Bailey Family

"Addee is two." This is what she will say about 50% of the time when you ask her how old she is. (The other 50% of the time she'll say "blue", which I assume must be her favorite color.) She has grown up so much in the last few months since she has turned 2. She loves to talk on the phone, and most of her speech, although it takes a little translation, is in complete sentences and phrases these days. I can hardly say 'no' to her full-sentence requests.   This afternoon I was cleaning up the mess I neglected to clean this morning (gym, library, the usual), and found her suitcase she'd been hauling around since yesterday afternoon. When I picked it up, I realized it wasn't empty, and opened it to see what toys she probably crammed in there. I was wrong....She's ready to go somewhere! Either she's jealous of her cousin who went to visit Grammy this week - or she's itching to go see Memere (whom she regularly requests to call on the ph...

The snowman ballerina party See January post for invitation explaining the theme. My best ice cream cake ever (noted a few more improvements for next time). The old sewing desk (it worked for a while, and it's good quality, but for most of my projects I needed an additional table - yes, beyond this monstrously sized one) New IKEA combination - more efficient storage and better open working room when I need it - and hot pink chair - love it! (and so does my 7 year old jealous pink-loving daughter) :) The newly organized playroom - the play house area - kitchen, crib, table, art wall Love IKEA - cubbies - 25 of them - for all the various bins and boxes -  and the kids can clean up so much more easily now   (they still have to be told to clean up and threatened with extra chores to get it done)  Finally pulled out all the cd's and found space for that big horse they love and the riding toy that always seem to be in tripping positions when I come through with a ba...

Each month I plan to spotlight one of my kids talents - probably many piano e-recitals...but we'll throw in some other things throughout the year as games and other recitals happen. Our first spotlight of 2012 is Kaitlyn performing Yankee Doodle. She began taking piano lessons in October of 2011 - we have to work pretty hard to figure it all out, but she has a determined spirit and has been progressing just as quickly as her older siblings did (probably faster because she practices more), despite the fact that she started almost a year or more younger than they were when they started lessons.  She practiced this one so much, she memorized it, and decided to perform it without the book (but she does read music). On to the e-recital!

In no particular order... Seth preparing for the pinewood derby. Having a penguin race (have to keep "egg" - a potato on their feet and waddle across the room) Using potatoes (that no one wanted to eat after being on feet), to make prints...and then the hands got involved too! Kaitlyn and Natalie's penguin craft (idea from family fun) We didn't get snow, so we made snow - our resident scientist experiments (dollar tree - "instant snow" - it's pretty much the same stuff in diapers that absorbs...yeah, that. so it doesn't feel much like snow - more like solidified pieces of gel) Checking out the turtle with duct tape on it's shell (many did - it worked like a bandaid on spots where other turtles had hurt their shells by climbing on top...to play leap frog I suppose) :) We stuffed all the toys in the closet (in preparation for playroom reorganize) Then one of the kids brought home a bug from school and we quarantined, cleaned, and were very ...