18 Month Photos

A family friend took these pictures in Grandad Evans beautiful yard. Anisten had a perma-pout that got worse as time went on. Kids, Gotta love um. Total photo session time= 3 minutes.

Watch out Nursery, Here I come!

Anisten did great her first time in class. Didn't even cry when I left. Her teachers devide the class for snack time. Apparently Anisten eats so slow she stays for both snack sessions. Taking after Daddy.

Reverent Listening (HaH!)

Friends

Funky Monkey

Craft world, watch out. I did another project. My favorite slippers to put on Anisten are all worn out. They are made just like robeez, but in soft fabric. They don't wash up clean anymore and are wearing holes in the bottom. So I took one apart with a seam ripper and drew a pattern on wax paper. I went to JoAnne's and picked out fabric. The new ones turned out great. I choose a monkey print liner.

On another note, Anisten has been sick, sick, sick. Double eye infection that wasn't improving with antibiotics, cough, stuffy nose and fever. I dressed my miserable babe up and took this photo the other day. She couldn't even smile!

This was taken today in our backyard in the beautiful sunshine. Anisten seems to be on the mend. She LOVES her rainboots. Her favorite shoe to wear.

This was our backyard last week. First thing in the morning Lilly dressed up warm and rolled around in it. Good thing too, it was melted by noon.

Need a Project

Sometimes life has no excitement. It's silly, the things I get excited about. I was bored last week, and told my friend I needed a project. She lent me two patterns, and helped me pick some fabric. (Thanks Sara!) And voila presto, two adorable summer dresses for my girls! I'm a newborn at the machine, first time I used a pattern to sew anything wearable, and they turned out great. Maybe I'll try this sewing machine thing again.

PS. The cherry blossom fabric was a sheet in its past life. HaH!

Fix it up Chappy

OH my gosh, you will never believe what I did yesterday!! The heater in my van has been blowing cold air for a while now. I was finally fed up with cold toes, so I decided to get it fixed. The problem was the thermostat was stuck open, never allowing the engine to heat up properly to warm the air. Rylan was at work, and I wanted to make an appointment so I called the auto place myself. The guy on the phone was rude, and when I didn't know the size of my engine off the top of my head he basically hung up on me. Come on, do you know how many liters your engine is? Anyway, now I know mine is 3.3L engine. That's beside the point. After this guy was so rude, I started thinking... I am an educated woman. I take care of sick people all the time. Sick people get too hot, too cold, have broken/worn out parts and clogged pipes at times. I know what to do to help fix them, how is an engine that different? So I googled how to heal my sick van. I read many different websites, my owners manual (was the least helpful resource), and consulted two fathers over the phone (thanks Ed and Dad, you were the most helpful resource). I purchased a new thermostat and extra coolant at the auto parts store with my two little girls in tow (Anisten tried to eat the car freshener trees at the checkout). I parked the van in the sun (how lucky) and worked on it for 2 and a half hours! I met resistance each step along the way, it is a miracle but I fixed it! It blows HOT air now!

I am so proud of myself and my confidence is through the roof. It turns out the auto shop could have fixed it in one hour for $90. Oh well, I'm glad I tried. Now if anyone has a broken thermostat, I'd be happy to help you fix it.

I took some photo's along the way. There isn't one of me under the van... because there was no one there to take one of me.

Drained the radiator of antifreeze

This is what the new thermostat looks like, $12 at the auto parts store

This is what the old thermostat looked like... clearly bustedI had to reach my hand in the engine and pull out all the parts. Hope I got them all out.

Happy girl with messy hair from getting under the van umpteen times.

Artist's collection

Lilly has become quite the photographist. She steals my digital camera and takes pictures.

Some are candids of me.

Some are posed.

Some are candid shots of Anisten.
from inside their bus tent

or car seat

but mostly Lilly likes to take pictures of #1.

Our camera is full of these.

Lilly's photography days were numbered. She and Little "A" threw my flip video camera into the bathtub which broke it; therefore banishing them from touching my other camera ever again (at least when I'm aware of it).

Rylan the Graduate!!!

Finally, no more school, no more studying, no Power Point, or group projects, worry, procrastination, evening classes, study sessions, exams, finals, professors, or reading business books! Congratulations Rylan.... YES!!!

Lilly snoozer

Today Lilly was very difficult at nap time. She said "I'm not tired", she cried, she came out of her room a million times, she claimed to need to potty even though she had just went, she complained that my music was too loud, and that the TV was too loud. Finally she must have rocked herself to sleep. It was hard not to laugh when I found her. Every so often she would move her legs and the chair would rock. HaH! The last one is a recent pic of Anisten falling asleep mid meal. I must serve boring food.

Blackberry Boboos

Poor Lilly fell in a blackberry bush today when we were all out picking. Her leg is all scraped up, and she didn't even cry. She just whimpered. Bad mama, I should have put her in jeans.

Liquorice and Oreo's

After Anisten fussing all day I was exhausted and settled in on the couch to watch the Olympics. Anisten got a hold of some liquorice, a hand full to be exact. When I attempted to take it away she squealed, stood on her toes, and threw her head back getting ready for a fight. I gave up and let her keep it. She was so happy for the first time that day she wasn't whining. She started by sucking on it, then biting and smiling the whole while. Then I gave her an oreo, which she happily gummed. I took these pictures for Rylan, who was at basketball when all of this was happening. Lucky for Anisten daddy was gone, he would not have approved!