We got a new car...

Dec 27, 2013

Chris and I bought Scarlett a old Victorian doll house with amazing solid wood furniture, and we were quickly out gifted with this...

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My parents walked into the house on Christmas morning with a monstrous box.  I was secretly hoping it was a play set for our concrete jungle, but when I asked Scarlett what she thought it was she whispered, "maybe it is a car" and immediately, I knew she was right.  Being the first grandchild she has seen plenty of spoiling in her four years...but I think this takes the cake.  


Merry Christmas...

Dec 25, 2013

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Hair on the counter...

Dec 24, 2013

Dominic was quickly tip toeing into a full on mullet, so in an effort to stop the progression from cute kid to European hipster, I gave him a trim on a whim. (I kept the wings because I couldn't manage to part with their cuteness.)

Funny how cutting a quarter inch of hair can transform any kid from baby to big boy (or girl).

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Earlier and earlier...

Dec 19, 2013

Every year we seem to start our Christmas tree shopping earlier and earlier.  The excitement buzzing around our house grows on the same curve as our children.

This year we bought our tree just after Scarlett's birthday, and after a full week of a little ribbon here and an ornament thrown right there, it was officially Christmas season in a tiny corner of our home.

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Dominic got to help this year and it could quite possibly have been the cutest thing I have seen in the month of December.  After his first and immediate attempt at de-lighting the tree, I was fearful of our choice to have one at all, but he has been extremely gracious with his exploration and we have only had to suffer one plastic ornament casualty.  So far so good. 


Makeshift Los Padres 21.5

Dec 17, 2013

Last Saturday we were scheduled to attend Los Padres supper club number 22, unfortunately we received a call that morning saying the hosts had the flu and dinner was cancelled.  We all shed a tear or two, put away our formal dresses and moved on.  Until, Chris talked to my Chef brother in law, invited him to cook us dinner, and informal Los Padres 21.5 was born.

The girls put on their slightly less formal dinner wear and the boys slapped on a tie and coat and dinner was served.  It was really a perfect evening.  We laughed, drank, ate and stayed up way too late for our early morning kid call.

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Scarlett tells a story...

Dec 16, 2013





Sometimes when Mommy is tired...

Dec 12, 2013

The kids know it and use it to their advantage.

We have this terrible dirt garden in our sun room.  It is awful because the kids LOVE it!  Dominic and Scarlett will literally spend hours digging in the dirt and I spend hours trying to get them clean again.   When I am tired or having a "do whatever you want" sort of day, they take advantage of their backyard dirt pit freedom and I read a book.  It is a win win sort of break from the norm, where I spend the day trying to think of things to do and they spend the day trying to think of things they shouldn't do. 

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So so close...

Dec 11, 2013






Happy happy birthday

Dec 10, 2013

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Scarlett today you turn 4.  This morning you accidentally ripped down one of the balloons we had hanging from the ceiling and proceeded to purposefully rip the remaining three, then dragged them, running around the house for the rest of the morning proclaiming "come on doggies, let's go".   The amount of time you spend, caught up in your imagination, never fails to amaze. 

You no longer fit perfectly nestled into my arms and this morning you told me "just a minute" when I asked for a kiss.  These two things are sorely unacceptable in our home, and will be punishable by a serious case of tickle torture.
 
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You are a little lady who refuses to tame her wild child hair and you dress yourself in polka dots and flowers, then add an extra skirt for good measure.

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You demand all of my time and attention at every moment of the day, but I can not blame anyone else for that, I made you that way by demanding your time and attention first.

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You still twirl your hair in the name of comfort, only now it is your own, twirled into knots that spring out the top of your head.

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You are my baby.  My little girl.  You continue to teach me to look beyond myself and reach into the mind of others.  You point out my weaknesses by being a pure reflection of my actions.  I watch you watch me and want to be a better mother, a better wife, and a better person. I pray that you continue to grow little girl, only maybe just a little bit slower. 

Happy 4th!  I love you a bushel and a peck.