Alex quote of the day

Alex's quote of the day today was when we were in CVS and he spotted some helium balloons he said, "I want buy that." "Pease, pease." (Please, please.)

How in the world does a little boy who is not even 2 know how to put that sentence together? Oh man, we're in trouble!

Sleeping in the tent

In our tent with all her animals and pillows.

At Smith Playground

At the zoo on Tuesday

Sleepover time!

Last night we had a super fun sleepover with Grammy (Dave's mom). I set up mine and Dave's 2 1/2 man tent in Lilia's room and that's where she slept, while Grammy slept in Lilia's bed. Lilia loved it! She put every single stuffed animal in the tent along with pillows and blankets. It looked quite cozy.

This morning after a Clark Park Grower's Market run we headed to Payless for back to school sneakers and a bonus pair of ballet shoes. No Lilia is not in ballet, but every since she has been watching Angelina Ballerina some afternoons, she is really into ballet. Since ballet class is way to expensive, we decided we'll get a DVD that will teach her.

Favorite pass time

Paper crafts are probably my top hobby. I love scrapbooking, making cards and anything having to do with paper.

My mom's friend's grandson turned 1 last month. I offered to make a banner for the party in the midst of conversation about party plans.

I had so much fun making this one. In fact I will probably make a very similar one for Alex's birthday party in October.

So...if you or someone you know wants a banner like this I can make one. I love it. Like I said before, it's my favorite pass time!

P.S. I've make one of animals for Lilia's b-day party so whatever the theme, I can probably do it.

Narcolepsy?

One way to describe Lilia is that she is flexible.

Now I don't mean that she can touch her toes while keeping her back straight, but I mean that she is easy-going, go with the flow and ok with changes. Part of this is her temperment, but part of this is because we took her everywhere with us. All over West Chester, friends houses, churches, lots of drives, plane rides, Colorado, China, and Philadelphia. She has done a lot and been a lot of places. She can fall asleep within 5 minutes into a car ride.

Here are the pictures to prove how she can fall asleep any where at any time. I don't think she has narcolepsy. I do know that she runs hard all day, has given up naps at three and a half years old, and as a result when she sleeps, she's OUT!

On the back of Dave's bike.

In the car.

At the top of the stairs waiting for us to come home.

By the front door as you come into the living room.

Ringing Rocks

This is a great hiking place close to my parent's house (Bucks County). You hike a short trail to a huge boulder field.

After you explore the field, the trail goes on to a river bed where you can jump around, get a little wet and walk up river a bit. It's a pretty cool place.

We're going for a hike; don't forget the hammer.

You can bring a hammer and hear the different "ring tones" on the rocks.

Poppy & Alex

Always surprised in the city

This past Saturday my parents came down for the day. We decided ahead of time to go into the city. Even though they both grew up in the city and now live in the country, they love coming in to be tourists. Well we headed over to Reading Terminal Market and stumbled across a Pennsylvania Dutch Festival. There was a blue grass band, pony rides, a petting zoo, and a wagon ride pulled by horses.

Monday

By the end of Monday, I have been asking lately, "Is it only Monday?" By the end of Monday it feels like Tuesday. I can't say exactly why, but it does.

In the summer our kids don't go to bed until 8:30 or 9. Dave and I some times take advantage of that. Tonight we headed over to Penn's campus to the "Big Pond." It's actually a small pond, but we call it that because Lilia watches Dinosaur Train.

The pond is filled with coy fish and turtles. The area that surrounds the pond is incredible. You actually feel like you're in the woods, except you can hear the traffic on Baltimore.

The kids had a blast running around and wearing themselves out. As a result it's pretty quiet in the house as of 9pm.

LOVE on Penn's Campus

Lilia's Quote of the Day

"Now we, now everybody has twistables. Except for grandparent's without kids."

Social Justice & The Bible

"One of the mysteries of social thought is how religion, at least the Christian religion, ever came to be regarded as 'the opiate of the people,' or how it ever came to seem an other-worldly affair, which neglected this world to concentrate on some world to come. There is no book in literature with such a burning social passion as the Bible. There is no book which speaks so explosively and dynamically of social wrongs and social injustice. There is no book so burningly conscious that the great gap between riches and poverty is an active and terrible transgression of the law of God and the will of God. There is no book which has, in fact, proved so powerful a social dynamic as the Bible has." - William Barclay commentary on the book of James, chapter 5, verses 1-3.

This is THE best commentary I have ever read. I am no scholar, nor have I been through seminary, but this author has over and over highlighted the Bible in such a way that is profound, yet simple. It's a small and somewhat older book, the copywright is 1950, but wow. Wow!

Aunt Julie & Lilia

Tea Madame?

Dave's sister Julie lives in Colorado Springs. While my in-laws took Lilia down there to visit they had tea at The Navigators castle.

The Navigators is an international Christian ministry that seeks to introduce people to the person of Christ and once they become a Christian, help them "navigate" through life.

The dog trainer

Lilia's current claim to fame when she meets strangers is that she is a dog trainer.

She really loves dogs. Oh darn, Alex is allergic to dog licks. I guess we can't get a dog.

Here is Lilia loving her Aunt Julie's dog, Remy.

An Italian friend

This was the 2nd day in a row that we met people from Italy.Saturday night we played at the azela garden by the Art Museum and met a Christian church-planting family that lives in Kensington. We also met a man and his daughter from Italy.

This picture was taken Sunday morning when we went to the Horticultural Center off of Belmont Ave. Lilia played with this little girl and their family was kind to us by sharing their picnic blanket and toys.

Base. Ball!

The friends we made had a bat and ball. Alex loved getting to hit the ball around.

Feeding coy fish at the Japanese Garden

Earn it.

Lilia's current love is My Little Pony. She first got hooked at preschool. Then last week in the mail box was a "back to school" catalog for Target. Well it had a whole page of My Little Pony stuff.

Her first reaction was, "I want this!"

I could hear the whinings of a spoiled little girl so Dave and I made a quick decision that she would have to earn the money to buy the Ponies she wanted.

Here she is vacuuming up a cracker spill on the couch. She earned 25 cents for that one. She gets money for helping us with responsibilities around the house. Hopefully this will be a good lesson.