If you visit the blog...

Could you let me know you were here? I spend a lot of time on here posting pictures, video, information, and updates and with a few exceptions I hear NOTHING from anyone. I can't imagine family or friends having a blog and frequenting it without so much as a note saying I appreciate the post, like the picture, miss kids (not you Joe, I love my phone calls...hope your trip is going well), nothing. I have been keeping up with this blog because of the distance between us and the rest of the family. It amazes me that people will lurk and read posts and never say a word. If you call, write on FB, e-mail etc. this message is not for you. This message is for the 1000 visits my blog has gotten and the majority of my posts with out a hello from anyone. I've never seen a blog so up to date with so few comments. This blog is here not so you can lurk and study my family from a distance. It is here so that we can keep in touch with people. So please, match the effort with a hello.

Ever seen Karate Kid?

Annabelle channeling Mr. Miyagi.

Goofy

Really not much to post about. The kids have had some goofy moments. Mostly Annabelle. MJ is goofy too, don't get me wrong but he usually hides from the camera. As he puts it, he hates photography, it's boring.

I don't have a picture of this, only the memory in my brain. But today MJ had gone outside to play in the backyard. He returned after a very short spurt of playing gasping and panting telling me about a huge bee he saw. He told me he had to "run for his life!" Poor kid, sounds scary. Anyway later in the day I spotted the first hummingbird of spring feeding at our hummingbird feeder on our window. I called MJ to come see it and he gasped and exclaimed, "That's the bee!" If only I had been there to see MJ running for his life from a hummingbird. Now that would have been a blog headliner!

The kids were just being silly together and stuck stickers on their noses.

I grabbed a quick snack since I had missed meals and Annabelle and MJ spotted me. I got about two bites before I was attacked by the vicious mashed potato monster. Seriously, can you resist this face alternating with pleas of, "try it?"

Annabelle taking a bath, trying on a funnel. In the end, she didn't want to get out.

See the water circling the drain? Really, she didn't want to get out! And today I was putting on make up. She was interested in what I was doing so I gave her a brush and a mirror. She's a natural!

Annabelle in her new dress

Just trying to show Kristi Annabelle's new dress.

Sweet Smiles

Literally! The kids have been enjoying nutella on croissants for breakfast ever since having a friend over for coffee on Sat. I must admit, I've enjoyed some ham and cheese croissants too. I'm glad they are gone now! Anyway, they just looked cute so I took some pics this morning before MJ went to school. Annabelle is a little messier than MJ.

Great, one starts opening the eyes, the other insists on closing them!

Then I decided to snap a couple of the kids after they got dressed. I haven't gotten too many of them together lately. Annabelle is wearing her new outfit from Children's Place (well the white shirt isn't new). She needed new pants because she pops the buttons on all of her jeans...she and I have so much in common!

There's something I find so sweet about his face in this picture. I love all of the round parts, his cheeks, nose, chin.

And Annabelle really likes to wear her crocks, just usually on the wrong feet.

Yay! Looks like we're getting her smile back.

How charming

In my attempt to properly represent the personalities of my children I thought it only fair to show the raging side of Annabelle. I locked myself in the office and waited for the storm to blow over. This is a sample of about 20 minutes of rage outside the office door. She did however surprise me with her persistence trying to open the door...didn't mean to force that skill.

Thank you Natalie for helping me keep my sanity and sense of humor through it all! LOL

Bellies

Here is a funny video (I chopped it and put two together so I could save space and upload time) but check out Annabelle's belly size and the interesting sounds of MJ's liquid belly!

Annabelle's smile in motion

Just thought this was a funny thing to catch on video!

What's cookin'?

In this case, it's Annabelle. She loves to close herself in the play kitchen. If you haven't seen this room it is basically an under the stairs closet. Not an easy place for me to get situated with the camera. So it was kind of aim and hope to get the shot. Excuse the horrible flash.

And her newest trick. She'll climb in and strap herself in and say, "Dinner?"
A little more smiling for the camera. I actually got her on video doing this. Maybe I'll post it.But look at that, she can actually smile for real!

Last but definitely not least.

Visiting with Poppy and Gammy

Poppy and Gammy made the voyage across country to visit us for my 29th birthday (shhh...). The kids have thoroughly enjoyed time with them both. I know they will be terribly sad to see them leave. Annabelle has been calling out for both of them nonstop. MJ has been enjoying never ending story time and rough housing with Poppy and cooking with Gammy. They say it takes a village to raise a child, well it also takes a village to entertain them so it's been nice to have some help in that department.

In keeping with our tradition of MJ (and soon Annabelle) decorating our birthday cakes, Gammy and MJ worked very hard to make this one a beauty. It tasted great too!

Annabelle helped with the dishes...

As did MJ.

Isn't it pretty? It was nice and crunchy, just like all cakes should be!
Annabelle smiled for the picture
And MJ decided to smile like Annabelle.

Here are my flowers. MJ and Annabelle picked out the pink azaleas and Mom and Dad got me the tulips.

MJ made me a crown with glitter glue. It had snakes and snails on it. I was such a princess!

Story time with Poppy, read through a balloon, got lots of laughs from the kids.

Annabelle just loves her Poppy.

Gladiators

All's well that ends well I suppose. Not the best example of my effectiveness as a parent, or my effectiveness as a housekeeper for that matter. But it is funny and amazing that it ended with out anyone getting hurt.

On a side note, I don't believe I will be using the AboutMyBaby site anymore. I've been having ongoing problems with uploading to that site and have only continued to do so for the video service. I attempted to upload this and other videos a number of times and it failed. Now that I know Blogger's file size limits and have a file converter I think I'll be able to post them all on here from here on out. I think...

Oh, well I will add one more little funny here. Today Annabelle was playing and found one of her little dolls she calls DeeDee. Anyway in her sweet little voice this is what I heard.

"Deedee?"

"Cook?"

"Yeah!"

*Annabelle stuffs DeeDee in a toy microwave and turns it on. Microwave beeps.*

"Ready!"

*Annabelle removes DeeDee from the microwave and strokes her back saying "ShhhShhh." and feeds her a bottle.

Here is poor DeeDee and crazy chef Annabelle.Oh, and look who came to breakfast! I just thought it was cute.

Annabelle crazy hair

Annabelle was sitting on the couch and was attacked by the static monster. I had to take pics. Here she is

So, is it time for a cut???

A few random pictures

I finally downloaded the pictures and videos from my other camera and found a couple of cute ones that had been sitting on there for a couple weeks. A few more "smiles" from Annabelle.

Annabelle loves putting her hands in her pockets and "smiling."

MJ wanted a checkered flag so we made one.

Annabelle's is a checkered flag too, not just a knife stuck to a piece of paper! Haha! She had to have one too.

This picture is such a glimpse into the future. I think she was talking to a boy (in this case it was Daddy). I love the body language!

I must have sipped the happy juice (kidding) this morning because I pulled out the play dough. The kids had a great time though. And they actually helped me clean up after.

Annabelle wanting to be like her brother. Sitting on the floor, against the cabinet, drinking juice, and "smiling."