Halloween

Our family was traveling on Halloween, but we did attend a couple pre-Halloween events. Sierra dressed as a rainbow, Caleb as Zeus, and Madeline as Sleeping Beauty.

Dallas Arts District

Dallas got a new opera house, and the city celebrated the event by offering free admission to the downtown museums. We had a wonderful day enjoying musical and dance performances, outdoor sculpture, and the beautiful fall weather.
Sculpture Museum

Buddhist monk making a sand mandala in just one day

Musical concert at Guadalupe Cathedral

Dallas Botanical Gardens

How many clicks does it take to get the perfect family picture? Okay, I will settle for a decent one. How about if we just get one where no one is crying or sticking a finger up their nose? Our family spent a beautiful day at the Dallas Botanical Gardens. Uncle Danny agreed to take a few pictures of our family, which soon turned into 300 just to get a few that turned out. (The kids haven't figured out yet that if they cooperate the torture of being photographed will be over faster.) We realized after a little trial and error that the kids were much happier being photographed when they could splash around in the water. A big kudos to the most patient uncle ever--he even managed to get some great shots. (I've included some of the best on the blog site header and sidebar.)

http://www.djphotography.comze.com/

Madeline Turns Three

Madeline (our BABY) turned three on August 10th--where does time go? She seemed a little shy at first to own up to her new age, but by the end of the day, she was an old pro at sticking up three fingers. We celebrated with a simple family party and some fun presents--chalk, a comfy blanket, and a Hello Kitty umbrella from our family, a doll house family from Nana and Grandpa, and her favorite CD of Barbie songs from Grammy and Papa.
Madeline makes the best funny faces. She brings so much laughter to our family.

The sad tale of Madeline's kitty cat birthday cake... The book behind the actual cake has the photo in the cake book Madeline carried around for a couple months before her birthday. She wanted me to make a cake like the one in the book. Anyone who has ever seen me attempt to create something artistic knows that I am truly not just being humble when I say that I have no talent. But I really did think I could pull this easy cake off. I thought chocolate frosting would taste better than an orange tinted vanilla frosting (chocolate always does), and I didn't realize how much she had counted on her cake being an authentic orange kitty. She kept saying, "No, this isn't my cake. This cake looks like a bear." And maybe it did look more like the bear in the cake book than the cat. It's a pretty sad commentary on my cake decorating abilities that I can't pass muster with a three-year-old. All was forgiven once she had her first bite.

Aunt Michelle and Uncle Danny Move to Dallas!

We are super excited to announce that my sister Michelle and brother-in-law Danny have moved to Dallas! They are our only family in the area, and it's so fun to be able to get together for pizza nights, bike rides, a special family events. Michelle and I have always enjoyed talking over the phone, but we laugh at how often we call each other now that we live near each other. You would think it would be the opposite, but I guess you're more curious how someone is doing when you know more about their daily lives.

Danny and Michelle in front of their apartment with their three little friends. Notice Madeline's signature finger-in-the-air pose.

Here we are picnicking at beautiful White Rock Lake near their apartment in Dallas after the unloading the moving van. Peanut butter sandwiches and watermelon never tasted so good.

Sierra the Inventor

Sierra loves using construction paper and recycled materials to build homes for her stuffed pets. Here's a multi-story house complete with a staircase that she built for her mouse Squeaky.

Summertime Happenings

It has been a long time since my last post, but all the days feel like they blur together without school. We've kept a pretty relaxed schedule--a week of swim lessons and Caleb's piano lessons have been our only activities. We have spent the summer days going to the library, swimming pool, mall, and Snow Cone Lady. There are some fun free events around town, and we've done our best to take advantage of those. Sierra learned how to swim during her first lesson and has been a little fish ever since. It has been so much easier taking the kids to the pool now that I only need to hold Madeline. Sierra has been begging us for a pet guinea pig. She desperately wants something to love and nurture, and Ted and I prefer a contained pet if we have to have one. I haven't relented yet, but I don't know if I can hold out much longer without her driving me crazy. Caleb finished his baseball season on a good note, getting a hit in each of his last two games and successfully scoring in the last, earning the game ball. He said he'd like to play again, but unfortunately next year we're too busy. On an funny note, after all his struggles in baseball, he also won the Grand Slam Award at school from his teacher for the all-around boy student. Madeline thinks she's a cat, and spends her days crawling around, meowing and scratching at us. (Sierra can at least pretend she has a pet...) Madeline has to be potty trained in three weeks to start school, and I've given up hope that I'll have any impact on her. I'm just hoping she does better for her teacher. She loves working with Professor Caleb learning her letters and sounds, although sometimes Caleb gets displeased that his pupil hasn't yet learned to read. Hopefully he'll give her until her third birthday before he throws in the towel.

Our big event of the summer was taking a trip to Branson with my parents. We visited Silver Dollar City; took some walks along a nearby lake surrounded by the Ozark Mountains; and saw a Russian circus, a voice "orchestra," and the Broadway version of Peter Pan. Our vacation got off to a rocky start when one hour after entering the amusement park Sierra couldn't walk because of blisters, my dad's feet and jeans had gotten soaked on a ride, and Ted had dropped the cell phone and lost the keys on an upside-down roller coaster. (Never did find them--thank goodness for a second set in the hotel room!) However, we pulled it together and ended up having a great time after that.

After Branson, we visited Mark Twain's and Abraham Lincoln's hometowns. We rode a steamboat on the Mississippi and saw some of the places that inspired Huckleberry Finn. The Lincoln Presidential Library was top rate and also very interesting for children if you're ever in the Springfield, Illinois area. It had gorgeous life-size scenes from major events spanning Lincoln's life that really brought history to life. We spent a couple days visiting my grandparents on their farm, which remains much the same as when I was a little girl and is always such a delightful experience to share with the children. There's something about hanging wash on the line, watching hummingbirds on the porch, harvesting vegetables, and walking for miles without seeing houses that never fails to have a calming effect.

I've been busy getting ready to start some classes in the fall. I'm thinking about getting a Masters in Occupational Therapy once Madeline goes to kindergarten, and I'm starting the pre-requisites. I passed my first hurdle testing into Statistics without having to take College Algebra. I'm nervous about how I'll balance family, teaching, and school (and seriously concerned about whether my mind still works), but I'm also looking forward to doing something new.

Caleb, my sister Michelle, her husband Danny, and I are particating in a triathlon in September. Caleb is hard at work going over the times from last year and training with Ted. I still haven't gotten a bike or gone swimming. I have done some work on the elliptical, which I think is sort of like running, while watching two seasons of 24. (Talk about an addicting show--it's a good thing I didn't discover it during the school year.) My goal is to make it across the finish line in one piece before the sun sets.

Hope everyone is having a restful, memorable summer!


Nana and Grandpa Dave


Riding the Mark Twain steamboat up the Mississippi River--unfortunately the kids had spent too much time in the car and kept asking when they could get off


The Biddulphs and The Lincolns


This captures a sweet moment with Madeline napping with my grandparents and their dogs--my grandma is a non-stop nurturer and wanted to take Madeline with her to rest.


Celebrating Fourth of July at the farm--when I was a little girl it was a big celebration with all the cousins setting off fireworks (something we couldn't have done in Arizona) and hand-churned ice cream