Some videos I've been meaning to post.

We had a pretend birthday party. I made the Pioneer Woman Strawberry Shortcake Cake that Dad loves so much. The girls liked it a lot. They also loved the idea of a pretend birthday party for no reason at all!


Franny recently learned the Pledge of Allegiance. She started saying it over lunch one day and I caught it on video.

Franny's Stage Debut

Here's that video I told you about Dad. Family, I may not have told you but Franny was lucky enough to be a part of a pilot program offered by a graduate student for music therapy for about eight weeks. The graduate student presented on the group at Truman University here in Kirksville and she invited me to come and listen to it. After it was over one of the other parents in the group asked me if I had heard about the puppet show that was happening that afternoon on campus. I hadn't, so I walked over to check it out and found a lot of families we love to hang out with. I called Bobby (who had just taken the girls to the park) to see if he could bring the girls to the university so we could go. He rushed over, but just so we could sit and wait for another half hour before the puppet show started. It was all worth it though. It was a very cute production and one of the dancers came and hand-picked Franny along with a few other kids to come and dance on stage! She was so thrilled. She couldn't stop talking about it all day and into the night. "Mommy, did I dance with the ballerinas?" The next day she even asked me to do her hair like the ballerinas. Now watching the video, I know what she was talking about. It was such a pleasure to watch. In fact, before she even got to go on stage, I was watching the look on her face as she watched the production. She was really into it! Just taking it all in. I remember taking that same sideways glance in similar situations just a few years ago, and noticing the difference between her gaze and those of the children around her. At that time, she often seemed disconnected and spaced out. There was no question of her connection with this performance however. Which probably had something to do with that cute ballerina coming down and asking her to dance instead of the handful of other kids sitting around her. It's really exciting to observe. It was also exciting to see how much she enjoyed being in the spotlight. We need to get that kid in dance or theater or something. She was born for the stage!

I should mention that while Franny was up there, Sophie was just miserable. She hates feeling left out by Franny. It was so sad. Poor kid. Usually just shoving a pacifier in her mouth does the trick, but this time it didn't work. I rummaged in my purse and found a half eaten chocolate protein bar and by the end of the show it was all over her face and hands. I tried to hurry and take a picture before she spread chocolate all over the place, but this was all I managed to get. It was on her pants and her shirt, too. Crazy kid.

HAPPY EASTER FAMILY!!!

Thanks Dad for the beautiful dresses. The girls love them. They've been dancing around all morning.

A Whole New World

Bobby would probably kill me if he knew I posted this video, but luckily he never checks this site. Enjoy...

from the mouths of babes

Franny said a really cute prayer tonight, so I have to record it somewhere and I knew you guys would enjoy it.

Dear Heavenly Father, bless panda bear and bear and baby and papers and books and pen and scissors. [at this point she wanted to close the prayer but I prompted her with "please bless Daddy."] Bless Daddy and Mommy and Sophie and Franny and Richard and Kristy and Garrett. And Garrett again. Jesus Christ Amen." (Garrett is a boy in her class.)

She is so funny.

Back home from Kansas

Looks like you all had a great time for the 4th!! I'll be posting our pictures soon. We got in LATE last night. Franny was so hilarious. We wanted to stay late and play games with Jen and Wes so we laid the kids down to bed and stayed until 11:30 before we made the 3 1/2 hour drive home. Poor Bobby. Well, Sophie woke up at about 12:45 and woke Franny up with her screams. Sophie fell back asleep soon after but Franny was awake for the rest of the drive, in a great mood and just chatting away. As we pulled into our town, she said, "Mommy, are you hungry?" Then as I put my glasses on (I had been sleeping), she said, "Mommy, I like your pretty glasses." She ate a bowl of cereal, followed Bobby around, and then finally agreed to go to bed- but not without a pad of paper and a pen. As I unpacked a few things I found her teddy bear she likes to sleep with and decided she might like to have it so I went back into her room. When she saw me come in, she hurried and grabbed the pad of post-it notes, took the bear from me and quickly ripped off one of the post-its and handed it to me, almost like it was something she had forgotten to do before she went to bed. When I said thank you, she said "you're welcome" in a very business-like voice. It was so cute and so funny. She cracks me up with some of the crazy things she does.

I totally creamed my sister-in-law Jen in Scrabble. (Bobby and Wes were too busy watching Youtube videos to join us.) In retrospect, I probably should have let her win for taking such great pictures of our family. She is amazing. More to come. You'll love the ones of Franny!

Bye Dinosaur Mommy

Yesterday I was yelling at my kids for some reason. I think Sophie was poking poor sick Franny in the face and I was getting tired of telling her to stop and I lost my patience. I got up to leave the room and Franny said, "Bye Dinosaur Mommy."

I thought that was hilarious!

This is Franny on picture day standing in front of her school.

Franny and Sophie

Here's some cute pictures of the girls. Here's Franny the first day she did potty-training at school and the other one was from earlier that morning. I looked up and Soph was trying to push Franny in the doll stroller! Sophie's hair is always in her eyes like this. It's driving me nuts because she won't leave any barrettes in her hair!