Calvin decided to get in on the action and did some 'break dancing'. He had a good time doing it. Mike told him he looked like a dying cricket, Calvin thought that was cool. At least he didn't wear his underwear on the outside this time!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Dancing Queens (and King)
On Sunday afternoon the girls decided to put on a dance recital. They talked their dad into applying their make-up, got dressed up, and Anna Elise organized it. They had a great show! The sound on the video is really shrill and tinny (sorry) and sorry for all the background clutter, but that is how my house looks! (again, I think it's too big for blogger, so here is the YouTube link.)
Calvin decided to get in on the action and did some 'break dancing'. He had a good time doing it. Mike told him he looked like a dying cricket, Calvin thought that was cool. At least he didn't wear his underwear on the outside this time!
Calvin decided to get in on the action and did some 'break dancing'. He had a good time doing it. Mike told him he looked like a dying cricket, Calvin thought that was cool. At least he didn't wear his underwear on the outside this time!
Monday, September 26, 2011
Wiggle Worm
Celeste is a wiggly little baby. From the time she was just a couple of weeks old she was moving all over her bed. She has finally figured out how to roll from back to front - so now that she can roll both directions she can get where she wants. She uses her knees and feet and squirms her way around the room. She is also reaching for and grabbing onto everything. I can't hold her and eat or do something else at the same time because she grabs everything and sticks it in her mouth. She still takes her pacifier but has her hands and fingers in her mouth as well. She loves her burp cloths and blankets, she grabs them, yells, and then buries her face in them. She really likes her walker and is getting better at getting around in it. She likes to get rides from Calvin too - he pushes her around the dining room table - it's their race track. He probably takes her a bit faster then she likes, but she doesn't complain. Here she is scooting around in her walker.
(I couldn't get the video to load, I've been trying all day! So I loaded it up to YouTube and here is the link)
(I couldn't get the video to load, I've been trying all day! So I loaded it up to YouTube and here is the link)
Friday, September 16, 2011
Nicknames
Nicknames seem to be a big deal at our house. They are constantly changing and I find it so endearing when my little ones have a preference. So here is what we sometimes call the kids!
Anna Elise - she gets called Anna at school and by anyone that doesn't really know her, like the Dr. At home Madeline calls her Ant Elise, she thinks that's how it should be said. Her dad calls her cupcake.
Calvin - he gets called Calvin at school. His uncle Sean used to call him bulldozer, and his Dad calls him hotdog. At the dinner table he is known as Badger 5, it's the brand of our garbage disposal - Calvin will eat anything! When he was little Mike called him 'nana man, because he could eat big bites of bananas without chewing - he could down a whole banana in less then a minute and he loved them.
Madeline - she has the most nicknames of anyone and is constantly giving herself new ones. Her official nickname is 'mato. It comes from sad tomato because when she cries she has huge tears that run down her face and it's the saddest thing you've ever seen. She used to go by either bozo or goofball, whichever one you called her, she was the other one. At one point she insisted that everyone call her Merva, that came from her aunt Jenny and aunt Raeleen I think. I call her Maddy Paddy and I can get away with it, but she doesn't love that one. She has at times called herself sparkle, cinnamon girl, and Cheeze It (like the cracker). She is occasionally called Maddie - but that isn't a nickname we use very often. She is definitely the silliest little mato we have!
Lilah - she is the one that cracks me up right now! Her official nickname is Lilah Bean. It was shortened to just bean and is sometimes lengthened to bean bean. It got to the point that she thought her name was bean. She and I had many conversations explaining that her name was Lilah Claire Russell and that for fun we call her Lilah Bean or just bean. So to differentiate from the nickname Lilah bean and her real name Lilah - we called her Lilah Claire. So now, she insists on not just Lilah, but Lilah Claire and then several variations of her name. She came up with pickle. Sometimes she is Lilah Claire Pickle Russell (she introduced herself that way to a stranger today), Lilah Claire Bean Bean, and other variations using those nicknames. It's always fun to see what name she goes by on any particular day.
Celeste - she doesn't have an official nickname yet. We are working on it. Since all the kids have food nicknames, we know it's got to be a food - we just aren't sure which one yet. Some options we've tried out (mostly it's the kids that come up with them) are Cheerio, strawberry, tator tot, fish stick, and many others that I can't remember. Mike came up with Heavenly Hash - it's an ice cream flavor and Celeste means heavenly. Anna Elise discovered that there is a My Little Pony princess named Celestia so she calls her Princess Celestia. Calvin came up with Celesty, which I am NOT a fan of. Lilah calls her Celesty Pooh. We'll see what sticks.
Anna Elise - she gets called Anna at school and by anyone that doesn't really know her, like the Dr. At home Madeline calls her Ant Elise, she thinks that's how it should be said. Her dad calls her cupcake.
Calvin - he gets called Calvin at school. His uncle Sean used to call him bulldozer, and his Dad calls him hotdog. At the dinner table he is known as Badger 5, it's the brand of our garbage disposal - Calvin will eat anything! When he was little Mike called him 'nana man, because he could eat big bites of bananas without chewing - he could down a whole banana in less then a minute and he loved them.
Madeline - she has the most nicknames of anyone and is constantly giving herself new ones. Her official nickname is 'mato. It comes from sad tomato because when she cries she has huge tears that run down her face and it's the saddest thing you've ever seen. She used to go by either bozo or goofball, whichever one you called her, she was the other one. At one point she insisted that everyone call her Merva, that came from her aunt Jenny and aunt Raeleen I think. I call her Maddy Paddy and I can get away with it, but she doesn't love that one. She has at times called herself sparkle, cinnamon girl, and Cheeze It (like the cracker). She is occasionally called Maddie - but that isn't a nickname we use very often. She is definitely the silliest little mato we have!
Lilah - she is the one that cracks me up right now! Her official nickname is Lilah Bean. It was shortened to just bean and is sometimes lengthened to bean bean. It got to the point that she thought her name was bean. She and I had many conversations explaining that her name was Lilah Claire Russell and that for fun we call her Lilah Bean or just bean. So to differentiate from the nickname Lilah bean and her real name Lilah - we called her Lilah Claire. So now, she insists on not just Lilah, but Lilah Claire and then several variations of her name. She came up with pickle. Sometimes she is Lilah Claire Pickle Russell (she introduced herself that way to a stranger today), Lilah Claire Bean Bean, and other variations using those nicknames. It's always fun to see what name she goes by on any particular day.
Celeste - she doesn't have an official nickname yet. We are working on it. Since all the kids have food nicknames, we know it's got to be a food - we just aren't sure which one yet. Some options we've tried out (mostly it's the kids that come up with them) are Cheerio, strawberry, tator tot, fish stick, and many others that I can't remember. Mike came up with Heavenly Hash - it's an ice cream flavor and Celeste means heavenly. Anna Elise discovered that there is a My Little Pony princess named Celestia so she calls her Princess Celestia. Calvin came up with Celesty, which I am NOT a fan of. Lilah calls her Celesty Pooh. We'll see what sticks.
Friday, September 9, 2011
First Day of School 2011
The much anticipated first day of school finally arrived. I think I like starting after Labor Day!
Calvin is in first grade this year and has the same teacher that Anna Elise had. He really likes her and is doing well so far! He LOVES to tease and is always trying to trick mom or dad. He came home yesterday and said his name was moved to yellow (not good) because Ms Young had to say his name several times, I opened my mouth to find out exactly what had been going on at school and he quickly pulled out his paper to show me it was really green (he must've seen by the look on my face that it wasn't going to be good). He laughed and laughed, he certainly tricked mommy.
Anna Elise is in second grade this year. When we met her teacher at the Open House last week and neither one of us were real impressed. Is that awful to admit? I told her to keep an open mind and see how the first week goes. She actually seems to be doing ok and likes her teacher and is enjoying school. I am not really thrilled with what Anna Elise has been telling me. I'm hoping that her teacher gets more organized and that things start going better or I might have to be 'that' mom and get Anna Elise moved to a class room that I think is more suited for us both! We'll see how next week goes - let's hope it gets better!
Yes it was raining, it dumped rain for three days and was kind of miserable! They are running for the bus!
Calvin is in first grade this year and has the same teacher that Anna Elise had. He really likes her and is doing well so far! He LOVES to tease and is always trying to trick mom or dad. He came home yesterday and said his name was moved to yellow (not good) because Ms Young had to say his name several times, I opened my mouth to find out exactly what had been going on at school and he quickly pulled out his paper to show me it was really green (he must've seen by the look on my face that it wasn't going to be good). He laughed and laughed, he certainly tricked mommy.
Anna Elise is in second grade this year. When we met her teacher at the Open House last week and neither one of us were real impressed. Is that awful to admit? I told her to keep an open mind and see how the first week goes. She actually seems to be doing ok and likes her teacher and is enjoying school. I am not really thrilled with what Anna Elise has been telling me. I'm hoping that her teacher gets more organized and that things start going better or I might have to be 'that' mom and get Anna Elise moved to a class room that I think is more suited for us both! We'll see how next week goes - let's hope it gets better!
Nancy & Marshall
Madeline: I drew a picture of Nancy and Marshall in my new notebook because I love them and I miss them!
In case you were wondering, Nancy is on your right and Marshall is on your left. Nancy doesn't have a beard, that's her neck.
Lilah then insisted on having her picture taken with her drawings. I'm not sure what they are.
Lilah then insisted on having her picture taken with her drawings. I'm not sure what they are.
Celeste at 4 Months
Celeste turned 4 months a week ago. I'm late posting because it has taken me a week to get a video of her laughing! Celeste is pretty quiet but when she does decide to talk and laugh it's worth waiting for! She doesn't seem to laugh at the same thing twice, so finding things to make her laugh and having a camera nearby can be tricky! She is a lot of fun and is growing up to fast. She can roll from her stomach to her back, she laughs and talks, and she really likes to stand up when you hold her. Her Dad got her walker out this past weekend and she likes to stand in it and even accidently scoots herself around the living room. The kids LOVE to watch her roll around. She likes to sit in her bumbo on the table during dinner and watch everyone talk and eat. We love her!
Madeline and Lilah making her laugh (I'm holding Celeste and the camera so it's not a great video)
In her 'stroller roller' as her dad calls it
Madeline and Lilah making her laugh (I'm holding Celeste and the camera so it's not a great video)
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