Maggie's To-Do List...

"Mom, can we paint my fingernails pink and get a kitty.  Can we do those two things today?"

Sorry Mags, your to-do list and mine look different.

Other quotes:

"Jane, you're a funny girl"  

"Yeah, I AM funnnnyy!!"

"Mom, are you going to work to take care of the sick babies?"

"Yup"

"They don't have their mommies, so they need you?"

"Yeah, they need some extra help until they are strong enough to be with their mommies all the time."

"Oh, and daddy is going to work to get money?"

**laughs**

Guess I need to give better explanations of daddy's work...

Easter

The whole gang plus the photographer. Hi Ry!

Snaggle tooth.

One of the many Maggie faces we love.

It's not Easter at our house now without the bunnies!

Grandma and the girls all dolled up and ready for church.

Our cute little chicks.

Jane in the action. No pictures of Maggie hunting for eggs, she was....less than enthusiastic.

Jane desperately trying to figure out why she can't seem to grab 4 eggs at once. It's all about efficiency.

"Look mom, we're surfing!" (Standing on the umbrella pole).

(This was the week before Easter, LOVE San Diego.)

Maggie and her Boppa.

©Hallmark

On the Potty Train - A 3,000 mile adventure

Maggie is still not potty-trained, in fact, she's not even close. However, while playing dress-up this morning she decided to wear underwear.

Mags: "Mommy, I am wearing panties like you, so I'm a big girl!"
Me: "Yeah, you are!"
Mags: "But daddy is not a big girl, but he is a big boy cuz he can wear panties!"
Me: "......."

Onwards potty train.

Our Little Exhibitionist

Today was Maggie's turn at preschool to do show and tell. She wanted to bring her favorite stuffed meerkat and a meerkat picture from her bedroom. When it came time for her presentation, the teacher asked,
"Maggie, do you want to show the class your stuffed animal your brought?"
"No. I just want to show Minnie and Mickey Mouse on my diaper."
And so that's what she did.

Outtakes

We recently had a family photoshoot where the outtakes were about all there was to see.

Copyright: Robert Goold Photography

A dollar

Yesterday, while stopped at a light, I noticed a lady holding a sign that read "Homeless, single mom. Needs food and motel." As a mother myself with my two little girls in the car, I just could not imagine the kind of life this mother must have. Remembering the lessons my dad taught me throughout my life, I searched my wallet and purse in hope of finding some cash to hand to her. When all I found was plastic, I remembered that Maggie had been playing with a crumpled dollar bill in her car seat. Unsure of how this would go over with her, I said "Maggie, do you see that lady outside? She has no dinner and no bed to sleep in. I think she needs your dollar today." I hesitantly rolled down Maggie's window (still wondering if she was even getting it) as the lady approached us. Maggie, with a huge grin on her face, eagerly handed this lady her dollar and said "my name is Maggie." The lady returned the smile and said a few kind words to Maggie. The light turned green and we never saw her again.

About 10 minutes later, we pulled into the Costco parking lot and with such practicality, Maggie said "mom, I think we should buy that lady a bed. She really needs a bed. I really like having my bed mom." Now holding back tender emotions, I told her how her dollar will help that lady find a bed and we hope and pray that she does.

I felt foolish having thought this lesson was far above Maggie's ability to understand. I was even afraid it might scare her. No - she was confident and accepting, and full of love and kindness towards this sweet stranger. The only thing that bothers her is that we don't know her name. We call her Rosie.

Halloween 2010

These were the same pumpkin outfits that Kristen and Lisa wore as kids. The parents? Lame I guess.

What part of "wrong #" don't you understand?

Ever since high school I've always had the tendency to mess with those calling or texting to the my number but searching for somebody else (thanks to the Holmes family) . I know it is sophomoric, but I wasn't even trying to mess with this guy named Brock who has texted looking for Kim a couple of times over the past few days. Below is the transcript of our exchanges. I know, I was pretty rude but talk about dumb and dumberer. I should have have messed with this guy a lot more. What would you have said?

[text 9:29] Hi Kim
[text 9:29] This is Brock
[me 9:34] Wrong #. No Kim here.
[brock 9:34] what
[brock 9:35] ok
[brock 9:35] who is this
[me 9:36] Brock. Now your getting personal. I'm the guy you are bothering.
[brock 9:38] Ok bye.
[brock 9:44] Is this really not Kim
[me 9:50] Of course not. Bro, Kim must have fed you a fake number. What are you 17?
[brock 10:16] No how old are you
[me 10:28] Just playin' with you broc. How u been?
[brock 10:41] Good you
[brock 10:42] Do you know Joy or Mike Heinrich?
[me 10:47] Nope, probably cause I'm really not Kim. Sorry still just playing with you. You definitely aren't 17. Maybe 58? Anyway, it is late, no?
[brock 10:49] what then who is this
[brock 10:49] ya right
[me 10:52] I hope Kim appreciates your persistence when you do find him/her. I am the guy with this phone # that you been buggin' now for days.
brock 10:53] What is your first name at least
[me 10:56] and why on earth would I give that to some old stranger named Brock?
[brock 10:57] Oh my gosh just tell me
[me 10:58] You are getting creepy now.
[brock 10:59] please
[me 11:03] Wait, I know Mike and Joy Heinrich. Weren't they jailed at the point of the mtn for selling crack?
[brock 11:04] who is this
[me 11:06] I'm the guy who is being harassed by the crack snorting friend of Mike and Joy Heinrich.

Miss Margaret and Her Brazilian Dress.

As I left for Brazil I asked Maggie what she wanted me to bring her from Brazil. No surprises here, she wanted a dress. For the weeks that I was away, there was not a sentence out of her mouth that contained the word Brazil without the word dress. "where is your daddy?" anybody would ask. "He is in Bahzil and he's gonna get me a dress!" Maggie would say.

Brazil almost came and went without that dress. I looked and looked, then I decided to wait until Kristen came since she'd be able to help me get the right size anyway. We were busy, busy, busy. I never found exactly what we were looking for. On the day that we came home, we found these dresses last minute. They were simple and touristy, not exactly what I had envisioned, but still pretty cute. I'm certain that Maggie would have preferred a Cinderella dress. Lucky for me she's young and happy and seemed to love what we got her. Jane's looks more like a muumuu on her body type. I was most excited about finding havianas for them both. Here are the pictures.

Best picture from Brazil

When I saw this picture on the airplane ride home, I couldn't stop laughing. Just another reason Brazilian men should continue to adopt the board short (or any shorts for that matter).

Juntos

Rio 2

Top to bottom:
My work space
Some of my staples
Rocinha Favela
Outeiro da Glória Church and view
São Conrado Beach
Gávea rock

Can't wait to have Kristen join me in 3 days!