El Rancho de Rigby

Could It Really Be True?

2012-01-19T19:39:00.000-08:00

 
10 years of marriage

8 years of one or both of us being in school

5 apartments shared together 

4 states lived in 

2 perfect little girls added to our family

and...

1 beautiful sign, with four small letters big enough to make me cry. 

We signed the papers last week and have enjoyed a wild week of not

smelling things we didn't cook, 

hearing music that wasn't ours,  

knowing when our neighbors flushed the toliet,

and telling the girls to quiet down.

This new found freedom is quickly going to my head.  Who knows, maybe I'll even get really crazy this week and paint a wall without asking anyone first. 

Cousins/ Summary

2012-01-08T19:03:00.000-08:00

The girls just love going home and getting to play with their cousins.
We had a wonderful trip that as usual went by too quickly.
As I said earlier, I didn't take nearly as many pictures as I should have. Here are the other wonderful things I wish I would have captured.

Dinner with Jon, Bella, Jared and Suzanne. Bella made wonderful homemade New Mexican food and I spent the night feeling like I was back in high school. (Sean wants me to say that he helped make the sopapillas).
Mackenzie, Savannah, Ceilidh and Scarlett are inseparable. Sleepovers, movies, and play dates galore, but never enough.
Manicure/pedicure with my mom.
Fun games, challenging games, and ridiculous games with the Rigbys. Oh wait, maybe I do have videos that may be worth a hefty ransom at some point. Let's just say Roger does a pretty good ostrich-riding cowboy impression.
Lunch with Janene and Michael. I miss those two! I love to pick Janene's brain and I always come away from our conversations feeling enriched by her friendship.
Chemo with my dad. I'm grateful we were able to spend the day together, just the two of us.
Date night with my love. We celebrated 10 years of marriage while on vacation. I'm sorry I dragged my feet for a year while we were dating. If I would have known how happy I would be at our 10 year mark I would have said yes the first time you asked me. Well, maybe not the first time you asked because that was creepily early, but maybe like the 3rd or 4th at the latest.
Ladies day out. Amazing seafood with no mouth to wipe but my own.
Movie with Sean's family. I really wish there were pictures of that day because Sean had to take both girls to a movie without my help. I think I would really enjoy looking at those. Maybe on a daily basis even.
Dions, Dions, Dions. It is greedy and selfish of you to only stay in New Mexico.

We love you all and can't wait to see you again soon!

Christmas

2012-01-08T18:29:00.000-08:00

Ceilidh kept her new computer with her, even during meals.

Game time with the Rigbys.

Christmas Eve Dinner

2012-01-08T18:24:00.000-08:00

We were lucky enough to have both families together for Christmas Eve dinner.
Kenny wore his finest.

Valorie taught me the fine art of fighting gravity, and still looking completely natural while being photographed.

Savy thought Santa might enjoy a dessert sampling, instead of just cookies.

Bird Watching WIth Grandpa Jewell

2012-01-08T18:15:00.000-08:00

My dad took us to a wild life sanctuary so the girls could see the birds.
Once she figured out how, Savy loved using binoculars.

Pre-Christmas in Houston

2012-01-08T18:09:00.000-08:00

Wow, what a busy last month! I was a big slacker with the camera. In fact, Sean took almost all of the photos in the next few posts.This was our mini-Christmas at home before we drove to Albuquerque the next day.

The girls both received Hello Kitty Legos.

Ceilidh's Favorite Things

2011-11-29T09:27:00.001-08:00

Three things my three year old loves:
1) Her hat. I have no idea why, but for the last few days she has worn this everywhere.
2) Her best friends, from right to left: Scooby, Daphane, Shaggy, Velma and Fredie. They go with her everywhere.
3) Pistachios. I am never allowed to leave the grocery store without a new bag. It takes her about two days to go through the amount she has on her lap in this picture. Last time I tried to talk her into getting the kind without the shells, but no deal. I think that's part of the fun for her.
Three things I love about my three year old:

1) I had no idea kids could be so physical until I met Ceilidh. She loves to cuddle, snuggle, hug, kiss, be held, rub noses, hold hands, rub backs and give butterfly kisses constantly.

2) Her zest for life. Whatever she sees going on, Cei is going to take it to a level 10.
Example: Sean has just arrived home and Savannah and I are hugging and greeting him. Cei has to back up, then charge the distance like a rhino, screaming a shrill war cry, fling herself into his arms, then hug him with her whole body, legs included, while crying "YOU HOME, YOU HOME!!"

3) Her willingness to try new things. She is always up for anything, anytime, anywhere.

Ceilidh's Birthday

2011-11-29T09:17:00.001-08:00

My Thanksgiving turkey turned three on Sunday.
The grocery store just happened to make these cream puffs this week. It was too perfect, Cei loves" The Swan Princess."
As soon we got home from church and had lunch, she was ready.

Birthday Balloons

2011-11-29T09:13:00.001-08:00

Keeping the tradition alive.

Why can't her fat little hands stay this size forever?

Thanksgiving Week

2011-11-29T08:11:00.000-08:00

Hooray! Sean and Savannah both had the entire week off. We tried to party it up and go somewhere fun each day.
On Monday, we headed down to Hermann Park, a large park in the middle of downtown with a train track circling the entire park.
Ceilidh was beyond excited and could not sit still while we were waiting in line.

Trying to wait patiently with Daddy...

Trying to sit on Mommy's lap...
But some things are just too exciting.
Savannah was the first to spot the train, judging by her ponytail.

Savy absolutely wanted to sit at the back.

Ceilidh loved every minute of it. She screamed and pointed at everything.
At the end of every evening, we asked the kids what there favorite part of the day was. Every night regardless of what else we did that week, Cei would always say, "freight train." She also became very angry when Sean or I would pick something else other than "freight train," and would grab our faces and say "no, no, no, you favorite freight train too."

On Tuesday, we went to IKEA and the Natural Science Museum.
On Wednesday, we had both the girls check-ups and Savannah officially became the first kid ever in the clinic, to refuse the flu mist and opt for the flu shot instead (she "doesn't like the feel of water in my nose"). Cei spent her entire appointment boneless on the floor, with the occasional random kick thrown in for good measure in case anyone got too close. Toys R Us in the evening so Ceilidh could spend Nana's gift card.
On Thursday, we spent the day at home decorating for Christmas and enjoying a turkey dinner. I also got out a puzzle I had been saving and discovered I had lots of interested helpers.

Notice the door open behind Cei? We actually turned on the A/C on Thanksgiving. I love Houston.

On Friday, we surprised the girls with a trip to the indoor water park in Galveston called Schlitterbahn (Cei's birthday present from us). We didn't tell them until we arrived in the parking lot. They were both confused at first, then Savy discovered the suit and towels in the back and put it all together. They went nuts.
I was surprised how family friendly it was. We loved that the double tubes have the bottom sealed off in one seat, so you can take kids as young as you want with you on the slides. It was the first time that we could all ride on things as a family and not have to trade off.
Ceilidh also turned three on Sunday, more of that to come...

Dallas: Part Three

2011-11-16T08:33:00.000-08:00

The lower levels held the sharks and a few other animals. Savy had been pretty grumpy up to this point (severe sleep deprivation from the night before), but perked up when we entered the large tunnel aquariums.
She couldn't believe the sharks could swim right over her head.

Being together with your cousins can cause spontaneous displays of dancing.
And now on the most difficult part of the day.

Deciding what to choose from the gift shop.

We ended the day with a delicious lunch in the aquarium restaurant surrounded by all the rainforest animals.
It was the perfect way to spend my birthday. Thank you Genevieve for the wonderful weekend! The older we get, the better friends we become, and now that we are both 29, I cherish the time we get to spend together.

Dallas: Part Two

2011-11-16T06:47:00.000-08:00

On Saturday morning, we headed to the Dallas World Aquarium. They have taken an old warehouse in the middle of downtown that has been there since the 1920's and turned it into a zoo/aquarium. It has several levels and we started at the top with the rainforest birds. It had loads of interesting plants and animals, and the girls were fascinated.

Although, even more fascinating than seeing them in person is seeing the same animals on a small computer screen.
They even let the kids feed some of the birds (that is Savy's brave little hand).
There was a sloth out in the open, which we were allowed to get very close to, as long we didn't touch him.
Would you like to try and earn 20 points by guessing who fast-as-lighting hand skills got in a pet or two before being dragged away?

20 points!

Here are a few animals who were grateful for their cages/glass walls that day.

We were there in time for the Crocodile feeding. Every time he snapped a fish, Cei would scream "Him got him!" followed be the Cookie Monster noise.
Shortly after this she disappeared. I found her back over by the sloths. I gave her a stern lecture about not running off and she gave me one about "Don't worry bout it."
Then, we headed down to the lower levels. To make sure we didn't lose anybody, we piled them all into the stroller and told the older girls to "seat belt" the younger ones.

Dallas: Part One

2011-11-15T19:17:00.001-08:00

For my birthday weekend, we drove to Dallas to meet up with my sister and her family, who were there for a football game.
As soon as we arrived at the hotel, all the kids were in the pool making up for lost time.

Heaven is...

2011-11-11T11:35:00.000-08:00

FINALLY losing your first tooth.
She waited and worked for a long time for this one to come out.
I ran terrified into the bathroom one morning in response to a shrill scream, to see one happy little girl flapping her arms as hard as she could.
She was very torn between keeping her tooth and wanting the money she knew she was due.
Thankfully, the tooth fairy left this note.
And because she is Savannah, she felt the need to write one of her own back the next night.
"Dear Tooth Fairy,
Thank you for letting me keep my first loose tooth and thank you for the letter."

Family Pictures 2011

2011-11-08T17:32:00.001-08:00

Well, it's that time of year again.
You know, the time of year where I buy new jeans for Ceilidh that she decides she hates so much she throws a massive tantrum when Sean puts them on her?
And it's the kind of massive tantrum that calls for her to lay on the floor screaming and bucking her pelvis in the air, then running her legs around so they circle her head Homer Simpson style?
And the time of year when we arrive at the picture location I planned out only to find a wedding is going on?
And then the new spot I settled on is really windy and the massive tantrum kid is still crying and covered in snot?
These will all be humorous memories some day, right?

However, we were lucky enough to have great friends willing to take our pictures for us, and they were so patient with the kids and did a great job. A big thanks to Amy and Brandon!

I also got some new photo editing software for my birthday and I am having a great time learning to use it. I wanted to get your opinion before I send out our Christmas cards this year, so be honest with me and let me know if you think it's too much editing and refining.

Here is the unedited before:

And here is the after. Not too much is it?
Did you even know there was a tool for fake tans? How awesome is that?

Anyway, here are the rest of the boring, untan, non-zombie-eyed ones.

Savy Has a Testimony About Halloween

2011-11-02T06:40:00.000-07:00

During the lesson portion of Family Home Evening Savy raised her hand and said she wanted to share why she was grateful to be a member of the church. I thought it was a little off topic, but told her to go ahead. "Well, I am glad to be a member of the church because we get to trick or treat twice. Once with all our church friends in their cars, and then regular trick or treating on Halloween." It's true, the blessings of the restored gospel are numerous.

The only thing specific thing that Savy wanted for her costume this year was purple eye shadow. Lots and lots of purple eye shadow. Every time I would put another coat on she would look in the mirror, then turn back to me and say "more." No blush, no red lipstick, just lots and lots of purple eye shadow.
We had this conversation while watching Scooby Doo in the living room the other day.
Savy: Mom, who do you want to be, Daphne or Velma?
Me: Velma.
Savy: But Daphne is really pretty.
Me: Yeah, but I would rather be smart and solve mysteries, than be pretty and always getting kidnapped.
Slight pause as Savy digests this.
Savy: Well, I guess I'd rather be pretty and smart.

While at the ward trunk or treat she hung out with another family who has a daughter her age that she is good friends with.
Later, when Sean went to pick her up the dad said that Savy had been giving the entire family a 20 minute lecture on the planet Earth and how it is the perfect distance from the sun to sustain life, and that if we were a little closer or farther we'd all be dead. And the plants and animals would die too. And so would the bugs. So everyone should just think about that and be happy.
This picture is so Cei. Notice how her face is slightly dirty and the shark has fluff balls from being washed so many times. Although I will say she was uncharacteristically serious while I took these pictures.

She wasn't as thrilled with Halloween as I expected. She did a few trunks on the trunk or treat night, and then was more interested in sitting in car and passing out candy. Same thing on Halloween night, just a few houses and then wanted to watch a movie in the car as we followed Sean and Savy around.
We went shopping at Target the other day and I needed to go to the dressing room so I could try something on. As soon as we approached the counter where they give you a number, Cei started getting really anxious and wouldn't get out of the cart. She kept saying "No, no, Cei not want to go." I eventually had to pick her up and drag her into the stall and when I set her down she started crying. I couldn't figure what was wrong (and she wouldn't tell me), until she finally threw back her head and wailed "Cei no want a shot, Cei no want a shoooooooooot. No doctor!"

Savy was nervous about this house and kept turning around to check with me.
Whew, made it!

Mind Your Own

2011-10-30T19:39:00.000-07:00

Regular Sunday here, which of course means Ceilidh screamed during the quiet part of sacrament meeting. Again.

As soon as she got to church she started begging for the animal cookies she saw me put in the church bag earlier. I told her she needed to wait until after the sacrament, so she went back to coloring, then five minutes later I saw her kneeling by the church bag watching me to see if I was paying attention. I silently shook my head at her.

She immediately put up both hands and said quietly “Don’t worry, don’t worry.” Then, she went back to trying to open the bag again. “Ceilidh, no.” I repeated, more firmly this time. Suddenly she exploded with rage, tilted back her head and screamed “I SAID, DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT!!!”

And so goes another typical Sunday for the Rigbys.

Discovery Green

2011-10-26T17:53:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, we headed out to a large park in the middle of downtown Houston called Discovery Green.
There also happened to be a huge Korean festival going on there at the same time. We had a great time watching the performers and smelling the Korean BBQ.
First stop? Lunch.
Wait a minute... what is that?
Water fountains coming out of the ground!?
Count me in! I'm sure it's no big deal if I don't have a swimsuit.
A Traditional Korean Fountain Guard. Their job is to make sure kids don't run through the fountains with clothes on.
But there were two who were not intimated by his stature.

I said NO! Or you will suffer as this mat did.
But they were brave beyond measure.

I don't know what the Korean word for these guys is, but I'm pretty sure they are in charge of kayak regulation.
After a quick change of clothes, we headed over to the playground.
Careful Ceilidh, those ladders have been known to buck small children off.
Too late.
Just plain mean.
Did you see that mom?
Of course we had to finish the day with ice cream.

2011 Fall School Picture

2011-10-26T17:44:00.000-07:00

And the conversation went as follows:
Me: Were you scared or nervous savy?
Savy: No.
Me: Then how come you didn't smile for the picture?
Savy (looks over my shoulder to see the picture again): I AM smiling mom.
Me:OK

Shortly after this picture she got her first loose tooth and made the spontaneous decision to chop off about 12 inches of hair. It makes my heart hurt how fast she is changing. No more growing up, please Savy.

In the Last Month or so...

2011-09-21T19:41:00.000-07:00

Sean:

-officially accepted an offer to be a Technical Market Manager for BASF in Houston. He will be working with a team to develop technology for reducing carbon dioxide emissions from coal power plants, and matching up that technology with businesses that need it.

-he is officially a company man and takes pride in pointing out to me everywhere we go things that BASF makes. And in case you’re wondering, they make everything. Everything. Including puppies, babies and the weather.

-got to spend a week in Germany for a business trip, experiencing mustard that comes in a tube, tiny hotel rooms, gorgeous scenery and the differences when you fly business class instead of coach.

Heather:

-worked very hard not resent her husband for said business trip.

-failed miserably.

-decided to forgive him after he revealed the mountain of Belgium chocolate he brought back.

-is discovering there are good manners, excellent manners and the manners Houston men have. It doesn’t seem to matter that it often creates a more complicated situation. Here are some rules in case you are a man visiting Houston.

NEVER get off the elevator first, even if you are right in front of the door and the woman is behind you. You should reach up and hold the door, then make her squeeze against your body and under your armpit in order to exit.

If you are in the grocery store, and your cart meets a woman’s cart at an aisle intersection, don’t proceed, even if it would make more sense to just go first. Just stand still, tip your invisible cowboy hat and say “howdy” or “ma’am” over and over, until she eventually and with great difficulty maneuvers her cart around yours.

If you drive a truck, it doesn’t matter who arrived the stop sign first, you always let the other cars go. I once saw a large truck let three cars go and he still hadn’t gone. I think there is a good chance he is still there. Being po-lite.

-I found a country station that plays “only country legends from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s.” You’re right to be jealous. It. Is. Awesome. Coolest music I have ever heard in my life. I can’t get enough of it. Not only do I now know all the words to “Fancy”, but I have also learned other facts like “older women are beautiful lovers”, “when to hold ‘em, fold ‘em, and walk away”, how to plead with a lady named Jolene not to take your man just because she can, and unique declarations of love like “I’ll hang around as long as you will let me.”

Other things that seem to make a good country song are:

Pieces of sage advice that apply to all three stages of life, revealing new layers of wisdom as you age.

Clever phrases like “I’ve been having day dreams, about night things, in the middle of the afternoon.”

Naming as many southern cities as you can in one song.

-I have officially started house hunting, and in true Heather fashion managed to turn something I have looked forward to for 10 years, into an anxiety ridden stressful chore. It's a rare gift.

Savy:

-Started 1^st grade. She was thrilled to go, but did not want to have her picture taken that day. Sean snapped one in the van on his phone.

-She is very into the idea that everyone has talents. The other day I overheard her explaining to Ceilidh that “Savy is smart and you are silly.” When I tried to correct her and say they are both silly and both smart, she reassured me that she wasn’t saying anything bad, and that everyone is good at different things. She went on to further explain, “Like I am really smart and good at brain things and Ceilidh is silly and good at peeing. We all have our own talents mom.”

-Pink is out, and purple and green are her new favorite colors, because “sometimes when I stand there and stare at pink for a really long time, I get bored.”

Ceilidh:

-We started potty training a month ago. Our house smells like pee. And because she is still in the "MY DO IT!" stage, she often has both legs in one hole, and wears her knickers around her waist like a belt.

-And, because she needs to be able to pee at night, we moved her into a toddler bed in Savy’s room (it has an on suite bathroom). She knows she is not allowed to get into Savannah’s bed, so she waits until Savy is asleep and can’t rat her out and most nights we find her like this:

-She loves Scooby Doo, and walks around the house with a flashlight muttering “Look, a clue!” “What’s this?” and “You meddling kids!!”

The Entire Summer...

2011-08-08T18:40:00.001-07:00

I've been here.
Or some other pool or splash pad.
Everyday.
Which explains why I have been behind on blogging, because I couldn't figure out how to take pictures and keep two very busy girls alive at the same time.
Savannah learned how to swim like a fish this summer, and Ceilidh asks from sun up to sun down to go "wimming."
Not a bad way to spend 100+ degree days.

TheTwo Lake Princesses

2011-08-06T18:56:00.001-07:00

Once upon a time, there were two princess who enjoyed spending time in their special lake.
Princess Savannah liked to float.
And princess Ceilidh preferred to swim.
One day, much to their dismay, they arrived at the lake to find a fearsome monster lurking.
The eldest princess was afraid, and said to the younger "We cannot swim."

But the younger said, "I am not afraid and will battle the monster."
"No, no!" said the elder. "If someone must go, let it be me."
She fought bravely.
But eventually had to be rescued by the younger sister.
"Pull me up!" she cried.
But princess Ceilidh needed a better grip.

Once Princess Savannah was safe, Princess Ceilidh had no choice.
She flew at the monster with the heart of a thousand lions.
And attacked with all her might.
And he was tamed.
And there was much rejoicing in all the land, for the lake was safe once again.

Why limit yourself to just one a day?

2011-08-05T18:47:00.000-07:00

“I don't do fashion, I am fashion.”
Coco Chanel
8:03am
8:11am
9:15am
10:52am
12:09pm
12:43pm
3:30pm
4:15pm
4:27pm
7:30pm

Scary Fun

2011-08-04T18:52:00.000-07:00

Last Days in a Crib

2011-08-04T18:35:00.000-07:00

Must Be an Inside Joke

2011-08-04T18:28:00.000-07:00

Emotional

2011-08-04T17:59:00.000-07:00

Fireworks

2011-07-05T19:20:00.000-07:00

Sean's office was nice enough to let families use the building to watch the big firework show downtown.
The girls got right to work. They had over a thousand Post-it notes to burn through and only about an hour before sunset.

Waiting, waiting.
There was a big festival in the park below. If you look over to the right, you can see the mounds of fireworks.
And here is my first big girl time using full manual mode. I was bummed because we couldn't turn out all the lights in the office (hence the reflections), but it was still fun to try something new. And a big thanks to my Dad for helping me figure out the best shutter speed.

Savannah watched in quiet awe; she could finally enjoy them because they aren't as loud in a building.

Ceilidh made gun shot noises the entire time. Toward the end, she turned around, made a sweeping gesture with her hand and declared, "Happy Birthday Everybody!!"

Space Center

2011-07-05T18:49:00.000-07:00

We spent our the first part of our 4th of July at the Houston Space Center.
The girls would have been happy to spend the entire day playing on the equivalent of what we could have done for free at McDonalds.
Eventually, we convinced them to check out the other exhibits.
They were really excited to ride the tram tours that show you NASA's facilities.
We chose the tour that shows the astronaut training rooms.

While we waited in line, everybody thought about what it would be like to be an astronaut.

And here is what happens if you ask Ceilidh to stand still for more that three seconds.

Hooray, finally on the tram!
Some parts were more exciting than others.
And it was HOT!
This is an exact replica of the Space Station so the astronauts can practice. The tour guide said some pods are vertical in outer space, but for simplicity sake they just put them all on the ground here.
And here are a bunch of astronaut toys. I would be able to tell you more, but they had signs everywhere saying don't let your kids climb on the railing or touch the glass. It took all three of us to enforce this rule with Ceilidh. I was actually relieved when we were able to get back on the tram in the 100 degree heat.

Savannah Turns 6

2011-06-26T15:44:00.000-07:00

As tradition dictates, Sean and I sneak in helium balloons the night before her birthday.

This has got to be one of the cutest ages ever.
She is filled with a desire to learn everything about everything and tries so hard to figure out what the right thing is to do in each situation.
Here are some things I don't want to forget about my sweet, splendid six year old (and things that come out her mouth that make me laugh).

* "Mom, how much ninja training did you have when you were a little kid?"

* Instead of bedtime stories, Savannah often prefers me to give her a list of "poisonous animals and other animals that can kill you."

*She is ridiculiously patient with Ceilidh. I frequently have to remind her she doesn't have to do every thing Ceilidh asks her to, but she always says, "Oh, I don't mind mom."

*She loves to read. I feel the same sense of wonder watching her learn to read as watching her learn to walk when she was a baby. It seems like such a miracle that she could figure it out in such a short amount of time. One day she crawling, the next walking around like she has always done so; one day she looking at the pictures, and then next she is reading Cei a bedtime story.

*She likes me explain how certain scenarios could kill someone. If I can't think of way a person could die in that setting, Savannah can.

*She is extremely concerned with natural disasters. She regularly gives me a written list of states we are not allowed to move to with the reason in the next column. The list now includes:
California- earthquakes
North Carolina- tornadoes
Texas- hurricanes
She goes back and forth about New York, because as she explains, "They do have snow storms, but they usually don't kill anyone."

*She won't let me cut her hair again until it is "as long as Tangled."

*Still sleeps with bunny every night.

*Tells me we have enough babies in our house and we shouldn't have another one because, "It is just going to really stress you out."

*Everyday, multiple times a day, she wants to know stories about when Sean and I were little. She especially loves me to tell her the ones when I got into trouble.

*Savy: Mom, if you were being chased by a monster from Scooby Doo, which one would you hope it would be?
Me: Well, I don't know, I would hope I wasn't being chased by any of them.
Savy: You have to pick one.
Me: Do you have one you recommend?
Savy: Mummies. Because a vampire would suck your blood, and a zombie would eat your brains, but a mummy would probably just curse you.

Savannah's 6th Birthday Party

2011-06-26T15:07:00.001-07:00

Or according to Ceilidh, the day all of HER friends came to HER house, to give HER presents, and admire HER Tangled cake. Yes, there were some tears.

Savannah had this cake picked out for months. There was a moment of silence when we picked it up, and her eyes started to fill with tears. I was worried she changed her mind, but then in an awe-filled voice she whispered, "I didn't know they could write my name on it!"

They decorated their own gift bags.
And Ceilidh was thrilled when everyone sang to her.

And a little irritated when Savannah got the doll off the top of the cake instead of her.
Savannah took one bite and proclaimed, "Wow, that is really gross."
Present time. After every gift Savannah opened, Ceilidh would pop up off the couch and exclaim, "MY TURN!"
"Daddy, will you open my favorite present I received?"

"What? Why not?"
The generous loot.
Then necklace making.
Happy Birthday beautiful girl!

Kindergarten Graduation/ Grandma Visits

2011-06-01T11:10:00.000-07:00

Sean's mom arrived just in time for Savannah's Kindergarten Graduation. Yes, graduation. And anyone who mistakenly called it "the last day of school," was immediately corrected.
Bottom row, fourth from the left.
They had been practicing the song and dance numbers for months.
As you may have guessed, Savannah was less than excited come performance day.
But, I thought she was a really good sport about it.
As long as we didn't make eye contact or wave.
Ceilidh loved watching the kids.
And helping herself to Grandma's lipstick and watch.

Babble Article

2011-05-23T15:25:00.000-07:00

Really surprised at all the strong feelings this brought up, I thought I was just being funny.

http://www.babble.com/toddler/toddler-development/questions-for-parents-from-SAHM/

2011-05-10T06:43:00.000-07:00

We finally went to the zoo on Saturday. This one has been on our list for a while.
Since Savy had already been for a field trip, she was our official tour guide. She had lots of interesting facts about each animal we saw.
For example, did you know that elephants can weight up to 22lbs?

Ceilidh's favorites were the lions.
Ceilidh, what does a lion say?

And of course, we couldn't leave without a ride on the carousel.

Splash Pad

2011-05-10T06:14:00.000-07:00

This splash pad is a few minutes away from our house. The girls love it, because you can trigger the sprays of water by standing on certain buttons in the ground. Savannah has figured out which buttons do what and is pretty proud she can avoid the water whenever she wants.

Boy, if only her parents would have remembered to bring a drink.
Did I mention Savannah knows exactly how the buttons work?
Being the younger sibling is rough sometimes.
It was an accident, I swear!
Here is the part where Sean takes 200 pictures of nature. I posted two, and if you want the rest you can email him.

The latest bath time creativity.

Naptime

2011-04-29T11:07:00.000-07:00

Take Your Son/ Daughter to Work Day

2011-04-29T10:57:00.000-07:00

The day was made up of mini science classes for the kids. Sean taught a class called "The States of Matter," which included dry ice bubbles (shown above).
When I asked Savannah to tell me three things about Daddy's work, she said:
*He works up so high that that when you look out his window it's like you are on top of a roller coaster (Sean works on the 26th floor).
*I got a lot of free stuff to take home.
*Daddy has his own permanent marker at his desk, and he can use it whenever he wants to.

Do Me a Favor, Will Ya?

2011-04-25T07:50:00.000-07:00

Will you imagine my girls in these dresses with there hair in ribbons? Oh yeah, and why don't you make them both smiling and looking at the camera while you're at it.
Because there was no way that my girls were going to wear these yesterday.
They were however happy to wear them last week.

We did however, get the baskets right.

Mercer Arboretum & Botanic Gardens

2011-04-25T07:19:00.000-07:00

Sean had the day off on Friday so we went to check out the Botanical Gardens.
We made sure to check everywhere for bugs.
And I mean everywhere. You can never be sure where one is lurking, just waiting to jump out at you.
This is Ceilidh's lecturing face. We aren't exactly sure what is saying most of the time, but she know a lot about a lot of things and she is fun to listen to, because the lectures usually end in a joke.

In case you are behind on the latest fashions, headbands are in, especially the ones you quietly take from your mom's cupboard.

This girl rode in the stroller almost the entire time, and still managed to convince us she was dying after about 45 minutes.
The other day she was watching a princess show on the computer and I overheard the characters talking about how beautiful the princess was.
I asked Savannah if she thought it was more important for a girl to be beautiful on the outside or the inside. She really thought about this before answering confidently, "The outside." And before I could launch into a speech added, "Because no one can really see your bones or your muscles."

Open? OPEN!

2011-04-25T07:12:00.000-07:00

Ceilidh and I often walk by the pool to check the mail. For months she has been asking "Open? Open?"
It officially opened a couple of weeks ago, and they are loving it.

Ceilidh is getting braver.
And Savannah's favorite game is still "Tease the Sea Monster."

Summerwood Pond

2011-04-23T20:14:00.000-07:00

I have fallen a bit behind.
My mom stayed a wonderful three weeks and headed home last Saturday. We all miss her and poor Ceilidh keeps wandering around the house looking for her.
On Sunday afternoon, we took the girls to feed the ducks at a little pond close to our apartment.
Ceilidh was THRILLED to be there. She thought everything about this was amazing. That kid just loves everything about life.

I gave the girls a 10 minute presentation on beavers and on how cute they are. I was feeding him bread and was about four feet away from him the entire time. Then, the guy behind me informs me, "Um, that's a rat."
Make a wish.

Here Ceilidh, let's throw some of these pods in the pond.
That. Was. AWESOME!
On the way back to the car the girls found a mama and her babies.

Old Town Spring

2011-04-10T14:22:00.000-07:00

On Friday, while Savannah was on a field trip to the zoo, my mom, Sean, Ceilidh and I headed out to Old Town Spring. It's a Historic 1900's Texas railroad town about 30 min from Houston.
I know what your thinking and yes, Sean was really excited about this.
Most of the cute little stores looked something like this and were packed with adorable breakables and soaps that looked like you should eat them.

That meant we took turns waiting outside with this wiggly puppy.
All of the little old lady shop owners kept saying, "Oh, bring that sweet little doll inside!"
And then they would see Ceilidh scaling up their glass windows out front. They were less encouraging after that.

Sean did finally manage to find a store that interested him. There was a belt buckle just calling his name.

I tried very hard to convince Sean of the wisdom of investing in antique stain glass panels.
But, I think he was still mad that I said no to the beloved belt buckle.
So, I settled for some nice bath soaps and we headed home just in time to pick up Savannah after her zoo field trip.
I asked her how it went and she said "There was A LOT of bird poop there." (This is Savannah talk for "I had a lovely time, mother.")

Tangled

2011-04-06T12:37:00.000-07:00

Since Tuesday, I have seen Tangled about 3,000 times. I found these ribbons at a garage sale and of course had to buy four of them.
My sister left on Monday, and these girls miss each other.

,

True Story*

2011-04-05T08:37:00.000-07:00

*not a true story
"Um, hey Sean. Look, this is awkward and everything, but I am going to have to ask you to put your shirt back on."
"Uh, why? That's sort of rude and I look awesome with these 3 for $10 sunglasses from Walgreens."
"Well, it's just that we have had three complaints already."
"Do you think maybe those people are just jealous?"
"Um, no, I really don't think so."
"So, this is making you miss your husband then?"
"Um, sure, something like that."
"Yeah, there are always all kinds of problems with the ladies when I take my shirt off."
*Also, my husband and sister do not actually talk like two teenagers from an episode of "Pretty White Kids With Problems."
*But the part about the sunglasses being 3 for $10 is true.

Day in Galveston: Part Two

2011-04-04T07:54:00.000-07:00

Stewart's Beach.

The water was surprisingly warm.
We were just going to stop by and let the kids put their feet in...
but they had other plans.
Ceilidh had her shirt off before I shut the car door, when will I learn?

L

Watching these girls together just melts me.

Seriously. As if these two weren't already identical twins. They even walk the exact same way. Look how each one of Ceilidh's limbs are perfect little duplicates.

I cannot get over how the pelicans fly so close to the water.

Day in Galveston: Part One

2011-04-03T16:01:00.000-07:00

Matching outfits? Check.
Matching hair? Check.
Matching expression that say "I'm getting sick of this camera." Check and check.
First stop, Rainforest Cafe. We sat under the gorillas. Some of us were less thrilled about this than others.
Lady Scarlett had this expression on her face anytime she was around Ceilidh. It was a mix of horror, disgust and bizarre fascination. Sort of like passing a train wreck and wanting to look away, but you just can't.

Volcanooooooooooooo!

This Rainforest Cafe had a water ride attached. Savannah was nervous but ready to give it a try. She anxiously checked for gorillas.
Ceilidh is like "Please. You call that a silverback?"
Still a little unsure.
And...it's finally fun.

Indoor Playground

2011-04-03T08:21:00.000-07:00

Cousins!

2011-04-02T19:30:00.000-07:00

My sister Genevieve is in town with her two girls, Mackenzie and Scarlett. Her two girls are almost the exact same ages as my girls, so we have been partying it up.
And, as most 2-4 year old girls, partying it up includes showering together (yes, all four), wearing matching outfits (more pictures to come), and giggling under the blankets until past 10pm.
Ceilidh is supposed to be wearing a matching outfit, but felt the need to wear her pink Kung-Fu Panda shirt instead.

Forty Winks

2011-04-02T19:25:00.000-07:00

And We Are All Going to Be Alright...

2011-03-28T11:08:00.000-07:00

because Nana is back in town.

Time Management

2011-03-24T09:33:00.000-07:00

I had a ton of things I needed to go out and get done this morning, but instead I stayed in my jammies and did this (you are supposed to be admiring the labels).
I think this is sort of like when I was in high school and I was failing trigonometry, so in class I would just write out the problems over and over again, with an expression on my face that looked like I was concentrating.
And in case your wondering, buying more Lunchables was one of those errands.

RO. DE. O.

2011-03-20T18:50:00.000-07:00

This weekend we headed out to the Houston Rodeo and Livestock Show. I have never been around anything like this before, so I was fascinated.
This cow is worth $350,000. Yep you read that right.
We stopped to watch one of the cow judging contests, (I don't know what those are called, I just said I was a city-slicker) and Savannah asked me what they were doing. I knelt down and said "Well, I think they are trying to decide which cow is the nicest."
She replied, "But how can they tell? Aren't all cows are nice and kind to people?"

Petting zoo. Savy handled this much better than I thought. Ceilidh was the one who surprised me by making this face the whole time.

Texas Longhorn.
Ceilidh loved watching the baby chickens hatch. Savannah, on the other hand was horrified when she realized that they are less than pretty when they come out.

This bunny the size of a rug was more to her liking. Then, I took Savannah to ride the ponies. Sean was really impressed that Ceilidh was willing to sit so patiently while we waited in line.
Then he realized Ceilidh had somehow smuggled eye shadow from home, hidden it the whole car ride, and the walk inside the rodeo and petting zoo. She had been carefully applying it to one eye the whole time we were waiting for the pony ride.
Savy loved the ponies.
Next, it was time for some SERIOUS rodeo. We took our seats and prepared for the action.
There he is, out of the chute!
Originally, Savannah told me she wanted to do mutton bustin, but after we were there two minutes she changed her mind. She covered her ears and closed her eyes the whole time.
Shortly after this shot, she was done and wanted to be out of the arena.
Cei loved it and clapped for everyone.
Off to do more farm stuff.
It was a screaming fight to get her off this.

Savannah loved the rides. Ceilidh wasn't big enough for most, so for Savy's last turn, Sean took Ceilidh over the carnival games to burn the last few tickets.
A few minutes later and I saw this. We still aren't quite sure exactly how, but Ceilidh beat out 12 other adults at the water squirt game for this. Really, she was the one at the controls. There was much moaning and grumbling about a two year old stealing the prize, so Sean quietly left.
Then, it was the moment Savannah had been waiting for her whole life.
Or at least that's the way she made it seem. Even before we went to the rodeo, she was talking about how she needed a cowgirl hat. I thought once she saw everything else available, she would change her mind, but at the end of the day, it had to be a hat.
"Purple please."
"Wait, no, no, the pink instead."
"Yes, that's nice, but not quite what I want."
"Um, may I see the purple again please?"
"Do you have a mirror?"
"A little lower please."
"Pink again please."
"Um, I like it, but it is lacking a little something. Any suggestions, sir? I want to be authentic."
"Seriously Savy, just pick one already!"
"That's perfect, I'll take it."

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you a real, live cowgirl.
And on that happy note, we headed home.

Family Home Evening

2011-03-14T18:10:00.001-07:00

It counts.

To Dance or Not to Dance

2011-03-11T18:08:00.000-08:00

In 17 seconds or less you can see the difference between my two girls.

Friday Family Fun Night

2011-03-11T17:21:00.001-08:00

Welcome to Friday Family Fun Night.
Savannah's turn to choose this week.
You can dance on the way.
Or not dance.
Some people prefer not to be asked.
I don't know where she gets that attitude from.
You would think she would smile more, considering all activities that night were her choice.
First stop, glow in the dark miniature golf. We are all excited to play.

Unfortunately, we had some trouble locating our balls after the first stroke. It took both adults to wrestle her down and pry them out of her tight little paws.
It was a challenging environment to take picture in. Most of the shots looked "ghostly."

After golf, a yummy dinner over at Tin Roof BBQ. Are you wondering why my picky five year old chose BBQ?

Yup. Want to guess how much dinner she ate?

Lindsey Lyons Park

2011-03-09T18:19:00.000-08:00

Another beautiful, sunny day in the 70's. Another park to explore. What can I say? Life has been rough lately.
This is a game Savannah likes to call, "I refuse to cooperate in you taking any pictures of me."
I like to call it, "You are going to have nothing but a thousand pictures of your backside when you get older."
Good thing it's a sparkly backside.
Here are four out of 200 not of her backside.

I love it when my babies are too old to crawl, but I catch them having to crawl anyway.

This picture is the whole reason Ceilidh comes to the park. The General climbs to the top of the slide, and then just sits there, pointing and screaming orders at the other kids. She gets really into it. It sounds like German swearing. Really. Spittle comes out and everything.
Eventually, some kid comes up behind her and shoves her down.
A rare, peaceful Ceilidh moment. She loves these swings. And I love a break from the swearing.

One Good Turn Deserves Another

2011-03-04T19:19:00.000-08:00

While playing at the neighborhood park yesterday, I noticed that Savannah was being really kind to a group of younger kids. She patiently pushed them on the tire swing, gently directed them around the park and helped them down the slide.
On the way home, we had this conversation:
Me: Savannah, I am really proud of your behavior at the park. You were really kind to those little kids.
Savy: Yeah.
Me: Do you have a good feeling inside now?
Say: Yep.
Me: That's great, that feeling comes from being kind and doing the right thing.
Savy: Mmmm.
Me: You should continue doing nice things for others, so that you can always feel good inside.
Savy: Um, Ok.
Me: Well, I just want you to know that I am really proud of you right now.
Savy: Ok, mommy.
Then, a slight pause before:
Savy: So...can I have some money for doing that?

You Best Watch Yo Back...

2011-03-04T12:26:00.000-08:00

because we watch A LOT of Kung Fu Panda.

Summerwood Park

2011-03-01T18:57:00.000-08:00

Every Tuesday, I get together with a group of moms, usually at a park because the weather has been gorgeous lately.
It's either Tangled or her shark shirt. We do a lot of laundry.
Ceilidh has figured out how to swing on her tummy.

I'm So Glad When Daddy Comes Home

2011-02-27T11:47:00.000-08:00

Exceptional Senior Citizen

2011-02-24T18:22:00.001-08:00

Sean has been out of town this week, and while I miss him like crazy, not having him home allows me to learn things about myself. I eat what I want, go to bed when I want and spend my down time by myself doing whatever I'd like.
On past trips, I learned things like, I'm still scared of the dark. I like crap TV. And, a lot of the messes I blame Sean for might actually be mine.
The enlightening trend continued this time as I realized I will be (or maybe am) an exceptional senior citizen. This is something I've suspected for quite sometime, but I am sure of it now.
Here are some of the things that tipped me off.

1) I love puzzles. I love them so much that I save them and break them out for special occasions. I get mighty excited when I know I have a long weekend, a snowstorm or Sean has a business trip coming up. And, it gets even more seniorish. I only like a specific brand. And, I collect them. And the kind I collect are all scenes of American bygone days. Bought this beauty the night before Sean left. Grrrrr.

2) I like my dinner early. 6:00, 5:30, 5:00pm? Nope. If I had my way we would eat at 4:30pm everyday. And that's just what I did this week thankyouverymuch.

3) I love writing letters. And I don't mean emails. A good stationary set and a quality pen really get me excited.

4) I love to read and attend the used library book sales. I always have a pile of books on my bedside table, patiently waiting in line for their turn. It makes me happy to see this when I go to bed at night. And yes, now that you ask, those are two containers of nasal spray next to my bed. Bonus points.
5) I have to take a bath every night.

6) I am a total baby about the cold. I am always cold and snapping at Sean to turn off the air. Houston is a good fit for me and the thermostat has been set at a pleasant 80 degrees this week.

7) I LOVE schedules and doing the same thing in the same order everyday. I like eating at the same places and ordering the same thing off the menu. There have been many an ugly meltdown when Sean has suggested dinner at that new place down the road.

8) And speaking of foods, thanks to my IBS, here are some foods I can eat: nothing. Here are foods I can't eat: food. Bland nursing home food and I were made for each other.

9) I LOVE estates sales. Not that I would ever pass up the opportunity to wander around another person's house and go through their things, but throw in the chance at buying an antique and I am all over it. You would not be the first person to comment that my house is like "a museum meets and old folks home." Found this metronome in 100 year old house in Rochester, NY. Nope, I don't play piano. Small details like don't stop me. What does one do with a dance card in 2011? Not sure, but it's mine to refuse Mr. Darcey if I wish.
10) I have spent more than 2 hours in a dollar store. Do you know you can buy a pregnancy test in the dollar store? I have not done this, but it's good to know you can.

I turn 30 this year, and I think I'm ready for it.

Tips For a Successful Family Outing

2011-02-19T15:28:00.000-08:00

1) Pick a place. (Williams Water Wall)
2) The place should be boring enough that you would only visit it once, but must take at least an hour to get there.
3) At least one member of the family must feel like this about the place.
4) Spend at least 10 minutes trying to convince that family member to please walk the 20 feet to have a look at.
5) The family member should then barely agree.
6) Once there, that same person should loudly say over an over "I don't like it."
6) "I still don't like it."
7) "I really don't like it."

8) Next, at least one family member must either get wet, dirty or injured. All three together are also permitted.

9) Then, a family member should try to take off their pants.
10) This helps you know when it's time to leave. Although, you should never spend more time enjoying yourself, than travel time in the car.

I hoped you enjoyed this weeks tips and will join us again next week.

I Seem to See This Face a Lot Lately

2011-02-17T14:38:00.000-08:00

This particular production was because she asked me to put her pants on, and I was dumb enough to walk over and try.

DON'T TOUCH ME!
PUT PANTS ON!
GET AWAY ME!
WANT PANTS ON!
NO!! BACK!! YOU! BACK!
CEI WANT PANTS. WANT PANTS!

Her favorite current game with Sean is when she points to a spot on the floor and asks him to sit there. When he does she screams "NO!" and "STOP!" Then points to a new spot and this repeats itself. Over and over.
Two nights ago, in the middle of our "go look at the kids sleeping so you can remember why you love being a parent" ritual, Sean reached into the crib to stroke Ceilidh's arm. Dead asleep, and without opening her eyes, she snaps "NO!" and slaps his arm. Then rolls over and continues to snore peacefully. Good times.

When Your Reputation Preceeds You

2011-02-13T15:51:00.000-08:00

Here are the girls before we left for church this morning. Notice Senor Shark by Ceilidh's side, as always. Also notice, the plotting look that I so often see in her eyes.
I teach the CTR5 class in the ward. So, after church, Sean picks up Ceilidh from nursery and then joins me in my room, while we wait for the parents to come collect the other kids. Today when he walked in, one of the little girls in my class glanced over and saw Ceilidh. Her eyes immediately got big, she took a small step back and then said "Please don't shark me."

A Day in Downtown Houston

2011-02-05T16:22:00.000-08:00

On Thursday afternoon, Sean called from the office and said that they were sending everyone home early and because of an ice storm on its way. He was also told to work from home on Friday, because Houston was going to shut down for this thing. And shut down they did. This place was a MESS on Friday! Thankfully, it wasn't a big deal for us. We just stayed home and watched a lot of movies and had frozen pizza for a couple of days.
But, by Saturday morning, we had all started suspiciously eying each other like castaways stranded on a deserted island, so I decided it was time to get out of the house before we evolved into a full blown Lord of the Flies situation.
We started off the day with the Children's Museum of Houston. We still haven't found a museum that beats the one in Rochester, but this one had lots of fun to experience.

First thing, the girls found face paint crayons and went to town.

Savy loved these climbing nets.
In the last two days, Savy has suddenly started wearing pants. This really surprised me since she loves tights and looks forward to wearing them everyday. Then, today I realized she is still wearing tights, she is just wearing them under her sweats.

We all built Lego cars to race down the steep track.

Ceilidh watched her car go down with a little too much interest.
I managed to catch her just before she slid down head first.
We started to get hungry, and left for The Galleria. The Galleria is the 4th largest mall in the nation and the largest in Texas. It has an indoor ice skating rink in the center of the action, two hotels, and 375 stores and restaurants. And they are amazing stores and restaurants. I drooled on the beautiful, heaven-blue, awning covered windows of Tiffany's until the security guard became concerned, and then continued walking by Cartier, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Saks Fifth Avenue among others, before arriving at Rainforest Cafe and refocusing my attention on lunch.
The girls loved Rainforest Cafe. They sat us right next to the tigers and Ceilidh went nuts trying to love them. They even tolerated the thunder storm and of course enjoyed the chocolate cake with the sparkler in it. Savy let everyone know not to eat the firework.

100th Day of School

2011-02-03T05:58:00.000-08:00

Savy has been waiting for this day for weeks. She meticulously stuck 100 stickers onto her shirt and enjoyed coloring her hat and glasses, so I was surprised when she arrived home yesterday in a sour mood. When I asked her how the parade went and scrunched up her face in disgust. "It wasn't even a parade," she said. "all we did was walk in a line through the hallways for the other classes to see."
I'll have to talk to her teacher about getting her a private parade float she can wave atop next year.

Candyland and Cookies

2011-01-31T05:55:00.000-08:00

There were some players.
And some ground rules to establish.
And some fingers to lick.
And maybe some cheating.
And water breaks for the athletes.
And some winners.
And some toes for snacking.
And some cuteness.
And more cuteness.
And some love.

Sleeping on Buses, Age Appropriate Hair, Large Sleepovers and People Who Are NOT Babies.

2011-01-27T13:33:00.000-08:00

Whew! Well this is long over due, but we are alive and kicking in Houston and here is what we are all up to.
Sean:

For the first in time in 9 years Sean is NOT working in a lab. This 9 month rotation is smack in the middle of down town in a high rise. He is doing a marketing rotation and kind of works like translator. He helps translate science speak into business speak. Every thing is going really well, except the part where he doesn't speak this type of science or any business.
The hours are looooooong. Combine with the long commute and the fact that he is working a 9/80, he is gone before the sun and get home just in time for dinner. Alright, all of you med student wives, stop laughing, it's long to ME!
He is really concerned with reducing his carbon footprint, and takes the express commuter bus to work every day. Oh, wait maybe it's the extra hour of sleep he gets on the bus he's concerned about.
He loves having every other Friday off, and often just says to his wife "Can I spend the whole day cleaning something for you?"* (*as in other posts, some of these details may be fabricated)
In May, we will start the process of picking a permanent (or as permanent as we get) position. We have narrowed it down to somewhere on the earth.

Muah:

Starting to get settled in. I feel like there is always this rough adjustment period where you are doing every thing wrong. Like it should be obvious what the EXACT driving procedure is for picking up your kid after school, in that spaghetti bowl of mass chaos called an elementary school parking lot.
The kids still keep me crazy busy. I was talking to one of my new friends on Sunday, and referring to kids, he said "You know, 3 is the new 6." Buddy, that is our new family motto. And it explains why it feels like I have 5 kids.
As with all the places we have lived, I created a calendar of things I want to do before we leave. With Houston being so big, I don't think we'll even get close, but it's fun to have a list of things to look forward to.
I got a new camera for Christmas and have been majorly humbled and busy trying to figure out how the heck to work it.
Still trying to keep up with reading. As usual, I am at least two years behind what is cool to be reading, but lately I have enjoyed, The Help, Beyond Time Out, The Girl With the Glass Feet, Loving Frank and The Historain, along with a long list of young adult books I am about 10 years too old to be reading. Ok, ok, more like 15 years too old.
And speaking of things that are not age appropriate, just got my hair highlighted or should I say "rocker streaked", by someone a few years older than Savy. And, I got to pay $150 for it. Don't worry, right after, I marched myself down to Walmart and bought some awesome Hannah Montana clothes to go with it.
I have also been making a list of the differences between the states we have lived in so far (for a future blog post). 'Cause, I think living somewhere for a few months entitles you to make snap judgments and perpetuate ridiculous stereotypes, wouldn't you agree?

Sassy:

Savannah LOVES her new school. On the first day, her teacher paired her up with two outgoing girls to help her transition, but now apparently these three girls rule the school. And do you know how I know? Because I took her to a playground and a 2nd grader said "hi" to her. Yeah, that's right, a 2nd grader knows her name.
She has mentioned a few times that this school is a lot easier than her old school. They only have half days here, no homework, and they seem to do a lot of crafts and playing. I'm not sure how to feel about this, but she sure comes home happy.
One thing that concerns her though, is everyday they mark a calendar in her folder with a smiley face if she was well-behaved that day. She has become obsessed with seeing this smiley everyday before she will do anything else. Sean and I have tried to de-emphasize this, and we told her that we had days growing up when we received frowny faces and it's fine. She looked at us like we were total pariahs, and said "Oh, well, I don't get those."
Yesterday, she came home with a long list of names on it. I asked her if these were all the kids in her class or all the friends she had made so far, and she causally replied, "Oh, no, those are all the kids I invited over for my sleepover tonight."
We let her paint her room and she chose purple.
We got in this HUGE fight the other day, because she was trying to convince me that Sean worked harder, because he couldn't "just stay home" for his job and his job gave him money. After tirelessly arguing my side, I finally said, "You know what, one day you will be a mom and you will call me and say 'mom, you were right, this is the hardest job ever.'" And she shot back, "One day, I will be a mom and I will call you and say 'Wow, this is really easy, easier than I thought.'"
Ceilidh pronounces her name "sassy" and I think it suits her.

The Shark:

Ceilidh's current response to everything is "NOT a baby!" This clearly and loudly explains why she can't sit in a high chair, can check out her own library books and is entitled to all the same privileges as other members of the family.
She adores ants (calls them Eeeeee's) and could follow one around all day.
She loves scary movies. Every time there is scary part she get this HUGE smile on her face and says "Ooooh scawy, scawy!"
We took her in for her two year old check up and found out we are failing miserably as her parents. He was spouting off this long list of things I need to change, and all I could think was "Buddy, yesterday, I stopped her from drinking a bottle of liquid allergy medicine that she scaled up 5 shelves to find and bit off the child-proof cap to drink, which she then tried to claw my eyes out for taking. If YOU want to take away her chocolate milk, be my guest."
She asks for candy for breakfast EVERY morning. She asks it as if it just occurred to her. Then, total shock when I say "no." Then, she asks again the next day. I have never once said yes to this. Which, that jerk of doctor didn't seem to give me any credit for.
She has to have music on in the car.
We read No David, at least three times everyday. And, she delights in screaming "NO!" at him on every page.

Houston Temple

2011-01-22T16:45:00.000-08:00

One. ONE. ONE M &M!

2011-01-21T17:18:00.000-08:00

After School

2011-01-21T12:42:00.001-08:00

For better or worse, (usually worse if you are opposed to high pitched squealing), the girls are all over each other when Savannah gets home from school.
Most days Savannah immediately organizes some kind of activity and Ceilidh tries very hard not to wiggle too much. Savy has pretty high standard when it comes to fidgeting and is not above kicking Ceilidh out.
Ceilidh, sit still and I won't have to boot you from the fun.
Savy, you know I'm not a trouble maker. The three times I sharked you yesterday were a total accident.

At Least it Wasn't With a Handcart

2011-01-17T13:45:00.000-08:00

This huge map (5x7 ft), doesn't just hang above our dining room table because I'm a classy decorator. The black lines represent everywhere Sean and I have driven since we have been married.
In 2010, we drove over 5,000 miles due to moves and other road trips. 3000 miles in the month of December alone.
Sometimes during dinner, I sit and stare and think about the strange turns that my life has taken since I have been married. When we were first married, I had our whole lives worked out (wasn't that nice of me to do that for Sean too?), and it did not involve gallivanting all over the country like a couple of hippies.
It has been a wild, fun ride though and I am grateful for all of the parts of this beautiful country I have been privileged to see.
Sean's next position will start in the beginning of September, and I often think of where we are headed next. Maybe we'll start some dart throwing at dinner time...

Wrap it Up

2011-01-10T18:11:00.000-08:00

OK, OK, I know you guys just want me to post a MILLON more pictures of New Mexico, but I have to wrap it up sometime. I have an equally as thrilling Houston update I need to publish after this.
Here are my favorite shots of the many loved ones we are blessed enough to call family. I wish I had one of everyone, but still want to post the ones I did get. Sean says maybe the rest of you should work on being more photogenic (SEAN SAID THIS, I WOULD NEVER SAY SOMETHING THAT RUDE).

We love and miss everyone already. Thanks again to everyone for being accommodating to our schedules and as always making us feel so loved.

Tamaya Resort

2011-01-10T17:42:00.000-08:00

The week after Christmas, we met my parents and brother out at the Tamaya Resort for lunch. After we ate, we walked the beautiful grounds a bit.

Then, we enjoyed some delicious dessert in the lounge.

Every year the chef creates these gingerbread houses to view. "View" was the part Ceilidh struggled with.

Sisters: there for you...

2011-01-10T17:33:00.000-08:00

whether you want them there or not. The older the girls get, the more I love to watch them interact.