Our Girl is TEN!!

Today is Mac's Birthday...Double Digits...WOW!
I can't believe that it's been ten years! I remember wondering what my
daughter would be like at 10 and now I know.... magnificent, if I do say so myself.
Here are some pictures from the first year of Madeleine Jills life...




and here she is half way to ten...

...just look at her now!

Ten years ago, on this day, our whole world changed forever
for the better...Happy Birthday...We love everything about YOU!

watching Mac and Emmett out the window...

the 8th thing...

8. I don't get Japanese Anime.
My kids love Pokemon and I
know its super popular but I
don't get it...the big eyes, the
lousy dialogue, the odd voices.
I know its poetry to some...
but I just don't get it...and yes,
I have seen My Friend Totoro.

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what Friday means to me...

Twelve loads of laundry!! UGH.

idyllwild in the new year...

find your inner flower fairy

Emmett and Mac spent some time today trying to figure out who is which fairy from the great book set they got for Christmas from Johnny and George. They had a very long list...here are a few.
The fairies pictured here are
Silas, Mac, Emmett, Matt, Nana, Annie, Megan, Caroline, Finley and Pablo.
Can you guess who is who?
Their intention is to eventually find every single person they know in their fairy form :) but these popped out at them today!


I will list who is who in a couple of days in the comment section for those of you "playing".

fooled ya...

Mac and Emmett have been studying "The Book of Immaturity",
a gift from Mama and Papa (what were we thinking!)...and they have
learned to do things like this...a beheading...


...and like this... Emmett as Emma!

Run Emmett Run

Great photo from Lauren.

haiku for lauren

my house, this moment
negligent mama blogging
meanwhile babes eat sweets

a bit of what went on...

We had a great Christmas!

Silas loves elephants and Nana!



Xmas morning and the BABY JESUS Mac made for GG
(yes, she really did make a doll baby jesus...and Emmett
made a cross! I know!)


lots of bonding and hugs

A great holiday!
( Missing from these pictures are Megan, Johnny and George
from Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day, Grandma Carol, Grandpa
Arnie and Michael...I don't know how to get the photos from Matt's
camera on to this blog for some reason...grr.)

news of the day...

Finally, the new addition
to the family... A belated
bouncing baby
(10th Anniversary)
BANJO!!














...and a bit of winter Silas!!

check it out!!

Really cool way to
increase your
vocabulary...its better than
endless solitaire...and
feed someone at the same
time!

www.freerice.com

(Thanks mom for the link!)

Double Oops...Caroling is Sunday...

wow, latest e-mail...Sunday it is, 6:00ish! See you there!

Christmas 2007...how's it going so far?...

Every year has its own flavor and this year is no exception. I have tried to keep it simple, simply because life is a bit hectic right now and it's really the only option...So these are the things that make this year's Christmas Season unique.



1)This year I only send a Christmas card when I get a card and this gives me a very free feeling. I figure if you really want a one you'll send one!

2)This year is also different because of Silas! (also known as Franken-Baby/Monkey-Boy/Lover-of-all-Things-Elephant) Having a one year old makes any kind of shopping really, REALLY tricky...so there's not much of that going on.

3) Hmmm...this year Papa will be home for the neighborhood Chistmas Caroling (and all you 10 blog readers out there are invited...this Sunday, 6:30ish)

4)This year we went for the toss technique of decorating the house with lights....not quite as lovely but colorful. This year is less of a Charlie Brown CD kind of Christmas...that was last year, tasteful and jazzy...this year is proving to be a bit cheesier...maybe the Chipmunks Winter Wonderland Jamboree??

5)This year I hope to do some baking because I never have really. My mom always used to but then Trader Joes made it so easy to never bake pumpkin bread or make peanut brittle ever again. This year I will try...for Emmett who loves it when we cook together. (Baking is really not my forte...its soup or nothing with me.)

6)This year we will not be going to Yelapa. Long story, hopefully happy ending.

7)This year's student pottery sale was a huge success, the best ever. Everyone was so happy...Finally I have embraced the sale as the start of the holiday season whereas it used to be a huge stress-out for me.

8)This year I have fabulous new speakers at the studio so its just awesome to be at work now!!

9)This year Mac and Emmett are officially way too good at guessing their presents.

10) This year I think I only got one thing that doesn't fit Matt...usually its EVERYTHING....but time will tell with that.

11)This is the year we got to see Finley in a Santa suit.

This list will continue I am sure...in the meantime...HOHOHO!!

hey family...here's an idea...

...I'd love this book for Christmas... The Golden Bough. Craig and Cami
found it on Caroline's bookshelf at her Christmas party (ask her the funny
story about that!) and now its on my wish list too!










And this one too, The Meaning of Trees
which can be found at The Grove... (Matt)... a great place
for last minute Christmas shopping...hint, hint.







I also love Jasmine Pearls (the tea).
Hey Lauren, this IS a great way to get the wish list out there!

not big on change...

I am not a fan of goodbyes, seasons ending, the end of an era, the circle of life, aging, growing-up, moving on, progress ... a.k.a. CHANGE. Just when we were all nice and used to Cami, Craig and Finley staying with us, they up and leave. Well, that just stinks (as Emmett says). Mac and Emmett are bummed. The house is too quiet, all except for Silas that is...he doesn't really get the concept of "shhhh" yet, except the bit about the quiet old lady in Goodnight Moon...We are all just MISSING those East Coast Dreyers. And we are very worried that Finley will be devastated without us...Emmett has mentioned this many times. Mac is concerned that Finley won't remember her...And it's pretty great having Craig and Cami around too!...So we are sad...lots of emotions floating about.
So, this goes out to you C&C&F...Mucho LOVE !!!