Sonshine school pics are in....

...and my babies are growing up too fast!

Yummy!

The girls got a couple mini powdered donuts this morning. Piper made glasses of out them before she ate them.


Look at Piper discovering herself in the mirror in the background.

flowers and cheese

We have a rose bush blooming in our front yard. I picked one for Brenna's hair while we were out playing. Then Daddy got one for Piper.


They were happy girls. Clearly.

My day!

Yesterday when I got home from work, I found that my sweet four year old wanted to have a party for me. Simply because I am the best Mom in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD!!

There were balloons and cookies and a homemade card!! Oh, and games. Games of finding where Brenna hid the balloons.

I really think Bren just wanted balloons and cookies and to do a craft, but I'm just going to run with her excuse.

I do love my family!!

Next show..."The Singing Bee"

This is from "Music Idol"; a Bulgarian version of "American Idol".

Oh yeah, Mom, I cut my hair.

Jaye, this one is for you...

"For God so loved the world, He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16"

We love Spring

Sisters and hormones (yes, even this young)

OK, I just have to admit my girls are driving me nuts today.
The back ground info that may or may not be relevant is that Piper was sick over the weekend. She threw up off and on Friday through Sunday. Josh was with them on Monday and declared Piper "well" because all the energy she didn't use up during the weekend was coming out in full force. AND HASN'T STOPPED SINCE!

Today, Piper is SO emotional (I know, I know, she gets it straight from me). She has has about 4 total meltdowns this morning; and that was before we ever left the house. Which didn't make me too excited to leave the house. When we got the shop, she perked right up. And now she is WOUND up!!! She and Brenna are chasing each other around here giggling and squealing. They got some books so I thought they were going to sit quietly and read. HA! They wanted the same book, of course, but Piper had it first. I told B she could have when P was finished. B got distracted with another book and then realized that P was no longer looking at the book she wanted. B couldn't find it so she asked me if I knew where it was. I told her to look under the couch or the table. B hopped up and started looking around. Piper started giggling. This got my full attention. B was looking everywhere and P giggled more and more, while pretending to read a book. Exasperated, B says "Piper, WHERE is the Kipper book???" Piper laughs out loud and moves her leg over to reveal she is sitting on the book!!

I just keep thinking that if this "little sister" stuff has already started... Miss B is in BIG trouble!!! Aren't we all!!!

Time for an update...this is all I got

We took the girls to see Sesame Street last month (Thanks, Angela). They equally had a great time, but they handled it in very different ways. Brenna sat on my lap the entire time, mostly with her head against my chest. She sang and clapped and enjoyed her favorite characters, from the safety of my lap.

Piper loved every second of it. She stood in the chair the entire time squealing and laughing every time she saw a new character. She clapped and sang along at the top her lungs. It was wonderful.
Until it was time to say "Goodbye" to Elmo. Piper cried and reached for the stage for at least ten minutes crying for Elmo. It was heartbreaking (and a little bit funny to this sadistic mother).

(If you click on this picture you see the tears running down her face.)

Sing Along

This is Piper's favorite song.
Teach it to your children. Sing it all day, everyday.

Please don't make me the only one tortured by this.

Easter Pics

We had several Easter activities this year. I have pictures from most, but these stood out amoung the rest.


Thank you Grandma and Grandpa for the wonderful dresses.

I'm lonely for my girls!

They are in Kansas for the week.

Brenna's Snow Angel

My parents (Grandma and Grandpa) live in Ohio and over the weekend got 10 inches of snow. Grandma called, sounding rather giddy about it all, bragging about how wonderful it was. At the end of the conversation, I heard Grandpa come back in from shoveling the sidewalk. He didn't sound so giddy.

After I hung up with them, I told Brenna about how much snow they had. We measured it so she could see just how tall it was. Then she asked me if she could talk to Grandpa. Below is the conversation that took place.

B: Hi Grandpa.
G: Hey Brenna.
B: Grandpa, will make me a snow angel and snowman and take a picture of it for me?
G: What?
B: Will make me a snow angel and snowman and take a picture of it for me?
G: Uhhh......
B: Please, Grandpa.
G: OK, Brenna. Consider it done!

I don't know if this is really what happened, but I can just see Grandpa getting up and putting his wet-snow-shoveling clothes back on and making a snow angel for his angel. In the email he said the snowman is coming but the snow is right for it yet.
What a great Grandpa!! We are blessed.

Thanks, Anita!!

Look what Anita can do!!

Here is the untouched picture, if you want to compare.


Anita, feel free to improve my pictures anytime you want!! :)

We love you, Jaye!!!

My mother's sister, Jaye, is so wonderful. She always has been. When I was little, I thought she was the coolest person ever. (And still do!!) She taught me how to wrap my hair up in a towel after a bath, read me stories, allowed me to torment her at her wedding rehearsal dinner and gave great advice about every thing. She is a speech pathologist in North Carolina and puts many of my fears at rest about speech, business practices and relationships. It was an easy decision for me to want to name Piper after her. I would be proud for both my girls to have her loving, generous spirit, business mind and determination!

My girls do love her, too. Because she works with kids all day long, she knows all the BEST toys. The toys that aren't advertised on TV, and are WAY cool. So far, for nearly every gift giving occasion she has found the perfect toy for my girls. And they don't even know they are learning while they are doing it!!

Thanks, Jaye, for everything!! We hope to see you soon.

Aunt Jaye and Piper Jaye
Jaye and my girls

Curls are over-rated!

Piper removed her curlers before she went to bed. Brenna stuck it out, but first thing the next morning asked me to take them out.



And even if they didn't last long, she sure felt pretty with what little curl resulted. The rest of us straight haired girls so understand that.

Two adorable unsupervised little girls...

This is what two two-year olds can do while adults are chatting, and older siblings are "helping". I'm not sure you can see just how close the water is to the top of the sink. Nor can you see the ice cream and ice cream cone "taking a bath" along with a mess of bath tub toys.

Ah, what fun!!

Preparing for cuteness

I love pudding!