Quick Takes #158

1. State of the house is actually ok; there are still many boxes to open and not enough pictures on the wall but overall we are settling in well and making it our own.
2. Caitlin is currently a bit miserable getting four teeth at once but also marking the milestone of 18 months with a language explosion, starting to go down slides by herself and insisting on feeding herself ~ which while cute is also turning almost every night into a bath night.
3. Had fun 'interviewing' the kids for this post.  May attempt to make this a yearly thing.
4. My sister release her latest book this week; with the moving craziness starting to calm down I'm looking forward to reading it soonest.
5. Yay for summer produce; while the mess of fruit salad and smoothie prep is a bit annoying I'm so happy to see my kids happily eating so much good stuff.
6. Weekend plans include anchoring some bookshelves, emptying boxes and if the kids have anything to say lots of sprinkler time.
7. Some latest pictures:

Please head over to Conversion Diary for more Quick Takes

An Interview with the Big Kids

Inspired by Grace of Camp Patton's post I too decided to inquire what my kids thought about 

Life, the Universe and Dinner.

What's your name?
Elisabeth: Elisabeth Anne-Marie
Liam: Liam Charles Bailey

How old are you?
Elisabeth: six
Liam: three

What's your favorite thing to do?
Elisabeth: sing songs
Liam: play Rescue Bots

What is your favorite book?
Elisabeth: Olivia Cooks up a Surprise, Goodnight Moon, & I love you, Good Night
Liam: Truck & Dinosaurs (not remembering a book with that title I think this means any book containing either)

What is your favorite show?
Elisabeth: Hello Kitty & Wild Kratts
Liam: Transformer Rescue Bots

What is your favorite song?
Elisabeth: I love to Pray (Brother Francis)
Liam: Twinkle, twinkle little star

What does daddy do at work?
Elisabeth: he is a doctor
Liam: on computers

What do you want for your birthday?
Elisabeth: Hello Kitty everything, oh and maybe to go to Build a Bear for a Kitty Cat
Liam: go Chuckie Cheese and a Transformer cake

What's your favorite color? 
Elisabeth: Pink
Liam: Green

Where is your favorite place to go?
Elisabeth: the beach at Grandma's
Liam: yes

What do you want to be when you grow up?
Elisabeth:Pottery teacher and veterinarian 
Liam: Fire Fighter

Who is your favorite person? 
Elisabeth: Caitlin cause she is soo cute
Liam: Daddy

What is your favorite toy? 
Elisabeth: my Dora or Cinderella microphones
Liam: flipping Heatwave or fireboat Heatwave

What makes you happy?
Elisabeth: my family and dancing
Liam: yeah

What scares you? 
Elisabeth: thunder 
Liam: monsters

The respondents are currently 6 years and 3 3/4 years old.

A Quick Look Back with Thanks

  In the weeks ahead I have several posts planned about the new place, in particular how we transformed and decorated the kids rooms, but first a quick look back at where I'm leaving.

  Making sure to take a moment and give thanks to the little Cape that welcomed us at the beginning of our marriage and over a decade offered shelter and support as we learned what it was to be homeowners and love and grow a marriage.  The site of countless get-togethers from simple pizza dinners to SuperBowl parties, Summer Barbecues and Easter Dinners.  Many a wonderful conversation by its firelight. Countless comings and goings thru the day and night as life and the beeper dictated.

It bore witness to major life events of the past decade; it was the place where we mourned and made peace with the loss of our dads.  It offered welcome as we brought each of our babies home, watched as bookshelves were converted to hold toys, and was the site of each of their first steps.  The yard where I planted tulips, crocuses, and hydrangea ~ and each spring enjoyed the hyacinth planted by a previous owner.  The backyard once filled with evergreens, where cardinals would come on late winter mornings, that one by one were felled by high winds and hurricanes became filled with water tables and kicking balls.

Simply put to quote Gilbert, husband of Anne; "This house has been what no other ever can be"

Thanks!

5 minute friday: Exhale

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.

2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..

Exhale

Start:

   The rooms all got painted that needed to get painted, and the furniture got moved with only minor bumps and scratches.  It was definitely a race to the finish and there is still so much to do, but not right now. Right now in the lavender nursery surrounded by boxes but sitting in the glider just as I had envisioned I'm rocking my baby down to sleep and exhaling. Because however much more work there is to do both here and at the old place; evening has fallen and we're in, and it is time to rest in our new home.

Stop.

please head over to Lisa Jo's for more 5 minute friday

Quick Takes #157 ~ super quick cause I really should be packing version

1. The closing on the new house was interesting and the very definition of 'all's well that ends well' ~ not expecting all the craziness Dr. Daddy had only taken a half day off so that evening when he got home we scooped the kids in their pj's and went for some quick glimpses of our new place.
2. Packing and purging is continues to go more slowly than I would like but bit by bit getting done.  Speaking of purging anyone know of places (other than libraries) that takes VHS tapes?
3. Potty training success ~ finally and with reproduce-able results. Which means he can go to camp ~ Yes!!
4. Caitlin's guardian angel is still doing a great job as she (Caitlin) has a few times been found upstairs at the new place but so far has never gone down intentionally or otherwise on her own.
5. Nothing will prompt you to figure out where the thermostat lives and how it works to cool the house down like a couple of day in the mid 90's.
6. The painting fun has begun with several samplers tried out and I think we have narrowed in on some great colors for their rooms ~ more later.
7. And thank's to this wonderful post by Ana of Time Flies, I'm largely keeping all the craziness in perspective ~ Crazy Exhausting Fun!

Now please head over to Team Whitaker guest hosting again for Jen

Five Favorites Vol 12

linking up with Moxie Wife and sharing some of my current faves:

1. Behr Color Smart~ our new house is largely painted in a nice beige but finding it a bit dark plus wanting to let the kids have input into their rooms we decided to paint. This feature helps tremendously to narrow down the options when your three year old says "Geen".
2. Have enjoyed the traditional Skinny Girl for the last couple of years; last time I was shopping I wanted to try something new so I tried the Grapefruit Margaritas.  The description of sweet & tart is right on the money.
3. Teach Me app an app with many levels; pre-school through 3rd grade. We downloaded the kindergarten one last summer and it held Lisbeth's attention the whole summer.  We just downloaded the first grade one for this summer. Liam is still working through the levels of the pre-school one. 
4. Twilight turtle; Liam has always been tough to get to go the sleep ~ as in having to lay down next to him till he's asleep however Sir Turtles night sky of stars in rotating colors has proven a great help towards our goal of having fall asleep by himself.
5. Wonderful friends who come and help pack or help wrangle the littles so I can pack!!!

Quick Takes #156 ~ Links and Kindergarten Graduates

1. Happy June! I may at some point write up how I did on my May Goals but short summary is good not great: still not great about making a Morning Offering but have found doing an Examen at night really useful. Need to do better about remembering to put on the SPF now that the days are more often summer sunny.
2. On the 70th Anniversary of D-Day I offer my thanks to all of those who served and sacrifice during those critical days and battles.
3. If you aren't already please hop over and enjoy Kendra's recap posts of her family's recent trip to France including Normandy.  
4. Didn't get any comments on my "What would you like to see more of here?" post. Hoping that means you don't mind if it goes quiet around here during the move as oppose to quiet around here in general.
5. Today is Elisabeth's last day of Kindergarten.  We are headed out later to her Completion Ceremony!! She had such a great year! I'm really hoping that the approach of setting expectations high and then cheering hard for the student is general to the school and not just this teacher because Lisbeth just thrived under it.
6. Really excited to see my youngest sister this weekend when Indies Invade Philly!!
7. Otherwise a weekend of packing and sorting.  Have a good one!

Little first day ~ last day comparison

Please head over to Conversion Diary where despite being in the middle of her book tour Jen is hosting all things Quick and Wonderful.