In Between Diapers

Beauty

2011-05-20T15:14:00.000-04:00

Audrey2 1/2 monthsPicture from our awesome photographer...Grandma M.

Sunday

2011-05-03T16:10:00.000-04:00

April 10th Audrey officially ventured out to church for the first time a few weeks ago. And since everyone agreed to wear their matching dresses we captured a few cute pictures of all 4. I think this might be one of the first times we've caught them all together! Preparations for the day... We're all ready and happy!

Weekend with the Cousins

2011-05-03T16:08:00.001-04:00

April 2nd-3rd Hanging out at Grammy & Grandpa's house with all the cousins is pretty fun! Alice, Chloe & Nicole (Dean's kids) My parents moved into their new home about 3 months ago.We're happily adjusting to all the many benefits of being surrounded by family!We spent Conference weekend over there with my brother Dean's family. There's a Barbie and Lego playland going on here Down at the

Amateur Photo Op

2011-05-03T15:46:00.000-04:00

March 31st We have a sudden and new fascination with photography in our house. It has increased exponentially since the day Audrey was born...and not just because Audrey is such a cutie! We bought a new and awesome camera. It arrived the day before she was born. We were literally figuring out how to use it while I was in labor (after the epidural kicked in!) One day I had fun capturing 3 of

Sanity Sewing

2011-05-03T15:45:00.001-04:00

March 24th I don't know about your house, but things get pretty intense around her for the month or so after a new baby shows up. We have roller coasters of emotions and everyone seems to have to re-learn how to get along as they fight for any type of attention they can get! One night, out of desperation to have some peace, Ryan decided to proactively get everyone busy with a sewing project.

Growing: 2-3 weeks

2011-05-03T15:43:00.000-04:00

2 1/2 weeks Grammy & Audrey 2 1/2 weeks Maya & Audrey 3 weeks

kids being kids

2011-04-28T15:30:00.001-04:00

It cracks me up when kids contort their bodies and yet make it look comfortable!Wouldn't it be great to be a kid again?

Alice

2011-04-28T15:00:00.000-04:00

It seems like Alice doubled in size over night!Not my baby anymore! Alice has adjusted well to being a big sister. She loves Audrey and is so gentle and kind to her. I love that she was trying to share her toys with Audrey for this photo shoot! It just takes so long to grow them into playmates!!!

Maya

2011-04-28T14:30:00.000-04:00

Time for a photo shoot. Love this Maya girl! She's such a great big sister to Audrey.She came with me to register for Kindergarten next year and is cautiously excited...crazy!

Hayley

2011-04-28T14:00:00.001-04:00

Hayely: one week before she turned 8(and right before she begged me to cut off her long hair!)

1st Bath

2011-04-28T13:00:00.001-04:00

At 12 days old, Audrey finally lost her umbilical cord and got to dive into her first real bath...with a lot of help, of course!

Cute Face

2011-04-28T12:30:00.000-04:00

10 days old There's just something so kissable about this little face!

A day off

2011-04-28T12:08:00.003-04:00

As much as I love being mom to 4 darling girls...this week caught up with me. [read: I'm tired, overwhelmed and a nut-case!] My mom showed up on my doorstep yesterday to rescue me....then 6 hours later drove away with 2 of my kids for a couple days. So....one more kid off to school this morning and I am left with a day off! Audrey keeps me company occasionally but in between I'm soaking up

2011-03-13T11:53:00.000-04:00

Here are some pictures from the last week or so. Enjoy. -Ryan

Straight from heaven...

2011-03-06T19:13:00.000-05:00

Audrey Jane MessickBorn: Saturday, March 5th, 4:50pm7lbs 2oz, 19.5 inches The short story... -regular contractions on and off all week -Friday afternoon things got more serious but then calmed down so we went to bed -Saturday at 3am I woke up with a hard contraction -Counted contractions until 6am -Called Grammy & Grandpa to come get the kids -At the hospital by 8am -Slow and steady progress all

Done!

2011-03-04T08:58:00.000-05:00

I'm officially letting the world know that I'm done with being pregnant and ready for this baby to come!!! 38 weeks I am in no way proud of this picture but it's one of those things I felt obliged to have done before this baby comes. I remember when I was expecting my first I excitedly took a picture of my growing belly every month. I think this is the first official "bump picture" that I've

While we've been waiting...

2011-03-04T08:44:00.000-05:00

Having a newborn is starting to sound like a relaxing option around here. Somehow we keep getting ourselves immersed in "house projects" that are exhausting but oh-so-good to get done! We did a major re-organization on the basement. Took out the couch and coffee table and turned it into a playland for kids. While we were at it, I spent several long days sorting through toys and ended up with

Check Mate

2011-03-01T02:41:00.000-05:00

Our kids haven't been the greatest at playing games together. Not for a lack of trying. I have instituted all sorts of "motivational programs" to get the whole board-game thing rolling. The root of the problem is that nobody likes to lose. But recently we have seen great strides. We have a loooonnng Sunday morning until church starts at 2pm so we've been encouraging a lot of game playing on

Stone Soup

2011-03-01T02:40:00.000-05:00

Hayley had several lines and a solo in her 2nd grade school play, "Stone Soup".What a cute little actress! I'm not sure where this kid gets her nerve from but she loves the limelight, handles her nervousness with grace and works hard to do her best. The pictures don't show it but we had both Grandmas there to watch the little play. What a novelty to have such great family support for the

Birthday Boy

2011-02-27T21:12:00.000-05:00

Lest we forget....there is one boy in our house! I thought it was cute this year that the girls were really concerned that Ryan have a "boy" birthday (not that I've ever made him a princess cake...but to be honest he probably has survived pink wrapping paper!) They were really excited to pick out Star Wars table decor and red, yellow, green and blue balloons for him. And as the best Dad ever...

Happy Birthday Alice

2011-02-27T12:59:00.000-05:00

We now have a very cute 3 year old! This many! 3 cute sisters celebrating! Alice loves the Disney movie Robin Hood so really wanted a Robin hood cake.But I couldn't find figurines anywhere and wasn't feeling any more creative than that...So she happily agreed to a princess cake. This time, each of the girls decorated their own princess. So fun! Then we partied at Grandma's house...

5 Years Old

2011-01-31T11:02:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday Maya!5 years old We had fun celebrating Maya's birthday last week on a snow day. Hurray! Play, play, play! It's a family-only party on odd years for us...so the highlights were...-French toast and chocolate milk for breakfast-McDonalds with Grammy -zu-zu pets all day -play in the snow-Ikea for dinner and playing with the whole family plus Grandma(it's what she most wanted to do

New Look!

2011-01-24T20:18:00.001-05:00

We finished the last of the BIG redecorating projects that I'm blaming on "nesting" (even though they've been on my to do list forever!) Apparently while I'm surviving pregnancies....Ryan is surviving my nesting urges! I don't even come close to feeling sorry for him but I really do appreciate how dang hard I ask him to work! Old front room Our front room is one room that we haven't

Fun Blogs!

2011-01-24T10:11:00.000-05:00

I have one last Christmas decoration that is still decking my halls... I've had a blank wall for years and always thought I would eventually fill it with a cool clock. But then last fall I saw this awesome idea. Some great creative person creates a "subway art" print with a seasonal theme--then posts in on their blog. I print it and put it in a frame. Change it with the holidays and seasons

September-December 2010

2011-01-19T15:12:00.000-05:00

Nothing like a good ol' binge blogging session to get caught up. Apparently, my camera tells me that we actually did keep pretty busy this fall even if I felt like my feet were moving through mud! Enjoy it or skip it...here's a few things you missed! ___________________________________________________________________#3 Potty-trained! September 2010 Alice made the big leap into the world of

A few days of heaven

2011-01-13T10:00:00.006-05:00

Last week Ryan and I took off on a much-needed vacation alone. Ryan's mom was a saint and stayed with the kids for 3 days. (She followed the pages of instructions and had everybody where they needed to be with gear and snacks in tow. Life looks so complicated when you try to bullet point instructions for each day!) How do you ever thank a Grandma for that?!?!...I vow to off the same support

Breaking the Silence

2011-01-12T16:10:00.000-05:00

Where to begin?!?! I've never wanted to use my blog as a place to whine. Keep it upbeat! It helps me focus on the positive things in my life. Well....that theory has led to 6 months of near silence as I've meandered through trials. So in an effort to start again, let's get the whining over with! We've had some rough times and it feels never-ending. I've never made a very great pregnant

Little Women

2010-10-21T20:48:00.000-04:00

Well, believe it or not...we're going to have 4 girls! Our own, live, version of Little Women. A long time ago, as we discussed plans for our family, Ryan reminded me why I love him so much when he said..."Really, we just have to decide if we're going to be Sense and Sensibility (3 daughters), Little Women (4 sisters) or Pride and Prejudice (5 girls)" His comical resignation and how he tries

Snacking

2010-10-18T14:19:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I think I'm a little behind on my parenting. About 6 months ago I moved all the dishes in our kitchen around so that the all the plates, bowls, cups, etc are in a bottom cupboard. Why hadn't it occurred to me before that it would be great if the kids could reach their own cups so that I don't have to come running every time they need a drink??? They can also now unload the dishwasher

Update on me!

2010-10-14T13:16:00.000-04:00

Well folks, I'm here to tell you that we all survived to see the end of week 16 of this pregnancy! It was pretty hit and miss there for a while! Thought they were going to have to cart me off to a loony house! I feel like I've already done 40 weeks of this pregnancy thing...maybe it will speed up a little now? For 3-4 months, I've been hanging onto hope that maybe I'll feel like a human

Laugh the day away...

2010-09-17T12:05:00.003-04:00

Last Sunday I kept finding myself staring at Alice. She just looked so grown up and beautiful...I'm not sure if she really changed overnight but it sure seemed like it. Luckily she let me do a little photo shoot to catch the moment!Alice loves life! (see that glint in her eyes!)I think she inherited much of her happy & carefree personality from my brother, Adam. Crazy little kid that he was..

Miracles do happen!

2010-09-16T09:04:00.003-04:00

1st day of preschool4 1/2 years oldWe've learned many things as parents in the last 4 1/2 years about raising a child that is "shy". I'm going to log this in detail more to connect with other parents that struggle with this same issue than to complain about the rough road! As a baby and toddler I never imagined this character trait to be a hindrance. It actually made Maya seem really easy--she

2nd Grade!

2010-09-07T08:23:00.006-04:00

It must be second grade when mom forgets to even take a picture of the first morning of school! Couldn't have even imagined doing that in Kindergarten....but school's old news now, right?!?! I did catch her that afternoon...happy and tired!I can't believe my baby is in 2nd grade! That sounds so old! Our elementary school is split in 2 buildings across a busy street and 2nd grade is when they

Let the countdown begin...

2010-08-30T09:50:00.008-04:00

When our house looks like this....And the table is never cleared off...And the mountains of laundry are taking over the house...When Dad can usually be found doing dishes at 10pm...And Mom can always be found at her post on the couch (with a bowl nearby!)...It's our way of saying there's another baby on the way.Baby #4 is due to arrive mid-March.We hope to be able to tell you if it's a boy or a

Busch Gardens trip #2

2010-07-23T06:00:00.000-04:00

We're becoming pro's at this Busch Gardens thing!At the entrance the girls all grab their own map and negotiate which things they want to go to and what order we should do the rides in.We even knew to bring swim stuff for the splash parks.So this time the wet hair in pictures is actually from water not sweat!Cute Alice dancing with the Sesame Street gang in the background.And of course, more fun

Happy Fourth of July

2010-07-22T14:28:00.002-04:00

Our great friends and neighbors have 3 boys. On the fourth of July we all came outside to pop those little thing-ys that you throw on the ground. So much fun! Both families happened to have our 3 kids matching and patriotic...so, it's no perfect smiling picture but it's not often we get all 6 busy bodies in one picture frame--and they've never been coordinated before!!!A family that we go to

A Day Well Spent

2010-07-21T14:23:00.002-04:00

At the end of the day I look about,and all the things I didn't complete are there for all to see. While what I did do goes unnoticed, even by myself. The meals consumed, The clothes in the closets,The listening ear, The bumps kissed, The hugs,The baby smiles on a swing. At the end of the day I am tired and discouraged;The mending still sits, This room is too cluttered,The sheets unchanged, The

June

2010-07-16T05:50:00.014-04:00

So I guess this is from May, but I missed it....we spent memorial day weekend painting some rooms that we have procrastinated for almost 6 years.Stairwells are just intimidating to deal with. We had this lovely paisley boarder and chair rail with more wall paper below (I forgot to snap a before pic). It was just really ugly and out-dated. The walls were a beige but it has always looked way to

May

2010-07-14T15:17:00.007-04:00

An awesome family vacation to Great Wolf Lodge!We love this place...and it's been way to long since we've been.Good memories!We were lucky enough to have Grandma (Ryan's mom) come along for the fun...it sure is easy when you have a 1:1 ratio of kids and adults!Our sweet Maya has been completely tongue tied since she was born.Unfortunately we listened to the doctors when she was a baby and did

April Highlights

2010-07-11T23:00:00.001-04:00

Hayley turned 7!We took cupcakes to her classroom that day.On odd-numbed birthdays we just do a family party. We still have lots of fun--just take out the chaos.Hayley chose Chuck E. Cheese with the family and Grandma.Then our first trip ever to Build-a-Bear.(I've always been a skeptic of how much money a stuffed animal there can cost but I have to admit...the experience was so much fun for the

Binge blogging....

2010-07-11T22:00:00.000-04:00

It's official. I'm a binge blogger! I hate to admit it but sometimes living life takes priority over blogging fun...Picture courtesy of Alice MessickThe end of the school year and start of a swim team for Hayley and Maya ramped up our schedule these past few months. Plus....did you get the memo that once you have school kids--there's no such thing as the lazy days of summer?!?! The kids might

Just a few more...

2010-05-12T21:00:00.000-04:00

Family Picture Outting

2010-05-12T19:00:00.000-04:00

I think this must have been one of the most enjoyable family picture events we've ever had. Maybe it was because it was a patient friend behind the lens, maybe because we made it a 1/2 day event so we weren't trying to capture the perfect shot in 10 minutes or less. Maybe the kids were just amazingly cooperative for once.It was fun to wander the grounds of Mount Vernon and just smile between

An afternoon on "the hill"

2010-05-12T16:00:00.000-04:00

One afternoon we had a neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt and BBQ Pot-luck on the best hill in our community. We roll down it in the summer and use it for sledding in the winter! I love all the candid shots that Rebekah caught this day (even though it was high sun!)

Lucky me!

2010-05-12T13:00:00.000-04:00

Today is our 10th anniversary! May 12, 2000

Our Personal Paparazzi!

2010-05-07T13:01:00.002-04:00

In April, my friend Rebekah stopped in to visit us for a week on her 3 month tour of the USA. I knew Rebekah and her fabulous family when I was growing up in England I'm sure glad that I got a chance to reconnect with someone so amazing 15 years later!As an added bonus, Rebekah has her own photography business that she does on the side. I happen to think she has an amazing eye for detail and

Easter Eggs

2010-04-05T15:13:00.010-04:00

I completely forgot that I had uploaded Easter egg pictures to a post a month ago....and never posted it. That's what I get for becoming a seldom-blogger!Happy Easter anyways!

Cabbage Soup with Italian Sausage

2010-04-05T14:06:00.004-04:00

I'm always checking cook books out from the library and flipping through them as I watch kids play. Once in a while I find a real winner that gets added to the family recipe book. This one was gone far too fast and I'm still craving it...I may have to make it again this week! (and the best part is the low-cal info at the bottom--eat up!)Cabbage Soup with Italian Sausage½ lb bulk sweet Italian

Now you see it....

2010-03-24T13:24:00.011-04:00

...Now you don't!(I'm going to miss all those perfect, tiny baby teeth!!!)Hayley survived a whole year of kindergarten and most of her first grade year thinking that she would "just die" if she didn't hurry up and lose a tooth soon! Poor kid. It's tough to be the last!This is the tooth fairy pillow I made when I was a kid. Amazingly I still have it in my memorabilia (thanks mom!) It was fun to

I should be flattered...

2010-03-23T19:30:00.005-04:00

...that Alice spends her days and nights with my purse on her arm....that Alice is responsible enough to check that my wallet, keys and cell phone are all in the purse (no tricking this kid!)...that I have to ask my 2 year old for my credit card when we are at the store. (If I even think about getting it myself, from the purse on her arm, she lets the world know that her space is being violated.

I'm lost!

2010-02-24T11:44:00.004-05:00

I'm lost and wandering in the world of record-keeping and communication: journaling, scrapbooking, blogging, facebooking and emailing!I just thought I'd say hi because I know I'm not being very consistent on my blog. I guess it's not meeting the same need for me that it was in the beginning. I used to picture printing my blog and having it replace our family scrapbook/journal idea--so I was

A Fish Story

2010-02-08T12:58:00.016-05:00

(note: old picture--dog is still gone!)In honor of Ryan's birthday I thought I'd post a little about one of his hobbies and passions.One of the things I love about Ryan is that he always has a hobby that he is passionate about. A couple years ago he decided that he needed a hobby that didn't take him away from the family--that he could do even with kids hanging on his legs (what a great dad!)

Happy Birthday Alice

2010-02-04T14:03:00.003-05:00

Alice is 2 years old today! Sometime in the last couple months she's changed from my baby to my little girl. Quirky reasons we love having Alice spice up our lives...-She's obsessed with my purse, wallet, keys, cell phone, etc. I think I spend an hour of every day negotiating my keys or credit card from her to drive or make a purchase. That's one way to get mommy's attention!-Speaking of

Maya's Birthday Report

2010-02-01T13:49:00.021-05:00

My Mom always made us feel so special on our birthdays. I don't know how she did it because all my efforts seriously stress me out with only 3 kids. But I have fond memories of feeling so special on my birthday-- so I do everything I can to create that feeling for my kids.I decorate with balloons and crape paper late the night before so when they come downstairs in the morning it's been

Happy Birthday Maya!

2010-01-27T03:00:00.001-05:00

Maya is 4 years old!We're celebrating by having a cooking party with her friends today. Should be lots of fun, planned chaos and mess!In honor of Maya's 4 years of life I created a slide show of pictures to play on our computer screen-saver during her birthday week. The kids have been loving it. I think it will be a new family tradition. Maya's loving being the center of attention and Alice

1000 Pictures...better than 1000 words???

2010-01-08T18:00:00.007-05:00

Here's my attempt to do a quick catch up of December. With any luck I can do this with less than 1000 words (or 1000 pictures!)(3 kids + 2 cousins) x 10 days =chaos, fun & memories!My sister-in-law's father-in-law passed away suddenly and unexpectedly, so we whisked a few kids out of the trauma while they dealt with the enormity of such an event. Thankfully my mother-in-law flew in to help out!

Thanksgiving 2009

2010-01-08T16:00:00.000-05:00

My cousin Darrin, his wife, Monica and 4 kids invited our family and 2 other families of cousins in the area to their home for Thanksgiving. It was so fun to be with lots of family! I love that being family means that there is a bond and a history there even when it's been years between meetings!Hayley was in heaven with her new-found "cousin" and "big sister" Katelyn! I love that she has such

Uncle Paul

2009-12-28T19:02:00.008-05:00

We're so happy that Uncle Paul (JaNae's little brother) finally made it in spite of the snow storm the weekend before Christmas. It's been almost 3 years since we've seen him and it was fun to reconnect and get to know him again.By the time he got here we had exactly 19 hours to catch up before he was off again. Lots of wrestling, cuddling, reading books and a quick late night talk filled our

Let it Snow!!!

2009-12-21T12:55:00.015-05:00

Anticipation....This is what we woke up to on Saturday morning! Definitely the most snow we've seen since moving to this area.And it just kept coming all day!Into the blizzard! We couldn't hold the kids off even though it hadn't stopped snowing.It was much more fun once it stopped snowing. Ryan spent most of Sunday shoveling us out of here. I think I haven't done anything but get kids bundled

Foot Fetish

2009-12-21T12:42:00.008-05:00

I love discovering kids little quirks! Maybe this one is revolting if it's not your kid but I just find it adorable. Alice is our little toe-picker. She loves to clean out her toes as you try to change her diaper. On this day, Hayley had sat on the couch to get a foot rub and a heart to heart with mom after a hard day at school, when Alice decided that Hayley's feet really needed some

Classics

2009-12-15T16:54:00.000-05:00

These are the all-time classic-can't-live-without movies according to me. I believe that each on can be watched an infinite number of times without growing bored! And now that I have so many on my list I can just cycle through them regularly!Maybe you've seen them all--maybe there are some you've never heard of and need to go running to find and maybe you need to enlighten me with your

A Turkey-lurkey Craft

2009-11-20T12:38:00.005-05:00

Last year we made these turkeys with apples as the body. But this year I came up with an option that the kids will actually eat!Using a pumpkin-chocolate chip muffin as the body we decorate using toothpicks, and whatever candy you can find! I bought a bag of "peach rings" from Target and that seemed to make a good face. Used frosting to "glue" on chocolate chip eyes. I've never found anything

Good timing for gratitude

2009-11-19T21:14:00.004-05:00

Maybe it's fitting that I have a lesson in gratitude the week before Thanksgiving. Tonight I find myself exceedingly grateful for the loads of laundry that I washed, folded and put away today.Our washing machine up and quit several days ago and I had thought I'd be at the laundr-o-mat today doing loads of laundry. But no, I got to leisurely put them through cycles then fold them on my bed while

Welcome to the Emergency Room Club!

2009-11-07T09:20:00.004-05:00

Well...it finally happened: our official welcome to the parents of the emergency room. After 6 1/2 years in the child-rearing business we made our first trip to the emergency room for a broken bone yesterday. And not completely surprisingly, Alice that was the little one that thought it was time for our induction!Thankfully, it wasn't one of those moments of panic that sent us speeding down

1st Grader '09-'10

2009-11-05T13:02:00.002-05:00

Here's the official school picture. She is 6 1/2 years old. We're so happy to be Hayley's parents! It's so fun to watch her grow and learn and mature. She is loving school for both education and social reasons. She's a natural little social butterfly that is just friends with everyone and is still our little sponge that wants to learn and understand all that she can. What a fun age!

Halloween-ing 2009

2009-11-04T13:34:00.008-05:00

I tried to fully appreciate how stress-free Halloween costumes were around here this year! I know that one day that is going to change but for now--kids look at costumes at the store but they don't even think to buy them let alone beg for them. They don't even ask me to make elaborate costumes the night before. They simply go to their dress up closet an hour before trick or treating begins and

Allowance & Work

2009-10-30T16:59:00.006-04:00

Looking for advice!We feel like we're finally hitting the stage that we need to start coming up with a plan we can stick to for helping our kids find ways to earn and get money. Hayley is 6 1/2 yrs and is starting to get more interested in saving her money for things better than the dollar store. In the past we've let her do "extra chores" for money but now we have lots of questions...-Should

Independence!

2009-10-27T22:00:00.000-04:00

I love how these pictures capture the pure joy of learning a new trick or skill when you're not quite 2 years old and crave every little bit of independence...Alice loves to ring the doorbell as we enter the house. I usually hold her and let her ring for a little while and then she screams in protest when I move on. On this day she discovered that she can ring the door bell all by her little

Fall is passing...

2009-10-26T13:27:00.022-04:00

What can I say? I've become a seasonal blogger...My last big update was summer. I thought I'd try to capture fall before it's over...For the record, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the fall! I can't help smiling to myself when I drive down the road and see all the breathtaking colors smiling back at me! My kids have actually started rolling their eyes at me when I talk about the leaves as we drive...makes

First Grade

2009-09-21T15:20:00.000-04:00

September 8, 2009Is this one cute, excited first grader or what? (and one bad fuzzy picture...sorry it's all I've got!) I can't believe how fast she's growing up!Reasons I know she's really a big kid now:She loves watching movies with us that we actually like to watch! This summer she kept pulling out some great classics like Pollyanna, Parent Trap (the old one), Swiss Family Robinson, and Old

Our Summer 2009

2009-09-19T18:29:00.000-04:00

It's been a while...here's the catch up. Just a few memories from our summer.I'm really no good at keeping my posts short so here's my effort to leave out about 5000 pictures and say as little as I possibly can (absolutely impossible!)Family Reunions1. MessicksThis year Ryan's family all met in Virginia. We rented a house on Lake Anna and had a fun-filled week!It was amazingly organized down to

Sunday Afternoon Stroll

2009-07-18T18:00:00.000-04:00

We love the big forest that is close to our home...helps us feel like we're escaping the claustrophobia of big-city life (even if you still can hear the freeway more than the birds!) Here's one of many afternoon strolls...

Odds n' Ends from May

2009-07-17T12:00:00.000-04:00

Just a sweet picture of our Maya-girl that G'ma M. caught while watching the girls.My cake-lickin' girls love to make treats with Dad!!!The beneficiary of such treats!We love our trips to the zoo...another fun day with the youngest 2--Hayley is at school.We're loving scooters at our house this summer--Maya's most skilled scooter pose!

Recitals

2009-07-16T13:50:00.007-04:00

Hayley and Maya were both in ballet/tap combo classes this year. Their recitals were the very end of May.We scheduled our much anticipated "get-away" before we realized that the recital was on that weekend. So Tammy & Grandma did double-duty by surviving dress rehearsal the night before--not an easy task. Being a "dance mom" is no small thing...hair, make up and clothes all have to be just so

A Souvenir

2009-07-10T21:53:00.003-04:00

Oops...I forgot to include this in the "kid-free zone" post.Williamsburg is a re-created colonial town. You can go into various stores and businesses and learn about how things were made and sold during revolutionary times.On our little vacation I was particularly taken with the Silversmith. We went twice because it was so fun to watch them mold a beautiful tool or household item out of a chunk

Kid-Free Zone

2009-07-10T14:21:00.010-04:00

(Back-blogging for May 2009)After 9 years of marriage, 10 years of dating, and 3 kids along for the ride...it's hard to imagine... but here's us with no kids!...while Grandma Messick and Aunt Tammy kept the kids swinging from the ceiling back at home!...we enjoyed 3 glorious days and 2 nights at our castle in the clouds...a B&B in Williamsburg that welcomed only Ryan and I (no waking babies or

2 Yummy Soups

2009-07-09T06:00:00.000-04:00

It's summer so I should be posting recipes for salads but I took pictures of these two favorite soups in the last month or two so thought I'd share the recipes. One positive in the summer time is that both are made without turning on the oven...which is the goal, right?Potato SoupA good friend brought this soup over the night I came home from the hospital with Alice (as she dropped off my other

Into the 30's

2009-07-08T14:15:00.007-04:00

I turned 31 years old in May..watch out 40's here I come! (okay that's just crazy to think about!!!)I'm just so grateful to have lived 31 wonderful years and haven't messed things up too badly yet! I feel incredibly blessed to have have a wonderful husband and 3 beautiful and thriving children. I also have an amazing mom and dad that survived me as a child and are the world's best grandparents

School's out!

2009-06-25T15:55:00.013-04:00

I'm in desperate need of a blog-a-thon to get caught up but somehow it's not hitting the priority list. I need the relaxation from blogging more than you need to hear about our life so I'll try to snatch it in little snippets and catch up in bits and pieces--maybe in no particular order!School got out almost 3 weeks ago! We're so excited to have Hayley around more during the summer and she sure

My Mini-Me

2009-06-08T12:00:00.000-04:00

Before...During... After...We're twinners! How many more times is my little girl really going to tell me that she wants her hair the same as mine?!? And that she'll let me cut it even though I tell her I don't know what I'm doing! Brave kid. It turned out darling (if you don't look too close!)...but then she'd be a cutie no matter what!

It's a Girl!

2009-06-07T18:37:00.014-04:00

Millie Messick(a.k.a. "Silly Millie" when she's in trouble!)60 lbs3 years oldYellow Labrador/Golden Retreiver Mix Our first family picture with Millie. This was at the foster family's home when we picked her up on Thursday, June 4th. On the way to her new home... Now this is what life now looks life in our house!Kids playing happily, (Alice climbing on the table--always climbing on something),

A Moment in my Mother's shoes!

2009-05-16T19:44:00.014-04:00

I remember my mom saying to me..."just you wait until you are a mom" or "when you're a mom you can do it however you want!" Funny how now that I'm that mom, I think incredibly like my mom did back then!This is Taffy's mom...and Taffy is in that pile of puppies somewhere!Taffy was a puppy we got when I was 6 or 7 years old. We had moved to England the year before and lived out in the country with

We're Going on a Worm Hunt...

2009-05-05T13:17:00.012-04:00

Ever read this book? It's a favorite in our house. Such great repetition and rhyme that the kids end up reading it with us even if they can't read!Well, in honor of a very rainy week in our part of the world and to ward off some fast approaching grumps, we went on our own "worm hunt". Yesterday, we hadn't left the house all day and Hayley was suffering from two straight days of no recess. Dad

Seasons

2009-05-05T13:05:00.002-04:00

I'm so grateful for the seasons! It always feels so good to slip into a cozy warm sweater in fall when the air finally feels cool again. And as summer approaches my toes are so excited to reunite with flip flops and have more freedom again!It's so easy to complain about the weather. We all do it. But right now I'm enjoying the teasing nature of spring. Last week we got a little taste of

Museum-ing with the kids

2009-05-03T17:06:00.011-04:00

I'm slowly getting back into the swing of entertaining and engaging the mind of a preschooler. I used to do so much with Hayley when she was Maya's age and I'm getting back into the groove of it again. It's such a fun age...they are just little sponges! Maya is more of a homebody but is slowly getting less stressed-out in crowded areas.A week or so ago we hit the downtown scene with some friends

Happy Birthday Hayley!

2009-05-03T15:29:00.012-04:00

Our Hayley bug is growing up so fast! She turned 6 in April. It seemed like a week-long celebration. The Saturday before her birthday we had a simple easter-theme party at home (it was the day before Easter). It was the day after we got home from our little vacation, so we threw together an easter egg hunt, games, easy crafts and snacks (gotta love oriental trading!). Kids are so easy to

Living the High-Life!

2009-05-02T18:05:00.000-04:00

Hayley had a week off school for Spring Break at the beginning of April. Some friends of ours have a time share and had a reservation for a couple nights when their dad visited from Iraq...but then their plans changed...so a couple days before they called to see if we wanted to go in their place. Score! Here's our fun jaunt into a luxury vacation...This was our cabin: 2 bedroom, 2 bath, full

Playland

2009-05-02T12:00:00.000-04:00

I discovered this great fence thing recently. It can be formed into all sorts of shapes and sizes and we are loving what it keeps Alice out of! We were able to fence off a corner of the front room so that Hayley and Maya can play without being terrorized by little sister. They love having a safe little playland! As long as I keep rotating toys (the magic secret of happy playing!) all keep

Evergreen Flowers!

2009-05-02T06:36:00.004-04:00

I'm hooked on paper flowers. They never die! Maya is my little crafting partner. She's always asking to make more flowers. We made these Lillie's at the beginning of April to hand out to teachers and friends (ignore the tissue paper flower in the background). The petals are made using the kids hand prints. So cute! The Lilly idea came from the April Family Fun magazine (I can't find a link with

Popcorn Princess

2009-04-14T13:32:00.014-04:00

I'm declaring my Dad the official "Popcorn King". Actually I think it runs in the family so there are probably some contenders for the royal title...maybe we have lots of kings that rule their own kingdoms in popcorn happiness. This gives me the title of "Popcorn Princess" and the authority to instruct my subjects on the perfect batch of popcorn. Hear ye! Hear ye!There are probably as many

Garbage!

2009-04-13T08:00:00.001-04:00

Sometimes it takes a while to realize how big things like the current "economic crisis" effects our little lives.Although we've been living in the midst of the economic downturn for a while and definitley feel it, recently, it seems that something brings it a little closer to home everyday. Last week our neighborhood was featured in a local news story...nothing to be proud of when you realize

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T13:51:00.004-04:00

Even though we love the easter egg hunts and treats...this is really what it's all about! One of the great consolations of this Easter season is that because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so. Twice a year the leaders of our church address the worldwide membership in a "General Conference" via satelite, cable and internet sources. It is such an uplifting

A little bit of Maya

2009-03-30T13:14:00.004-04:00

While we had the camera out, Ryan did a little interview with Maya. I realize this is probably too many movies of Maya for a lot of you but if you're an adoring fan of our little Maya...enjoy! For journaling purposes here's the interview transcribed:What's your name?-Maya-girlWhat's your full name? Your Messick name?-Maya Anne MessickHow old are you?-I don' t know (with some prompting...)

Tikki Tikki Tembo

2009-03-30T12:58:00.004-04:00

Maya's current favorite book to read is "Tikki Tikki Tembo." If you haven't read it before, it's about a little Chinese boy that has a great long name. The book explains why Chinese people often have very short little names with one syllable. It's a fun name to say and when reading the book you have to say it over and over. So...Maya has mastered it...can you say it too? His name is:

Quick Trip

2009-03-22T11:21:00.013-04:00

Ryan had to work for a couple hours at a location in Suffolk (near Virginia Beach). We decided to make a family trip out of it. We drove down one morning, went to the Aquarium in VA Beach. Spent the night at a hotel. The next morning, the kids and I hung out at a fun childrens museum while Ryan worked then we drove home. Here's a few pics from our quick trip.Petting the sting rays.Alice's

Journaling Jog through Feb/March...

2009-03-15T14:36:00.016-04:00

I love this picture of girls reading books on the floor together.We've been reading lots lately and I love it. We've introduced them to a few different chapter book series that are fun to read all together--Boxcar Children, Magic Ballerina, Rainbow Magic Fairy.Hayley is on the verge of taking off on her own with chapter books which is exciting. Maya actually just started reading her own starter

President's Day

2009-03-14T14:12:00.000-04:00

On President's day, Mount Vernon is free! Although these days we are definitely residents not tourists of this fine city, we decided to brave the crowds and take advantage of the freebee! My friend Jana was nice enough to meet up with us and our kids had fun even though it was really cold and really packed!Cute little miniature parade...the guy that was on the mic warned us not to take a bathroom

Alice-angelo

2009-03-14T13:58:00.007-04:00

Alice has discovered art! She loves to draw! Some days I feel like she's taking notes on my parenting mistakes as she follows me around the house with her spiral notebook and pencil!I even bought a second booster chair this week becasue I got tired of dragging her kitchen chair into the "craft table". She begs to get in her chair and colors for pretty long periods of time considering she's

Bouquets of Hearts

2009-03-02T16:17:00.002-05:00

I wanted to share 2 sites that I'm loving right now. These both have oodles of ideas for kids crafts and learning activities that they love (and that I love because it keeps them happy and busy!) I think we've just hit that age with Maya that craft time is so much fun and a necessary part of every day.For Valentines Day the kids and I made these bouquets of hearts (from No time for flash cards)

Oh Nuts!

2009-03-02T15:27:00.002-05:00

We have a kid with a peanut allergy!Why do you always think these thing won't happen to you? I've had to tell myself that this really isn't that big of a deal and it could be much worse. But right at first, I felt a little bummed at how this will inconvenience me and complicate things. Plus my kid will miss out on the joys of peanut butter and reese pieces!I had an inkling that she might be