2 more days...

until orum comes home! these 3--well probably 2. i doubt hazel knows the difference--are SOOO excited! mimi has been here for the most part, but is leaving tomorrow. that just leaves about a day and a half of craziness. they started out good, but have quickly escalated! i for one am tired of hearing, "where's daddy?" and "i want daddy!"

i think i'll be cashing in a lot of my mother's day coupons...like a 3 hour uninterrupted nap, a morning to sleep in, and a pedicure just to name a few.

still going strong...

oh, how i LOVE my stroller! i can't believe that the little one is big enough to sit up in the back, and that the little boy in the front is SO grown up! i won't even start on the little girl in the sunglasses. i'm starting to feel OLD.

first day, last day...

preschool has ended, and summer has officially begun. i can hardly believe that preschool is over for this little girl! this was her 3rd year, so it kind of seemed like it would last forever! she may still be one of the tiny ones in her class, but she certainly looks older to me. looking at this picture, i realize that some things never change like sleepy eyes and messy school hair. {she had a cute flower on her ponytail, i promise!}

she has enjoyed this year and has learned A LOT! things i didn't know, well let's just say don't remember--like Lincoln was the 16th president. She got a $5 bill in one of her birthday cards, and she exclaimed, "It's the 16th president!" orum and i looked at each other and asked, "really?" we didn't know, so we assumed she was right. she was. she can also name all 50 states. she can put together a 100 piece puzzle like nobody's business. she can say lots of cute things in french. she can use a computer. she has made some fabulous masterpieces in art. she has learned to read. she has started doing some math, and SO much more! she doesn't ever give us a daily report of school, but she constantly surprises us when she tells us days or weeks later! she is definitely SMART and has the craziest memory of any child i know! she remembers and talks about things from when we lived in utah! {we moved right after she turned 2!...yes, crazy i tell you!}to celebrate the summer, they had a luau on the last day. they had lots of fun inflatables and water slides, relays, treats, and even a dance party...here she is with one of her teachers--ms. nehrbass
there was a different station for each activity, but all the parents thought it was odd that the dance party was in the chapel. i have to agree. maybe mary likes to see little girls dancing to hannah montana and the jo bros? these little girls were hilarious. i wish i had had a video camera! who knew that 4/5 year olds knew how to dance. one little girl was seriously breaking!
here's a few from her class...this is pre-danceparty. see the little girl with the ice on her head? she obviously, wasn't too injured because she was the one doing her thang on the floor!
oh, and notice the matching headbands? i told you they were all obsessed with them! happy summer to us. now we {she} just have to work on sleeping in again!

little girls....

I checked Renée out of school one day last week. They were in the play yard. I was happy to see that Renée is not the only one obsessed with the "mulch." She LOVES it, even though she's fully aware that it's old tires that have been shredded.There were 2 huddles of girls in the mulch....she was in the huddle trying to catch a beetle that was trying its best to hide in the mulch and the other was building a "mulch castle"--there were other materials involved...sticks, sand, and grass, but it was called a mulch castle. {it's what they are all huddled around in the picture}

I was trying to get Renée to leave, but she was consumed with the beetle. I suggested that they get the beetle and let him live in the mulch castle. The girls all cheered, and thought that I was awesome! So we found a paper cup, scooped him up, and took him to his new palace. He walked around and then climbed up the stick...and flew away. All the girls screamed and ran. It was SO funny...I guess they weren't as brave as they thought they were!

determination or obsession?

i don't know, but this little baby does her best to watch tv!

another dress...

another child on the front steps. they had better enjoy those steps now, because soon it will be too hot to even want to go outside! for now we will enjoy our 80° spring days!
dress tutorial found here.

elijah and his paint...

i am elijah.
i am 3.
i am a city child.
i live in a house on the very bottom floor.


this is my paint.
it is fun, but very messy.
here is what i like: painting on the steps.
here is what i do not like: messy fingers.
this is hazel.
she is my sister.
she likes to watch me do fun things.

and when i am done i play my guitar.
ooooooooo,
she absolutely loves to hear me play!


{while i was watching him paint outside, i realized he is a "city child!" no backyard, or front yard for that matter, to get messy in--so he sits on the steps. he is a city child just like eloise. he loves those books. renee is pretty much over them. i wonder if it's from hearing us read them to renee when he was a baby? and speaking of baby...this is him last june...his last attempt at finger painting. he was actually using paint pens, but it quickly turned into finger painting. in fact, i remember cleaning little black footprints off my kitchen floor! i guess painting outside has its perks!}
he was so little, cute and silly...with a lot less attitude!

f is for...

5 months!
and a few of her favorite things...feet, fingers, and flowers!
I can not believe my little baby is already 5 months! she has definitely grown up too fast...i think even faster than the other 2. she's still cute & sweet, but she's getting oh so big!

new things...

Elijah found these in the dollar spot at target, and asked SO sweetly for them. He was such a good boy that he got to buy them. He held them tightly until we got home. When we walked in the door, he immediately started playing with them. He took them all out of the bag for an in initial inspection, and then brought them into the kitchen to play.
first on the table, and then on the floor.

he then insisted that i take a picture of these 3. i guess because there's a man down. don't ask me i don't get all these boy games! orum would be so proud!
{and please excuse my dirty floors! of course he chose to play on the really grungy part of the wood floor. and by the broken noodles on the kitchen floor. they are now clean...at least for the moment}

the rehearsal...

so today was Renée's recital rehearsal {recital is tomorrow}...i'm sure not many of you care too much about it, but orum does, or at least he SHOULD! :) {he's in costa rica for 16 days--he says it's for school, but it sure sounds like a vacation to me! LUCKY!}
and warning...there will be ranting! first of all, we chose this studio because they taught ballet and tap for her age group on a day other than Saturday morning. after the fact, i found out that each class does one dance--ballet or tap at recital AND there are NO costumes! you wear your own. well, we had to get one with "diamonds" and so far only minimal complaints! their class is doing ballet; although, Renée was sad because the other class of younger girls is dancing to "part of your world" from the little mermaid...only her "favorite princess ever!" she was very upset. she said, "this is the second recital that someone danced to that and it wasn't my class!" {seriously, she is like an elephant...she NEVER forgets!}

i must say, she was quite adorable on stage! she acts like a pro, but they didn't even have the girls lined up by height!!! it was like they said, go stand wherever you want. of course, Renée would choose the end. smart child realizes that the end gets to be the leader! so far she is 3 for 3!

so the theme is 80s. they danced to "time after time" REALLY?! the other class gets a sweet Disney song, and they get that!? if the other class doesn't have to have an 80s song, why do they?

oh how we miss Ms. Linda right now! did she spoil me? is this really how most recitals are? if so...i'm sorry. i miss the costumes, the excitement, the dances, and even the chaos! i mean who has EVER heard of recital on a school night!? only 2 more years Renée! But not to worry too much...she's too young to notice. and I've kept my complaining to myself, or at least not to her. and Ducky got to come too...in a matching pink tutu or course!
and...
i'm sure she doesn't want me to reveal her age, but here's a hint...this happens to be img_0271 {seriously it is!} we ♥ you!

saturday night live...2 weeks ago...

do all funerals turn into parties...or just in our family? well, this party started out nice and quiet. aunt diane helped elijah play the violin. i'm not sure where he learned about violins-maybe from little einstiens, but he's been asking us to buy him one for months! he was quite pleased with himself. he learned how to hold the bow and how to make high and low notes. pretty successful for a first lesson, and so far it seems to have cured his need to have one.
elizabeth got some baby practice in with hazel! i guess this could be hazel and aloysia's first picture together! they are going to be best friends...which is exciting for me, since i never had any cousins my age! by the time they start school, we should all be living in the same town!:)
after all that violin practice...it was time for a movie. {with the new found jiminy the cricket in hand} most of the family went to see the late show at tinseltown, but elijah had a private showing of 101 dalmatians... and when they returned...some people {ashley} read
some people cooked {lauren, cindy, and aunt marion} don't they look happy!:)
and someone played on the computer.
but all that quiet didn't last long...it soon esclated when gerald brought out the guitar. orum felt left out and decided to pretend.
these 2 just watched...
hazel was SOOO tired, but wasn't going to miss out on her first late night party!
"ZOMBIE" was soon heard throughout the house...and brought people down the stairs...
first this curious little girl
and then sarah katherine. she was sleeping, and i don't think she was too happy to hear loud music {oops!} it was only a little after 1 am, why was she sleeping anyway!?
and the readers, through it all...just kept on reading!