Landry Life

Caught You...

2012-02-11T22:51:00.000-06:00

Caught Rowan today almost smiling. We look forward to watching him smile "on purpose" in the next few weeks.

The Siblings Three

2012-02-11T22:36:00.001-06:00

Hattie and Noah are still crazy over their new little brother and happy to have him join in their lives. Likewise, Rowan seems content to join in the mayhem here at home.

Craziness in the Kitchen

2012-02-11T22:30:00.000-06:00

The other day Hattie and Noah decided it was time to liven things up a bit in the kitchen. Donning their aprons they set to work making PB&J sandwiches. Hattie, an experienced pro in preparing this dish, got her sandwich together in record time and spent the rest of her time posing like a goofball for the camera. Noah was a bit more of a novice in this area and he spent some time chasing his bread around because he didn't quite see the connection between holding the bread while spreading the peanut butter. Yes, well, it was a learning experience. But he got his sandwich made. He then joined Hattie in being a goofball for the camera.

Rowan is One Month Already!

2012-02-03T23:31:00.000-06:00

Hard to believe the little guy has already hit the ripe old age of one month. But life continues on quickly and he is growing like a weed. The biggest milestone to date is his awake time - we so much more of his eyeballs these days!

Bath Time for Baby

2012-02-03T23:05:00.000-06:00

Initially, Rowan was being given sponge baths - quick affairs during which he screamed the entire time, approximately 2 minutes. About a week ago, his daddy decided he was ready for the "big" tub. I told Brad he was welcome to try giving the little man a bath, but to be prepared for screaming. Darned if that little stinker didn't make a peep and actually seemed to enjoy it.

Just Because...

2012-01-31T21:57:00.000-06:00

These are simply because we think pictures of Rowan are too cute NOT to share...

Rowan and His Family

2012-01-31T21:45:00.000-06:00

Hattie and Noah do not, no matter what Hattie might claim, remember life without each other. In fact, Hattie was disappointed to find out that they are not actually twins, just close to it. With them being their own little entity, thus far there doesn't seem to be any jealously toward how much parental attention Rowan demands. On the contrary, they practically fall over each other about who's going to hold Rowan, or give him his bottle or paci. These pictures, I think, do a pretty good job of conveying the devotion held for our new little guy.

Introducing Rowan Walker Landry

2012-01-20T15:58:00.000-06:00

Most of you have heard that our little one forecasted to arrive in January 2012 decided he would rather be a 2011 baby. Rowan Walker Landry arrived at 8:03 am on January 31, 2011. Weighing in at 7 lbs 1oz and measuring 20 inches, perhaps it was a good thing he came a little "early". He is a sweet baby, adored by his family.

Catching Up on Christmas

2012-01-19T16:24:00.000-06:00

As most of you have heard, we've had a little bit going on in our lives with Rowan's early arrival. So we'll catch you up just a bit before we post pictures of the little guy. We enjoyed Christmas here in Huntsville with family who traveled in for the holiday. The kids kept asking where all the snow was this year. Had to tell them last year's winter wonderland was a special event. For all the hours that were spent wrapping presents, they were opened in a fraction of the time thanks to the master unwrappers, Hattie and Noah. We found places for all the new toys, got the kids' big present of bunk beds put together, and picked up a little bit just in the nick of time before Rowan decided to join us. Hope you all enjoyed your Christmastime.

Shhh...We're "Sleeping"

2011-12-05T22:25:00.000-06:00

Occasionally, the sleeping bags are drug out of the closet to the den floor - something Hattie calls playing "sleepover". They played "sleepover" for a while this morning. Hattie's expressions are pretty convincing but Noah has a harder time looking the part. Then all pretenses are forgotten as silliness takes over.

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree...

2011-12-05T22:07:00.000-06:00

This past week we went to the Home Depot and purchased the Landry Family Christmas tree. A charming 5-6 foot Frazier Fir. The kids remembered the pictures taken last year with our tree atop the car and insisted (especially Noah) that we continue this "tradition". Not sure how many years it takes for something to be considered tradition but in their young minds, it happened last year, it was good; therefore it needed to happen this year. Decorating it has been a "process" - purchased on Thursday, lights and ribbon on Saturday, and finally the ornaments on Sunday. Hattie and Noah have the ornament thing down pat - I simply opened the packed box, some hooks, reiterated (more than once) that certain ornaments were breakable so be careful, and they took it from there. Hattie was the main boss (shocker, I know) but Noah had his own ideas as well. Mom did a little redistributing to make sure ornaments were evenly displayed. The master tree decorators consented to pose for a picture in front of their work - I think they were giving me their "model" poses. Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Mr. Pilgrim and Miss Indian 2011

2011-11-18T16:35:00.000-06:00

Some of you might remember Little Miss Pilgrim 2010 and Chief Running Bear 2010. Those roles were reversed this year, as you can well see. Today was our Thanksgiving Feast at Preschool where the Indians and the Pilgrims graced our ears with their songs and then we shared a meal together. Afterwards, Mom bribed the Indian and Pilgrim with leftover Halloween candy for some pictures.

Halloween '11

2011-10-28T22:09:00.000-05:00

This past Wednesday evening Nativity hosted their annual Halloween festivities where the kids dressed up in their costumes. Halloween '11 found a Carebear and a fireman in the Landry household. Both I thought turned out very cute - from the front and the back. Mommy went as a pumpkin smuggler - ha!

Birthday Party for Hattie (a little late) and Noah (a little early)

2011-10-28T21:49:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday we celebrated, with an official party, Hattie's and Noah's birthdays. It was quite a day of celebration with friends and grandparents. Many of their sweet friends from school and church came to wish the birthday kids well, play together, and have lots of sugar before going home. And having grandparents there was a huge help to Mom and Dad. Good times! These pictures are from the post-party celebration where Hattie and Noah got to open presents.

Beware of Fuzzy Black and White Caterpillars...

2011-10-28T21:29:00.000-05:00

This is "Allie" a very cute, fuzzy caterpillar Hattie found in while we were in NC. As you can see from her smile, Hattie was very thrilled with her new insect friend. However, a day later when Hattie was complaining of her hands itching so badly she couldn't sleep, we began to consider that maybe "Allie" wasn't so cute and fuzzy as she first seemed. Sure enough Hattie developed an itchy rash all over her hands and wrists and when we looked up "stinging caterpillars" it was discovered that Hattie's fuzzy friend was amongst these (called a "hickory tussock") Who knew. Brad had even asked me, "You don't think it could be one of those stinging caterpillars, do you?" To which I confidently replied, "No, of course not." Delinquent mother. Anyways, we did actually keep the darn thing for a couple of days due to Hattie's insistence that we do so, even after she was told that "Allie" was the cause of her hands itching. However, "Allie" was released back into the wild one night; and when we were questioned thoroughly by Hattie concerning Allie's whereabouts, we said/lied that she had gone away to turn into a butterfly. The next day at school Hattie saw a butterfly and said, "Look, it's Allie!" Yep, honey, sure is. Phew.

North Carolina Trip

2011-10-28T21:00:00.000-05:00

We were able to get away to the NC mountains this month, at peak season for all the leaves decked in their beautiful fall colors. It was a quick trip due to obligations on the home front but we made the most of it and truly enjoyed ourselves in this beautiful spot.

Happy Birthday, Hattie!

2011-10-28T20:14:00.000-05:00

Our HattieBug turned 5 years old the end of September - can you believe it?!? She is such a little lady and quite grown up. In the months leading up to this birthday, she was known to say often, "I'll do that when I turn five." Apparently she was a little girl at three and life starts at the ripe old age of five.

For Cuteness Sake

2011-10-28T19:59:00.000-05:00

Signs of the Season

2011-10-28T18:37:00.000-05:00

Hattie and Noah enjoy arranging those gel, window clings according to the appropriate season. So here is this year's Halloween arrangement. It has since been rearranged multiple times, but that's the beauty of these things.

Rest Time

2011-10-28T18:19:00.000-05:00

We don't really have "nap time" any more in our house. Sad, I know. But a cool fall afternoon is the perfect time to snuggle with Daddy on the couch, if only for a few minutes.

Let's Go Fly in a Kite

2011-10-28T18:13:00.000-05:00

Our first kite flying experience - something the kids have been just dying to do since watching "Mary Poppins". They were not disappointed in their experience and there were many protestations when it was time to leave.

We're Back!

2011-10-27T14:51:00.000-05:00

Yes, we have had a hiatus from blog postings. Some of you connected with the Facebook world have seen the pictures Brad has posted there. To be honest, there haven't been all that many pictures taken since our last blog post. I'll do my best to catch you up. This picture captures no significant event in Landry Life - simply portrays the kids as their goofy silly selves, wearing underwear (clean) on their heads and socks on their hands. Hope it provides a little chuckle.

Fountain Frivolity

2011-08-21T20:41:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday we joined some friends at the Huntsville Children's Fountains for some morning fun before the day became sweltering. The kids had a great time as I'm sure you can see from the smiles. And the adults enjoyed observing from the nicely shaded arbor.

For Fun

2011-08-14T21:11:00.000-05:00

I took these while the kids were catching a "breather" after a sweltering 15-20 min bike riding session.

Keeping Entertained

2011-08-14T20:58:00.000-05:00

**Note: Before you call child services, YES, I know my children are not wearing helmets while riding bikes. I know this is potentially dangerous. We got to our bike riding place without them and after the effort to get there we decided to ride without helmets, just this once.**

In an effort to combat Saturday boredom, Noah and Hattie both piped up that they wanted to go ride bikes, right then. Never mind that it was the hottest part of the day or that the humidity was, like, 110%. Off we went and returned red-faced and dripping sweat. But it did get us out of the house.

We Be Jammin'

2011-08-06T20:47:00.000-05:00

Whenever there is music playing, Noah is often inspired to break out his guitar and put on a performance. I especially love his outfit in these pictures.

Wait, I Thought We Only Had One Dog...

2011-08-06T20:37:00.000-05:00

One of Hattie and Noah's favorite games is "Puppy". In this game one of them is the "puppy" (usually Noah) and one of them is "the human" (usually Hattie). The puppy gets led around, told what to do, put to bed, etc. There was one day when I looked over and discovered not one, but two "puppies" in Brit's kennel. Now, the role of "puppy" is usually assumed willingly on Noah's part so don't be thinking he was forced into the kennel kicking and screaming. On the other hand, Noah was enjoying himself and Brit was looking as if to say, "Really? Can I not even get a rest from them in my own kennel?"

If Wishes Were Horses...

2011-07-27T08:03:00.000-05:00

If wishes were horses, you could a pink and green polka dot snowman (complete w/blue mittens and purple necklace) in your living room in the middle of summer. Hattie and Noah were putting their imaginations to use yesterday and the little hams came up with these pictures.

Beating the Summer Heat

2011-07-11T21:14:00.000-05:00

Our darling children...

Finally, a sweet face - thank you, Hattie

Hattie is giving directions. She's not bossy, though - she just has really good ideas

Captain Goofy

"Oh, no he didn't!"

Bring on the sibling warfare...

Ok, my turn in this bucket

Thank you, Mr. Cuteness
Ah, yes, the sweet little lady we all know and love

Checking up on his car...

Still More of Easter Fun...

2011-05-03T21:29:00.001-05:00

After Easter services we were graciously invited over to share lunch with some wonderful Nativity folks. Delicious food and the kids got to hunt eggs (again) with some of their favorite friends. I'm afraid there are not too many of Noah due to the fact that he wasn't still for any extended time, say > 5 seconds.

More Easter Fun...

2011-05-03T21:09:00.001-05:00

Hattie and Noah starting asking on Monday before Easter if they could dye their eggs. I was mean and made them wait until Saturday. They cheerfully donned my old t-shirts and waited none too patiently while I set things up in a semi-orderly fashion. It was all very exciting to watch the color tabs fizz, drop your eggs in the dye and watch them emerge in pretty colors. I thought our eggs turned out quite lovely and I was impressed at how clean my little helpers emerged.

Easter Fun at School

2011-05-03T20:59:00.000-05:00

Hattie and Noah's classes at school each held their own egg hunts - both were supposed to outside affairs but Noah's egg hunt was transferred inside on the account of rain. Hattie and Noah were quite the little egg hunters and we ended up with a couple dozen plastic eggs; Mom was trying her best to monitor the intake of what (sugar) was in all those eggs...

Jam Session

2011-05-03T20:49:00.000-05:00

Hattie and Noah were caught the other day giving quite the performance on the coffee table. As you can see, they were rockin' out while in their jammies and as parents, we are glad to see some of our musical genes (however out of practice they may be) hopefully instilled in our children. We thought this performance too good for y'all to miss - so enjoy the pictures!

Bring on the Water!

2011-04-18T23:10:00.000-05:00

Recently we have had some very warm days (along with a few chilly ones). A few of them have even been warm enough to bring out the wading pool - something which Hattie has been asking to do since the snow was melting in February. The kids did enjoy their wading pool and stayed in it despite the very cold water and their chattering teeth.

Little Monkeys

2011-04-18T22:43:00.000-05:00

Hattie and Noah are always up to some kind of monkey business. Some days it is definitely to their advantage that they are so darn cute.

"Wonderful, Wonderful Camp McDowell..."

2011-03-28T21:41:00.000-05:00

Every year Nativity parishoners gather together at our diocesan camp (McDowell) for the annual Nativity Parish Retreat. An exhausting, but fun weekend of friends, food, and lots of play. Brad and I spent a good part of our time keeping up with Hattie and Noah (and talking to friends along the way). Brad had a few clergy responsibilities to attend. The kids loved all the time spent on bicycles/tricycles and the playground with friends. They were slightly less agreeable to the 2 (short) services in the chapel. Fun times, people, fun times!

First Official Day of Spring!!

2011-03-21T22:11:00.000-05:00

Hattie has been asking about it since there was snow on the ground - "is it spring, yet??" Well, yesterday was, finally, the first official day of spring. We joined the crowds over at Big Spring for some spring evening frivolity; we splashed our feet in the water, danced to the beat of an impromptu drum circle, and even met a new friend. Splashing in the water was by far the most popular activity, especially for Noah (notice how high the water "line" extends up his shirt). When the novelty of splashing wore off, Hattie and Noah got with the beat of the drums and engaged in some freestyle dancing. And our final "favorite" of the evening was engaging with our new, furry friend. He seemed to belong to one of the drummers but, as you can see, he was quite content to wander over to anyone willing to pay him attention. Hattie and Noah were quite willing to lavish their attention on this little pup. Beautiful evening...

Sunday Afternoon

2011-03-21T19:04:00.000-05:00

Ah, yes, Sunday afternoon. Hattie and Noah have, barring extreme circumstances, given up naps (sigh). This leaves more time for other leisure activities - "cars", writing/coloring, eating (yogurt, a favorite), and sittin' pretty.

Silliness

2011-03-06T21:41:00.000-06:00

There really is no better description for this post other than "silliness". Admittedly, though, Hattie and Noah's silliness tends to be entertaining so I thought I'd share. This bit involved stripping down to their underwear (as it usually does with Hattie - it seems at times she is allergic to clothes), finding pillowcases, pulling them "on" and then trying to walk. Most amusing. Then, just to add interest, Hattie slipped another pillowcase over her head in addition to the one on her legs, so that she resembled...well, not quite sure exactly what she resembled so you all can decide. Noah, on the other hand, was having nothing to do with the over the head routine.

Rockin' Out

2011-03-06T21:31:00.000-06:00

We are glad to see that some of our music "genes" seem to be passing along to our children. Hattie and Noah love to put in a CD or play the ipod; and in addition to singing, they add their on creative movements to the music. The other day I found Noah up on the coffee table, still in his PJ's, jammin' out on his guitar. Entirely too cute and needless to say, his Daddy was very proud. Hattie expressed herself by donning one of her "dancing" dresses (twirls a lot - "twirl factor" still very important these days), complete with matching head "dress" and sparkling Snow White slippers. She danced very prettily to the music with occasional vocal entries ( matching pitch a lot of the time - sorry, proud parent remark).

Saturday Art

2011-03-06T21:20:00.000-06:00

This past Saturday, as many of you in Alabama experienced, was rainy...all day. So time for Mom to pull out all of her "tricks" for entertaining indoors. Therefore let the arts and crafts commence! Hattie and Noah each worked fastidiously on their sun catchers - butterflies for Hattie and a frog for Noah.

Here's To Family and Food!

2011-02-23T22:41:00.000-06:00

Here in the Landry household, we love our food! The items pictured in this post are some of our favorites - pasta, apples, ice cream. It's even better when we get to share our favorite foods (ice cream) with one of our favorite people - Daddy. As Noah says these days, "Mmmm, 'wicious'" (translation is "Mmmm, delicious!"). Seriously, we have much to be thankful for - the means to have food and loved ones to share it with. Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Is It Spring Yet??

2011-02-19T22:47:00.000-06:00

This recent weather has had Hattie asking frequently, "Is it spring yet?" Technically I suppose it is not quite spring yet but, hey, we'll take it! We have made the most of these warm days by frequenting the local park scene. Here's the pictures from today's park.

Bed Time Smiles

2011-02-18T22:53:00.000-06:00

I guess nothing particularly "photo worthy" has happened since the last post. Not that Hattie and Noah aren't "photo worthy" every day. At any rate, the camera has not been out until tonight. I asked Hattie and Noah if I could take pictures of them in their custom-made PJ pants ( a recent project of mine, just for kicks AND the challenge of trying to find something Hattie would wear). Hattie chose the place for the picture taking - she wanted it to be in the bedroom, by the (open) window, next to the clock, so you all could see it was bedtime. No, I'm not making this up. Noah went along with the whole gig, pausing half way through to take care of his business in the potty. And for that he earned himself and his sister a treat. So in one of the pictures you may notice our dog, Brit, looking ever hopeful for a handout. Don't think she got it, but you never know. Good night and hope you enjoy the pictures!

Sunday Sunshine

2011-02-06T22:50:00.000-06:00

Here in Huntsville lately, seeing the sun is quite a phenomenon. You simply don't see it real often. So to have a day like today where it is 50 and sunny is an absolute treat! In fact we did without a rest time just so we could play outside because tomorrow it will be 40 and raining. As you can see, Hattie was in full spring-time mode with her clothes - capri leggings, short-sleeves, flip flops. She eagerly wanted to know when we were going to get out the swimming pool and play in the water! Noah was content to dig in the dirt, slide down the slide, run around etc; he also stuck with his long-sleeved shirt. Here's hoping spring really does come early!

Daddy Night

2011-02-03T22:14:00.000-06:00

This evening Hattie took her daddy on a date to Daddy's Night at her preschool. She was oh so excited to get to do this - it was what she looked forward to from the start of the day. She looked SO grown up! And pretty stinkin' cute. On a side note...the kids filled out little "info" sheets about their dads; like name, job, favorite food etc. For "Where your dad works" Hattie answered with, "at the church right next to here." Okay, makes sense. Then for "What does your dad do at work?" her answer was, "He helps people with their money." Oh, really....Hmmm. Interesting.

Saturday Morning

2011-01-22T21:25:00.000-06:00

Pictures from this Saturday morning...cost me some gummy life savers and starburst to be allowed to keep the camera out. The natives were asking for it to be put away, but they took the bribe, cooperated, and gave me some cute pictures. These are "natural" (no brushing of hair, or changing of PJs), and unedited. Enjoy!

Ice Cream, Please!!

2011-01-22T21:12:00.000-06:00

Ice cream was on sale at Publix the other day and we couldn't resist such a sweet deal. Of course, you need cones to go with ice cream - colored cones, to be specific. And those two things make for two very happy children.

Snow Storm 2011

2011-01-22T21:04:00.000-06:00

Many of you probably saw these pictures on Facebook, but for those who don't keep abreast in that world, here are the pictures from our Snow Storm 2011. Here in Huntsville we received a good 7 inches of the white stuff. It was fun...for the first couple of days; but then life sort of halted for the next week due to continued freezing temps. And now they forecasting more of it for this coming week!! At any rate, there were some fun pictures taken - hope you enjoy.

Gotta Get Outside

2011-01-04T20:56:00.000-06:00

School has not resumed yet (Thursday!!). It was stamp art day and I was not prepared to battle them for ink removal. So rather than take them to a public park where my capability as a parent might be called into question, we went outside to our own backyard. What a novel idea, right?? I would also like to take a moment to draw some attention the details of Hattie's outfit - She's wearing a dress whose colors are red and black, so naturally she chose pink tights; she did however, choose a red jacket - her brother's red jacket; so of course her pink mittens were a perfect match; and finally we managed to contain her hair in a scrunchy - no small task because her hair is not really long enough for a ponytail and it's fine as silk. Nevertheless, the outfit was weather-appropriate and we're in our own backyard, so no protests here. Oh, and the chalk pictures she's posing by are her own original artwork - no adult intervention whatsoever. Noah looks like he's wearing war paint owing to his ink art.

Mug Shots for the Girl

2011-01-04T20:37:00.000-06:00

As with Noah, this post is dedicated solely to this precious face. Which is looking so grown up these days! Oh, and please pardon the stamps to the face - it was stamp art day and I was not prepared to wage the battle of removal.

Mug Shots for the Boy

2011-01-04T20:32:00.000-06:00

Occasionally, there must be pictures dedicated to nothing else but these precious faces.

Introducing the Stamp Masters - Hattie and Noah!!

2011-01-04T20:27:00.000-06:00

Hattie and Noah both received stamp sets and ink for birthdays and Christmas. As a kid who was into stamp art herself, I was all for this venture. And ink nowadays is washable, so what's the concern? Right? To be fair, Hattie and Noah did do a great job keeping the ink on the stamp and then the paper. It was only in the 5 seconds that I stepped out of the room to get a wipe for hands that ink kind of bypassed the paper and went straight to the skin. Especially Noah's skin. Check it out...

Big Spring Tour on Scooters

2010-12-31T20:39:00.003-06:00

Santa brought Hattie and Noah scooters this year for Christmas. And what better way to break them in (and expend energy) than by taking a tour of one of our town's pretty sights - Big Spring Park. For those of you interested, it's a park built around Big Spring, which is Alabama's largest limestone spring (just looked this up myself in order not give faulty info). At any rate, it has lots of sidewalk space, fountains, and ducks that are always good for entertainment. We even got a family picture! That makes the, let's see...oh, yes, that makes the second family picture this year. Yes, Hattie is still wearing her helmet (and has her thumb in her mouth); and yes, in one of the pictures Noah is actively trying to escape. But we're all together in a picture and no one is outrightly screaming, so let's not be too picky!

Catching Up - Cookie Decorating

2010-12-28T22:34:00.000-06:00

This post also takes us back - this time to our cookie decorating. It's something we wanted to do but it makes a great out-of-school-keep-from-getting-bored activity. As you can see, they were fully focused on the task before them. And I think the end result was quite impressive. Tasted good, too!

To Catch You Up - Decking the Tree

2010-12-28T18:39:00.000-06:00

Many of you have already seen the pictures of Christmas Day. For those of you who have not, check them out on Facebook (too many for a blog post). We take you back in time for this post, to the day we decked the tree. A rainy day with no school, it was a perfect thing to do with our time.

'Tis the Season

2010-12-12T14:31:00.000-06:00

It's been a while since the last post - but it's been a crazy last few weeks! As many of you know, the recent BIG event was Brad's ordination as a priest! An event that has been many years in the making. It was a very special night full of family and friends who have supported all of us along the way. Now we are home and back into the busy swing of things. And that includes putting up our Christmas tree. We found the perfect tree, a task that was surprisingly painless. Since these pictures we have added lights and ribbon. Ornaments are next, it's a process...

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-27T20:04:00.000-06:00

We are home now after a great Thanksgiving holiday where we were surrounded with wonderful family, delicious food, and don't forget the football games. The kids, I know, may go into Grandparent withdrawal after having been basking in the attention of their favorite people for the past few days. And, who knows, depending on how bad the withdrawal, grandparents may find said grandchildren on their front steps! Just kidding. It was a great time and we have much to be thankful for. For those family members who we couldn't see during this time, know that you were and are being thought of! Hope you enjoy the pictures. There's a lot of them - but I couldn't narrow it down any further.

Little Pilgrim and Little Indian

2010-11-19T17:26:00.000-06:00

The kids celebrated Thanksgiving at school today. I didn't actually see them wear their Pilgrim and Indian (given the name Running Bear - appropriate, I thought) attire at school but they did wear it for the camera. Okay, so I had to bribe them just a little to get these pictures (a piece of Halloween candy, as you can see Noah with his M&Ms). But I figured it was worth it because they do look pretty darn cute. I'm biased, I know, but still pretty cute.

Warm Fall Day

2010-11-10T22:24:00.000-06:00

After a right down chilly weekend, temperatures have soared back into the mid 70's. Can't just sit inside and waste all that sunshine and warm air, not when there are many cold, dreary days coming in the next months. And not when the sun goes down at 4:45 in the afternoon! We are lucky to be near quite a few parks. This one is a favorite, especially the really long slide (can't really tell from the pics, but it's a really tall slide). And then today, as you can see, they discovered the "hanging" bar. We had the park all to ourselves and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Wait! We Forgot Halloween Pictures...

2010-11-04T14:26:00.000-05:00

Sorry this will be a little out of order. We certainly did have a fun (and rather crazy) Halloween. In fact it was also in phases. First there was the party at church, then school, and then the real deal on Sunday with trick or treating. Whew! There has also been no candy consumed since then (at least by the small fry) because there was enough consumed on that night to last until Christmas. Just for clarification - Hattie was Tinkerbell and Noah was Peter Pan. It can be a little difficult to tell because they are not always very still (gasp) for pictures.

Noah's Birthday - phase I

2010-11-04T14:14:00.000-05:00

Noah's birthday this year unfortunately falls during an insanely busy week so we are postponing birthday cake celebration (without which Hattie says he's not officially 3) until a later date. He did, however, get to open his birthday presents last evening when Daddy got home. Thanks to all the grandparents, aunts, and uncles who sent them - they were great! I mean, really, they are all things that he loves! Especially the ones with wheels and the fishing pole. Here's some photos of the present opening action for those of you who couldn't be here.

All Aboard!

2010-10-30T22:58:00.002-05:00

As some may know, Noah's birthday is fast approaching - this coming Wednesday, in fact. In early celebration of his turning 3, we went on a train ride on this most beautiful fall day. Noah is pretty much obsessed with trains so we figured something like this would be a big hit. It certainly was and except for a come apart due to low blood sugar (not pretty), he was mesmerized out the window the entire time. He got to purchase a small train from the gift shop that was actually located on the train and he was one happy boy. He can run a train (or car) across a surface for hours. We ended our morning outing with a family lunch at Rosies, a cantina in town with very good food and, most importantly, balloons on a stick. Our busy morning was topped off with an early afternoon nap. Not bad for a Saturday.

2010-10-30T22:56:00.003-05:00

Getting A Little Spooky Around Here...

2010-10-28T20:42:00.002-05:00

Hattie and Noah helped put up a few decorations that signify the approaching holiday. I had bought these gel window decorations a while back, but realized quickly that the kids were not quite able to recognize the finer points of not ripping them into little pieces before getting a chance to actually put them on the window. This year, though, Hattie and Noah did great and all but one pumpkin made it to the window intact. And, really, it's not all too spooky around here - unless you count Hattie and Noah's hair first thing in the morning.

Our Own Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-28T20:23:00.002-05:00

We didn't actually make it to a real pumpkin patch this year, although we have heard there is a great one just down the road. Planning on it for next year when we are not so new to Huntsville. We did, however, visit the local farmers' market and purchase a veritable little pumpkin patch of our own. We each picked out our own pumpkin plus one extra and I think we have a sample of each type of pumpkin.

You might remember a few years ago we sent out pumpkin pictures...I stuck one of these in just for a fun comparison (from 2008).

Happy Fall Y'all

Out of Doors...

2010-10-17T21:41:00.002-05:00

The weather has remained warmish and quite nice, and so we find ourselves outside often. As with many kids, Hattie and Noah LOVE bubbles. I mean, they're great - cheap, relatively harmless, and tons of fun. Snow White even graced us with her presence.

Tinkerbell as You've Never Seen!

2010-10-11T22:17:00.002-05:00

First, know that this Tinkerbell was not clothed against his own will - on the contrary, Noah very much wanted to be dressed up as Tinkerbell and Hattie was only too happy to accommodate his wishes. But dressing the part did not mean that Noah always acted the part of a dainty fairy. I looked up many times to see Tinkerbell streaking across the yard brandishing some object in a show of force. Cinderella did join us outside but declined to be photographed. The one picture she does appear in, she is actually telling me, "Don't take my picture!" So I decided not to press my luck and, thus, most of the pictures feature Tinkerbell.

Oh the Life of a Princess...

2010-10-11T22:10:00.002-05:00

Being a princess can be rough some days...Then some days there are perks, such as getting to lick the pound cake batter from the mixer (without interference) while your little brother is asleep. I suppose it might make up for all the other mundane tasks required when you are royalty.

Swimming Pool Take 2

2010-10-02T07:43:00.004-05:00

Until this past week, the weather has remained warm enough to be poolside. So these pictures may resemble those taken a few weeks earlier, but there are only so many warm weather activities in which one can participate.

Tea Party Time

2010-10-02T07:34:00.002-05:00

With the weather finally cooling down, it's been perfect for a tea party alfresco. Hattie and Noah can put out quite a spread. You can use your own imagination about the conversation they are having...

Tennis, Anyone?

2010-09-12T20:59:00.006-05:00

Brad has recently made a return to playing tennis. So it's no surprise that while walking through a sports store one day, Hattie easily talked her daddy into buying her a pink, Dora tennis racquet, just her size. Of course Noah could not be left out and for now he's happy with a racquetball raquet. This early evening featured pleasant temperatures and a nice breeze - a perfect time for catching a little tennis action. It appears we might have some budding players in our midst. At least they certainly do look cute with a racquet...

Snow White and Cinderella...Cinderella and Snow White

2010-09-04T21:18:00.002-05:00

Last week, a very sweet parishoner handed down to us some costumes that she had outgrown. As you can imagine, Hattie was only too happy to accept. I thought Noah might be somewhat interested in these costumes but as it turns out, he was VERY interested and INSISTED on wearing princess attire himself. The Snow White dress was THE popular one, so after some quick negotiation skills on my part, someone wore Snow White while the other wore Cinderella and then they switched. So here are "Cinderella" and "Snow White" (and they insisted on being called by the appropriate name when in character) in all their glory. Enjoy!

Saturday Silliness

2010-08-29T21:42:00.004-05:00

The record heat seams to have broken and temps have cooled down here in Huntsville, so that it seems Fall may actually, eventually come. So this past Saturday we enjoyed some time outside and it felt not only tolerable but actually pleasant. On a side note, I realize that many of the pictures lately have contained our children wearing only their underwear, but it's the outfit of choice and I figure as long as they wear clothes when company is present and when they are out of the house( as in going somewhere), it's not a battle I'm willing to wage. Saturday activities included...well, you can guess the activities yourself. And for the pictures of them together, I bribed them to hug each other and say "cheeze" and I would put the camera away. I think it worked pretty well.

Mama's Helper

2010-08-29T21:36:00.002-05:00

A fun, summer treat around our house lately has been homemade ice cream. Here's Hattie "helping" to clean up the ice cream maker (it was watermelon sherbet, hence the red color on her face). It was something special she got to do during Noah's naptime, so that's why he does not appear in these pictures.

Building Bridges

2010-08-23T21:26:00.003-05:00

A favorite activity lately is to gather all of the throw pillows from the couches, chairs, and sometimes beds, and line them up across the den (or rather over the water). Then, walking on the tops of pillows, they cross the bridge as Hattie calls it. "Chick" has been their chosen, favorite passenger to cross with them. Not sure how the others were blacklisted and he chosen, but I've learned not to question these matters.

"Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, tell me who has the most barrettes of all..."

2010-08-23T21:21:00.002-05:00

This work is actually not that of an older sister. All these hair accessories were done by Noah, or rather he chose them and then insisted on someone putting them in his hair.

These Hot Summer Days

2010-08-11T21:09:00.004-05:00

As many of you are experiencing, this heat just will not break! We are SO ready for Fall!! But not much we can do about that so might as well make the best of things, right? Here are Hattie and Noah keeping it cool poolside with their popsicles. Noah originally would have nothing to do with a swim diaper or swim trunks or taking off his shirt. Eventually, when his regular diaper filled up and weighed about 20lbs he consented to wear a swim diaper and even remove his heavy wet shirt. Hattie, as soon as I said pool had immediately headed for her "pokey-dotted" swimsuit. It was a grand time but it came to an abrupt end when Hattie and Noah had a collision that resulted in a bloody lip for Noah and nasty bump on the head for Hattie (sorry, no pics of this; was busy tending to the patients). So the last picture is of them "self-medicating" by scooping about the last bits of the homemade mint chocolate chip ice cream. It was an amazing remedy and all was soon well.

Home Life and Such

2010-08-11T21:00:00.003-05:00

This is rather a random assortment of pictures featuring life at home in recent days.

The Beach!

2010-08-03T15:47:00.004-05:00

We decided to escape for vacation before the school year starts and there is no time for such things. So here we are on the Gulf. The morning started early, as it often does where Hattie and Noah are involved, namely Noah. But to be honest, it's so blasted hot that you're better off getting out there early. Noah caught site of the tractors grooming the sand and he was determined to follow them (that's what he's pointing at). When he figured out, though, to use his shovel and fill his bucket with sand, he dropped the tractor search. You can see how very intent he was on this task. Hattie joined us a little later and was not cool with the camera, so I had to take pictures on the sly (you can see the look she's giving me in the pic where she's walking). It was quite humid, and I just love that little curl in the middle of her forehead! When the sun began to heat things up, around 8 am, we headed back upstairs for coffee.

We Love Daddy!

2010-07-28T22:05:00.001-05:00

Trains, Trains, and More Trains

2010-07-28T19:53:00.003-05:00

This first picture is not of trains, but just because I liked it. Now, moving on to trains...Recently I have found Noah many times in this position - lying on the floor, on his side, running his trains (and sometimes cars) back and forth. He loves to watch the wheels go round. In fact, this is the reason he loves to go to church - they have a huge train table with many feet of tracks and lots of trains. I say church, he says "Twains! (trains!)" Many nights he even sleeps with his trains.

Girly Girl

2010-07-28T17:34:00.003-05:00

Hattie is without a doubt our little girly girl. Along with only consenting to wear dresses most days, she recently "purchased" her first set of makeup. She applies and reapplies it frequently throughout the day; she has even included applying the makeup to her brother. He consents willingly and the shades are fairly light so we figure, as long as everyone is happy and nothing is being destroyed, it's okay for now...I mean what little brother escapes some form of girly torture?

Saturday Part I: Bicycles and Tricycles

2010-07-19T21:50:00.002-05:00

We live a stone's throw from the highschool, and while it's summer break we have been taking advantage of the empty parking lot and letting Hattie and Noah ride their tricycle/bicycles. That is when it's not so blistering hot. Which basically means waiting for an overcast day. Saturday was such a day, so off we went to burn some energy. Noah was all about logging some miles on his little tricycle. Hattie rode for a minute or two, but as you will see, there are no pictures of her actually on her bike because she wasn't on there long enough for a picture. As I took the pictures, she was pulling her bike, sighing, and saying she was tired (sigh) and her legs hurt (sigh). Rough life.

Saturday Part II: Dirt

2010-07-18T21:38:00.001-05:00

They tired of the bicycles fairly quickly and moved on to a sand/dirt pile. This occupied them for a while as they filled Noah's back tricycle compartment with the fine grit. As you can see, thanks to the heat and general humidity, the sand/dirt hung on really well, especially to little warm bodies, leaving no doubt as to the morning's activity.

Saturday Part III: More Dirt

2010-07-18T21:16:00.003-05:00

After Hattie's repeated, "Mom, I wanna go home, my legs are tired..." and Noah's , "No!" just on general principle, we loaded back in the minivan and trekked the 0.25 miles home. On a side note, I realize I could technically let them just ride their bikes there, but the thought of them both on bicycles on a road with traffic makes me not a little anxious. So, we came home and played with more dirt. Although this dirty escapade was productive: Hattie had given me some basil seedlings in a cup for Mother's Day, and we babied all the way from Sewanee; now they needed a bigger home. Hattie and Noah helped transplant the basil and after the mission was complete, they moved on to simply playing with dirt. Especially Noah, as you will see from the pictures. Such a boy. Hattie tired of the dirt and took to posing for the camera.

Chillin'

2010-07-17T22:36:00.003-05:00

The kids have taken on a later summer bedtime. So that means some nights we actually have a family movie night...Hattie and Noah (usually Hattie, if you can imagine) tell us which movie we are watching and we all watch it. Noah snuggled in with Daddy and Hattie made her own recliner out of the baby bathtub she managed to find. You'll notice Brit nosed, literally, her way into a picture until she got Hattie to hold her "hand". Great family togetherness!

Our Little Fish

2010-07-11T22:02:00.003-05:00

This Sunday evening we spent a few hours poolside with new friends from church. The kids have become quite the little fish and spent most of every second in the water unless it was time for a Goldfish (snack) break. In which case they would run over to the table, grab a handful of Goldfish or chips, stuff them in their mouth and eat them on their way back over to the pool.

Mug Shots

2010-07-11T21:58:00.002-05:00

Not much to say about these...

Adventures of the Little Green Bear

2010-07-11T21:49:00.002-05:00

This afternoon, Hattie's little green bear went on an adventure in their firetruck. It was photographically documented seeing as Hattie kept throwing the bear up in front of the camera rather than showing the camera her face.

Happy Fourth!

2010-07-06T20:54:00.003-05:00

This past holiday weekend, we packed up and headed over to Mississippi for some family reunion time with Elizabeth's extended family. The kiddos, being off their routine, had a few moments of melting down, but nevertheless we enjoyed our time. On the fourth, Hattie and Noah got to play with some of their older cousins. Hattie enjoyed many hours outside, meanwhile Noah literally stayed inside for many hours playing with his cousin's trains.

Here Lately...

2010-06-22T21:11:00.003-05:00

There's not a particular theme or coherency to these pictures... They are simply shots from this afternoon's activities, which included a lot of silliness, if I do say so. Looking at the pictures made us smile we hope you all find some amusement as well.

Swimming Lessons

2010-06-17T21:24:00.002-05:00

Hattie's big news these days is that she is now in officially done with her very first week of swimming lessons! Such a big girl she's become! She is taking at the YMCA and I am there watching on the sidelines but she is "by herself" in the class. A class in which she is the only girl and, at least it seems, also the youngest (smallest). Hattie has done a fabulous job and always has the biggest grin on her face when she's in the water. Noah has been offered the chance to get in the water, but has flatly declined stating "NO! Trains!!" We'll see if we can't coax him into some lessons later on this summer...stay tuned.

Popsicle Time

2010-06-17T21:15:00.002-05:00

Another summer time activity for us has been eating popsicles outside on the deck. That way the stickiness is not on the kitchen floor. It's a treat for the kids and they relish picking out which color they want. So far Hattie has chosen a brown one (rootbeer) and purple (grape, of course); Noah has resolutely stuck with "gween" (green = lime).

Princess of the Sprinkler

2010-06-17T21:02:00.003-05:00

As many of you know and are experiencing, it has been quite hot these days and, I for one, am all about finding ways to stay cool. So the other afternoon Hattie and I donned our swimsuits and took to the sprinkler. Running through the cool water did feel quite refreshing and Hattie thoroughly enjoyed herself. To be fair, we did extend our invitation to the boys. They, however, declined and chose to nap on the couch instead.

Church of the Nativity

2010-06-16T10:40:00.003-05:00

Here are a few snapshots of our new church, Nativity. Hattie loves dressing up to go to church and Noah loves to play with the trains in the nursery.

Taste Tester

2010-06-11T21:44:00.002-05:00

In preparation for dinner at some friends' house tonight, Noah and I made a cake. It was one we had all the ingredients for, no grocery trip required - a chocolate chip pounds cake. I mean, pretty simple, right? Butter, eggs, sugar, vanilla, flour, and chocolate chips. We also test drove Mama's new Kitchenaid Mixer. So cool! After Noah helped add various ingredients to the bowl and the cake was in the oven, there was the task of cleaning the spatula and beater bar. Noah was eager to step up and help - and here are the pictures. It was just Noah and myself at home, so I let him have it. By the time he was finished, there was cake batter from his hands to elbows and in his hair. But the bowl and beater were very clean! Thanks, Noah!

Slumber Party!

2010-06-11T21:32:00.002-05:00

The kids have some days taken to long summer afternoon naps. Which is all well and great for the afternoon but it means bedtime is pushed back. So some nights we have had a movie night and this was one of those nights. We cozied them down on the floor with their favorite quilts, pillows and Brit, ready for a calming time before bed. It was calm...eventually. That was after several minutes of them popping up and down (literally) and us finally threatening to turn the movie off "right now!" Overall, it was a success and kudos again to Brit for being such a good sport.

We're Back and We've Moved!

2010-06-04T12:38:00.003-05:00

The long absence since our last entry has been due to a few changes in our lives...Brad's graduation, ordination, and our leaving Sewanee. We are now residents in the great city of Huntsville, Alabama living in the "wello (yellow) house" as Hattie and Noah now refer to our home. So here are some photos of us checking out Big Spring Park and getting up close and personal with its residents.

Sibling Love

2010-04-30T22:40:00.002-05:00

There are definitely moments of sibling rivalry in this household but just as many moments of love.