Three Ring Circus

E is for Elephant!

2010-10-18T13:47:00.001-07:00

Too irresistible not to share!

Andrew Jeremiah turns 3!

2010-09-29T18:58:00.000-07:00

We had a party over the weekend for AJ's birthday. Here's a number of the kids standing by patiently waiting for their cake!
I don't know why these pics turned side-ways. They weren't taken that way. But here is the 'dirt' cake and the 'sand box'.

Right before we sang, Abigail got so excited she tackled AJ! Of course everyone laughed and said that was probably appropriate for a boys birthday!
Here he is in his classroom having 'dirt' cups with his classmates.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AJ!!!

2010-09-27T10:32:00.000-07:00

Speedy September

2010-09-26T19:10:00.000-07:00

We had such a busy month! Grandpa came for a visit and to help us move into our new house! This is Abigail & AJ's housewarming gift (it's a hand-me-down)! Obviously they love it!These pictures are taken on a walking path that runs behind our new house!
September is also the Air Forces birthday so we had a birthday ball!! We got all dressed up and went to the ball. We had a lot of fun!

I WANT ONE!

2010-08-23T11:28:00.000-07:00

Ok I hate to push AJ and Abigails first day of school off as the Post of the Moment but I Want one of these and I had to connect a comment to my blog!!

http://karaspartyideas.blogspot.com/2010/08/silhouette-craft-cutter-giveaway-300.html

Severns' First Day of School!

2010-08-23T09:24:00.001-07:00

Today was the first day of school and the very first ever day of school for AJ! He started preschool today! As you can see he was excited.

In this pic he is ready to go. "C'mon Mom - no more pictures."Here is Abigail in her new classroom also a new building! She moved up to Early Kindergarden!

Daddy's Home!

2010-08-05T19:27:00.001-07:00

Andy got home a week and a half ago! It was great to see the kids so excited and not shy back at all!
After a few days of him being home we went to Monterey, CA for a long weekend. We visited the beach and the world famous Monterey Bay Aquarium. (Abigail took this pic!)

Gun Show

2010-08-05T19:17:00.000-07:00

Tonight after dinner I was invited to a private gun show. I had to pay 5 kisses to each participant before I was admitted! It was very much fun!

Bowling!

2010-07-26T05:53:00.001-07:00

I took the kids bowling with a friend and her kids yesterday. This is a first for my little ones. They LOVED it! They want to take daddy tomorrow (he's coming home today)! The pics are blurry because I took them with my phone and then had to resize them.

Good Reminder

2010-07-15T08:20:00.000-07:00

http://beautythatmoves.typepad.com/beauty_that_moves/2010/07/from-a-very-early-moment-in-my-mothering-career-i-got-it-that-if-you-dont-take-the-time-to-teach-a-child-a-job-or-task-there.html

For some reason I could not put this in as a link but you can still get here by pasting and cutting.

Thought this was a good simple reminder that little ones will not just do a job when told to but must be taught.

Cutuest Baby Boy!

2010-06-30T17:18:00.000-07:00

Ok so I know I emailed this pic to lots of people but I'm so in love with it I wanted to post it too!

Strawberry Weekend

2010-06-27T20:57:00.001-07:00

This weekend we got a bunch of delicious local strawberries and made jam one night and then made an amazing berry shortcake tonight it was YUMMY!

Summer Solstice

2010-06-24T07:13:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the first day of summer we had a bonfire and roasted marshmallows. It was a cool evening and not very summery but ended up being a perfect evening for a fire.

Rachel's Visit

2010-06-23T10:00:00.000-07:00

We had such a nice visit, lots of just hanging out and a lovely trip to Alki. I'm sad we didn't get a picture snapped at Alki but we were lucky to remember to take any pics as these were quickly snapped on Rachel's way out!

Great Idea!

2010-06-13T18:52:00.000-07:00

I read in a magazine, a recipe for strawberry frozen yogurt. It is so simple: Blend 6-8 oz vanilla yogurt and 2 cups frozen strawberries, freeze for 30 minutes or serve immediately. I tried this today and my kids love it, they think they are eating ice cream!! I love it because I know they are eating normal, healthy stuff (and no sugar)!

My Take on Mastercards Ad...

2010-06-09T18:05:00.000-07:00

Watching my kids play contentedly outside while I cook dinner - $1000

Watching my 2 1/2 yr old son stand and pee in the corner of the fence (independently) - $2500

Explaining to my daughter WHY boys can do that and girls can't - PRICELESS

Wonderful Words

2010-06-01T18:30:00.000-07:00

This morning the kids went to the sitters across the street. I rested in the quiet. As we were walking back home AJ had to go poop and evidently couldn't hold it. So we got upstairs and got him stripped down in the shower. I swished out his undies in the toilet and left them to soak. As I was getting him ready for nap I thought I'd multi-task so I sent Abigail to go pee and get in bed. All of a sudden she yells "MOM, AJ'S UNDIES!!!" OMG! Well okay, I urged her not to flush and just get into bed. Okay, she cooperated, thankfully. So I got AJ tucked in and went to deal with the undies now soaking in Abigail's pee. SIGH. (rubber gloves made this not a big deal at all.)
I went back to check on AJ and he hugged my neck and said "You da best mommy ever, ever aw da rorld." WOW, that was all the payment I needed!

Flowers from Friends

2010-05-30T12:57:00.001-07:00

A knock at the door generally means one of Noah's friends either looking for him or telling on him, a neighbor needing to borrow something, or Brant with his hands too full to open the door. Imagine my surprise when the knock at the door meant an absolutely gorgeous bouquet just for me. And not just an amazing assortment of flowers and a very cool square glass vase, but even more than that. It was a reminder that two very special women with whom I have shared many experiences were thinking of me and celebrating with me in the completion of the longest, most drawn out undergraduate degree ever.
Rachel and Carrie, I was so blessed by your gift. I immediately carried it outside to show off to my neighbors. I love you both so much. Thank you for your thoughts and for recognizing this significant completion in my life!

Two Weeks Old!

2010-05-29T12:16:00.001-07:00

Abigail's End of the Year Program

2010-05-27T18:44:00.000-07:00

Last night we enjoyed entertainment provided by Abigail's preschool. They sang songs and recited pledges and prayers. It was wonderful!

1. This is Abigail with her two best friends (from left) Diamond and Camille. 2. She and Logan, a friend of ours that lives here on base. 3. Abigail and Diamond. 4. And lastly is us out to dinner with Erin and Maria!

Grave Mistake.

2010-05-24T15:02:00.000-07:00

This weekend I ran to the commissary for a few necessities. "Ice cream sounds good, I'll get a pint." So I strolled past the freezer cases and my eyes fell on Haagen Dazs Java Chip. Since I was in a bit of a hurry I thought "Sounds good, I'll give it a try." BIG MISTAKE. It is incredibly yummy, smooth, satisfying. BIG MISTAKE.

Overheard

2010-05-22T16:36:00.000-07:00

Kaelyn: "Your baby is hungry"

Elyse "Ok, I'll feed her"

Kaelyn "Are you going to feed her with your nibbles?"

Elyse "What?"

Kaelyn lifts up her shirt and shows her "Your nibbles."

Tonight's Dinner Conversation

2010-05-20T17:38:00.000-07:00

AJ (arms extended in classic muscle man pose): "I m a strong super hero! (GRUNT) I will save you."
Abigail (sweet and composed): "Thank you for saving me from the lion, hero, will you please call for dinner?"
AJ (flexing again): "GRUNT"

...for some reason I felt like I was in a caveman re-enactment!

First Haircut!

2010-05-05T09:50:00.000-07:00

Look at that long hair! It was down to her waist.

This is pretty much how she was for the whole first half....leaning on Mamas tummy.

First Snips!

Ta-Dah! She was comfortable by the end and now has hair half way up her back. I have to admit I'm a little surprised that I was kinda sad since I was the one pushing for the cut :) They put "princess" braids in her hair which she promptly wanted removed when we got home in favor of a ponytail :)

Fun In The Sun!

2010-05-02T16:28:00.000-07:00

We are having great weather and I think summer is on it's way! This weekend we decided to kick it off with the purchase of a pool and Strawberry Shortcake for dinner!

Abigail's Birthday

2010-05-02T16:03:00.000-07:00

Well, Abigail is 4! She partied for like three weeks. We had a party at home with my family and our close friends, she had a party at school and we celebrated twice with friends here at Travis AFB (not pictured)! What a lucky girl!

Story Time Sleepover

2010-03-19T23:40:00.001-07:00

Lovely Reminder

2010-03-15T07:21:00.000-07:00

What To Always Remember when You're Working

All work is good work. The work of our hands is always making the world a better place.

And work is my liturgy, motions of worship to Him, who from, and to, and through, are all things.

All once was perfect, ordered, pristine, back there, In the Beginning. In That Garden. But not now. Not in this house, not in this garden.

Science may call it entropy, the second law of thermodynamics, the wearing down of all systems, the measure of chaos. God calls it sin and decay, and my daily battle.

Weeds, dirty laundry, piling dishes, dust collecting...this is life after the Fall.

Yet, in small ways, I return to Father and the Perfect Time Before when I order, wash away, sweep clean...beating back the chaos, the powers of destruction.

Simple acts of cleaning are my humble, conquering efforts in the quotidian struggle between chaos and order, creation and disintegration, God and Death. And I frame this cleaning as my monastic beauty, my daily wrestle, to create, in imperfect ways, a world for these loved ones... like You created so perfectly for humanity when the world began....

Deliberate, ritual motions maintain an easy order. Easier than wresting order out of invading chaos. And a tidy house ushers in the possibility of a tidy heart.

A heart beating with His, in a place more like that place In the Beginning.

Is this housework a picture of entering into Redemption? To bring restoration to that which has fallen...

"To lift up the hands in prayer gives God glory,
but a man with a dungfork in his hand,
a woman with a slop pail,
give Him glory
too.

God is so great that all things give Him glory, if you mean that they should."

~St. Ignatius Loyola

Lord, today I mean that all of it should.

New Bikes!

2010-03-11T08:07:00.000-08:00

We got new (hand-me-down) bikes!

Laughter Is The Best Medicine

2010-02-24T21:08:00.000-08:00

Today was a crazy hectic day for me. As I herded the kids in the door at my friends house I wondered how gracefully we would conclude the day with the other families of our Bible study. We were the first ones there and my friend was just putting groceries away from her hectic day.
We sat the kids, my two and hers (10 years and 6 years), up to the bar with pizza and we laid on each side of her large sectional couch. The kids were hungry so weren't talking much, neither were we.
Out of the blue, her 6 year old son says: "Hey Abigail, I have crabs."
Abigail (face scrunched and eyes squinted): "CRAA-AABS??!"
At this point my friend and I are nearly falling off the couch laughing and she is trying to verbally instruct her son that he has hermit crabs, hermit. And Abigail (who's not thinking STD's) is still totally repulsed by this idea which is making it all the funnier to my friend and I (who are thinking STD's!).
Anyway, we really got a good tear jerking laugh out of that one (the kids had no idea what had come over their moms) and felt ready to proceed from our hectic day!

Trip to the Aquarium

2010-02-18T07:07:00.000-08:00

Last week I, along with our friends, took the kids to San Fransisco to the Aquarium by the Bay. We rode the BART (subway) and then took a street car to Fisherman's Warf for a fun day of exploring! Check it out!

Valentine Preperations!

2010-02-02T08:59:00.001-08:00

Mailboxes for our "Love Day" notes that we are doing every morning the 1st-14th

What to do with all those doilies? Make signs!

Getting Love Notes ready for our friends

Pregnant Belly!

2010-01-24T21:09:00.000-08:00

J and I went to his company Holiday party this past Sat. So thought I'd take the opportunity to post a pic of the growing belly I actually think these pics make me look smaller then I am!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T07:22:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving Girls! And everyone who is so faithful to frequent our blog - we love you!

Good Lil' Daddy!

2009-11-12T17:15:00.001-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RACHEL!!!!

2009-11-05T07:43:00.001-08:00

Halloween Dress Up

2009-11-03T07:37:00.000-08:00

Odds & Ends From Past Couple Months

2009-11-03T07:29:00.000-08:00

1. We got a new kitten, her name is Maggie!
2. Last month we took a day trip to the Pacific Coast, Point Reyes Station. It was fun and beautiful!
3. Family at the pumpkin patch field trip with Abigail's school. :)

G is For Guitar

2009-10-22T10:16:00.000-07:00

Abigail is learning about G this week at school. Yesterday they made guitars! It is so cute and creative! She loves it and rocks out a lot of the time and just carries it around the rest of the time!

AJ's Cupcakes!

2009-09-28T12:11:00.000-07:00

I totally forgot that I told my mom I'd post a pic of the cupcakes I made for AJ's party, so here they are!

A 'Boy' Birthday!

2009-09-27T18:23:00.000-07:00

We had a very fun birthday! Yesterday we had the party with all our friends. Today we opened gifts that have been delivered by mail the past couple of days. AJ is now sufficiently equipped with boy toys! Yeah! Thank you to all who sent such nice gifts to our precious little gift. :)

HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY AJ!!

2009-09-27T07:20:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday dear AJ,
Happy Birthday to you!!!!

AJ's New 'Do

2009-09-11T10:57:00.000-07:00

I found yesterday that AJ has seborrhoeic dermatitis or cradle cap if he was a newborn. I decided to cut off some of his hair because it was getting pretty long. This way I would be able to treat it more easily. I just hacked it off because I tried to take him to the barber and he screamed so badly the lady wouldn't even come near him and he wasn't even in the chair yet! So I fed him jelly beans in front of the TV and went to town with my scissors! I think he looks so cute! He's saying "cheese" in this pic!

"Abigail What Do You Want For Lunch Today?"

2009-09-06T12:09:00.001-07:00

..."A peanut butter chocolate chicken, please."

Like Daughter Like Mother!

2009-09-02T18:18:00.000-07:00

Mom came to visit this week, we're having so much fun! She really likes my hair and has been thinking of cutting hers shorter. Last night she said maybe she should, so I called my hair gal and she had an opening today! So here we are! Mom wasn't quite ready to go as short as mine but this is the first step in the right direction. Yeah!

Nine Years

2009-09-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

Today is our 9th Anniversary. It seems unbelievable how time moves. I remember waking up this morning 9 years ago to the sound of "Going to the Chapel" and being surrounded by my family and my favorite girls. Then 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Anniversary were spent camping and waking up in a tent. I honestly don't know what happened the 4th and 5th. For the 6th we were pregnant and had just recently found out it was twin girls, had all of Jonathan's family in town and were preparing for Jonathan's Graduation from college. At the 7th the girls were 8 months old and I think I was seeing light at the end of the tunnel, we had dinner in and just relaxed. For the 8th we took the girls to Coulon for the evening and dined on fish and chips :). Now here we are at the 9th and today will not seem overly momentous, we'll have a nice quiet dinner at home and likely go for a walk in the woods. We are heading to California on Thursday and will be counting nights spent in a hotel and unlimitless sleep as our Anniversary gift to ourselves :) For now I plan on enjoying today, flipping through wedding pictures, watching our video (thats right video!) and remembering. I feel so grateful and blessed that I am in love with the man I married and only have joy in my heart when I think of all the years ahead.

Abigail's First Day of Preschool

2009-08-24T09:12:00.001-07:00

Today is the big day! Abigail went to school this morning and it was a much anticipated event. We have been talking about it for a couple of weeks and a few days ago her teacher came to our house for a visit.
This morning she was up before I had to wake her up. I was a bit surprised about that because her school day wake up time is half an hour (or a bit more) before her normal wake up time. We got ready and Andy got home from work just in time to come with us to drop her off.
When we got there we took pictures and went inside. We were early and so lots of kids were already there playing. Abigail took one look around the room and said "Bye Mom!". I told her to wait a minute and let's go see her classroom. Inside her classroom we found her desk and her cubby to hang her sweater and backpack. Again she looked up and said, "Okay, bye Mom!". And again I said, "Please wait a minute, I want to pray before we leave." So she appeased me and Andy prayed. This is when my tears began. As soon as we said 'amen' she said "Okay, bye Mom!" I figured on the third plea I should release her. So with a quick kiss she was off and approached the first group of kids she came to and said "Hi Ever'body!" Andy & I gave each other a glance and with a few more tears we left her there. It's very exciting and a little sad. However I am told that most milestones in motherhood are. :)

Happy Birthday Carrie!!!

2009-08-17T08:29:00.000-07:00

(I am so sorry I didn't do this yesterday, I meant to!)
I hope you had a GREAT day to yourself and got to do all the things you've been dreaming about! I love you!

Another Year Older

2009-08-16T20:56:00.000-07:00

I definitely feel like this was a much mellower birthday then last year. Last year I had the excitement of looking forward to Vegas and seeing all of my girls! I think I could live with doing that every year! :) Here is to remembering last year and anticipating this year! Cheers to getting older when every year is better!

A Watercolor Morning

2009-08-14T16:02:00.000-07:00

I once read that a wonderful way to start your childrens morning was to lay out a project for them to find as they woke in the morning. So on a cool, lazy morning we did watercolors first thing in the morning for the first time. I'm sure you will agree that masterpieces were the result.

The Severns' Summer Adventure Part IX

2009-08-08T06:32:00.001-07:00

The last leg of our trip was unexpected and wonderful! We got to spend a day with the Cotton's & Daley's! We took full advantage of the time. First thing that morning Carrie brought her girls to Greg & Mary's house (where we were staying) and we played and ate lunch together. Then after nap time we went to Jonathan and Carrie's new house and had dinner. What a fun time to visit and refresh ourselves for the final leg of our journey. The four kids haven't been together for about a year and a half, AJ was just a baby and the twins were just over a year old then! It was so much fun to watch them interact and talk to each other. The Daley's home was so comfortable and welcoming, yet again. They have incomparable hospitality! Thank you to all for welcoming us back to The States and allowing us to recharge in your homes! We love you very much! :)

Now we are home and there truly is no place like it! AJ had been asking for home for almost a week before we got here and Andy & I were done with the traveling for a while. We are sort of recovering from our long trip back. The kids were, of course, so glad to have all their toys and rooms and 'new clothes' back. :) Andy & I are especially thankful for our king size bed and the air conditioning to save us from the heat. Now I have to start the laundry and think about cooking every night again. :) Home Sweet Home!

Happy Birthday Stacy!

2009-08-04T08:18:00.000-07:00

May you have a peace full, lovely day!

The Severns' Summer Adventure Part VIII

2009-08-02T14:49:00.000-07:00

We called Saturday am to find out the exact time of our flight back to the states, it was scheduled for Sunday. This is when they told us the flight was canceled! ...great, we thought this is not the flight for us to miss out on. As is turns out there was a previous flight that had been delayed a day to Whidbey Island, Washington. Well this is not what we had in mind because it is harder to catch a hop home from there but of course Eva and Carrie live there! So we really prayed that we would get that flight otherwise we were looking at really steep commercial prices.
We showed up to the terminal this am for the roll call (nothing is guaranteed, it's all by available space) sweating a little. Finally they called our name and told us to expect to be in WA late this evening. Yeah!
Then we got on the flight and they ask us what our accommodations for the night in St Johns are. ...Okay, what ?? So actually the flight was staying over in NEWFOUNDLAND. Does anyone actually live there?
At this point I have to really testify to the faithfulness and favor of God because He is so Great! We ended up following the crew onto a shuttle to their hotel. This place is gorgeous! WOW! we want to come back here some day. The hotel is nice and the dinner at the pub downstairs was so tasty. The pic is out the window of our hotel.
So we will be in Washington tomorrow evening and we'll see what will happen from there! What an adventure! As much as I am tired and want to go home, this is fun! We have been to five countries other than the US and four states other than CA!

The Severns' Summer Adventure Part VII

2009-08-02T14:35:00.001-07:00

Malta & Sicily Wrap Up
I wanted to wrap up our time in Europe with a few thoughts that I didn't want to pass by. First, the pics are of the ferry ride from Malta to Sicily and Andy & the kids on a rope structure at the Navy base on Sicily.
In Malta there are actual street signs that say "stop at humped zebra"! This is hilarious to us and of course they are referring to what we call a 'cross-walk'!
AJ had extra fun in the bathroom at my sisters house because there is a bidet and he thought this was a special place for someone his size to wash his hands! We frequently had to remove him from his sink! When we got there Andy asked Alyssa if it was a urinal! :)
Luckily when we arrived back on Sicily the temps were cooler. It was a lot more pleasant to walk to the place we ate each meal and play at the park in the evening.
We all miss home. AJ keeps asking for home and once or twice he's asked to go to our church. So cute!

Keepin Cool Part 2

2009-07-31T15:34:00.000-07:00

Seek out air conditioning in the form of Red Robin and The Children's Museum

Mdina trip

2009-07-29T12:36:00.000-07:00

While Rachel was living it up in the spa, me and the kids went to Mdina for site seeing today 7/29. Mdina is where the apostle Paul was taken after being shipwrecked. Mdina sits on top of a hill and overlooks much of the landscape and is enclosed with high walls. There is a Cathedral in the center of it, and amazing stone carvings. We finished the morning off with some favorite Gelato (ice cream) that the kids gobbled up. The last pic is from a fountain the kids splashed in last night while we were out to dinner in Valleto (a town on the water front in Malta).

The Severns Summer Adventure VI

2009-07-29T12:04:00.000-07:00

Okay, sorry to leave you grandparents and other fans hanging! Here are a bunch of pics to show what we've been up to. We have gone for a walk to gelato, gone to the sandy beach, to the park, out for dinner and to the square with the fountain and more. We have been having so much fun despite the HOT weather.
Today, I went to the salon for a morning of treatments while the rest of the gang (Auntie Eva has now joined us) went sight-seeing. Andy will update you on that. I have to share with you what I did at the salon and how much it cost because you will not believe how much I DIDN'T pay! I got a bikini wax, pedicure, eyebrow wax and 1 Hour facial for 54 Euros!!! That is about $75! It was so great and I didn't have to go sight-seeing! :)
The sisters and I are about to go out for the evening so I will finish up and Andy will update you on the sights!

How to keep cool during a heat wave

2009-07-28T12:52:00.001-07:00

#1 Spend the day at Alki Beach with Auntie Su-Su

The Severns Summer Adventure Part V

2009-07-26T07:39:00.000-07:00

It has been really hot here and I thought this was normal but apparently it's not. I have no idea how to calculate Celsius to Fahrenheit so I looked online and the temps have been 110 degrees F and more in some cases! I knew it was hot but- WHOA!
Yesterday we took the ferry to Malta where my sister lives! It was cool, I got sea sick though. We paid a little more and got to ride in Club Class which is like first class and boy was it worth it! The only prob was we had to board at 7pm and the ride was 8pm-11pm. The kids were way too excited to sleep and yet they were rowdy and noisy so basically they had one long continuous three hour snack! I felt sorry for Andy because I was so sea sick that he handled the kids most of the time. I will say that our kids are champs! They had a pretty normal day yesterday as far as sleeping and napping but then they didn't go to bed until 2am! We all slept until 10:30am This morning!!! Crazy! Talk about being off kilter. Then we had smoothies for breakfast since lunch time was so close! :)
Abigail loves Brutus but then we already knew that. She was playing with him this morning pretending he was her baby. She put a pillow on the floor and he laid on it and stayed there while she covered him up, kissed him and tucked his baby in next to him! How fun!
I can't wait to get out and explore Malta! I am so excited to see where Alyssa lives and hangs out! From what I could see in the dark last night it is a beautiful place.
I have included a pic of the swim park on the navy base because I think it is so cool and we had so much fun there.

The Severns' Summer Adventure Part IV

2009-07-24T10:01:00.000-07:00

CIAO!
Today we went to a rocky beach about 45 minutes up the coast of Sicily from Sigonella. The pics are beautiful and pretty much speak for themselves. It is very hot here, over 100 degrees yesterday and today. The water was refreshing and COLD! AJ kept putting his finger in it and then licking his finger and offering it to me because of the salt in the water!
Last night all four of us slept thru the night!!! Amazing! The second night and we seem to have recovered from jet lag and the time difference. Tomorrow we head to Malta!!! We are taking a ferry for three hours and will be there, I am very excited to see where my sister has been living all these years!
PS: The next time you feel insecure in your bathing suit, just come to Europe, most of the women are not stick skinny -- I felt right at home!

Summer Pool Fun

2009-07-24T07:55:00.000-07:00

Is there really anything better then your own backyard pool?!

The Severns' Summer Adventure Part III

2009-07-23T13:38:00.001-07:00

We landed at Sigonella and got to our hotel around 9 pm last night and were exhausted! The flight was better than I expected. AJ was full of wiggles but that didn't surprise anyone. We stopped over in The Azores, Portugal for about an hour and a half. The kids are so into buses right now and they shuttled us to and from the runway in a bus. When we got off the bus and were loading the aircraft again, AJ stared screaming and crying because he wanted to stay on the bus instead of the airplane! It was funny, the flight attendant especially got a kick out of it! When we got to Sigonella we had to wait for the shuttle for almost an hour but it was okay. Our room is nice.
The night went better than one may have expected. Abigail slept all through and AJ, Andy and I woke up (unrelated) around 2:30-3 am. Andy left and went to the lobby to read while I brought AJ to bed with me and he went back to sleep after about an hour. I dozed a bit from 5-6 am but not really much. I forgot my little book light at home and that is a MAJOR bummer!
This am we were all starving and we found a good place for breakfast that is right here on the base. Andy went and came back with a lot of food that was consumed very quickly. AJ was so hard asleep that when I rubbed his back and asked if he wanted breakfast he didn't move or wake at all but nodded his head yes! Abigail growled at me and then made her way (slowly) to the table and devoured her food! (She's so much like her dad in the am!)
This morning we went for a walk and found a park. It is HOT HOT here! That didn't last long before we found some real Italian pizza and had lunch. We all slept for about 3 hours this afternoon and then went swimming! The pool here on base is really cool! I forgot to take a picture... :(
Tonight we ventured out a bit and found a small town in the country to have dinner. It was so good, we all had homemade pasta. That is where the pic is taken. Abigail is still having some camera aversions which makes taking pics frustrating! I'll keep in touch and post more later!

Summer Art

2009-07-23T07:18:00.000-07:00

We have an abundance of rocks in all shapes and sizes in our yard and the surrounding woods. They are treasures to be collected by the girls and once I set them up with painting masterpieces waiting to be made. So now our garden and walkways are littered with their "art". Love it!

The Severns' Summer Adventure Part II

2009-07-21T20:21:00.000-07:00

Norfolk, Virginia
The first pic is a self taken photo of us on a pier getting ready to eat dinner Monday night. Today, since we weren't flying out until late at night we decided to go to the zoo! It was so fun!
Now we are waiting to load our flight to Italy! I'll check in later in the week! :)

S.S.A. Journal

2009-07-20T07:08:00.000-07:00

Gals, I decided to try and keep a brief journal of this trip and forgot to bring anything to write so I think I'll use the blog... if you don't mind?

My main apprehension about this trip has been about the time zones difference for 1 and 3 year olds. Yesterdays situation was fortunate in that we woke the kids up at 5 am and they only took one nap for about 45 minutes. Normally, going to the East Coast, I'd be worried because bed time at 8 pm feels like 5 pm. Since we hadn't really slept it was good. Abigail was in a big bed and AJ was in a little crib. It was hard for them to settle down with us in the room also. Once they did settle down Abigail slept all night and AJ woke a couple of times before midnight and then slept all night. I was curious to see when they'd wake up in the am. I woke up at 7:30 am and took a shower that transformed me into a new woman! Andy got up and took a shower and still the little ones slept! Finally about 8:45 am Abigail woke up and thought AJ needed up too. :) This was all fine since the hotel breakfast was over at 10 am.
We will walk to catch a shuttle that will take us to the rental car. Then we will drive to Norfolk, VA this afternoon. Mapquest says it's a bit over three hours. :)

The Severns' Summer Adventure Part I

2009-07-19T16:43:00.000-07:00

Well for those who don't know, we have embarked on a major adventure today! We left home today to fly 'Space A' (space available) to the East Coast on a military hop. This is a FREE benefit to active duty and retired military personnel. The catch is that you fly in military air craft and the conditions are military, not at all what you think of commercial aircraft. It was fun and yes, we did make the first flight. We are staying tonight at Andrews AFB, Maryland close to Washington DC. Tomorrow we will get a car and drive to Norfolk to compete for our flight to Sicily! Very exciting and I will be keeping you posted as time and internet access allows. :)
As you will see, the kids were able to lay down and watch the DVD player and nap on the floor of the air plane. In one of the pics you will see in the back ground a large palate covered with white mesh (sort of), that is all our luggage!

Ah, summer. . . (hiking pictures)

2009-07-17T06:10:00.000-07:00

Visit with Tisha!

2009-07-16T16:05:00.000-07:00

I'm so behind in uploading pictures but these just came up and were so cute and we had such a good time when Tisha was here. We took the kids and did the zoo then did a girls night and hopped around at places in Seattle. The pic of us in the window is this great little bar where we sat as the "window dressing". Lots of fun!

Missing you both

2009-07-15T06:51:00.000-07:00

I really really really wish we could all go on a play date together today.......sigh.....

The idea of "unschooling"

2009-07-12T08:08:00.000-07:00

Though the girls are just now 2 1/2 I've been more and more wanting to know what our future holds as far as schooling goes. I've wrestled so much with what I hope for the girls education and what I see available. In many ways I'm in love with all that a Waldorf education provides, but they miss the mark, at least for our family, on the most important subject of all. Relationship with Father God and Jesus. So as much as I wish it that option seems out. Public school feels ruled out for us for the same reason and addition to the fact that children often seem to become numbers instead of individuals. Christian private school would seem an option but even there I'm having a hard time finding a school that is gentle in their teaching and who focuses on the whole child and the whole of life, not just the 3 R's. So.....that leads to homeschooling!!! The thing I swore (at least quietly to myself) I would not do! Yet as I'm thinking about it and reading about the different homeschooling philosophies part of me feels excitement at the prospects, and of course another part is panicked and completely freaked out! :) Two books I've just finished reading are about the idea of Unschooling in your homeschooling. It essentially child led learning with the parent being the facilitator as opposed to the teacher. The child is trusted as the primary agent in learning. Big, incredible, yet scary concept to me. Anyway these are interesting books especially the Christian Unschooling books second half as it is essays telling of families experiences.

Water & Sand Table

2009-07-08T19:05:00.000-07:00

Here we are enjoying our new toy!

My First Painting!

2009-07-06T10:50:00.001-07:00

I have had this canvas for a few weeks and it's been calling me from the closet. I have never painted on a canvas before so wanted to share my first art piece! For a few months I have wanted to take a painting class and after painting last night I really think I will pursue a class!

Book of the Moment

2009-06-28T10:18:00.001-07:00

I just finished reading this while the girls were (and still are!) sick. What I liked about this book is that its not as hard core alternative as many books out there that I seem to be drawn to. :) This is one I could actually reccomend to a more middle ground parent. Though it is not "Christian" it is spiritually minded and gave me some ideas that I could apply. Much of it is similar to things I've read before but at the end of each chapter is a practical suggestion section that gave me some new ideas. One thing I read that I thought was such a great explanation that I wrote it down was the difference between Tattling and Telling. "Telling the truth is when you are trying to be helpful and protect someone from getting hurt, and tattling is when you are trying to get someone in trouble." What a great question to ask your kids once they know the difference...are you telling or tattling.

2009-06-24T12:54:00.000-07:00

Hello Blog!

2009-06-22T21:44:00.000-07:00

Alright so you inspired me to get a post up Rachel! Here are a few of the "Kid" pics we took for Father's Day for my Dad. They turned out really cute. (I know there are quite a few here but she took like 430!)

The Ugly Truth!

2009-06-21T22:32:00.000-07:00

I am laughing out loud right now because I am reading about registering online with Weight Watchers as I am eating ice cream out of the carton! We'll see how this goes!!!

Mile-Stone Portraits!

2009-05-18T17:59:00.000-07:00

Abigail recently turned 3 and AJ 18 months! (Although I am a little late with these, oh well!)

First Beach Trip of the Spring

2009-05-17T17:50:00.000-07:00

On NPR

2009-05-11T07:11:00.000-07:00

At My Place, Every Day Is Mother's Day

Weekend Edition Saturday, May 9, 2009 · NPR

My wife doesn't work. She's a full-time mother. She luxuriates in bed until 6:30 a.m., when our 2-year-old chants, "Mama, Mama!" like some ancient war call, and she trudges into the kitchen with our baby on one shoulder to use her free hand to heat milk.

I stay in my office, writing, procrastinating and checking baseball scores until I need another cup of coffee.

My wife tries to go to the bathroom. Our 2-year-old clings to her knees. Using a bathroom with a 2-year-old on your lap should be a rodeo event.

Our 6-year-old gets up and chirps, "Mama! Mama!" My wife holds our 2-year-old in one arm, our 6-year-old with the other, and heats up more milk with her third hand.

I come into the kitchen for more coffee.

She dresses our daughters. It's like trying to put tuxedo shirts on two squiggling ferrets. My wife walks our daughters 10 blocks to kindergarten, but it takes half an hour because our girls won't step on cracks, stop to look in every window and stomp in every puddle. She has to pull them along like sacks of nails.

When she gets back to our apartment, my wife can finally relax. She does laundry; pays bills; stays on hold with the credit card, Internet and phone companies for 45 minutes because the bill is wrong, while our 2-year-old swings from her neck like a chimp; resets the wireless service; changes diapers and light bulbs; buys food; picks up toys; cleans the fish bowl and hermit crab habitat; organizes closets; cleans what our cat coughs up; schleps to the storage locker; tries to take a shower but can't because our 2-year-old can't find her stuffed dog; picks up our 6-year-old from school and takes her to ballet; makes three meals and innumerable snacks; calls our mothers and sends them photos of their grandchildren; and wipes up milk, water and diaper spills the way Red Adair put out oil fires.

I help by calling my wife a couple of times a day to tell her how busy I am and ask, "Um, darling, can you find my red socks?"

She has four minutes a day to herself and eats only Cheerios that fall on the floor. She works 15 hours a day with no breaks or mandated meals, 365 days a year with no real vacations. Our daughters feel free to cough up and sneeze things into her hands. If Samuel Gompers heard about my wife's working conditions, he'd say, "Organize and fight!"

Instead, she knows that in these times it's a gift to be able to be a full-time mother. You know: just to be home with the kids.

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T18:16:00.001-07:00

You are both inspiring mothers! I love you.

Happy May Day!

2009-05-01T17:11:00.000-07:00

The girls and I went to a May Day festival where we wove May crowns and danced around the May pole. The girls love holding the ribbon and skipping around with the other kids.

Abigail's 3rd Birthday!

2009-04-29T20:23:00.000-07:00

R Rated

2009-04-28T09:30:00.000-07:00

After discovering his penis and asking what it was called, and then of course asking if Ruby has one, Juan has been infatuated with who has a penis and who has a "gina" as he calls it. An interaction in the living room made me really laugh the other day.
I was changing Ruby's diaper. Juan was watching and Noah was eating cereal.
Juan - Mom, Ruby has a gina?
Me - Yep, Juan, Ruby has a vagina.
Noah- Juan, don't talk about Ruby's vagina while I'm eating!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

2009-04-22T09:29:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Noah!

Happy Birthday Ruby!

Happy Birthday Ruby and Noah - (Brant posted the video for me)

2009-04-22T06:55:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately I have no video or pictures that can be posted of when Noah was a baby bc we didn't have a digital camera yet, but here is a video of Ruby's first few moments! Makes me cry every time. :)

Link for trailer to "The way we get by"

2009-04-21T07:39:00.000-07:00

http://www.thewaywegetbymovie.com/

Check it out Military Mamas! (and everyone else)

HAPPY 3RD BIRHTDAY ABIGAIL!!!

2009-04-19T19:14:00.000-07:00

What happens when you let a child dye Easter eggs for over an hour.

2009-04-13T11:21:00.001-07:00

Spring

2009-04-13T08:17:00.000-07:00

SPRING
by
Lee Bennett Hopkins

Roots
sprouts
buds
flowers

always--
always--
cloud-bursting showers

rhymes
April fools
fledglings on wing

no thing
is
newer
or
fresher
than
spring.

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T07:21:00.000-07:00

This morning I was thinking of how thick the anticipation must have been for that first Easter morning. Never before was a dawn so eagerly awaited for.

Sending you all love today and moments to reflect on the enormity of how this day changed our destinies.

You know you've lost it when.....

2009-04-09T21:35:00.000-07:00

Your driving home from caring for your Mother-in-law at 9:30 p.m. and your in the car by yourself when all of a sudden you realize your singing Ba-Ba Black Sheep out loud.

Favorite New CD

2009-04-07T21:37:00.000-07:00

I've recently been exploring the world of children's music, something I haven't done since I was Madeleine's Nanny 6 years ago! This CD by Elizabeth Mitchell is my present favorite. Here is a link where you can listen, the girls' favorite is "three little birds".

http://www.youaremyflower.org/home.html

The Poem of the day

2009-04-06T07:34:00.000-07:00

Rock n Roll Dad
by
Jaime Adoff

Rock n Roll Dad cooks
in the kitchen
radio blasts
always on ten!!
It's so LOUD, I have to shout,
"WHEN ARE WE GOING TO EAT!?"
Dad yells,
"SOOOOOON!"
Dancing past me with his spoon.
Pots shake,
pans vibrate.
Mom screams:
"It's an earthquake!"
"What?" Dad yells back.
I roll my eyes.
Mom shakes her head.
Rock n Roll Dad is a little deaf.
"A lot." Mom says.
"Too many years playing drums." Rock n Roll Dad shouts, twirling his sticks and stirring the sauce.
"Can I go to the club with you tonight?" I ask Dad.
"You're not old enough yet." He answers back.
"I want to go. I'm eight years old. I’m old enough to Rock n Roll."

. . . One day I'm gonna play the drums too.
My hands will fly so fast
my sticks will break the speed of sound.
I'll be the best drummer in town.
I play the plates with my carrot stick-sticks.
Splashing salsa cymbals with my rock n roll chips . . .

©2009 Jaime Adoff. All rights reserved.
Excerpt taken from "Rock n Roll Dad" to be published by Disney-Hyperion

Poem a day

2009-04-05T22:32:00.000-07:00

http://gottabook.blogspot.com/

At this web address is a children's poem a day for the month of April in celebration of Poetry Month. It's been fun reading the different authors for just the last few........I may just post them now and again......

Roars and Showers

2009-04-01T13:08:00.000-07:00

In this part of the world March decided to Roar its way out. We had a rainy and very windy day yesterday with the proof of it today in the scattered twigs and branches everywhere. April is making it's presence known with multiple types of showers....... snow, slush, and rain have all been on the agenda today with a very merry April Fools feeling to it. I do hope May is not feeling to burdened with all the hopes we are laying on her for sun and those May flowers!

Happy April 1st and Fools to all!

1 Corinthians 1:27

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY JUAN!!!

2009-03-28T14:52:00.000-07:00

I can't believe we missed it! I think I let myself feel like it was covered since I got his gift out early! Hope you had a great b-day, you should post some pics Stace.

A Few That are Good for a Laugh! (all from March!)

2009-03-27T15:47:00.000-07:00

Double Duty

2009-03-26T13:57:00.000-07:00

I thought you gals may enjoy this pic. This was over our spring break a couple of weeks ago in northern Minnesota.

1st Day of Spring

2009-03-20T08:41:00.000-07:00

These adorable tops were made by Grammy Kathy for the girls. She sewed the dresses, stitched on the stems and leaves and made the flowers out of buttons. Welcome Spring!

Spring is coming........

2009-03-19T14:06:00.000-07:00

Crocus, Crocus waking up
Catch a sun beam in your cup
Hold it tight, Let it go
Le-O, Le-O, Le-O