The Wicks Family

Wednesday Playdate

2012-02-11T21:23:00.000-08:00

On Wednesdays Ronan comes over for some play time. What is everyone's favorite part of play time? Pirate's Bootie of course! And due to its popularity we need to get some more.

(And getting a good picture of everyone at the same time? Nearly impossible.)

Playing Together...

2012-02-09T15:57:00.000-08:00

Finally.

It's been a long road, but the girls are finally (kind of) playing together. And not necessarily fighting the entire time. There may be hope for them yet!

Babies in a basket. Well, according to Etta she is NOT a baby. But the alliteration was better this way.

Playing "Subway" while I was vacuuming. Not quite anything like sitting in a chair for awhile doing nothing. Although I did convince Etta that people read the paper while they ride on the subway, so I at least got to do that!

Pre-School Preview Day!

2012-02-06T14:15:00.000-08:00

Today is Pre-School Preview Day at Beacon. Etta is there right now. So different being back to one baby for an afternoon nap. I was quite productive for the first 90 minutes and now...well, updating the blog (which Erik says has not been updated for a MONTH) is productive, right?

We went up to McGhee and had lunch with Bob so that he could join us in dropping Etta off for her first whole afternoon of school all. by. herself.

At this point she was looking around for "her boys" (the 4 boys in her "class" when I teach band on Tuesdays and Thursdays). She said, "I thought my boys would be here. Their stuff is here". They got to go into the 1st grade room for their own preview day today. There are going to be mostly girls in her class this fall and I think that she is a little disappointed.

When we were still in the car in the parking lot I asked her if I could take her picture. "Maybe you can do that at home Mommy". She did relent once we got inside.

Mae is also ready to go to school! She was very confused today because it was NOT a normal Beacon day. She wanted to stay and get out all of "her" stuff.

Two of her soon-to-be classmates. Zane and Angie. Zane had on a shirt with a dalmation wearing a fire hat. Etta pointed and said, "I really like your shirt!" And they were starting to play trains. I think that things are going to go really well.

I am very glad that she has been going to Beacon with me this year. She is very comfortable with the teacher and the surroundings. I'm sure that she will make new friends quickly and really enjoy her time there!

Whhheeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

2012-01-29T20:39:00.000-08:00

Growing up to be just like Big Sister!

Snow Day!

2012-01-21T19:37:00.000-08:00

This past Wednesday we got a lot of snow. A lot for Lewiston that is. And while it wasn't an official snow day, we did our best.

Making snow angels.

In training to make a snow angel.

Making a fort.

Enjoying a snack in said fort.

First time on a sled.

Fun Settings

2012-01-19T20:22:00.000-08:00

My new camera has some pretty fun settings. (Now I don't have to be quite to jealous of Annie!)

Red girl in the living room.

Red fun at the park. Can you guess what Etta's favorite color is?

One blue shot.

One yellow.

So fun!!!

Perfect Pic

2012-01-14T21:24:00.000-08:00

Trying to get the perfect (or maybe just a good) picture of the girls in their nice clothes before the Christmas church service.

Maybe next year...

Milkshakes!

2012-01-13T16:11:00.000-08:00

No wonder he is such a popular guy.

I mean, who doesn't like a guy with ice cream?

Grandma Cathy Blankie

2012-01-08T20:37:00.000-08:00

Mae got her Grandma Cathy Blankie for Christmas.

[The blanket on the right is Etta's Grandma Cathy blanket which she adores.]

She loves it.

She also loved a lot of stuff that other people got.

So much that she made a pile of a variety of things that other people got on top of her blankie and rolled on it.

Locomotive Park

2012-01-07T17:49:00.000-08:00

We again hit Locomotive Park for the light display numerous times this year. We had our little routine that took 15-20 minutes and then we were good to go. Etta & I actually went down one Saturday this November and decorated two trees of our own. She loved that we had "our" trees. Hoping to do a few more next year!

First stop: The caboose

Second stop: The igloo

Third stop: "Our trees". The purple & gold in the fore ground (The Bengal Tree) and the red and green Oreo in the background.

Fourth stop: Dancing with the penguins.

Fifth stop: Tiny tree forest

Sixth stop: Gingerbread men!

I recommend enlarging the above picture to get the full affect. Etta front & center and Mae being a goofball off to one side.

Last stop: Giant musical tree. The lights flash in time to the music.

And a look at the magical forest that we would walk through to get back to the car.

Man, I love this park!

Test Post

2012-01-06T14:15:00.001-08:00

Well, I think that I have the new "super fast" modem and connection working. The following picture uploaded (fairly quickly) without kicking me off of the Internet multiple times, so now hopefully we'll be on track!

The following is a picture of a perfectly contented and very pleased three-year old on Christmas. She got everything she wanted and barely takes the fireman uniform off.

Thanks to Aunt Molly for the Buzz and Woody and to Grandma Cathy for the firefighter uniform!

First Pics

2012-01-02T14:56:00.000-08:00

Here are the 1st two pictures that I took with the new camera.

Inquisitive girl.

New monkey hat!

Just the first shots from a wonderful Christmas.

*Note: I've been having problems with my Internet connection and have been trying to upload these pictures to blogger since Monday. Theoretically I will start a new service tomorrow with faster speed....we'll see if it helps.*

Back Online!

2012-01-01T20:02:00.000-08:00

Whew! I know that it has been awhile. But I think that we are back and good to go.

We had a very special Christmas with Grandma Cynthia, Grandpa Eddy, Uncle Erik, Aunt Molly and Uncle Jim all coming to Idaho to visit. It was a whirlwind as always, but a lot of good memories were made.

Grandma Cynthia was very generous and got me a new digital camera! I have been playing around with it a bit and am hoping to get more proficient with a brand new camera that has new technology - much newer than our old digital that was on its 5th or 6th year of use.

The other piece of the puzzle to get us back online is a new to us computer. My friend Michelle who was very kindly letting me borrow her laptop until I could find a new one decided to just give it to me!

With looking at putting in a new furnace and all new duct work in our basement, these two gifts were virtually priceless at this point in our lives!!

I will try to do a couple of Chrismtas type posts in the next few days, but one of my goals is to take and post a picture every day. (Much like when I did my "Forty Days of Freedom" last spring.) With a new camera I have a reason to try it out!

Here is a close up of Etta. After I took this picture she wanted to look at it and the others that I had taken before. After looking at one or two pics she promptly fell off of the children's chair she was sitting on directly on to her forehead. Goodness! Those "hands on" (or normally in her case - "face on") lessons are the best teachers.

One-Year Pics

2011-12-11T15:58:00.001-08:00

Here are two pictures from Mae's one-year photo shoot. The one where she just randomly started walking. It was a fun day and Stephanie got some great pics!

A big smile that is all Mae. Shows her personality exactly.

And the two of them together. Smiling. Almost a miracle. And I didn't even remember to brush Etta's hair before we started taking pics. Don't you wish that your hair did that naturally?

Dead Computer

2011-12-02T22:28:00.000-08:00

The Sunday night before Thanksgiving my computer died. Hard drive crashed. That's why there haven't been any new blog posts. And I was using my mom's lap top but unfortunately, for some strange reason, I can't upload any posts. I am currently borrowing a lap top, but don't have any pics uploaded to this computer...sigh...hopefully things will get straightened out soon.

3-Day...

2011-11-20T21:28:00.000-08:00

A link:

Story of a 3-Day Walker

until I sit down and type out my experience.

Tomorrow...

2011-11-09T21:13:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow I leave for Phoenix to walk 60 miles in three days. Am hoping to get pictures and know that it will be a life changing experience. Thank you so much to those of you who helped make this journey possible.

Etta's Look

2011-11-08T19:54:00.000-08:00

I think that I have finally discovered Etta's "Look". She has some very definite ideas of what she would like her "Look" to be, but I've tried to tweak it just a bit, and with some happy results.

One chilly morning while getting ready for church this fall I grabbed a long-sleeved t-shirt to throw under a short sleeved "polo" dress. Along with that I picked a pair of cream colored jeans as the dress was getting kind of short. Match that with her red school shoes and we've got the look. I've now been able to find three combos out of her closet with a few more to try out.

Last Sunday it was a cherry dress that Aunt Molly gave her last spring (like 18 months ago...yay!), green pants, and denim jacket. Same red shoes and we are good to go. When I finally looked closely and really took it all in I figured out Aunt Molly had purchased every part of the outfit except the socks and underwear. The dress and shoes just for Etta and the coat and pants for the older cousins. Yay yay yay!!! Thanks Aunt Molly!!

We are trying to "girlie-fy" Miss Mae early. And it isn't too hard as she loves shoes and purses and has an almost endless supply of pink clothes. I'm sure that she will have her own style soon also, and while I am hoping that it isn't all pink all the time, it will be hers.

Ready for Some Football

2011-11-07T18:57:00.000-08:00

Etta is tattooed up and ready to go. Watch out Griz fans, she is ready to rumble!

Thanks for the tats Uncle Erik

Tantrum Baby

2011-11-06T21:00:00.000-08:00

For any who may think that Mae is sunshine and rainbows all of the time.

Yesterday when she woke up from her nap she was in.con.solable. Screaming, crying, thrashing. When she gets to this point (which she does way more often than Etta ever did) I have learned that the only real thing that I can do is put her down on the floor and let her work it out.

So she laid out flat. Just like this. For a really long time. At one point she stopped crying and I literally thought that she had fallen asleep. So I quick got my camera.

Nope, not sleeping.

I don't know if it was her molars bothering her. Her diaper rash. The fact that big sister was not here when we came out of her room. I really have no idea. But she did snuggle with me and watch funny videos on the computer for awhile. After she was done throwing her fit.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

2011-11-05T18:40:00.000-07:00

This morning Etta & I walked down to Locomotive Park to help string lights for the huge light display/show that the city puts on every year. We have enjoyed taking in the sights since Etta was about 8 months old & I decided we should give back - at least a little.

This Saturday was the only one that would work for us this year, but it was so much fun that I think that we will try to make more Saturdays next year with the whole family.

Checking out the tree that we were going to decorate.

Ta-da! It's done! A red & green "oreo" tree. We even got to climb up a pretty big ladder to finish it off. Etta climbed up also, twice. But it was too unstable & awkward to actually accomplish anything when we were both up there.

Tree #2. A "Bengal" tree. Purple & gold, the Lewiston High School colors. We were going to do blue & gold in honor of Uncle Erik, but they didn't have any blue LED lights available. =(

Etta can't wait to show off her hard work for The Girls, Uncle Erik & Aunt Molly. And anyone else who would like to join us! Now that Mae is older & mobile I am hoping to go many, many times this year!

Costumes!

2011-11-01T14:44:00.000-07:00

The post you've been waiting for!

Etta was ready at 7:15 a.m. yesterday morning. Here she is reading a book about Halloween in her Halloween costume.

Here's the whole crew. A little cow. "Come here little cow," Etta kept saying. A very proud Nemo. And super fun Girls as Thing 1 & Thing 2.

Apparently, as Mae was walking down the sidewalk her tail was wagging away. I missed that part.

Nemo ready to swim.

Bob took The Girls, Etta & Mae about two blocks down our street, crossed over and then came back. This was Etta greeting me after she rang the bell.

And then Bob and Mae stayed home while the four of us did a couple of more blocks in the other direction. This is the first house we went to on my shift.

Scary Treats & Pumpkin Fun

2011-10-31T20:38:00.000-07:00

Saturday night I made a frightful meal.

Ghostly potato planks

Mummy wraps

Spider web sides & eyeball salad

And last night we had Grandma & Grandpa & Great Grandma & Great Grandpa over for pumpkin carving & soup with bread.

Etta was not into touching the pumpkin "gunk" at all. I thought that this year she would like it...

Mae was a little interested in what was going on.

Grandpa carved Etta a Nemo!

Mae did get a little closer to the action.

Minnie Mouse & Nemo. Two favorites at our house.

I like how it looks like Minnie is looking at Nemo.

It's Halloween!

2011-10-30T19:23:00.000-07:00

It's Halloween season and we have been living it up. I don't even know where to start so I will just start and try to do a post every day until I am out of pics!!

Last weekend we went to the corn maze with The Girls.

We were first greeted by what has become an unofficial motto of the U of I.

But it was on a pretty impressively painted machine!

We headed in with Bob in the lead. He had to have a map of course. But with a 3-year old that is walking, better safe than sorry.

The corn was very tall.

Then the girls got to check out the properly sized hay bale maze.

Mae like it because: 1)She could walk through it herself and 2) she could see over the sides.

Etta really liked being Joe Vandal!

And the girls had to take what was left.

Pumpkin carving and our themed dinner to follow.

Bright Girl

2011-10-29T14:59:00.000-07:00

It was slightly overcast yesterday so both girls really stood out in their bright colors. Pretty much every single person we saw "oohed" and "aah-ed" over Mae. She is pretty cute.

Checking out the surroundings while waiting for the other kids to show up.

Check my sweet ride.

Here is a second shot of one that I posted yesterday. Both kids can never be looking at the camera at the same time...

Mae loves her pumpkin!

3.5

2011-10-28T13:20:00.000-07:00

Can she be 3 and a half already?

Have 1,277 days already passed since that first day?

Has it been 2 years since The Big Party?

And one year ago (tomorrow) since we last visited the pumpkin patch?

Time flies when you are having fun.

And have fun is what we did today. Today was her very first field trip. "With [her] class! With 5 students in it!" And she was excited.

We got there (really) early because I did not want to be late. I thought she was going to burst. But we had a lot of fun and enjoyed ourselves.

The kids were asked to look off of the bridge and describe what they saw. Lots of answers of "rocks", "water", "dirt".

Standing by the pumpkins that they (I) picked out.

Eating an apple the "regular" way. She kept asking to eat it and I kept saying, "Let's save it for lunch". Her response was, "But mom all the other kids are eating their apples by just biting them!" Can't really argue with that (when it's about apples anyway). And she ate the entire thing!

My girls and I. (If you look closely you will notice Mae was not having a good time by this point. She missed her morning nap.)

Makin' Cookies

2011-10-26T09:46:00.000-07:00

Last week Bob & Etta mixed up some sour cream sugar cookies & then cut them out in the shapes of bats, pumpkins & owls. I think that it is going to be fun this winter!

Cutting out the cookies.

Mae doing her own thing.

Bob busted sneaking bites of cookie dough after specifically telling Etta not to eat anymore dough.

Lunch with Daddy

2011-10-25T09:25:00.001-07:00

We are pretty blessed to be able to have lunch with Bob every once in awhile. With Mae being at the wandering stage we have decided that it is easier - and probably nicer for the other teachers - to stay in his classroom to eat. That way the girls can just play as they finish up. And risers make the perfect "table" for kids this size!

Warming Up

2011-10-22T21:24:00.000-07:00

Trying to get Mae used to the idea of a toilet. I think that she is going to think of it as a library even more than her big sister!

Portland, Part III

2011-10-18T09:59:00.000-07:00

Part III begins with the drive home. Since I had run 13.1 miles we decided it would be good to stop multiple times on the way home so that hopefully I didn't get to stiff & sore.

I love waterfalls & since we went to Palouse Falls a couple of times Etta really likes them too. So of course we had to stop at Multnomah Falls!

We love this place!

Getting a good view.

Loving my big girl!

Bob needed a turn with the kids too. But I didn't want to take Mae out of her stroller...(She was tired & crabby. And wants to walk everywhere. Not a good combination where large bodies of water are involved.)

So simple, yet awe-some.

Portland, Part II

2011-10-15T14:36:00.000-07:00

I got up at 5:00 a.m. to get ready & walk to the MAX to ride downtown. Thankfully it was only 3 blocks from the hotel & it only took me 6 minutes to walk there. Unfortunately it wouldn't take my credit card (but I later found out it was user error...) and I started to have a bit of a panic attack imagining various scenarios of calling Bob & having him bring the children, trying to make it back to the hotel and then back again and and and....

Back to the thankfully - there was an older gentleman decked out in his race gear who was also having technical difficulties. His response to the whole issue? "Let's just get on. And if they ask we will just tell them it wouldn't work!" Ummmmmm....sounds good to me. And as I was about to discover, there were so many people that got on between our stop & downtown (there finally wasn't room for anymore people) no one could have asked us even if they wanted to!

Andrea and I ended up running the entire way together. There is just something about running with someone else that makes it that much easier. And let me tell you what. When I got to mile 6 I was SO THANKFUL that I only had 7 miles to go - not 20!! I may do another marathon someday, but not anytime soon.

We crossed the finish line together at 2 hours and 22 minutes. Not too bad. The amount of food at the finish was staggering. Puts all other events that I have run in to shame. But since I felt like throwing up at the mere sight of food I just gathered some goodies for the girls, got my rose, sapling (which is now planted in our backyard), pendant & charm, and long-sleeved shirt and met my support crew.

We re-boarded the "train" (by far Etta's favorite part of the entire weekend) and headed back to the hotel for a shower before leaving town. Next time, part III.

Andrea and I posing for our post-race shot. Mae was dead set on using my finisher's medal as a teething toy. Boy, she really went to town on it!

Portland, Part I

2011-10-12T14:02:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we took a quick trip to Portland so that I could run the Portland Half-Marathon with my college friend and roommate, Andrea.

To start the weekend Mae awoke with an approximately 103 degree fever on Friday night at 9:30 pm. I made a call to a friend/mom/nurse who recommended a medicine dose regime that we followed religiously all night. Saturday morning dawned bright and early and Mae seemed fine - fever broken - so we headed out. Made it to Portland around 3:30, found our hotel, ditched our stuff and started for down town to get registered.

Let me stop here and say that neither Bob nor I are big city driving people. But after a bit of stress we made it to The Hilton Portland, I got all my goodies and we got back on the road to meet our friends for dinner.

After we got back to the hotel Etta watched a bit of TV and then we went swimming in the indoor pool. Silly me, I thought it would be a warm pool since it was inside. Not so heated. But Etta loved it and it made the hot tub all that nicer.

After we got back to the room (and watched more TV) Etta decided she wanted Bob to sleep with her in her bed. Works for me since I had the race the next day but...Mae had a bit of a relapse and woke up every hour all. night. long. 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 1:30, 2:30 and 4:00. Thankfully she was only 3 steps away.

I'll continue with the rest of the story next time, but for your enjoyment...

Etta settled right in to the hotel life. "This is my bed. But this is the bed that I will watch TV in until I want to go to sleep."

Mae hit the hay early after a quick bath while Etta & I were swimming. Bob didn't even have a chance to get her pj's on. We took this picture because she sleeps just like her Grandpa Eddy!

Go Cats Go!

2011-10-12T14:02:00.000-07:00

Dear Uncle Erik,

I wore my Bobcat overalls for the first time yesterday. To school!! I really like them. So does my dad. Do you think they come in his size?

Thank you.

Love,
Etta

Dear Aunt Molly,

I wear my red Converse All-Stars to school almost every day. They make me run fast as fast. I'm glad that you know red is my favorite color.

Thank you.

Love,
Etta

Sharing the Love

2011-10-07T19:51:00.000-07:00

Etta doesn't usually like to share.

But if Grandma Cathy is buying, and there is huckleberry ice cream involved, she is willing.

Note the spoon in the left hand heading away from Cathy. That would be directed at Mae who was screaming for her fair share from the stroller.

Red!

2011-10-04T14:34:00.000-07:00

Red is Etta's favorite color. So two weeks ago (yikes!) when Beacon was having their "spirit week" and the color RED was the pre-k/k color for a Tuesday we were all very excited.

Even her backpack is red!

These are Etta's classmates. Since she just "visits" two days a week I'm not sure if they really even notice her. But it does seem like they are talking to her a bit more and including her. She doesn't seem to mind, there are a lot of fun things to do at school!

Same Same

2011-09-21T19:58:00.000-07:00

Mae is starting to like to be "same-same" just as Etta seems to be growing out of "matchy-matchy". But if Mae doesn't have a shirt on after dinner (due to messiness usually...) Etta definitely wants to match. And if Etta is reading books - well then, sister better darn well have a couple too!

Outside Eating

2011-09-18T21:44:00.001-07:00

Etta has become very interested in doing different things outdoors. She really really wants to sleep outside in a tent, but I have pretty much decided that we missed the boat on that one this year. Next summer we will attempt that.

But the one thing that she has been asking to do that we can accommodate is eat outside.

The people around the block had a garage sale a few weeks ago. As I don't really want to bring anything else into the house - and don't have any extra money to bring anything else into the house - I did not stop by. But the next week I was walking by and noticed a children's plastic picnic table in the back of their pick up buried under a bunch of other stuff. I decided to take a chance and wrote a note asking if they were going to take it to the dump or donate it, but that we would be interested if they were getting rid of it. The girls and I went on a stroll around the block and left the note in the door. That evening the man called and said that they were just going to take it to the dump and I was welcome to it. He did mention that the top had a crack in it. Since I was mainly interested in having an outside table I didn't mind. So I went over later and picked it up. Etta loves it. It works for what we wanted. I didn't have to pay for it. And it's not ending up in a landfill (yet). I have been following The Non-Consumer Advocate for the last few months I am very excited about my find. Things do seem to appear if you wait long enough.

[Although I am now going to be keeping my eye out for a table that fits me.]

All Hail the Marching Band

2011-09-16T09:01:00.000-07:00

That is one of Etta's favorite books. And no wonder, she does play the trumpet you know.

So last Saturday when the high school marching band was practicing before the Round Up parade Etta was delighted that they marched by our house when she, Mae & Bob were out walking the dogs.

So imagine her absolute bliss when they marched back by our house. As soon as she heard the drums she rushed to get her trumpet and then rushed back outside to watch.

Too soon will she actually be part of a real marching band...

Tunnel of Love

2011-09-14T14:48:00.001-07:00

Dear Aunt Molly,

My big sister and I love the tunnel that you sent for my birthday. I am even getting brave and going through it now. So much fun!!

Love,
Miss Mae

The Trees

2011-09-13T19:57:00.000-07:00

They are gone. But Etta loved watching them come down. And now wants a chainsaw and repelling ropes for Christmas!

[That is the same tree - at different stages...]

A Drive & a Picnic

2011-09-10T14:50:00.000-07:00

Last Monday we celebrated Labor Day by not doing any of the at-home labor we were planning. Instead we loaded up on an impromptu trip up to Waha for a picnic lunch and some creek dam-building and wading. Love that we are able to do those kinds of things!

Grandpa Steve helped build the dam to make the pool.

Mae wanted to check it out too.

And it was cold.

There were ripe huckleberries so we were able to enjoy a few before lunch. Mae was such a baby bird with her mouth just a-going. Bob had her in the backpack and thought she wanted to keep walking. I finally had to say, "Bob, stop! Mae just wants to keep eating huckleberries!"

Just One?

2011-09-09T21:42:00.000-07:00

Grandma and Grandpa were here for two solid days and I only took one picture? Sheesh...what is wrong with me?

Thanks Aunt Molly!

2011-09-07T21:00:00.000-07:00

For the new fire boots. I wear them all the time...

Love,
Etta

Let's Watch...

2011-09-06T14:27:00.000-07:00

Lately Etta has been pretending to either a) watch a movie or b) watch TV. She sets up all of the kid chairs that we have and says, "Let's watch a movie!" And since Mae absolutely adores sitting in little chairs it works out quite well.

Let's watch a movie!

Silly face!

Bwwwwwaaaaaahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!

Mae's very favorite way to sit in a chair (when she is not trying to climb over it...) - backwards!

Mae is One!

2011-09-04T08:14:00.000-07:00

We've had a whirlwind weekend with MT Grandma & Grandpa being here. A ton of fun. And as Etta said when she got up this morning, "Why do they have to leave today?"

But Friday was great. We got up and had our birthday breakfast. Mae enjoyed little smokies for the first time. And boy howdy did she enjoy them!

The Girls joined us after school for some birthday fun and also Grandma Cathy, Grandpa Steve, Great Grandma Barb and Great Grandpa Lynn. It is different for second children, but still fun! (Open another window so that you can compare the girls' one-year old pic.)

Big sister showed her how opening presents is done. Mae caught on quite quickly though, way faster than Etta herself had. Show her some paper or a gift bag and she was ready to go.

I tried my hand at cake decorating. The Minnie Cake was Etta's idea. Mae has a Minnie Mouse lovie and Etta thought a Minnie Cake would be appropriate. I didn't think it turned out too bad for my first time. A big thanks to Grandma Cathy for having the pan!

And our one year shot. Finally a straight leg!

She laid still for exactly two pics. But wanted to show her playful side as well.

What a difference a year makes for these babies. Here she is in all of her skinny glory at 1 month.

And here is what I posted a year ago today actually...

Let the Birthday Celebration Begin!

2011-09-01T14:17:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow Mae will be one!! But we started celebrating at church on Sunday.

Cupcake cake with Runts and Oreo Funstix as decorations. The cupcakes were delicious! You take a box mix (without pudding - which is really hard to find I discovered...) use 1 cup buttermilk instead of the water called for and 4 eggs instead of the amount of eggs called for. Sooooooo good!

With the cake. She really has no idea what is going on. But did kind of like the singing.

Oooooooo, daddy has food...

What is this stuff?

Ugh, not that good mommy...

She was not impressed with the cupcake. Since she eats most everything I was kind of surprised. But not really that disappointed I guess. More for me!

First Day of School 2011

2011-08-31T20:15:00.000-07:00

Today was Bob's first day back in the classroom with kids after a great summer vacation.

It was quite different than his first day back last year and his second first day back last year.

Kind of the same as two years ago, and kind of the same as three years ago.

I've written and written about not going back to school and don't think that I need to write anymore about it right now. (You're welcome.)

And some how in the whole swirl of things I've technically missed Etta's first day of school since she started yesterday. I don't think that I should really be calling it school - she is "just" hanging out in the Beacon pre-K/kindergarten room while I am teaching band. But the more I think about it - and talk to friends - the more it is really school. Pre-school. Or play school I guess. But school. I am not with her, she is in a classroom and she has to follow all of the same rules as the other kids. But since I am on site I hesitate to call it her "real" first day of school. That and the fact that little sister also gets to hang out with all the bigger kids too...those lucky second children...

And thanks to Aunt Molly for the AWESOME fireman boots. I think it will be all that she wears for quite some time...

Summer is Over

2011-08-29T20:27:00.000-07:00

This morning Etta and I were having a discussion about how summer is "over" because Bob has to go back to work all day every day.

Etta: "Mom, I want you to go back to work".

Emily: "What would you do when I went to work?"

Etta: "Go with you!"

Emily: "What would sister do then?"

Etta: "Stay in the car!!!"

Outside

2011-08-28T16:15:00.000-07:00

We have been having a fairly mild August from what we normally have in Lewiston. And I am a-okay with that!! A week ago it was even nice enough in the evening to just hang out on the lawn.

Mae is starting to not mind the grass as much.

Etta wanted her story time to be outside. Great!

Rainbow!

2011-08-26T16:23:00.000-07:00

Etta has been observing "rest time" from 1:00-3:00 instead of taking a nap. She stays in the music room. Don't fear, she has all of her books, her trains & a variety of markers, crayons, etc. It has been working out pretty well. She has some self-directed play time and I have a chance to do some things by myself.

The other day she drew this:

(Okay, so I totally don't know why it scanned in like this...hopefully you get the "picture".)

She drew the rainbow all by herself with no help from anyone. Did the colors in that order because...she knows the order of colors in the rainbow I guess. I am very proud of her!

Hey You at the Computer...

2011-08-24T09:28:00.000-07:00

GOOOOOOOOOOO VANDALS!!!

Bounty

2011-08-23T15:26:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of pictures of our "garden". Bob & Steve built the clothesline last spring for me and Bob "worked the land" this spring to get it ready for a gardenish plot. We have four big tomato plants, two sunflowers that have the potential to be HUGE, four pepper plants, a couple of viney plants that came in voluntarily from the compost we used and a plethora of marigolds. I love it!

Babyzilla

2011-08-21T19:29:00.000-07:00

Whenever we meet someone new, or not, and they make any kind of comment about or to Mae, Etta says quite proudly, "We call her BABYZILLA!" Which then evokes chuckles. And yes, she is quite the Babyzilla. Always on the look out for something to to knock over or destroy. Mae ripped off the cover of every. single. magazine. she touched at my folks this summer. And one of her favorite modes of transportation is to put whatever toy she may currently have into her mouth and then crawl willy-nilly. Amazingly enough I was able to get a photo!

What up, Dawg?

2011-08-20T14:06:00.000-07:00

Mae disappeared for a few minutes the other day and was pretty quiet. And just when I was starting to get concerned she returned...

With her sister's hat on. Pretty proud of herself too.

The Beach!!

2011-08-19T20:01:00.000-07:00

We have been reading a lot of "summer" books this . . . summer. Bob found the book "Bats at the Beach" and Etta has been wanting to go. So I decided, why not? We have a really nice camp ground/beach area just minutes from the house. Hell's Gate State Park. So we loaded up some hotdogs and s'more fixin's and headed to the beach with Jackie, Rachel and Grandma Cathy.

Mae was loving the water on her toes.

Etta wanted to build a sand castle.

Exploring with Grandma Cathy.

The Girls wanted to build sand castles too. I'm SO glad that they love to play with Etta.

Secret Fort!

2011-08-17T15:20:00.000-07:00

When I was getting ready to vacuum yesterday I realized that I had never made a fort for or with Etta. So we got it set up and ready to go. It was a hit and I hope that we will do it more often. Thinking it will be good this winter when we don't go out and about as much.

The fort. Really not so secret if you ask me.

The secret door to the secret fort.

Happy Birthday Aunt Molly!

2011-08-16T09:49:00.000-07:00

Another pigtail post for your enjoyment. I talked her into leaving them in for "three minutes because she's three".

Lower ponies

A little blurry, sorry. But still pretty cute!

Naturally Inquisitive

2011-08-10T06:40:00.000-07:00

When Etta was "little" we used to actually sit with her at the piano and play. And when she could finally reach the keys herself it was a proud moment for her.

But since we have Etta around I (unfortunately) haven't really taken the time with Mae to just sit and play the piano with her. But it didn't take her very long to figure out that the tall thing makes noise. It helps me keep track of where she is. Not just the piano "playing" but also the fact that if she gets stuck or can't quite reach the keys from a given point she is quite vocal in her frustrations!

First Harvest

2011-08-09T10:54:00.000-07:00

It's not much, but it's ours. First tomato and green pepper of the season from our very own "garden plot" under the clothes line. Super tasty!!

Summer Fun

2011-08-08T06:20:00.000-07:00

We finally made it over to Pioneer Park to play in the fountain. Both girls loved it!

Mae is really starting to "crab walk" quite a bit. I don't know if she doesn't like certain textures on her knees or if she wants to walk. I'm thinking textures.

I'm a big kid, mom!

Happy baby in the fountain.

Summer is so fun!!!

Approaching One

2011-08-06T19:45:00.000-07:00

Mae loves all things that Etta does or has. Including her water bottle. I wasn't sure if she was going to be able to figure it out right away, but boy was I wrong. It is nice that she can use it since it has been pretty hot here. Now we just have to figure out how to get her to leave some water in the bottle! I'm guessing that we should probably get her her own though....

And check out those blue eyes!

From the Mouths of Babes

2011-08-04T21:26:00.001-07:00

Etta says while looking at her picture Bible: "The Lord is kind of sad because I was being not nice to my sister".

Up, Up and...

2011-08-04T13:47:00.000-07:00

Away. She's working hard. About the same time that Etta did.

Duets

2011-08-03T06:46:00.000-07:00

And it begins...

Although Mae usually wants to join with Etta on the same piano, not stay on her own. (Notice her eyeing her sister's keyboard & daddy pointing to her own...)

11 Month Annibirthery

2011-08-02T20:56:00.000-07:00

An annibirthery post on the actual day! Stop the presses - what are the chances?!

It was a happy and sad day at the same time. We got to go to the baby pool with our good friends Kai & Niko. And they came over for dinner afterward and played. But unfortunately it is one of their last days in town and they will be moving back to Seattle. We will dearly miss them as everyone plays together so well and we have a great time.

But we did get our picture this morning. On time even. Etta still likes to get involved, just like when she was 11 months old.

Not much new to report in the last two weeks. Growing ever closer to walking. Am thinking that it may happen before she turns one, but making no bets. She sure knows how to get her way and wails when something is not happening fast enough. We also have a biter/pincher on our hands. Oh the joy of that. And when she is told "no" that bottom lip sticks out and the cries start.

But thankfully she is happy the majority of the time. She and Etta are actually starting to play a little bit together. Except when Etta lets me know, "Mom! Mae is bugging me!" I tell you what, she had better get used to that.

Mae did not really want to get her picture today and thought it was hilarious to roll over as soon as I got her flat. I had to plant one foot on her body and then click the picture quick while she was giggling. Really it was pretty cute, but not so much at the time.

She really just wanted to get up and play, play, play. The bedroom is where they really have all their fun. There isn't even any toys in there! Night time is the worst. I mean, best. They lay in there and laugh and laugh and laugh. I'm surprised that some nights they go to sleep at all. It is hard to be strict with them as it is so darn cute to listen to. I know that I'll miss it - sooner than I am ready I bet.

Matchy-Matchy

2011-07-27T15:20:00.001-07:00

For as tom-boyish as Etta can be, I can usually get her into something (a dress even!) if she is "matchy-matchy" with Mae.

And I have to say just that.

"Say 'matchy-matchy' mom!" Etta will tell me after they are dressed.

Last Friday we headed to Kamiah to a Wicks Family Reunion. I decided it could be fun to dress them alike. But of course we were going to the woods, so I didn't put them in dresses!

Checking out what is happening outside while we are getting ready to go. Mae so wants to be like big sister most of the time!

Both girls have had a runny nose for about two weeks now. Etta made an observation a few days at breakfast.

"We're the booger twins!"

Just does a mother proud...

On a side note when Etta woke up yesterday she told me, "I am going to call her Mae Mae!!" And today we learned from our favorite Librarian Debbie, Mae Mae means little sister in Chinese! When I asked Etta if she knew that she replied, "Yes I knew that already!" Where do they get this stuff?

Road Trip

2011-07-21T21:37:00.000-07:00

On the way to Cashmere we stopped at a park outside of Moses Lake, WA. And apparently it is also Mae Valley. How fun is that?

I remember driving by last year and seeing this sign. Made my heart happy to know that our own Mae was on her way.

They had a lot of fun riding the dinosaur. It was a great park. Will probably need to stop there for now on. (A bit more excitement than Washtucna.)

Chelanman!

2011-07-20T13:03:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went to visit our good friends Annie, Kent, Brooke & Oliver Chalmers. It has become an annual trip but this year we combined it with the Chelanman Multisport Weekend. I participated in the Olympic Distance Tri (1,500 meter swim, 24 mile bike and 6.2 mile run) on Saturday and Bob did his very first triathlon - the Try-A-Tri - (400 meter swim, 12 mile bike & 3.1 mile run) on Sunday. Overall it was a great time.

The big clock says 5 hours 8 minutes, but it started when the 1/2 Iron Man people took off. My actual time was 4 hours 33 minutes.

Bob still smiling heading into the run after the bike leg.

And finishing his very first tri!!

10...1/2...month annibirthery

2011-07-19T20:33:00.000-07:00

Those poor second children...never as on the spot with things as I was with #1. But Mae is still not 11 months old yet, so I figure I am pretty good to go.

She is a VERY happy baby most of the time.

And she went from an unstable sitting blob to a crawling machine in the three weeks that we were in Montana.

And now has her own special lovey in her Minnie Mouse. Today I asked Etta what kind of a birthday cake she thought Mae would like. "A Minnie Cake mommy!". And I think that is right on.

We put Mae on a produce scale on her actual 10 month annibirthery and she weighed about 18 lbs. Still hanging right on and very "healthy". She is crawling everywhere, pulling herself up and even standing for a few seconds at a time without holding on to anything. All very exciting. Tonight for dinner she ate whole, cooked green beans. Hard to believe that in just six short weeks she will be one!

Pig Tails

2011-07-14T10:48:00.000-07:00

Etta does not allow me to put pig tails in her hair. And if I force her she pulls them right out - super fine hair that it is, doesn't hold in hair things well.

But yesterday with the introduction of RED (her current favorite color) hair ties she was game. For the exact amount of time that it took me to get the pictures. Baby steps, right?

Front view with the pulled back hair.

Cute profile.

Super cute rear view.

Pie!

2011-07-13T15:54:00.000-07:00

Every summer Bob, Cynthia & I make pies for the Woman's Club pie auction fund raiser. We have all won various prizes over the years. This year Cynthia made 4 pies!!! and Bob & I each made 2. I was fortunate enough to win 1st & 3rd prizes in my age division and my mom won 1st place in her age division. And incredibly enough I won Best of Show overall! I definitely did not expect that.

Our pies in all their glory.

Bob's very creative Nectarine-Raspberry Pie with appropriate Longhorn decorations.

And a close up of my Best of Show Pie. (It was cropped from the larger picture above.) Obviously Best of Show is not only for looks.

Whole Food

2011-06-25T15:08:00.000-07:00

*Note: For some reason I could not publish blog posts from my mom's computer while we were in MT. Hence why it's been two weeks since the last post. And on a side note, Mae actually has eight teeth now. Yes, yes she did cut six teeth in the last six weeks...*

So I figured that since Mae has six teeth poking through we ought to be trying to feed her something besides pureed food and Cheerios. So on our trip over when the waitress at the restaurant offered up some Saltine's I thought, "Why not?" And she loved them.

Wednesday evening I thought that maybe she would want to eat some whole cooked carrots instead of mushy glop. Um...not so much. But we'll keep trying!

Serious thought while eating a cracker.

But she loves them. That's "Mae the Destroyer" for you!

Fun to Eat...and Wear!

2011-06-24T20:23:00.000-07:00

Mae has been liking most everything that I try and feed her. Apparently sweet potatoes are no good unless mixed with something else. And one of her favorites is beets, just like her big sister. So even though this picture may look like she wasn't enjoying eating, she was just having a super fun time smearing it around.

Unlike this picture where Etta was not enjoying what I had to offer. I think that their facial expressions say it all! [Note: there is only about 3 weeks difference in age as to when these two pictures were taken. Some times they look completely different...but sometimes they look just alike.]

Farm Work is Hard Work

2011-06-23T07:02:00.000-07:00

This is Etta after a busy morning on the farm:

Always a good time.

Road Trip Pit Stop

2011-06-22T21:04:00.000-07:00

On our drive to MT on Tuesday we made a pit stop at Bonner Park in Missoula. Initially Etta had said, "I don't want to stop at the park, I want to go to Montana!" (We have figured out that "Montana" is my parents house...) But boy, was she glad that we had stopped.

"Can I go again mommy?!"

"And again?!"

Mae did not want to be put on the ground, but she enjoyed watching all of the kids.

And since on Sunday Etta informed me, "I don't like you. Mae doesn't like you. Daddy doesn't like you. Anybody [by which she means nobody] likes you". I needed something to raise my status a bit. Blah. I knew that she would say that someday, I just didn't think that it would be when she was 3!

Summer Vacation!

2011-06-15T08:05:00.000-07:00

Summer vacation is upon us! It was delayed a couple of days due to the fact that Bob got the flu on Thursday night, but we are in full swing.

But Etta is ready to celebrate with:

A mud bath!!

First you dig a big hole and get some water.

Then dig right in.

It's only dirt, right?

9 1/2 Month Annibirthery

2011-06-14T20:06:00.000-07:00

Better late than never, right?

Mae had her well baby check yesterday. 17 lbs., 1.5 oz., 27 inches long with a head of 44 centimeters. Still little, but fairly average. And healthy!!

Mae is really trying to crawl now. Gets up on hands and knees and rocks and rocks and rocks. But some how she can get from Point A to Point B - I am just never watching at the right time! And today when I went in to get her after her nap she had almost pulled herself up to standing in her crib. I guess it's time to lower the mattress.

Her words include "Ma-Ma" (when she wants something), "Da-Da" and "Etta". "Etta" is the word that gets used the most frequently. But that is a-okay with me.

We are having a lot of fun and it should be an exciting summer!

Over three squares - but still doesn't want to straighten those legs out.

Can I be in the picture? But of course!

It's interesting to compare the two girls as they develop. I just read back here and saw that Etta could crawl at nine months but couldn't get in to sitting position. Mae isn't really crawling, but can get into a sitting position. (I think that is part of how she gets places...) And we have been working on using an open glass, but it's not as easy when there is a certain someone else who wants attention too.

True prayer

2011-06-10T21:21:00.000-07:00

Etta asked me at bedtime if she could say a little prayer:

"Dear Jesus, thank you for mommy and daddy and Mae and I. Thank you for Kai and a beautiful rainbow. Thank you for please make daddy feel better. In Jesus' name, amen. And for baseball."

New Bonnet - and teeth!

2011-06-09T07:33:00.001-07:00

The week before we left for Montana we received Mae's new bonnet in the mail. It was made in the good ol' U. S. of A. We love it! Well, I love it, Mae gets used to it each time...but is getting better about it and no longer throws a crying fit when I am putting it on.

Full frontal. You can see 4 out of 5 teeth.

It's reversible!

Makes for a happy baby.

Farm Fun

2011-06-07T14:08:00.000-07:00

In addition to the great poses, Etta got to ride on a few older farm implements.

Many Faces

2011-06-06T15:57:00.000-07:00

We spent Saturday evening in Deer Lodge at a birthday/retirement party for one of mom's friends. The next morning before heading back to Idaho we strolled around a bit and hammed it up for the camera.

This is how it was most of the week we were home!

And how it will be for many years to come.

Nice locks Uncle Erik!

A real couple of hams.

What a good lookin' pair.

Getting distracted.

Etta wants to take Bob back to Deer Lodge to visit the old prison, or "capital" as Etta was calling it.

Truck Town

2011-06-03T21:27:00.001-07:00

We've been in MT for a week (I know, I know, I should have done more posts along the way...) and Etta is absolutely in love with her best-friend Uncle Erik. This morning she got up for a minute and then went back into her room. After awhile I went in to check on her and discovered her just lounging in her bed.

Me: Etta, what are you doing?

Etta: Waiting for Uncle Erik to come and get me.

Unfortunately Erik had already left for his job with the city crew, much to her disappointment.

And how could he not be her favorite when he has access to:

Watch Out World!

2011-05-26T20:57:00.000-07:00

She's gettin' up on her knees.

Mae is still not crawling. Which I'm pretty okay with. I started putting her in the walker early - at about four months - because she needed to be completely upright and straight as a board as much as she could. (Both her personal preference and me trying to combat spit up. I didn't win that battle...) So she is really really good at motoring around in her walker and pretty much getting to wherever she wants to be.

That means that she hasn't spent as much time on the floor as she probably should. She can sit up just fine and play with stuff around her. She is starting to figure out how to kind of wiggle around, turning this way then that to get to different places while staying in sitting position. She has also kind of figured out that she can go from sitting into laying - but this usually involves bonking of the head and crying.

And she knows that she wants to get to different places. There are usually more fun things happening in different places than she is. So she finally gets herself in position, picks a destination...and proceeds to push herself backwards...Oh boy, does that create one ticked off baby. Which in turn makes her try harder - and go back further. Not a fun game at this point.

In addition to this she has one thing (well, a lot of "things") that Etta never had at this age: Toys that make noise. But they are a life saver for me. She will keep herself entertained for hours (okay, minutes) as long as she has something that will make noise when she pokes at it.

After a lot of background story we get to this:

I caught her up on her knees one day checking out the singing chair.

What mommy? Isn't this what the big kids do?

Boy, was I surprised. I would prefer some kind of real crawling to happen before she pulls up and starts motoring around.

And not to be left out...

"Mommy, take MY picture too!!"

*Click*

"Lemme see! Lemme see! Lemme see!"

Rendezvous

2011-05-25T19:11:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday Etta, Mae & I headed up to the fair grounds to take part of the annual 4th grade rendezvous. This is a culmination of the 4th graders study of Idaho state history. There are many different things that the kids get to do, but Etta just wanted to do one thing:

See the horses. Bob gets to ride on a wagon all day and sing songs with the kids.

Etta got to visit with the horses when they were on a break.

And then join daddy for a 30 minute wagon ride.

Sharing

2011-05-23T20:54:00.000-07:00

If you know Etta then you probably know that Etta doesn't particularly like to share. Which I think is a pretty normal thing for a 3-year old. But last night we went grocery shopping as a family and Etta shared her car and driving privileges.

"Mae can sit in the middle and I will drive, mommy!"

Mae sat right up, held the steering wheel ... and ... pushed the horn with her mouth as she was trying to chew on it. Oh well, these things will come.

All in all it was just about the absolutely cutest thing I have ever seen.

Friends

2011-05-22T18:56:00.000-07:00

Most Wednesdays we have play time with Gray and Ronan.
And most of the time they even get along.

Sisters

2011-05-19T08:29:00.000-07:00

And how many posts will have this title?

Although Etta didn't have much interest in Mae when she first joined our family, she is making up for it now. I absolutely love to watch them together. Very gentle and fun. And to hear the two of them laughing and giggling together is the sweetest sound that I have ever heard.

The last couple of days Mae has been making the sign for milk. And while I have sorta kinda started doing some sign language with her I am pretty sure I didn't teach her that. But I had to ask Bob because he taught Etta a few signs without me really knowing either. His response? "Nope. Haven't done it yet". Well, at breakfast this morning we were all eating together. Mae was sitting in her booster across the table from Etta. Etta asked Bob for more milk and used the sign also. I was feeding Mae her cereal but then she refused to take a bite and did the sign for milk using both hands. Gave her the bottle and she was happy as a clam. Bob commented, "Maybe Etta taught Mae the sign for milk. Wow. This is going to be an incredible ride.

"Shopping" at Aunt Sherri's. Amazingly enough Mae fit in the child seat part. It was a good time and all of the grown ups loved it!

Sharing a bed. I haven't put up one of these since...

And reading books this morning. "Mom! Mae keeps grabbing the pages!"

Movin' Up

2011-05-15T09:56:00.000-07:00

Mae is into her big girl chair. On Friday night we had our very first dinner together as a whole family. Etta didn't get to move to the big table until she was around 2 1/2 or something. Second children are so lucky! The girls do tend to eat breakfast and lunch together though. It's a riot! (And that means that I can eat breakfast and lunch by myself - yay!)

As you can tell, they like the arrangement quite a bit.

Summer Hat Time

2011-05-14T15:17:00.000-07:00

It is officially time for summer hats here in Lewiston. Not much of a spring, we pretty much went from average winter weather to average summer weather. All I have to say is that I am very thankful that I'm not pregnant this summer!!

But back to the hat. Much like, Etta Mae is going to have to initially be "forced" to wear a hat. This includes needing some how to keep the hat on her head. I dug through our hat stash and found this:

It works. And she can't get it off. But let me tell you what, she does NOT like getting it on. And while I like it (it was mine as a small child after all...thanks mom!!) I found Urban Bonnets (made in the good ol' U S of A) and am getting one custom made. More pics to follow...

Juxtaposition

2011-05-13T13:56:00.000-07:00

So pretty much anyone who knows Etta knows that she is definitely not a girlie-girl.

We don't refer to dresses as dresses - they are big shirts.

The way I can get her to get herself dressed in the morning? Threaten that if mommy picks out her clothes it will be pink pants and a pink shirt. In to her room she goes.

She's got scrapes and bruises on her legs and knees, loves to run, run, run, plays with trucks in the backyard and probably knows more train terms than I ever will. She's got a style that is all her own.

Some of this stems from the fact that we mostly know boys. From when she was a brand. new. baby. she has been playing with and emulating "her boys". And most of the kids in our play group are boys.

And the other part may be that we haven't done a whole lot of pink and other "traditionally girl things" throughout her life.

And while there are days that I wish she were a bit more girlie (pig tails, anyone?) all in all I absolutely love the little girl that she is. And the strong, independent woman that she will eventually become.

Ruling the rail yard in her dinosaur pj's.

Watching "Beauty and the Beast" for the very first time. Sitting in her Cars chair (which she still has never actually watched all the way through...), wearing her Thomas the Tank Engine pj's with matching fireman's hat, enjoying an apple with Kitty, Ducky, Huckleberry the Whale, Nemo and one of her many blankets.

Lounging

2011-05-11T07:41:00.000-07:00

Lately Mae's been rolling to one side and just laying her head on her arm. Like life is a difficult path that she's having to navigate...although she refuses to be on the floor long enough to travel anywhere...

But sometimes she throws in a leg lift.

I'm a mom!

2011-05-07T21:54:00.000-07:00

I still can't believe it sometimes.

These are my favorite camera phone pics of my girls. Gotta love a "good" self portrait!

Etta Grace Wicks - This picture was taken on May 7th, 2008 when Etta was nine days old. 3 years ago...when I was turning a young 29.

Mae Victoria Wicks - Taken on Sept. 2, 2010 when Mae was about 12 hours old.

8th Month Annibirthery

2011-05-04T21:02:00.000-07:00

The actual day was the 2nd of course, but Etta had a doctor's appointment today so I was going to get Mae weighed. 15 lbs, 14 oz. According to Etta's 8th month post - that's two pounds lighter than Etta was!

Mae is quite a character. She loves Etta and everything Etta does. Even if it involves poking and hitting. I will say, "Etta, quit . . ." Etta's reply, "But she likes it Mom, she's laughing!" Kind of hard to argue with - until Mae starts crying...

She is rolling, trying to figure out how to get stuff that is just out of her reach and loves cruising around in her walker. Almost to the point of detriment. Not much time on the floor...

She is saying, "Mama". But usually it's only when she is really upset or is beckoning me. But that's okay, it's still pretty cute.

Today she started clapping open handed. But never when you actually want her to do it. Much like with the tongue rolling and lip raspberries.

She has graduated from the baby bath and takes baths with Etta. It is just about the cutest thing I have ever seen in my whole life. They sit facing each other and just laugh and laugh and laugh. And Etta holds Mae under the arms while I rinse her off. And is gentle ... mostly.

She is eating well and has even tried Cheerios a few times. Although tonight Etta was a little thief and of course was much quicker than Mae could be. But Mae has liked everything that I have given her to try.

The biggest difference of baby #2 to me has been the fact that Mae has way more toys to play with than Etta ever did. And "older" ones at that. Well, for older kids anyway. But she has done well with them. And every once in awhile Etta even lets Mae play train or cars with her. Until Mae creates a derailment or tries to eat something.

She's all smiles and we love her very much!

Palouse Falls

2011-04-30T21:26:00.000-07:00

Today we headed West to Palouse Falls with our friend Dawn Skinner & her little boys Kai & Niko. It was a beautiful, sun-shiny day and it felt great to be out and about. Dawn is a wonderful photographer and took a ton of pictures (even though she had Kai on her back and Niko on her front...and a large dog on a leash) so I only took - 2.

Babies on a blanket. (Mae is laying off to the left. The sun was bothering her so she flopped over to shade herself.)

The falls in all its spring glory.

And a birthday party shot that I somehow missed yesterday. How do you miss this cute face?!

Best. Birthday. Ever.

2011-04-29T22:01:00.001-07:00

Was Etta's quote yesterday. All in all it was a very fun day.

First we went to the fire station for a tour.

She got to "drive" the fire engine.

Spray the hose to put out the fire.

And hang with some really fun firefighters.

Instead of a cake I went with layered Jello. Tasty!

And a picture with Great Grandma Barb and Great Grandpa Lynn. The tradition continues as we got a pic when Etta turned one and two.

Kai & Niko

2011-04-27T21:50:00.000-07:00

Kai & Niko came over to play this morning. A good time was had by all!

Niko & Mae - hangin' on the mat. Until Niko remembered he could crawl away. And left Mae very confused.

Etta & Kai - tea party and squishy oven mitts. Fun times for two-year olds. And they actually *played*. Etta doesn't do that much with other kids her own age...

Day Forty-Six(?)

2011-04-24T21:11:00.000-07:00

Does Easter Sunday count as part of Lent? Oh well, I'm having so much fun doing my daily posts now I am actually kind of dreading going back to "regular life". Maybe I'll be able to keep it up.

Today was a big day. The Easter Bunny visited our house - twice! Once when Bob & Etta were walking the little dogs and once while I wasn't paying attention. We have a special person in our neighborhood who remembers the girls on special days. We think we know who it is, but it really keeps the magic alive.

And later we went up to Grandma Cathy's & Baba Steve's. The Easter Bunny visited there too! 56 eggs for one lucky little girl. Next year may be a bit different when she has to share with sister...

Starting out with Grandma Cathy. Enlarge the photo and take note of her excellent outfit. Running shoes and socks, capri pants, a long shirt - NOT a dress!! - Thomas coat and red "Bobcat" hat. She is starting to be very ... sure ... of what she wants to wear. But as long as she is clothed I guess I'm okay with it.

She really started getting in to it and needed very little help.

I had to get a picture of Mae in her "Easter" dress. As you can see from the pictures - I don't go much for "traditional" holiday wear. They are cute as can be, are clean and are loved. It doesn't get much better than that!

Day Forty-Five

2011-04-23T21:08:00.001-07:00

Cute Mae and some cute tulips in the backyard. Bob got this shot.

This is what happens to you after you:
Walk the dogs.
Do a 2.9 mile fun run.
Go on a jet boat ride after said fun run.
Go to the Idaho-Washington Symphony kids concert.
Go to Art Under the Elms and jump in the bouncy train with Rachel and Jackie.
Come home and not nap.
Go back to Art Under the Elms and do some shopping (which included picking out a wooden helicopter for her birthday.)
Do the bouncy train one more time by yourself.
Eat a hotdog and then run and run and run because it's fun.
You fall asleep on the way home and when it is time to get out of the stroller say, "No, no. I just want to lay right here".

I would have to say that today was an example of a perfect day. It just doesn't get much better than this. Thanks be to God for sending his Son. Happy Easter everyone.

Day Forty-Four

2011-04-22T21:49:00.000-07:00

Etta: Mommy, you get the cars and play with Mae. I'll color.

Guess who can't stand when sister is playing with anything remotely fun...or not...

Day Forty-Four

2011-04-21T20:46:00.001-07:00

Today we had a play group Easter Egg Hunt at Hereth Park. I brought Jackie & Rachel along to help us (well, me) out. They did help hide all of the eggs, which I think that the two dads there appreciated. The moms took all the kids "over there" while they hid the eggs.

Searching for eggs. She got all the ones around the outside of the play area.

All the girls with the spoils.

Etta coming down the BIG slide for the very first time. I was expecting her to come down with Jackie and then all of a sudden she came flying into sight. She then proceeded to go down about fifty times!

Mae & Easton. A bit different from two months ago.

And our new friend Kai. I think that we are going to have fun with him!

Those crazy girls!

After dinner we dyed eggs.

Etta found it easier to use her hands instead of spoons!