Melvin Moments...

Halloween Fun!

2011-11-24T12:03:00.000-08:00

Yes, I do realize that this should be two, maybe three separate posts. It's a long one, that is for sure. But I'm under a time crunch people! I'm just happy and proud that I posted about an event (or season) within weeks of the event actually occurring!

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I have to say that the time surrounding Halloween is one of my favorites - so many fun activities in which to partake! Pumpkin patches and costume-making and jack-o-lantern carving and yummy treats to make (and eat) and pumpkin spice lattes to enjoy....so much to do and such fun to have!

We kicked off our Halloween season this year with a fun evening with some of our dearest friends.

Yummy food, watching Charlie Brown on a sheet outside, pumpkin carving, and the company of good friends - you just can't beat that!

Oh yeah, and don't think for a minute that Emmerly carved that spider by herself! Or that she had much part in it at all, really! She insisted on choosing a design from the book, insisted that SHE would do it! And of course, who ended up with a pumpkin on her lap (a lap with not much room to spare, by the way) and painstakingly carved a stinkin intricate spider on the dang pumpkin? Well it wasn't Emmerly!!

Our pumpkin patch visit this year was with our home school group, and to the same patch we visited last year. It's great because it's at a local high school, so it supports their educational efforts, and it's just plain pumpkins - no rides or carnival games, just pumpkins. The patch was a little sparse this year due to the fact that they lost their first crop, but the kids had fun just the same.

Nola enjoyed pointing at each and every small pumpkin, which was basically ALL of them, and Em enjoyed collecting beetles in her bug catcher - no surprise there!

Last year we noticed these beetles crawling all over the pumpkins, so Em was especially excited to go this year, and could not forget her collecting equipment. Last year I just thought it fairly gross that there were beetles everywhere you turned, but this year, we learned that these beetles actually help to pollinate the pumpkins - who woulda thunk it?!

So, my Em is a planner and most likely it was the day after Halloween 2010 that she told me she wanted to be a mommy next Halloween (that would be this year). I thought it was so cute and asked what she would wear? Curlers in her hair, baby on the hip....and she gave me the strangest look. "Ummmm.....no.....you know, just wrap me up with rags or whatever." Oh, that would be a MUMMY, dear! So, this year we had two rag girls - Raggedy Ann and a glamour mummy. :)

And thank God for no-sew, cheap costumes this year!! The Raggedy Ann was sewn by Scott's mom 35+ years ago for Scott's oldest sister Tiffany, and worn by Em when she was 3 and I was pregnant with Nola (so sweet).

..and the mummy was just strips of fabric I cut from a white sheet - fabulous!

Boo at the Zoo has become one of our favorite Halloween events - cruising the zoo at night, getting to hang out with Auntie Jen, and getting candy and fun prizes - again, can't be beat!

Nola even found herself a boyfriend!

And, at long last, the actual day arrived! The girls woke to fun pancakes...

And that night, they again donned their rags and we headed out to trick-or-treat. For the last few years we have visited a near-by neighborhood where everyone is so friendly and you really get a great sense of community. It definitely makes for a fun night! So, Nana joined us and we rang doorbells and shared stories and visited with our neighbors. Oh, and collected free candy!

And of course, then we came home and spread out the loot! Sorted, traded. The best part! The girls definitely scored this year, so Mommy and Daddy were happy campers!!

Then we watched Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - definitely a favorite in our house, and an appropriate Halloween movie, seeing as how it's all about candy! Brushed teeth, then off to bed.....and of course my planner is already talking about next year.....now she DOES actually want to be a mommy! :)

It's My Favorite!

2011-11-23T22:57:00.000-08:00

I cannot say or think that phrase now without making my eyes go wide and slightly crazy like Buddy the Elf….and if you don’t know what I’m talking about, where have you been? You must go see “Elf” tonight. It will put you in the Christmas spirit! But I digress…

Some of my favorite (or fravrite, as Nola would say) moments are those not captured by the camera.

Like last night, when the girls set up a magic show for us in the dining room. Emmerly used a big Target box that had just been delivered as her prop table, and set up 3 seats for us – a tall chair for me, a kid chair for Nola, and the fishy bean bag for Scott (fishy as in it is a fish, not suspicious or anything). Emmerly has shown us these tricks dozens upon dozens of times, and yet we still applauded like crazy and acted as if we had no idea how she’d done any of it! It was so cute to watch Nola’s face light up with admiration for her sister, and wonderment at the tricks she was seeing. She clapped the loudest and often said “Good job Emmerly!” Then would whisper to us, “I think that was really magic!”

Or like when an infomercial is on for the Chef Basket – you can use it for a colander or a deep fryer or a steamer, and wait, if you buy it now….you know the drill….and Emmerly says she wants one for Christmas. To which Nola replies “I want one for Christmas too!” And then Emmerly responds, straight face, no joke, “Now WHAT would a 3-year-old do with a Chef Basket?” I chuckle every time I think of it….

Or like the daily, yes daily, dress-up/dance parties....although some of those are captured on film...

Or when Nola says she thinks she’d just like to ‘adoct’ a baby when she gets older because she doesn’t want her belly to be cut open, and she “do(es) NOT want that doctor to pull that baby out of my BUM!”

Or like when Emmerly and Nola make me a special breakfast, which they’ve been doing a lot lately, and I have to pretend to still be asleep, and then they walk down the hall singing “Choo choo here comes the food! Choo choo here comes the food!” (Don’t ask me where we got that….I think Scott may have started it years ago, but now, whenever we bring breakfast in bed to a member of our family, that’s what we do!) And I “groggily wake up” and am so surprised to be getting breakfast in bed! Half the time, they end up eating most of whatever it is they made for me, but it’s one of my favorite times of all.

Or like tonight, snuggling in bed with them for just a few minutes, and Scott and Em start giggling uncontrollably….and then Nola, who had just been talking with me says “Excuse me! Can you please stop, I’m trying to sleep!” Which makes Scott and Em laugh even harder.

So many of these moments happen without warning, and in the midst of them, or afterward I think, “I wish I had been recording that!”

These are the times I want to bottle up. These are the times I’m trying to soak in as I approach the last days of having only my two girls. Our life is about to change! I’m so excited about that, and look forward to seeing exactly HOW it will change. But change it will, and we will never again be just a family of four. And while I am so excited about that, and so truly blessed to have been given the gift of this new life, it does bring a tear (or two….or a hundred…) to my eye.

But I'm excited about the new memories to be made; about the new moments to soak up. If we have this much fun with four, I can only imagine what fun will be had with five!

A Fall Tradition

2011-11-22T14:56:00.000-08:00

While most people associate fall traditions with costumes, pumpkins, apples and turkeys (don't get me wrong, we do too!), our family has developed another kind of fall tradition that has nothing to do with any of these things, and everything to do with dancing! Every year, the girls eagerly anticipate the Daddy Daughter Dance at Scott's school. Scott first took Emmerly when she was just 2 years old!

Since then, it has become a beloved tradition. (For some reason I can't find 2007 and 2008 right now....oh well...this will have to do!)

2009

2010

The girls love every aspect of the evening. Picking out the perfect dress.

Doing their hair just right.

And of course, the photo shoot.

This year, we even got some shots from the actual event, thanks to our new iPhones, and some lovely moms helping out at the dance. The girls enjoyed the candy bar and ice cream sundaes.

But the best part is dancing the night away with Daddy. Emmerly and Scott even took away 2nd place in the dance competition this year! It sounds exhausting - dancing for a half hour straight! Their prize? A $50 Starbucks gift card! Score one for Mommy! ;)

Apparently Nola fell asleep before the competition even began, but Em and Scott prevailed with flips and twirls and ballet moves and even a little bit of Thriller. They both came home with bright eyes and stories to tell....and very sweaty clothes!

Em is already plotting next year's dance - what she'll wear, and what moves they'll have to employ to take home first prize! And perhaps there will even be another little girl next year to dance with her Daddy!

Round here...

2011-11-22T13:19:00.000-08:00

we've been.....

exploring with our home school friends

finding snails... and lizards....

getting lasik (no more glasses! yippeeeee!)

skating with Brownies

enjoying a visit from Mormor

learning to play the piano

going to football games

crafting

conducting the National Anthem at Angel Stadium

learning

playing at the House of Mouse

getting bigger (29 weeks)

and bigger (35 weeks)

anticipating Christmas

and so much more! Including re-decorating our living room, which will have to be it's own post...but did y0u see our new wall color? It's in one of the pictures above, and so fun! We're also counting down the days til our new bundle arrives - just one week to go!!

Musical Chairs Nola-Style

2011-09-13T20:38:00.000-07:00

Oh, life with Nola - what a joy! She makes me laugh. A lot. And this weekend was no exception.

On Saturday night we had a Unity Night for all of Scott's choirs at the school. There was dinner, dancing (with the Wii and Just Dance), games (like musical chairs and Catch Phrase) and fun to be had by all.

It took me a while to realize what Nola was doing.....at first I just thought she was dancing to the music. But there was more to it than that - rather than join in the big game of musical chairs with 20 high schoolers and risk life and limb, she was having her own little musical chairs party on the sidelines, and enjoying it immensely! She didn't even have to fight with anyone over sitting down on the bench. When I asked what she was doing, she said she was mocking the big kids. Ha! She played her game, literally, for an hour! Game after game of musical chairs went on with the "big kids" and Nola sat off to the side watching and dancing, and enjoying her game even better. Needless to say, she slept well that night!

This video is 2 1/2 minutes, but I laugh every single time I watch it, so I didn't edit it...deal with it.

Oh, but first...Nola is sporting a new do too. She had to join in the fun when Em got her hair cut, so she had a shampoo, which she clearly enjoyed, and went under the scissors. This is only her second cut ever, so her hair was SO long! We only cut about 6 inches, but it seems like more since it curls up so much. Another super cute Melvin with a cute short do.

Now, go watch the video and enjoy.

PS - Note that at the end she says, "Did I win?" :)

Locks and Lots of Love

2011-09-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

One last picture with her long locks.

Emmerly has been loving her long tresses lately - she has even discussed growing her hair to her ankles (thanks a lot Disney!)! I, for one, would NOT have been ok with that....thankfully, she was averted on her own accord!

Several months ago she proclaimed she wanted a cut - a big one - like to her chin. It seemed to me that her hair just might be long enough, and it seemed sad to waste all that beautiful hair, so I told her about Locks of Love. She was in! We checked online and, while they will accept hair of any length, they can only use 10 inches or longer for the wigs. They sell anything shorter than that to help offset their costs. We got out the measuring tape and she was right around 8 inches, while still giving Em what she felt to be an acceptable amount of hair. So the waiting began!

People started noticing how long her hair was, and Em was always quite proud to tell why. This last month has been especially tough because it has been stinkin' hot! I know Em was counting down the days. Thankfully she finally reached the 10 inch mark, and off to the salon we went.

Although she was excited, she still had that moment of pause...."Am I sure about this?" She was! She hopped in the chair and a few minutes later....cuteness ensued!

With our friend, and stylist extraordinaire, Sara. And the long awaited 10 inches, of course!

Nola occupied herself playing with the salon paraphernalia.

Tada! An A-line bob WITH bangs! And 10 inches of beautiful hair that will hopefully make some little girl smile.

I must admit I was a little apprehensive about the bangs, only because Em's hair usually curls up quite a bit when it is short. But I'm happy to report they have been extremely cooperative. And even after a good night's sleep, her hair is as cute as ever!

It truly was a labor of love, but Em was happy and proud to do it. And I'm so proud of her!

Early Funday Sunday

2011-09-04T05:29:00.000-07:00

My eldest and I were up early this morning....I'm talking EARLY! Like, the you-know-what-of-dawn early! I was out of the house at 4:05 am to grab some donuts, then waking this one up for a 4:30 am treat.

My little girl, who is not so little anymore, is off to her first Brownie event - and couldn't possibly be any more excited! They are driving to the Anaheim Stadium (or is it Angel Stadium? Los Angeles Angels that are in Orange County Field? I can't keep up...) to cheer for the crazy people running the Disneyland Half Marathon. Now, don't get me wrong - I dream of running a half marathon, so one day I'll be a little crazy too. But these people that run the Disneyland Half Marathon are their own special crazy - dressing up in Mickey and Goofy costumes and THEN running 13 miles! I think that's kinda crazy. But I digress....

Em and three of her greatest friends are off to sing and dance and yell at the top of their lungs and encourage the runners at the end of the race, when they need it the most. Who wouldn't keep running for these faces?!

They really are too cute. They were all quite chipper this morning too - literally jumping up and down giddy. I guess she needs a Brownie wake up call every morning!

Em was SUPER excited to get this new uniform - she just had to get it all - tights, official Brownie skirt, and my personal favorite, the Brownie beanie. I just love this girl.

My co-Troop Leader Terra thought it best I sit this one out - standing for 5 hours does not sound like my cup of tea right now. So, I'm off to put up these feet that I'm sure are going to start swelling any day now....

Have fun little ladies!

OY VEY!

2011-08-30T08:36:00.000-07:00

Well, here I am....AGAIN! At the point of no return. Or so it feels. I have worked my way down the proverbial ladder of the blog roll and am once again a YEAR away from my last post! Oy vey!

My problem is this - ME! I always take FOR-E-VER to get my pictures from my camera to my computer, which seriously impedes getting a blog post together. I also get to a point where it has been a while since my last post, months perhaps, and I over-analyze the next post, wasting more time trying to decide if I should just move on from there, or go back and post on events I missed.....leading me to just do nothing at all! Oy vey!

Facebook and Skype have not been my friends in this journey either...we created this blog solely for the purpose of sharing pictures with out-of-town friends and family. And we generally just Skype now to keep in touch, or post updates and funny events on facebook. And if I'm being completely honest, I don't do that as much as I'd like either! This is quickly turning into a self-deprecating post....oy vey!

But as our family is growing and the kids are getting older and I am getting farther and farther from getting to that scrapbook of our lives, this blog is becoming more and more important to me. I want to have a record of the big and little moments that make up our sweet life. And there have been some pretty big and sweet moments this last year. So, while attempting to stay current and caught-up with what is going on NOW, I will also be going back to cover some of the best moments of our year - moments like our trip to Italy, our trip to the east coast, the first lost tooth (and the second, third and fourth...), some pretty fun birthday parties, and finding out we're pregnant!

So, bear with me folks! Here's to my 342nd attempt at keeping this blog alive! Oy vey!

Let the Melvin Moments begin! No, really....I'm serious! Honest! oy vey...

Science Experience Extravaganza!

2010-08-02T10:11:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, our baby will turn 6, and while I could bemoan the thought that she is growing up and I don't know where time has gone, I will save that for another post! Today will be devoted to Emmerly's 5th birthday party - yes, 5th. Yes, one year late, but this party really does deserve more than just an honorable mention and a few photos in a "catch-up" post, and Emmerly still is, in fact, 5 today! Plus, my friend Greta personally requested more details, and I don't want to disappoint!

As many of you know, Emmerly is a curious creature (curious as in Curious George, not as in strange or odd) and LOVES science of any kind - bugs and experiments especially! She often spends hours creating concoctions in the kitchen, and calls them her "science experiences" - she started calling them 'experiences' before she could pronounce 'experiments', and it just stuck. So, I wasn't surprised when Em wanted a science party, and I was quite excited too!

Science has always been a particular love of mine as well (ie. minor in Bio), so it was great fun planning a whole party of experiments! The phrase "narrow it down" was not in my vocabulary when envisioning this party, so we just did it all!

Our house became Melvin Laboratories, site of the 2009 Science Experience Extravaganza Convention. Decor included a huge periodic table, posters of the body systems (skeletal, muscular, etc.), a brain and a hand in a jar, beakers, test tubes, microscopes, and of course, Albert Einstein.

When our guests arrived, they had to don the proper attire - every scientist needs an apron, safety goggles and a big bow tie, right?

Then it was time for 'experience' fun!! And what fun there was to be had!! Instant snow and photo-sensitive paper; test tubes and beakers and vinegar and baking soda; Oobleck (a non-Newtonian substance made of cornstarch and water) and paper bodies with body part stickers!

All of these were stations set up outside that the kids could explore and experience at their own pace....adults got in on the action too! And I'm not sure who had more fun, the kids or adults! Then, we did a few experiments all together....

A do-it-yourself "lava lamp" can be made by adding oil and water to a clean bottle - 20 oz or 2 liter. Add several drops of food coloring and some alka-seltzer tablets, and watch the lava flow!

Do you know what happens when you microwave a bar of Ivory Soap? Does it explode? Melt? Try it and see! The kids had fun finding out - don't they look impressed? I think I'll leave you in suspense and let you run out to buy some Ivory soap....

We even made Oobleck dance by putting it on a big speaker, like this! But be careful if you try it at home - it can be loud!! But oh so fun to watch!

Then, we moved out front for our final, and my favorite, 'experience'. While the Mentos Geyser is fun in and of itself, it was the response from the kids that made this so wonderful and memorable for me!! Just watch their faces in this sequence - PRICELESS!!!

Next up, cupcake time! Periodic table-style. These cupcakes were definitely a labor of love - it took quite a bit longer than I expected to set them up appropriately, make so many different colors of frosting, and label with the proper elements. And while I knew NONE of the kids would know or appreciate what the periodic table was, I knew it would be a hit with the adults. I was quite pleased with the result! They were mini cupcakes which was perfect - it would have been HUGE with regular-sized cupcakes!

Emmerly double-fisted the green cupcakes, of course...

...while Nola chose a blue that matched her outfit, little fashionista that she is!

Guests got to leave with their very own test tube and Mentos, so they could continue experiencing and experimenting at home.

What a fun party it was! A truly great time had by all. The kids loved getting dirty and messy, and maybe even learned a little something too. It honestly wasn't that difficult either - so many household items put to good use! Plus, I had some help from Steve Spangler, the science guru. I ordered quite a few supplies from his website, plus got some ideas for experiments there. So, if you're thinking of doing a science party, do it! You'll be glad you did!

Six Hundred Ninety-Four Thousand Three Hundred Minutes...

2010-06-10T11:46:00.000-07:00

Six hundred ninety-four thousand moments so dear....How do you measure, measure a year? In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee....

Or, 1 year, 3 months, 28 days, as our case may be! In our little yellow house, we measured these 68 weeks in glue and glitter and dress-up and paint and bugs and birthdays and ice cream. In library trips and books and pancakes and nature walks and good morning kisses. In movies and popcorn and baking and blocks and Little People and laundry and "see you in the morning light" said at bedtime. In these 482 days, Deb turned 30....and then 31, Scott turned 30, Emmerly turned 5 (and had a kuh-ick ass science birthday party, I might add, complete with periodic table cupcakes and science experiments galore!), Nola turned 2 with Minnie ears. Scott wore a tie 9 days out of 10, Nola broke her arm, Emmerly and Deb started a Daisy Troop, we went to Disney World and San Diego and San Francisco and Vegas too many times to count. We started homeschooling, we made new friends, Deb learned to sew, Em read her first book and took gymnastics and swim lessons and played soccer, Scott directed 150 kids and had amazing concerts, Nola fell in love. We went to 20 different nature centers, began a homeschool group with a bunch of other new homeschoolers, and read a LOT! We read amazing literature including Mary Poppins, Pinocchio, Ginger Pye, The Little Princess, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Little Mermaid, The Cricket in Times Square and The Princess and the Goblin, just to name a few. In these 11, 571 hours, we have laughed and cried and gotten boo-boos and bandaids and been at the bottom of Shanna's blog roll for too many days to count! Life just got in the way!

And now, a tiny glimpse into our 694,300 minutes...

So, here's to moving to the top of Shanna's blog roll, and to not letting another 694,300 minutes go by until the next post. Thanks for not giving up on us!!

Happy 1st Birthday Nola!

2009-02-19T06:21:00.000-08:00

Wow! How time has flown! In so many ways, I cannot believe that little Miss Nola Jane has been part of our family for a YEAR!! In some ways, it seems like we know her so well and she's always been a part of our lives, and then in other ways, it seems like just a couple months ago we were bringing our newest addition home. Isn't time funny like that?

Nola has been such a fabulous addition to our lives. In her not-so-biased mom's opinion (ok, extremely biased!), Nola is absolutely ADORABLE and smart and has a great personality! She is generally just very happy and easy-going and really fun to be around. And, she is funny....as funny as a one-year-old can be, I'd guess! She loves to run at Scott and me and "knock" us over, and any time one of us is wrestling with Emmerly, Nola loves to join in and just laughs and screams with glee - it's really cute! She still loves to drop her head back to get tickled on the neck, and will do it immediately if you say "I'm gonna get your neck!" Her latest trick is that she dances to "Single Ladies" - we'll have to post a video of it, for it is oh so very cute! Oh, and the other day, Emmerly fell out of the stroller and Nola started cracking up! Too funny! Emmerly was ok, by the way! Nola is also quite a talker. She is always babbling and we can never count on her to be quiet during a concert or movie (darn her!). And she really does say a lot, in my humble opinion! She can sign "milk," "more," "food," "where," and "all done," and she can say Mama, Daddy, Papa, Nana, dance (it's "da", but we know what she means!), baby, ball, bobo (that's her pacifier), kitty, icky, and sometimes Mormor and Emmy, or Memmy. Actually right now I can hear her in her crib just talking to herself - such a happy girl! So I'm going to finish this up....

A family of four is even better than I imagined it to be! Emmerly, especially has really embraced Nola into our family. They are truly so incredibly cute together! If you haven't seen it yet, it is something to behold the way Nola's eyes light up when Emmerly walks into a room. They make each other laugh, comfort each other, annoy each other, and have so much fun together - they are great fun to watch. I think seeing how much they love each other is my favorite part of having a second child - and another girl in particular.

We couldn't be happier, this little family of four! This last year has been so fun, I can't wait to see what's in store for us this year! I look forward to it! I am posting a few pictures of Nola's birthday party on Sunday, which was so much fun. We celebrated with friends and family and Nola did her part - she was a little uncertain at first, but after a little hesitation dug into her cake and wouldn't let go! She wouldn't even stop for a drink of water!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NOLA JANE!!! WE LOVE YOU!!

NOLA FAQs

2008-11-29T15:14:00.000-08:00

So, while I posted the "rice in the eye" pic from Nola's nine month bday - loved it! - I neglected to write about the cutesy things Nola is doing these days....so here goes:

She continues to take a few steps on her own here and there, but mostly finds walking on her own a bother. Crawling is still the preferred method of autonomous mobility. However, she LOVES to walk and hold onto one of our fingers with one hand, or walk behind a push toy. In fact, sometimes she will not stand for anything BUT walking - no being held, no playing, she just wants to walk, and is inconsolable unless doing so. But, as I mentioned, she likes to only hold on to our hand with one of her hands - she likes to keep one hand free for waving!
She is such a social butterfly. She will wave to anyone she sees, and especially loves people her own size.
She still has just two teeth on the bottom, and doesn't really know how to use them very well yet - as I said in the previous post - she's a choker! I've had a few scary moments!
She loves to babble, and is seeming to be associating certain sounds with specific people or things. The other day she seemed to say "ball" at the right moments, and she can say "mama" and "dada" and often seems to know when to do so. But mostly, she just talks and talk her gibberish and it is quite cute.
She can sign "milk" and "more". The only problem is, sometimes "milk" can look like she's waving good-bye, and "more" still is mainly just clapping, so when she claps, we aren't really sure if she wants more food, if she's excited, or if she wants to do Patty Cake!
Speaking of Patty Cake, she LOVES to do Patty Cake! She squeals with delight when we start to do it, and if we're only saying the words and not doing the motions, she pulls on our hands so we'll do it with her!
She has a ticklish spot on either side of her chest, and when we tickle her there, I cannot contain my own laughter, on account of her so-adorable face and her scream laugh!
She cracks herself up! She'll be sitting and playing, and just start giggling - it's so funny!
She has begun flopping her head back, leaving her neck exposed, so we'll either tickle or zerbert that spot. When she started doing it, it reminded me that Emmerly used to do the exact same thing. I love it just as much now as I did then! Adorable!
She LOVES her sister! If she hears Emmerly, but does not see her, she will look in every direction, searching her out. And she still responds every time Emmerly starts to sing to her, either quieting down from crying, or just smiling her big smile. I love it!
She's a snuggler. We absolutely adore this. Few things are better than that little head snuggling into the crook of my neck when she's not even sleeping - just to give a little love!
She likes to move it move it! Any time she hears music, she either starts bopping her head or her whole body - she definitely got the rhythm gene!

PS - Just now when I was nursing her, she looked up at me, signed "milk" and then clapped her hands with a huge smile - I think her message was clear - Woo hoo! Dinner!

Happy 9 Months Nola!

2008-11-25T14:56:00.000-08:00

A few days ago, Nola celebrated her nine month mark with a big plate of rice - FUN STUFF!! I know it doesn't sound like much - she should be eating much more by now, right?? Well, she chokes very easily, so rice was a big step for us!! We can't believe she is already nine months old! Just a few more months before the big ONE!! WOW!!! How time flies when you've got two adorable kids and are having just too much fun!!

Pumpkins, Poodle Skirts and Pom Poms

2008-11-05T04:29:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm finally getting around to posting our Halloween pics.....sorry! We were in Las Vegas with the Melvin-Richards-Wiseman clan and I just didn't get it together before we left. We had a great Halloween this year, having two little trick-or-treaters, and Halloween definitely took on epic proportions in our house.....no really! It literally lasted the whole week! From Sunday to Friday of Halloween week, we had six Halloween events! Yes, six! We had a marionnette show, a class party, a friend's housewarming slash Halloween party, a birthday slash Halloween party, and we went trick-or-treating at a "place for lots of grandmas and grandpas" and finally, not too Halloween'ed out, on Halloween night itself, with a bunch of kids from Em's school. All of it quite fun, but it made for a long, sugar-filled week! Here are some pics of our fifties girl and our little pumpkin/cheerleader....I had a warm and a cold outfit for Nola, and she was able to wear both with all our events!!

The Daigle Girls' Party

Em's very excited about her goodie bag!
Halloween Marionnette Show - it is really very cute - all the kids wear their PJs and bring blankets and pillows to sit on while they watch they show, and they get hot chocolate and cinammon toast - as evidenced by Em's chocolate goatee! Em is with her friend Lillian, enjoying the show.

At school, all the kids dress up and get to walk up the ramp and show off their costumes. Then they have a parade outside around the playground. So adorable! I was working that day, so I got to dress up too! And Nola got to join us for some Kodak moments.

We went to the assisted living facility, or "the place with lots of grandmas and grandpas" with Patti and Ralph and Grace. Penguin Grace and Pumpkin Nola were not quite sure what to make of each other!
Finally Halloween! Trick or Treat!

OMG Are You Serious???

2008-10-27T22:41:00.000-07:00

Just another Manic Monday

2008-10-27T22:30:00.000-07:00

Does this really need an explanation?! Enjoy!!

Carving and Caramel

2008-10-27T21:56:00.000-07:00

Over the last few days we have had a bit of fall fun in our house - carving pumpkins and making our own caramel apples - yum! I just wish our weather was a little more fall-ish!

Sassy, revisited...

2008-10-27T20:59:00.000-07:00

Dates with Daddy

2008-10-21T13:12:00.000-07:00

On Saturday night the girls and Scott went to the Daddy Daughter Dance at Mater Dei. They looked absolutely fabulous and had a great time dancing the night away. Daddy and Emmerly even won the dance contest! I think there were definitely some cute points at play in that decision!

Then, last night, Emmerly and Scott went to Em's school for Dad's Night. It is so cute (well, I can only imagine it's cute - no mom's allowed!!) - they do a mini-session of what a normal school day looks like - circle time, songs, stories, sensory tables and art projects. Oh, and snacks! The kids also get to show off and do a trick with their dad - last year, Em walked up Scott's front and stood on his shoulders. This year, she added a flip down - ooooooo. Last year, one of the little boys in Em's class got up to do the trick and before his dad could get up too, the little boy turned to his dad, held up his hand and said, "I got this Dad." How funny is that?? :) Anyways, so fun for the girls to get a little quality daddy time!

The sculpture and handprints Daddy and Emmerly made at Dad's Night....
The avant-garde version of the photo, as requested by Em...

Science Experience

2008-10-21T13:00:00.000-07:00

Recently, Em was in the kitchen mixing together a concoction of glitter, glue, water, pieces of pancakes from that morning's breakfast, and some feathers. Then, she was looking for her little saxo-flute. When I asked what she was doing, she said making an experience. "An experience?" I questioned. "Yeah Mom, you know, a science experience!" Oh! An experiment! Got it! I then questioned her need for the flute. Em proceeded to explain. "I already put in some glue and glitter and some other stuff. Now it just needs a little music. Then my science experience will be ready!" So, we found her saxo-flute, and she added a little music - too cute!

Since then, she really loves to do science experiences. We have done the mentos/diet coke thing about ten times! And we had an ant farm and are going to be getting butterflies soon.....too fun!

Sassy!

2008-10-21T08:49:00.000-07:00

In a nutshell, that is our Emmerly - sassy to the bone! She is much more too - sweet, thoughtful, compassionate, hilarious, but certainly sassy! She even has a pair of underwear that say "Sassy" on the bum and she likes to strut her stuff, stick out her bum and proclaim, "SASSY", of course with a little sass in her voice.

Em turned 4 in August and it is so hard to believe that our baby is no longer a baby! Where did that baby go? She has become such a person! She can say yellow now instead of lellow, and Las Vegas instead of Las Besas and elephant instead of ephalunt - when did that happen? When did she become so funny? When did she start to think for herself (in the womb, I know!)? It's so fun to see her come up with original jokes and ideas about the world that aren't merely a repetition of things we have said.

Some funnies from Em lately - "Mom, I'm going to call you Mama. That means the same thing as Mommy. No, I'm going to call you Bama, like that guy Rocco Bama." I said, "His name is Barack Obama, honey." "No, it's Rocco. Rocco Bama." Have we been watching too many debates lately? Another funny - Our rule is that in the car, when we are driving on the freeway we leave the windows up. The other day, we saw a car with the windows down on the freeway. Em: "Mom! That guy is in trouble! Look, his window's down and he's putting his hands out!" I let her know he may not have the same rules for the car as we do. She proceeded to say, "Wow, that is a lucky man!"

Some more 411 on Em - She is the queen of dress-up - especially very eccentric outfits. And she loves to dance. We have dance parties pretty much every day, and she is often nudie for these dance parties! She has no fear, and she absolutely LOVES bugs! For her birthday party we had a bug party and she held a scorpion and a tarantula and a bunch of other creepy crawlies! A few firsts for Em in the last few months - she rode the Matterhorn and Big Thunder Railroad at Disneyland, she put her head under water and started swimming without a floaty, she went on a zipline with Scott - scary! - and she got a big girl bike and has recently started learning to ride without training wheels! Like I said, when did she get so big?? Like her little partner in crime, she, too, is a bundle of fun and definitely keeps me on my toes!

Again, I've posted some photos to get you up to speed....also, for more photos from Em's birthday party, visit the Spada blog. Patti is always much better about getting my own kids' photos up on her blog or facebook than I am!

Sass with a capital S

Creativity - yes, that is a foam crown that one should wear on one's head. Em is naked other than the upside-down crown around her waist - and very proud!!
Finally 40 inches! Em's first rides on the Matterhorn and Big Thunder Railroad!

Em's first day of dance class (posing with sass, mind you!)
Happy Birthday Em!

Zipline!! She climbed to the top of this wall and then zoomed down the zipline with her Dad! Brave girl!

First Day of School (this was her "first day of school pose")

Furrowed Brow!

Em and her friend Ryleigh - cutie patooties!

At the pumpkin patch with school

Her first time ever riding without training wheels!! Woo-hoo!!

Nola, no-no-no-no-Nola....

2008-10-20T10:20:00.000-07:00

no-no-no-no-Nola....bahmshabahmshabahmsha Nola.....
I'm singing....see?
The whole bahmsha part is the drums......

Members of our family are often found singing this song to our little, who is not so little anymore, Nola. You may know it as "Lola" by the Kinks or "Yoda" by Weird Al, but not in our house! Nola's name was an obvious insert into this song, but we have converted many a song to sing to Nola, and she absolutely loves it! Emmerly inserts "Nola" for every word in "Row Row Row Your Boat" and makes up her own songs about her sister, which is so fun to hear. She also often sings the ABC song when Nola starts to cry, and the crying subsides! It is wonderful to know that she loves and responds so well to music. It is a must in this family! And our newest member has added music in more ways than one.

Nola is now 8 MONTHS OLD as of yesterday!! Yes, 8! Crazy, huh? Doesn't it seem like just last blog she was only 3 or 4 months? Oh wait, she was! We'll ignore that, ok? Just fast forward a few months, and bam, she's 8 months! She is just beautiful and a delight to be around. She really is a very happy baby. She talks a LOT, way more, it seems, than Em did, so Scott's choir concerts can sometimes be tricky! And she is always on the move! Just a quick recap....you'll remember her monumental blog-documented roll-over at around 2 1/2 months. Then she sat on her own around 4 1/2 months and started crawling right at 6. She is now all over, pulling herself up with whatever she finds near, standing on her own for a good while, and toddling around holding onto a little walker.... so we'll see how long it is before she takes the big first step! She also has two teeth on the bottom which have accounted for a few sleepless nights!

I have included a few pics from the last few months to get you up to speed....Enjoy!

First Trip to Disneyland at Four Months

Next to our Disney Brick between Disneyland and California Adventure

Five Months

Six Months....Her first food! She LOVES it!

6 Months and Crawling!

Fell asleep in the Exersaucer!

Seven Months

Nola's Baptism, 10/4
We had a small gathering of family and friends at our house, including Scott's parents from CO, and had our friend Tim perform the baptism in our backyard. It was really nice and very intimate. During the actual baptism, Nola licked the water as it fell down onto her face! It was so cute!

I came into the family room the other day to find Nola like this - Em loves to dress her up! Her own living doll!

All dressed up and walking down the hall!

Eight Months

Jacaranda!

2008-07-06T18:27:00.000-07:00

In May, the streets of Orange County are purple with Jacaranda trees. These trees only bloom for a few weeks, but for that time, you can see Jacaranda trees everywhere! Seriously! The purple of their blooms is gorgeous and very vibrant and you can see them from quite a distance. We have one in our front yard so Emmerly quickly learned what it was and for several weeks, every time she saw one, she would shout "JACARANDA!!" She was so excited to see them everywhere! One day we were riding to a choir festival on the bus with Scott's students, and every few seconds you could hear Emmerly - jacaranda.....jacaranda.....jacaranda!! Most of the students didn't even know what "that purple tree" was and were amazed that Em did and that she could pronounce it! Now most of the blooms are gone, but a few trees have some purple left and every once in a while when we spot one, of course Em shouts "Jacaranda!"

LOL

2008-07-06T16:09:00.000-07:00

Just now I was checking the comment Papa and Mormor had made about the previous post - Em's green face and all - and Em came into the room, looked at the computer and saw the pictures and said, "You put that online?! Oh my gosh..."!!! I'm not sure I even knew that she knew what "online" was! Ha ha! Oh, these newfangled kids and their technological ways! Even at three! And yes, I did laugh out loud when Em said it - then she got embarrassed and hid under the table! More LOL.

when you want to laugh...

2008-07-06T11:23:00.000-07:00

but you just CANNOT!!! You know those moments when your child says or does something and you really want to laugh, but if you do, it will totally ruin any chance of getting across to your child that what they just did was probably not the best idea? Well, this morning I definitely had one of those moments.....I'm in the kitchen - cleaning, checking my email.....Nola is in the exersaucer next to me....Em is in the mud room painting....and then she comes into the kitchen.....

How do you NOT laugh??!!! I didn't, despite the strong urge.....but then I go and take pictures! How could I not? Her response when asked why she did it was "because I just wanted to be an alligator!" She then proceeded to make snapping alligator movements with her arms in Nola's direction....It's definitely one of those moments to remember! During her subsequent bath we had a long discussion about the toxic qualities of paint and what will happen if she does this again....well, we at least talked about getting face paint next time!

(Side note: Yes, I'm very well aware of the lack of posts over the last two months....I'm totally serious when I say that I am always thinking, "oh, I should put that on the blog"....I can see it in my head - what I'll write, which pictures I'll add....but when it comes to actually sitting at the computer and doing it......there's where I fall short! I just downloaded pictures to our computer from the last two months and therein lies the problem. I need to do that a little more frequently! But then, when the blog is already so far behind, it's like, where do I start? I could just go on from here, but Nola has changed so much in the last few months, and there have definitely been some great pics and funny stories to tell, so within the next few days I will post those things I was going to.....you know, the ones I already formulated in my head....Let's all just pretend that I did it on time!)

Rollin' Nola

2008-05-11T11:21:00.000-07:00

the days of putting your baby down and knowing she'll be in the same place when you return are over - pray for us...

Happy Mother's Day to all!!

how to make a mom cry...

2008-05-01T07:51:00.001-07:00

Yesterday on the way home from school, Em said, "I really wish I could be a mama." So I said, "Really? Why?" And she answered, "Because....I want to be like you!" Aaawwwww! Tear!

Catch Up, Take Two

2008-04-27T22:25:00.000-07:00

Here are those pics I promised you! Sorry I couldn't deliver on that promise on Friday! Enjoy...

Leaving the hospital....the Melvins are now 4!

Isn't Nola so cute?? Check out the little smile!

"Welcome home! Welcome home!" Emmerly yelled over and over at the top of her lungs when we pulled up to the house. She had gone home early with Nana and decorated with balloons and "It's a girl" signs and was so excited to welcome her new sister home. It was adorable!

Auntie Tiff and Uncle Todd meet their newest niece.

Mormor's visit - She promised Papa she wouldn't hold Nola since he couldn't hold her too, but she couldn't resist! How could she?

Em is such a proud big sis.

Emmerly's St. Patrick's Day Parade at school. They go ALL OUT!! Green milk, green PB&J sandwiches, etc. Notice decorated scooter (even Irish flags!) and her green cape (hard to see). She had a blast just riding around in a circle for an hour!

Even Nola was sporting her green, with Auntie Jen.

Aaaaawwwww....too cute!

Nola is one month old! Look at those legs!

Look what the Easter Bunny left in my room!

The whole Melvin-Werre clan on Easter at
Grandma and Grandpa's.

Mom....I cut my hair.
(Notice the long hair on her left shoulder,
and the chop job on the right!)

What a stink face!

Look how long her hair was!!

But of course she is cute no matter what. Here's her new bob!

In Colorado for a visit - "It's snowing!! Can I try to catch it in my mouth?"

The Melvins at the Catie and Dave Engagement Extravaganza Luau! Notice Scott and Dave's Tiki hut in the back and Todd's palm tree!! Nice work men!

Dani held Nola as often as she could! What a great cousin!

Em showing off the visor she made at the party.

The whole fam damily!

At Patti's shower for Grace, due May 31st. We can't wait!

The sign I painted for Grace's room!

Nola, Deb and Jen at Patti's shower - sweltering in the hundred degree weather, yet still managing to look fabulous!

Deb's cousins, Megan, Jessy and Erica, along with Nola and Em of course. Outside the Crab Cooker, Aunt Mo's favorite and a must whenever she's in town!

Nola is two months! And enjoying her new swing.

Em and Mommy took a field trip with school - we took the train to San Juan Capistrano and went to Ruby's for milk shakes and then to the petting zoo. Em even got to eat a bagel and have juice on the train ride down!

Emmerly with her teacher Mrs. Kayl on the field trip, and her friend Emily staring off in the distance!

Catch Up

2008-04-25T08:03:00.000-07:00

Hallelujah! Alert the media! The Melvins have posted something else to their blog besides the adorable, yet boring after 8 weeks, video montage that Scott put together at the hospital!! Yes, yes, it's true. For those of you who check our blog daily (Sarah!), today is finally the day that you will not be disappointed! I apologize that it has taken so long, but hopefully you'll cut us a little slack. Not only was I recovering from surgery, but we were learning how to be parents to two, Scott left me and went to New York (and won a national competition and was featured on the Early Show!), we had some visits from Tiff and Todd, Mormor and Auntie Gina, we went to Colorado for a visit and to celebrate the upcoming nuptials of Auntie Catie and Uncle Dave, and Scott wrote and put up a musical in three weeks! So, you see, we've been a little busy! Also, I'm not really used to this whole blog thing. But I promise to attempt to blog once a week. Notice the word attempt. It may be more like every two weeks....but I'll try!! So, I figured I would just put up a bunch of pictures from the last two months to catch you all up on the Melvin happenings, and then we'll go from there. Hang on to your hats and glasses folks, cause there's going to be a lot of pictures!!

Scott's three ladies!

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Our first group hug (Em's favorite) with Nola!

So, try as I might, blogger is not cooperating this morning and I can't add anymore pictures right now!! But I tried! I promise! We're actually on our way to San Diego in just a bit, so I'll try in a little while to add more pics, but if I can't, I promise I will on Sunday when we get back, ok? But, just to give you a few more updates...Nola had her 2 month check-up on Monday and is just fabulous. She is 13 lb 11 oz and 23 1/2 inches. She is absolutely adorable and is cooing and smiling a ton! She loves to just sit and chat with her mommy and daddy and big sis. Speaking of which, Em is the best big sister ever - she is so gentle and loving with Nola and talks right back to her in a really cute baby talk. Em is also learning how to give Nola some lovin' without squeezing the life out of her!! :) Scott got in a car accident on Monday night and is just a little sore still, so please keep him in your prayers. I am just fabulous! Feeling really good as far as the c-section goes and most of the time feeling pretty good about my parenting of two skills. I'm still working on getting out of the house - I'm generally running about 1/2 hour late these days, although I hear that I am actually way ahead of the game since I get 1/2 hour grace period for each kid!! So, in that case, I'm generally a half hour early everywhere!

Just a Little Something

2008-02-22T01:45:00.000-08:00

What dads do when they can't sleep...

Big Sis and Squirt

2008-02-21T21:27:00.000-08:00

Here's the first meeting of the two princesses! Turned out wonderfully. Em has transitioned really well into sisterhood. Unfortunately, she was hit with an ear infection and has had limited visits with little Nola. Skipping Tuesday's class, Em returned to TCP (Tustin Community Pre-School) Thursday and was eager to tell everyone that her little sister "squirt" was "out". Em and Dad got to spend the afternoon at her favorite restaurant, Souplantation, and shopping for some new clothes. The rest of her time the past few days has been spent with Nana and I think there is a trip to Disneyland coming soon!

Oh My Nola...

2008-02-20T10:28:00.001-08:00

Well, after waiting for it seemed like a lifetime, Little (actually Big!) Miss Nola is out. She came in at a whopping 8 lbs 11oz and is 22 inches long. Deb was a rockstar during the delivery, but she unfortunately suffered a Uterine Rupture about halfway through. Essentially what happened is the incision from Deb's first c-section opened during labor and nearly forced Nola out of the uterus - But, the staff at Long Beach Memorial was amazing and got Nola out within 5 minutes of the rupture.

Now, Mommy and baby are happy and are both adjusting to their new lives. As for Dad, I am doing great. I got to spend last night in the bed sharing the room with Deb as we were lucky enough to not have a roommate last night. Keeping our fingers crossed that this will happen tonight too.

Hope you enjoy the pics!!