January

The following pictures are all out of order but I can't be bothered to take the time to arrange them all. It just takes too long. Sorry! They are all from the month of January.

Abby shows off her new kinky-do in her Belle dress. This do is the result of her reggae-do the day before. (scroll down for picture of reggae-do)

Abby's reggae-do. She loved her braids and even wore them to school the next day. It only took me about an HOUR to do it. I am not sure how often she will have this hair style...

Alexandra's FIRST bubble-do

The sign above reads: "Breakfast at the palace. Waffles at the palace. Happy Birthday Cinderella." I still can't get enough of the way Abby spells. It is so cute. I absolutely refuse to correct her "S" too. I love that it is backwards.

I think Alexandra is so happy in her bumbo seat because I got early Valentine Day roses.

This is an adorable picture Sammy drew of Ammon, the sheep and the cut-off arms from the Book of Mormon. (the sheep is at the bottom)

Sammy can now write her own name and is very proud of it! She has one of the best teachers - Miss Abigail - who diligently and patiently works with her on all her letters. It is a very good school, I would highly recommend it.

Clowning around with Aunt Cindy. Abby and Sammy couldn't get enough of Aunt Cindy. They had lots of movie parties, dance parties and early morning cuddles when Auntie Pat and Cindy were in town. Cindy was wildly popular.

Auntie Pat holds little Alexandra. She and Cindy are the first people in the family to meet her.

Abby learned about Martin Luther King Jr. one day at school and became obsessed. That day she asked to go to the library and get some books about him. How could I turn her down? So on Martin Luther King Day we made a paper chain representing all of the different skin color of people in the world. We also made black and white cookies (famous in NY), read books about him and colored some pictures. Abby said to me that "Martin Luther was a good man. He made it so little black children could go to school with little white children."

Here is what Abby made at school for MLK day.

Every morning during Auntie Pat and Cousin Cindy's visit, Abby would put messages on the board for them to read. It was a sad day when Pat and Cindy had to leave.

Another message for Auntie Pat and Cousin Cindy!

We were so privileged to have a visit from Auntie Pat and cousin Cindy. It was so fun to have them at our house. We had lots of good food, ate out at some great restaurants and just enjoyed each other. We celebrated Auntie Pat's birthday with a giant cake, lots of decorations, a hawaiian lei made by Abby and Sammy and a fantastic sign wishing her a happy birthday.

Abby and Sammy worked very hard on the sign for Auntie Pat's birthday. We secretly decorated the house, made her lei and got everything ready to surprise Auntie Pat when she woke up from her nap.

The lady of the day!

Daddy somehow managed to get under Alex's playmat and get some good kicks in with her.

The girls!

My big three month old girl!

Another drawing from Artist Sammy

....and here is the Artiste herself, hard at work!

Two sisters squeeze into a chair together for a cuddle

Here is our little artist again in her ballet/princess gear hard at work.

Thanks for viewing our pictures. The month of January was a good one for us. Thanks to Pat and Cindy for making it extra special and so much fun!

Holiday Happenings

The biggest news from our house is that Abby lost a front tooth....

...and then she lost another one (her fifth tooth lost this year). She was so excited for the tooth fairy to come and I was so excited to sing "All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth." (She wasn't into the song as much as I was.) She couldn't wait to go back to kindergarten so she can show her teacher and all her friends.

The girls posing in their Christmas dresses from last year with Alexandra. Santa brought them new dresses for Christmas that I haven't taken pictures of yet.

Here is Abby and Sammy pointing to the little Santas they made on Christmas Eve.

The Advent calendar FINALLY is on 24! Tomorrow is Christmas!

Sitting in their new pajamas with uncle David watching the Nutcracker on Christmas Eve.

Sammy was so excited about the New Year. We threw a little party for her and Abby with games, food, treats, hats and a New Year's countdown (at 8pm).



Abby with her New Year's hat and little Alexandra

We made clock cookies. This is Sammy's.

This is Abby's clock cookie.

Happy New Year!

Smiles, Art and Cuddles

Abby wrote me this little note. It says: I hop you haf a grat day. Translation: I hope you have a great day! I love that she is writing now and spells everything phonetically.

Abby still can't get enough of holding little Alexandra. In fact, a few days ago Alex wasn't feeling well and Abby was so distraught that she couldn't hold her. She was grumpy the rest of the day as a result She is getting more and more confident with her and is quite a good little babysitter. While I am making dinner she still holds her but now I see her move her from the couch to the swing to the bouncy chair and back. She never felt confident enough to do that a couple of weeks ago. Alexandra is perfectly content with her and gives her big smiles when she sees her.

This was a family project to dress up the gingerbread girl. Daddy did her outfit (nice work, it even matches!). I made the high heel shoes and lips and Abby and Sammy did the hair and the rest of her face. I think she turned out looking a little like a tramp but the girls loved her.

Smiley little Alexandra. She is such a happy, easy-going baby.

Sammy's alligator puppet

Abby's Hungry Caterpillar

Goofing off at a birthday party

Last but not least, this is our Tom Turkey in disguise, so he won't be eaten for Thanksgiving dinner.

(He is a clown if you can't tell.)

Rock & Roll Legend

Willkommen bei RENFT!

Instead of running on the treadmill this morning, I decided to walk at a fast pace on an incline. Then I could get some reading done at the same time. I still put on the iPod and listened to some "workout" tunes - Metallica, AeroSmith, Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and the like. With these tunes in the background, I started reading a chapter from my book, "Stasiland; Stories From Behind the Berlin Wall." The chapter that I happen to be on was about the music scene in East Germany after WWII and a man named Klaus Renft, an East German rock star.

Renft was referred to as "the bad boy of East German rock'n'roll" and the Klaus Renft Combo "the wildest and most popular rock band in the GDR(German Democratic Republic)." Some of his band's music was original but a lot of it he copied from the West, from bands like: the Rolling Stones, Steppenwolf, Deep Purple, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin.The group learned about "this decadent Western filth" phonetically by taping Rias (Radio in the American Sector) broadcasts, however the funny thing is that they didn't even speak English.

Of "Satisfaction", Renft explained, "We didn't know what it meant." These songs rallied the people of East Germany and the concerts were always to sold out crowds. In 1965 his band and him were banned from performing. Authorities did not lift the ban until 1967. Then on 22 September 1975, the group was called before the authorities to be told that they didn't exist any longer. Renft had had enough foreign currency to buy a cassette recorder and he taped the interview. He later let on that the incriminating tape was in West Berlin. Overnight, gigs stopped and Renft vanished from the music scene. Two of his band members were thrown in prison and died later of cancer due to radiation poisoning.

Amazingly, Renft reached West Berlin in 1975, finding employment with the radio station Rias. He later toured, revisited old material and recorded new material.
Renft definitely earned his spot as a European rock legend.

After reading this fascinating chapter while listening to several of the bands mentioned, I could not help but wonder if these bands (Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones etc.) had any idea of the impact their music was making in a little walled-off country. A place where people had little freedom. Where they were venting their frustrations through this music. What an awesome story. The author of the book did say that after the wall fell, Renft instantly was the most famous musician in East Germany because he was the only thing they had left that was their own.

I Am So Thankful For....

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I asked Abby and Sammy what they are grateful for. These were their responses:

Abby - "my family, friends, food, school, Mrs. Smith (Abby’s teacher) and my purple lamp. "

Sammy – "the Earth, and my baby, the baby’s room, my mommy, my sister, my Daddy, my school, my T.V., Alex’s car seat, mommy’s closet to try on shoes. I am mostly thankful for babies and babies and babies and my house and babies. I am thankful for toe and nail polish and babies. Hee hee! I am thankful for my cheeks and chin..."

I also ran across this response from Abby about what she was thankful for in November 2007. Her response was: "birds and socks." So simple.

Word to Your Mother...

I have a secret.

It's one that I don't share with people (however, I realize I am now sharing it with a lot of people).

Charles doesn't even know.

I only think of it or listen to it while no one else is around.

Yes, it is a song.

I have it all memorized.

Its an oldie but it still ranks high on my list.

I listen to it secretly on the iPod while I am working out.



The song is: Ice Ice Baby by who other than Vanilla Ice!



In fact, this morning it was the first song on the iPod as I was getting on the treadmill. I started dancing/running and hopping. I got so into it that I was waving my arms around in my funky Vanilla Ice dance so much that I knocked the iPod right off it's perch. It crashed onto the belt of the treadmill and rode to the floor.



Listening to the song reminds me of when I was in ninth grade and I went to the Vanilla Ice concert with my sister Eileen (Denise) and some friends of ours. The concert was really crowded but somehow we managed to get to the front by the stage. It was body to body and constant pushing throughout the whole show. I remember because my sister almost got in a fight with a Mexican chick who kept pushing us with her rear end. She was mean but my sister fought back. Vanilla Ice came out on stage, I screamed and danced. Nothing could be better. We jammed to all our favorites and even got to touch his hand at one point. I bragged to the whole ninth grade the next day at school. It was the best day of my life.









I really wanted Charles to be Vanilla Ice for Halloween this year. I think he could pull it off nicely. But no surprise, he wouldn't do it... maybe someday!

The Girls

Abby is obsessed with holding Alexandra. It is so nice because she holds her while I make dinner or do any other variety of tasks and I don't even have to worry at all. I must say, having a baby this time around has been a lot easier with her help. Sammy is a great helper too. She loves to run over and put Alexandra's pacifier in whenever it falls out whether she needs it or not. Many times Abby and Sammy end up fighting over who gets to put her pacifier in. Charles and I realized one night during dinner that we did not have to get up even once to put her pacifier in. We had a very peaceful meal while Sammy and Abby took turns every two minutes getting up to put it back in or comfort their sister. We smiled and commented that life was good! Abby and Sammy also fight over who will go upstairs and get me any number of items needed for baby. I love it! Hopefully, it will not wear off too soon...

Uncle David, friend Elijah and the girls

Everyone loving Alexandra

more loves for Alexandra

Sammy's preschool class dressed up for Halloween

Sammy got to lead the Halloween parade around the school

My little Halloween elf and Sammy

Thanks Auntie Cindy for the adorable Halloween outfit!

I didn't get a picture of Abby in her costume this year. She was a dancing elephant. Her school cancelled their Halloween parade because of rain. It was then held inside for staff and students only. When we went trick-or-treating on Halloween we were at a friends' house and I forgot my camera. She was a very cute elephant though and was quite happy her costume was so warm!