Snow?

Well, not really, but it was enough to close all the schools in the area and my kids, being snow deprived all of their lives, just had to get out in it. I bundled them up, sent the pup out with them, and enjoyed a few uninterrupted minutes at the computer (Riley was watching them out the door).

We made the puppy a little purple fleece coat (which she is already outgrowing!)

Landon can barely move. Once his gloves got wet, he wanted to come back inside.

Riley watching out the door. Notice his wild hair...it will lay down if you wet it.

Cowboy Riley

Landon and Zoe

Puppy power!

I had one more Christmas present...

She's a six week old mixed breed--mom is definitely a yorkiepoo (we've joked that she's a "purebred" yorkiepoo) and dad is part Jack Russell (and who knows what else). Her hair is longish, but not fluffy (feels soft and silky) and she had white on her neck and feet. She has the square jaw of a yorkie and the stance of a jack russell. She's a little sweetheart, but she cried all night last night. I was really worried until I realized that she must have been hungry, poor thing. We picked her up around 7 last night and I assumed (but should have asked!) that she had already been fed. She was fine as long as we'd hold her, but if we tried to kennel her to go to bed she'd cry. So she spent a lonely night in the doggie dungeon (the utility room) and had a totally different disposition after breakfast this morning. She's in need of a bath and a vet check (which we are planning to do Saturday) but she seems healthy and happy.

We've named her Zoe. The kids are in love. Riley can exactly mimic her yelping and so it sounds like we have two puppies when they get going. Kenna is being a big help--feeding and taking her outside--and wants to be with her constantly. She wraps her up (because she's cold Mama) and tucks her in her basket when she falls asleep (which she seems to like better than the kennel). I held her this morning while I did my Bible study...she's such a cuddly little thing. Landon wants her to play. It'll be fun to watch them romp outside this spring!

Fun with Kenna

Kenna and I are dabbling in homeschool (using Sonlight's Language Arts curriculum and Miquon Math for now) and are having a blast, especially with the writing assignments. Because her physical writing skills cannot keep pace with her ability to compose, I've modified assignments so that instead of writing, she dictates and I type. Our assignment for today was to write a few lines of dialog and this is what Kenna came up with....

Make-believe said, “Rapunzel, Rapunzel let down your hair.”
Rapunzel said, “I will not let down my hair because this is just a wig and if I let down my hair, I will be bald!”
Make-believe said, “Oh, then I will leave and I will see you tomorrow. Good-bye.”
Rapunzel said, “Just kidding. I said that because I did not want my hair to be pulled.”

Make-believe, she explained is "a guy who looks like person skin who has a lot of parts that doesn't really look like person skin." "He's just a robot."

She got to accompany me to our SAGA meeting Tuesday and had such a wonderful time. She told me on the way home that she wants to go every time. I told her that she couldn't go every time, but she could go sometimes to which she replied, "But Mama, they all like me!"

Look who's walking!

Portraits of One

My older two had professional portraits done for their first birthdays, Riley merely got JCPenney, but they turned out cute! :-)

I think he might look just a *little* like his daddy.

What do you think?

Haircuts

Landon and Kenna both got new 'dos. Kenna was tired of tangles and brushing and ponytails and wanted her hair cut like "Lucy from Narnia." So she took a little book about Lucy with her and showed the stylist what she wanted. It turned out really cute and Kenna is thrilled with it.




For dance/gym class this afternoon, I pulled the sides up into a ponytail. She wasn't happy about that because she thought no one would notice her new haircut if I put it in a ponytail.


Landon wanted (and needed) a haircut too, so Daddy took him after naptime.



We've recently made a new discovery in out house. It's called Nutella, or around here "chocolate butter." Everyone loves it (and who wouldn't!) We even let Riley have some (but probably won't do that again for awhile).

Riley's Christening

We finally had Riley christened the Saturday after Christmas. Doing it on a Saturday was genius...much less stressful and much easier to arrange...although there were a few crazy moments. We didn't have a huge crowd, but it was nice. The service was very sweet and Riley enjoyed every bit of it. I think it's so awesome that my father-in-law has christened each of his grandchildren. I agonized over what Riley was going to wear. I had planned a beautiful gown of giger batiste, but never got it off the ground. And then I wondered if maybe he was too old to wear a gown. I briefly considered making a "suit" but knew it'd be too difficult to get it done. I looked a couple of places for something appropriate, but couldn't find what I wanted--everything white I could find was made for warmer weather or had Christmas smocking on it. Then the forecast predicted really warm weather for the day of the christening and I thought I'd go buy one of the short white suits I'd found. Much to my dismay the shops were all closed until Saturday morning, and I wasn't adding a trip to get an outfit to the list of stuff I had to do before going to the church. I reluctantly pulled out Landon's christening gown. I'm not terribly proud of it...it's made of imperial batiste, and although I like the hand embroidery work I did on it, the collar doesn't meet in the center front and it just isn't what I would deem "quality work" overall. But it was at least finished, would fit, and was appropriate--and hey, it got another wear and no one pointed or laughed (although my stepdad did grumble about him being in a dress ;-) )

Pictures were nearly impossible. Riley *loved* the gown and he kicked his feet and grabbed the skirt and just would not look up for pictures.

This is what Landon was doing during the service.

I think he's reaching for the candles. He said "hot, hot" "pfft, pfft" throughout the service.

Are attempts at full family photos always going to be this amusing? ;)

We went to eat lunch with some friends after the service and Kenna and her new friend, Evan, had so much fun together. They adore one another.

Sleeping cuties

During Chirstmas vacation at my mom's we had some really warm days. We spend most of our days at home cooped up inside (I desparately need to find a solution to that problem). We had run errands one morning and got home just in time for a nap and none of my kids wanted to go inside to go to sleep, so I brought out blankets and pillows and made pallets under the pecan tree. It took them forever to go to sleep, mostly because my mom's little dog kept playing with them (bringing sticks and being very interested in wherever they poked the ground) but they finally gave it up and drifted off. I sat in the swing and read a book. Riley slept next to Kenna for awhile, but he woke up too soon and slept in my arms for the rest of his nap.

Riley's 1st Birthday!

Once October comes we just don't stop. Kenna's birthday is that month, and then Wesley's and Landon's in November, and then Riley in December...throw Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas in there and we don't catch our breath again until sometime in February! Wow, how this year has flown. We've gone from this little bitty baby....

...to this little guy in no time. It's still going to be a month or two before he walks, but he's very much a toddler now.

He loved his cake and tried very hard to blow out his "hot, hot" candle. Everything is "hot, hot" and needs to be blown on...food, candles, the oven, and anything that rings or beeps elicits a chorus of "hot, hot" "phhfff, phhfff." He has one other favorite all purpose word--nana means Nanna, banana, feed me, dinner, Kenna, and sometimes we aren't sure *what* it means. ;)

We enjoyed the big monkey cake...I'm glad I took a picture because it went fast!