Highlights –
* Another Starbucks run – seriously – you are climbing up the slide the wrong way with a starbucks coffee cup in one hand – what is that?!?
* Tree climbing (a DEFINITE hit with you!!) and swinging
* Bike riding, skating, driving a car for your first time, and cheerleading by you, Lizzy and me
* A trip to Microsoft campus – Auntie Amy records a video and we play in “Lake Bill” with the fishies (dabbling our toes and somehow getting drenched)
* A conference phone call with Oma & Opa and another chat with Uncle Mark
* Getting our toes painted and a bit of shopping
* A Strande fashion show – announcer Miss Elisa and YOU were the model (I kept expecting the pig to come around the corner dressed up 😉 )
* Hot tub and baths

Amy and I looked at each other all day commenting on how blessed we are to have such wonderful kids!! You and Lizzy are playing together so beautifully! Tonight you asked to sleep in the same room.

Getting there….

On our flight to Seattle, the pilot and co-pilot on our JET BLUE flight (I LOVE Jet Blue) welcomed Maya and me into their cockpit – had us sit down in the driver’s seat – and the co-pilot, who is also an amateur photographer, took great pride in framing these shots.

We started our first morning of our trip with a pajama trip to Starbucks (how wonderfully cliché) – and even Lizzie and Maya got little hot cocoa’s.

The day was fun and packed with Toy Story 3, lots of play, Lizzie & Maya’s magic tricks, time with Arthur, Natalie, Jennifer and Everitt (who we haven’t seen for 5 years!!) – who, by the way all loved the iPad, and lots of fun hanging out!! I SOOO enjoyed getting to know Natalie – and getting reconnected with the whole family – Jennifer & Everitt are such GREAT young people!!

Amy, Hakon and I ended the day relaxing in the hot tub…

What a special time!

Enjoy the picts!

i just wrote a lot for the first time from my iPad for your blog and lost it – let’s try a short post to see if this works…

It DID work – I think the first time I must have forgotten to hit SAVE. Bummer.

All I really said was this new toy of mine is SOOOO sweet. It is the perfect size for me to create interesting things, read documents online (my phone was far too small for that), do email faster and easier than my laptop. This things has tools on it that make my life easier – and the resolution is SOOOO sweet that it is even fun to look at the weather forecast. I loaded it with games and books for you, dan and mad – you all love it! (Like me)

I fall asleep to the sound of a camp fire and crickets made my one app. Totally cracks me up.

And I downloaded the COOLEST ASL translator app today that will help you and me as we continue to work on learning sign language (you have been really interested in that lately).

So Fun!! I cannot even imagine what will be designed and created by the time you grow up. I am so unbelievably grateful that I get to be with you for the long haul!! What amazing adventures you will have!!

I love you Beautiful!
Your Mama

let’s see – I want to try your new blog format – and there are about a million things I wish I had written down for you, so let’s see if, in my tired state, I can remember any of them 😉

funny story:
We were at a very loud restaurant Saturday night (mad, dan, you, me, daddy jim, daddy’s best friend dave, and our friend christine). You and I were sitting on one side of the table hanging out. You said, “Mom, let’s have a staring contest.” So we did… and laughed and laughed and laughed. Sometimes I won, sometimes you won. Once when you won, you looked across the table and excitedly told Daddy Jim, “I won! I won!!” He yelled back to you (so you could hear), “What did you win sweetheart?!?” “A staring contest with Mama!!”

He looked truly perplexed and yelled back,
“A Scary Cow Test?!?!?!”

We both immediately CRACKED up laughing, looked at each other and broke out in the meanest looking and sounding MOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! toward each other that we could come up with!!! Then we laughed so hard our sides split!!!! It took us many rounds of Scary Cow Test and laughter before we could breath enough to explain to Daddy Jim.

How fun!!

Started slowly with a lot of snuggles and giggles in bed… Then we watched two “Peeps” together. We really watched them together – I listened and we laughed together and commented and questioned together. Quack cracks me up!!! So “always confident, rarely correct.” He’s a trip!!

Our family has started measuring time in “Peeps” by the way. You’ll say how long is 3 hours? We’ll answer 6 “Peeps.” You’ll ask, “How long till where there?” We’ll answer, “3 Peeps.” It’s all quite comical.

Pictures from Peep-Watching

The following picture says it all – a very common image of our dining room table with your artwork on one end and my something-else work on the other end… Today it was 5 loads of laundry and going through all of your size 4 clothes and replacing them with size 5 summer clothes.

Then we went to shop for your friend Marlie’s birthday present, and stopped for a picnic at this fun bench along the way. Before we ate, we decorated Marlie’s gift bag with some of our original art. These benches are popping up all over Brighton – I wonder what the back story is…. Very fun!!

Picnic Pictures

Then onto Marlie’s belated birthday party… So many of your old friends from Asbury were there – Else, Natalie, Jaydon, Raine, Missy… It was a good time.

A few pictures from Marlie’s party

(You took the next picture)

(We did a lot of bouncing together – I’m pretty sure I was the only parent bouncing – what an honor…)

After the party, we changed clothes in the back seat together and headed out for a hike with Casey and her parents – I’ve told you this many times, but Casey’s Mom and I have been friends since prenatal yoga. We were all in the same “play group” for the first 2+ years of your life. It’s so fun that we have reconnected through Cobblestone! After our hike and some good tree-climbing, we went to their house for dinner and strawberry shortcake! : )

Some pictures from the park:

A quick snack, bath, teeth-brushing, book and chat with Daddy Jim, and you were out (me too almost… I’m struggling to stay awake to write this post, but I promised Daddy Jim he could keep tabs on us while he is away through your blog…)

As I told you Baby – Life with you is SOOOO MUCH FUN!!!

Maya: “what is this Mama, and why is it here?” (referring to the ironing board and iron that she is never seen in her entire 5 years of life)

Back when I was sick last Oct/Nov (with the swine flu – so really sick) and you, Madeline & Daniel weren’t allowed near me, you and Madeline made me a book. It was so sweet – you were so caring and loving. Check it out:

Me

Daddy Jim

Madeline’s self portrait

Daniel

Maya

Our family

And some drawings by you:

*******************
Some other artwork I love:

Maya’s self portrait back in October

“Daniel and me sledding down the hill”

The nativity you made in January

Rainbow and Birds

An article authored by Madeline Hannah

Jimmiqua, you and I and, of course, your doggie Macy (who is now 9 years old) headed to Ellison Park for the day sometime around November 15th… She took all of these wonderful pictures of you – Thanks
Jimmiqua! Highlights: tree climbing, trail blazing, watching Macy swim, and of course – the sand hill. Always so much fun… definitely one of our favorite parks!

Thanks Jo Ann – you’re the BEST!!!

Not only did you get to help sell tickets, you got to go up to the control room and start the movie!! You were so excited – talked about it for weeks…

(Back in September I think…)

we had some very treasured time on Wednesday –

it was just you and me as Daddy Jim was on a work trip.

we came home from school, and I had invited you to help me make dinner. We got out of the car and the outdoors sucked you in!

“Mama, play with me outside.”

“I have to start dinner, Baby. It’s 6 o’clock.”

“Come on, Mama – for just 10 minutes?!?!?”

I start to remind you of my grown-up responsibilities, thinking about how you might melt down if you don’t eat soon, but you were so convincing…

Long story short, we laid down next to each other in the grass and watch the clouds roll by. We named the clouds with familiar shapes and giggled hard. What a treasured moment….

Thank you Peanut. I love how you show me so many things I would otherwise miss… And you don’t just help me notice, you help me treasure.