new old pics

Here are some of my favorite pictures from this last spring and summer that I haven't posted yet.


upward, ever upward


Isn't it fun when you get a glimpse of what your four year old may look like when she's eighty three. (click on the picture for more detail)


soft grandma-made blankets,
bowl full of strawberries,
green leaves and grass...
summer happiness


I have a whole collection of these sleeping pictures. At the end of the day the girls usually end up fighting over whose leg or arm goes where. This argument ends with them on opposite sides of the bed as they settle down to sleep. Yet, when I go into check on them after everything is quiet, I'm most likely to find them some how intertwined.

family night

A few years ago, Tom and I saw a terrifying independent film called "Thirteen." Briefly, the film follows the deterioration of a fun, interesting, confident twelve year old into an insecure, popular, media driven thirteen year old. As soon as the film was over, Tom turned to me and said, "We are having family night* every night." We were motivated for a month or two and then Project Runaway happened. The next spur to action was when we were having a discussion over dinner about something gospel-related and every reply the girls gave us was either "read your scriptures" or "say your prayers." (Disclaimer: I'm not saying those are not good answers--in fact, they are often right--we just don't want the girls to become intellectually or spiritually lazy like their folks.) We were stirred to action once again until Mythbusters started. For about three months now, we have had consistent, interesting and fun family nights thanks to a little gem I stumbled upon, "Little Big Minds." Our discussion on responsibility last night involved the following poem:


The Summer Day
by Mary Oliver
Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean-the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down-who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down into the grass,
how to kneel down in the grass,how to be idle and blessed,
how to stroll through the fields,which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?


Most of the evening, Tess complained that we were only asking her 4-year old questions, which is insulting to her. According to Tess, she is ready for 8-year old level questions.


Here are a few of the girls favorite responsibilities:


- Get enough sleep so you aren't a pill; and


- Always look your best when cleaning the chalk boards.


*family night is a LDS tradition where one night a week you force yourself to do something besides watching reality television after dinner. Instead, you attempt to teach your offspring something wholesome and then eat something unwholesome, like a four-layer brownie and pint of Godiva ice cream. It's fun.

dog days

I love putting Adelle in charge of things. She either feels delighted and empowered or crumbles to the floor wailing about being like Cinderella (a trick that her sister taught her). So I was pleased when she jumped at the chance to fill the bath tub and get the dog shampoo, washcloths, towel, special dog brush thing and dog perfume--all by herself.



Poe was sufficiently subdued as Adelle lathered her up for about 15 minutes.



Tess--"Poe is the most beautiful thing in my life"



Also...

The girls started their Chinese class today. Here they are with their friends Ava and Sophia before class. They loved their class, and we are grateful to Aunt Tian Tian for sparkling (chinglish) their interest.





PS these are pictures of apartments I want to sublet in Barcelona this summer. Since it is difficult to inspire visits to Dallas in the summer I thought I would try parking it in Spain for a month next year. Any takers? I don't really want to go but the girls need to learn Spanish too, so I have volunteered.

afternoons with delanor

labor day weekend

I knew labor day weekend was going to be a good one when Tom and I both got to sleep in Saturday morning and woke up to this...

The girls had dressed themselves appropriately for a holiday weekend brunch and were content with parent-less conversation and chips for breakfast.

Saturday night we held an exciting, award winning runway show with friends.

Contestants were given vintage, year-old, clydesdale, running medals for fashion effort and bravery.

Sophia and Adelle

With Heidi being out of town, we struggled to entertain ourselves Sunday night. Tom and I decided to play along when the girls asked us to dress up in something fancy enough to attend the restaurant they had set up in the family room. Tess was creating a mood for the restaurant with some music when things went disturbingly awry for her.

I can't decide if my favorite line is "You don't deserve any food!" or "You don't respect me!"

Monday

We headed back to Burgers Lake to share in the goodness with Tom.

The girls were happy to finally swim with their Dad this summer and I was happy to get some much anticipated trapeze time. Tom failed to master the point-&-shootness of our automatic camera so unfortunately, I don't have any action shots. At least we have this picture of the awesome structure and my new trapeze outfit. Every credible trapeze artist needs a cape.

The weekend's happiness even spilled over into Tuesday's back to school routine.

Who wouldn't want to walk these girls to school?

Happy Birthday Grant & Dona

& on the 7th day...we did a whole lotta nothing

Some days in Texas it is just too hot to get out of your pajamas.

Tom talked the girls into watching Meet the Press with him,

and luckily it took a good hour or two to work through a bowl of peanuts so the girls lasted the whole show.

I can't tell you how happy I was to get this shot. Very few people outside of Tom's family get to see his goofy side. Animals and small children do tend to bring it out in him more easily. Just in case you thought I married Toad because of good looks or sizable skull now you can know the real reason--he makes me laugh, a lot.

school day mornings

first day of school morning
5:00am I'm up and I'm hyper, painted half of our little hall between the kitchen and the dining room
5:30am running with friends
6:30am finish painting hall/shower
7:00am get the girls up (they hop out of bed happily), make steel cut oats w/ agave, and green smoothies with fresh OJ, frozen blueberries, & collard greens
7:15am girls lap up the practically perfect healthy goodness
7:30am Tess practices her piano while Adelle feeds the dog
7:45am leash on Poe and walk the 1/2 mile to the girls school
8:00am girls are right on time
8:15am head to our favorite local breakfast diner for an exciting kid-free breakfast
9:00am-11:30am kiss Tom good-bye, hurry back home to shower, clean, read, web surf and enjoy the quietness

2nd, 3rd and 4th day of school mornings
7:39am I’m up and back to my regular sluggish self
7:40am drag tired, ornery kids out of bed, pop-tarts for breakfast
8:10am drive girls to school—they are tardy and mad

This is of course a cautionary tale: never set expectations while watching the Olympics. Let's just hope I can make it through to labor day without doping.


the traditional TGIF after school kiss

Here is a video of what I've been missing in the morning.

back to school

the final count down....nah nah nah... nah nah nah nah

We are down to one week until school and although there are days I look forward to actually getting stuff done, I'm not feeling quite ready to have the girls gone. The summer has slipped by too fast. Of course I've had my numerous maxed out moments but overall I love being with my girls. What can I say, they crack me up. Also, Tom and I crack up ourselves up making fun of them. I know that sounds cruel but I just read a credible parenting book that said it's good for kids to go through trials so I figure we are just building character.

So to help me cope with the upcoming separation I've somewhat planned an exciting countdown week.

ps Arrested Development fans will appreciate my blog title

Sunday -- The Kimbell

We took the girls over to the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth to see a fabuloso impressionist exhibit the museum is hosting.

This sculpture is entitled "woman speaking publicly"

While walking around looking at the artwork I tried to sound smart by pointing out to Tess the basic info that I could read next to the paintings.

Me: Tess this is a Monet.
Tess: I know mom.
Me: Really? How did you know that?
Tess: I'm a wizard, I told you.

These pics were taken in a large metal sculpture outside the Modern (right next to the Kimbell). We had fun with the acoustics of this place--every clap, stomp, or hoot was very loud.

For family night Adelle and I tried to get Tess to smile.

Monday -- Olympics

The Olympics have inspired a flurry of activity; hall sprints, table dismounts, wall handstands, etc... The best is probably the commentary from the girls. Whatever we are watching Adelle asks within the first 2 seconds, "How do you win this one Mom?" Tess loves to comment on her ability to match whatever we are viewing and if she realizes she can't quite make her case she just comes up with arbitrary reasons why the Olympians can do things she can't.

For example, while we were watching the Chinese men do their floor routines I was saying something like "Wow! Isn't that amazing? How do they do so many flips and twists?"

Tess replied, "Mom, they are wearing socks, it is much easier when you are wearing socks. I don't have any socks like that, so...." (pending little white bootie socks, Tess can perform triple back twists--but you have to come visit us to see it)

Tuesday-- nothing fun

Wednesday-- Burger's Lake

We headed back over to our sister city to the sandy beaches and fresh spring water of Burger's Lake. The rusty-super-springy-diving boards and the"you might die going down this slide, we are not responsible" sign takes me back to a simpler time. Our summer party included my friend Cynthia, her three boys, myself , my girls and two more friends. I wish I had Cynthia take a pic of me going off the TRAPEZE. That's right, they had a trapeze! It swung out onto the lake with about a ten foot drop. I was the annoying parent/friend who left Cynthia to watch all 15 kids so I could discuss trapeze technique with the other 9 and 10 year olds waiting in the trapeze line. And yes I was the only adult vulgerly yelling at her kids and their friends "WATCH ME, WATCH MEEEEEE!" each time before I fell into the water with my toes perfectly pointed.

Tess

Adelle

Grant

Dante

Dante off the high dive. This kid is hilarious, each time after he jumped he would bob up and breathlessly say "that was scary!" I love this picture of him.

Adelle with Tess hanging below

Cynthia and the kids

Tess

Izzi

This is Austin, he was pretty much done with swimming when I took this picture. Imagine a city so great that once people have lived there they name their cute kids after it.

I LOVE burger's lake. This was the first time we had gone thanks to a tip from a savvy Dallasite, our very own Heidi. I'm going back by myself so I can have more uninterrupted trapeze time.

FINALLY a reason to visit Texas in August!

Thursday-- School clothes shopping (never again with kids)

ummm

Friday-- no funness

ummm

Saturday-- Clone wars with Dad

According to Tom, barely bearable "Lucas has lost his mind."

ummm

Sunday--Cedar Hill State Park & the "would you rather" game

We ventured the 20 minute drive to stroll around a state park because...

it was 80 degrees!

In august!

In TEXAS!

Unbelievable, we had to be outside to celebrate.

ummm

Almost every time we are in the car we have started playing this new simple "would you rather" game my friend introduced me to. It started innocently enough ,"Adelle, would you rather go swimming or play soccer?" but was morphed by Tom into a more gruesome sport, "Tess, would you rather eat lizard guts or fish eyes?" The girls love the new unwholesome version. When it was Adelle's turn her alternatives were, "Dad, would you rather cry olives or sweat fire?" That's a tough one. I can't remember all the choices after that. I know there was one about eating monkey brains and another "would you rather sweat cheese or cry pickles..." We take our cues from the Adam's Family. Quality family time is important to us.