Those Hathaways

Christmas Greetings

2010-12-09T15:20:00.007-06:00

What is one of one of my absolute favorite parts of the holidays?? The CHRISTMAS CARDS!!! I love getting them and I love sending them. For a girl who could spend hours and hours looking at fonts and papers, selecting the perfect card is my idea of heaven (although, poor Matt considers it torture)! I was really hoping to get some photos to use for our holiday cards while we were at Woolaroc but those three pictures were all I got. So I think I will be using some that everyone has already seen but at least they are good pictures...which is hard to come by when you are dealing with a four and a two year old.

This year Shutterfly is offering free Christmas cards to bloggers...and I have been spending too much time studying all of the fabulous options.

Even though I am on Shutterfly weekly for photo storage, it has probably been years since I even looked at their card selection. For some reason, I thought they only offered the cards that are printed on glossy photo paper. I knew they had some great options but I don't really care for that style when it comes to holiday cards. I much prefer using matte stock paper. So guess what I found? Shutterfly now has a stationary line and it is printed on heavy cardstock and there is no gloss to be found. And there are 382 cards to choose from!!!

Take a peek:

I can not wait for you all to get our Christmas card in the mail this year!!

I not only use Shutterfly to photo share, I also use them for our photo books. Check out our latest here:

Click here to view this photo book larger

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas!!!

2010-12-05T21:40:00.000-06:00

We are finally getting into the holiday spirit here at the Hathaway's! We have the tree up and (most) of the lights up outside. And a trip to Woolaroc to see those lights and have a visit with Santa helped Evan to go from being ho-hum to HO! HO! HO!

It is hard to believe how terrified Evan used to be of Santa. Now he acts as if they are old buddies and he just chats him up. And tonight, he hit him up for all kinds of safety gear. Hard hats, goggles and some other essential equipment I am fairly certain he made up. However, since this is the first time it was mentioned, I don't think Santa is going to be able to pull off the request.

Libby wants absolutely nothing to do with the man. I was hoping she would kind of "get it" this year...but she is loving all of the other Christmas fun. Especially the lights, the goodies and the nutcrackers.

A trip to Woolaroc wouldn't be complete without a stop at the petting zoo and it was by far the kids' favorite part. There is a new baby donkey and both Evan and Libby were smitten. Poor momma was getting jealous so we tried to make sure she got lots of love pats too!

My Little Cutie Patootie

2010-09-15T21:33:00.000-05:00

It is still hard for me to believe sometimes that I have a little blondie!

That Strange White Substance??

2010-09-02T21:20:00.002-05:00

Desitin. Stinky, sticky, disgusting Desitin. I expect this sort of thing from my daughter. Not my sweet son.

This Is A Bit Worrisome...

2010-08-17T21:18:00.001-05:00

Ready To Take On The World

2010-08-16T21:16:00.000-05:00

The Many Faces of a Cowboy

2010-08-14T21:08:00.000-05:00

Couch Time

2010-08-13T21:06:00.000-05:00

First Day of School...Sniff, Sniff

2010-08-11T20:53:00.000-05:00

I was so proud of my little guy. He went in and just was so confident and ready to start his day. No tears!! Me? I bawled the entire way home.

Another Birthday Celebration!

2010-08-05T20:46:00.000-05:00

For Libby's big day, we headed to Tulsa for lunch at Hideaway and some fun at BounceU. Some of our favorite friends joined us for some pizza, cookies and a few presents...

All of the celebrating wore the birthday girl out and she slept right through our trip to BounceU...not very good planning on this mom's part!

A Birthday Party

2010-08-04T23:26:00.000-05:00

We continued Libby's birthday celebrations at home with a small party. This momma feels some major, major guilt over the lack of a party (you know, the kind Evan has always has) but Libby had a great time and didn't seem to miss anything at all.

I think these pictures give a very clear glimpse of this two year old's personality. She was determined to wear those Thomas the Train pj's and nothing was changing her mind.

Dress Up

2010-08-01T11:06:00.001-05:00

Bittersweet

2010-07-30T21:36:00.001-05:00

I know Evan is just being a goof in these pictures...trying to fit into little sister's blanket. But it really was the most bittersweet thing to see. It wasn't so long ago that he could fit into that blanket and even had a bit of room to spare. But today, even more than just realizing my little boy is growing up, you could see that he could tell he is growing up. And you can tell he is not quite sure how he feels about it.

The desire to be independent is there but the reluctance to get too far from Mom is still very strong. He tries so hard to be a brave big brother but you also see some jealousy creep up. He acts like a complete know-it-all, so wise in the ways of the world, but then you catch a glimpse of his uncertainty and his hope for reassurance. He goes from being frustrated that he isn't big enough to feeling even more frustrated that he is too big.

I know everyone is probably tired of hearing me say it...but I can not believe he starts Pre-K in just a few short weeks. Up until this point, my sole job was to keep Evan near and keep him safe. But I have always known that the bigger task was to teach him to grow up and get him ready for all those times that I won't be near.

I just can't believe I am already having to tackle that bigger job...

Fun in Dallas

2010-07-30T10:22:00.001-05:00

The kiddos, Nana and I headed to the Children's Museum upon the recommendation of several of my friends. And it was a great choice. We spent several hours there and the kids loved every minute of it.

Road Trip

2010-07-29T10:19:00.000-05:00

We are in Dallas for the weekend...and I have a feeling it is going to be a very rough trip. These are my bunk mates and their preferred sleeping positions:

Just another day...

2010-07-28T10:16:00.001-05:00

Cousins!!

2010-07-25T21:14:00.001-05:00

We got to have a nice little visit with Miss Lillian...love that little girl!!

No where to go...

2010-07-25T10:14:00.000-05:00

but still ready. Just in case.

More Pool Time!

2010-07-23T21:29:00.000-05:00

Let's Go Swimming!

2010-07-22T21:03:00.000-05:00

This year, Bartlesville opened up a splash park just a couple of miles from our house. At first, I was hesitant to go with two little ones by myself. But it didn't take me long to realize that it was a great way to spend an afternoon and wear the kids out!

Evan loved going but was not interested in actually swimming. And he hated getting water in his eyes. When I noticed they were giving swimming lessons at the park, I signed Evan up. It was a disaster!! I made Matt take him the first day because I just KNEW it was going to be ugly. He cried, he screamed. He wouldn't try anything.

By the end of the second week, Evan was jumping in and going underwater like a champ!! I have to give the credit to his instructor, Ted. He had incredible patience with Evan and by the end of lessons, Ted was definitely a hero in Evan's eyes

Caught In The Act

2010-07-21T14:47:00.000-05:00

Ninja vs Power Ranger

2010-07-20T23:05:00.000-05:00

It's My Birthday!!

2010-07-18T16:10:00.001-05:00

This year, Matt, Mom, Evan and Libby made sure I had an extra special birthday! It was such a fun day. I think they have all finally realized I LOVE to celebrate my birthday and they better jump on board.

The pretty cake:

Making my wish:

Evan woke me up that morning saying he was going to get me a special present that had a white stick and it was going to be on FIRE!

Libby helping me out:

Look what I got:

The absolute perfect card from the kid who tells me a hundred times a day that he loves me "this much"!

We followed the party with some shopping (however, jeans shopping is not a good idea when it is your birthday!) and dinner at one of my absolute favorites, Ti Amo.

What a great day...I loved turning 35!!

Cousins!!

2010-07-18T15:59:00.000-05:00

We don't get to see her nearly enough...but we love our Lily!

A Reward For a Perfect Smile

2010-07-17T15:40:00.001-05:00

Today we headed to the dentist for Evan's six month cleaning and Libby's first cleaning ever! I was so, so nervous about Libby's teeth. She eats way more sweets than she should and she is terrible about letting us brush her teeth. The exam was far from pleasant (thank goodness Dr. April is a friend or she might not let us come back!), but Libby's teeth looked perfect. April could tell she is a thumb-sucker but told me to not worry about it right now. And Evan got an A+ for his excellent dental hygenine!

After the exams, we headed to the aquarium. Evan was so excited...it was all he talked about for days. He loves to go to the dentist because he knows where we end up afterwards.

I know Evan is only four, but I seriously would not be surprised if he ended up in a career that involved animals. Right now, he is particularly interested in sea creatures and he can tell you all kinds of amazing facts. Needless to say, he was in heaven.

Libby started out on the hesitant side but quickly became just as fascinated as her brother. She loved standing on the display ledges and studying the exhibits up close. She even got pretty brave and doing the hands-on exhibits. The shark exhibit was the only exception. No amount of prodding or goading could get her in that tunnel. Two steps in...she turned around and ran out shouting, "No, no, no!".

Second Saturdays

2010-07-13T15:24:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite places to visit in Tulsa is the Philbrook Museum and we recently discovered that they offer a family-friendly day. Admission is free and they offer all kinds of fun things to do. This month included painting mummy masks and decorating Egyptian collars. Another great thing about Second Saturdays is that they give the kids an art case and give them free art supplies each month! It is a great way to introduce one of my favorite places to Evan and Libby. This month, our sweet friends, the Gullatts, joined us. We had such a great time and wrapped up our outing with a lunch at the Hideaway! YUMMO!

Working hard on our masks...

Checking out the koi...

Our favorite set of twins...

William

and Patrick!!

Where the Wild Things Are

2010-07-01T15:07:00.000-05:00

Dad brought home a surprise today! Evan was just beside himself seeing as though he is absolutely fascinated by any creature that is remotely associated with either the water or the reptile species. And this little guy fit the bill on both counts. After some observation time, we headed to the "Wild" to let our new friend go.

Libby's First Trip to the Kiddie Park

2010-06-29T14:52:00.000-05:00

Actually, it isn't her first trip...but it was her first turn to ride. I thought she would love it but she actually didn't seem too interested. She rode a few,was very ho-hum about the entire experience and then she was finished. But we were with our best friends, the Schelands, so we had a great time. They are getting ready to leave town for a couple of weeks so we are trying to spend lots and lots of time with them so maybe we won't miss them so much!

A Leisurely Ride

2010-06-27T14:39:00.000-05:00

with our friends, John Hayden, Andrew and Will.

2010-06-25T14:04:00.000-05:00

Uh oh! What is that?

Is that Spider-Man?

Looks like he got tangled up in a big web!

Technique is Everything

2010-06-22T16:22:00.001-05:00

We are going to have to work on mascara application!

A Day In the Life of a Drama Queen

2010-06-20T16:57:00.000-05:00

How can a day that started out so great

end like this??

Quirky

2010-06-17T13:52:00.001-05:00

is a good word for Libby. She decided to wear this headband to school and insisted on wearing it all day long! She is definitely going to have her own sense of style.

Conked Out...

2010-06-16T11:46:00.000-05:00

You've Got A Friend In Me

2010-06-15T11:18:00.001-05:00

This is Andrew. He is Evan's best friend.

Actually, Evan calls him his brother. He could play with Andrew every day and to my knowledge, they have never gotten into any kind of argument or confrontation. Evan makes up stories and songs that include Andrew. He writes Andrew letters. Every time we go somewhere, he asks if Andrew is going to be there. And he is devastated that since Andrew has an October birthday, he has to move on to big boy school and leave his best friend behind. I think Evan and Andrew are really good for each other, a bit of a case of opposites attract. Andrew has really helped push Evan out of his shell and has given him a little confidence boost. Evan has mentioned more than once that he likes school because Andrew is there to help him. I really believe this is a true friendship and I don't know how often that happens in the preschool days.

We love these little guy and his family. We feel so blessed that God sent the Schelands to Oklahoma and into our lives!!!

Such A Girl...

2010-06-14T19:45:00.000-05:00

Another Day at the Zoo

2010-06-13T07:32:00.002-05:00

I have probably mentioned it before (and surely you have noticed), we go to the zoo all. the. time. We have a family membership so I feel like we can go and kill a couple of hours and not feel like we have to see the whole zoo. We usually just pick three or four animals that we really want to see (Evan always picks the chimps and lions and I always pick the giraffe so those three are just given at this point. But once in a while, we like to shake things up and add something new to the mix.

We went with our friend Elaina so we had to do the monkey photo op...

And I always have to try to get at least one good photo of Libby having a good time...

But today was the first time Evan has EVER ridden one of our zoo friends...

I was so proud of the little guy because this is a little out of his comfort zone. And he was so proud of himself. He loved that he got to ride on a bible animal!!

Bricktown

2010-06-10T12:10:00.000-05:00

After celebrating Evan's birthday (for what is hopefully the last time because he is starting to count on month long festivities), we headed to Bricktown.

We stayed at the Hampton Inn...with a indoor splash pad! It was so fun!

Checking out the room

Splash time!

The next morning, we were up and exploring. Although Matt and I have been to Bricktown dozens of times, it was really fun to do all the touristy things Evan wanted to do!

On the canal...

Waiting to begin the touristy boat ride...

Still waiting...

Evan took a ton of pictures while we were on the tour:

Touristy? Yes. But we actually learned a lot and saw a few things new in Bricktown!

Just Because...

2010-06-10T07:30:00.000-05:00

she is so stinkin' cute!!

Fishin'

2010-06-08T23:55:00.000-05:00

The bait is ready

Casting the line

Patiently waiting

OOH! What's that??

Evan got a fish!!

Libby Had Fun Too!!

2010-06-08T23:45:00.000-05:00

Another Day...Another Party!

2010-06-08T10:12:00.001-05:00

We are now into June and we have another Birthday Celebration! And it was at Papa Ken and Grandma Brenda's so the birthday boy was a little spoiled!

Look at this amazing cake, courtesy of Uncle Kent!!

More presents!

Cousins!

Dad with the girls

Sisters-in-Law

Libby Lou enjoying some ice cream

Trying out some of his new presents

Mayhem!

Peek-A-Boo!!

2010-06-07T22:00:00.000-05:00

This Girl Loves To Swing!!

2010-06-03T10:04:00.000-05:00

And the higher...

the better!

Another Birthday Party

2010-06-02T09:46:00.000-05:00

Evan got to celebrate his birthday AGAIN!! We headed to Jay over the Memorial Day weekend and had a joint celebration with our cousin Blake. We had dinner at the local Mexican restaurant, cake and a few presents.

The Three Amigos:

Another Spiderman Cake...lucky kid!!

Cake in the face! Not exactly the "gift" Evan was looking for!

Summer Fun

2010-06-01T11:05:00.002-05:00

Some of our favorite friends, the Gulletts, came over for dinner this weekend. Christen had the great idea of making root beer floats. But we ended up visiting so much that we didn't get to make them before the little ones were finished for the day. They left the root beer and ice cream and believe me, those Hathaway's are not going to let a good thing go to waste.

And after our floats, we decided to have a little more fun in the sun...

Evan and his water gobbles:

Miss Priss:

Uh oh! What is going on here?

You know, this doesn't even surprise me anymore...

Daddy's Girl

2010-05-28T13:01:00.000-05:00

Libby acquired this set up completely on her own. It is in her genetic make up to be comfy and cozy on the sofa!

She is just growing up so fast. She really doesn't think she needs me much anymore. Well, unless she is hurt. She is an independent little thing.

A Force To Be Reckoned With...

2010-05-25T00:56:00.000-05:00

Libby is learning to hold her own. Evan better start watching his back!

Are you messing with me?

Moving In:

Take that you big bully!

Who Needs Toys

2010-05-20T14:54:00.000-05:00

when you can have this much fun with bags?

Round Three

2010-05-19T12:15:00.000-05:00

The Saturday after Evan's birthday, we had his first birthday party that was just about his friends. We headed to the Radisson hotel to celebrate at their indoor splash pad. So much fun was to be had, I completely forgot to take pictures. Grrr!

After the swimming, we headed upstairs for pizza and cake. It was so fun to see all of the little ones partying it up!

The Birthday Boy with Ethan and Andrew:

And here is Cody or, as Evan likes to call him, Cody the Cowboy:

Richard:

Jackson:

And Libby, trying to steal the show in her little one-piece:

Evan's BEST friend, Andrew:

Maddie...Isn't she just beautiful? Looks just like her momma:

OK...I absolutely hate this but this is one of Evan's friend. The problem is that he has an identical twin. Identical. We have been at Good Shepherd with them from almost the beginning but I still can't tell them apart. So this is either Aiden or Neil:

And here is the other one:

Landon:

Joshua:

And last, but not least, Brant:

It was such a fun afternoon and it was just fascinating to watch these these guys interact and see that they have really formed friendships. I hate it because next fall, some of the kids are moving on to new schools and a few will be staying at Good Shepherd. Evan and Richard are the only two headed to St. John's. We are thrilled we get to see Richard every day! And I am hoping that we will keep lasting friendships with the rest of the boys. They are all great kids and I love that I can call their moms my friends!

Helping Us Out...

2010-05-16T23:59:00.000-05:00

The Valdez's are some of our favorite people in the world! Kind, down to earth, funny...what more can you ask for in friends? We asked them to come down for Evan's birthday and so we all headed to Tulsa on Friday so we could hang out before the party the next day.

Friday night, we went to eat at Copeland's. Usually it is one of my favorites, but it was such a horrible experience. Our waiter was more concerned about being witty than being a waiter. He forgot to take our order. Our food took forever to finally make it to the table. We are talking about two hours folks. The big kids really did well. I think the appetizers did a good job of holding them over. One fun thing about going to Copeland's was that we learned Evan loves calamari. He prefers to call it squid though. No need to fancy it up for him. However, Libby was a whole other story. All I will say is that I didn't even stay for dinner. It was so bad, the Hathaway ladies just called it a night.

Ethan and Evan toughing it out:

The next morning, we headed out to breakfast at Cracker Barrel. Much better experience all around...thank goodness!

Miss Emily hamming it up:

Here is that pose. Again. I don't know why he raises his hand every single time we ask him to say cheese:

And Libby Lou cutting to the chase and going straight to the syrup:

Thank you Dan, Joanna, Emily and Ethan for coming to Tulsa and celebrating Evan's birthday with us!

The Little Man is FOUR!!!!

2010-05-12T23:14:00.000-05:00

Today, Evan turned four years old. He so excited about being one year older and had been talking about it for months. Really, months!

We got the birthday festivities started off by getting ice cream with some of our favorite friends, the Scheland Boys.

Afterwards, Momma Scheland and I took the boys for a game of bowling. I forgot my camera so I didn't get a single picture. But just imagine four little guys all gung ho to bowl and then slowly losing interest. At the end, Jennifer, Will and I were doing most of the bowling.

Later that evening, we did Round Two of more birthday fun. Nana came up and Evan got to open a few birthday presents.

And Nana brought up a birthday cookie for everyone to share...

And did you notice that Evan had changed into his Transformer's costume, which just happens to be Bumble Bee. It is very ironic because, just a few short minutes later, Evan got his first Bumble Bee sting. Right on his little rear end. Dad and Nana both thought he just had to go to the bathroom but the poor baby was not dancing around. He was flailing in pain. He was fine after some baking soda and benedryl but not before some serious swelling and a break out of hives. What a birthday surprise, huh?

Evan had such a great day and like I mentioned at the beginning of this post, he was so, so excited. But I have been just dreading this day. Every day he is just gaining more independence, more knowledge and more curiosity to fuel that knowledge. He starts pre-K this year and I just hate giving him up five days a week. But I am so proud of my sweet little boy. So kind, so loving and so selfless. A great big brother. A loyal friend. An eager student. I may be partial but he is one fantastic kid!

Trying It On

2010-05-10T22:06:00.000-05:00

Dad left his paint supplies out and, of course, Evan just had to try them on.

What is Dad painting? Stay tuned...

There's That Arm Thing Again!

2010-05-07T22:00:00.000-05:00

What is that?? And I wish I could remember why he was wearing that mask.

Sometime it is so hard to belive

2010-05-01T14:54:00.000-05:00

but Libby really is a girly girl. She loves pink, shoes and baby dolls!

For someone who can be such a stinker, she is surprisingly maternal. I catch her singing and soothing her babies all the time! She loves to rock her babies and take them around in her grocery cart. She could probably work on being gentle and tender but all in all...she is a good momma!

A Visit

2010-04-29T21:34:00.001-05:00

Aunt Clydella paid us a visit and we probably wore her out! We were so busy!!

We celebrated Christmas...

We celebrated birthdays...

And what kind of party would it be if Libby didn't sneak some cake? She had her eye on big brother's cake all evening. As soon as we looked the other way...

However, her little act of thievery didn't turn out so well...

It turns out the poor girl is allergic to red dye!!! Just look at those hives. And it ended with an unscheduled visit to Dr. Daley.

We also drug Aunt Clydella to a day at the zoo and to our family photo shoot in Tulsa. We had a lot to do those few days...but it was lots of fun to show Clydella life with those Hathaways!

Only Evan

2010-04-27T21:51:00.000-05:00

would think this is the way he should now pose for pictures!

I say "Say cheese" and this is what I get??!!

This Little Guy

2010-04-27T20:28:00.000-05:00

thinks he is too cool...

And of course, Libby tries to one up Evan...

Just Hangin' Out...

2010-04-23T21:25:00.000-05:00

And I love when they can do their hanging out together!!

As usual...

2010-04-18T22:23:00.001-05:00

This is how Libby spends a large portion of her day...trying to get in the pantry.

Thanks to Evan for taking these wonderful pictures!!

Evan's World

2010-04-16T22:36:00.000-05:00

Another peek into Evan's little mind...

I Can't Blame Her

2010-04-10T22:32:00.000-05:00

Today I caught Libby trying to get into the Nutella...

and guess what? She succeeded!!

At It Again

2010-04-08T22:26:00.000-05:00

I love when I upload my camera and I get a surprise. Evan takes over the camera and give me a little glimpse of his world. And I have to say his photography skills have really improved. At least most of the time.

Oops!

2010-04-06T22:14:00.001-05:00

Evan wanted me to share a picture of his Easter goodies!!

Easter Sunday

2010-04-06T21:54:00.001-05:00

This year Easter was just such a wonderful day! We prepared by reading the story of Holy Week. Even though Evan doesn't quite grasp the Lord's resurrection...he understood the importance of the day. And both Evan and Libby seemed to know how special the day is by displaying excellent behavior. And all Evan could talk about for days was the blessing by Father Archie sprinkling the congregation. He LOVED it!!

After church, Pa, Nana and Grandma headed north for Easter dinner. Afterward we had an Easter egg hunt in the back yard. Evan loved dying the Easter eggs and was very serious about tracking down all of the eggs. And he enjoyed it so much we had to do it twice.

We didn't get too many pictures, but I thought the ones we got were really good.

I am so glad we are starting our own Easter traditions. Easter is such a hard and bittersweet day for all of the family...we lost Julia just a couple of hours after Easter dinner six years ago. So while it is a day of celebration, it is also the days our lives changed forever. Seeing the joy on my children's faces helped make Easter the day of joy it should be.

Libby Paige!

2010-04-05T22:15:00.000-05:00

We seem to be using the middle name a lot lately with our twenty month old. While as sweet and happy as can be, she can also be the most ornery, stubborn and defiant little thing ever. In other words, everything Evan is not.

I have never really worried about Evan doing something he shouldn't do...because I know he won't do it. However, I am going to have to step it up for the little miss.

Today, I hear Evan yelling at me to get to the bathroom quick. I was just in the next room putting away laundry. As I came around the corner, this is what I saw:

Matt had worked on this wall ALL weekend. He had shut the door but when Evan went in there to do his business, he didn't know he needed the shut the door when he was finished.

It was impossible to get on to her. She was so proud of her work of art.

A Day with Emma

2010-03-22T23:20:00.000-05:00

Our friend, Emma, came to visit us. This sweet girl is absolutely wonderful with my kids and game for anything. Evan challenged her to a ninja dual and she was determined to put up a good fight. Just look at that stance...she is a natural.

Libby was so impressed. The next few days she made it her mission to figure out how to have a sword at the ready at all times. It creates quite a problem when the sword is taller than you.

Just Waitin'

2010-03-20T23:18:00.000-05:00

I Don't Even Know What to Write.

2010-03-18T13:15:00.001-05:00

But I do want to let you know that Evan arranged this photo shot himself. This artistic vision can not be claimed by anyone else.

Sooner or Later...

2010-03-16T22:50:00.000-05:00

I knew this was going to happen.

I had just hoped it wouldn't be my favorite.

She enjoyed it so much I am afraid she might try it again.

And she doesn't have a clue why I would be afraid.

If At First You Don't Succeed...Try, Try Again!

2010-03-14T22:14:00.001-05:00

Some outtakes from our time with Flat Jesus. These were just too funny not to share!

All I can say is "Bless his heart."

We've Had a Visitor

2010-03-13T17:51:00.000-06:00

Last week, we had a special guest at our house...Flat Jesus. My cousin Kristen is an elementary school teacher in Kansas City and each of her students sent out a flat version of themselves to travel the country. It is based on a character named Flat Stanley. It is such a great project and we had so much fun participating.

Here are some of the sights we showed Flat Jesus...

Unfortunately, our day of fun ended up being a very, very rough night. But that is going to be another post...

We've Got Some Issues

2010-03-12T21:38:00.004-06:00

This is what happens when you ask Evan for a picture. I hope this is a phase...one that he grows out of quickly. We have family pictures scheduled for the end of the month.

Five tries, people!! Five tries!

And this is what happens when Libby tries to style her own hair. It can only get better from here. Right??

They're Back At It...

2010-03-10T22:58:00.004-06:00

Here are the fearless duo. They are superheroes with less than heroic posing...

My little cutie!

We started out good...

But it went downhill from there.

Libby new favorite thing? She loves being the center of attention.

And she doesn't appreciate it when someone steals the spotlight. And Evan pulls out all the stops with that pose.

But she always recover quickly and graciously.

I know there has been a picture overload. But Evan is just so, so un-photogenic right now. It just cracks me up and I have trouble picking the most humiliating picture to share and perhaps use as blackmail one day.

Camping Out

2010-03-08T21:34:00.000-06:00

One of My Favorite Things

2010-03-07T20:55:00.003-06:00

is when I catch my kids "reading".

No Love

2010-03-04T12:57:00.002-06:00

This is my daughter kissing the sweet girl in the reflection...

I don't think she understands why she got nothing in return.

Libby Has Been Promoted

2010-03-01T20:44:00.000-06:00

Libby was finally moved to the toddler room at Mother's Day Out. I was getting really upset because she was the oldest in her class by nine months and I knew she was ready to move on up. I knew part of the hesitation was due to the fact she would be the only girl in the new class and they were afraid she would get ran over. The only thing I was worried about was having to take a nap on the floor. She had never slept anywhere but a crib. But she proved everyone wrong and is just thriving in her new class.

The first couple of days were a little rough and she just cried and cried. She still cries when we walk in but it is truly a little bit of manipulation. As soon as I drop Evan off and head back past her classroom, she has already stopped crying and is playing and laughing.

Here she is practicing nap time...

And here is a picture just because she is such a cutie...

What Are You Talking About???

2010-02-21T21:10:00.001-06:00

Last night, Matt was trying to tell me about one of his patients and some of the difficulties she was having. Evan was trying to interrupt but we were ignoring him just so we could finish the conversation. He might not say a word for an hour but the minute Matt and I try to have a conversation, he appears out of nowhere ready to provide his two-cents.

Finally, Evan becomes completely exasperated we are not listening to him. He runs around the coffee table and says, "I don't know what is going on!!! What are you talking about?"

He then starts in with a litany of questions, fired off in rapid succession:

"Who fell?"
"Where did she fall from?"
"Did she trip?"
"Did she get hurt?"
"What did she hurt?"
"Is she going to be ok?"
"Are you going to help her?"

Curious is good...I guess. And I just hope this post is half as funny as Evan was last night.

Pants On The Ground

2010-02-19T10:25:00.001-06:00

She looks innocent enough from the front...

but the back view?? A little risque!

And this one is just funny...

~Happy Birthday to Uncle Justin today!!!~

She's On The Loose

2010-02-18T08:17:00.000-06:00

This little girl could scoot around on this sweet little ride all day long. Scoot is actually the wrong word for it...she is a speedster.

Matt bought this Radioflyer when Evan was 18 months old but he was too big for it at the get go. But Libby fits it perfectly and loves her very own mode of transportation.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

2010-02-15T18:35:00.003-06:00

Just take a look at this great Valentine's spread the hubby put together for Evan, Libby and me Valentine's morning. We are so, so lucky!!

Just because...

2010-02-15T13:20:00.002-06:00

he has such a sweet face.

And also because I am mourning his hair. He decided he wanted it short again. He looks so handsome but so grown up!!! I just want him to stay little forever...

Another Day...

2010-02-08T18:49:00.002-06:00

another letter. Today, Evan drew a picture and then told me to listen carefully and write down exactly what he says on the picture. The letter was to his best friend. Here's what it said:

Dear Andrew,

I will come to your house.
I will bless you.

Your friend,
Evan

We mailed it this afternoon.

A Little Late

2010-02-05T19:14:00.000-06:00

but I just found Evan's original Christmas list. His first official petition to Saint Nick.

~ a motorcycle
~ a jet pack
~ a batmobile
~ a batcycle
~ the Scooby Doo & Batman movie
~ a lobster, fish & octopus in a bowl water

Unfortunately, Santa didn't pull through for him this year.

Word For Word

2010-02-04T20:51:00.000-06:00

Evan asked me to help him write a letter today. With no editing, here it is:

Thank you for saving the world.
You're welcome.
Dear Batman.

He has a way with words, doesn't he??

It's All About the Super Heroes...Still

2010-02-02T11:39:00.000-06:00

I went upstairs and found Evan in Libby's room. With a pair of Libby's leggings on. I didn't know which I should be more concerned about: My three and a half year old being able to wear my eighteen month old's clothes or the fact that my son wants to wear my daughter's clothes.

And this pose really got me worried...

But then he explained that both Batman and Spiderman wear very tight pants and that explained it completely...

Ridin' Around

2010-02-01T23:03:00.003-06:00

Matt bought this little trike for Evan when he was about 18 months old. But bless his heart, he grew out of it almost immediately. Libby has definitely put it to good use. She is always tooling around the house on her little bike. And she will purposely crash so she can say "OWWW!"

I just love watching her and trying to figure out what is going through her little mind. She has really started, in the last few weeks, trying to figure out ways to make you laugh. This girl puts a great amount of thought in her comedy acts. And she is always changing them up to keep you guessing what she is going to do next.

Winter Blast!

2010-01-31T17:12:00.000-06:00

Getting Ready...

Preparing for Libby's snow debut! And Evan is so excited to show her "how it works!"

Not going to stray too far away from stationary objects...

Tangled up in dad's rigged up sled. And yes, that is weedeater string. It didn't work.

At It Again...

2010-01-29T22:08:00.001-06:00

I threw the markers away today.

Behind the Scenes

2010-01-26T13:32:00.003-06:00

This might qualify me as the meanest momma ever. Not only did I video my daughter having the worst temper tantrum of her life...I am sharing it for all to see. These are only snippet and not the worst parts. The tantrum actually lasted for almost an hour. And the reason? She wanted to go outside in 35 degree weather at 7pm.

Uh Oh!!

2010-01-22T13:14:00.001-06:00

Last night, we decided to bake a cake. Since I am not completely crazy and there is no way I am baking a cake from scratch with assistance from two children, we went digging in the pantry. The only cake mix was for a Red Velvet cake (which happens to be my very favorite). After mixing it all up and sticking it in the oven, I let the kids lick the spoons. I think this is the first time I have let Libby near the batter...at least at my house. And guess what? She loved it!!

But there is some sad news to report...Libby had a reaction to the red dye! That poor girl was as red as a beet and you could tell she was itchy. I felt so bad for her. And a little bad for myself because obviously I can't have Red Velvet cake around if Libby can't partake.

I am glad I finally figured out what was causing her to react to certain foods. The biggest culprit seemed to be Chinese food, so I was wondering if she had an intolerance to soy, peanuts or MSG. But a lot of the Chinese sauces have a red dye in them. So, mystery solved!

We Were A Little Bored Today...

2010-01-20T13:20:00.000-06:00

Actually, I don't think we ever get bored. But we have been in the house so much lately since it has been so stinkin' cold and we were kind of tired of our usual activities. I thought it would be fun to let the kiddos go crazy with the "washable" markers and it was a huge hit. They had a blast and it came right off!

I wonder if I will still think it was a great idea when they beg to do it every single day!

Already Trying To Sneak Out...

2010-01-16T09:16:00.000-06:00

this girl is going to be nothing but trouble!

Good News...

2010-01-15T21:59:00.000-06:00

Evan is cavity free! Today was our second visit with the dentist and Evan did great. He had x-rays taken and his teeth cleaned and examined. And he handled it like a pro.

To celebrate, we headed out to the aquarium*. I will be the first to admit, I really dread taking my kids out at the same time right now. The grocery store, the library, a restaurant, church. The thought just gives me tremors of fear. Evan is so predictable but you just never know how things are going to go with Libby. She can be an angel one minute and in the blink of an eye...an absolute terror**!

But I put on my badge of courage and off we went. I had so much fun and my little ones loved it. Evan had to check out every single creature and was so upset he forgot his camera***. Libby loved all of the hands-on exhibits and actually may now be on some kind of aquarium terrorist list.

I only got a couple of pictures...I didn't bring in the stroller and I just couldn't take my eyes off of Libby even for a second (I learned this after picture #2).

Evan actually got this picture when I held him up so he could get a good look. He is a better photographer than me! I chose to be proud rather than humbled of this fact.

*If you go to the aquarium's website and print off the Show Your Smile certificate, you can take your kiddo for free!!

**I have to give Libby props here...we have done all of these activites in the last week and she has done great. Maybe we are in the clear??

***Evan got a camera for Christmas and he loves it. I am going to do a post of his photography from his own camera soon!

That's My Girl...

2010-01-10T17:53:00.001-06:00

I would be the most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves. ~Anna Quindlen

Love it!!!

2010-01-07T21:46:00.002-06:00

Evan took a picture of his "special" eye today!! And then he had me take one also to see if I could get a better picture...oh, how this little guy melts my heart!!

All By Myself...

2010-01-03T23:40:00.002-06:00

And a little video to show how much she loved it!!

Visit with Santa

2009-12-28T04:05:00.005-06:00

Or should I say visits??

Last night we headed to Utica Square to visit with Santa. Not only is he the best lookin' Santa around, he is in a little bitty house that I think mesmerizes the little ones.

So Evan popped in first. This year, he climbed right up into Santa's lap. He also proceeded to tell Santa all he wanted for Christmas was a Buzz Lightyear costume. What???? He had mentioned it once or twice before, but I really thought it was because his friend Andrew had one. And that was not one of the items I had purchased for the little rascal.

As I am reeling from this revelation, it is now Libby's turn. I think this picture is worth a thousand words.

In an attempt to calm her down, we took a stroll looking at all the lights and ended up eating dinner at Olive Garden (which, by the way, is what I miss the most about Tulsa...not necessarily Olive Garden, but just all the great places in general). As we are heading back, Evan decides to go for round #2 with St. Nick. He plops right down and proceeds to announce he would also like a Woody costume. At this point, I feel like I don't know my son at all.

After our second visit with Santa, in which Libby passed, we walked through Utica Square to look at all of their lights and displays. Evan is really into nutcrackers so we had to study each one up close.

Libby started to get antsy and cold so Matt stopped in Pottery Barn Kids to browse and let her play for a few minutes while Evan and I finished walking around. Matt snapped a few pictures of the little diva playing around...

For some reason, I never pictured my daughter as a domestic fashionista.

Christmas Cookies

2009-12-21T16:05:00.001-06:00

I have so many traditions I am wanting to introduce to the kids and I had a lot of them ready to do this year. Things like doing a ton of baking, making ornaments, one Christmas story a night, the Advent calendar and so many more. This year we really only did the Elf on the Shelf and our elf, Charlie, was a huge hit!!

But this year was a little hard for me. I have started prophylactic treatment for my migraines and right around Thanksgiving, I had a toxic reaction. It was really a tough few weeks with many trips to various physicians, a mri, a ct scan, and many, many medications. Honestly, it was a lot worse than it sounds. And it was so much harder because I wasn't able to do all the things I wanted to do with Evan and Libby.

However, I have had a few really great friends that helped me out during this time with play dates and car rides and errand help. While I am giving thanks... I wouldn't ever want to forget Matt, who not only had to take off work some but he really worked hard to make this a great Christmas for our little ones! And, the actual point of this post, my mom, grandma and Aunt Granny really helped with providing my kids with some of the Christmas tradition.

One entire afternoon was devoted to cookie making and decorating...I wish I would have been there to see the chaos ensue!!!

And the final result...