Christmas in Arkansas

unfortunately this picture doesn't do justice to the enormity of our complicated travel experience. This is me on the couch reading Twas the Night Before Christmas to the kids on Christmas eve - notice that the background looks like our apartment in Philly not Bubba and Pop's house. Anyway the short version is early morning ice storm, collision with bus, retickteting, airline error, airline error, airline error, one whole morning at the Philly airport to be finally sent home to try again at 3 am the next morning. We still had a lovely Christmas eve - Chinese take out and all.
After all that travel craziness and 2 mornings of waking the kids up at 4am and with the hour time difference we had some pretty early mornings at Bubba and Pop's. Thank goodness for the dvd player and word world - now a whole family favorite or everyone in the house would have been up before dawn.
Santa came to our new house!!!

All the little cousins and me. Isaac, Linden Nikki, Evie and Blakelyn.

where is Linden?

Happy Birthday Linden!!!!

Can't beleive he is two!!!

Birthday boy running.
New favorite way to watch Word World - we are still working on riding the new tricycle.
He wanted an alligator cake - no idea why.

The newbies - all in a row. Wes, Evie and Kiernan.

Teaching Evie Mae to roll over

She is either a very quick study or she just has really good timing. I asked linden to show Evie how to roll over which he did. I set her down on her belly and she immediately rolled over. Impeccable timing.

Evie meets the Fam

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! Evie and (her name sake) Great Grandma Eve.
Evie and her great great Aunt Ola
Sleeping like a baby on Grandma Eve's lap
Evie meets Great Grandma Fran and Great Grandpa Howard
What a lucky baby to have so many wise wonderful "Greats" to spend time with!!!

We are buying a house!!!

. . . in Arkansas!!! So after month if not years of debating about it we took the plunge rather quickly. John got offered a job with an architect in Jonesboro where his Dad and Step Mom live and in the same week we found the most wonderful house just blocks from his new office and his father and step mom's house. Its perfect. We love it. We just flew to AR for the weekend to look at it and made an offer immediately. We will move Mid-January. Its all very crazy and very exciting. Can't wait for everyone to come visit us there - you might just give us a bit to find / acquire some furniture.


Here is the Realtor's description:

This 1920's home has been carefully maintained and perserved to focus on its beauty and charm yet not giving up any modern day convenience. The wrap around porch begins your walk down memory lane. Once inside, the grand foyer welcomes guest to sit a spell in the beautiful formal living room with its hardwood floors and tall ceilings. Or, if you are really special, come on back to the warm family room that opens into a modern kitchen and breakfast room. The master bedroom and bathroom are downstairs. This is not your ordinary home. Lots of closets--even walk in closets. The lot is green and lush and so private and inviting.

Follow this link to see more pictures of our new house

Sharing Word World

A little post nap snuggle time on the couch.

Tea party with Evie and Dee

They kind of look alike.

The only thing better . . .

than going to the Please Touch Museum is going to the Please Touch Museum with your two best buddies.

Reading Jamberry to Daddy

For the last few months Linden has been disappearing into his room and reading books to himself. This is the first time that I've gotten it on film.

Liberty Linden

Please Touch Museum again - just can't get enough

Happy BIrthday Oliver!

Linden's buddy Oliver is 2!!! Shocking!
Here are Linden and Oliver finding a fire truck sharing arrangement that worked for everyone - most of the time.

3 Babies nursing - 3 Mamas talking

Please touch

So the new PLease Touch Museum here in Philly is awesome and huge and a bit overwhelming. Here are Jack and Linden driving / riding the city bus (Linden's favorite activity) with Jack's Mom and baby brother Wes.

Here are Jack and Linden shopping.

And playing with bricks.

Apple Pie

Linden made his first apple pie - a must with so many yummy apples. He's pretty good with a rolling pin but giving a (almost) two year old unfettered access to flour and water sure does make a mess.




Oh and check out the hair cut - no more curls - if you thought he looked like John before you should see him now.

Bath time for Evie

Linden helped Daddy give Evie a bath today - he was careful to thoroughly rinse off all the bubbles.

Carrot Soup

Linden and Daddy made carrot soup tonight just as describe in Linden's favorite library book: Carrot Soup by John Segal. Hurray for soup weather.

Solebury Orchards

We met the Kolodners and Arnolds for some apple picking fun at Solebury Orchards on Saturday. Good fall fun.


Evie wide eyed on the way home.


Click here for more pictures of apple picking

mamas lil' piggie

3 little pigs - Halloween Parade

So with 3 new babies this year it was tough to come up with a group costume for 6. Presenting 3 little pigs: Oliver, Linden and Jack and . . .


... straw, bricks, and sticks: Kiernan, Evie and Wes.

Here they are in the parade. Note the scary wolf. And the political signs. Is it wrong to use your children to advance your political agenda?