Brrrrrrrrrr

January 25, 2007, 9:38 am

We got that snow. The snow that comes and stays for months. It happens every year around here (the Midwest that is). Just when you think winter isn't so bad...

But the kids couldn't be happier about the mounds of snow and talk us into getting bundled up and playing outside with them. Noah and I have built a snow mountain, which we enjoy sledding down. He hopes it doesn't melt until his birthday.

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Happy Birthday Dear Mama

January 25, 2007, 9:34 am

Noah was so excited for my birthday, which was also the 100th day of Kindergarten. What are the chances that those two days would coincide?

Noah insisted that I open a gift from him first thing in the morning (Lily was still snoozing). I now have Pirates of the Caribbean 2, which Noah couldn't wait to watch that night:



Lily kept whispering to me, "Mama, I have a secret....It's your birthday!"



Noah and I always enjoy eating at our Indian restaurant on my birthday, so he asked that I wait and go for dinner this year as he had school to attend:



Here's Lily singing, "Happy birthday Dear Mama" over and over (and driving her brother crazy):



And the all-important cake (notice Lily eying the candles):



Wow, it's fun to be almost 3 (that's how old my nephew Huck things I am)...

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Storytime with Lily

January 15, 2007, 8:34 am

I signed Lily up for her first Storytime. Our library has a wonderful storytime program with crafts, songs, snack, and stories. I took Noah to storytime for 4 years, and Lily came along with us as a baby. Lily was very excited and proud to go to storytime by herself.

Here is her craft (which she wanted me to hang on the wall):



and she couldn't wait to show Noah and Papa.

She had a hard time resisting the snack as we made snowmen cookies but had to wait to eat them. Lily wanted to eat her cookie right away. She met a friend named Ali Jane, and she participated in some singing and dancing about snowmen.

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Mango Lassi

January 8, 2007, 4:15 pm

We love our Indian restaurant. Nathan and I discovered it when we moved here about 9 years ago, and we were so excited as North Carolina didn't have any Indian restaurants. We went a lot when I was pregnant with both children, so I like to say they are made out of Indian food. And now Noah and Lily love going to our Indian restaurant (which is called The Great Indian Restaurant).

Noah loves to order a mango lassi which is a mango and yogurt drink. So at the age of 2 he started calling the restaurant "Mango Lassi." We went along with it, and we refer to the restaurant that way as well.

We went to the Indian restaurant Saturday night, and now that Noah is learning how to read he was sounding out words from the menu. He wondered why he didn't see "Mango Lassi" at the top of the menu. So I explained that the restaurant is actually called The Great Indian Restaurant. Then I saw the wheels turnin'...

Earlier that day we went to Bald Eagle days where we saw Native Americans dancing in traditional garb.

So Noah says: Is this Indian food like the Indians we saw dancing today eat?

Mama: No they are actually Native Americans. This is Indian food like people from the country India eat. Native Americans are from America.

Noah: Ohhhh, but I thought the Indians ate with the pilgrims. That's what I learned in school.

Mama: Well, Native Americans were called Indians because when people came here they thought they were in India but it was actually America.

Noah: I see.

pause

Noah: Do Indians speak Spanish?

(giggling from table next to us.)

Mama: No, they don't. They speak lots of different languages in India. I think Hindi is the most common language spoken in India. There are more languages than just English and Spanish.

Noah: But in Mexico they speak Spanish, right? And that's where we are going to see my butterfly.

pause (looking at food)

Noah: So this is what the Pilgrims and Indians ate.

Mama: Sigh

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Lily's couch

January 4, 2007, 8:49 am

You may be wondering if Lily ever got a little couch "just like Kevin's" for Christmas. This was the only thing Lily really wanted for Christmas, and the Kruse family came through for her.

Lily and her couch:

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Beautiful Floor

January 1, 2007, 4:14 pm

We've lived in our house for almost 4 years now with really bad carpet in the kitchen. The carpet has endured two kids and two dogs and a really klutzy coffee-spilling mother for too long.

So Nathan and Noah gave me the most wonderful Christmas gift ever...



(Bring back any memories??)



Ta-da!
(click to enlarge)


Thank you Papa and Noah!

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Happy New Year!

January 1, 2007, 4:08 pm

2007! Woo-hoo! Chex mix was enjoyed by all...



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