Has Spring Sprung?

Note: If you came to see pictures of Anna's new "do", it's the post before this one

Yesterday was a beautiful day! It's amazing what a sunny day does for the soul. I'm not kidding, when the sun comes out, even if I just see it streaming through the windows I'm a happy girl. With all that beauty, we figured we needed to take advantage so we walked to over to our local park. I've said it a hundred times but the parks are something I love the most here. We may not really have a yard for the kids play in, but it's my belief that kids don't play in yards. There aren't any friends! Around here, on a sunny day you head to the park and there are always friends, old and new.
In fact, yesterday there was a girl from our ward and her girls there, just by chance. She has daughter just Kate's age and we realized they will go to Kindergarten together, so fun!

The girls were decided to perfect the find art of "train sliding". While we enjoyed the sun and slides, the girls also spent a ton of time on the swings-as usual. I can't get them off them. I would ask Jane over and over again if she was done, with a resounding "no".
Today was an equally beautiful day, but I had a to do list a mile long, so the girls admired the beauty from my bedroom window, while I worked away at the computer. I'm thinking Spring may have sprung, and I couldn't be happier.

Disclaimer: Just in case you think all I do all day is hang a round and take pictures, I don't. I just always have my phone in my back pocket for these little occasions that just pop up :)

Anna Made the Cut

Here is Anna before school.
Here she is all prepared and ready.

After the fact. She was a brave little soul, no surprise there.


She did it. Our Anna had 10 plus inches cut from her long locks. I have to admit that it's made me almost sick. I don't know why. I think for one we had to cut it a bit shorter than I would normally like, but you have to have at least 10 inches to donate. At least hair grows fast. I think it's cute but will like it a bit better when it's an inch or two longer.

The night of the cut Anna was really excited about it. In the morning we awakened upset and "embarrassed". I talked to her for a little while and she was fine. Admittedly I prayed all day she would be fine and everyone would only have nice things to say. Thankfully all is well. Admittedly I'm still getting a bit used to it but It's all good. I remember doing the same thing a few times in my life, whacking off literally feet of hair. My poor Mom who can't really grow hair anymore is traumatized. It will be okay mom :)

Anna like the brave soul she is took it like a champ, no emotion, completely calm. It was me in the background taking deep breaths. I'm proud of her for doing this and hope one day she will understand what a really sweet thing this was.

Big Girl, short decision

Last night at dinner I once again reminded Anna that her hair was in her plate. This happens frequently. When it comes time to comb her hair it isn't always pleasant trying to get out the syrup, spaghetti, and whatever else she has in there. Thankfully having her hair done is one thing she tolerates very well.I was shocked when last night after her bath she told me she wanted to cut her hair. I asked her how much, and at first she said "like this", pointing to just below her shoulder. I was surprised but was fine and then she said "actually like this", pointing to her jaw! I was shocked. Anna loves her long hair. She really has beautiful hair and we have a lot of fun doing it in all sort of different "do's". In the picture below we are showing off our recent "do" of sock bun curls. The easiest and latest way of no heat curls. It's all the trend :)
I was looking though some pictures the other night and remembered seeing some from when Anna's hair went from long to short. It was very soon after she started wearing glasses when she was 3 years old, that I decided she needed a little hair around her face so you didn't just see her huge eyes and big GLASSES.

This is I just woke up picture so not the greatest example, and you can see her eyes crossing but it really is cute on her short. Anna asked me as we did her hair this morning if she could have it cut today. Her only concern was that she didn't want the appointment to interrupt her recess. :)
The fun part of all of this is I think she has enough that she could donate her 10inches or so, to Locks of Love. With my Mom being a 2 time cancer survivor and full time wig wearer it makes her losing her locks to a good cause very worth while.

I don't know why a hair cut is feeling like such a big deal. I think it makes me realize once again how old my kids are becoming when they make decisions like this all on their own. Thankfully these decisions are just little things that bear no consequence. Even Ethan the last little while has insisted on having "long" hair and truthfully I do not like it. He is so handsome with his hair off his face and out of his eyes, but I have to choose my battles and let them exert their independence somehow. I think I'm realizing this may be the last time that I get to braid and do Anna's hair adding big ribbons and little girl things. I guess it wouldn't be long anyway and she would be too old for all that I guess. Sigh... Wish us luck!

I was thinking...

Today I'm home with two sick kids, so I got to thinking. I was thinking of brighter days and sunnier days, and knowing that it won't be long and we'll be celebrating Jane's birth.
And Easter, a time of re-birth, of bunnies and egg hunts.


of tulips
and Spring blossoms

and bike rides in Central park


and then it won't be long after that, and we will be in Utah. Now that I think about it, I think I'm sick...with Spring fever.

Finally-hurray!

How did this little honey get so big so fast? Anyway, what I came here to say today was I've never been so excited about an ear infection in all my life! Today was the big day. Back to the Doctor-again. Yes that would be the 2nd time in 5 days, 3rd time in 28 days. I felt dumb, like I was over reacting. One of "those" mothers who take their child in for every little runny nose. That is so not like me.
But in fact this pink cheeked beauty who had fever from Sunday afternoon, until Wednesday with green boogies like nobody's business and not quite herself.
Today as the doc looked in her ear for kitties, as all pediatricians do, he found one. An infection in her right ear. What a good man that doc. Not only did he quickly send an antibiotic off via internet, he also gave me a script for probiotics. That my friends makes me one happy mama. Hopefully it won't be long before one have one happy baby Jane. Get well soon darlin'

Ethanator

I feel like Ethan sometimes gets the short end of the stick being the oldest and only boy. He is one of the greatest kids ever though and deserves his own post. Ethan is a really smart and good boy. While I'm glad that he's smart I'm even happier that he is innately good. He is a very deep thinker and loves to have lengthy and in depth conversations. The only down side is that he loves to jump right in on your conversation sometimes when he really has no idea what you are talking about.
The above picture was actually this summer. I was cutting his hair and suddenly decided to make it into a mohawk. I tease him relentlessly and tell him how that's really good for him and I'm actually doing him a favor because it makes him have a strong character :) He is a good sport about it and now almost no matter what I say he just says "Mom, I know your teasing".
This was him being silly on the way into the city at Christmas time.
This was obviously in front of the tree at Rockefeller Center. Eth thought it was really fun to watch the skaters down below. The funny thing about that Santa hat was apparently it was the thing to do this winter was to wear a santa hat every day to school. If you know me it wasn't my favorite thing but I do occasionally choose my battles. The funny thing is for whatever reason Ethan is anti NY or NJ. If he ever has occasion to choose say NY Giants he will opt for the Dallas cowboys. Funny boy.
Ethan still loves legos and got quite a few more for Christmas so this Sunday after noon he put together this Empire state building.
Ethan is a very determined kid and decided he was going to get some more exercise this winter and a in this week he walked 15 miles in 5 days. The cute thing about it is we had a lengthy discussion about how it's important to set a goal and reach it etc. All his doing.
This was his pine wood derby car he designed himself called "lightning Bolt". He is still very much a Harry Potter fan and is about half way through the 7th book. For Christmas I got him the percy Jackson books and now all he talks about is Demi Gods and things like that.

Ethan is so sweet and never misses a day saying his prayers. He fasts every fast Sunday and on his very own will decide who he is fasting for and most often it is a family member who is struggling in one way or another. He is reading The Book of Mormon every day too. His primary teacher has challenged them to read the whole thing this year! While it's a crazy high goal to set i think he just may do it.

The other night I was talking to Anna about her baptism and asking her who's example we are following when we are baptized? I was thinking she would say something like "Jesus", but she said "Ethan's". I though that was pretty cute. Makes me crazy to think how fast he is growing up. His feet are now the same size as mine, and I'm thinking in another year or two he will be as tall as I am.

Calling All Grandmas

This post is basically for me and the Grandma's in Kate's life who love her artwork. I don't know how to rotate the pictures on this computer yet, sorry. I've mentioned often how creative Kate is and it's so fun to see her art evolving. She even makes sculptures with random things around the house. She even made an amazing fish with play dough recently but I didn't get a picture of it.
This is of the family
Family again
Self portrait
I actually LOVE this one. Does it not look picasso-esque?
For the longest time the letters in the bottom corner were her signature. No joke that was the thing she would write every single time. I can see a T, A, i, a. Now you know why her writing her name was such a big deal
This was also one of my favorite's. She drew this one on a lunch sack.
See her "signature" again? Too cute.
Love this one. She recently evolved from Christmas trees at Christmas time to having every dress look like a Christmas tree.


She drew this one the other day and she had been upset with me. I thought she was mad but asked her what it was and she said "I miss Grandma". Good thing we have grandma coming to visit soon.
I was amazed at this one. This is probably the first one that she included her glasses. If I were to wax philosophical I would think that she is finally accepting the glasses to be part of her. She recently has started wearing them full-time without begging or reminders. It's awesome.

I'm trying to decide if I should just let her enjoy her art or if I should look into some sort of creative arts class for her...your thoughts?