Christmas ornaments!

Today's art project is nearly complete. Watch for these fabulously original designs to be hitting a tree near you soon.

Reading to her cat after dinner

"Lion" by Lena Rose

Lena lately

Lena enjoyed her trip to Maine!

Grammy and Grandpa visit and Green Gate Farms

Lena and Grandpa

Pigs aren't pink

Green Gate Farm Store

Feeding goats and horse

Horse likes lettuce more than kale

At the playgrround after the farm

Lena Rose

Grammy and Grandpa should be here for a while so we'll see them again soon!
Want to see more pics from our visit to the Farm? Check out the Picasa gallery here:

2013-05-04GreenGateFarms

Two Best Friends

Lena and Rae

Lena Rose x 9

Nine times the cuteness! Who could choose just one?

Click here to download this collage in widescreen for your computer desktop. Or let me know if you want it in a custom size!

Easter 2013

This year, we celebrated the annual turning of spring with a little egg hunting in the morning (loot included: yogurt melts, buttons, fuzzy worms, and misc SXSW booth swag giveaways (who knew the Easter Bunny was a nerd?) Then we had brunch with close family and relaxed in the garden.

Happy Easter/Vernal Equinox/Beltane!

Easter basket goodies

Lena Rose

Found one

Finding eggs is fun

Enjoying loot with Aunt Eve

Lena Rose

Time to play!

Want to see more? Click below to view the entire album!

2013-03-31Easter

Lena's First Haircut

Just in time for Lena's appearance in Owen and Eve's wedding next week, Lena got her first haircut!

We choose a salon here in Austin that specializes in kids cuts. It was a very stimulating place with lots of toys and videos and other distractions to keep the kids happy. Lena got the special "first haircut" package with a certificate and photo. After the cut, kids get to drop a card in the machine to get a prize. Well, Lena was on to that in about 2 minutes, needless to say! And she kept trying to steal the other kids toys whenever the machine spun up. She was very happy and patient the entire time. I'm so proud of my BIG girl!

Lena needs a haircut!

Sitting in the chair

Yeah, I could get used to this

Final result, complete with green bow, glitter, and strawberry smelly spray. What a treat!

For more, click below to view the entire album on Google+

2013-03-29FirstHaircut

New Videos!

Sorry we've been dark for a while. Catch ups to come--starting with these new videos!

Bubbles at Brandifers

Catch up! Apologies in advance for the back-dated post.

Here are some photos of Rae and Lena from Julia's B-day party at Brandifer's last month. Rae loved her Hello Kitty bubble maker and Lena (finally) tasted chocolate cake! Links to videos of the chocolate-cake eating in the album.

Click to view album on Google+

2013-03-02PartyatBrandifers

Toddlers and Emotions

Ms. Liz did some fantastic research this weekend, regarding toddlers and emotions. (Thanks, Liz!) Here are some of her findings:

First, check out this article by Heather Turgeon called Why Kids Have Temper Tantrums | Babble

About half-way down, you can read her explanation of how toddler brains develop. I was surprised to learn that her brain is already starting the process of "pruning" unused connections and that this "pruning" is actually the "heavy lifting" of developing emotional maturity.

This second article Teaching Toddlers About Emotions - Parenting.com  by Rita T. Wallace has some more practical advice, including these 3 tips:

1. Name emotions seen in others
2. Name her emotions as she feels them
3. Name your own emotions to her

Words are important, and children listen, so putting words to the feelings she is having is an important developmental step.

I realize that this doesn't just apply to toddlers, of course. In fact, I have recently been studying the concept of Emotional Intelligence, as it applies to developing my own interpersonal and professional relationships. Clearly, these principles apply as well! If I can teach Lena to recognize her own emotions and not be hijacked by them, she will be able to use those skills for the rest of her life!

Perhaps by helping my daughter through this learning process of her own emotions, I will be able to better understand and acknowledge my own and become a better person through her.

Now, will somebody please remind me I said that next time we throw a tantrum in the grocery store? Ha!

Love always, 

Mama

Playing with Rae

Storytime at Yarborourgh Branch Library

Throwing rocks in the stream outside the library.
A favorite pastime!

The doors are opening!

Lena loves books!

Ms Liz reading to Lena

Lena enjoying a pre-storytime story

Storytime singalong!

Enthralled

We'll be back!

Quoting Shakespeare

Last night while washing dishes with me after dinner, Lena (who will be 28 months on Valentine's Day) quoted her first Shakespeare:

"Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble
Dire durn, claubin bubble"

Ok, so we're still having trouble with those "F's" but still - I was floored! That's what I get for keeping former theater geeks in the house!

MacBeth is certainly no Hamlet (in my opinion) but I suppose everyone is entitled to their own favorite! Ha!

Something old is new again

Gone Fishing, circa 1979
Mama Stacy with her Dad (Grandpa) at Tow on Lake Buchanan with (Great) Grandpa and Grandma Mac

The Next Generation, 2013
Lena with her Dad at Searight Park in Austin, TX

Look at the old picture Grammy dug up after yesterday's blog post. We are even both wearing striped shirts! This is SPOOKY!!

Sunday in the park

Sunday was a busy day! First we had brunch at Rae's house and spent the morning coloring and playing with Legos.

Then we stopped by Lydia's for a few minutes. Ostensibly, we were going to bring coffee to Ms. Kelley, but really, we were going so Lena could play the drums! Lydia has a toddler-size and set, and Lena loved it. Lydia played the keyboard. We are going to start a band.

As if that weren't enough, next we were off to the park to play disc golf with Uncle Owen and Roger. It was a beautiful day and we had a great time practicing putting our disc in the basket, climbing trees, and generally running around.

Too tired to cook, we ended up out for dinner at Magnolia Cafe, where Lena shamelessly flirted with the manager (Ms. Cassie) and our server (Mr. Dennis)--much to delight of all the staff on duty.

What a day! Packed full of fun and friends! We can't wait to do it all again next weekend!

Hand in hand

Lena picks her disc

Reach for the basket

Smile!

Click view album from our afternoon at Mary Moore Searight Park