Our D.C. Trip

Titus, Isabele and I went to Washington DC with Brian on a work trip (then on to Austin, TX) mid December.  We had a really good time.  We went down to the National Mall and stopped in at the Air and Space Museum, Natural History, and American History.  Then we walked all the way down the the Lincoln Memorial.  The weather was great...50's and sunny.  The kids liked the hotel room, TV and anything water related, of course.  I really like the American History Museum and will have to go back when we have more than a day in DC.

A huge doll house at the American History Museum.  Unfortunately no photos were allowed at the Star Spangled Banner exhibit.

"Karabell, aka Lucielle" a doll Isabele got at the FBO when we got off the plane in DC. 

Titus showing off his present - an airplane.

Watching TV and jumping on the bed...is there anything better?  Thanks Angie for the idea of minimal rules in hotel rooms.

The fountain in the lobby of the hotel in DC.

Brian and the kids laying on the floor in the Lincoln Memorial just looking at the ceiling. 

The Lincoln Memorial

Titus and Isabele admiring the waterfall.

Lydia, Titus and Isabele at the Lincoln Memorial.

Brian, Isabele and Titus at the Lincoln Memorial.

Isabele Embroidering

Isabele wanted to embroider (I'm working on some flour sack dish towels right now).  Since she helped herself to what I was working on, I figured I'd let her try her own.  She's doing really well and seems to enjoy it.  You can see how hard she's concentrating in the pictures.

Video of BMX

One of Isabele's first rides at the BMX track tonight.

Isabele at the BMX Track

Tonight was the first time that Isabele rode her bike at Hire Park BMX track.  She LOVED it!!  The girl loves to go fast...and she had a great time.   

All set and ready to try riding!

 Wow!  That was fast!!!

We had to make her stop riding after a good half dozen runs.

Isabele and the Costume Jewelry

Rats.  I don't know how to make the photps show up right side up.  Guess you'll just have to turn your head. 

Titus Riding at the BMX Track in May

We haven't been in about 6 weeks or so...it's been too hot to make him wear all the safety gear.  He can ride the entire track without help. 

Face Paint

Here's Isabele displaying a couple of paintings.  Washable crayola paint and cold cream.  My newest attempt, which I neglected to photograph, but my favorite method so far, is to put cold cream on their faces where I'm going to paint, then just use the washable crayola poster paint straight.  It dries better this way, so long as it's not too humid.  Still washes off great with warm water and a washrag.

I must have lost the pictures of the first ones I did when the computer crashed.  Guess I should blog more often.

Trains!!!

Titus and Isabele got to drive a co-workers electric train the other day.  They had done so about 2 years ago, and Titus asked the other day if he could do it again.  Here are a few pictures of their adventure. 

I Flunked Vegetable Gardening This Year

I flunked.  All I wanted was fresh tomatoes in August and Pumpkins for the kids to carve.  All of my pumpkin plants ended up being Zucchini.  Except 1.  Finally I got what I'm pretty sure is a pumpkin (unless it's watermelon).  I was weeding and found one.  Yeah!  10 feet away, I cut part of a vine...who knows what it was...with my bad luck, I figured it was the strange squash plant that took over, so I whacked off 8 feet of it and hauled out of the back of the garden.  Only, when I got it to the driveway, I found a small pumpkin was attached.  ERRRR!!!!  So much for having 2.  Guess I'm going to be buying pumpkins this year. 
I also planted some birdhouse gourd seeds in the spring.  So, this random, strange squash plant, must be the birdhouse gourd, right?  Well, since I forgot I planted them for a while, sure - that must be it.  WRONG!  It's butternut squash.  Good old compost.  I did NOT plant butternut squash.  I don't particularly like them.  If I was going to plant a winter squash, it would be acorn squash, not butternut.  Oh well.  Better luck next year.

She's a two-wheeler rider!!

Isabele can ride the "green bike" now.  She needs some more practice, but she's figured it out.  A little iffy on breaking and steering isn't overly accurate, but she's official :-)  Hopefully self-sufficient in a couple more days and I'll get some pictures.

New camera!

I just got a new camera that does video!  I asked for it for Valentines Day, but got it a little early as we have a birthday party for Titus tomorrow.  Isabele is a bit of a performer (Titus not so much so, so far).  So, here's a clip of her singing. (If I can get it to work).

I'm hoping these aren't too big (okay they are the smallest size I think I can make them).  If they don't work for you, please leave me a message so I can see if I can figure out how to fix it.

Reading Through the Bible

I thought I had posted when I started reading through the Bible, cover to cover, but I didn't.  However, I did find in an email when I started: September 5, 2011.  As of today, I'm most of the way through Jeremiah.

I started because I was frustrated with putting my kids to bed and getting them to go to sleep.  Sitting there wasn't working, not sitting wasn't working, white noise, reminding them to go to sleep, lights on, lights off, "I'm in the other room".  None of it.  So, I decided to read the Bible, aloud...Genesis is a little dry, and a lot over the heads of 2 and 4 year old...at least the NIV is.  No pictures, no condensed version.
So, every night, after their bible story (condensed and with pictures), hugs, kisses and prayers, off go the majority of the lights, and out comes my bible.  They go to sleep, occasionally Titus will ask a question that came from what he heard, I am actually reading through the Bible, and I'm not getting as frustrated with the "bedtime routine".
Now  I just have to remember to post when I hit the end of Revelation.

Why did you take the tires off, Titus?

Brian just asked Titus, "Why did you take the tires off of the red (toy) car?"
Titus, without missing a beat, "Because it had summer tires on and I had to put the snow tires on.  Now it has it's winter tires on."

Titus' Pants Theory

The pants Titus was wearing today have become highwaters.  I said to him at bath time, "Titus, your pants are getting pretty short."

He sat down on the floor with his legs out straight (which made his short pants, even shorter) and said, "Mom, see, I am the same size and my pants are growing backwards.  They used to be here (ankles) and now they are here (several inches closer to his waist).  They are just growing backwards."

Isabele's Funny This Evening

She's sitting on the toilet (great place to have conversations when you are 3) and asks "how do you bow down to God?"
I said, "you put your knees and feet and head on the floor."
She laughs and says, "no, that's how I do a somersault."

Gotta love her some times.