Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Friday, August 15, 2008
Today's Art Project
I wanted to make a birthday card for our friend's birthday, and get the paints out - which the kids love but takes a lot of time so we don't always do that. So I got paper, paints, brushes....Sylvie was already soaked from helping me "Do dishes" so I figured a few extra minutes down to Mermaid underwear could help with the paint cleanup.
He came over to show me his other project- a silly putty egg. He started pointing out all the molding he had done. He said "This is our house. This is Daddy's room, mommy's room, Abby's bed, Sylvie's room, the Kitchen......" So my genius is a sculptor. Two dimensions is just toooooo easy for my Little Einstein!
Sylvie is my little artist. She spent a lot of time intently mixing, brushing, washing the brushes and did about 6 pictures all together. This one is my favorite of hers....
Then Logan got started and 4 minutes later, he was fussing with something else. So I look over to see his painting. This is his one picture of the day. Yes, it's yellow on yellow.
Then Logan got started and 4 minutes later, he was fussing with something else. So I look over to see his painting. This is his one picture of the day. Yes, it's yellow on yellow.
He came over to show me his other project- a silly putty egg. He started pointing out all the molding he had done. He said "This is our house. This is Daddy's room, mommy's room, Abby's bed, Sylvie's room, the Kitchen......" So my genius is a sculptor. Two dimensions is just toooooo easy for my Little Einstein!
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Working World
I feel like I've talked and written about all the job stuff to my friends til I'm sick of it. But let's just say I'm on the job hunt and hoping it goes well!
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Two Minutes
I was browsing the new Constructive Playthings catalogue and came across a game and thought "I can do that!" So in 2 minutes I cut up some paper, grabbed some random little toys from the junk drawer and traced them. Threw them in a container and the object is to have the kids match each toy with a card. I made mine a bit complicated so Logan could enjoy the game too, but if you have a 2 year old, I'm sure tracing spoons, forks, and keys would make for a great game too. Sylvie loved having her own scraps of paper to color on while I made the game. Two minutes to make it, two minutes to play it, two minutes to blog about it. Steal away!
What to do on a hot August day....
Spray the kids down with a hose!
And then get out some umbrellas and have even more fun!
Logan just had a blast. He's getting so brave!
Sylvie's favorite part was getting the rest of us wet.
And then get out some umbrellas and have even more fun!
Logan just had a blast. He's getting so brave!
Sylvie's favorite part was getting the rest of us wet.
A day at the Zoo
Nothing too exciting, but we do go quite often. I can't expect the kids to have their Disney World faces on....:)
Sylvie the Monkey.
So close to the animals!
Logan picked out his own clothes. Sylvie usually fights me on clothing as well, but today she liked something decent- woohoo! One out of two dressed like I dressed them isn't bad!
Sylvie the Monkey.
So close to the animals!
Logan picked out his own clothes. Sylvie usually fights me on clothing as well, but today she liked something decent- woohoo! One out of two dressed like I dressed them isn't bad!
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Milwaukee Art Museum= Calatrava!!!!!
My lovely sister and her lovely husband kidnapped our children this weekend. And my lovely husband and I celebrated 11 years of wedded bliss. In true form, we saw some famous architecture:)
Enjoy!
The "ribs" are "wings" that open and close to protect the center space from the sun. So so unbelievably cool. And so ridiculously expensive I'm SURE.
Look....even the parking garage was fabulous!
Enjoy!
The "ribs" are "wings" that open and close to protect the center space from the sun. So so unbelievably cool. And so ridiculously expensive I'm SURE.
Look....even the parking garage was fabulous!
Monday, August 4, 2008
Pancakes
"Who wants Pancakes?"
"MeMeMe!"
"Who wants them cut up?"
"Not me!"
"Who wants them rolled like a taco?"
"Me!"- Logan
"Not me! I don't want water on my taco." -Sylvie
"MeMeMe!"
"Who wants them cut up?"
"Not me!"
"Who wants them rolled like a taco?"
"Me!"- Logan
"Not me! I don't want water on my taco." -Sylvie
Sunday, August 3, 2008
I got tagged!
I got tagged by Chau (http://ky-an.blogspot.com/) So I guess I'm supposed to tell everyone 7 things about myself. Hmmmm.....7 things interesting enough to write about?
1. I wrote a lot of stories when I was young. I have binders of stories and one novel. Meant for the age 8-12 set, so maybe I'll publish them someday! With some editing of course! So....when I wrote these stories, I started drawing floorplans of the houses where the stories took place. It didn't really occur to me to consider architecture until High School. In Junior High I planned to make a career of writing. And when I went to a writing seminar, I found out that rejection is a huge part of writing and got discouraged with the idea of writing as a career.
2. Raising Logan is like raising my brother. Raising Sylvie is like raising my sister. They remind me so much of my siblings as I was growing up it's ridiculous! I cant' wait to see if one of my siblings has a child that reminds them of me!
3. When I let the kids watch tv, I don't mind watching Caillou, Max and Ruby and Disney movies. I despise Dora (she yells everything), Cartoon Network (it's like one long barrage of images) and Sponge Bob (he's annoying).
4. I lost my teeth in the wrong order. I grew them in the wrong order. Logan grew his fangs before he grew all the front teeth.
5. I am still friends with some girls I met in High School. My mom is still friends with girls she met in High School. I hope someday my kids have strong friendships like that.
6. I have a TON of first cousins. And most of them are taller than I am. Even the younger ones. I hope my kids are both taller than I am eventually.
7. My husband used a pickup line that I was impressed with at the time. He said "What's it like to see the world through green eyes?" Swoon.
Not earth-shattering but heck, there you have some things you may or may not have known about me!
1. I wrote a lot of stories when I was young. I have binders of stories and one novel. Meant for the age 8-12 set, so maybe I'll publish them someday! With some editing of course! So....when I wrote these stories, I started drawing floorplans of the houses where the stories took place. It didn't really occur to me to consider architecture until High School. In Junior High I planned to make a career of writing. And when I went to a writing seminar, I found out that rejection is a huge part of writing and got discouraged with the idea of writing as a career.
2. Raising Logan is like raising my brother. Raising Sylvie is like raising my sister. They remind me so much of my siblings as I was growing up it's ridiculous! I cant' wait to see if one of my siblings has a child that reminds them of me!
3. When I let the kids watch tv, I don't mind watching Caillou, Max and Ruby and Disney movies. I despise Dora (she yells everything), Cartoon Network (it's like one long barrage of images) and Sponge Bob (he's annoying).
4. I lost my teeth in the wrong order. I grew them in the wrong order. Logan grew his fangs before he grew all the front teeth.
5. I am still friends with some girls I met in High School. My mom is still friends with girls she met in High School. I hope someday my kids have strong friendships like that.
6. I have a TON of first cousins. And most of them are taller than I am. Even the younger ones. I hope my kids are both taller than I am eventually.
7. My husband used a pickup line that I was impressed with at the time. He said "What's it like to see the world through green eyes?" Swoon.
Not earth-shattering but heck, there you have some things you may or may not have known about me!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wanting things...for others!
Logan has been a bit obsessed of late with owning things. Like wanting all 6 Transformers McDonald's has in their Happy Meals. I've been trying to explain to him that just because there are a lot of toys out there, does not mean he needs all of them.
So his new thing is to get all excited about things he sees and tells me I should get them for me. Today there was an infomercial for some purse that can hold everything. He got all excited and told me that I needed to get it so I didn't have to put my cell phone in my pocket. I keep telling him he can get me something for my birthday. Too cute!
So his new thing is to get all excited about things he sees and tells me I should get them for me. Today there was an infomercial for some purse that can hold everything. He got all excited and told me that I needed to get it so I didn't have to put my cell phone in my pocket. I keep telling him he can get me something for my birthday. Too cute!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Bedtime Stories at our house.....
A few months back it was easier to read good books to Sylvie. Lately all they wants is to obsess over the Disney Princesses. And in addition, Logan loves my storytelling. So now our tradtion is for me to read one or two books and then Logan is begging for a story. But he doesn't let me tell a story, he wants to interject. At first I got annoyed, but now,...my stories sound something like this ...
Me:"Once upon a time...there was a Transformer. And he was..."
Logan:"Blue. Optimus Prime."
Me:"And he was at a birthday party and heard someone crying. It was...."
Sylvie:"A Princess!"
Me:"And this princess was wearing...."
Sylvie:"A Pink Dress...."
Logan:"And then the transformer comes and shoots the bad guy!"
Me:"And they all have cake and pink marshmallows."
And there you have it. Storytime at our house:) I'll have to draw some pictures and write out the story and illustrate it. But then again, the best part is that they make up new ideas each time!
Me:"Once upon a time...there was a Transformer. And he was..."
Logan:"Blue. Optimus Prime."
Me:"And he was at a birthday party and heard someone crying. It was...."
Sylvie:"A Princess!"
Me:"And this princess was wearing...."
Sylvie:"A Pink Dress...."
Logan:"And then the transformer comes and shoots the bad guy!"
Me:"And they all have cake and pink marshmallows."
And there you have it. Storytime at our house:) I'll have to draw some pictures and write out the story and illustrate it. But then again, the best part is that they make up new ideas each time!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Logan's Plan
We were all tripping over one another to get into the house with armfuls of groceries when Logan stopped to pick up a rock. He placed it gently near the door and said:
"Mommy, I put this rock here. That ant could climb the rock and then that ant won't go in the house. That is my plan. Then we have no ants in the house because we have rocks outside for them to climb on."
Sounds like a plan to me! Think it'll work well enough to cancel Terminex?
"Mommy, I put this rock here. That ant could climb the rock and then that ant won't go in the house. That is my plan. Then we have no ants in the house because we have rocks outside for them to climb on."
Sounds like a plan to me! Think it'll work well enough to cancel Terminex?
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
She Fell In!!!!
Poor Sylvie! We went to the zoo today and I noticed a public toilet stall labeled "For Toddlers." I showed her the little potty and she was really really excited. She wouldn't let me help her, and she fell in butt-first! The seat opening was too big. I had to change her entire outfit poor baby. But she was horrified that she couldnt' do it all herself the way she thought it would work.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Hour One....Hour Two.....
Let's pretend you are on the roadtrip with me and Sylvie to Champaign this morning....This is what you will hear....
Hour One
"LaLaLaLA...LaLaLALA...Elmo's World......"
"Mommy...that's Ernie! See him?" "Yes, he looks so happy." (No, I wasn't watching the DVD in the back seat)
"Here Sylvie, here's a Color Wonder Marker and a princess Book to color in......"
Insert Blissful silence for a LONG time (with Elmo in the background......)
Hour Two (after bathroom break and snack)
"Mommy, are we HERE already?"
"No, not quite."
"I am going to Cinderella's party." (or a friend's baptism, same thing right?)
"Here Sylvie, play with this toy."
"Mommy I dropped it."
"Mommy can I have your bracelet?"
"When we get to church." 4 seconds pass
"Mommy can I have your bracelet?"
"When we get to the church." 4 seconds pass
"Mommy, where is My bracelet. I want to go home and see DADDY!!!!! AND LOGAN!!!! AND WHERE IS ABBY?!?!? OH NO ABBY IS STILL AT THE HOTEL~" tears, sobbing, tears, drama,
"Look Sylvie, you can wear Mommy's bracelet!" 4 seconds pass.
"Mommy I dropped the bracelet."
"Are we there already?"
"Look at that Sylvie.....it's a massively huge red barn. See it?"
"I can't see it."
"Look Sylvie, see those 3 miles of green plants? There is corn in those plants."
"I can't see it. I want to see the corn Mama! Are we there already?"
And on and on and on for many rows of corn.......Maybe it's better that you werent' in the car to hear it in person.
On the upside....I had a blast seeing an old friend and her new beautiful gorgeous baby baptised. And the party was hot, but it was outside and at a park and pavilion and lots of fun. With tons to eat and drink.
Even better.....Sylvie slept the WHOLE way home. :)
Hour One
"LaLaLaLA...LaLaLALA...Elmo's World......"
"Mommy...that's Ernie! See him?" "Yes, he looks so happy." (No, I wasn't watching the DVD in the back seat)
"Here Sylvie, here's a Color Wonder Marker and a princess Book to color in......"
Insert Blissful silence for a LONG time (with Elmo in the background......)
Hour Two (after bathroom break and snack)
"Mommy, are we HERE already?"
"No, not quite."
"I am going to Cinderella's party." (or a friend's baptism, same thing right?)
"Here Sylvie, play with this toy."
"Mommy I dropped it."
"Mommy can I have your bracelet?"
"When we get to church." 4 seconds pass
"Mommy can I have your bracelet?"
"When we get to the church." 4 seconds pass
"Mommy, where is My bracelet. I want to go home and see DADDY!!!!! AND LOGAN!!!! AND WHERE IS ABBY?!?!? OH NO ABBY IS STILL AT THE HOTEL~" tears, sobbing, tears, drama,
"Look Sylvie, you can wear Mommy's bracelet!" 4 seconds pass.
"Mommy I dropped the bracelet."
"Are we there already?"
"Look at that Sylvie.....it's a massively huge red barn. See it?"
"I can't see it."
"Look Sylvie, see those 3 miles of green plants? There is corn in those plants."
"I can't see it. I want to see the corn Mama! Are we there already?"
And on and on and on for many rows of corn.......Maybe it's better that you werent' in the car to hear it in person.
On the upside....I had a blast seeing an old friend and her new beautiful gorgeous baby baptised. And the party was hot, but it was outside and at a park and pavilion and lots of fun. With tons to eat and drink.
Even better.....Sylvie slept the WHOLE way home. :)
Monday, July 14, 2008
A Boy Eats Chocolate...A Girl Eats Chocolate...
I gave the kids some M&M's for dessert and the bag was on the computer desk. I was attending to Miss Crazy Pants and started getting mad that I saw Logan go back to the bag again after I told him we were done. He said "But I need 2 more yellows!!!!"
I look over to see this.....(ignore the various projects behind him!)
And Sylvie....with gusto...inHALED hers.
And just a cute pic of Sylvie's SECOND pony ride....
I look over to see this.....(ignore the various projects behind him!)
And Sylvie....with gusto...inHALED hers.
And just a cute pic of Sylvie's SECOND pony ride....
Thursday, July 10, 2008
My Current Favorite Picture.....
You know when you capture your child in a photo exactly the way you see them when you close your eyes at night how excited you get? Well that's this picture. Kids never stop, especially for a photo. Capturing the depth of their face and the expressions you most love....is Bliss. My Sylvie in her Mermaid Dress on a Saturday Morning.
Happy Day Tidings +Whine #1 +Whine #2
Okay let's get the whining over with.....
Whine # 1: I'm in awe that my 2-1/2 year old is one of the few who has mastered the art of potty training. But it's kind of like giving a 14 year old a license to drive. She's too young for the responsibility! She knows when and how to hold the power. Mommy won't play with me? Oops time to go to the potty and have her help me! Mommy wants to leave the zoo, nope, I need to go christen every public restroom we find at least twice. Bedtime? Nope! She manages to poop twice or more and pee at least 3 times between the hours of getting ready to go to bed and the second and third trips I make up the stairs to help her out! The child pees like a pregnant woman! Maybe it's all the "Princess Munks" (white milk in a Princess cup to you and me) that she insists on having!
Whine #2: I almost forgot this one! My teeth hurt! But the good thing is I found some cancer sore/toothache stuff upstairs and it's working miracles. Off to the dentist as soon as I can/ they let me.
Okay.....Happy Tidings Day
Can I just say I had a GOOD week at work last week and so far this week?! I was so in my element. I seriously need to get reminded why I chose to go to grad school and pay all those student loans every few years to remember that I LOVED college- it just suits me:) So my boss is hopefully starting to realize I will be handing out resumes soon if he can't find things for me to do. He's been asking me not to come in due to lack of work every few weeks this summer.
So he asked me to do a research project on green architecture for one of our clients and to create an office standard. I passed one exam on green architecture but the residential portion didn't even exist when I took it (3 years ago) so here he hands me the residential book and wants me to summarize it! Some people, like my husband, would probably shit a brick. Me... I call my husband from the other room because I'm so excited to have this book in my hands (costs $125)and get time.,..and paid....to read it! Woohoo!
So a few days later, I have a sweet typed up document and binder for the client, getting kudos from my boss. So, that, along with us scoring a NEW house project in the office, everyone is happy. PLUS, even better news....My boss is going out of town and when he talked about it I thought he was going to ask if either I could not work next week or watch his three children for him so he could vacation alone....but no. Instead he asked me come in later in the week. My mom is available to babysit, so I can get 2 full weeks of 3 days a week working in a ROW. We're on a roll here!!!
Today I presented the green info to the new clients and they were impressed, excited and no one fell asleep. Plus I didn't studder or pass out from fear or nervousness. Not that I thought I would....but one never knows.
Anyway, I am enjoying this "Green Architecture" piece of things and hopefully tomorrow is a good one and a good weekend! Heck, let's just hope for no really bad days anytime soon okay?
Oh, I'll throw a Whine #3 in there for good measure. A rep came into my office from Balthuis I belive it was? It's a kitchen company, and they brought with them some eye candy on some fabulous kitchens that are amazing pieces of art (think white modern, sleek stainess, blue enamel, self-closing drawers, fantastic wood graining). So I'll whine that the drool that fell from my mouth onto the pictures of said fantastic kitchens is probably as close as I'll ever get to using one. But that's okay. I'll live without one. I think. Even the rep said he gets depressed going home to his own kitchen.
They did give me a free potholder. It's made of suede and is embossed with their name. I may frame it and put it over my kitchen sink to look at while I do dishes.
Whine # 1: I'm in awe that my 2-1/2 year old is one of the few who has mastered the art of potty training. But it's kind of like giving a 14 year old a license to drive. She's too young for the responsibility! She knows when and how to hold the power. Mommy won't play with me? Oops time to go to the potty and have her help me! Mommy wants to leave the zoo, nope, I need to go christen every public restroom we find at least twice. Bedtime? Nope! She manages to poop twice or more and pee at least 3 times between the hours of getting ready to go to bed and the second and third trips I make up the stairs to help her out! The child pees like a pregnant woman! Maybe it's all the "Princess Munks" (white milk in a Princess cup to you and me) that she insists on having!
Whine #2: I almost forgot this one! My teeth hurt! But the good thing is I found some cancer sore/toothache stuff upstairs and it's working miracles. Off to the dentist as soon as I can/ they let me.
Okay.....Happy Tidings Day
Can I just say I had a GOOD week at work last week and so far this week?! I was so in my element. I seriously need to get reminded why I chose to go to grad school and pay all those student loans every few years to remember that I LOVED college- it just suits me:) So my boss is hopefully starting to realize I will be handing out resumes soon if he can't find things for me to do. He's been asking me not to come in due to lack of work every few weeks this summer.
So he asked me to do a research project on green architecture for one of our clients and to create an office standard. I passed one exam on green architecture but the residential portion didn't even exist when I took it (3 years ago) so here he hands me the residential book and wants me to summarize it! Some people, like my husband, would probably shit a brick. Me... I call my husband from the other room because I'm so excited to have this book in my hands (costs $125)and get time.,..and paid....to read it! Woohoo!
So a few days later, I have a sweet typed up document and binder for the client, getting kudos from my boss. So, that, along with us scoring a NEW house project in the office, everyone is happy. PLUS, even better news....My boss is going out of town and when he talked about it I thought he was going to ask if either I could not work next week or watch his three children for him so he could vacation alone....but no. Instead he asked me come in later in the week. My mom is available to babysit, so I can get 2 full weeks of 3 days a week working in a ROW. We're on a roll here!!!
Today I presented the green info to the new clients and they were impressed, excited and no one fell asleep. Plus I didn't studder or pass out from fear or nervousness. Not that I thought I would....but one never knows.
Anyway, I am enjoying this "Green Architecture" piece of things and hopefully tomorrow is a good one and a good weekend! Heck, let's just hope for no really bad days anytime soon okay?
Oh, I'll throw a Whine #3 in there for good measure. A rep came into my office from Balthuis I belive it was? It's a kitchen company, and they brought with them some eye candy on some fabulous kitchens that are amazing pieces of art (think white modern, sleek stainess, blue enamel, self-closing drawers, fantastic wood graining). So I'll whine that the drool that fell from my mouth onto the pictures of said fantastic kitchens is probably as close as I'll ever get to using one. But that's okay. I'll live without one. I think. Even the rep said he gets depressed going home to his own kitchen.
They did give me a free potholder. It's made of suede and is embossed with their name. I may frame it and put it over my kitchen sink to look at while I do dishes.
A Touch of the Patriotic Fever,....
We did the whole shebang this year. Started the morning out with birthday cheesecake to celebrate Jorge's birthday. Logan has been in anticipation of birthday celebrations for Jorge for some time now. He can tell you the whole lineup of birthdays leading up to his 5th birthday in November. His little sister...eh, sometime after HIS birthday, so who cares right? I think he was a bit disappointed in Jorge's choice of cheesecake, but ate it with gusto just the same. He's getting more willing to try new things lately, it's a lot of fun! Still would live on hot dogs if I let him...but willing sometimes to try is a big step!
So...after the cheesecake we hit the local parade at the end of our block. I wasn't sure on the start time so we were waiting around awhile. And we had a swarm of ants on our front walk so the kids were freaking out over that. Then my inlaws surprised Jorge by showing up to the parade- fun!
So, parade, relaxing and finally we decided to go to the Family Fest at a nearby town. Bounce houses were Logan's favorite and Sylvie had her first pony ride. She obsessed over the animals while Logan won all the games of ball throwing and water gun shooting.
Fireworks were the night before, huddled under a blanket as it got REALLY cold! Kids did well and we all enjoyed.
Back to the daily grind around here and life pre-July4th. Hope you all had a wonderful holiday!
This is our house....my flowers came out pretty good for having a 2 and 4 year old help/take over didnt' they?
Looking at the petting zoo animals
So...after the cheesecake we hit the local parade at the end of our block. I wasn't sure on the start time so we were waiting around awhile. And we had a swarm of ants on our front walk so the kids were freaking out over that. Then my inlaws surprised Jorge by showing up to the parade- fun!
So, parade, relaxing and finally we decided to go to the Family Fest at a nearby town. Bounce houses were Logan's favorite and Sylvie had her first pony ride. She obsessed over the animals while Logan won all the games of ball throwing and water gun shooting.
Fireworks were the night before, huddled under a blanket as it got REALLY cold! Kids did well and we all enjoyed.
Back to the daily grind around here and life pre-July4th. Hope you all had a wonderful holiday!
This is our house....my flowers came out pretty good for having a 2 and 4 year old help/take over didnt' they?
Looking at the petting zoo animals
"Me So Funny Mommy!"
Dinner has been over for over an hour now...and the kids didn't really eat too much. But they had eaten at my in-laws house so I didn't push things too much. I sat down to eat a bite of dessert and Logan wanted some. I said
"Logan, did you eat your pizza?" He said
"Yes." Then, before taking a bite he went running back up to the table and said
"Oh no! I forgot! Me no eat Pizza yet! Me so funny mommy!" He took a bite and then came running back to claim his bite of dessert.
What a good boy I have!
"Logan, did you eat your pizza?" He said
"Yes." Then, before taking a bite he went running back up to the table and said
"Oh no! I forgot! Me no eat Pizza yet! Me so funny mommy!" He took a bite and then came running back to claim his bite of dessert.
What a good boy I have!
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