Our Book of Days

Family Pictures

2010-08-06T07:38:00.000-07:00

I love my family, and I love these pictures.

My Little Buckaroo

2010-04-23T12:41:00.001-07:00

Dillon just finished up what will probably be his favorite week at Preschool:

Cowboys/Cowgirls Week!

He loved it and has been telling me all about what cowboys do. They ate buckaroo stew (beans/hot dogs), drank "cactus juice" (green Kool-Aid), roasted marshmallows by a pretend campfire, and had a dress-up day to celebrate. I think he makes quite a handsome cowboy:

This cowboy also needs a haircut...yikes!

I can't believe my little cowboy will be a Kindergartener in a matter of months!!!

What we've been up to these days

2010-04-14T10:12:00.001-07:00

Other than making breakfast on Easter morning with Nana, Chef Emily has been busy practicing softball, reading every chance she gets (she even mentioned aspiring to be a librarian someday), writing poems (even at 11 pm when she wakes up and has an idea for one), preparing for middle school (choosing electives and getting a fun booster shot), and preparing for a special Chorus concert tonight.

And she's been holding this guy non-stop when she's home...

Lilly has been threatening to drink Easter dye (just kidding...doesn't it look like it in this picture though?!), admiring Baby Avery, and is working on potty training.

And she's been giving this guy kisses non-stop...

Cameron has been putting his hands right into the Easter egg dye, looking forward to being a big 3rd grader, playing with his "dudes" in the neighborhood, and getting excited to turn 8.

And he's been talking about how cute this little guy is...

Dillon has been working on getting ready for Kindergarten, having fun in preschool, and losing his first tooth (It's literally lost somewhere in Nana and G-daddy's grass.)

And he's been telling his little brother all the things he needs to know...

Life is busy, but it is GOOD! Little Avery is heavenly!

It's a Boy!

2010-03-20T17:01:00.000-07:00

Avery Thomas Benoit

born on St. Patrick's Day! March 17th, 7:45 am

6 lbs 5 oz, 18.5 inches long

Here are some quick pictures for now:

We're all loving this little guy! Now, to go get some sleep.... More to come soon!

If you love Girl Scout cookies...

2010-03-05T06:25:00.000-08:00

You must make these!!!

After we got a few boxes of Girl Scout cookies that lasted maybe 2 days with all of us munching on them, I said to Joe there has got to be a recipe online that someone has come up with for Girl Scout cookies. Specifically I wanted to make something similar to Samoas, my all time favorite! Something about that combo of coconut, caramel, and chocolate. Yum! (Yes, this is definitely a pregnant woman talking!)

I found a link on how to make the Samoas cookies. The cookies look quite complicated and since I was just going for taste, I liked their alternative to make Samoas cookie bars. I just made them last night for Joe's team at work. They are unbelievable, and I am making another batch today for us.

Here's the link for the recipe: http://bakingbites.com/2009/02/homemade-girl-scout-cookies-samoas-bars/

My one discovery in making these was that it was hard to dip the bottom of the bars in the chocolate. The coconut/caramel topping was starting to separate from the shortbread crust and it was getting messy. My solution: I just held the bar over the bowl of chocolate and used a spoon to slather it on the bottom. I used a plastic bag to pipe out the melted chocolate to drizzle the top.

I also see links to other Girl Scout cookie recipes. I'm sure they must be just as good! Happy baking!!!

Ch-ch-ch-changes

2010-02-10T09:46:00.000-08:00

Isn't it amazing how life goes along in a same-old, same-old way and then all of a sudden a lot of things start changing all at once? Well, within 2 days I found out that Dillon's very far-sighted and that it was time for Emily to get braces (although I knew that one was coming). Here's Dillon sporting his new glasses....

They weren't my favorite frames he tried on, but he liked these the best and they were the most comfortable for him. The lenses are so thick. :( I picked them up right before he was done with preschool, and the whole ride home he kept saying things like, "Hey, I can see those trees now!" "I can see that house now." "Lilly has more hair!" It's really amazing. I'm so glad he has a few months to adjust to them before Kindergarten starts. I think he looks so cute!

Emily just got her braces today! Sore but kind of cool and exciting at the same time. :)

Lilly is also talking away! Her language is exploding and I couldn't be happier after experiencing toddler/preschool life with 2 boys who didn't have this explosion so early. I love hearing her talk! She can now say Emily, Cameron, Dillon, and Lilly clearly. That's a lot of L's to pronounce. She called Emily "Emmay" and Dillon "Di Di" for a long time. She never really attempted Cameron or Lilly. Every day there is something new she says. "I love you" is my favorite.

Cameron is our only constant around here. I can't think of any big changes for him. Just has his infectious smile and non-stop energy still. He did get daddy to cut a semi-mohawk the last time he got his haircut.

Speaking of changes, I'm 37 weeks and getting close. Our life is about to really change!!! I'm so anxious to find out if this is a boy or girl now.

Dillon's Star Wars Birthday Party...a little late!

2010-01-30T07:06:00.000-08:00

Dillon turned 5 earlier in January and we had a fun Star Wars birthday party. His birthday comes at a strange time. We've just cleaned up from Christmas and my motivation to plan anything is low. However, then I realize I just have to get to work. He's been wanting a Star Wars party for a while. Thanks to the wonderful ideas on the Internet, he had quite a fun themed party. Happy #5 Dillon!!! Coloring our Star Wars favorites

Darth Vader cupcakes with a surprise inside

Star Wars Bingo

Build your own Star Wars Lego ship

Make your own R2D2 - a BIG hit!

Treats like "Yoda Soda" and red/blue chocolate covered pretzel rods to be Lightsabers - another big hit!

Lots of Star Wars-loving friends!

SNOW!

2010-01-30T06:42:00.000-08:00

This is Lilly getting ready for the snow. She was puttting on winter hats and saying, "Ho, ho, ho!"

While most of it will be sleet today, we got about 3 inches last night I'd guess. My parents got 6-7. Everyone is bundled up and enjoying the sledding down a big hill in the neighborhood. Here's a quick video I got of the kids sledding down our driveway on our big sled from RI. It was a big hit with the neighborhood kids. Cameron is even "snowboarding" on an old skateboard missing its wheels. I didn't take many pictures because the wind and sleet was picking up.

An Unexpected Visit!

2010-01-08T12:34:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday morning I walked in from doing some errands to find the phone ringing. It was Joe's mom telling me that Jonny had been calling. He was driving down to FL and was in VA! It was a last minute trip and he hoped to make a detour and pit stop at our house. I quickly called Joe and miraculously in the middle of a very busy week he was able to come home early to see Jonny in the few hours he would be here. Dillon and Lilly were excited as we got ready for our visitor. It cracks me up that Dillon calls him "Unkie" Jonny instead of Uncle. So he kept asking me, "When is Unkie Jonny going to be here?"

Joe and Jonny greeted Emily and Cameron at the bus stop which was quite a surprise and different from their normal routine.

The kids enjoyed showing off and playing with their Christmas toys and the Wii with Jonny and his friends. A quick bite of pizza, some rest, and a shower and they were off on their drive. At the end of the day I still couldn't believe we had just gotten to see Jon. Usually we see them once a year. What a great treat!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

2009-12-18T08:05:00.001-08:00

Benoit Family 2009

Joe, Laura, Emily, Cameron, Dillon, and Lilly

And a few more fun photos from photo day:

Lilly catching a ride from G-daddy

Cameron

Emily

Dillon (always carrying a stick or leaf or other treasure)

How old are you?

Lilly flirting with the camera

Some pictures with Nana and G-daddy

Best buddies, looking at the pond

Lilly with Daddy

Even Lilly's worn out!!!

2009-12-10T11:49:00.000-08:00

Did November really just pass by without me posting anything? We are alive and enjoying many holiday related goings-on. Emily was in the Apex Christmas parade and survived a very cold/wet night. Cameron and Emily will be singing in our Stake Children's Choir at out church's nativity. It's an amazing event going on this weekend. Check it out at http://www.apexnativity.org/. We're excited because Emily's school chorus teacher is attending and many neighbors attended last year and hopefully will again. I'll enjoy playing the piano as background for the event--something I always save room for because I love it!

I've been busily folding my Moravian stars and am grateful for this little side business. I have bigger plans for next year, but it will require me making a good supply of stars in the coming year. Hopefully I can do it. I'm up to 14 dozen stars ordered and made and expect the next week to be pretty busy.

I'm feeling well and am 26 1/2 weeks along. The baby moves so much it almost startles me out of my seat sometimes. I'm measuring perfect, blood pressure is low, and all is going smooth. I felt the baby have hiccups for the first time about a week ago. That is always the funniest feeling.

Lilly has been busy crafting away. She and Dillon spend most of their day creating, coloring, drawing, cutting, gluing, and glittering. Apparently, all that craftiness has worn her out because I just found this:

She was working hard!!!

Etsy Giveaway Winner Announced

2009-11-15T17:58:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all of you who entered my Moravian Stars giveaway. We put all of the names of those who entered in a bowl, and Joe chose the winner tonight. One of my friends who entered on Facebook won the giveaway: Jill Remund Rucker, a friend of mine from GA.

An Etsy Giveaway!

2009-11-10T06:52:00.000-08:00

Just to let my few blog readers know, I'm having a giveaway of a dozen of my Moravian paper star ornaments! Check out my Etsy shop here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/onceuponastar

The winner will receive 1 dozen 2-inch stars of the color of their choice shipped to their home. Color choices are white, gold metallic, silver metallic, or pink metallic. You can view the stars and colors on my Etsy page.

To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment on this post or send an e-mail to me at benoitfam @ hotmail.com (take out spaces). Giveaway ends at midnight on Saturday, Nov. 14th. I also opened this up to my Facebook friends, just so you know. :)

Thanks and good luck! I know you'll love them!

Pumpkin Carving Time

2009-10-26T06:31:00.000-07:00

It gets more fun every year as the kids get older. And yes that's a knife in my hand and I look like I'm crazy. Watch out for mommy!

I just love that her hair has gotten long enough for pigtails.

The finished products...Dillon's is a ghost at the bottom. His light flashes on and off so I had a hard time getting it in good light. Cameron's light inside changes from red to blue to green. Pretty cool.

State Fair Fun

2009-10-21T08:31:00.001-07:00

We went on our 2nd annual trip to the NC State Fair yesterday. On the way home I asked the kids what their favorite part was. They said, "Everything!"

Cameron and Emily get ready to fly.

Mommy, Lilly, and Dillon on a ride. I was really surprised how much Lilly loved the rides. No fear!

Dillon, Cameron, Joe, and Lilly going down the slide.

A family favorite...watching the BMX Bike show! These guys were amazing!

Watching in the stands...

Joe, Emily, and Cameron up in the top row of Pharaoh's Fury. It went very high. (Cameron was scared.)

Emily poses with the amazing plants. She is growing up too fast.

My favorite: the yummy food! We had corn dogs, a steak sandwich, a bloomin' onion, cotton candy, and candy apples.

Can't wait for next year. I love that the kids are out of school during all these fun fall activities!

Lilly is a true girl

2009-10-18T16:21:00.000-07:00

One of Lilly's favorite things to do with her sister, Emily, is to get her toenails painted. While everyone was downstairs getting ready for dinner, Lilly apparently decided to take matters into her own hands for the first time.

I realized it when she called for mom and held her hands out at me through the banister on the stairs. When I came to her, her fingers looked like this...

And her toes looked like this...

When I went up to my bathroom, the damage wasn't as bad as it could have been. There was some nail polish on the bathroom floor and the toilet and a little on the stairs. And the nail polish was not in an easily accessible spot. Let's just say she did some climbing and maneuvering to get to it. Amazingly, she painted every single toenail and fingernail all by herself! And didn't even get any on her Sunday dress. What an independent little girl!

Here's her "I'm tired and I just got caught" pose...

And here's her "Look what fun I had" pose...

The kids are tracked out and we're looking forward to 3 weeks of fall fun! I'll post a little more often to show our adventures. Thank goodness I have my energy back for them.

Thank you, Baby!

2009-09-29T11:16:00.000-07:00

Running on less energy the last few months has been frustrating. I've had to focus on the essentials and let other things I wish I could do just slide. Not fun. Usually I'm crossing things off my to-do list in the afternoon and evening, but that hasn't happened in a long time. Making me feel a little down on my self.

Then, things started happening lately that have helped me regain my perspective. First, a little bump and a thought of "Was that the baby?" Little bumps have turned into harder and more regular kicks. I'm so grateful to get these gentle reminders from my baby every once in a while to remind me why my body is so tired. It will pass and for now I have to accept it. It sure does help to have a baby tapping me every once in a while to say hello and remind me of what I'm doing.

I'm very excited for my ultrasound in a couple of weeks. We're not finding out what we're having, but it's so nice for us to see a glimpse of the baby. Joe will be able to go, and we're going to take Dillon and Lilly so this becomes a little more real for them, too.

---

Look what greeted Joe this morning when he went to take the trash out to the curb. He said it's the biggest spider he's seen in North America. (I don't want to know what he saw in Brazil!) To give you perspective, it was about the size of his palm. Yuck! I'm glad he took out the trash today!

A Sunday Walk

2009-09-22T11:59:00.001-07:00

We continue to find treasured spots around where we live to walk and explore. We walked the trail around Lake Pine here in Apex. Unfortunately, we weren't sure how long the trail was so we turned back just before we hit a mile. Turns out the trail was 2 miles. We'll know next time. We saw lots of turtles, ducks, and geese. The kids loved it, and it was a great way to get out and enjoy nature on a Sunday afternoon.

The girls...

The boys...

And some ponytail cuteness...

Updates

2009-09-04T10:15:00.000-07:00

A quick update so I don't let the blog slip away into oblivion...

I'm almost 13 weeks pregnant now. I can't wear any regular pants although no strangers have asked me if I'm pregnant yet. :) My nausea in the evening has vanished (thank goodness!), but I am still soooooo tired. Everyone keeps saying, well you do have 4 kids, but I think it's really just different this time with this pregnancy. So, for now, I lay down every afternoon and am ready for bed just after the kids go to sleep at 8. Rest is good, right???

The garage door opener was found and a new cell phone was bought. Guess we'll be eating with chopsticks eventually! :)

I'm looking forward to a great little day trip with my mom tomorrow. More on that to come!

What's missing?

2009-08-25T13:41:00.001-07:00

Current tally of things missing at our house:

1 cell phone

1 garage door opener

6 salad forks

other things to be discovered

Where did these things go?! I know the culprit. I just have no idea where she might have put them. I'm thinking the trash. She's very good about putting dishes in the sink and things in the trash, but every once in a while I've been finding a plastic bowl in the trash instead of the sink. Uh oh. It doesn't help that she's too smart for the childproof lock I've put on the cabinet where the trash is.

Good think you're cute!

Coming Soon...

2009-08-18T14:00:00.000-07:00

We're happy to announce that a new Benoit will be arriving around March 15th!!!

We're very excited. Emily and Cameron, being older now, are thrilled beyond words. They keep asking me questions like, "Is it a boy or girl?" (We'll be waiting to find out as we have done with all our kids.) "What are we going to name it?" "Will I be in 2nd or 3rd grade when it comes?" "Can I tell so-and-so?" Dillon and Lilly don't really have a clue but will eventually. A few days after we told the kids Cameron was saying his prayer at night and after asking for a few things for the new baby he said, "And I love the baby even though it's just in mommy's tummy right now." It was a sweet moment.

Well, forgive my horrible picture. We don't have a scanner, so I took a picture of a picture. But it will have to do. There's our little baby. It was moving around lots for my peek at it. Hopefully you can make out the head, body, and little legs that are visible.

I've been feeling yucky and tired and am hoping for the next phase of pregnancy to take over soon. But the end result is worth it. There are about a bazillion of my friends at church all due within about a month of me...kind of crazy! This baby will have lots of friends!

A Week at the Beach

2009-08-09T13:44:00.000-07:00

We visited Long Beach, NC for a week along with my parents, grandparents, aunt, uncle, and 2 of my cousins. Highlights of the week...

The beach house (Water's Edge) and set-up on the beach

Cameron found his hidden talent...riding the skim board. He loves skateboards and seems to have the right balance for it. In the back is my cousin Alison's dog, Luca. The kids loved Luca and Lilly learned her name. She walked around saying "Luca" a lot. Right now she's sitting on my lap going crazy over seeing her in the picture.

Here's a video of Cam on the skim board. A man down the beach was doing it, too, and was really good. He gave Cameron some lessons and showed him how to even do a spin while on it. Cameron figured that out fast, but we didn't capture it on video.

We love visiting "the point" of Oak Island. I love how Dillon's trying to figure out what to do with his fingers from his older brother and sister. At low tide there were lots of pools Lilly could wade in without waves. Emily, Cameron, and Daddy crossed the water to go to a little island. I love how it looks like Dillon's saying, "No, don't go!" in this picture. We saw the sand dredger at the point, too.

I love going to the same quiet beach every year with our family. Love the taste of some fried seafood and homemade peach ice cream. Thanks, Mamaw and Papaw for a wonderful week at the beach!

Lilly's New Ride

2009-07-19T14:31:00.000-07:00

With Dillon learning how to ride a bike without training wheels and Emily and Cameron already off, Joe and I discovered we cannot keep up with the kids anymore when we take a walk. We got some unwanted free bikes for us through someone in the ward a few months ago. Then, we started to look for something for Lilly. I found a great thing for her, and thanks to her birthday and Nana and G-daddy, here it is.....

She loves it!!! It's called the Kangaroo Wee Ride. I love that she's in front of us when we ride. It feels safe to me especially since she's a monkey and always climbing in and out of things. We can keep an eye on her.

They're about to finish a park right down the street with lots of bike trails. We're ready now!

A Trip to the North

2009-07-16T11:48:00.001-07:00

We had a wonderful vacation up in Massachusetts visiting Joe's family. While there, we spent some time on Cape Cod as well. We celebrated Emily's 10th birthday (a breakfast out with Daddy)...

There was some hot-tubbing with the cousins... beach time with Grampa...

seashell-finding...

beach-walking (these 2 were inseparable)...

swimming in the ocean (Is it a little cold, Cam?)...

beach baseball (Emily didn't mind swimming for the ball in the water)...

waterfall jumping into the pool...

time with fun uncles (Joe's brothers Jon and Jeff)...

lounging and relaxing...

and swimming in the pool...

All of the Benoit kids together with Sue and Joe.

It was a great trip. Also had great fun visiting with old friends in RI, visiting the Warwick Ward, and driving by our old house. Can't wait to do it again!

(Thanks to my sister-in-law Erin for some great pictures. I'm now covetting your camera!)

Graduation

2009-06-25T13:20:00.000-07:00

Cameron has finished speech therapy! I can't even express the joy I felt as I sat in the meeting with his teachers on Monday. 5 years ago, when he was diagnosed with verbal apraxia (a severe speech delay), I remember Joe and I looking it up online because I was not familiar with the term. We read some harrowing statistics through tear-filled eyes and wondered what our son's potential would be to communicate. My best explanation of Cameron's speech disorder is that apraxia is similar to what a stroke patient experiences as they try to regain their speech. Getting the signal from the brain to all the muscles/parts involved in speaking is interrupted.

I remember watching Cameron's frustration as he tried to tell me what he wanted. Signs and hand gestures helped, but most of the time it was a guessing game. I remember driving in the car with him in the back seat and hearing him notice things and try to tell me about them and I couldn't understand. To pacify him, I usually said something that made him think I knew what he was talking about. I couldn't stand to inflict more frustration on him.

I remember my young Emily helping him practice his sounds. She became a good signer at a young age.

Throughout this whole journey, I learned a lot about how to be an advocate for your child and trust your motherly instinct. I try to pass that on now to anyone who asks my advice about their child. Despite my trusted pediatrician's advice to not worry and that he would be fine, I began seeking evaluations and therapy for Cameron when he was 2. These early interventions have made all the difference. His wonderful teachers and therapists in preschool and beyond have always encouraged him and helped him progress with confidence. Ms. Chris and Ms. Nancy from Y's Owl Preschool helped buoy me up on the days I felt discouraged.

Most importantly, Cameron has himself to thank. His energy and enthusiasm, while sometimes challenging as a toddler, have helped him progress so much. While some kids with these delays tend to withdraw and speak less, Cameron never quieted his inner voice trying to get out. I'm so proud of his hard work and his self-esteem that has carried him when others say unkind things.

So, Cameron, congratulations! We are so happy for your accomplishment. No more "speech homework!"

Lilly is 2!

2009-06-21T11:24:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how quickly 2 years can fly by when we have such a lovely addition to our family! Lilly is 2 today. I think it's kind of neat that she can share her birthday with daddy's Father's Day. She brings such joy and happiness to so many. I wish I could freeze time and keep her at this age forever.

Things I want to remember about Lilly being 2:

She wakes up so happy in the morning.
She calls Dillon "Di-Di" and he calls her "Baby" because Lilly used to be hard to say. Emily calls her "Bubba." G-daddy calls her "Lil' Eve." Grampa calls her Lillian.
She likes to wrestle and plays Legos with her brothers, but then will play dress-up and get her toes painted with Emily the next minute.
She loves to give hugs and kisses.
She's fearless...She wants to ride the plasma car, ride the big swings (not the baby swing), and wants to sit in the big chairs.
She's so excited when the bus brings her brother and sister home from school. She starts waving right away.
She has the best little friendships already with her little buddies.
She wants to use the potty...we'll be working on that one.

Shelf Reliance Giveaway

2009-06-18T06:50:00.000-07:00

Oh how I would love to win this! Check out the shelf reliance giveaway! Enter by noon on June 26th!

http://www.shelfreliance.com/blog/index.php/2009/06/15/free-friday-bringing-harvest/comment-page-45/#comment-2351n

10 Years and Counting...

2009-06-12T10:11:00.000-07:00

Last night, Joe and I were able to attend a service recognition night for Fidelity Investments to honor Joe's upcoming anniversary of 10 years with them. It was at the Umstead Hotel in Cary...very nice! I was able to meet some of Joe's colleagues and the food was divine! Usually, spouses are not able to attend events, so this was a treat.

I can't believe 10 years have passed since Joe first started his daily "T" ride up to Boston's World Trade Center. A lot has changed in his career in those years, and our family has quadrupled. I'm so grateful for Joe's hard work and the dedication he shows to his job and company. Staying at a company this long is starting to become unheard of, but we have been blessed with a company that provides awesome benefits and opportunities to its employees.

Joe works hard to support our family, and I'm so grateful that his hard work has enabled me to be home raising our children for the past 10 years. Thanks, Joe, for your hard work to provide for our family!

Monday Morning

2009-06-02T10:04:00.001-07:00

Lilly started the week off with a morning makeover courtesy of Emily. I used to dress up my cat; Emily dresses up her little sister. There's nothing like Lilly's cuteness to keep us all grounded around here.

And in other news, Dillon is officially a "Joy School Graduate." We're looking forward to more preschool adventures next year, although he wants to be going to Kindergarten with his brother and sister, poor thing.

My Emily

2009-05-20T06:17:00.000-07:00

Funny story about Emily...

Yesterday was a beautiful day, a day when our cul-de-sac is filled with neighborhood children and no one wants to go inside for dinner. Later that night, Emily was trying to accomplish everything that needed to be done before bed--showering, finishing up some homework, reading, and was wishing she was still outside playing. She said to me, "Mom, there just aren't enough hours in the day." I told her I agreed 100%! I can't believe she's already figured this out in 4th grade. The responsibilities in life are just beginning.

Fast forward to this morning. Emily had gotten up early and was ready early even though she had chorus practice before school. I suggested she use her extra time wisely and work on cleaning her room and putting her laundry away. A few minutes later, I hear Cameron in her room and she's directing him on what to do. Then, Dillon joined in on the fun. I walked in to see what was going on only to realize that the 3 of them were busily working away in her room. What had she used as motivation for her brothers? A piece of candy! I guess whatever works. They were all so happy cleaning together. And I thought, "Only Emily would think of something like this!" She is one giant motivator! Why can't I get that to work all the time!?

Love you, Em! I hereby announce you are officially the Queen of our house...

Vacation time

2009-05-11T09:10:00.001-07:00

We were able to take advantage of the kids' track-out from school and head to Orlando! And no, we did not go to Disney this time. We decided to do Universal, Islands of Adventure, and Sea World. We spent the majority of time at Universal and Islands. Had a marvelous, perfect-weather time.

Here are some of the highlights...

We learned Emily is a rockin-on-the-roller-coaster type of girl. She loved them! And she usually got a double ride with mommy and daddy thanks to the child swap. Our favorites were the Hulk and Dueling Dragons. I practically had to drag her on the Hulk, but then she loved it. She rode Dueling Dragons 8 times!

Our kids bonded. I snapped these cute moments between Dillon and Cameron. Ah, brotherly love.

We learned that Lilly doesn't like to sit in strollers or high chairs or anything that confines her. Oh wait, we already knew that! She definitely is a monkey!

Mom and dad learned that a vacation to a park isn't really a vacation. It's a lot of work, but worth it!

We stayed in a hotel for a few days and then in a Marriott time share. The kids loved the 2 pirate pools! It was worth saying no a million times during the "sales presentation".

Easter pics

2009-04-13T09:14:00.001-07:00

Our lighting wasn't very good, but maybe Nana got some better pictures. Happy Easter!

Lilly's singing...

2009-04-10T13:38:00.000-07:00

Hard to keep a 21-month-old's attention, especially when she's figured out how to open a door even when it's locked, but this was too priceless not to post for family far away! Best of all was Dillon and Lilly watching it with me after we taped it. They were laughing hysterically. Lilly loves to sing "Baa, Baa Black Sheep" (although she wasn't into singing it this time), "The Wise Man," and some others right now.

Easy Family Home Evening Treat

2009-04-06T10:57:00.000-07:00

To go along with an Easter FHE lesson tonight, Dillon and I made these cute treats. Super easy Rice Krispie treat nests with jelly bean eggs and Peeps on top. (Dillon called them Pee-Peeps! Ooops!)

Mommy-Son Date

2009-03-31T10:42:00.000-07:00

So, although we occasionally do things with just the older kids, Joe and I decided to start having official parent/child dates once a month with Emily and Cameron. In March, Emily and Daddy did some shopping together (including cleats for softball) and had a treat together.

Cameron and I decided to go roller-skating this past Saturday. I can't remember the last time I roller-skated. When we started off, I was a little nervous not only because of how long it had been since I'd been on roller skates, but also because when Cameron got shaky he'd rely on ME for support! We got the hang of it, though. I only fell once. Cameron's skating style was cracking me up...he looked a little crazy and I kept telling him to slow down and keep his skates close to the floor. I was able to video him a little bit while skating. Don't know why I turned the camera the other way...guess I was thinking I was taking a picture. Anyway...enjoy! (We especially loved our crazy boy's little dance.) It's so nice to have one-on-one time with our children. I look forward to many more dates.

Popcorn Tree

2009-03-31T05:44:00.000-07:00

Just some pretty spring pictures. Our front yard is beautiful thanks to the previous owners who loved flowers and planted some beautiful trees. Here are some pictures of the kids after school in front of our "popcorn tree." Dillon was too busy playing with friends to be in the picture.

Monkey See, Monkey Do

2009-02-26T08:42:00.001-08:00

With all of the big kids at school this morning, Lilly decided to join in the clubhouse fun the big kids made outside. They put chairs, a shade, and even binoculars taped on top. I may be biased, but she is the CUTEST THING EVER!!! I love this age!

Painting Transformation!

2009-02-19T11:22:00.000-08:00

I love painting rooms, although sometimes the rest of the household chores get behind as I get focused on a project. Here's my latest and a few already completed in our new house.

First, the bathroom goes from blah beige to green with glossy stripes. And yes, the stripes were VERY hard. And I felt like giving up. Joe checked my progress at one point and said, "You're only doing this 1 wall right?" Nope, all 4. It was worth the work though. Now, I have some final touches to add (pictures and the kids' silhouettes my mom makes of each of them at 18 mos).

Next up is the family room that I painted a dark blue. I copied an idea from a Pottery Barn magazine. The room has kind of an ocean theme with shells, pictures from the beach, and our family picture on the coast in RI. I LOVE the blue!

I'll have to take a pic of Lilly's room soon. Here it is:

DANCING QUEEN!!!

2009-02-19T11:12:00.000-08:00

It's been a while...I'm back!

Emily and 2 friends from the neighborhood are dancing queens...they're always coming up with routines and performing them in the cul-de-sac. When a flyer came home from school annoucing a talent show, all 3 of us moms thought of our girls. They did a great job! They danced an originally choreographed (by them) dance to "Play My Music" from Camp Rock. I can't hear the song now without smiling. We were so proud, smiling and clapping away in the audience. Emily even kept her cool when her headband flipped off during a dance move. Here's a pic before the big show started. (I wish I had a digital camcorder to share online, but we have the "old" one we got when Emily was born.)

A Basketball Video Clip

2009-01-20T12:22:00.000-08:00

I was finally able to upload a video to the blog, so I wanted to add this video of Emily's last basketball game. She improved so much this year (although she never scored any points). This clip shows some of her natural athletic talent and aggressiveness. It helps to have Daddy cheering her on, too. Every time he'd tell her to steal the ball she'd usually get it.

Pirate Party...guess who's 4???

2009-01-20T08:38:00.001-08:00

Our Dillon turned 4 and we had a little Pirate Party at our house on Saturday. We had a pirate map invitation with burned edges. (I love the internet by the way...I found so many ideas as soon as we took off with the pirate theme.) We made pirate hats, played musical islands, pin the X on the treasure map, and had a treasure hunt. A Pirate cake...

And lots of happy pirates...

Some tidbits about Dillon at age 4: He gets compliments on his hair all the time. A bowl cut and highlights....can't beat it! He's very tall - people think he's in kindergarten, or going next year at least. He likes to wrestle with his daddy and Cameron. He's very sweet to his little sister, Lilly. I was so sad when he moved up to Sunbeams. They were together for a few weeks in Nursery and he was helping her be happy. He has graduated from Speech therapy...yippee! He loves to ride his bike, play Legos, make forts, and play castle and pirates. He loves to give hugs and kisses. He calls his pirate telescope a "sceletope"! He says many funny things as you can see on the sidebar. Most of the quotes are from Dillon.

Most of all, we all love you so much Dillon! You are a sweet boy!

Basketball

2009-01-20T08:27:00.000-08:00

Emily is trying her hand at basketball this year. Many girls from her class at school are playing in the league. She has one friend on her team, and her dad's the coach. It's fun to see her classmates that we're playing just about every game. Her friend Jessica is defending her in the picture above.

So far, we've lost 2 games, but the team was much improved during the 2nd game. She's learning lots and having fun. The highlight for her last game was her 4th grade and former 2nd grade teacher coming to watch. She's great on defense and almost stole the ball on Saturday. We're working on the traveling and double dribbles. :)

I'm playing catch up on the blog because we have a great snow day! The kids loved playing in it and are now inside watching a movie and having some hot chocolate. Lilly liked it for a little while. Then she wouldn't keep her gloves on and was frustrated that her hands were cold. I think we have about 3 inches and it's still coming down pretty hard. Joe made it to work safely.

Nie Nie

2009-01-16T15:21:00.000-08:00

Cool....she's back. What a story...

http://www.nieniedialogues.blogspot.com/

Home safe and sound

2009-01-11T16:37:00.000-08:00

We had an experience on Friday that we've been anticipating many months now. I'm so relieved it's done. Dillon had to go into the hospital to have some dental work done under general anesthesia. It was a frustrating revelation that it would be necessary. Seems that he just doesn't have good genetics for teeth since we don't feed him fruit snacks all day or not brush his teeth as we were first questioned about!...Anyway, it was too much work for him to go through awake.

I've been nervous about it for so long and was so relieved that all went well on Friday. The child life specialist, nurses, and especially our pediatric dentist were awesome. Dillon got to decorate his breathing mask with stickers, play with toys beforehand, and enjoyed the Versed he got before being wheeled down to the OR. He was giving us a thumbs-up and was asking, "Is this the hospital?" It was pretty funny. I hated to take a picture, but I wanted to record this event. Here's our boy getting ready to go into the OR and practicing blowing his pinwheel with Daddy to be ready for the breathing mask.

Melt my heart...

2009-01-08T12:48:00.001-08:00

This afternoon in a snuggly moment only an almost-4-year-old can provide, Dillon hugged my neck and said, "I'm glad you're home, mom." Me too, Dillon.
Wise words coming from this little boy. :)

Love those dresses!

2009-01-06T19:13:00.000-08:00

So, when Emily was young I wasn't so into the dressy/girly look. I don't really know why. She did wear her fair share of cute dresses and clothes with flowers, but most likely when we went out on the town she was wearing a Gap red pull-over with navy blue lettering. Many people thought she was a boy especially because of her lack of hair. One day I even got so tired of it that when a woman behind me in line struck up a conversation about her and asked, "What's his name?" I responded with a boy name...can't even remember what I said now. Well, I have to say that having Lilly after 2 boys, I am in love with dresses. Here is Lilly sporting a new one she got from Santa...

And since I was such a bad blogger in December, here are pics of the kids with a few of their favorite presents. Lilly loves her new grocery cart and play food.

Dillon loves jumping away on his trampoline. (I love his hair when he bounces.)

Cameron loves playing Glow in the Dark Air hockey with Daddy-O.

And "Wii" all love the Wii! We were trying to avoid the whole gaming system thing, but with children getting older, their Christmas lists change drastically from toys to big ticket items. You know...cell phones, lap tops, what??? I never asked for things this expensive, did I? Well, we are completely pleased with the purchase of the Wii. It is fun for the whole family. We often have bowling games after dinner. And so far, incessant asking to play the Wii (my main concern) hasn't happened.

Merry Christmas to all!

2008-12-24T05:40:00.000-08:00

Preschool Fun

2008-12-18T09:56:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Dillon, Lilly, and I were able to go with our little Preschool playgroup through the county schools to the Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh. I had a few little mini-scientists on my hands...We learned lots about winter animals in NC. Including a live dove, salamander, toad, and lots of animal furs including bears, skunks, and raccoons. The above picture is Dillon gently petting a live dove. We tried to explore the museum a little bit afterwards and checked out the dinosaurs and other animals, but I quickly realized that Lilly has entered a whole new dimension of life...she will NOT sit in the stroller and when she's out she runs VERY fast. So, we didn't stay long. Shopping is also an impossible task with her right now. At least I know from experience that this phase will pass.

The families gathered at the end of Joy School today to see the kids put on a live nativity play. Dillon was a wise man. So cute...I love this little group of kids and teaching them preschool has been a treat. Sorry for the lack of a good picture. There were too many 3 year olds walking around. At least Dillon's kind of looking in my direction. They're ringing their Christmas bells they made.

And while I'm catching up here's a picture of our Family Home Evening activity Monday night. There is a local Santa who has an unbelievably decorated house and sits in his garage visiting with children every night from Dec. 12-23rd. It's unbelievable. We discovered it by accident last year, but we'll be there every year no doubt about it. We saw 3 other families in our ward at the same time who had the same idea for FHE. Fun!!! (Note: last year it was freezing when we went. As you can see this year Dillon was wearing short sleeves!)

Still here...

2008-12-11T10:19:00.001-08:00

So, I'm still here. Blogging has taken a back seat to much going on with my to-do list lately including making a gazillion stars, preparing sharing time, teaching Joy School for Dillon this week, piano rehearsals for a wonderful event (see http://www.apexnativity.org/ ), making dinner for a friend that just had her first baby, not to mention a million Christmas-related things to do. Blog posts will be back eventually. For your viewing pleasure here is a picture to show you what Lilly has been "UP" to lately...
No children were injured in the recording of this event. I'm hoping one day she'll be a world-famous rock climber and all of this will be a happy memory. :)

Thoughts on Being a Mother...

2008-12-02T11:34:00.000-08:00

Is this mess...worth it for these 2 imaginative kids who played happily all afternoon?

I think so. Although my cabinets will probably not be organized for many years to come. Oh well. And what happened to the cabinet door lock, Mr. Dillon?

Cheeeeeeeese!

2008-11-30T15:46:00.000-08:00

On Thanksgiving Day we put my parents to work taking pictures for our Christmas cards this year. I guess we did it too long because Lilly finally got the hang of things and started saying "Cheese!" It was so cute! Here she is in her first picture saying "Cheese."

And one with her Daddy...

Where's the turkey, folks?

Snow in November?

2008-11-19T10:47:00.001-08:00

Yes, you read that right...we had snow flurries throughout the afternoon yesterday. The kids loved it. Good timing because we just pulled out our plethora of hats, mittens, gloves, and scarves we've collected over time from our 8 winters with kids up North. They have to get some use, so I'm hoping the early flurries foreshadow a winter with a few good snowstorms here.

I don't miss the cold, but I do miss the pretty snow.

Cameron was convinced that when he woke up this morning the snow would be up to his waist. Sorry, buddy. No such luck today.

A walk down memory lane...Dillon, Emily, and Cameron about to do some major sledding in Feb. 2006

Self-promotion

2008-11-17T11:46:00.000-08:00

Many of you know that I've been making my paper Moravian Star ornaments for a long time. Every school teacher my children have had has received them at Christmas. I love them. My mom taught me how to make them and she learned from figuring out the instructions from a magazine. They have some sentimental value to our family as my parents grew up in Winston-Salem, NC where the Moravian village of Old Salem was frequently visited.

Anyway, I started a little side business that really took off last year of selling my Moravian stars. They are a unique and beautiful Christmas gift. My link to my etsy shop is on the left side of my blog. I also sell them on E-bay, but I prefer the homemade format of etsy and am trying to build up my feedback there. Anyway, if you're looking for a gift for hard-to-shop-for adults, it's an idea. Thanks....

What I'm Thankful For...My Dad

2008-11-13T05:55:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to my dad today. He's celebrating his birthday somewhere in NY while hiking the Appalachian Trail. We are so proud of him. He's about to accomplish something that I can't imagine doing! Thanks for all he does as a dad and granddaddy (or "G-daddy" as Emily converted it to early in her life).

Thanks for giving the kids rides on your lawnmower, teaching them about nature, building fires in the garden when they come, being an example, and for your love. We love you and wish you a happy birthday on the trail!!!

What I'm Thankful For...Our home, neighborhood, and cul-de-sac

2008-11-12T08:09:00.001-08:00

I'm so thankful for our home that fits our family's needs, for a neighborhood full of children and families, and for a cul-de-sac where the children play all day.

At any given time there can be 20-30 kids all playing together in the cul-de-sac. Riding bikes, kickball, jumprope, hide and seek, raking people's leaves, and nerf gun wars are constant activities. I'm so grateful that on a holiday like yesterday, we just headed out in the afternoon and visited with neighbors and the kids played all day! It is truly a blessing to live here. We were definitely guided to this home. The hard part, I discovered yesterday, is getting them home for dinner....Cameron was not a happy boy.

A view of the cul-de-sac from the back of our car during our house-hunting trip.

What I'm Thankful For...

2008-11-09T13:32:00.000-08:00

I've been on a blogging vacation lately...can you tell? It's because my kids have been "tracked out" from school (a year-round school term) for 3 weeks. With everyone home 24/7, blogging has gone to the back burner, but they will be heading back to school tomorrow. :) It's been a good track-out though. We had fun.

On several blogs lately, I've noticed people blogging each day about what they are thankful for. As I gave Sharing Time today in Primary, I really started to think about my blessings and decided it would be nice to "count my blessings" as we talked about today.

So here goes #1...

I'm thankful for my beautiful Lilly who is full of sweetness and spunk. This morning when I had to get up at 6:30 am to prepare a Sharing Time last minute because my fellow counselor wasn't feeling well, Lilly woke up a little bit after I'd started. She and I wrapped up together in our warm, fuzzy brown blanket at the computer and she smothered me with her version of kisses. We have to work on her puckering. She made my morning happy.

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

2008-11-03T12:36:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday to our Daddy today! The kids and I worked on a little project so he can have some updated pictures of the kids for his desk at work. WE LOVE YOU, DADDY!

Pumpkin Goodness at the Farmer's Market

2008-10-12T10:17:00.000-07:00

We took a trip yesterday to the Raleigh Farmer's Market. It's so fun to go there. We had lots of samples of yummy apples and apple cider and got some pumpkins, gourds, mums, and apples. We're going to try our hand at a caramel apple pizza later today. I'll post the recipe later.

Uh oh...

2008-10-07T12:46:00.001-07:00

Lilly had her 15 month check-up yesterday, and as the doctor and I were discussing her running and climbing and getting-into-everything skills he asked if she had started pushing chairs over to climb up and get something. I thought for a minute and then said, "No, she hasn't done that yet." Well, look what happened today!

She pushed a chair over to our pantry door which has a door lock and was trying with all her might to get the lock off and get to where the food (or "nana" as she calls it) is. Then, Dillon saw her and said, "I can get that off for her." I quickly said, "No, please don't teach her that yet!"

She's a smart little girl, that Lilly!!!

We're #1! GO GIRLS!!!

2008-10-05T08:55:00.000-07:00

5o% of us here have been sick the last few days...as in laying-on-the-couch-all-day-and-can't-move sick. Thank goodness it was Conference Weekend and Daddy was home and healthy. It's been a good time to sit in the living room and enjoy Conference together.

As a result of being sick, I missed Emily's last game of the regular season on Saturday, but it was an awesome one. They won 8 to 6 to be in 1st place! We still have the tournament coming up, but the girls are so excited for this great accomplishment. Emily enjoyed moving up to the 9/10 years league this fall and having Joe help as an assistant coach. Emily is on the bottom row, 3rd from the left and Joe is 2nd from the left on the top row (but you could probably figure that one out!).

Here's hoping we are all in good health as a new week starts tomorrow.

Why the name for my blog?

2008-09-24T06:36:00.000-07:00

So, I've been a little slow getting this blog going as my mom just reminded me this morning that I only had pictures of Dillon and quotes from Dillon so far. It is a blog for the whole family I promise! I suppose there will be times when I go a little while without a post, but I want to try to do my best to record things regularly. That leads me to why I chose the title "Our Book of Days."

I love music and one of my favorites to listen to is Enya. I don't listen to it enough lately, but I love her song "Book of Days." The lyrics to this song go like this:

One way to be my journey

this way could be my book of days.

The reason I finally decided to start a blog is so that this can be in a sense our family's "book of days." A recording of the small moments that might not otherwise be recorded. Of our daily doings, funny moments, and real life in a family of 6. I hope that it will also give us another way to stay connected to friends and family far away that we love dearly. Enjoy....

Lego Boy

2008-09-15T09:49:00.000-07:00

I'm quite sure this little boy would be happy all day if he just had Legos to build and create with. He loves his Legos...

Yes, we're finally blogging!

2008-06-13T09:13:00.000-07:00

I know....we're finally catching up with the technology of the 21st century....I've decided to start a blog. I've enjoyed reading so many friends' (and strangers') blogs and I realized it's just the perfect way to keep in touch with our family and friends all over the country (rather than just my annual Christmas card). So, here I go venturing into the blogging world. I'll be learning as I go, so bear with me.