two monkeys

I gave a few picture gifts this Christmas (imagine that), and so I have neglected to show these pictures on my blog since I wanted my gift recipients to be completely surprised. Except that it really was no surprise at all :) Gift pictures are in color. The outtakes are in black and white.










outtakes...

'tis the season

...for sharing. Today Greg and the kids made cookies. Well, I'm just guessing that Greg made the cookies and the kids ate cookie dough. Tonight Evie was eating a cookie at the table and got up from her chair, came into the living room and said, "share a cookie with me mommy." I got up and said, "ok, let's go eat it." Then she pointed me in the direction of the cookies on the counter and said, "No, share your own cookie" in her sweetest 3 year old voice. Greg and I both laughed. It's funny what she considers sharing. :)

The mind of a 3 year old

Evie has said some really funny things. Here is a good example: this summer we stopped at the drive thru at Wendy's many times on our way to the pool (thanks Beka for the key)...mommy has to have her coke, you know. It was then that Evie discovered the joy of mandarin oranges. One day I asked her what she wanted as we pulled up to the speaker, and she said, "guy oranges." I knew what she wanted, but I was just so confused as to why she thought they were called guy oranges. Then as we pulled away I laughed outloud as I figured out how she came to that. (you probably already figured it out, but another name for a man is a guy). Today she said another funny such thing. She asked me while we were playing in the snow if we could make a snowman. I knew this fresh powdery snow was no good for a snowman, so I told her this snow is not sticky enough. It just doesn't have any stick to it, and we probably won't be able to make a snowman today. A little while later, she is doing this (first picture below). She picked up this stick with such excitement and said, "Now we can make a snowman!" Again, I had to think...but I figured out what she meant. She thought I meant we need a stick to make a snowman. Kids!









Just a few from this week:
Evie is suddenly very interested in hygiene. Here she is doing something or other with her teeth, and G train can almost always be found sharing the step stool. Usually you know that's what's going on b/c she is yelling for me to get him off!


The one place Graham cannot get to (yet):


And just because he's so handsome (even with a drooly dirty shirt), and because he couldn't go in the snow today since he had a little fever:

I Didn't Take These Pictures...

...just wanted to make that clear so no one gives me credit for their awesomeness. These were taken by our new friends The Monahans. You may have seen the post about them here. I love all of these, and these aren't even all of them. They did such a nice job for us. I think I've thanked them about a million times :) I have a few more favorite family shots hanging in my living room, and they are on canvas and are large and in charge! If you want to see more, you'll just have to come and visit. Just let me know you are coming and I'll clean really fast.



If I was strong enough to hold this lens steady, I'd be getting one myself--what beautiful bokeh!








This was my favorite. How hot is Greg?


He's a stud like his daddy.






Now that's real life!

halloween carrots...

...that's what Evie calls candy corn. I don't have a picture to go with that, but I thought it was funny anyway.

Here are our two Halloweeners. No new costumes this year--Mickey Mouse was back as was the duck costume that Evie wore when she was one. I think this picture is really adorable despite Graham being terribly out of focus (one of my many stupid human tricks). They were in awe of each other's costumes for the first half hour or so.


Evie responding to my reverse psychology ("hey! don't look at me!")


Our local high school had a safe trick or treat that we went to the night before Halloween. Here is Graham roaming the halls looking for someone, anyone to give him candy.


Next we headed to my parents' country "getaway (from nothing)". I have a hard time taking pictures of scenes which don't contain people, but my mom insisted I capture the sunrise. This is the ONLY benefit of waking up when it's still dark.




I thought the trees surrounding this path were pretty, so we got off the 4-wheelers for a picture. I plopped them down right in front of a little scrawny dead tree though. Another stupid human trick!


This one wasn't planned, however. The kids found a baby lady bug and were really excited about it.


My brother Jon is always making fun of Graham's "big ol' head" (and I laugh though I know it's not true; he has a perfect head). He will appreciate that I made it look smaller here by cropping the top off. Seriously though, is this not the sweetest little expression?

the accused

This morning someone was ringing our doorbell frantically...as if they were pushing it over and over and over. I looked out the peep hole to see a police officer standing there and I could also see his car parked in the street. I thought to myself, "oh my gosh, our house is on FIRE!" (last year a house in our neighborhood was burning before our eyes due to a faulty electrical box in their garage, and our power has been acting up, so I'm of course paranoid ours needs checked too). I answered the door and he said they had a 911 line in use at this address. I looked behind me at the floor and saw our phone lying on the ground. I was so embarrassed. Just 5 minutes before that I remember Graham playing with it. So I ran over and turned if off. Then I apologized over and over and over. He was so nice and said he was just glad everything was ok, and something to the effect of, "at least he's learning some good numbers to dial." He also said they had gotten a call with no one on the other end, but they could hear a child crying (I don't remember him crying, but I was doing laundry).

Add me to the list of idiots who let their babies play with the phone thinking that they would never be able to turn the phone on, push the 9, push the 1, and push the 1 again. What are the odds?

Also add me to the list of people who think law enforcement is great. I have had several run-ins with the police (a warning for speeding, and then two..yes TWO car lockouts), and they have been extremely nice and helpful. One was even off-duty. So anyway, don't let your kids play with the phone, and give a policeman a hug.

Finally! A smile caught on camera!

I always strive to catch a child's spirit, and I have the most difficult time with my own children. But this one of Evie is so her.