing out the candle!

Singing to Pem.

I had to hold the candle away from Pem so she didn't touch the flame. Pip blew out Pem's candle for her.

Enjoying birthday cake.

Pip had some of both cakes, plus a little ice cream.

Pem steadily ate her cake for about half an hour, when the party ended.

We loved having so many friends of many ages at the birthday party. The babies and preschoolers and grownups all had fun, with those adults who wished to do so hanging back and watching as others jumped in and played. (We'll probably add the remainder of the pictures, with all the friends in them, to facebook later tonight.) I also liked that our parting favors advanced our conservationist agenda. They were little cloth reusable snack bags such as we use at home, with tiny Lego men shaped soaps. For grown-ups, we had soap mustachios. The children seemed to have a ball, and I know Poppa Poppet and I sure did!

Happy First Birthday, Pemberley!

2011-07-13T18:44:00.000-07:00

I tried to get Pemberley to wear a birthday crown for her big day, but she only left it on long enough for photos. Unfortunately, we didn't get a picture of her iced chocolate chip cookie bearing a single candle. Pem was too tired that evening to be much impressed with her treat, but she liked the family singing to her.

Pemberley is our girl of joy. The other day, I woke up in the night in response to a change in her breathing. I saw a little red heart of flame dancing over her chest. I have woken up happy every day for a year next to this wonderful little girl. Soon she will probably night wean, and then I will look forward to walking into her room to see her so bright smile.

Pemberley has that rare ability to brighten a room and a mood instantly. I can be in a black mood, but one look from this wonderful baby girl shoos off the clouds. Pem is friendly and makes new friends everywhere she goes.

To say that Pem is precociously verbal is an understatement. Her communication skills are great. She learns and uses new words every day and sometimes uses 3-5 word sentences. (I get it; I want more milk, Poppa; I want bottle; I want Mama; I like it; I love you; where is she/it?) Pem also has a very big voice for such a little girl. When she learns to sing, we are in for a treat. Sometimes Pem hums to herself, and her voice is already musical in its modulation.

What a loving baby girl we have. She loves on her brother, her parents, her friends, her Gum-Gum and Noni and Ah-Kah (Aunt Keely), and smiles at most of the rest. Pemberley is highly empathic and often cries when she sees people suffering. The few times she has cried while near someone, it has been someone suffering a terminal illness. She still likes the persons, but it is clear that she is overwhelmed.

Pemberley is so, so bright. I am constantly amazed at her dexterity, problem-solving, sorting skills, and self-command. Pem is still pulling up and coasting, not walking yet, but she crawls like a champ. If she cannot get somewhere, she looks to a grown up and says, "Up!" Her keen level of understanding her world is amazing. To an extent, her brightness is reflected in her precocious verbality. But far beyond her ability to talk and converse, it's clear that Pem is a deeply gifted child.

Pem eats most things we offer her, but she seems to especially like grapes, macaroni and cheese, and maple yogurt. I'm not sure what her favorite color is, but Pip says it's pink. Her favorite song is one I made up about being happy dancing bears.

We love you, Pemberley!

Happy Third Birthday, Pip!

2011-07-12T18:37:00.000-07:00

Pip loves to blow out the candles on cakes, which is a good thing. He did not like the look of my first attempt at a homemade birthday cake.

But he sure liked blowing out those candles!

We planned a big party for Saturday, so after the cake, Pip just played with Poppa and Pem for awhile. We had a quiet evening at home, which, in all the craziness of our recent travel schedule and buying (and selling) a house, was much needed.

What can I say about my amazing, beautiful, bright little boy now that he is three? Pip loves music, imagining, running, exploring, reading, watching his videos, learning. He invents games with playsilks and blocks and instruments often. He loves to pretend the liturgy (as evidenced by our collection of liturgical toys). He plays "violin shop" with his instruments. He cooks for pretend and for real. Pip is my sous chef. He calls Pemberley his sous chef when they play food together. Pip loves to dance, sing, play musical instruments.

Pip is cuddly and affectionate. He will grab either side of our faces and announce, glee in his bright eyes, "I love you in my heart!" He likes to hold our ears.

Reading Winnie the Pooh to Pip is an interactive event. He provides lots of commentary.

Pip's vocabulary is more advanced than many adults'. We have to remind ourselves that he is only three.

On a given morning, we play blocks, liturgical procession, an invented game, reading, artwork, water play, and usually a video. We often sing. Pip's recent paintings have been either volcanoes or birds. He likes lions and tigers best of all animals. His favorite color varies between pink and purple recently. His favorite song is "Allelujah." His favorite show is "Dinosaur Train." His favorite foods are chocolate brownies and pizza snacks (and milk).

We love you, Pip!

Pem's pull up play

2011-07-11T07:40:00.000-07:00

Pem's need to stand comes with fun new ways to explore. She can unroll the TP and follow her brother most places (sometimes to his chagrin).

cool patio

2011-07-11T07:37:00.000-07:00

Our friend Rebecca gave us this great heat-beating idea. We set up a mister on the patio, and it's lovely back there now.

recent water table play

2011-06-30T07:42:00.000-07:00

Now that the weather is hot, we moved the sand from the water side of the table and added water. Pip and Pem have enjoyed playing in the water table together on the few days they have been able to get outside. (We've had a lot of code orange air days here interspersed with thunderstorm days.) Here are some highlights of a recent play time.

I decided to start Pip on the idea of cleaning his belongings by giving him a big carwash sponge for washing his outdoor toys. He played at washing for several minutes. The Little People plane needed a good scrub. (We don't put batteries in our toys, so don't panic seeing water + battery operated toy.)

Of course the slide needed a cleaning.

Then the sponge became a tool for wetting the sand. Our friend Rebecca thinks of wet sand as mud, but we think of it as wet sand. Wet soil is mud; wet sand is just silica and water, non staining and fun and easy to clean.

Pem joined in the fun, too, playing with a few toys at first.

Then Pem spent a good while examining the lovely stones in the water.

Here is Pip deciding what to do with his sponge. Car wash sponges are fun because they allow children to get a little wet while they are in use.

For awhile, Pip dug while Pem splashed.

The stones were fascinating.

Just right for little hands. We have acquired a couple dozen semi-precious stones and minerals for the children's table. Sometimes they are buried in sand, sometimes submerged.

It was important to put the boats all together.

Pip borrowed the camera.

I love watching Pem's dextrous little hands exploring her world.

Eleven Months for Pemberley

2011-06-18T06:44:00.000-07:00

Pemberley turned eleven months old on Monday. Pem weighs around 19 lbs. She crawls and pulls up and coasts around furniture. Pem speaks a great many words and a few sentences. Recent language additions include, "girl, I eat," and some proper names. Pem uses gestures such as reaching and pointing and facial expressions and noises to fill in the gaps in her words, so that she is an excellent communicator. I rarely have to guess what Pem wants. Her amazing dexterity continues, as she puts smaller objects inside larger ones and even closes boxes around small objects she has put inside. Pem still likes to thread, and she has recently made up a game with an old soda bottle and the sticks to the woodblock animals (see below). None of these little stats let you know how very joyous Pemberley is. Pemberley exudes joy, sharing it all around with whomever she sees. As I get a chance, I will sort through our hundreds of vacation photos to show a little of her happiness with her aunties and other relatives and friends. We are so, so grateful to have Pemberley for our daughter. She is our girl of joy.

Pemberley puts the sticks into the bottle, then uses it as a shaker or tumps them out for another go.

Singing books

2011-06-18T06:33:00.000-07:00

We sing a lot of our stories here, including several of the Sandra Boynton books and Jamberry. Lately, we've been reading books that are actually based on songs.
Our friend Rebecca passed along this beautifully illustrated setting of the song while we were on our Texas trip last week. The dreamlike, bright, and vivid paintings add to the story.
We have the board book to Down by the Bay, which makes a great starting book for additional rhyming fun. The last line, "Did you ever have a time when you couldn't make a rhyme down by the bay?" opens the door to more silliness.

fun with Grammy Gum-Gum

2011-06-15T08:23:00.000-07:00

Pip calls my mother Grammy, and Pemberley coined the name "Gum-Gum" on this Texas trip. My mom loves all of her grandchildren and is willing to jump right in with them, excited about their joys and attentive to their interests. I pulled a few photos of our visit time at Aunt Keely's place of the kids and Grammy/Gum-Gum. (Pem calls her Noni, "No-nee," her Aunt Keely "Ah Kah," and Grammy "Gum-Gum.")

Some of the dozens of turtles and a duck in Aunt Keely's neighborhood pond.

Grammy and Pip fed the ducks and turtles one morning.

You can tell those two were having fun and enjoying each other's company.

Grammy and Pem played a lot on the floor.

Woodlands' Children's Museum and Ice Cream

2011-06-10T10:02:00.000-07:00

We got to spend a happy afternoon with Rebecca and Jack at the Woodland's Children's Museum after Pemberley's nap. We arrived a couple of hours before closing, which gave us just enough time to have a lot of fun and want to return on a future trip.

Pemberley went through all the exhibits in the baby area. Pem smiled at the Girl in the Mirror.

Pem crawled over the wavy crawling surface.

And she pulled up to peep at the fishes. After a bottle near the fishtank, I took Pem to find her brother and Poppa.
But not before stopping to examine the gear wall.

We found the fellows, plus Rebecca and Jack, ensconced by the play fire engine.

Pip enjoyed fighting fires with Poppa and Jack.

Both boys seemed interested in doing a little shopping on their breaks from fighting fires.

Pem, Rebecca, and I moved to play in the playhouse. The boys joined us to sweep the chimney.

Pemberley had fun exploring the kitchen of the play house.

The orange looked as though it should have fit in the teapot, but it did not.

Before we left, Pip and Jack wanted to fish in the fishing tables.

Pip spent the last ten minutes at the truck exhibit and stayed in the car until the museum closed.

After the museum, we wanted ice cream. We followed the GPS instructions to a nearby Marble Slab. Pip got vanilla, his favorite.

We all enjoyed our ice cream.

Pemberley shared my chocolate cone. You can see she enjoyed it by how much she was wearing. Don't see her there? Hint: The person with the brown beard is actually Pemberley with ice cream, not Poppa.

Getting to see our friends again at this fun play spot really added some relaxing time to our vacation. Thanks, Rebecca, for meeting us!

A Visit with Uncle Scot, Aunt Amy, and Mame

2011-06-10T09:38:00.000-07:00

On Friday morning of our Texas trip, we headed over to Uncle Scot's house for a couple of hours. Uncle Scot and Aunt Amy are very hospitable, and put up this swing for Pip to play on. We had a tour of Uncle Scot's lovely butterfly garden as well.

Pemberley took to Aunt Amy right away, and let it be known that she enjoyed being by the pool. Rather, she liked seeing the rubber duck floating in the pool. Pem kept leaning toward it and saying, "Duck! Quack! Quack!"

In this photo, Pem is smiling at Aunt Amy across the room. Pem wouldn't go to Mame, but I don't think it was personal. On the whole trip, the only persons whom Pem refused to go to were those with severe health problems. I think Pem's sense of empathy made her overwhelmed when someone was suffering.

While Pem and Pip played with Aunt Amy and me, Mame and Uncle Scott chatted with us all. Uncle Scot also played his piano, making up spontaneous nursery rhyme and Mozart medleys. Pip's favorite was when Uncle Scot played the ocarina.

Aunt Amy got out her children's vintage Fisher Price record player for the little ones.

Pip took this photo while he was sitting in my lap.

Before it was time to go so Pemberley could nap, the children had made themselves quite at home, playing records, sorting magazines, and smiling with Aunt Amy. We enjoyed our morning visit, and hopefully we'll get to see everyone again soon.

Downtown Aquarium

2011-06-09T07:56:00.000-07:00

One of the main purposes of our Texas trip was to have time to visit with my immediate family, especially my dad, who is dying of ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease). We decided to meet up with everyone at the Downtown Aquarium on a Thursday when there would be fewer crowds. We had an absolute ball! The Aquarium is probably one of the most underrated spots we've visited. The exhibits are marvelous, and the rides were fun. Plus, since there were not many people around, Pip felt comfortable riding everything!

Never underrate air conditioning in the Houston heat. Part of the appeal of the Aquarium was its long, dark water lined halls. It was also full of beautiful and whimsical sea life that was accessible to all ages. Pemberley decided to nap when we arrived.

I liked that the exhibits featured local fish in such a way that they seemed lovely. Here we are in the entry way, where the boys lingered for a long while.

Pip enjoyed playing with Grammy throughout the day.

Some of the fish were bigger than us. I asked my mom (Grammy) to stand by one of the tanks for scale. Cousin Lucky, who is the same age as Pip (well, twelve hours younger), was with us.

Besides the amazing aquariums inside, there were two other big exhibits. One was the touching tanks, where you could pet sharks and rays, anemones and crabs and starfish. The rays were very friendly, putting their little wings out of the water to be petted. Pip was nervous about the rays, but Aunt Alyssa, Cousin Lucky, and I all had fun petting them.

Pemberley LOVED the tiger. After a couple of admirable attempts, she actually said, "tiger" several times. Pem's delight was a joy to see, as she giggled and kicked and leaned toward the tiger.

Not scared at all, Pem smiled at the tiger in the photo shoot area.
Here's the gang by the tiger enclosure.

Once outside, Poppa and Pip went with Grammy, Aunt Alyssa, and cousin Lucky on the carousel. It was Pip's first ride.

Pip loved it and rode again later in the day as well.

Pip and Poppa, Aunt Alyssa and Lucky also went on the Ferris Wheel. Pip rode it a total of three times.

After we had been at the Aquarium for a few hours, my dad and other siblings showed up. We all ate lunch, then went out to play in and by the big splash fountain. Dad said Pip and Pem were beautiful and precious. He was quite taken with Pem. It was nice to get to see him while he could still speak (with a great deal of effort).
Aunt Kristin and cousin J in the splash fountain. I also played in it a bit, as did Aunt Alyssa and cousin Lucky and Grammy, but Pip seemed more interested in the rides.
Pip on his second or third carousel ride.

Dad was too tired to join the rides or walk the aquariums, but Aunt Kristin, Cousin J, and Uncle TJ were able to join us on the shark train. Pip went on the train two or three times with Poppa throughout the day. It was definitely an amazing ride.
I held a sleepy Pem (we stayed long enough for her morning and afternoon naps) in one seat.

This was the view of relatives in front of us.

And here are some handsome gentlemen behind us.

One of the rarest sharks in the shark tunnel, over the glass topped train. After the train ride, Grandpa Tony, Aunt Kristin, Uncle TJ, and cousin J had to leave so my dad could rest.

We went back to the tigers before leaving. Aunt Alyssa and Grammy conspired, and Aunt Alyssa bought the boys some binoculars, which they put to use looking at the tiger.

We had a fun visit, and the Aquarium is on our list of places to visit again on future trips!

Nature Center and Toy store

2011-06-07T13:51:00.000-07:00

We endcapped our Texas trip to see family with a few days of vacation and visiting with our friend Rebecca and her family. On our first full day there, we trekked out to the Austin Nature Center for some hands-on nature play.

Rebecca and her son Jack waded/immersed in the stream at the Nature Center.

Pip found a stick in short order and pretended to fish in the stream.

I enjoyed putting my feet in the stream, but Pip was not interested in unfamiliar water. Pem, going through a water terror phase, thought I was a bit loony to have her out in a stream, I think. She much preferred seeing the ducks at the outdoor animal area. Pemberley perfected her application of the phrase, "Duck! Quack! Quack!" to all ducks (and also Big Bird and chickens) on our trip.

The heat was overbearing, so we headed into the air conditioned exhibits, where Pemberley enjoyed crawling around and playing with the parasol and her people.

Pip became enamored of this cave, which he came to call the "small cave."

Pip talked with Poppa about stalagmites and stalactites.

Later that day, after we took an hour to change Pem and hang out at the hotel room, we met Rebecca and them at a great toy store in town. Pip had fun building towers out of notched cards with his Poppa, as well as playing with blocks and trains. Pemberley took immediately to this ramp tower.

Pemberley's delight at watching the toys roll down the ramps was so thorough that we resolved upon her birthday present right then. This toy and similarly awesome ones are available at the store's affiliate website. (No one compensated me for mentioning this store; it was just so cool that I wanted to share.)

When we are at home, we take our days at a much slower pace than Rebecca's family. I am so grateful to Rebecca for adapting their activities so that we could keep up and enjoy ourselves. We had loads of fun.

wall chalk painting

2011-06-05T06:49:00.000-07:00

The weather was so hot that we had a few bad air days when we coudln't play outside (as if 100 degree weather alone wouldn't keep us indoors). Pip painted with water on our chalking wall, adding extra chalk as he went.

We also got our eyebrows painted by Pip, as he is demonstrating above.

Pip has the ambidexterity of a two year old, though he seems to favor his right hand over all.

Our canvas.

Painting an eye.

Pemberley enjoyed getting into the plastic container cabinet while we water painted. Pem loves to explore these days.

baby feast of peace

2011-06-03T07:14:00.000-07:00

While her brother was upstairs playing, Pemberley seized the opportunity to play Feast of Peace.

some beautiful father son photos

2011-06-01T07:32:00.000-07:00

Visit with grandparents

2011-05-30T13:14:00.000-07:00

We have been having fun with grandparents here since they arrived on Friday. Here are a few snaps of the first day of playing. I have some more photos from our fun puppet show and parade that I'll get up as soon as I can.

Pip wore the crown Noni and Pops brought for him.

Playing on the floor.

Pemberley likes to cut up with her Noni and Pops.

Pemberley with her Poppa and her new toy car from Noni and Pops.

Pemberley's Noni

2011-05-30T13:08:00.000-07:00

Pemberley is enamored with her grandparents, especially with Noni. Pem has woken up from a couple of naps today saying, "Noni." She leans toward her grandmother and wrinkles her nose in a whole face smile. It would be fair to say she is holding court. It's pretty adorable.

A week of Pip photos

2011-05-25T11:27:00.001-07:00

Pip has played hard this week. He's as creative as ever, filled with stories and imagination. Pip also helps out a lot, with cooking and gardening especially, though he sometimes asks to help with other chores. Pip still likes to play musical instruments, though these days he plays his mandolin like a cello a little more than he plays his violin. Pip is advancing daily in potty training. Yesterday he went all day with no diaper and no accidents for the first time. I'm hoping that travel does not set him back much. We have a travel tot pot and folding step stool that should help him keep his routine while we're at our homes away from home. Here are some snaps of Pip from the past week.

Pip likes to water plants. He tends the pot of borage and fenugreek, and he sometimes waters the dianthus and salvia as well.

Pip played liturgy this week with playsilk chasubles and with one of my tops that is sized just right for a little fellow's acolyte/priest robe.

Potty training has rendered Pip inelegant for photos lately, but a fortunately positioned "chasuble" means that I can share this image of Pip playing the mandolin cello.

Pip enjoys watching a couple of hours of cartoons or movies a few days a week. He likes Busytown Mysteries and Mary Poppins a lot right now.
This afternoon, Pip, in purple chasuble, stopped his Feast of Peace play to examine a walnut "egg." You'll be glad to know that the egg hatches to reveal apples and a very small bird that sings Alleluia.

A week of Pemberley photos

2011-05-25T10:53:00.000-07:00

My laptop wouldn't boot for a few days. Poppa took it in, and it turns out that the problem was just a bug in the OS, not a virus. I got behind on uploading photos of the Poppets, but never fear! Here are some snaps of Pemberley over the past week.

Pemberley loves exploring the whole house. We have little interest stations scattered about. Here Pem is playing with the fridge magnets.

Hi, Mama!

Pem wears herself out playing hard. Here she is taking one of her twice daily wrap naps.

On Sunday, Pemberley played with the prayer beads on the table at the deli.

Our young lady has been pulling up recently. I give her little snacks or toys when she stands at the table.

Pemberley's elevensies today. Pem loves peas, as well as grapes. She also enjoys kamut puffs and cheddar cheese bits, among other foods. I usually give her some version of this meal at least once a day.

Pemberley is such a bright baby girl. Today she touched a picture of a dog in a book and said, "dog." Pem says lots of words. I'm fascinated by how she has zeroed in on verbs so quickly. She does not ask "what?" for "what is it?" but says either "what is it?" or "is it?" Her ability to get to the heart of the matter amazes me. Pem is also very dextrous. She not only puts smaller objects into larger ones and takes them out again; Pem also threads small objects through round spaces. Earlier today she grew quiet. When I checked on her, she was concentrating on putting a paint pen lid through the holes on my Crocs.

museum Wednesday with firsts

2011-05-19T07:44:00.000-07:00

We returned to the museum this week in glorious weather. We walked all around the outdoor exhibits and stayed five hours rather than our usual three.

Pemberley enjoyed waving hello to the trees. Like her brother before her, Pem is fascinated by trees right now. She looks up and waves when the wind blows or we enter a new patch of forest. I tell Pem that the trees are waving hello to her. We return the greeting and tell the trees we love them, too.

Now that the sun is bolder, we are carrying the big umbrella for sun protection. I carried it over Pem most of the time, since she won't wear her hat and her hair is too thick for sunscreen, too thin not to get a burned scalp. But Pip had fun playing with the umbrella when we stopped under one of the stationary umbrellas at an exhibit.

Pemberley rode the choo choo for the first time this week.

Pem checked everything out and really liked the trees waving in the breeze from the train.

We were saying, "choo-choo!"

Pip of course had to shoo Fluff.

Pip wanted very much to touch the donkeysaurus today, but we explained that dinosaurs are allergic to people. He told us that we might not touch them because they were electric once, before he caught on to the term "allergic."

Pip played with the umbrella for awhile at the tadpoles exhibit, where he also had to get a little sunscreen. We saw stacks of turtles on rocks in the water.

Pem had a sweet little nap.Pip wanted to play with the sailboats, but they were closed for repairs. Instead, we spent a good while in the mist garden. Pip defeated Voldemort, by the way.I built a steam tunnel for the mist so Pip could pretend he had a fireplace.

For the first time, Pip climbed to the observation seats at the top of the caboose (with help, of course). We had a picnic up high. I like that Pip's way of marking an occasion is to break out the cheddar bunnies and water bottle for a little feast. His little voice fills with wonder as he inquires, "Can we have a little picnic?"

musical Monday

2011-05-16T09:44:00.000-07:00

The Poppets are endearingly musical. Today I looked around to find myself entirely surrounded by tot musicians.

Pip with his violin and the microphone he fashioned from a stick and step stool.

Pemberley playing with the trumpet. I was in the kitchen when she called out, "This? This?" to ask me what something was. I came in and saw her fingering the keys on the trumpet. I told her it was a trumpet. "Tum-pet, she said.

Pip's recent Alleluias:

exploring

2011-05-16T08:34:00.000-07:00

The Poppets spend a lot of time playing on the floor, exploring different toys. Here are a few recent photos of them just playing.

Jamming Baby

2011-05-14T07:31:00.000-07:00

Young Pem has been adding words every day and using lots of two or three word sentences, mostly of the "get it" and "want Mama" or "get book" variety. I know she started saying, "hippo" recently, but I don't remember all of her new words this week. She has been very into faces and naming parts of the face, such as nose "noh" and tongue, "Nongue!" and eyes, "eye." Pemberley also initiated a family game this week when she faked several sneezes in the car, saying "aa-aa-ka-chew!" in a high pitched voice so I would say "God bless you." It was kind of hilarious hearing a baby fake a sneeze, especially since she learned it from one of our family games of faking sneezes and exaggerating the sneezes in books such as The Mitten.Pemberley is ten months old now, and so into exploring. I let her go through bins of toys, as you see in the photo (beads, balls, rhythm instruments). She loves shaking the rhythm instruments. The baby has rhythm!

Museum this week

2011-05-14T07:17:00.000-07:00

Pip had a lot of fun at this week's visit to the Museum of Life and Science. Here are some highlights.

Pip and Claire both rode on Fluff.

"Shoo! Shoo, Fluff!"

Watching the sleeping piggies, Pip's favorite animals in the farmyard. Max the Steer scared the bejeezus out of Pemberley (not on purpose; he's just huge and strange to a baby girl), so we didn't spend a lot of time there.
We saw lots of turtles on the way across the boardwalk.

Pip's favorite exhibit, the tadpoles, was open again!

Pip really liked the newly cooled out train ride. Apparently there are flying fish in the woods now (Pem fell asleep, so I forfeited my ticket to let her nap). I like that the choo-choo will be even cooler for Pip now.

We took some time before leaving to let Pip tell the tornado "no, no!"

Adventures of a happy floor baby

2011-05-11T08:05:00.000-07:00

Pemberley is now living the full glory of her floor baby days. She crawls, she chases balls (and says, "ball"), she finds treasures in the toy bins she pulls off of lower shelves. Pem pulls up often as well, but right now crawling and skootching make up a great deal of her mobility during play.

Look who found the child friendlied iPod Touch. Pem pushed the screen to hear animal sounds.

Crawling toward the camera.

Why, yes, Mama, I have got rhythm and music and playsilks. Pemberley loves to play with playsilks while jamming and dancing the dance of a sitting baby. Pem also loves when I flow the silks over her head while singing the sky song. ("The sky is on my baby/My baby is in the sky/ Where could she be?/Did she learn to fly?" I made up this song for Pip, and I use it interchangeably for the children. When Pip wants the sky as well, I just make it plural.)

Pemberley likes the finger clackers. I have been letting her raid the rhythm instrument bin lately, and this one is her favorite.

Looks as though we have another musician in the family!

Hurray!

the latest in a series of volcanoes

2011-05-11T07:52:00.000-07:00

Pip wanted to paint when we got home from a craft store trip on Sunday night. We let him use the small set of gel paints rather than dragging out all his temperas so close to bedtime.

Pip got straight to work.

Finishing up.

He says it's a volcano. Most of his paintings have been of volcanoes lately. Before that they were birds in various attitudes. I'm not sure if he is expressing the urgency of his almost three year old emotions, noting the emotional undercurrents of our household since his grandfather was diagnosed with late stage ALS, or if he just likes the artform. This is his most colorful volcano to date, very beautiful.

Park play date

2011-05-04T10:59:00.000-07:00

We met some friends for a play date at a local park on Monday. Pip played a lot, and Pem had fun swinging with me while she was in the wrap. She was afraid of the baby swing, though.

Pip went down the big slide several times.

Is that a little mouse I see in the holes?

One hand, two hands drumming on drums!

Pip found several sticks, including this very large one. He played with it for a few minutes before I banished it to the woods again, owing to its sharp point. Pip brought home his favorite smaller stick. We are developing a stick collection here.

Pip stopped to pick some flowers with his little friend on the way to the car. He told me the flowers were for his sister Pem.

Friday in the garden

2011-05-04T10:49:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, we went to Duke Gardens for a picnic and to feed the ducks. Here are a few snaps from our outing.

Pip found a letter "Y" made out of a stick.

Pem enjoyed watching the birds with her Poppa. She kept saying "Duck. Quack, quack," but not on film. On film she said, "Burr" for "bird."

Beads and blocks

2011-04-30T14:01:00.000-07:00

Pip has been working on his beading this week, trying to beat his own record for how many beads he can get on one string.

Pip arranges his beads into patterns and groups. You can tell when he runs out of a pile that he has been sorting, because the pattern turns random for a bit.

Pem has played with blocks as rhythm instruments and manipulatives.

Pemberley pulling up

2011-04-30T13:49:00.000-07:00

On Monday, Pemberley was skooting and sitting, as you see her here at an impromptu play date on our back porch. She also thinks about crawling, but manages to move through a series of mock crawls and skoots just fine.

On Tuesday, Pem pulled up and started getting into stuff on the play table. She had tried pulling up last week, but really got into the swing of things this week.

I moved the stale playdoh out of Pem's way and gave her some O cereals instead.

Wednesday morning, Pem was at it again, steadier than before. The photo is blurry because it was early in the morning. Pem is still in her jammers there.

By Friday, the hijinx had spread to reaching into bins to play with cloths and ribbons and playsilks.

She's so cute, and she's not even trying.

This afternoon the new skill helped Pem to get into the train storage bin her brother left out.

This and that

2011-04-27T07:16:00.000-07:00

Baby girl is having a little language explosion this week. On Sunday, she looked at a doggie at the picnic and called her, "Abner," the name of the seeing eye dog who sits next to us in choir. She calls the girl in the mirror, "girl," and has begun to call her brother "Guy-cah" sometimes in addition to "My-My" and versions of "brother." She uses "Poppa" a lot more now. Today she added "ball" and "gorilla" to her vocabulary. Pemberley uses simple sentences regularly. For instance, this morning she looked at her Poppa and said, "Poppa Mama. Poppa Mama." She wanted her Poppa to bring her to her Mama, which he did.

During breakfast, she asked for her ball by pointing and saying, "Uh?" I gave it to her and told her it was a ball. She said, "ball." Later she asked for the Little Gorilla book by name. Pemberley continues to call the Carl books "Carl." I wonder if she thinks all doggies have proper names? Or if they are divided into Carls and Abners? It's fun to be able to communicate with Pem so clearly, with her words and pointing and clear understanding of much of what we say. We have the sometimes problem of not knowing to what Pem is pointing when she asks for a name, but mostly we are just having fun giving her words.

I try to give my children kind words and to avoid outbursts of cusses when I stub my toe and so on. The other day, I tripped on a toy and said, "dagnabbit!" Pip started cracking up across the room and said, "Fat Rabbit!" I think maybe "Fat Rabbit!" will be my new holler for toe stubs.

Pemberley has been playing patty cake for the past couple of weeks. Sometimes she just says, "Yay!" and claps her little hands. Sometimes it's clear she's trying to say "Patty cake" while she claps and points her little finger for the "mark it with" section. It's kind of adorable, actually.

Pip is doing very well potty training during the day. He knows when he has to go, and runs to get on the potty. He prefers to go naked at home so he can potty more easily (thus fewer photos lately). I don't know how we'll transition to wearing clothes. I'm going to let Pip go jaybird as much as possible this week, then work on big boy drawers next week. We aren't following any system other than Pip's preferences.

(I realized last night that since I have three baby siblings, that Pip is actually the fourth child I'm potty training. Crazy to think that both of my baby sisters have children now, too.)

Pip and I have fun each week at Little Gym. I'm glad we have an hour a week when I can give him my undivided attention. Pip is such an amazing and bright little boy. He has a wonderful sense of humor and creativity and fun. I love hearing him say such advanced and complex sentences in his tiny boy voice.

Remember Dressing Like a Girl? Well, I have made huge strides in my personal wardrobe, wearing skirts a few times a week just because I like them. And then there's Pemberley's clothing. I just finished purchasing 9-12 mo clothes for her, and I noticed after yesterday's laundry that she has almost two dozen adorable dresses or pinny and bloomer sort of outfits. I love dressing my baby girl in bright girl clothes. We'll have to see which way her tastes tend as she grows. If she turns out to be a tomboy, at least I'm hoping these early clothing experiences will impress upon her a love of ruffles. Girls ought to have ruffles.

Sunday Photo Shoot - Pip and Pem at a Picnic

2011-04-24T17:05:00.000-07:00

I can understand your confusion

2011-04-24T16:54:00.000-07:00

Pip is not actually Christopher Robin, but I see what you mean.