Butterfly update

New Pictures... a month late!

Sorry that I have not been posting pictures for a long time. I just uploaded pictures from our camera and realized that I have not posted anything from Christmas! So here is a little picture collage of the past month.

Our Advent Calendar, count down to Christmas, was this wagon filled with all our Winter and Christmas books. We wrapped them up and each day the kids got to unwrap one and then count how many were left, and that's how many days left until Christmas. Owen kept dumping out the books and then getting in the wagon.


Matching train hats from grandparents. Marin got hers last year and Owen got his this year.

Learning to open gifts this year.

Heading out to Christmas Eve service.

Owen learns his greatest trick upon Aunt Lizzy mailing us cookies. After he ate one and then realized they were left on the counter we would find him scooting his high chair out of the dining room and into the kitchen to sneak cookies. I think he ate every single cookie she sent us!


The Christmas outfit I made Marin. Although she didn't want to wear it on Christmas day... I still try not to grit my teeth about that one.


Then we head to the beach for a few days. Todd and Marin love visiting college campuses...

especially really old beautiful ones.


Even if its cold you can never resist getting your toes in the sand and gathering a few shells.


Owen likes to chase the Seagulls, and gets mad if they don't come back.


Sweet boy! We just love him in overalls with his red shoes. I never thought little red shoes would make me so giddy.



Siblings eating at our favorite breakfast nook. Bring on the cinnamon rolls!

Christmas Time

You know you live in a warm state when your neighbor brings you FIVE chrysalis' to "babysit" while he is gone. Yep he brought them over yesterday, 3 were still caterpillars, and two were bright green chrysalis'. Then we left it unwatched for about 20 minutes and came back and two more had changed into those little green cocoons. Then this evening the fifth decided it was time to go into his little shimmery green house. I will try to capture some pictures of them.

At least Marin and Owen have some snow in their room!

Mornings

Owen likes to eat cereal for breakfast.

The Green Jammies

Some days its just nice to stay in your P.J.'s. Owen likes to stay in his until after preschool drop off some days.

Some Christmas Things

Hey what's under that tree?

Going for a carriage ride to see downtown decorated

Bundle up its chilly...

Preparing the manger for the arrival of Jesus! Each day we add a little straw when we do our advent readings.

Waiting for Daddy to come home, and wishing his vacation started sooner.

Fun Things

I have been sewing again. I made a few things for the kids this weekend...
Owen's monster shirt and Marin some corduroy pants.

And a penguin with a Christmas hat on...

And a rainbow, and they are both tired of me taking pictures

Our little monster giving us his cranky monster face!

Halloween and other events

Marin has read through Pippi Longstockings twice now (well we read it to her, first with me and second with Todd) and has been set on being her for Halloween. She mainly wanted to be her because she's naughty, and gets away with all sorts of things.

Owen was just a chocolate face

Although the day after Halloween he wore his Christmas jammies with fairy wings. So maybe that was his costume? He never can decide, but he does love accessories (wait until you see his monster hat! He of course loves it)

We made a trip to the coast last weekend, it was cold and windy, and they both had runny noses, but we were on a mission to see some old friends.

And you all know I just can never get enough pictures of the kids on boardwalks on their way to the sand.

And this is the monster hat. He loves it, and so do we.

Sing A Song

A good friend of ours gave us this wonderful little toy (which I say with my teeth clinched) its called a "MagicMic". Mic is short for microphone! Yes that pink mic Marin is holding is a MagicMic. Its got a spring in it that makes your voice REALLY LOUD!

The kids sing to each other for HOURS!

Owen sometimes sings alone... If your family does not have one of these you just let me know and I'll make sure you get one. Its a wonderful toy to have... (if you want to loose your mind, and laugh your head off at the same time)

Kids Songs You Will Love

One of my friends posted on her Facebook page that she was looking for new kids music. And I told her what we like. But then I went to YouTube to see if there were any samples of it and guess what, there were... because there always is stuff like that on YouTube. So I wanted to put some of them here for you. Enjoy!






Tricycle by Frances England



also by F.E. Daddy-O one of our very favorites!



Lisa Lob and Elizabeth Mitchell (also check out Little Liza Jane by E.M totally wonderful song)



Katie Herzig sings Forevermore!



Feist sings on Sesame Street!

Of course our daughters current favorite is Wilco's Misunderstood! She sings the "nothin' at all" part at the top of her lungs, and can never get enough of it. The other day she announced she wanted to mail the band a letter to let them know how much she loved the song. I might make her type it on her typewriter if she's serious.

New Walls

Sorry I haven't posted anything in a while. Owning a house that is getting "some" work done is actually a lot of work. So this is what we have: an enclosed garage that was not enclosed properly... seriously Marin could have kicked it down, and the rain tried a few times and got close. So we ripped it out and put in a proper one... well we didn't Rob did, the contractor.

And a new window! Its such a great window. And a great wall. And kids couldn't kick it down, or neighbors I suppose.


This is almost done. You have to wait to see what it looks like with added insulation and blue-board and spackling and paint.

In the meantime Owen got eaten by an alligator,

And he is learning how to eat his own yogurt... he doesn't want any help, none at all!

More to come on the wall and stories from preschool adventures.

A Wagon, a Window, and a Wall

The life and times of Owen, or just one hour of time...

I like looking out the window, standing on books, in a wagon... sometime I wave at the people walking by.


hmmm now I like to turn on the dishwasher... and lug around an empty box with a rope handle

this is a fun game I like to call, find the hidden chalk and draw on the walls...


See here people I am a really good artist... I call this one, "Multi-colored sticks"

then I take a few books out of the wagon and spend some time blowing on a kazoo looking out the window... I'm also keeping an eye on the neighborhood.

Want to know what really upsets Owen?

Owen is wanting more chocolate chips...I would imagine this is how Todd behaved as a baby when he wanted more chocolate chips.

Summer Sleep Over

What is that sticking out from that "tent", are those little toes?

What is that sticking out the top of the "tent"? Is that a hand and red hair?

Oh Marin is having a sleep over, a camping night in her room. Ahhh Summer reading in a tent until you fall asleep. Could there be anything sweeter than reading your self to sleep?

Well he can't read, but he sure is sweet. Little sleepy boy. He decided to stay in his bed he wasn't into sleeping in the tent.

Its always nice to take your blankie where ever you go in case you need to make a tent and take a nap. Owen is in love with his blankie and it does go everywhere with him.