Meet Reggie

We hope that all our family and friends had a wonderful Christmas and that everyone continues to enjoy the holiday season.  We had dinner on Christmas Eve with close friends.  The girls decided to go to bed around 9:30 p.m., saying that if they went to bed earlier, morning would come more quicly.  We liked that reasoning!  However, I changed my mind when I was awoken at 1:28 a.m. by Lacey saying, "Mommy, Cassie want you to know that it's "Cwismas."   I had probably been asleep less than an hour.  I mumbled something and assumed the girls would go back to sleep.  About 10 minutes later, I really awoke because they were playing Mancala.  This game involves dropping rocks onto a wooden board.  "What are you doing?"  I called.  "Waiting to open gifts," they sang. 
"Go back to bed for a few hours!"  I replied.  And they did. 


We later had a day full of happiness and genuine surprises, including a new addition to the family.  Lacey won for having received the greatest number of surprises.  That would be because she can't keep a secret so she didn't know what anyone was getting!  I won for receiving the biggest surprise, which would be the part about the new addition to the family.  In case you're thinking a dog, it wasn't.  I will admit that the thought of surprising the kids with a dog had flitted across my mind for all of about three seconds. 


No dog.  Les surprised me with a robot vacuum cleaner. I never saw this coming. Les told Cassie, "Get Mommy the big box."




"Hmm, " I thought as I held the box, "A pair of boots?" Then, "Oh my gosh?! You actually bought the iRobot vacuum cleaner??!! What did you pay for this??!!!"


"Not much." said Les.


Well, whatever he paid, this little guy is worth it.  I set the box next to my feet and pulled out the directions.  "Must have initial charge of 16 hours. . . Oh, I'll have to charge it overnight.  We won't be able to see it work until tomorrow."


"Don't call it "it," Mommy,"  Cassie piped in.  "You have to give it a name."


"Well, if it's going to help me with the housework, it's got to have a masculine name!" I said.  We settled on "Reggie" because that sounds appropriately "buttlerish."


I eagerly read through the 35-page owner's manual.  The iRobot uses its built-in intelligence to clean the whole floor, under and around furniture and along walls.  It can vacuum wood, carpet, tile, vinyl and linoleum, automatically adjusting to different floor types.  It can allegedly detect dirt and clean more intensely in that area.  It can naigate around furniture and obstacles and won't fall down stairs.  I was kind of hoping that it could climb stairs and vacuum them too.  At least on paper, I was loving the little guy! 


I continued scanning.  "'Tip:  For best performance from the iRobot, make sure floor is relatively clean of clutter.'  I knew there had to be a catch!"


I plugged in the "docking station" so that Reggie could charge.  He came to life with a chirping sound, sort of an electronic purring, and indicated that he was fully charged!  I turned him loose in the front hallway. The little fellow seemed to be quite clever, navigating around the steps and the shoebench, and climbing on and off the rug.  He headed for a real test in the kitchen.  At first I thought Reggie wasn't doing very well.  Then, I realized that was only because he can't pick up dirt that is stuck to the floor.  Can I use the word "persistent" to describe a robot?


After getting to know Reggie a little better, I decided to give him a trial run under the bird cage.  This was Reggie's chance to earn his place as a permanent member of the household.   Well, not only am I going to let him stay, Reggie might even get his own place at the table!


Who needs a dog?  I'll never be alone again.  As I write, Reggie is snuggling contentedly against my feet.  I bet Reggie and I could walk down the street together leash free!  With some slight modifications, Reggie might even be able to sing to me while he works.  All in all, Les scores big with the robot! 

The girls dressed for church on Christas Eve.  The matching capes were surprise gifts from friends!

Pre-chaos

Opening gifts together - very civilized!

Julio and Gaby

The gang, minus the photographer

The dolls' annual Christmas pageant

Opening gifts with Gaby

Here are some videos of Reggie at work.  The first shows him cleaning the front hallway.  The second shows him meeting the cat and my former vacuum cleaner.

Genetics

When I was a junior Army officer, a senior officer was complimenting me on a completed task.  "Elizabeth," he said, "I'm confident that you could BS your way through anything!"  At the time, I thought that was the highest compliment that I could have received, and I was thrilled.  I still pride myself in my ability to BS and never know when that skill might come in handy.  For instance, a couple days ago at school I was able to reprimand a student without her even realizing it.  "Wow!" I told her, "That's an awesome shirt you're wearing.  In fact, it looks as though it was specially designed to show off your tattoo.  But, sadly, the school dress code requires young ladies to cover their backs, shoulders, and chests."

Cassie plays the violin in the elementary school orchestra.  A few days ago, the music teacher asked the children to write a reflective paragraph about the recent school concert.  Well, you can imagine how pleased I was to discover that this ability to "BS" is genetic.  As I read  Cassie's submission, I realized that she has actually taken this ability to a new level.  She's so descriptive that the reader/teacher is inclined to overlook the spelling!  Read on:

"My View of the Concert"

"The experence of the concert was inlighining.  Fanlly playing some easy music to relax and be calm without really working.  The music in the background was pretty but it slightly drowned out the sound of the students.  The adence was nice because some concerts I have been to are rather rude.  Most of the notes were in tune.  But, still, some showed themselves as the chiller font in my mind.  The violins were held beatifully up by  the students so that they gleamed.  When the students went up to talk, they spoke loudly and clearly.  The concert all together was quiet nice."

Now, aren't you sorry you missed that concert?

Christmas is Coming

While driving home from work today, I received a call from a friend who was picking her daughter up from school.  She informed me that the elementary school was under a lockdown.  Apparently there was a helicopter hovering over the school and cop cars swarming the community.  "I can't see any children coming out," my friend explained.  "I don't know how much longer they'll be locked inside."

"Wow!"  I answered as I stepped on the gas.  "As long as they're safe inside, I'll have some extra time to get stuff done at home!"

Not sure how to respond to that, my friend replied that she'd talk to me later and hung up.

I walked into the house hollering to Les to quick get out the wrapping paper because we had a few minutes to ourselves.  Clearly we are in the throes of pre-Christmas preparation.  In the past two weeks, we've been to two violin concerts, two "Parents'Days" at the ballet studio, the Christmas pageant at church, and dozens of rehearsals.  We're shopping and baking and cleaning and decorating.  The dolls have to have their own Christmas pageant and even the cats must receive gifts.  Of course, we're having a wonderful time.  One of my most enjoyable moments so far was listening to Lacey try to phonetically pronounce "Xmas."   We actually let her go at it for about 5 minutes because we couldn't stop laughing.  Another winning moment was when Lacey told me that she had asked Santa for a "hex bug."  She leaned toward me and whispered, "Don't worry.  You can find them almost everywhere!"

I guess I almost reached my limit this afternoon.  The girls had finally made it home.  Lacey was reading her homework aloud while Les cranked up the stereo so that he could hear the Christmas music over the TV.  Cassie was busy making recyled crayons for her friends, which required her to use the oven and about three-quarters of the kitchen.  I had just finished digging through the freezer, pleased to have found two salmon burgers, a few taquitos, and some curly fries.  "Leftovers!" I proclamed to anyone who could hear me.  "Blue Christmas," my all-time, least favorite Christmas song, was rocking our house.  Les grabbed me and we began dancing around the kitchen.  This is another one of those scenes that you know I couldn't make up.  The only thing missing was a dog, because this would have been the perfect time for a dog to leap through the air and grab our dinner from the table.   But, really, I think this is how it's supposed to be.  And, somehow, we'll get everything done. 

Visiting with Santa

That's My Kid!

Today was "Parent's Day" at the ballet studio and our first chance to see Lacey in action. Unfortunately, Les had to stay at home. You might remember that I mentioned the washer overflowing. Last night, the washer decided to break down. It locked automatically and trapped all my whites inside. So, while Les waited for the plumber, the ladies headed for the dance studio.

I don't know if I had more fun watching Lacey or watching Cassie watch Lacey. I shot a couple videos for Les to watch. This video really says it all.  Make sure you turn up the volume so you can hear what the instructor is saying to me.

Communication

Frequently at school I find myself answering students' questions about slang.  They hear words at work, on TV and on the street that they don't understand.  Our conversations are sometimes quite explicit.  But, my students are all aged 18 and older; and, I believe that for their own self preservation there are things that they need to understand.  We discuss words and phrases that are okay to use with friends and co-workers, but not with a boss or teacher.  We talk about words that have multiple definitions.  Today we covered words that are okay to use when describing an attractive guy or girl, but that should never be used to describe Grandma.  I think it's fine to have these discussions within the shelter of my classroom.  But, I didn't expect to be having such a discussion with my children. 

I arrived home, anticipating a semi-quiet evening.  It was "Buddy Nite" at the Taekwondo Studio, and Les had promised to take both girls.  Semi-quiet was right.  The girls were sprawled in front of the TV eating buttered popcorn.  They ran to greet me and here's what transpired:

Cassie:  Mom!!!  I got a postcard from the principal saying congratulations for my good grades.  And, you'll never guess what!!!  Lacey said "dammit" on the bus!!!!

Me to Les:  Have you already discussed this?

Les:  No.  Haven't had time.

Me to Myself:  (Of course you haven't.)

Me to Lacey:  Did you say dammit?

Lacey:  Yes

Me:  Why did you say dammit?

Lacey:  I say dammit because I have homework and Sydney doesn't!

Cassie:  She knows it's a bad word.  She told Sydney not to tell me!

Me:  (Struggling to keep a straight face.)  So, why do you say dammit, Lacey?

Lacey:  Because other people do.  I hear other people say it.

Me:  (Scowling at Les)  I told you not to let her watch so much TV.

Me to Myself:  I don't think they say "dammit" on the Disney Channel.

Me to Lacey:  If other people do bad things does that make it okay for you to be bad?

Lacey:  (Licking butter from her fingers)  No.

Me:  Then, is it okay for you to say "dammit."

Lacey:  I don't know.

Me:  Well, dammit, "dammit" isn't a nice word.  Remember how we keep talking about using your middle finger?

Lacey:  Uh huh.

Me:  Well, saying "dammit" is sort of like using your middle finger.  It's not nice.

Lacey:  (Continuing to lick her fingers while looking longingly at the TV in the next room.)  Uh huh.

Me:  Are you going to say "dammit" anymore?

Lacey:  I don't know.

Me:  Uhhh. . . . If the teacher hears you say "dammit," she'll send you to the principal's office.

Lacey:  Will I get a postcard from the principal like Cassie did?

Me:  No!! 

Cassie:  Mommy.  Remember when Lacey said "H E double hockey sticks?"

Me to Myself:  If I didn't, you'd make sure I would.

Me to Lacey:  Finish your snack.  Remember, you have homework. 

Me to Les:  What time did you say Taekwondo started?

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us.  Cassie says that she is thankful for family, friends and pets.  Lacey says that she is thankful for everyone's love.

Cassie's rendition of a Thanksgiving turkey!

Fall Fashion

It was so beautiful out today that  I forced the girls to pose for some pictures after we got  home from church.    Lacey is usually happiest in jeans and a T-shirt. Today she was wearing an Indian outfit that was given to her by a family friend.  A dress with pants!  How perfect for Lacey.

On Friday, Les took Cassie shopping at Forever XXI.  He had agreed to get her a new winter coat.  He also got her a gorgeous dress.  She fretted that she looked too "colonial" in the dress,  and had to accessorize a bit.

Happy Veteran's Day

We are proudly honoring my Dad and all other American veterans today.

Parent Teacher Conferences

It's the end of the first quarter at school, and time for the annual parent/teacher conferences.  I've been doing this for a number of years now and wasn't nervous, not even when Lacey told me that her teacher would probably say that she is "sort of good and a litttle bad."   I arrived about 5 minutes early for Lacey's conference.  I know I said that I was experienced at these things.  So, you're probably wanting to point out that conferences never run on time, much less early.  But, I had a busy evening ahead of me and wanted to hope.  I paced in front of the open classroom doorway for about 15 minutes, listening to a mother describe all the wonderful things that her overachieving child does at home. 

"Listen, honey," I murmured, "The teacher spends more waking hours with your child than you do.  She knows how wonderful he is.  You are clearly a first-timer." 
Sensing that I was in for the long wait, I wandered down the hall and started scanning the schoolwork displayed on the walls.  I found the following paper, written and illustrated by Lacey.

  Here is an interpretation:

One day a girl came to America.  Her name was Lacey.  She have a new sister and a new brother and new dad and new mom.  She have a new family.  Her new family is nice.  She like her family.  Sometimes she gets stuff.  (The last sentence eluded me.  I'm not sure if she sat on her family or on her stuff.)

Well, of course, I burst into tears and all the parents wandering the hallways stared at me and murmured to themselves.  But, really - not only can Lacey write with invented spelling, capital letters and punctuation, she's writing about her family!  She tells me she loves me on a daily basis.  So, I'm not really sure why I reacted so strongly to her story.  I think maybe it was the Public Display of Affection that got to me.  I finally had my moment with Lacey's teacher, who is wonderful.  I didn't really care about Lacey's reading level, her performance on standardized tests, or anything else.  My kid has a sister, brother, mom and dad!  

I sped home, started dinner and raced back to school for Cassie's conference.  Cassie's teacher began with, "I'm not really sure there's anything I could tell you about Cassie that you don't already know. . . .Straight A student. . .  award for good behavior. . . . I love this child . . . . she does no wrong. . . "

"Come on," I interrupted.  "What about her spelling?  Her spelling is atrocious"

"I love her writing."

"Hmmm," I pursued, "What about her desk?  Is her desk neat?" 

"You got me," laughted the teacher. "Her desk is a mess!"

Feeling relieved that Cassie's not entirely perfect, I headed for home.

Today, Lacey proudly announced that she got in trouble at school for grabbing a little boy's butt. 

"Why did you do this?"  we asked.  

"Because I wanted to talk to him."

"What did the teacher say?"

"We don't touch people's butts!"

Clearly, there are still quite a few things that Lacey needs to learn.  But, her family is "nies," and what else really matters?

Find me on Etsy

Check out my new shop on Etsy.  I am trying to make the most of the time that I spend sitting during violin and ballet lessons.

Impressionistthreads.etsy.com

The Newest American Citizen

Today Gladis became an American citizen.  I let the girls play hooky to attend the ceremony.  We were not allowed to bring cell phones or cameras into the courthouse.  At first, we were upset about not being able to take photos during the actual ceremony.  But, not having cameras made us all focus more on the meaning of the ceremony and listen to the judge's remarks ( which lasted for only 35 minutes).  This short speech by the judge was very meaningful. He spoke about the extraordinary American government and constitution, and the meaning of the citizenship oath.  The judge also encouraged the new citizens to sustain their native cultures in the U.S. and enumerated many contributions of past and present immigrants.

Congratulations, Gladis!!

Here are our snapshots from today.



This is the only picture we took at the courthouse - before I ran back to the car to store our phones and cameras.



Back to Blogging

I haven't abandoned my blog.  But, the past few weeks have been fairly ordinary, not producing a lot of fuel for blogging.  Well, I guess my life has taken a twist back to not so normal and produced another bloggable day.


Yesterday began fairly normal, except for a few twinges of pain that I was able to ignore until I was on the highway.  Then, it became the kind of pain that made me curse and pound on the steering wheel.  I actually became desperate enough to call Les for help.  I use the term "desperate" not to imply that my husband wouldn't help, but because he was locked in an office about 40 miles away.  In retrospect, calling him was a dumb idea.  However, I did need to let him know that if I wasn't home in time to meet the school bus, I was probably at the ER passing a kidney stone.  Of course, I got stuck in traffic on I-395.  Crazy thoughts started pouring through my head such as, "Does it really matter that Cassie sleeps on top of the sheets instead of between them?"  And, "Good thing I'd shaved my legs - in case I need to seek medical care."


I finally got to work and my wonderful colleagues offered to take care of my students.  I decided to wait until traffic subsided before heading South.  I began phoning my doctor's office, which opens at 8:00.  I got a recording that said they were running late and politely asked that I call again in 15 minutes.  I did call again in 15 minute increments for the next two hours.  I guess pain does strange things to a person.  During those two hours I managed to drive home; check on the basement which was in fact flooding; and collect a pile of  catalogs to read in the waiting room.  I finally reached the doctor's answering service and learned that the office was closed.  I explained my situation to the friendly sounding guy who answered.  He offered to take a message.  Hmmm.  Let me think.  I'm in a lot of pain.  Not sure a message would be helpful.  I'm thinking of going to the ER.  The friendly sounding guy told me that he wasn't trained to offer advice or opinions.  I thanked him and drove to the ER. 


The ER was strangely empty.  This is the first of many points at which I will state that I'm not joking.  There wasn't a single person in the waiting room.  The kind nurse pulled up my record, asked if I thought I had another kidney stone and ushered me in.  "Go see Alvin,"  she said.  "He'll take care of you."  Alvin is a medical tech who, in addition to having a great personality, does a little bit of everything.  He checked me in, drew blood, got the IV going, etc, while he entertained me with stories of recent patients with kidney stones.  I commented that the place didn't look too busy today.  Alvin gasped, "Oh, you're not supposed to say the "B" word!" 

I was placed in a room where the nurse tried to figure out how to use the new "touch screen" equipment.  My patient care representative arrived and wrote the names of all staff members who would be assisting me on a big white board.  She gave me a chart with smiling and frowning faces on it to help me communicate my degrees of pain.  I'm not kidding.  The nurse left my door open so that I wouldn't feel too lonely.  She returned with a helper and they still couldn't figure out how to work the new equipment.  They both left and returned with Alvin, who demonstrated how to correctly touch the screen.  I was grateful for my pile of catalogs and began daydreaming my way through Pottery Barn, envisioning what a basement that wasn't flooding might look like.  Eventually, I got to go have a CT scan.  While we were waiting for the results, a voice over the sound system chastised all the ER nurses for neglecting to label the specimens they were bringing to the lab.  Upon hearing this, the charge nurse began yelling at everyone.  "Oh,great," I thought.  "So much for all my blood work."  Just then, my worries were confirmed as a member of the "Hospital Transport Team" arrived to take me for a chest xray.  I tried to protest, explaining that she had the wrong hemisphere.  The nurse came in and they checked the name on the xray order.  Big surprise.  It wasn't mine.  I wouldn't be responsible for the xray copay!

I got up to use the restroom, which was down the hallway.  As I stepped into the hallway, Alvin came by, almost knocking me over.  He was pushing a bed with a woman on it, yelling, "Need a room!!  Got a baby crowning!!"  He yelled over his shoulder at me, "I told you not to say the B word!"

The lady ended up next door to me.  The walls are thin.  About 30 seconds after her bed landed, I heard the baby crying and the nurses cheering.  It was a boy!  More cheering.  Alvin came into my room looking for a blanked to wrap around the baby.  Someone eventually found a rolling baby bed.  Alvin came back to lean against the wall in my room and rest for awhile.  He told me that I should be proud of this woman.  She too had driven herself to the hospital and Alvin had pulled her from the car.  About this time, the nurses were informed that a baby born outside the delivery room is considered "dirty" and couldn't be allowed in the nursery.  One nurse suggested that maybe it would be better for the baby if there weren't so many people breathing on him.  I'm not joking here.  Apparently, all the nurses backed off, because a couple minutes later the charge nurse started yelling, "You people didn't really leave this baby alone, did you??!"  She wasn't joking either.

In a short while, the doctor arrived to tell me that I was about to pass a 5 mm kidney stone.  As she questioned my celebratory cheering, I explained that I had done this myself, without needing surgery.  The doctor wrote my prescription for pain pills. I got dressed and was ready to leave when I realized I still had a needle stuck in my arm.  I was seriously considering going home. It would have taken very little effort to pull the needle out myself.  But, the nurse caught me and offered to help.  I stopped to say goodbye to Alvin on my way out and congratulated him on the successful delivery.  He congratulated me on my successful delivery as well.

I got in my car and headed for the pharmacy.  The "low fuel" warning light came on the dashboard.  I'm not kidding here.  However, I managed to make it home in time to meet the bus.

After yesterday, I expected to have a quiet weekend.  I took the laundry to the basement while the girls were still sleeping.  I opened the front loading washer and discovered about 10 inches of standing water inside.  It took about 2 seconds for the water to cover me and the laundry room floor.  Now, how on earth could that happen?  There wasn't water in it when I opened the door last time.  Hey, maybe things are just getting back to normal around here.

Educational TV

Now that school has started and we're busy, I'm working hard to maintain a routine at home.  The girls come home from school, unload backpacks, pack lunchboxes for the next day, do homework, practice violin, tidy bedrooms and lay out clothes for the next day.  The girls understand that if they have free time, I will encourage them to play outside, read, draw, play Barbies, help me cook dinner, or basically, do anything that doesn't involve TV.  It's not that I think TV is bad.  But, there are so many more enriching things for them to do.  We have the same rules for the computer, DS, iPad and anything else electronic.  If we can fit in a little time for electronics at the end of the day, fine.   If we have homework and we can supplement it with information from the Internet, wonderful.   I'm grateful for the Internet every time Cassie has a quesiton that I can't answer.   And, while Saturday mornings might be reserved for cartoons, the girls don't spend endless hours staring at any kind of screen.  If you know me, you know how much I rely on electronics.   But, it's all about finding balance.  I want the girls to recognize that technology offers tools to supplement, not consume their lives.  And, I absolutely don't want them to miss out on life - whether it be the everyday or the extraordinary.  Interacting with other people is the essence of life.

(As evidenced by the last post on her blog, Cassie does actually spend time thinking about all this.  http://cassidy950.blogspot.com/ )

Then, along comes the show, "Pawn Stars."  Now, this is one show that the girls are welcome to watch.  Usually, it's on after Lacey's bedtime, so we watch with Cassie.  This show is packed full of real life lessons.  Let's start with history.  In one evening, the show covered little known facts about Abraham Lincoln, the history of Buffalo Bill Cody, and the American Revolution.  This show can also teach lessons about interpersonal relations and values.  Here's what you might hear while we're viewing Pawn Stars:

Me:  Okay, Cassie.  Who currently has the upper hand?
Cassie:  Oh, obviously the buyer.  The guy who wants to sell needs $400 to get his teeth fixed.  He's desperate and the buyer knows this so he can take advantage of the seller.

OR:

Me:  Okay, who has the advantage in this exchange?
Cassie:  This time the seller does.  She knows she has something really unique that the pawn shop guy wants to get his hands on.  And, she doesn't need the money so she can negotiate for a better price.

Other episodes teach about values:

Me:  Who's going to win this time?
Cassie:  I'm not sure.  The guy selling needs the money and the buyer is willing to pay.  But, he's not sure he wants to sell because the item belonged to his grandmother.  Maybe sentimental value is worth more than money.

A couple weeks ago Cassie successfully auditioned for the youth orchestra.  To celebrate, we all went to visit the local pawn shop.  We explained to the staff that the girls love watching Pawn Stars and that they were first timers.  The girls were free to roam the aisles and examine the jewels, DvDs, power tools, musical instruments and cameras.  One cashier tried to interest them in a pink guitar.  But, they were more intrigued by a woman who wanted to sell a necklace.  They were thrilled to hear that familiar phrase, "What do you want to do, pawn or sell?"  They also enjoyed watching the customer who kept grabbing my arm and exclaiming, "They have everything here!"  Eventually, Cassie asked if they had any game cartridges for the Nintendo DS.  Of course they did!  The girls spent about 10 minutes mulling over the games before they selected one that was selling for $9.99.  Since retail price is $29.99, we all felt pleased with the price.  Well, Cassie was thrilled when the guy knocked $3.00 off the price.  All in all, it was an experience that didn't disappoint.  Ordinary can still be extraordinary.

Outside the local pawn shop

Sounds of Summer

 Tomorrow both the girls and I will begin a new school year.  This is always a bittersweet time of year for me.  I share the excitement of new friends, new clothes and new challenges.   But, I'm always sorry to see our peaceful summer days end.  The girls and I were reflecting on our best summer memories, and I decided to share some of the sounds that made our summer special.  Here they are:

The way KatyAnn says "pizza;"

The whir of Cassie's pottery wheel, and the hum of the sewing machine as Cassie finished the curtains for the playhouse windows;

Lacey telling me that she didn't need any new school clothes because she had so many great hand-me-downs from Cassie;

Being woken by an incoming text on my phone that read, "Hi Gramma.  I'm Gaby."

Hearing the Star Spangled Banner screeching through the sound system at the fairgrounds - Cassie and I were demonstrating knitting in the Home Arts Building at the county fair.  When the music started, we pushed open the big sliding door in the building.  Everyone who was in the building stepped outside to face the flag.  For those few seconds, the many different people at the fair - the carnies, the vendors, the farmersand the spectators - were all united.

The girls reading aloud to dogs as part of the public library's "Read with Rover" program;

The earthquake and Hurricane Irene;

The sound of rain on the cabin's roof;

Outdoor concerts at Orkney Springs;

Silence.  The leaking faucet in the kitchen has finally been repaired.

The playhouse curtains

Cassie knitting at the fair

A summer picnic

Lacey at the fair - she loves cows

Cassie's impressionist drawing - Best in Show

Lacey reading to the dog

Orkney Springs

Cassie sewing

Hurricane Irene

Picking raspberries

Cassie and Gaby

American Girl Place

It's All About Gaby

Gabriela arrived on August 13th, just a few days early.  We were up at the cabin and didn't get to meet her until a few days later.  Gabriela is just beautiful.  She is a healthy and peaceful baby. 
 Cassie was so happy to finally meet Gaby.   She had set aside a pile of books to read to the baby at their first meeting.  And, Cassie read, even though Gaby was asleep during our entire visit.  Ever since Cassie started speaking, she has called Gladis "big sister."  Now, Cassie is thrilled to be Gaby's aunt.  She has specified that she wants to be called "Tia," which is Spanish for "aunt."  Cassie has established a "Gaby fund" and is saving money to buy Gaby an American Girl doll.  Cassie has already gotten Gladis to promise that Gaby will spend Halloween with us.  Cassie told me that she can't wait until Gaby is 4 or 5 years old so that they can have a real conversation.


Lacey was really fascinated by all the baby stuff - the pink and white bassinet, the tiny hats and mittens, and Gaby's tiny bracelet.  I gave her my camera and let her take pictures of everything.  I was a little nervous about letting Lacey hold the baby.  So, I let Lacey slip her arms under Gaby, next to mine.  It was at that moment that Gaby chose to release some gas.  Boy, was Lacey every surprised.  She told me that it would be okay if I wanted to put Gaby back in "the cage" now!

Gaby in my arms

Cassie reading to Gaby

Sleeping Beauty



Gaby and her "Tia"



The 3 girls

The 4 girls

Happy Mom

7lbs, 6 oz, 20 inches long

"I can't wait to hear her voice!  Which American Girl doll should I get her?"