6 years

From this:


To this:





All in 6 years. Happy birthday Isaac!

Ruby in the kitchen

Ruby loves cooking in her kitchen. She's always whipping up something to eat.

"hi mamma, you take my picture?"


"I make you someping. Soup. I make you strawberry soup mamma"


"I feed you soup mamma. Hey, I in there? I can see me in the camera?"

what a little change can do

Our kids aren't huge play-dough kids. They don't seem to enjoy a lot of time playing and fiddling with it. Today, I decided to shake things up. I cut up a bunch of straws and let them go.



Spiders and other assorted bugs were the result. Snakes with straw-sized polka dots on their backs. An iguana with sticks coming out of his back. Lots of fun.


I'm not sure what this was, but Ruby was plenty proud of it.

We spent the morning shoveling out the 12 to 18 inches of snow all over the driveway and stairs. Then most of the afternoon inside, because where could you go with the streets still unplowed. By suppertime, the kids were ready to blow of some more steam. So we videoed them dancing. Note Ruby's accessories - the clomping sound is her shoes. Norah loves to dance facing the tv, because she can see herself.

don't want to talk about the weather

but how can I NOT!?

it's been snowing for the past 24 hours. Rob had to cancel his church service out of town, the highways are under "travel not recommended" advisories. It's snowing like crazy, windy and blowing. Big drifts, and nearly a foot of snow in places. A foot of snow on our "finally melted and dry" yard. Gah!

April. It's April, right???

yet again!

This week's paper, that's our boy in the middle row. Three kids, three weeks, three pictures in the paper.

For the record, he has since had a haircut. A much needed haircut.

From tonight's music festival finale

They invited Isaac's class back to perform one of their pieces. Here they are. He's on the end in the middle row - the one who needs a haircut. Like father, like son.

the media love affair continues

that's our dancer. Second from the left. Cover of this week's paper.

Spring!!

We are watching the slow retreat of the snow. This pic was taken on Wednesday mid-morning.



The days are getting longer. Temperatures are staying closer to 0, even staying above 0 at night. The sun rises at 6:30 instead of 9:25. The sun feels warmer, instead of a cold ball of yellow in the sky. Brown grass peeks through the snow, dirt is everywhere. Dirt and sand get stuck on small feet, and there is much vacuuming, despite being told to "stay on the mat with your boots!" Children are undressed from outwear outside, to keep some of the sand outdoors. Mud is too hard to resist.






The back yard mid-morning on Saturday

Felicitations!

Isaac's class participated in the local Music Festival this week. They did two "Choral Speech" poems. Madame G's class placed first in their division! Nous sommes tres fier.

They have been invited back to perform at the award ceremony on Monday night. How exciting! Isaac handled the excitement with his usual style: "I guess it was fun" I would have taped the performances, but no recording devices were allowed.

Congratulations to

Leslie Fiest for your 5 Juno Awards. Those mean nothing, however, when compared with the love our Norah has for you. Norah loves "her songs" and will sing them during the day, or as she falls asleep. This particular song is a special hit with all three children since Mom pulled up the video on YouTube. A song they like, and fireworks too? Golden.

more ballet recital pics

Last minute practice with the girls


Norah and her buddy S - two preacher's kids


Norah and L from church afterwards. L was in a tap group, and they danced with their bears.


Before leaving the house

The ballet recital

Not a wonderful video, but a friend did it for me while Ruby and I watched. Norah is the third dancer from the right in the front row. The one who is a half beat ahead of the rest of the girls. :)

the reluctant ballerina

Tomorrow is Norah's ballet recital. All the kids from the "dance school" are performing. Today was the dress rehearsal and photographs.

As Rob will miss tomorrow's performance (conflicts with the afternoon service), he was elected to take Norah to the rehearsal.

Mom got her all dressed and ready to go. Hair done, 'makeup' on (beige eyeshadow and lip gloss). Bag for entertainment ready.

Word has it that the dance part went beautifully. Norah is right in front, smiling a big beautiful smile.

Then it was time for pictures.

Despite being told in advance that she would be doing photos, she did NOT want to take part. Arms crossed across her chest, lip in full on pout, she insisted that pictures were not going to happen. Rob was backed up by the other parents "I'll give you some cookies for her", "let's see if we can help make her smile". Nope. So the photographer let her stand where she was, and grouped the other girls around her for the group shot. Right in front, still displeased with the idea, Norah stood, cranky.

Let's just hope that tomorrow goes better, because mom is going with both girls, during nap time for the "real show".