Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Monday, February 09, 2009
Happy Birthday Addi
this morning, xander said: mom, if Addi were alive today, i would wish her a happy birthay.
so would i.
we love you and miss you addison! happy birthday! our thoughts are with all of you today.
xoxox
your sis and her fam
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Easter Dresses
at an outing to a local fabric shop with some friends, i was talked into purchasing fabric to make matching easter dresses for my daughters. i have NEVER sewed much of anything before, let alone dresses! however, the pattern seemed simple and i had plenty of support from seamstress friends (thanks cyd and marisa!), so i decided to give it a go.
i'm so pleased with the finished products and had so much fun making them! i think i might make a couple more for summer play dresses and may try lengthening the bodice pattern and making some cute summer tops.
the pattern is "claire" by portabellopixie (with slight alterations) and fabrics are from Sandi Henderson's "farmer's market" collection.
now, where's that free skirt pattern cyd mailed me?
Monday, January 19, 2009
in the past 6 weeks...
we've been busy! here is a rundown of some of the highlights in no particular order (because i'm lazy) and in list form (because it's quick and easy).
in the past six weeks:
2. i celebrated my thirty-somethingth birthday. :)
3. i made the best cake ever for the 100th time (not really sure on the number, but it seems that way.) behold the toasty-coconutty goodness. (thanks jones family!)
4. i ate a LOT of said cake (another piece as a reward for blogging soon, i think) and a lot of chicken tikka masala (with loads of veggies tossed in) YUM!
5. i showed alan what this cake involves. pretended he was going to learn to make it so he can do the job next year.
6. hadley started preschool! look at the little cutie!
7. we took her first "official" first day of school photo -- she proudly tells everyone she goes "to a REAL school" (as opposed to the co-op we did with ward members last year)
8. i did a lot of grateful praying...SOMEONE pulled some strings to make this preschool thing happen.
14. we took a mini and much-needed vacay to bethany beach (thanks gardeners! we needed it!)
15. alan turned into a shopping fiend at the outlets, leaving me to entertain the troops.
16. we found out that 75 cents makes a lot of fun and that the little merry-go-round packs a whallop of happy good times. :) check out the faces.
19. alan and the kids played the coldest game of mini-golf ever after we all recovered. rubes and i stayed in the car.
20. pre-sickness, i snapped one of the only pics i've ever taken at the beach house. i get into total lazy relaxation mode and forget to take any. but here's benny, the peaceful shark...
21. we did a lot of laundry at the beach. more than should be allowed on "vacation".
24. we decorated our new home for the holidays and hung our stockings by the chimney with care
25. i managed to snap a pre-christmas-morning-chaos shot...H had a new dollhouse under that huge red blanket you see at lower right...it took her a good 10 minutes to even notice it, and then only because her brother pointed it out.
26. ruby staged a full-scale revolt while we went out to eat...she made it clear she wanted solid foods and she wanted them NOW! check out the video clip HERE
in the past six weeks:
1. we witnessed snow in new jersey! better late than never, i always say and it's put me in a white christmas mood today-- hence the blupdate (i just invented that word. it means "blog update" in case you couldn't readily tell.) this is the current view out my window:
2. i celebrated my thirty-somethingth birthday. :) 
3. i made the best cake ever for the 100th time (not really sure on the number, but it seems that way.) behold the toasty-coconutty goodness. (thanks jones family!)
4. i ate a LOT of said cake (another piece as a reward for blogging soon, i think) and a lot of chicken tikka masala (with loads of veggies tossed in) YUM!5. i showed alan what this cake involves. pretended he was going to learn to make it so he can do the job next year.
6. hadley started preschool! look at the little cutie!
7. we took her first "official" first day of school photo -- she proudly tells everyone she goes "to a REAL school" (as opposed to the co-op we did with ward members last year)
8. i did a lot of grateful praying...SOMEONE pulled some strings to make this preschool thing happen. 9. i laid to rest my fears about her going from being home all day to full-day kindergarten in the fall...she'll be ready, since pirate preschool (yes, real name) is everyday.
10. i have turned into a full-time resident of my car, thanks to aforementioned daily trips to and from preschool.
11. i set a world's car-trip record a couple weeks back. it went a little something like this:
load up kids (hence referred to as LUK) drive alan to trainstation (woke up too late to bike it)
drive home
LUK drive X to school
drive home to get H's drawing she forgot that she HAS to give to miss susie
drive to H's ballet class
LUK drive home to change into yoga clothes
drive H to cricket's house so she can catch a ride to preschool with her
drive back to teach a yoga class
drive H to cricket's house so she can catch a ride to preschool with her
drive back to teach a yoga class
LUK (okay, just ruby)
drive home
LUK (again, just ruby)
go pick up H
go pick up H
drive home
LUK go pick up X
drive home
LUK go pick up alan
12. ruby has gotten even fatter and cuter than before (who knew it was possible)
13. ruby has gotten pretty good at playing in here: (santa brought it)
14. we took a mini and much-needed vacay to bethany beach (thanks gardeners! we needed it!)15. alan turned into a shopping fiend at the outlets, leaving me to entertain the troops.
16. we found out that 75 cents makes a lot of fun and that the little merry-go-round packs a whallop of happy good times. :) check out the faces.
18. we promised the kids they could play mini-golf, but we all got sick on the warmest day and 6 of the 11 people at the beach house puked before we all made it home a day late.
19. alan and the kids played the coldest game of mini-golf ever after we all recovered. rubes and i stayed in the car. 
20. pre-sickness, i snapped one of the only pics i've ever taken at the beach house. i get into total lazy relaxation mode and forget to take any. but here's benny, the peaceful shark...
21. we did a lot of laundry at the beach. more than should be allowed on "vacation".22. we hosted a christmas-eve dinner and filled our little house to the brim. i think it's safe to say a good time was had by all.
23. we waited anxiously for santa....and for the official okay to come downstairs.
24. we decorated our new home for the holidays and hung our stockings by the chimney with care
25. i managed to snap a pre-christmas-morning-chaos shot...H had a new dollhouse under that huge red blanket you see at lower right...it took her a good 10 minutes to even notice it, and then only because her brother pointed it out. 
26. ruby staged a full-scale revolt while we went out to eat...she made it clear she wanted solid foods and she wanted them NOW! check out the video clip HERE 27. i purchased fabric to begin making H and R THIS CUTE DRESS (sans apron) for easter.
28. hadley started reading "Bob Books". pretty easy, but still, pretty exciting.
29. we found out that xander grew 3 inches in 9 months. (and gained 10 pounds)
30. i accidentally deleted 2 pics i wanted to include in this post.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Christmas Goodies
things have been crazy busy around here lately, but my shopping is 99% finished so i thought i'd take a few minutes to post some highlights. (ruby-lovers be warned there is NO ruby is this post!)
i know what you're thinking..."how on earth did they travel back in time and snap this awesome shot of a megaraptor in action and live to tell about it?" truth is, it's just a diorama. shocking, right? it was part of xan's first major school project...a report (written and oral on a dinosaur and a diorama.) alan totally saved my bacon on this one and it was a "guy project" for the better part of a week.
the finished product...i have no idea what he's doing or pointing at. we honestly could not get a good shot of the kid with the diorama...as evidenced in the following photo.
granted, it was late. the boy was TIRED!
the girl is a ham, but a lovely one.
hads and miss maya...sooo cute in the tutus for today's performance.
i know what you're thinking..."how on earth did they travel back in time and snap this awesome shot of a megaraptor in action and live to tell about it?" truth is, it's just a diorama. shocking, right? it was part of xan's first major school project...a report (written and oral on a dinosaur and a diorama.) alan totally saved my bacon on this one and it was a "guy project" for the better part of a week.
the finished product...i have no idea what he's doing or pointing at. we honestly could not get a good shot of the kid with the diorama...as evidenced in the following photo.
granted, it was late. the boy was TIRED!now onto the girl....today hadley had ballet class with a special performance at the end! if you scroll to the post below this one, you can link to the exciting video clips, but for now, here are some stunning still shots.
the girl is a ham, but a lovely one.
hads and miss maya...sooo cute in the tutus for today's performance.this next shot is my fave...
because it looks just like this drawing hadley did for miss susie last week.
see what i mean? i have no idea why she wrote "hadley" across her head, but i guess it's as good a place as any. it serves an an artist's signature and a decorative element.
love the look on the kids faces here. but it doesn't even compare to hadley's face in the next photo, which i captured just as santa made his grand entrance:
priceless!
we also made and delivered a few Christmas goodies this past week. here's what most of you are missing out on.
toffee, peppermint sticks, and gingersnaps. doesn't get much more Christmas-y than THAT! and the bags were tied up with a cute, red, green, and white cord that you can JUST make out in the background. 
and finally, a sneak peek inside. just pretend you've just found one on your doorstep and are anxiously peering inside. the peppermints look so festive! no match for what k. lyman left on my porch this morning though....i think it contained about 12 different cookie varieties. one-upper! :) j/k it's fantastic. hope the kids get some.
because it looks just like this drawing hadley did for miss susie last week.
see what i mean? i have no idea why she wrote "hadley" across her head, but i guess it's as good a place as any. it serves an an artist's signature and a decorative element.
last weekend was the P2 Christmas party (that's our ward party...princeton 2nd). as is tradition in our ward, we had a special visitor.
love the look on the kids faces here. but it doesn't even compare to hadley's face in the next photo, which i captured just as santa made his grand entrance:
priceless!we also made and delivered a few Christmas goodies this past week. here's what most of you are missing out on.
toffee, peppermint sticks, and gingersnaps. doesn't get much more Christmas-y than THAT! and the bags were tied up with a cute, red, green, and white cord that you can JUST make out in the background. 
and finally, a sneak peek inside. just pretend you've just found one on your doorstep and are anxiously peering inside. the peppermints look so festive! no match for what k. lyman left on my porch this morning though....i think it contained about 12 different cookie varieties. one-upper! :) j/k it's fantastic. hope the kids get some. one last note...one of my favorite parts of my blog is the funny names i give the photos as i'm sizing and saving them, so i know which is which when i upload them, and no one has ever commented on that aspect. maybe no one noticed. i think you have to click on the pic to enlarge it and then you will see it in the page header. anyone find a fave?
we love and miss all our family and friends that are not a part of P2. (we love you guys too, but don't miss you, per se...)
merry christmas!
sugar plum fairy
hadley has been taking beginning ballet from miss susie since september. today, we enjoyed a mini-performance during class with 2 fabulous dances. the high squeaky voice you hear in the background is miss susie, who is dancing along with the girls and telling them each step...they were still all over the place, but soooo adorable.
www.dropshots.com/spyderette for both video clips
www.dropshots.com/spyderette for both video clips
Monday, December 15, 2008
where did november go?
where did december go, for that matter? here are some thanksgiving pics for your perusal. granted, they are late, but seriously, where did the month go?
this was our first thanksgiving all on our own. i really tried to go all out even though it was just the five of us. the turkey turned out beautifully. (thanks alton brown!)
soooo yummy.
alan gives it the thumbs up. it tasted as good as it looked.
the full menu: thanksgiving punch, mashed potatoes and balsamic gravy, honey glazed carrots, green beans, turkey (duh), apricot-pecan stuffing, and homemade rolls. actually, no, there was yummy fruit salad too! luckily simon's invited us for pie, so i was spared that much work at least. cooking this much food for 2 adults and 2 kids is kinda not worth it.
my plate, ready for me to dive in. i'm getting hungry just remembering. :)
ruby opted to just have milk. (shout out to lauren and fam for the CUTEST dress! thanks again!)
me and my handiwork. tiny kitchen, huge feast. i rocked it, if i do say so myself. the kids actually bowed to me and chanted, "all hail mom" so that was cool. still not sure if they rehearsed that with their daddy prior to dinner.
ruby just smiled and had thirdsies on her milk. i think she really got the feast day thing.
xan man, needing a haircut and digging in.
had, using a knife like nobody's business. who taught her? we have no idea.
our little thanksgiving table.
me working some stuffing magic in the still-a-work-in-progress kitchen.
this was our first thanksgiving all on our own. i really tried to go all out even though it was just the five of us. the turkey turned out beautifully. (thanks alton brown!)
soooo yummy.
alan gives it the thumbs up. it tasted as good as it looked.
the full menu: thanksgiving punch, mashed potatoes and balsamic gravy, honey glazed carrots, green beans, turkey (duh), apricot-pecan stuffing, and homemade rolls. actually, no, there was yummy fruit salad too! luckily simon's invited us for pie, so i was spared that much work at least. cooking this much food for 2 adults and 2 kids is kinda not worth it. 
my plate, ready for me to dive in. i'm getting hungry just remembering. :)
ruby opted to just have milk. (shout out to lauren and fam for the CUTEST dress! thanks again!)
me and my handiwork. tiny kitchen, huge feast. i rocked it, if i do say so myself. the kids actually bowed to me and chanted, "all hail mom" so that was cool. still not sure if they rehearsed that with their daddy prior to dinner. 
ruby just smiled and had thirdsies on her milk. i think she really got the feast day thing. 
xan man, needing a haircut and digging in.
had, using a knife like nobody's business. who taught her? we have no idea. 
our little thanksgiving table.
me working some stuffing magic in the still-a-work-in-progress kitchen.and finally, to get you into the Christmas spirit, another conversation with hadley.
aunt mindi (on the phone): so, haddles, what do you want santa to bring you for christmas?
had: a barbie and the diamond castle doll
aunt mindi: wow, that sounds awesome! what else do you want?
had: uh, i don't know....i'll have to watch more commercials.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Would you be offended?
Alan overheard this conversation at work between a marketing-type person on the phone (presumably with another marketing-type).
"Would it be offensive if someone was wearing Sushi Pajamas and that person was Japanese?"
"Yeah, me too, we'll change it."
(Alan informed me that the girl in question was Hawaiian.)
"Would it be offensive if someone was wearing Sushi Pajamas and that person was Japanese?"
"Yeah, me too, we'll change it."
(Alan informed me that the girl in question was Hawaiian.)
She drives a hard bargain
On the way home from dropping of X at school this morning, Miss Hadley said she was going to sing me a song she wrote. She told me it was "kind of a marrying song" and that it was called "I won't be your bride". I went like this:
I won’t be your bride.
I won’t be your bride.
Will you be my bride if I give you twenty-five boxes of flowes?
I still won’t be your bride.
I still won’t be your bride.
I won’t be your bride.
I won’t be your bride.
Will you be my bride if I give you twenty-five boxes of flowes?
I still won’t be your bride.
I still won’t be your bride.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
halloween update/thankful for...
happy november! before we get to the halloween stuff, i wanted to do a quick post of things i am so thankful for right now. with thanksgiving coming up, i thought it might be nice to do this every day, but i don't know if i can commit to that. i will, however, try to do it frequently throughout the month.
i am so thankful that i wake up to this each morning:
this is the view from our bedroom window. i'm thankful for a great yard and great house!
i'm thankful that ruby is pretty much like this all day long. she sleeps through the night most of the time and is generally a happy, content little bundle of love! (shout out to aaron & kristina for the cute halloween outfit!)
i'm thankful that i have these 3 to keep life interesting...and that they love each other...most of the time. :)
i am so thankful that i wake up to this each morning:
this is the view from our bedroom window. i'm thankful for a great yard and great house!
i'm thankful that ruby is pretty much like this all day long. she sleeps through the night most of the time and is generally a happy, content little bundle of love! (shout out to aaron & kristina for the cute halloween outfit!)
i'm thankful that i have these 3 to keep life interesting...and that they love each other...most of the time. :) okay, on with halloween!
miss ruby was a fat little witch who pretty much slept through all the excitement. i actually changed her diaper and got her into this get-up without her waking up at all.
mitch was king triton to lucy's little mermaid, but she ditched the wig within about 5 houses. alan makes a lovely ariel, don't you think?
happy kids with buckets full of loot.
miss ruby was a fat little witch who pretty much slept through all the excitement. i actually changed her diaper and got her into this get-up without her waking up at all.
mitch was king triton to lucy's little mermaid, but she ditched the wig within about 5 houses. alan makes a lovely ariel, don't you think?
happy kids with buckets full of loot.
There are no more humans
Finally, robotic beings rule the world
The humans are dead
The humans are dead
We used poisonous gases
And we poisoned their asses
The humans are dead (he's right they are dead)
The humans are dead (look at that one it's dead)
It had to be done (I'll just confirm that they're dead)
So that we could have fun (affirmative, I poked one, it was dead)
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
halloween slacker
on friday, the kids and i all dressed up and went to our ward's "trunk or treat" activity. alan was out of town so getting myself and 3 kids there, all in costume, was quite a feat. however, my super-mom powers failed me miserably when i realized i had left the camera at home. :(
and there were some awesome photo-ops!
alexander's robot costume won 1 of 2 coveted prizes in the kid's costume category.
hadley lit up every time someone called her "snow white".
ruby looked adorable sleeping in her witchy-poo costume, complete with hat.
and i won 1 of 2 coveted prizes in the adult costume category. (uh, that's adult as in "grown-up", not as in "adult" ;) )
i had already taken off some of my jewerly and was about to lose the eyebrows when i decided i should snap a couple halloween self-portraits since i do it every year and will not be dressing up this friday. (so pathetic, i know)
i went as frieda kahlo
the real deal
lil me
and the mugshot.
and there were some awesome photo-ops!
alexander's robot costume won 1 of 2 coveted prizes in the kid's costume category.
hadley lit up every time someone called her "snow white".
ruby looked adorable sleeping in her witchy-poo costume, complete with hat.
and i won 1 of 2 coveted prizes in the adult costume category. (uh, that's adult as in "grown-up", not as in "adult" ;) )
i had already taken off some of my jewerly and was about to lose the eyebrows when i decided i should snap a couple halloween self-portraits since i do it every year and will not be dressing up this friday. (so pathetic, i know)
i went as frieda kahlo
the real deal
lil me
and the mugshot.
updates and pics of the kids after halloween!
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