Taylor Tuesday

The girls love anything that has to do with their Daddy.  Whether it is riding in his truck to go somewhere, building LEGOs with him, or his cowboy hat.  So when we looked back on the way home from church and saw this cute cowgirl wanting to be like Daddy I couldn’t resist taking a picture.  I love Chris in this hat, but I think she might look cuter.

Happy Friday

So I totally slacked on you this week and didn't send out a picture on Tuesday or Thursday so I figured I would brighten this cold Friday morning with a picture of our girls visiting Santa.  Lizzie wanted nothing to do with him until he slowly encouraged her to sit on his lap and Taylor loved every minute of seeing him.  Lizzie still talks about how brave she was to go see him.  My favorite part was when Taylor reached out and grabbed Lizzie's hand as if to reassure her that it was okay to like Santa.  Love my girls!

elizabethursday

Happy Thanksgiving from our little turkey!

Taylor Tuesday

Now that Taylor is in school, she loves to write.  Her love for writing means that I have to be a great speller since she is still trying to sound out words.  Whoever created the English language with all our silent letters and letters that sound different sometimes really wasn’t nice.  I feel like a goofball most of the time trying to sound out words so that she will figure them out, but it is all worth it to see a letter to Santa that she wrote herself. 

elizathursday

Before kids I said I would never be that parent that lets her kids wear strange outfits and not weather appropriate clothes.  Then I had kids.  Then I had Lizzie.  I have learned to pick my battles with Lizzie and sometimes that battle is just to get her to wear more than just panties.(she is going to hate me later in life for sharing all this info)  Most mornings my focus is getting Taylor dressed, fed, lunch made, and to school on time.  Then I worry about what Lizzie is wearing.  I am giving you a glimpse into her version of what to wear for the day that I then later have to convince her to change into something else.  Some of these outfits may seem okay until I add in that she wanted pants/long sleeves in 80 degrees or just a nightgown at 7 am in 35 degree weather.  The paper bag around her waist has to be my favorite accessory so far and the only reason she took it off was because we couldn’t figure out how to buckle the carseat around it.  The red jacket only on her head was a comprise to get her to wear any jacket.  She was red riding hood… in a bag.  She also likes to fix her own hair lately, but those pictures will be saved for another day.

Taylor Tuesday

Our house is down with illness right now so you don’t want to see pictures of what we really look like.  Instead I will provide you with an excited Taylor from last week when it was her turn to take in the estimation jar for class.  She was so proud of her idea to use candy corn. 

elizabethursday

I’m not sure that I will get many normal pictures from Lizzie now that she taught herself a new trick.  Add that to my list of dealing with her choice of dress for taking Taylor to school in 45 degree weather.  The flamingo is Taylor’s class mascot that we have this week, the belt is her lasso, and the rain boots have not come off since she got them for her birthday.

Taylor Tuesday

Watch out soccer world… this girl will be coming back in action starting in January! 

elizabethursday

Lizzie absolutely loves dance class.  I think she loves the dress up part almost as much as she does the actually dancing.  You can often find her dressed up in her full outfit and tapping away on any section of tile floor.  So when Nana got her a new dance outfit for her birthday, she was so excited to wear it to class.  This is her ballerina pose.

Taylor Tuesday

Taylor is a busy girl these days with kindergarten and Girl Scouts so it’s hard to catch her in pictures.  Good thing I was able to catch her flying by one night.  If you are in need of fairy services I have a pretty cute one that can help you out.

elizabethursday

For the past two weeks Lizzie has inquired about Snoopy being blown up multiple times a day.  Our neighbor a few doors down had put up a small blow-up Snoopy doghouse with Snoopy, Woodstock, and a pumpkin on top.  He only plugs it in at night, but Lizzie does not understand this concept and expects to see it up all the time.  She often tries to sneak down to “check on Snoopy” on her tricycle.  During one of our visits she decided it would be nice to visit and dance with the skeleton couple in another part of their yard.  She also declared it necessary to have her picture taken with them.  Chris pointed out later that maybe they are fun since they are the same size she is.  Oh how Lizzie keeps my days very interested and never boring. 

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween!

Still Around

We're still alive and just hanging around doing fun stuff with the kids.  I promise that we have fun pictures for you this week and might even get back to our regularly scheduled programming soon.

Just like our big sisters

One morning Lizzie and I went to play at a friend’s house while Taylor was in school.  When we got there she and the friend wanted to wait on the porch until the third friend arrived.  I snapped this picture because I thought they were so cute together.  Then I realized that these 2nd’s could pass for their big sisters at the same age.  While I know that my kids look similar, I see them as two completely different people because of their personalities.  It’s simple things like this that reminds me how much alike they really are.  I also love that they are alike in their strong friendships from my very first playgroup that still tries to get together when all our schedules allow it.

Taylor Tuesday

I'm not sure if this qualifies as a Taylor Tuesday or elizabethursday since Lizzie is the one who took the picture but I had to share it.  I figured I would have a few random pictures of the chip basket on my phone but died laughing when I found this picture Lizzie had taken.  The wall in the background makes it look spooky, but Taylor's face is priceless. 

elizabethursday

Dear Princess Lizzie,

When it came time to get ready for picture day at preschool you were not going to make it easy on me.  First off you did not want to wear the dress I picked out, but tried to insist on a VERY fancy dress that would have been too small but I haven’t taken out of your closet yet.  Luckily you were okay with your Christmas dress from last year.  You really haven’t grow much have you kiddo?  Then after breakfast you randomly presented me with the idea of wearing a tiara.  Wow… I didn’t anticipate that one and had even dug through the hair bow drawer to find the matching hair clip for your dress.  I played along with your idea to wear the tiara but held onto the clip for when you lost interest in the tiara.  You did NOT loose interest in the tiara.  You DID proceed to wear it proudly while you asked me to take your picture in the front yard and then continued to wear it proudly walking into preschool.  Your teachers said you kept it on most of the day.  You also asked to wear it again the next day.  I had to let you know that sometimes princesses have to leave their tiaras at home.  This seemed like a reasonable explanation to you, but you insisted on wearing it all the way to school and leave it in the car so you could put it back on when I picked you up.  This might possibly be your best school picture ever and you are only in your second year of school.  I am scared to think of how you will top this, and knowing you, you will find a way to top this.

Love, Mom

Taylor Tuesday

Acorns seem to be a hot commodity around our yard.  Taylor even came home from school one day with a pocket full of them.  We’ve now had the discussion about leaving rocks and acorns at school.  When she discovered some “trees” growing after a recent rain, Taylor couldn’t wait to plant more acorns.  Sssshh… don’t tell her that the “trees” are just weeds.  I love her excitement of getting something to grow.

Taylor Tuesday/elizabethursday

It has gotten so much harder to come up with pictures of Taylor each week.  I am still adjusting to her being in school all day and we stay busy once she gets home.  So when Lizzie jumped on my back the other night it was a great opportunity for pictures of me with my girls.  It doesn’t take up long to start hamming it up for the camera and have fun.  So this week you get a combo of both girls(and a bonus of me) in the photos. 

elizabethursday

This kid counts down the minutes until it’s her turn to go to school.  She can’t get her backpack on fast enough and checks to make sure her lunchbox is packed just right.  She makes me take her picture in the front of the tree everyday and I love it.  She is even starting to get better at looking at the camera.  I love her excitement about school and hope that it stays that way for a long time.

Taylor Tuesday

Sometimes the combinations that come out of the dress up trunk can render me speechless.  Good thing she didn’t ask me to guess what she was trying to be! 

ps.  For those of you unaware of dress up items, this outfit would include fairy wings, an apron on backwards, a light saber, and a fierce scowl.

elizabethursday

Watch out ballet/tap world… here comes Lizzie!

Taylor Tuesday

In our house Taylor is the soft and sweet and Lizzie is the entertainment.  So I present the sweet to you.

elizabethursday

Sometimes life is as simple as finding a jumpin’ puddle.

Taylor Tuesday

The summer heat has decided to hold on with all it’s might and we are doing everything we can to stay cool.  That means that sometimes we are forced to have popsicles for snack.  Rough life around here.(even though I could stand to have it just a few degrees cooler)

elizabethursday

This past weekend we went out on the boat to try and enjoy every last bit of summer.  The girls had a blast and like normal the lake’s calming effect worked it’s magic on the girls.  Ever since they were babies they couldn’t fight falling asleep on the boat.  I thought Lizzie was just avoiding the bright sunshine when I realized she stayed this way and Lizzie doesn’t stay still for very long.  Poor kid feel asleep right where she was sitting.  Added bonus of the lifejacket is that it seems to come with a built in pillow.

First day of kindergarten

Taylor,

I held your hand a little tighter today. I know you were ready, but my heart still wants you to be the baby that needs me. Good thing your Daddy was there to take my hand as you started a new adventure. You are so excited about kindergarten and this part of your life will be amazing. You will learn and grow so much and I will be there to cheer you on the whole way. Watching you sit at the little table eager to learn something new made my heart leap with joy. Bear with me as I will still grab your hand and hold it a little too tight or ask for an extra hug. I know you're ready to go but it will take me a little longer. Do amazing things my sweet girl!

Love, Mom

  

YaYa took Lizzie to breakfast so we could focus just on you this morning.  You loved taking your picture by the tree and your favorite part of your outfit was the pink belt.  Who knew a hot pink belt would make you so happy.  Even Daddy looked ready to go to school.

 

You quickly put all your stuff away in your locker and were ready to start the day.

 

When you got into the truck(Daddy’s truck since he had my car), you exploded with statements about how much fun the first day was.  You loved it and couldn’t figure out what to tell me first.  Lizzie was so excited to hear about your first day and loved hearing your stories over and over.  Some of your comments from the first day were:

• I want to buy my lunch tomorrow because they had cucumbers, tater tots, and milk! (Who knew something so simple for lunch would make you so excited.  We quickly printed off the lunch menu so we could look at what days you want to buy your lunch.)
• It sprinkled on me while swinging on the big swings.
• Will you teach me to not be afraid of heights so that I can climb the monkey bars?
• Why is it called Theater Arts and not just Theater?
• My teacher is so nice!
• Everyone loved my necklace today.

I look forward to hearing about each day and find myself getting excited around 2:00 when I know we will be heading to the school to get you soon.  Can’t wait to find out what happened today!

Taylor Tuesday

After Meet the Teacher Night last week I let Taylor pick where we went to dinner.  She loves Firehouse Subs so it was an easy pick for her.  As I waited for the girls to finish eating(with two potty breaks for Lizzie it took over 30 minutes) I sat across from Taylor thinking of how big she has gotten.  In less than a week she would start kindergarten.  How could my baby girl grow up so quickly?  Then I saw her make this silly face at me and remembered that she is still my little girl for a few more years.  Thank goodness because I want to enjoy every minute of it!!!

elizabethursday

As we near the last few days of summer I hope you are able to find a way to stay cool and remember what it’s like to be a kid.

Taylor Tuesday

If you’ve been swimming with us lately(and we’ve been a lot since it’s too hot to do much else) then you might notice that Taylor spends most of her time with goggles on and underwater.  Chris worked some kind of miracle with her on swimming without floaties and now she is a mermaid that doesn’t want to stop diving underwater.  So if you happen to see us at the pool you are going to have to look underwater to see Tay.

elizabethursday

We have to try to stay two steps ahead of what Lizzie might come up and this definitely keeps me busy.  Several times I found her looking out over the lower pool and I could only imagine what her plans were.  Good thing she never attempted going over from one pool to the next and was happy with the stairs because I was enjoying my time in the pool too.  But I imagine it’s only a matter of time before she tries.

elizabethursday

There was a huge area to bounce, slide, and jump but she loved riding the tea cups the most.  Remind me if we ever take Lizzie to Disney that we see about getting a discounted ticket if we only ride the tea cups.  At least they make her happy and that smile is worth it.

 

Taylor Tuesday

I know you are wondering why you have this crazy photo of Taylor today.  Maybe I take too many pictures of the kids since a few years ago Taylor started posing for my pictures in the same way every time.  She does a great job of posing and has the sweetest smile, but sometimes I feel like I miss out on the fun side that is our girl when I look through pictures.  So I was thrilled when she did this the other night.  Love my girl!

elizabethursday

Adjusting to a big girl bed has been so exhausting for us around here that Lizzie decided to take a cat nap after getting up from her nap.  When do I get to sneak in my cat nap????

Taylor Tuesday

Yes that would be my kid that is the bucket head at the sprinkler park.  But it was a great idea that she came up with so the water wouldn’t get in Lizzie’s eyes when she ran under the sprinklers.  What a sweet big sister. 

Sister Saturday

I love having little girls!  Having little girls means that our house is overflowing with dolls, Barbie's, pink/purple Legos, and dress up clothes.  It also means that these two little girls turned an afternoon of dressing up in ballet clothes into an impromptu wedding.  All fake flower arrangements become fair game to these brides in need of a bouquet.  Watch out grooms, they are on the lookout for you next!

elizabethursday

Lizzie has been in heaven this week with all the rain.  Rains means that she gets to use her umbrella and find “jumpin puddles” as she calls them.  I have learned to pick my battles with Lizzie and if letting her jump in a few puddles means that she will listen to directions the rest of the time, then I’m all for it.  Plus, everyone needs to jump in a few puddles and remember the pure joy of being a kid again.  When the rain stopped the other day, Lizzie was quick to drag me outside and show me which “jumpin puddles'” she wanted to visit in the backyard.  Get your boots on kid!

Taylor Tuesday

With all the rain this week, Sadie has been spending lots of time indoors with me and the girls, well more the girls.  Taylor took it upon herself to spend the time working on teaching Sadie tricks while Lizzie snuck her food from her plate.  Needless to say that Sadie would have been smiling in the picture if she could.  She is one happy pups this week with all the love and all the extra treats.  Why did this taking this picture feel like when I’m taking one of Taylor and Lizzie???  Oh that’s right, I can rarely get Lizzie to look at the camera too. 

elizabethursday

While the temperatures rise, Lizzie has found lots of ways to stay cool.  Nothing beats a popsicle while cooling off in your own bucket of water.  No need for a pool here!

Taylor Tuesday

So it’s not Tuesday and it has been weeks(almost a month) since the last time you saw a Taylor Tuesday, but I haven’t given up.  Even Chris asked if Taylor Tuesday/elizabethursday had come to an end.  I just needed a break, but I still continued to take pictures of the kids because they are pretty cute and entertaining.  So to start you back up I have a sweet picture of our Taylor before gymnastics camp a few weeks ago. 

elizabethursday

Thank goodness she hasn’t figured out how to use the pedals yet or she would be down the street faster than her little red boots can take her.  This was when she went beyond the normal ‘stop’ point and looked back to see if I was really watching.  This kid keeps me on my toes!

Taylor Tuesday

Summertime means playing outside in the morning and then me running around like crazy in the afternoon trying to keep the kids entertained indoors.  Thank goodness Taylor loves crafts.  She did get creative this week and made her own accessories for her necklaces.  Anyone else want a personalized necklace with a picture of themselves?  I love her creativity and can’t wait to see what she does with it.

elizabethursday

Lizzie has decided to time warp back to the 80’s and try to distract you from her rad owie near her eye with the coolest sweatband.  When she stood at the bottom of the stairs and told me(while holding one finger up) that she would be right back, I never imagined her coming down looking like this.  I tried to tell her that headbands go in our hair she promptly moved it back to her forehead.  She also rocked this style with pride while walking through the mall.  Keep on rocking your own style girl!

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

Looks like I’m not the only one to rock the pony tail during these hot summer days!  Since there were only a few comments I’ve decided to send all you ladies some of these fun hair ties.  So ‘MB Issac’ please send your address to me at wlambert at gmail.com. I have addresses for everyone else so be checking your mailbox for happy mail!  I still have TONS of work to do in my craft room so check back for future giveaways as I find new homes for stuff from my overstocked craft room.

Taylor Tuesday

Let’s ignore that I let the kids play inside with their new umbrellas for a few days.  Let’s ignore that my kitchen floor was covered in play kitchen food for their rainy day picnic.  All I saw was this sweet wordless gesture from my girl.  Love you too kiddo!