Merry Christmas!

From our Barbie house . . .

. . . to yours!

Just Loving This Girl

Now don't tell me you couldn't just eat those dimpled knuckles and squish those big cheeks!

This picture was taken over a month ago, so she's a little bit little. (I put that last phrase in there for my own entertainment.) She loves her daddy!

Those wide eyes are pretty much a given when Choobies is around to love Emery to death. Choobies is dangerous around babies she loves. She absolutely smothers Emery, so we have to be careful!

Here's a special place to perch! Madeline loves to spend time with Emery every day after school. She likes to tote her around and include her in whatever she's doing . . .

Like, let's say . . . knitting. (Doesn't Emery look like a baby doll in this picture? Almost creepy?)

What kind of caption would you put on this picture? Isn't it hilarious though? What is she thinking in her mind during this photo shoot? I love it!

Funnies from Raleigh

Tonight I was editing a book report of Raleigh's. For part of her assignment, she was supposed to tell how she could relate to the character. She wrote, "I can relate to the character because I like my dad better than my mom, too." (sniffle) . . . She came into the room where I was looking over her assignment. I began smiling, and she knew why! She said, "Don't feel bad, Mom, it's just my mood right now."

A couple of months ago Raleigh was having a difficult time sleeping because she was having scary thoughts. I asked her to pull out her scriptures and read them to help her feel better and have more uplifting thoughts. She groaned, "Oh, Mom! Why do they have to be so RELIGIOUS?"

Another night Raleigh was having a meltdown at the dinner table about whether the very last taco she was supposed to be splitting with her sister was a half or a fourth of a taco. (Because it HAD to be exactly right.) Later we were practicing fractions with Madeline, and Raleigh walked by us. I said (in jest), "I bet Raleigh knows the answer to this one! What is a fourth of a taco plus a fourth of a taco??" Without missing a beat, she quipped, "A FIGHT!"

Now That It's Christmastime . . .

Let's not forget about our wonderful Thanksgiving! After a MOST hectic and stressful week preceding Thanksgiving, we were so thankful just to go down to my parents' house and relax. Only problem: our kids had been so stir crazy after our two-week-long lice episode (because of the nightly two-hour hair check and vacuum-everything-visible-time) that they went absolutely BERSERKO. And my cousin Drie was down for the weekend for her first visit to Georgia!! Bad timing . . . sorry, Drie! Really, they were crazy. But we were able to spend time together, and we threw Madeline a Turkey Birthday Party. Happy Birthday, Madeline! And Happy Thanksgiving!

Here was half of our birthday party gang for a round of Turkey Bowl.

Not your normal Turkey Bowl . . . we used a pumpkin and some "drumsticks." Thanks, Drie, for helping me make the drumsticks and a thousand feathers for the party.

This is our bowling ball after it hit a tree.

The turkeys took all of Madeline's presents. Luckily, they left a feather behind with a clue! Raleigh set this game up for Madeline, and she made such cute clues!

It was fitting for Madeline to have a Thanksgiving birthday because she is a naturally grateful little person. She notices things that people do for her, and she holds on to many memories and little treasures for their sentimental value. She's our lovebug.

Here we are falling asleep at the table, waiting for the boys to come home so we can start feasting!

This turkey held all of our love notes to Madeline . . .

Which she still has in safe-keeping. Happy Birthday, Madeline! We love you!

Grammy also helped the girls with a little sewing project, which was the highlight of their trip. Raleigh and Madeline gave them special names.

We've got "Birdie Kusherdie" and my favorite,

"Turtie" (not to be confused with terdie).

Now let's move on to Christmas!

Oh, Poo!

Santa's Elf (that would be me, Dionne), couldn't get much Christmas shopping done today! I would like to place the blame on the following little squirt (literally):

Because she had four messy diapers in one shopping trip!

That's okay, we still love you, Sweet Sushi Pie!

The Golden Chain

His adoring fans came by the van-load . . .

And braved the 60 degree weather . . .

To witness the record-breaking win . . .

By this champion in the yellow jersey!!!

The competition was tough, and we are proud of you, Dal!

Some of the local guys get together each month for a little bit of competitive exercise. Dallas placed first in this month's duathlon (Run 1.5 miles, Bike 15 miles, Run 1.5 miles) and beat the record with his time: one hour and thirteen minutes. He didn't even get lost this time!

"My dad's awesome!"

In usual Raleigh-style, we held a second duathlon at home later that afternoon with Raleigh and Kensington as the sole competitors. The odds were undeniably in Raleigh's favor (hee hee), especially with the route she conceived: 3 lap run, 8 lap bike, 5 lap run, 1 lap bike, 11 lap run, 4 lap bike, 6 lap run, 5 lap bike, and on and on and on.

Raleigh took the lead . . .

Leaving those with training wheels in the dust.

Choobies geared up on her pink and purple birthday bike with a big tulle bow,

And pedaled close behind. Well, not too close.

She loved the cheering crowd!

Just look at the endurance!

Little cutie! (Notice the bike part she rigged to the front of her handlebars to make herself feel tough for the ride.)

Raleigh takes her laps seriously,

But leads her "Little Sis" in for a big finish. (They ran/biked about 85 laps less than they had planned but still had a great race!)

Here are our first and second place winners! (With their "Candy Chains" just like Daddy's Golden Chain. Love it.)

Madeline was forced by Raleigh to hold up her three fingers because she didn't want to participate but still wanted a Candy Chain. Let's just say she got third. She helped out in the cheering section.

Until next month, Dal . . .

We'll be there to cheer you on . . .

Love you!

A Plea from Emery

Hello, World . . .

Could somebody please

Find my sister

A good orthodontist???

Pestilence

The Victim

"They have four blondes and two brunettes,"

Said one louse to another.

"You'll place forty nits on one,

And I'll plant one on their mother."

They schemed and plotted, and then they trotted

To the Matthews' house next morn.

And this is how the pestilence

Of Sunday past was born.

Then creepy, crawly (by gosh, by golly),

The lice infested the head of Raleigh!

She stood before the lengthy mirror

As Mom combed through her hair.

"You have a bug upon your head.

Oh no! There's more, I swear!"

One, two, three, and four.

Not one less, and not one more.

Then off to the CVS Pharmacy,

Dionne's shining prince did trod.

To break the Sabbath with pesticide

For hair. (It's rather odd.)

Scrub and suds. Investigate

The Hair for further nits.

(Without a magnifying glass

We were quite beyond our wits.)

From half past two 'til half past six

Under light of lamp,

Dallas picked through Raleigh's hair.

Oh, isn't he a champ??

Each girl with long blonde hair (plus Dal)

Was subsequently checked.

ONE nit was found in mother's hair,

Oh, what-the . . . ? What-the-heck?

"That was a 'louse-y' day," we said,

To the lifeless, dirty lice.

What a way to spend our day!

(But the family time was nice.)

The letter going 'round third grade

To warn us of the chance

Of catching a school-wide pestilence

Received no second glance.

But when we saw the indication

In poor Miss Raleigh's hair,

The recollection of the letter

Did make us stop and stare.

"Could they really come invade our space?"

We ponder each new day.

Just clean and clean and fumigate

And hope they'll stay away!

The Ar-TISTE (French Accent)

It was a regular, rainy day, and Miss Kensington-Pie was hard at work making tiny drawings on pieces of scrap paper by the window. She was also playing with a tiny matchbox car.

So I drew her two tiny pictures of a prince and a princess, folded them at the waist, and put them in the car as passengers.

A few minutes later, I saw this:

Her own version of my princess. (Don't get confused - hers is on the left!) I cut it out for her. And then when she was finished playing with it, I kept it! Can you believe this girl?!

She's our little artist!