April 30

The past few weeks have involved me scrambling to finish projects before Daisy's first birthday party this weekend. It's not like it really matters - all of the people attending have seen our hovel home before, understand that it needs a lot of love, and won't be shocked by its condition. But still. It's good to have deadlines.

I was chugging along today, accomplishing things, and then crashed and burned due to a major paint debacle. I'm still not sure how we'll fix this one; regardless, I doubt the fix will happen before Daisy's party.

But, I was finally able to hang artwork in Caleb's room and pictures in our family room. And do you remember the project I mentioned a week or so ago? It's hung up in Daisy's room, and it looks adorable.

This girl is totally into books lately. She's especially interested in anything touch-and-feel.

Love her!

Also, Caleb and I waited for Chris to come home from work on the porch swing. It's pretty much my favorite thing ever.

April 29

Today was a long and busy day. We skipped church to get things done and help our sick children get healthy (yep - poor Daisy still has a runny nose), and we accomplished a lot!

First on our list was the porch swing. It's been a long journey (see more detail here), but it's finally done!

Our neighbor Terry (who is our own personal Wilson - remember him from the show Home Improvement with Tim Allen?) was such a help throughout the process. Thanks to him, our fears of the swing crashing down at any given moment are just mild flashes in the back of our minds.

I'm not sure the kids quite appreciate the swing yet, but they will. Oh, they will.

Also, Daisy saw Caleb sitting in one of these chairs and was not happy until she got to sit in one, too. 

(Don't worry, Ma. I watched her like a hawk.)

How cute are they?

How goofy are they?

I'm pretty sure this is his muppet face.

Later, I discovered a perfect purpose for those annoying window cut-outs in our living room wall:

A puppet stage!

The kids were enraptured!

Even Daisy was totally into it.

She scooted around until she found the "man behind the curtain".

Even later, I let Daisy color for the first time while I made dinner. 

Clearly she first thought that I was just giving her an unconventional pre-meal snack.

But soon she figured it out, and even made some faint scribbles. Way to go, Daisy!

April 28

Today we spent the morning helping friends move and the afternoon playing outside with our friend Caleb. Caleb is the great-nephew of our across-the-street neighbors, and he was born just a few days after our Caleb. He also has a baby sister just a few months younger than Daisy. Funny, isn't it?

Daisy busied herself with emptying the bucket of toys.

Then the rain came.

Caleb got out his froggy umbrella,

while the rest of us retreated to the cover of the front porch. 

(P.S. Can you tell where the kids get their gorgeous eyelashes? It sure isn't from me!)

Soon, though, Caleb realized that umbrellas are for fools and that warm spring rains are made for playing.

The other Caleb joined in the fun, too.

 

 

 

 

 Those boys had so much fun together!

I kept offering Caleb his rain boots or his rain coat, but he was having way too much fun.

Meanwhile, Daisy strained to see every last thing the boys did. She can't wait to be up and playing with them!

Daddy was an acceptable substitute, though.

Sweet little feet!

When the playing was over, Chris and Caleb rounded up an errant ball.

Clean up is always more fun when you're riding on Daddy's shoulders!

During dinner, the real storms came. 

That's hail. Lots of it. Right after this, the tornado sirens went off and we headed for the basement.

About half an hour after the storm, my mom found this melted hail pellet. It must have been huge when it hit the ground!

April 27

This girl. She's definitely almost well, but still sick. (Does that make sense?) We had an hour alone together while Caleb napped today, and she was content to scoot around on the floor near me. She'd scoot over to me, pull up on my leg, give me a kiss, an scoot off again. She is so silly and affectionate and funny!

Of course, today was a gray, gloomy day, so the only pictures I got were taken directly in front of our big sliding door. And even those were taken at a wiiiide aperture and with a slooow shutter speed, so they didn't turn out so well.

I love how she wrinkles up her nose when she laughs!

She made friends with the baby in the window, and shared lots of kisses.

I can never get a picture of her laughing like this - she always moves! Or, she'll only laugh when my face is out from behind the camera. Still, this is her happy face, all wrinkled up and dimply with two little teeth. Love it!

More happy Daisy.

And to finish things off, a serious, pensive Daisy. (With her mouth open so that she can breathe. Poor baby.)

Later, Caleb serenaded us while I made dinner. I think you'll enjoy his musical stylings...

April 26

Today was a grouchy, fussy, whiny kind of day for all parties involved.

Also, Daisy  took a two and a  half hour nap this morning, which had me counting my lucky stars. But when it was time for her afternoon nap, she was totally uninterested. I spent an hour trying to convince her it was a good idea, to no avail. So I did the only thing a mother on the brink of insanity can do - I popped them in the car and took them shopping. And it worked.

By the time we got home, Chris was already back from work. Hooray for Happy Daddy Fun Time!

Caleb (in his cool red shades) was keen to play some baseball with Daddy.

This pretty girl was keen to play with a ball.

("Bah. Bah. Bah. BAH!!!")

I love, love, love her little dress. Boys are fun, but sundresses can't be beat.

Running. And running. And running some more.

Can you tell she's itching to run? I'm not stopping her - hopefully it will happen soon!

Kissing the ball. She loves it that much.

April 25

Today was sunshiny and warm, but I didn't get enough sleep last night and I'm getting Daisy's cold, so I was in a funk.

Plus, today involved way too much poop.

Like many days, it started out promisingly - outdoor time, flowers in hair - but then she pulled the flower out and it all went downhill from there.

Caleb shoveling. At first he shoveled the (brand-new, dark and lovely) mulch, but I made him move to the grass instead.

I'm not sure whether Daisy was more excited about the ball or the mulch. She's saying "Ball" here.

(Also, she says "eye". And points to her eye. Or my eye. Doesn't matter. She knows "eye". She's a prodigy. Clearly she's brilliant. My girl, she shines like the sun.)

At one point Daisy's ball rolled down the driveway, into the street. I ran after it, and when I returned with the ball, Caleb said, "Mommy, that wasn't a safe choice! A car could have come and knocked you over! We don't run into the street!"

It was pretty funny.

After the poopy incidents and crummy naps, the only thing I could do was get out the water table and let the kids splash.

See the snot in her nose? Girl is still sick.

She's nearly one, and still doesn't pull up to standing. I think even Caleb was pulling up to standing by this point. But she pulls up to her knees a lot. I was really hoping the water table would be incentive to get her standing, but it wasn't.

Caleb was a fan, though. However, now that he's potty trained, he found swim trunks to be confusing. He got pretty upset when his shorts got wet from splashing. You know, because wet pants = bad now. Eventually I convinced him that swim trunks are made to be wet.

And this girl's bare thighs got chewed up by the deck, so I put her back in clothes. This is the first time she's worn this dress, and I am so in love with it.

To bed now. Tomorrow will be better.