Still Here...GLorious Spring Day...

Had to share some fun pics from a lovely spring day that included a picnic at the Botanical Garden with Lilly & my dad!

Good Day

It is 3pm and Lilly is still in her PJs. The neighbor boys came over & I have FINALLY convinced teh three of them that they really do want to play upstairs in our play room. I am enjoying good football...all good. The best part of the weekend? We had set aside this weekend to paint (aka de-pink and de-girlie) Lilly's room. All her room is now in my dining room (raising my junk anxiety level to off the charts). But, when I called my uncle to borrow a sander, he ended up just coming and ( in his words) "knocking the whole thing out." He is a saint. House still has to be in chaos a few more days until the new paint is dry enough to tape off and paint the border...but he is a stinkin SAINT. Promise to post before and after pics once everything is in place. Just to give you a hint...she said she wanted it to "look like the Cretaceous Period"

Christmas 2011

Christmas Eve at Mae Mae & Papas....(we love the British Christmas Cracker tradition!)


Leaving cookies for santa and carrotts for the reindeer.....Christmas morning! Santa came!

Winter Concert

She was quite proud of herself! After two years of stage fright she finally sang this year...YEA! And, she was feeling fancy in her Christmas Duds. FInally found something she would agree to wear that didn't involve jeans and a t shirt!

decorating time

Once I moved to a fake tree, I embraced decorating for Christmas on Thanksgiving weekend. Lilly could hardly stand the wait. We assembled the tree with help from my dad on Friday with plans to decorate the next day. Lilly was so excited we had to do it before breakfast on Saturday! Half stuck in the tree box.Proud of their "some assembly required"Playing with super fun "Maestro Mouse" which arrived as if on cue from Ann & Hap

Turkey Day

Lilly stumbled upon a fireman outfit Mae Mae was going to give her for Christmas, but it was the hit of Thanksgiving. She vigilently protected us all from fire.

Calling everyone to dinner on the megaphone...

The Barnett side enjoying the dinner

Lilly and Maren breaking the wishbone. I know everyone is shocked, but Lil one that one.

November Pics

Lilly wanted to put on a play about the First Thanksgiving of Pilgrims and Indians. Given that it was a one man show, there weren't many actors. Lilly played Squanto. Here is a picture of one of the scenes where it was only pilgrims. Actually - this is the dress rehersal...we got to quietly watch the blank stage of her imaginary friends playing the pilgrims twice.

Finally...Squanto is on the scene and teaching the Pilgrims how to plant corn.
AT the Fun Walk / Run wit h RHonda...basically two tomboys taking each other on!

Catch Up

Overdue Halloween pics with my musketeer....

Trick or Treating with a "scary tiger, a pilot and an astronaut. The Lady Big was asleep in the stroller. A few nights earlier with Jackson aka "The Penguin." Asked why he picked a penguin costume, he replied "'Cause I Love It" Gave us happy feet.

Carving pumpkins with Connor

Jackson and Lilly on our impromptu night at the Melting Pot...

The Red TeePee which is now a permanent fixture in our living room. Quite proud to boast I made it myself. Lilly basically lives in there...even watched movies on the portable DVD player. Today we had it outside...very fun. Not too hard to make, and totally a hit.

Fire Safety Week

So apparently last week was fire safety week. But, the local fire station was moving from its tiny historical fire hosue on Saturday to their new, huge modern & functinal enough to actually house modern fire trucks fire house. Saturday was its open house and I thought Lilly would enjoy climbing on the fire trucks & poking around ... I was right! The cool part was this fire safety RV class room things where they had safety classes for the kids. They had them practice hearing tehe smoke alarms, crawling to a door to feel for heat & crawling out of the "house" and to a safe mtg point. Very cool...you can sort of make Lil out in the crawling thnrough the smoke pic. She is almost first in line w/ a black t shirt & long orange arms.

In other news...got my cast off on Thursday (yea!). Foot and ankle are still sore and weak, but sooooooo glad to be back in real shoes. Start pt for that later this week. Will be glad to get this broken foot behind me. IN a twisted, amusing side story, my neighbor Kathy broke her foot the same weekend I did...but while mine was a mils fracture in one bone, she broke 5! Still in a wheelchair. Looking out my kitchen window at her wheelchair ramp this whole time has kept me putting this little break in the right perspective!

My Musketeer

Lil is planning to be a musketeer for Halloween. Not that she has read the book or heard of teh latest movie version. She saw an old mickey mouse version on tv & fell in love. I am quite proud to say I made this one myself....

Fun Fall Day

Lilly, Papa and I headed to Busch Gardens on Sunday. As it was grey w/ threatening skies to go with cool temps, it was practically empty & thus NO LINES! Love that. As I am still ginpy with my broken foot, we didn't walk too much...lots of sitting or taking teh sky cab or train to get around. But, Lil ate it up & my dad was a great sport going on all the rides with her. Here is the great shot of the two of them getting on the Grover Roller Coaster....happy duo!

and since then....

Beach vacation with first year of practically perfect weather

Sprained ankle & broke my foot first day on vacation falling off a curb at the stupid boogeyboard shop(so me isn't it?)

Maren did a great job at the DC triatholon that became a bi-athalon after the Potomac was too flooded from the storm,

Lilly started karate after begging for several years to take the class (pics soon...lets just say so far she likes the outfit and the ability to tell everyone she knows karate more than participating in the actual class...stay tuned!)

Cat had dental surgery - he' sdoing better but still a bit wobbly as yesterday's anesthesia wears off

Hobbling in my silly boot for my foot & THRILLED the temps are finally cooling down.

OK....blast of pics....

The Blog I Drafted But Couldn't Post Sept 1...Crazy 2 Weeks....

OK - In the past 2 weeks....

• Went on Mama / Lilly trip to the mountains to celebrate "Family Day" (the day we met)...5 Years! Great trip...pics in a later post.





• Earthquake





• Hurricane





• Lilly started kindergarten





• 5 days without power





• JUST GOT LIGHTS (& thus hot water) BACK...SOOOOO HAPPY (Turns out...that was temporary. As I wrot ethis there was a giant explosion in teh backyrad, we lost lights, I called both the power company and 911. 911 was more helpful. Firemen came and said the high voltage wire that had just been hung that night fell and crossed something else and caused teh actual firewaorks and explosion that scared teh CRAP out of me. The power folks came back the next day and by Friday night we had power. Sat morning Lil & I left for the beach. )
  

Bored out of her gourd during the hurricane...... long day, worst part of the storm for us was teh end (after we went to bed that night) when a neighbors tree fell across our yard and took out the power lines and balanced precariously over a different neighbor's garage.




Electricity or not - KINDERGARTEN! Had breakfast at IHOP ("to celebrate" and reality of no power). Same montesorri school she's been at, so not at all traumatic for either of us...just hard to believe she is that old! Here she is look as confident as ever....






Great pics from this evening...almost like a block party when the power guys came.

Summer Catch Up

OK - so I get the bad, delinquent blogger award. So - here are a lot of catch up pictures from the past month of so!

Fun with the neighbors....Buzz and Woody

Mae Mae celebrates a BIG birthday and Papa celebrates Father's Day. Funniest part of that night was Ollie. Ann sent mom a great sheep for the porch, but Ollie didn't grasp the concept of "decorative animal larger than me" and went on high alert. We eventually turned the poor sheep around so Ollie could sniff his behind in a less threatening way...maybe you had to be there, but it was hilarious.

4th of July was fabulous. Lil once again one 1st prize for bike decorating (if you are keeping track, its now 4 out of 5 years). Basically, I over-decorated this year...so much that the pedals wouldn't even move. So, my dad had to cut them out a bit so the bike could actually GET to the parade. The Coopers were here as well, also celebrating tehir 13th wedding anniversary, so it was very fun. Unfortunately, I was hit AGAIN with wicked bronchitis and just couldn't be outside the whole time. But, I am healing and on the mend. Made it through yesterday without any breathing treatments (a big accomplishment if I do say so myself).

Lilly is really enjoying summer camp and its various field trips, and also loving spending every evening with the neighbors. Its a fun routine that I am appreciating.