3rd Week in January (a series of boring blog titles)

We're super proud of Miss Ella, she was on the honor roll again.  We made it to the school just in time for the assembly on Friday.  

 EXTREME CLOSE UP SELF PORTRAIT by Gretchen.

 Smart AND pretty!  Nice, kiddo.

 Baby Lucy came over for a bit on Saturday.  We sure do over-excitedly love Baby Lucy.  Can you see the underlying sense of panic in her eyes and struggle for freedom in her pose?  BUT WE LOVE YOU SO SO SO SO MUCH!!!

 PEEK A BOO!!!!!!

 We just love all babies at our house.  We got Baby Veronica's birth announcement this week.  It is very very very beloved.  The girls like to carry it around the house.  And to take it up a notch, Gretchen decided to "be" baby Veronica yesterday.  She rolled up in a baby blanket & put the announcement over her face & would say, "Hi.  I'm Veronica."

 Hannah tried it too (she wasn't as good at it as Gretchen was....)

 BABIES!!!!
(And old man at the grocery store told Ella that their hats matched.  She wasn't sure what to think of that.  I thought it was hilarious.)

 Sometimes to keep Gretchen quiet during Sacrament meeting we do drawings.  She likes to copy what I make.  This is her as a grown up.  Just in case you're wondering, she made the one on the bottom.  But she put the green earrings on my depiction at the top...

 And this is the cat "Panda" from the Humane Society that she wishes she could adopt.  Though if he's orange, white, grey & black I'm not really sure why he's called "Panda".

We made it through a whole sacrament meeting without drawing any zombies!  Though she did say she wanted to draw a Lizard.  At least that's what I though she said.  Actually she said she wanted to draw a WIZARD.  But then it turned out she wanted a vampire.  But no living dead.  Just the undead.  I think Gretchen is going to write horror novels when she grows up.  Or maybe graphic novels with parental warnings on the front.  But we love her no matter what.  Even when she tells us she doesn't like us.  Which only happens about 4x/week now, so....that progress... ;)

2nd Week of January

How's that for a boring blog post title?  I know.  It's because I've used up all of my creativity for the week. Gretchen & I have been making up stories on the walks home from preschool.  I'm a super mean mom and force my kids to walk places.  She really hates it.  Maybe because it's 1.2 miles from our house. ( I just checked on google maps.  Thanks internet!  You always have the answers I need!)  Every day when she realizes that we're walking home AGAIN, she'll sit on the frozen ground and refuse to move.  So actually, I end up carrying her home for about half of it.  (It's a really good workout.)  It's fine.  Since it's so cold, she's like a snuggly hot water bottle.  But she's also a heavy hot water bottle.  So I make her walk a block, then I carry her a block.  And to keep her mind off the 1.2 mile walk, this week we made up stories.  I will share....

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Gretchen.  She loved playing with her toy cars.  But sometimes the cars were naughty.  One day, she took a break from playing to have a snack.  While she was eating some pirate booty, the cars drove all around the room.  When she came back, they were EVERYWHERE!  She was very frustrated with them.
"Naughty cars!"  she said.  "You stay where I put you!"
The cars said, "Beep beep, HONK HONK!  We go where we want!"

Gretchen said, "I'll show you!" and put them all in a box.

Gretchen went to watch a movie.  When it was over she came back to her room and discovered the cars were EVERYWHERE AGAIN!  They were all over the floor!  All over the walls!  One had even driven on the ceiling and got caught in the light!  She said, "Naughty cars!  You stay where I put you!"
The cars said, "Beep beep, HONK HONK!  We go where we want!"
Gretchen said, "I'll show you!" and got the vacuum cleaner and vacuumed them all up.

Gretchen's friend came over for a playdate.  They played in the backyard.  They built a big fort.
VROOOOOOOOOOOM
"What's that noise?" asked her friend.
VROOOOOOOOOOOM
"I don't know!" said Gretchen, "We'd better check it out..."
VROOOOOOOOOOOM
Inside, the vacuum cleaner was driving all over the house!  The cars had figured out how to drive the vacuum cleaner!
"Oh my goodness!" Gretchen exclaimed.
The cars said, "Beep beep, HONK HONK!  We go where we want!"

Gretchen realized that sometimes, you can't make cars do what you want them too.  So she said, "Ok cars, I won't try to tell you waht to do anymore."  The cars said, "Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!  Beep beep, HONK HONK!  We go where we want!"

(If only Gretchen could learn that lesson in real life.  Sometimes you just have to let go of the illusion of control....)

We also made up a story about "Fastee Seeds", which are seeds that you plant and they grow trees so fast you can see them get taller (it took her a while to explain what Fastee was.  She just kept saying, "Fastee, mom.  Fastee seeds.  They're Fastee." (Repeated about 50x with no other elaboration).  But I don't remember all of that story except that the girl hung a swing 300 feet up in the air and could see the whole world.

GIRL SCOUTS!!!!  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

Remember how I was complaining about how Girl Scouts is too awesome to quit?  Yeah, this is what Ella did last Monday.  She got to stand on the floor during the national anthem for the Reno Bighorns game.  It was awesome.  We all got free tickets.  Actually, I think most everyone there had free tickets.  They were trying to fill the stadium since it was going to be on national television.  I don't' know why more people don't go to the basketball games, it was super fun.  Yes, you heard me.  I just said that watching the basketball game was SUPER FUN.  No, hell has not frozen over.  Even though it is 14°F outside.

AND IN LADYBUG NEWS....

I thought the radio station that we've been listening to 24/7 for the past weeks would enjoy hearing about Ella's Science Project so I sent them a facebook message.  And then when I stumbled into the kitchen the next morning to make Ella's lunch, they were TOTALLY TALKING ABOUT IT ON THE RADIO!!!  They said they were going to bring up her findings at their contract renewal.  They're good for ladybugs!  And then they played a Randy Newman ladybug song!  And then I realized that Ella was downstairs watching TV and missed the whole thing!  I quickly ran, yes RAN, down there to tell her & she said, "That is SO COOL!  It's ok that I missed it, I'm just excited they talked about my ladybugs on the RADIO!"

Gretchen & her friend did face painting with her new eye makeup kit.  

NO MORE PICTURES!!!!  How quickly things turn.

Gretchen was really upset with her nose this week.  "Mom, my nose is making me crazy, the snot keeps sliding out of it."  Cold and flu season is upon us.  At least my kids haven't had any fever-induced hallucinations of Batman yet, unlike our beloved friend C (who hopefully is on the mend.  Geesh.)  (Gretechen was jealous of the hallucination.  She wants to know why she hasn't had that happen to HER.  Because sometimes life isn't fair, sweetie.  That's why.)

Gretchen prepares for her pre-church shower.  Cleanliness is next to good.

Before I finished taking down all the Christmas decorations, I thought I'd take a picture of my favorite corner.   I was pretty proud of how the living room turned out.

ALL MY DECORATING SECRETS ARE NOW REVEALED!!!!!!!  

Ok, see you guys later!  I'm going to go watch some zombies try to eat people now.

xoxoxo

Um, Hey!

Hey Guys!

Check this out, I'm FINALLY POSTING after a 6+ month hiatus!  I could try to fill you in on all the things we've been doing, but that thought just totally overwhelms me, so instead here's a quick flash-back...

The Girl Scouts marched in the Veteran's Parade.  It was on Sunday, so we came to help set up, deliver the banner we'd made & then had to run off to church.  But look how fun!  Go Reno!  

I tell you what, Girl Scouts is awesome.  Every time I think, "We've really got to cut some stuff out, Girl Scouts has to go," then something like this pops up.  Or we go to the Veteran's Hospital and deliver hand made notes and ornaments that say, "We love you!  Feel better soon!" in sweet little 7 year old handwriting.  Or one of the moms tells me, "M just loves you.  She said you have the nicest voice and she just loves coming to Girl Scouts."  Obviously M has never heard me yell at my children.  

 They're making it really hard to quit.

In the beginning of December, Ella had her Junior Lego League competition.  The theme was "Senior Helpers", so they had to think of lego inventions that could improve a senior citizen's life.  The other teams came up with some great ideas, but Ella's team was my favorite.  Possibly because she's my kid.  But whatever.  The other teams had a super awesome wheelchair that could go up stairs, and an "Unlonely Park" to help facilitate socialization.  Ella's team had a "Memory Machine" to help fight the symptoms of dementia.  A little watch-like computer they could wear on their wrist.  It played music from the senior's youth (music is supposed to help dementia patient's memory and moods), reminded them when to take their medication, had a tv sensor and turned the tv off if they'd had it on for too long, had a gps with walking maps to help them get exercise and find their way home again, and made a shopping list with recipes to help them remember to make healthy meals.  Of course the prototype was, you know, legos, so it didn't ACTUALLY do all that.  But it sure looked cool.  They hooked the watch-thing up to gears in a mocked-up-lego head.  Super fun.  And their club advisor was EXCELLENT.  She really helped them understand the challenges of being a senior.  They had a Senior Advisor, but she unfortunately broke her shoulder at her Red Hat Luncheon and wasn't able to attend.  We were so sad for her!

Ella's team in front of their display

Admiring their medals

Then it was Christmas.  Yeah, I didn't get any pictures of that.  By the time it rolled around I was SO EXHAUSTED, I was just ready to get through it.  Way to celebrate the reason for the season, right?  Good thing we didn't have to leave our house or else I might have died.

Luckily Auntie Adrianne is better at documenting the cuteness than I am.  OMG BABY VERONICA, COULD YOU BE ANY CUTER?

Our dear friends came to town to visit their family.  We were lucky enough to squeeze in some playdates.  And a massage and lunch and shopping for the moms.  THANK YOU DAN!!!

Of this picture, Gretchen says:   CUUUUUUUUTE!  She's walking in the snow!  Her head is so close!  HannahBananah (repeated very inensely about 20 more times) HANNAHBUH-NANNA!  Mommy, how old is Hannah, 7?  Oh my gosh, she's not a Grandma!  7 years olds are kids.   (giggle) (pokes Hannah) (giggle) (continues for next 5 minutes).

Our poor dog.

Sigh.

Ella has been working on her Science Fair project.  It's on how music affects the development of ladybugs.  And yes, she came up with it mostly on her own.  It's a fun project except for the fact that we've had the radio on 24/7 for the past 2.5 weeks and it's slowly driving me mad.  On the plus side, I'm now TOTALLY CAUGHT UP on all the super fun pop music that's out there (note sarcasm.  Seriously, how is WE ARE NEVER EVER EVER GETTING BACK TOGETHER on the radio?  Seriously.  Also, HOW COME IT KEEPS GETTING STUCK IN MY HEAD AND NOW I SING IT WHEN IT COMES ON!!!  $#@*&# Taylor Swift!  OF COURSE he listens to indy records much cooler than yours!!!  Also, your friends don't want to talk on the freakin phone to you about it.  Seriously.)

 Awesome tunes aside, the experiment is actually turning out.  The ones in front of the radio are about 4 days developmentally ahead of the "control" ladybug larvae.  I'm worried it might be a temp difference or light difference.  We have to do the experiment twice to prove the results.  That means we get to have the radio on for ANOTHER MONTH!  Woo hoo!  Feel free to quiz me on all the crappy music I'll have memorized.

Hey!  You guys are invited to Gretchen's 5th Birthday!  Except not since it already happened.  You're invited in spirit.

Number of arguments we had while Gretchen  Art-Directed this photo:  3,094.
She wanted to be wearing a "strapless dress".  Um, no.
She wanted an anime face.  Um, no.
She wanted a different crown.  Fine.
She wanted a sunset with stars in the background.  Fine.
She wanted wings.  Fine.
90 minutes and 30 grey hairs later, DONE.

Thank you Targer for her amazing Party Outfit.  Seriously, how could I NOT buy this gettup?
She waits patiently in front of the unfortunately named "Ticket BLASTER".

Getting blasted by tickets.  She was SUPER in to this.

WE LOVE PARTIES!!!!!

 Instead of gifts, we asked for a $5 donation.  Half of our collection she donated to the Humane Society, half to her American Doll clothes fund.

Gretchen is super-duper in to cats.  Aren't these pics just the sweetest things EVER?  It totally makes up for all the grey hair...

All right, I'd better get dressed now.  And possibly eat some lunch.  Late church is good for blogging, but not good for getting me out of the house.
xoxo