Showing posts with label kids. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kids. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 03, 2011

Don't be impressed...

Today, I made a mermaid.

I'll bet you're impressed. Don't be.

My girls have been watching a tv show on Netflix about girls who turn into mermaids whenever they get wet. They've watched all 3 seasons of the show now, and slightly obsessed with mermaids. As a result, they want to swim like mermaids, dress like mermaids, sing the theme song about being a mermaid...you get the idea. They even looked up on YouTube how to make a mermaid costume, complete with mono-fin flipper. I draw the line there. It's just not on my bucket list.

So I compromised. It's how I roll.

Emma cut out a little mermaid doll and I sewed it up for her. It's not very good, it's a feeble attempt at sewing up a made-up-as-you-go pattern, but it works.

She had some old shirts that weren't even really yard-sale worthy, so I told her she could keep them for scraps. She pulled out some scraps and cut them up into mermaid pieces. I sewed, she stuffed, she made hair, and voilĂ ! A mermaid. Ok. It wasn't really that easy. I'm making it sound easy. It wasn't. Just trust me on this one.

She actually cut out three tails, knowing full well that I had the stellar seamstress-ing skills to make all 3 dolls. But after sewing up the tails, then finally sewing up the first doll, I told her there was no way [anywhere] that I was going to sew up two more. At least not at *that* size. Those arms? They're very tiny. I actually sewed them *and* managed to get them turned right-side-out. I'm sure larger mermaid pieces will be visiting my dining room soon, hoping to be pieced together to form a larger and more easier-to-work-with doll. In fact, maybe I'll just teach her how to use the machine and let her go to work on a larger version. (Yeah, that's the ticket...)


So, here is the mermaid. It turned out pretty cute. She cut out the pieces (you can see a few marks where her outlines were), she made the hair, and I sewed it all up. There, I made it sound easy again. I'm telling you...never mind. Just take my word for it.

Here's Emma with her new little friend:


Behold, a "mer-made-up-as-you-go".

Thursday, February 03, 2011

Emma's picture

This picture from my bible comes to you compliments of Emma, circa probably 2006. It had to be when Rachel still had her looooong curls as you can see in the picture, so she was probably almost 5. I have to look back at pictures to remember when it was that I had to cut off all those beautiful baby curls.



For reference, here's a family picture from September '06. I'm pretty sure this must have been about when she drew this. Look at the resemblance!



Those were the days.

Friday, October 08, 2010

Easy Playdough

I made up a batch of playdough for the trolls, they're loving it. It's been a long time since we've even had playdough in the house - but even big kids like it. So I thought I would share this easy recipe. Make up a batch, and store it in a ziploc bag.





No Cook Playdough

Ingredients: 
2 Cups Flour
1 Cup Salt
1 Tbsp Oil
1 Cup Water (or less)
Food coloring

Directions:
Mix the flour and salt in a bowl; stir to combine.
Add the oil, stir again.
Mix the food coloring into the water; stir.
Add the water gradually until mixed; you probably won't need the entire cup.

After it's all mixed together, take it out of the bowl and knead until it's playdough-y. If you added too much water, all you have to do is add a little more flour until it's the "right" consistency.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 

This is an easy recipe to double or cut in half; make as much as you need. It's super easy and super cheap.



Enjoy!

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Rachel's quick reply

Homework time:



Emma: Oh, I spelled snail wrong. I wrote s-n-a-l-e instead of s-n-a-i-l.

Me: Well, you're going to jail!

Emma: Darn.

Rachel: And that's not j-a-l-e.



Good one, Ra.

Tuesday, April 06, 2010

It's just an expression

The little neighbor girl next door just rang the doorbell (she'll be 7 on Friday). Rachel opened the door and this conversation ensued:


Cailynn: Guess what? (I can only guess she is pointing to an empty spot in her mouth)
Rachel: You lost it?
Cailynn: No, it came out this morning. It's on my nightstand.
Rachel: Emma! Cailynn lost her tooth!




I love the English language.

Monday, January 05, 2009

New House Pictures

If you click on the picture below it should take you to my photo album of pictures of the house. It starts with some of the options we chose for our house. Then you'll see the empty lot, and lots of pictures of the progress!
We're really excited. The completion date is January 20, so we're nearly a month away from moving in.
Enjoy the pictures, I will add more as we take more, so check and see what comes next!
The following album has our 2008 pictures...there's another album with the 2009 pictures.
Photobucket Album

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Rachel-isms

The fun things Rachel says (again, the documented ones)

Her birthdate is 10/28/01, for reference...

§ 9/23/08: “I like working with littler kids so I’m going to be a teacher [when I grow up]”.

§ Sometime in the year she was 5 (2007 or 2008): we were eating dinner with Jim & Daja, and Rachel gave the excuse for something she did, or something she couldn’t do…I can’t remember the exact thing, but what she said was so funny… “but mom, I’m only 5…”

§ 3/09/08: After practicing her jump-roping for quite a while, Rachel came in and said, “oooh my legs really hurt!!” So I told her maybe she should quit jumping rope for a while if her legs hurt. She replied, “I can’t quit, I have to fight heart disease!”

Wow, I skipped, like 4 years here. Oops. When I remember any of them I'll have to add them.

§ July or August 04: We were getting out of the car at Dana's and Rachel showed me her doll and said, "This is hideous." I said, "What?" and she showed me her doll again - it was apparently the dolls name. I laughed and said "That's not a name, that's just a word." So she looked at her doll and then back at me and said, "Her name is Sally."

§ 6/10/04: Rachel is still learning the word "my". She has some medicine to take from Dr. Jared and the pills are quite large...she told daddy tonight (with some coaxing from me, of course), "Daddy, I took mine horse pill." Basically, any place you would normally put the word "my", she puts "mine". "Mama, mine cup spilled" or whatever. It's SO cute.

§ 4/8/04: They’re playing in the bedroom and I hear Emma say “Don’t tell on me!” and then Rachel says “grrr! I’m not! I’m telling on me!”. Rachel then comes and tells me “I’m telling on Emma.” And then goes back in to the bedroom! (I never did know what either of them did)

§ 4/6/04: The girls got out of bed and came into the kitchen and Rachel said “Mama, I’m sick. I have a frog in my mouth.”

§ 3/13/04: Rachel was getting in bed and she didn’t want to go to sleep. One excuse was “I want to sleep with Emma” (they sleep in the same room), and another was “Mama, I’m scared of the dark!” so I put a night light by her bed.

§ 3/18/04: I was getting her spoon for applesauce at breakfast. I asked her what color the spoon was (it was green) and she said “white!” And then I asked her again, “what color is the spoon?” She said “pretend it’s white, ok?” It was so funny! Then I asked her again and she said purple and laughed (she liked to kid, and knew the right color). Finally, I said “Come on, Ra Ra – what’s the real color? Then we’ll pretend it’s white.” So she said “GREEN!”

§ 3/something/04: While in the car, Rachel said that Emma did something to her, so I asked her what she did. Rachel then went into detail about how Emma hit her with an empty water bottle, and when Emma said she didn’t do it, Rachel said “Emma, don’t interrupt!” and proceeded to finish telling me what Emma did. Again, Emma cut in to say she didn’t do it, and Rachel again said “Emma, don’t in – a – wup!”

Emma-isms

The Fun things Emma says (at least the ones we've documented)

Most of these have dates, but the ones that don't are when she was probably 3 or 4...when she was learning to talk, read, write, etc. For reference on dates: she was born 5/18/99.


§ Note from Emma, actual spelling of words: I love you mama beekas you aer my mama.

§ A post it note with a globe and a sun: “The erth is tiny ckumpared to the sun.” p.s. I found the picture of this one! Here it is:


§ Not sure when this was, but sometime in early 2004 I think. Emma was saying her prayers and she had recently had a cough. We had talked about how sometimes when you're sick it makes you stronger so you don't get even more sick later. She prayed, "thank you for my cough that makes me strong so I can carry my desk or something."

§ Dec. 30, 2004: Emma asked me, "Mama, does Santa know us?" and I said "what do you think?" She replied, "yes...but if he knows us, then why did he put chocolate in Rachel's stocking?" (she knew Rachel shouldn't have stuff with milk in it)

§ Brian told Emma, “I’m pooped.” Emma said “daddy, what does “pooped” mean?” Brian told her it meant that you’re tired, and Emma said, “daddy, you should just say ‘tired’.”

§ 3/16/04 When asking Rachel to play outside with her: “Rachel, let’s play Toy Story! You be scud the dog, and I’ll be Sid, the happy child.” (There's a line in the movie where Buz says “what, that happy child?”)

§ October 2003: Riding in the car, Emma was singing the wise man/foolish man song. In the middle of the song, she stopped mid-sentence and said, “Rachel, rain is water dripping from God.” And then she continued singing where she left off.

§ 1/26/03 at Bennett’s house for superbowl: Emma, after pulling out all the dress up clothes and half-clothed herself: “Abby said a bad word to me.” When I asked her what it was, she said “she told me to CLEAN UP.”

§ 10/22/02 Emma walked into my room all dressed up, and when I saw her I said, "You're beautiful!" She said, "I know." I said, "Sweety, if someone says you're beautiful, you need to say thank you." So she said "Thank you, I know I'm beautiful." A few minutes later, she asked "Mama, can this beauty-ful girl have some lipstick?" And then later, “Can this pretty girl have a drink?”

§ 10-18-02: Emma's tummy kind of didn't feel good so she said she was sick. I told her if she was sick, she'd have to lay in her bed all day. She said "I'm not sick anymore. I went to the doctor yesterday and he checked my feelings."

§ Same day: I turned up the music in the car, and Emma told me to turn it down: "Mama, when it's louder it makes me yawn! I don't want to be yawned!"

§ 10/15/02 Another Emma Dialogue: At dinner one night, after Emma had been playing with glitter glue earlier that day (and I had been helping her), I said, "Oh, great. I've got glitter on my shirt." Emma said "I didn't do it." I said, "I didn't say you did, silly." She said "I know, I was just talking to myself.''

§ Driving in the car, listening to music: I asked Emma, “did you like that part?” she said, very politely: “I’m busy right now, Mama,” while playing the keychain-flute to the music.

§ 8/1/02: I was sitting at the computer, and heard “MOMMY!” (I had just put Emma to bed, she had said her prayers, I gave her kisses and hugs, I turned on her music and turned off the lights…). I opened the door, and said “WHAT…” in that “what-in-the-world-could-you-possibly-want-now” voice, and she says (are you ready for this?) “my kiss is coming off.” I turned on the light, and said “What?” again (the voice was different this time), and she said “my kiss is coming off” and pointed to her cheek where I had just kissed her. Of course I went over and gave her another kiss… (and of course I won’t go for that twice in one night…)

§ 7/25/02: “Mama, you’re so proud to me!”

§ 7/25/02: She wanted more cereal: “I want some out with [without] milk.”

§ 7/23/02 Emma did a somersault (kind of), and said to watch her while she did a “tatersauce”.

§ Another 7/23/02: (in the car) Rachel was making faces and opening and closing her mouth, Emma thought it was funny. I said, “Don’t you have a cute little sister?” And Emma said, “Yeah…I miss her.” I said, “She’s sitting right beside you!” And she said, “No…I missed her when she was in your tummy!”

§ 7/12/02: My friend Angela was over with her daughter Sarah. Emma and Sarah were playing by Rachel’s saucer with her in it – I saw Emma wave Sarah away – when I told Em to be nice and share, she said, “She was trying to take my bottom off!” (or "taking my bottom off") … we laughed so hard. She had her swimsuit on, so we figured maybe Sarah pulled on it or even just touched it?? It was so funny.

§ After leaving a friend’s house or somewhere she’s been playing with friends or grandparents, Emma says “Mama, I didn’t have very much fun!” Translation: I didn’t have enough fun. (The first time we heard her say that it took us a little while to understand what she meant, but we got it after she would say something else like "I need to have more fun".)

§ In the car, just getting off the blue bridge toward Kennewick:
Emma: Mama, where are we? Are we on the bridge?
Mama: We just got off the big bridge, and now we’re on a little bridge.
Emma: Oh, is it a little baby bridge? Can I hold her?

§ Parting Emma’s hair for ponytails (pigtails) I told her I needed to make a straight line. She said, "Don’t make a line, I’m not a grocery store." (NO LIES!! She really said this)

§ After I gave her some gum – Daddy was getting her out of the car for church and she says “Daddy, I got some gum!! I’m so yucky!!” (lucky, l’s = y’s)
p.s. we *still* say this, all the time. "I'm so yucky."

§ After she was tucked in to bed one night she came back out in the hallway and asked me to “give her a favorite”. I told her to get back in bed and she said, “No, will you give me a FAVORITE”. So I realized she meant ‘do her a favor’ – so she said, "Yeah, Mama, give me a favor – get me a drink of water.”

§ While driving on the freeway on a very windy day: “Stop driving crazy, Mama. I’m trying to read.”

§ Other times Emma used to be concerned that we would "fall off the road" while we were driving places. "Mama, don't fall off the road!" I'm not sure where she got this, or maybe she remembered a time when we were on a mountain road on a hill, so there was the possibility of "falling off"? Funny.

§ Emma, when told she needed to take some medicine: "I just like the grape kind. I don’t like the icky kind, it’s gross and dangerous.”

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Out of the mouths of babes...

We went to Seaside, OR last month for a vacation - it was a wonderful weekend. Brian had a slow week at work and took a few days off, and we met my parents and stayed at a local motel with a room right on the beach. It was really nice! The weather wasn't super warm, but wasn't bad either. I will post some pictures - I just haven't gotten a chance to go through them yet. Yeah, I'm slow. Sue me.

We were walking around the shops one of the days and stopped in at "The Man Store". They had lots of guy stuff - hats, knives, t shirts with slogans, you know, "man" stuff. Whatever that is.
So we're looking around, reading t shirts, and Rachel decided to read one too. It was actually the highlight of my vacation.

Just imagine my cute little 6 year old, reading the shirt slowly out loud, in her pleasant, not-too-loud-but-clearly-confident voice, without any sign of hesitation:

"Some see the glass as half empty, others see the glass as half full.
I just wonder who the hell is drinking my beer."

Yep.
That's my girl.

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Bummers

The girls got to feed the bummer lambs, although they were starting to wean themselves from the bottles so didn't want to eat much; therefore I only have a couple pictures. But this is another thing from my childhood that they get to experience once in a while. I love that they get to do these things!!