30 May 2013

Haircuts!



The girls both desperately needed some cleaning up and trimming and I was able to convince Pickle that growing her hair as long as Rapunzel's was just not going to work out.

 We probably could still go shorter with New Kid's hair but this was several inches off and it is a marked improvement and feeling healthier and bouncier already. She loves it and points out to everyone that she got a haircut!
Next up will be Big Brother's summer buzz cut . . . just have not been able to pin him down just yet.

29 May 2013

Artichoke Blooms

Ever wonder what happens when you don't harvest your artichokes? 





Beautiful blooms!

27 May 2013

Two Flags

Two Flags . . . one for my grandfather and one for Josh's. Two Flags . . . one for a firefighter and one for a police officer . . . both killed on the job here in Phoenix this month.

Admittedly I forget what this holiday is all about . . . I am one of the majority that looks at Memorial Day as a day off from work, a chance to hang out with my family, and a time to have ribs because the grocery stores put them on sale. However, I was reminded this week by Pickle that we do have important people in our lives who served proudly in the military. 

At school they were given a lesson on Memorial Day and Pickle brought that lesson home to us with many questions about the military service of our grandfathers. Josh and I are very proud that two of our grandfathers served in the Navy during World War II. Josh lost his grandfather several years ago and mine passed away last year just after Memorial Day. Both lived long productive lives and we are blessed by having had them for so long in our families.

Sadly there were two lives lost in one day here in Phoenix this month. Two very young individuals - a firefighter and a policeman - lost their lives while on the job. The firefighter was only 23 and was married to his high school sweetheart. The police office had served two tours of duty and had a young daughter graduating from kindergarten. With our own kindergarten graduate in our midst, this was especially heartbreaking for me. 

This Memorial Day I am remember all of these men. 

16 May 2013

Diaper Free and Proud to Be

In Her Big Girl Bed
On Monday morning New Kid woke JP with the announcement that she still had on her underwear. He was a bit confused since he was sure he had put her in a diaper when getting ready for bed. (She had been getting up each morning and removing her diaper and putting on clean underwear and then her PJs back on so the fact that she had on underwear was not surprising.) She told him that she had changed into her underwear before going to sleep. And voila! We are a diaper-free house!

It is a good thing she made it through that night without an accident because we would have been VERY confused to be awakened to find a wet child and wet bed. The second night we were not lucky enough to make it through dry but at least we were mentally prepared for what would happen. These last two nights have gone smoothly and we are very proud of our big girl!

08 May 2013

Happy Birthday New Kid

Dear Sweet Baby Girl,
We really can't call you new kid anymore . . . after 3 years you aren't so new! I just re-read the post I wrote last year for your 2nd birthday predicting milestones that you would hit this year and boy did you hit some big ones this year. Soon after your 2nd birthday we moved you and your sister in together to share a room and in just the last few weeks you have transitioned to your big girl bed. What a great way to roll into your 4th year.

You love to cuddle and are very much a Momma's girl lately. You are kind and sweet to all but have learned to hold your own more and more. Last summer we started calling you Baby Tiger because you look so cute and kind and then you will attack when someone gets too close to you. You are still that way and will lie in wait for someone to get close and then BAM - Baby Tiger!

Talk, talk, talk . . . you love to talk. You tell us everything and take your time doing it. You tell lots of stories; not necessarily true stories but you sound confident when you tell them and we enjoy them. You will talk to anyone nearby whether they are listening or not and your sweet voice will draw them in. One of the cutest things about your stories is your lack of understanding of  time frames. Most stories start with "yesterday, when I was a baby . . . ."

You started school this year and to noon's surprise you have really jumped right in and taken the learning process to heart. All the teachers were excited to have you and you have proven to be a great addition to the school - although a bit bossy at times! You're only a "half-day" kid but you make the most of your busy mornings.

What a big year it has been for you. We are all very excited to celebrate your birthday and know it will be a great day for all of us. You bring joy to our lives every day! 

Much love to you baby girl, Mom