Waaaaaaaaaaat?!

Oh.my.

My mother warned me that at age 3 kids become especially annoying persistant with questions.  Julianne's new thing is to ask "What?" whenever we ask or tell her ANYTHING.  But it doesn't come out as, "What?" as in "What was that, mother dearest?" but rather like the squawk of Iago from Aladdin, "WAAAAAAAAAT?!?!?!?!!?!?!?"

"Julianne, don't pinch your sister."
"WAAAAAAAT?"

"Julianne, are you going to finish your dinner?"
"WAAAAAAT?"

and my personal favorite,

"Julianne, do you want to go to the library or the flower park?"
"WAAAAAAT?  Speak up Gaga, I can't hear you."

Yes, she really said that.  Personally, I think she is just buying time while she crafts a response.  This week we are working on the phrase, "Pardon me?"


Isn't this a lovely picture?

It took 5 shots to get this photo of the girls together!

  

Kasiah prefers to stand.  This is not good.  She is going to be walking early, I think.

Kasiah crawling!  So funny story...We have been eating like hobos on the ground for about two weeks.  We still have our table, it's just being used for a totally fabulous summer project Bret and I have been working on (and once it's done, I'll blog about it!). Whenever I set Juji's plate down, Kasiah makes a mad dash for it and Julianne goes into defense mode and lectures Kasiah on taking other people's food and that "babies can't eat big girl food."  It happens every time, and it's hilarious.

Poor, tormented Siah.

Julianne Surprises Us

We've had another milestone!

For nearly three years (well, over three years if you count the time I was cooking her) I've spent just about all day with Julianne.  There are a handful of times we've left her with family to go on dates, and that one time when I had another baby, but for the most part she's been my little buddy - always there. I know a lot of people who do sleepovers at Grandma and Grandpa's and take weekends, but we never got around to it because - quite honestly - Julianne never adjusted to other people watching her.  No joke, we would be gone for three hours and she would cry the whole time.  It broke my heart.  

This all started changing when she turned two.  Finally, we were able to leave her for a couple of hours with no problem.  Then Kasiah came along and her world turned upside down - in a good way, mostly.  We could still leave her for a few hours, but no more without a meltdown.  Until yesterday.

We spent the night at Moomaw's Farm Wednesday night, but had to leave early early early so Bret could make his teeth cleaning appointment.  Imagine our surprise when Julianne declared, "I want to stay with Poopaw."  Say what?!  We explained it would be all day.  She said, "You go."  Bret rolled his eyes - I got his meaning.  Usually she would come crying when the car started up - she hated us leaving. 

Once everything was loaded we went out to the swing to say goodbye - and she let us.  Hugs, kisses, some "See you later's" were exchanged and our daughter didn't give us a second thought as we made the long walk across the grass to the car.

We were stunned.  And we missed her all day.

Apparently she had the time of her life with Poopaw.  They went the store and picked up a new pink swing so that Juji and Kasiah can swing from the tree at the same time.  They stopped at the Mommy and Me park and went swinging (can you tell Julianne loves swings?) and flicked wood chips off of the slide. They ate grapes, chased babbits (that's not a typo), ran ran ran, and had a long nap.  And on the way home, my daughter begged my dad to let her stay the night.  Um, WHAT?!  

Instead he took her for a hamburger where Julianne delighted other customers by hollering, "MORE KETCHUP POOPS!"  On the way out everyone said goodbye to the little blonde curly-headed mop and "Poops".

And when Julianne threw open the door and declared, "Hey Guys!" her sister laughed and kicked her legs.  Peter and Adelaide came out from their hiding spots and Bret and I delighted in hearing her silly little voice again.

We always said that she would be the one to decide when she was ready for being away from us, I just never thought it would come so soon.

Christmas 2009

Julianne (15 months) and Poopaw

I figured out how Julianne won Peter over...

(Peter is the cat- and those are all of the remaining kitty treats)

Kmart!

Whenever I lament about being poor, my mom likes to recount how she used to take us to K-Mart, spend an obscene amount of time helping my brother and I pick out a new pack of "unnawears" (underwear [He-Man for Danny, Strawberry Shortcake for me]) and buy us each an icee on the way out.  That's how she killed time and entertained us.  Oh - and let's not forget the most important part of the whole adventure  - riding one of the silly contraptions on the way out.  Here's proof:

Me and Danny.  He was pretty cute, huh?

It just so happens that we also have a K-Mart near us - and wouldn't you know Julianne loves doing the exact same thing that we did when we were little?

Kasiah is also a big fan

My mom was right.  All of this fun for 4 quarters!

Come Swim With Me!

During the school year, I take the girls to Mommy and Me at Hemet Valley Wide. It's a great program with singing, dancing, playing and arts and crafts. I started with Julianne last September and continued once a week once Kasiah arrived. In the summer, the program moves to Domenigoni Lake Aquatic Center where the kids are invited to come for a discounted rate and frolic for two hours. Of course, since it's summer Daddy got to tag along, too.

They are partners in crime.

Isn't Kasiah adorable in that hat?  Juji looked cute in it, too:

Julianne is nine months here.  Kasiah is 7 months in her picture with the cherry hat.

I'd say life is pretty good for this child.  We usually have to coax her down the slide, but this time she went for it all on her own.

Snack time!

THIS is what Summer looks like!

I have, as per usual, a heap of photos to share with you. But first I'd like to share some new developments.

Kasiah is crawling! She also has her FIFTH tooth (a canine - ouch!) coming in. She loves having her Gaga home - we are SO LUCKY to have this time with our girls.

Julianne is growing in ways I hadn't expected. Her drawings are starting to actually resemble things (for instance, a spider looks like a spider and her dragon had four legs and a head. Yes, she drew a dragon) and she "reads" books from memory to herself. Clearly we need to be working on phonetics with her more so she can actually learn to read. Also, the child sings. And sings and sings and sings and sings.

And Juji's sense of humor...this child is going to be a terror for her little sister. She is starting to pick up nuance and try her hand at subtlety (really child, you are TWO!). Yesterday while swimming, my mom said, "Tell Daisy you love him!" Julianne looked at my brother and said, "I DON'T love you!!!" and then laughed that cackle laugh she does when she thinks she told a hilarious joke. Of course, David dunked her (which she loved and oh my goodness I wish I had gotten it on tape) and said "Fine, I won't throw you anymore." The child changed her tune and it was all "I love you's" from then on out. But seriously, she is a firecracker.

And can I just say there is nothing sexier than a man who is an amazing father? My husband is one hot beast.

My cute hubby:

David, Juji, Bret and Siah:

Julianne taking a nap on Kasiah:

Chi Chi playing dress-up as Snow White:

Poopaw wrangling the girls:

Julianne riding in her PINK car seat:

Julianne angling for another popsicle:

The girls on a Fairy Finding Expedition:

Posing with Nana:

And Lady Kasiah with Moomaw - the family Swim Coach:

July 7, 2011 - Our Five Year Anniversary!

Bret and I were married aboard the Emerald Hornblower Yacht in the San Diego Harbor. It was a magical day that officially kicked off our journey through life together. Unofficially, our partnership began four years earlier, in 2002.

This is us - I'm 19, he's 20. Bret had a role in Neil Simon's "Lost in Yonkers" at Northern Arizona University. I had the privilege of Assistant Stage Managing the show.

Back in those days, Bret sported big hair. I believe it was referred to as a "fro". He was goofy and a bit too cool for me...until one day I walked by the costume shop and did a double take. Bret was sitting a table listening to music (surprise, surprise) and he had just gotten a hair cut for the production. My heart was a-flutter over this newly-revealed handsome young man. I'm not kidding, I literally stopped in my tracks as I walked past the door.

Somewhere along the way, we fell in love. I will always remember that time as the Fall of Orange Nights. Snow was falling and the campus lights made everything look orange. Our professor caught us kissing one night after the show as Bret walked me home. Below is a picture of the first place we shared together...you get the idea about "Orange Nights"!

Here is a photo of NAU

So, five years married - three cities, countless jobs and

Two BEAUTIFUL baby girls!

Julianne and Kasiah's First Play

This is big news.

It's no secret that theatre was my first love - and the same can be said for my husband. We both found early on that we had a passion for putting on plays and spent most of our formative years painting sets and blocking scenes in our respective high school theaters. Theatre brought us together in college - we met backstage (more on that highly romantic story later) - and so it follows that we would find it important to impress on our daughters an appreciation for the arts.

Cue "Disney's Aladdin" at the Ramona Bowl. Hemet has always had a lively theatre scene, going back to the Ramona Pageant (that's the California State Play, for those of you who aren't "in the know"). It was no surprise to find that the Bowl had an amazing Summer Youth Program directed by the talented Stacey Bailey - and that tickets were totally affordable.

Here is a picture of us arriving! Julianne was totally THRILLED to see Princess Jasmine.

It was a loooooong walk for little legs

Who is that?!?!?! Is that JASMINE?!?!?!

The neatest thing about the outdoor venue was that there was plenty of room for squirmy Juji. She sang along, danced and asked all sorts of questions and it didn't bother a single person. Kasiah was also very interested in the happenings.

The show featured lots of music, and I must say that we were especially impressed with the Genie and the head guard. Everyone had incredible singing voices, but those two had some serious acting chops, too. Juji, of course, preferred Her Royal Highness the Princess. Her one criticism was that there was no Abu.

And the obligatory shots outside of the theatre, overlooking H-Town.

The Cleverness of Friends (does that makes sense?)

First off, my friend Courtney blew my mind last week. Let me show you:

If you are saying, "Doth my eyes deceive me or is that a pineapple corer/slicer?" you are CORRECT! It totally exists, and I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. I even said as much to Courtney before informing her that I MUST post it to my blog...just in case anyone else on my reading list (Hi Jeni, Sarah and Tesera!) are interested.

Also, look at what Erin (a new friend!) made in under two hours:

It gets better...

Oh yes, she's going there -

Mind blown? I think YES.

Fourth of July EPIC Post

Our Fourth of July Adventure began on July 1st. We spent the morning getting ready and left at nap time (I highly recommend this tactic for parents traveling with children). For those of you who may not be able to picture what a drive from Palm Springs to Las Vegas looks like, let me enlighten you:

It took us roughly 4.5 hours - we made excellent time. By the time we arrived at our destination - Courtney and Bret's - we were totally ready to get our fun on! We attended the 4th of July festivities at Court's last year, but we decided to stay at a hotel. This year we had the pleasure of staying at our dear friend's home and it was amazing. Not only is their home gorgeous, but Julianne had unlimited access to Chunko and Buddy (or Bud-o and Chunky as she sometimes called them).

Julianne "walking" the dogs. My foxy friend Courtney is in the background!

Bret reading "Sylvester and the Magic Pebble" to Julianne. That book is a classic!

Saturday was an especially lovely day. Since Kasiah's arrival, I haven't had much time with my first precious baby angel, the princess Julianne. Courtney and Bret live near all sorts of neat places to eat, so I took Juji on date. First we had a turkey and cranberry sandwich at The Great Harvest Bread Company:

The "Cheese" face lives on.

Next, I took Juji for some frozen yogurt. We tested lots of flavors before she decided on a chocolate/vanilla swirl with these toppings of her choice:

Isn't our girl lovely?

It's common knowledge that gifts are a sure way to a girl's heart, so after filling my baby with delicious delicacies I told her should could pick out *anything* she wanted from Super Wal-Mart.

This child is definitely her father's daughter - she chose one of the most expensive things she could find! A Cinderella Dress!

This is Julianne reading with Sarah in her Cinderella dress (which only lasted one night without being torn...we exchanged it for Snow White the next morning!):

Here are some photos of the festivities preparation:

Zac and Ryan:

Kevin:

Mama and Gaga:

Courtney and Kasiah:

Me and the Wee One:

Ryan, Ty and Dan:

And a rare family shot:

The party was totally fabulous. We had fun swimming, dancing, eating and jumping in the jumper!

My buddy Ashlee and Julianne:

The thunderstorm that rolled in during the middle of the party was AMAZING! I totally went swimming while it was coming down and felt like I was 10 again. Bret and I both commented how it reminded us of Flagstaff in the summer when the monsoons began.

The amazing desserts, made by Erin. She is the one cutting the cake.

A quick story about the cupcakes...

For the past week since this party, Julianne has been asking us, "Do you remember when Chunko ate my cupcake and I cried? And I said "NO CHUNKO!" and Courtney got me a new one? But Buddy didn't eat my cupcake. Only Chunko."

Yes, Julianne. We remember. We all remember.

Speaking of J-Bones, she took this photo. Bret was just making sure her finger didn't cover the lens.

The LONG drive home. Seriously, almost 8 hours. We stopped A LOT. Like I said at the beginning, it's best to leave at nap time, not the middle of the morning!

We had the best time with all of our dear friends! My apologies for drowning you in pictures, but Kasiah just learned out to crawl...my time is limited!