No, we haven't been neglecting our kids but this blog... Obvious, isn't it. Last post was in November? Wow...
So, here we go to start trying to catch folks up on what we have been doing and how much the girls are growing and being so totally awesome! We left off in November... Did I mention I finished an Ironman? If you didn't get that, please refer to the last post. So, the next big thing was Thanksgiving, which I didn't take any pictures of. I don't know how that happened, but it did so we will skip right on to Christmas. We tried to get the girls to take some Christmas card pictures. They didn't cooperate together so they just turned out to be some fun pictures.
We went to Gran and Pops and got some pics there, too. A good one with all the cousins with Gran and Pops, than a really great one with Mom and Soah! Papi got to come over and spend some quality time with his girls, too. PT really liked her presents and really liked her Papi being here.
Also in December, we got to go over to Fayetteville and go to Lainey's Hannah Montana birthday party. Here is a picture of all the cousins and Lainey blowing out the candles. It was an awesome time and PT loved getting to hang and play with her cousins...
PT had her first Christmas show at school. She had fun learning Jingle Bells and Silent Night. She sang Jingle Bells for ,like, six days straight. The show was great, Soah LOVED all the music and, needless to say from seeing the picture, I didn't have a good seat! Once they were finished and the sanctuary cleared out, PT went back in for more. Solo, anyone?
Once January got here, things settled down a bit. HA! But we did still take some pictures so we could one day put them here for you to see...
Here, PT went to the grocery store with me. Schnuck's has really cut back on all the DUI's in store, but they haven't done much about drivers falling asleep behind the wheel. Luckily, PT was strapped in...
The weather can't decide what it wants to do, but when it is the least bit warm - I can make up our minds. Off the couch and to Shelby Farms! PT got in her first big girl swing, Soah had a ball watching everyone and even got in a swing for a little bit, herself.
The weather then turns cold and yucky again and we are stuck inside for a bit. This usually makes for good opportunities for pics, though. Here are a few that I thought would be good to share...
PT and Mom having a hug!
Soah playing to the camera.
Petrea helping her sister play with the soundstage.
Soah ready to go!
Soah Hayes
Spaghetti, really?
Then, of course, it snows and the gloves come out and everybody is ready to play. Except Soah - probably not a good idea to have a nine month old out in the snow, so we refrained from getting her outside. But she did love watching the snow fall. Petrea, on the other hand... Did NOT want to make a snowman. Every time I tried to get one going, she would stomp through it. That was pretty fun, too. Oh, she wouldn't make her own snowballs to throw. So, I had to make ammo for her to hit me with. Thank goodness her aim is still not all that great!
I have shared these with some, but I will post them and the story here so everyone gets to see it... PT had a Prince/Princess party on Saturday. The kids were to come as their favorite royal character. Instead of the princess PT, well, we thought it would be more fun to send her in a different costume...
She doesn't breathe fire, but is still pretty cool!
This morning, PT and Soah were having a ball together watching TV and playing. I had to get some pics of the terrible two as I can show them that, at some point, you sat together and played in one space...
Here, I think Petrea is introducing Soah to the "evils" of Noggin. "Go ahead, Soah. Let go. Let Jack's Big Music Show just take over..."
I just can't stop laughing at this one... "I have this many teeth!"
Oh, and not to leave the post without any commentary, but I fond this picture last night and read a blog post and some comments somewhere about a St. arbucks cup. It made me think about what music Petrea and Soah hear on a daily basis.
"Let’s do a better job of exposing the children to our rich musical history, so they know more than hip-hop samples of artists like Curtis Mayfield, Jackie Wilson and Billy Preston. Help them appreciate Duke Ellington and his peers, like Count Basie, for being more than lyrics in a “back in the day” Stevie Wonder song." - Sam Moore
I think it is a crime that an art form as unapologetically amazing as jazz was invented right here in America but no one can really be bothered to listen to it. Jazz just doesn't work with our nanosecond attention spans and, of course, isn't performed by sex symbol teenagers in $250 jeans. I don't ever really hear anybody these days giving props to the people who INVENTED individuality and were the pioneers of "doing your own thing." Listen to some of Coltrane's live stuff - you wanna talk about putting your heart out there on your sleeve. Sure, it helped that he was a genius, but he played it like it was supposed to be played. Compare some of Miles' early stuff to his stuff on Bitches Brew. Simply amazing that music can come from a human being. Give your kids a chance to appreciate what it means to be "beat your own drum." Let 'em listen to a Charlie Parker, or Thelonius Monk album now and again...
Alright, off my soapbox. Have a great day!
Oh, you ARE still there... :)
Posted by: Joe | March 16, 2008 at 10:29 PM
Autumn & Chris,
Don't you just love it. You wonder what you did before you had kids. Oh it was called time. Ha! Your children are beautiful. Remember live for today Never get to mad and love forever!!!
Janie
Posted by: Janie | March 17, 2008 at 04:14 PM