How to pull a tooth...

Classic Violet

To try and make up for not blogging for a while, I thought I'd post a video that's sure to make you laugh!

Cute little Vi

Wow! Check this out!

Bugs? NO, HAIL!!!

Poor Hosta!

It hailed for about 10 minutes yesterday. For a little while it was pouring down rain and the hail was marble sized. It looks like the hosta is the only casualty.

The Girls

Another wonderful picture by Lydia, my little artist!

A cherished moment when the girls were playing together and having fun!

Amazing! "Over the Rhine"

This is the kind of music I want to be playing! I love it!

Thank you Easter Bunny!

This morning I had this conversation with Violet :

Violet: Where's Easter Bunny?

Me: He went back to his house.

Violet: I want to hug him!"

Me: Well, if you just yell THANK YOU really loud, he'll probably hear you.

Violet: No, I want to call him. Can we call him?

Me: Easter bunny can't talk because he's a bunny, so he doesn't have a phone.

Violet: But I just want to hug him Mommy!

Me: Let's just yell thank you really loud together.

Violet: No, we need to find him. I need to hug him.... He's brown.

Me: Oh, he's brown? I always though he was white, but I've never seen him... Wanna take a bath?

Violet: Okay!

Just say no!

WHAAA???
What happened to Joaquin? Ryan thinks maybe he's totally in character for a part in a movie, but it seems a little too real too me... Who knows? He IS an amazing actor! What do you think?

Ophelia

The painting "Ophelia" (1851) by the Pre-Raphaelite painter Sir John Everett Millais.

In Shakespeare's Hamlet, the daughter of Polonius. She loses her mind after Polonius' death.

A painting that has always caught my eye.

Can't Wait

To see a treasured story come to life!

Where the Wild Things Are

The Eyes of an Artist

This video is so cool! It's in French, so I really have no idea what he is saying (Dayna, you probably know). I think we often forget what a beautiful world we live in. We sometimes just need to put our "Imagination Goggles" on!

William Blake

I've decided that every so often I would post a piece of art that I love.

This piece by William Blake is so inspiring. He was way ahead of his time, doing this mixed media in 1794! He was an English poet, painter, and printmaker.

William Blake
"Ancient of Days"
(God as an architect)
Date: 1794
Medium: relief etching with watercolor
Dimensions: 23 x 17 cm (9 x 7 inches)
Location: British Museum, London

Happy Birthday to Ruby

Lydia decided about a month ago (well, she says her fish told her) that it was going to be her fish Ruby's 2nd birthday on March 18th. She did much worrying about having the perfect birthday for Ruby. So, this morning I made special blueberry muffins because Lydia thought the fish would like them since her (the fish's) favorite color is blue (she told Lydia that too). We brought Ruby out to the dinning room, lit her 2 candles and sang Happy Birthday. It was cute.

Both of the girls have been talking to her a lot today and have treated her very special. It's a good thing they don't know that the fish was probably totally freaked out by the fire, and we still haven't told Lydia that her fish is a MALE Beta. I think it would break her heart!

This is the awesome picture Lydia did of Ruby.

Violet Actually Listens in Church?

I usually take the girls to church with me on Sundays. Ryan either stays at home or plays a gig at the Ibis while we go. The girls always want to come with me. We pack plenty of things to keep them occupied, but usually the entire service ends up being a wrestling match between the three of us. I leave feeling flustered, and wishing I could have listened more closely to the sermon, as I begin to regret even taking the girls. I definitely don't think they have listened to a word of what was said.... Maybe I underestimated.

I was singing to Violet before I put her to bed tonight. I was singing the song from "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?"- "As I Went Down In The River To Pray". I sang "Oh Mothers let's go down", then fathers, brothers, and sisters. Lastly, I came to "sinners". I stopped and asked Violet, "Do you know what a sinner is?" She smiled and said, "Yes". (I was thinking "yeah, right!") So then I asked, "What's a sinner?" She gave me that cute little smile once more and slowly stated

"Someone who turns away from the Lord"
just as clear as a bell.

WOW! I guess she does listen in church!

Violet Puts on a Show

Oh, Deer!

Yesterday morning we were sitting at the dining room table eating breakfast, and Violet shouted "I see deers!". Across the street there were 10 deer!

It's amazing how they just sort of blend in with the trees.

Home Made Valentines

Home Made Valentines are priceless.

I'm so impressed! Ryan made this card for me with colored pencils. Pretty cute!

These are the ones that Lydia made for me and Ryan.





































(Somehow she got into the Halloween stickers, and I guess she wanted to stick to that theme!)

American Sign Language

"ASL"

I am taking a class in American Sign Language this semester at USU. I needed to fulfill a language requirement for my gen ed credits, so I thought this would be the most interesting language to take. I have also always been fascinated when I watch an interpreter doing sing language. It looks so fluid and beautiful.
Since I am an artist and a dancer, I thought that it might come easy to me being a visual, almost dance-like language. Well, I'm through the first month and it hasn't quite clicked for me yet. I'm sticking with it though because I still really want to learn it! It is just a lot more difficult than I had ever imagined it would be!
Plus, the Deaf culture is fascinating! That this culture has their own history and folklore is amazing. The more I find out, the more I want to learn the language. Wish me luck!

Wii!!!

We bought a Wii and a Wii Fit last week and we've been having so much fun!!! What a great way to spend time and get exercise when we can't go outside because the air quality is unhealthy!

Lydia is seriously becoming a yoga master! It's her favorite!
Here she is doing the "Warrior" pose.

Even Violet is doing yoga! She follows along really well, but of course she can't balance the best!

So far, Ryan is the master hula hooper and ski jumper, and I'm the pro bowler, golfer, and slalom skier. Lydia has second place on the ski jump though, so look out Ryan!

Watch Them Grow

Press the play button on the song to the left! It's so precious!

Watch Them Grow

By Zach Gill

She's close to God, I'm sure of that
She sits him down, and they have a chat
She asks for sunshine, and he agrees
You see, for her, He'd do anything

You watch them grow, then you let 'em go

She is a monkey, and I'm her tree
And now she's climbing all over me
Swinging on my vines dancing on my limbs
Her monkey sounds sound like angel's hymns

You watch them grow, then you let 'em go
You watch them grow, then you let 'em go

She is an angel, she is an imp
She's got my big toe, and her mother's lips
She gives fishy kisses, and great big bear hugs
42 pounds of pure love
Then one day she'll be 17, feelin' too big for her home
Seems she was just only 3, oh how our children they grow

You watch them grow, then you let 'em go
You watch them grow, then you let 'em go
You watch them grow, then you let 'em go
You watch them grow, then you let 'em go

Then one day she'll be 33, maybe with a child of her own
Seems she was just 17, oh how our children they grow
He'll ask for sunshine, and she'll agree
You see for him, she'd do anything
He is her child, the center of her world
She is his mother... my little girl

You watch them grow, then you let 'em go
You watch them grow, then you let 'em go

Bowling!

We went bowling last weekend, and it was SO much fun!

Violet was absolutely amazed by the balls coming out of this thing! She would wait for one to pop up and just squeal with delight!

The game was programmed so that whenever it was Lydia's turn, the bumpers would pop up, then they'd go back down when Ryan and I would go.

Yeah, I totally rock
Just Kidding!

We asked Lydia (who bowls over a 200 on the Wii) what she liked better, and she said "Real Bowling" because she liked to actually throw the ball.

That's my girl!

Is that a banana in your pocket?

Okay, sorry if that grosses you out, but isn't this hilarious? This sticker was actually on a Chiquita banana that my mom bought! I'm sending it in to
Jay Leno.

A Dog???

As I lifted Violet out of her crib the other day, I said "Violet, you are getting so big! What am I going to do when I don't have a baby anymore?"

She thought for a little bit, then folded her hands in front of her, and raised her eyebrows and said

"Um, you like a dog?"

I Don't think that we'll be getting a dog for a while, but we can hope can't we?

Violet the Fashionista

Ruby

While we were gone over Christmas, we had a death in the family. No need for sympathy calls, it was just Lydia's beloved beta fish "Bubble". He lived for over 2 1/2 years and we knew his time was coming. We actually had Lydia say her final farewells before we left for Iowa. I assured her that he couldn't be in better hands for his last days than to be with her friend Miles.

She took it very well. No tears, just lots of questions like, "Did they flush him?" and "Do I get to have my fish bowl and rocks back?"

We let Lydia pick out a new fish last week. We also bought her a new fish bowl. She instantly loved this fish and made a "background" for her and decorated not only the inside of her bowl with treasures, but also the outside.

This is "Ruby"The picture in the back is a picture of Ruby and Bubble at the top, then Ruby in her fish bowl. Underneath Lydia wrote "Home, Ruby".

Ruby, please live more than a couple months!!!

Busy Season!

Ahh! What a wonderful yet busy holiday season! Back to my Blog after I haven't written a word on here for over a month. Don't know if anyone will check in, but I'm back!
I have way too many Christmas pictures to post, so I sent invitations to most of you to view them at Kodak Gallery.

Here's one of my favorites
"Time Out"

I know it doesn't have a Christmas theme, but it's still cute!