A few Christmas pictures

I got a new lens that I've been wanting for Christmas! It helps me take crisp, colorful pictures inside with low light :) I'm still learning so much about taking photos but I'm also still really enjoying it and like practicing. Here are a few photos from the past week. Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

We wish you a Merry Christmas! Too bad these pictures didn't make the card this year. We are all doing well. Grandma Weller is recovering (fantastically) from hip replacement surgery at our house over the holidays and we love having her here. Mia is beyond excited about Christmas. She was a Sugar Plum Fairy in her school program today, complete with adorable dance moves. Ellie has learned to say "Ho Ho Ho" and hasn't broken too many ornaments :)

I hope you enjoy some good Christmas movies with loved ones (we are currently laughing at "Elf") and find peace and joy this season. Until 2012.


The McBs

I wish I were an eloquent speaker and writer and could convey how we are feeling right now. It is the middle of the holiday season and we are busy shopping and decking halls, but we are also heartbroken and grieving. We said goodbye to Grandpa McBride on November 9th. He had lymphoma and it seemed to progress rapidly towards the end. We were with family in Tennessee and we leaned on each other and we cried and we are still just beginning to grieve. I will remember him as a brilliant, curious, patient and caring man who knew something about everything and had many passions. My girls will remember him for his big hugs and bedtime stories and being at the beach. I hope to keep posting pictures of our lives and catch up, but for now, I just want to post some pictures of Grandpa with the girls that make me smile. We love you.

Preschool Party Favors

Mia's teachers are really pushing the healthy treats this year, so check out the adorable, easy treats she helped me make yesterday :)

Pumpkin Patch Pictures

Words

Sick week for the McBs. Croup, ear infections, colds and coughing, ugh. Finally today we are feeling a little better and hope to get out and enjoy this gorgeous weather.


I haven't touched my camera in a while (I've barely moved from the prone position if I can help it) but I do want to share a few things that were said this week.

• Mia loves to look at our old photo albums. She calls them "A long time ago books" and she always asks if she was in my belly if she's not in the photos. I still don't have a great answer for this.
• Last night at dinner Mia said that her "taste bugs" liked the taste of her food. This is so cute but it makes me wonder what she envisions living on her tongue? :)
• Ellie started saying "I love you" back to us this week, but she pronounces it "Yuh yoo". Makes me melt every time.

And I just want to copy an email that Mia's preschool teacher sent last week. It was so sweet and it just made me smile and want to go hug all of the great teachers in the world. Here it is:


Dear parents,




I want to share with you something that occurred on the playground on Thursday. No worries – it’s all good. Following a discussion about rakes and shovels being tools to use with buckets (and NOT weapons), one enterprising child turned his bucket upside down and began using his shovel as a drum stick. A few more joined in, and before we knew it the whole class became part of the concert. Singing was added in, as well. It was totally spontaneous and everyone was smiling and laughing. Wish I had been able to videotape the whole thing – it truly was like a flash mob. As they performed for their delighted audience, their teachers clapped and cheered. It was sheer magic! I am always struck by how little children need to make their own fun, even in this high tech world we live in. Who needs video games, TV, and computers when a simple bucket and shovel can provide so much joy? They have so much to teach us.




Have a nice weekend.

Love this too

Soccer Practice

Mia's "Little Kickers" Soccer league is super adorable. Most of the kids don't really seem to get the concept of trying to get the ball away from another kid, and kick it by themselves. It makes sense when you think about it, since we have been drilling "share with your friends and be gentle" in their heads from birth :)

But Sean and I have to bite our competitive tongues a little bit when Mia just stands there while another kid takes the ball and when Mia asks to come out because she saw Ellie have a snack on the sidelines and she wants to have one too. Oh well, like I said, it is really darn cute.

Love this

M and E updates

Blogging/Facebook etc. are funny things. You portray your lives in whatever manner you want, in whatever mood you happen to be in at the moment. Sometimes I think that I portray our lives overly "rainbowy" when in reality, we just have normal, sometimes boring, sometimes exciting, sometimes stressful, sad and serious lives, just like everyone else.

I am a worrier (always have been) and the list of things I worry about on a daily basis is long and ever-changing. Right at this moment I am worrying about: the car in the shop, when I will go to the grocery store without a kid so I can buy lunch supplies, what to serve for lunch when Mia's friend comes over tomorrow, class size in public schools, the fact that I compare Ellie to Mia too much, health of family members, and the weird noise our A/C seems to be making.

These are just the first few things that popped into my head. So anyway, I don't really want to blog about that stuff--this is supposed to be a place where I record family memories and cute things the kids do. But, I just wanted to get that other stuff off of my chest a little bit.

So, onto the cute kids :)

 Mia started soccer last week. Most adorable thing ever. Stay tuned for great pictures. At yesterday's practice/game, Mia did impromptu jumping jacks during the game, and ran around lifting her shirt up. Hmmm. not boding well for future college scholarships. :)

We had many, many rainy days recently. When the 4 year old is driving you crazy, let her make pizza. Worked like a charm.

Elliebean is talking up a storm lately. Lots of her words sound the same though. Book, Milk, Sock, Look all sound exactly like "gook". Lots of guessing going on, but we make it work :)

She's definitely enjoying the one-on-one time with mommy. I'm really glad for it!

Just some pictures

Busy week, settling into new routine, adding more activities to our lives and attempting to organize. A few recent pictures...

 Mia's bday card to me. I love it. Sean drew the cat and present and words :)

 She is a much more fashionable mommy than I am :)

End of Summer, Beginning of School!

Lovely long weekend with one last beach visit, pool trip, BBQ and marshmellow roast! Mia started pre-k today and I'm so excited about her class and teachers this year. I love, love, love this time of year. I always feel more motivated to organize and clean in September than in Spring. I love back-to-school supplies and opening windows and the hint of leaves changing and crisp air.