Daddy and Anika

It is good to have Daddy home again!

Snow Day

We got SNOW!!! Yeah! It snowed on Sunday and Anika couldn't wait to get out in it. She had to wait until after church, but then when she saw our neighbor and friend, Nathan, out scooping the sidewalk she couldn't be cooped up inside any longer. Nathan let her tag along as he shoveled the driveway and sidewalks. What a guy! (Lloyd was gone on Thanksgiving Youth retreat - a classis-wide shin-dig up in the mountains so he was enjoying a lot of the white stuff too.) Andrew and I chose to stay inside and make hot chocolate for the toilers outside. (We rarely get a lot of snow in Sunnyside so this was an occasion!)


Andrew thought it would be funny to close the door on Mommy while she was taking a few pics outside.

Playing together

I'm looking forward to more moments like this. Anika and Andrew were playing so nicely together. (Unfortunately, it didn't last long. Anika was soon tired of Andrew playing with "her" things. Sigh!)

Anika's Debut

I had to include another video on the blog. (I hope you don't mind.) I often sing a few little songs to Anika at the end of the day as we get ready to sleep. She is learning them and now singing them back to me. Here she is singing her rendition of "All in All". (We have to work on not singing with your mouth full but I hope you enjoy it!)

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Cuteness

Andrew seems to have acquired Anika's penchant for imitation. Tonight he was trying to feed this dolly. (I was just trying to catch a pic and he turns to me and totally hams for the camera -- big, cheesy smile and wrinkled nose!)

Some pics!!!

Well, I guess I do have some pictures to post.

After cantata practice, Anika and Andrew were still up and in no mood to go to bed. I was trying desperately to be a responsible parent and get Andrew to bed. Anika was bouncing off the walls and Dana was trying to be helpful:-) This is Dana's idea of being helpful. She taught Anika to put her hands out and say, "What's the problem?" (In case you can't catch the "problem" from the pics, Anika is still fully clothed under her pj's.)

Ramblings

Wow, it's been a week since I last posted but I don't have any new pics. Life just seems to be zipping past and I haven't had the camera in hand. I could go on and on and list all of the funny things that Anika has said in the last week or the way that Andrew makes us laugh with his huge grin and wrinkled nose, but I'm not sure it would be edge of your seat reading ~ more mommy memories than momentous occasions.

We are anticipating the upcoming holidays with the hosting, baking, cooking, eating, giving and receiving that it entails. It seems like it is beginning already. But I'm really in the mood already this year. It might be the fact that our church is doing a Christmas cantata so I've already been singing and listening to Christmas music. It has been so much fun to sing choral music again with a bunch of music lovers! Lloyd is trying to attend too but he always seems to be double (or even triple) booked on Tuesday nights. I have a wonderful friend who has volunteered to watch my kids so that I can go every Tues. for 8 weeks. Anika LOVES Miss "Soup" (Sue) and they have a grand time together. So, anyway enough randomness, I hope that you are all beginning to feel the excitement of the season and will be blessed with time to reflect, refresh, remember, and revere the King of kings this year.

Fun with Paper

Daddy brought home a roll of butcher paper and we've had a blast. Anika and Andrew are both enjoying it. We traced Anika's whole body and she colored it in while Andrew enjoyed the sound of crumpling it up.

Shopping with Anika

Anika has asked me repeatedly this week to "Play the lady". What she means is that we play cashier and she checks me out about a thousand times. I've purchased clothing, groceries, pictures, world peace. . . but she never gets enough of it. I'm afraid it might be difficult to teach the concept of money when it is so convienent to use plastic. (She is imitating mommy after all. . .) It is too easy for her to see Mommy go to the store, select what we need, walk thru the check out lane, and take it home. Any thoughts on teaching stewardship to a two-year old? (We certainly do live in a disposable, fast food culture. This just becomes more obvious to me as I raise my children.) Anyway, perhaps I'm drawing too much from a 2 years old innocent desire to mimic the adult world (and I really think she just likes the motion of swiping a card and making the beeping noises:-))

Anika scanning the object to be purchased:
Anika swipes the card (thru the couch cushions!)
Anika returning the credit card:

Another Hair Cut

I can't believe how fast my kids' hair grows. Andrew was getting a little bit shaggy so I buzzed his head. Here he is before and after:-)He looks more bald in this picture than he is -- I think it is the sun reflecting off his hair (which is getting lighter!)

Thanks, Deb!

My friend Deb sent a package for me to open the week that Lloyd was in the DR. (It came yesterday. Yup, yesterday -- postmarked Sept. 30, 2006. Well better late than never, I guess.) So, NOW I'm enjoying the chai tea and books that I was supposed to have received 4 weeks ago:-)

Harvest Fair

Instead of going out trick-or-treating, we head to the Harvest Fair fundraiser. A group from our church puts on a big shin-dig at the Christian school. There are tons of kids' games, costume contests, pumpkin carving contests, cake walk, concessions, and TONS of candy. We work a shift at one of the games and then take Anika around to try out the games and collect candy. She was beside herself with delight. She had a great time. Andrew was able to enjoy the babysitting that was provided so Mom and Dad could work and help Anika. (The first year we were here they asked us to judge the costumes. Lloyd and I both said, never again! It is too hard. Amazing creativity.) What a fun night!

Costume Madness

Anika LOVED getting dressed up this year. She was Alice from Alice in Wonderland. She was wearing her dress in the morning and dancing around. Then after her nap, we got ready. She actually sat still to let me do her hair. I realized that I don't often let her have it down. (I guess I've succumbed to practicality over appearance. She is always getting food in her hair so I pull it back.) Andrew was our little pumpkin:-) I wasn't able to get a good picture of them together because Andrew had to attack Anika which made her REALLY unhappy. Sigh, the trials of kids!


You might take note of the gates in front of the fireplace. Yep, we have another mobile one. Andrew is ALL over the place:-)

Carving Pumpkins

We had a wonderful time carving our pumpkin -- it was a fun family night although Andrew didn't last long (he was off to bed just after these pictures.)


Blue - from Blue's Clues

Anika's Imagination

I've mentioned before that Anika is a master at mimcry. Well, she was at it again this morning. I couldn't resist another video to show her at her best. (Videos take a long time to download so you don't need to worry about too many of these but thanks for indulging me!)


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Pumpkin Carving 2006

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Seattle Trip

While Lloyd's parents were here, we took a drive to Seattle. We enjoyed a harbor cruise, strolled through Pike's Market, and had a wonderful dinner out. It was a great day and the kids did better than I expected considering we dragged them all over and nap time was optional:-) It ended up being a beautiful day weatherwise. Overcast at times but no rain to speak of. What a fun day together!
A few California sea lions graced us with a "National Geographic" moment as they sunned themselves while we passed them during our harbor cruise.
Seattle skyline with the Space Needle in view.
Nana & Anika enjoy the sites and the boat ride. We all got a bit windblown and the breeze was chilly out on the water but it was a fun trip.
Seattle Skyline

Papa & Kiddos

Anika enjoyed having her Papa around. Papa got the AJ wake up call each morning as well as hearing "What doing, Papa?" or "Where you going?" She had to keep tabs on everyone. She also enjoyed snuggling on the couch morning and night.

Nana & Kiddos

Lloyd's parents were just here for a visit. We had a wonderful time together. It went fast as usual, but we fit a lot in. Anika monopolized most of Nana's time. Anika woke her up each morning, talked to her ALL day long, and hardly left her side. She went through Nana's purse about a thousand times looking for lotion, "lipsticks", and of course, candy.

Mommy & Andrew