Soaking Issues & Adhesives...

My kids are in love with showering in the stand up shower now at our new place which is obviously not a bath tub and so I've had to create "mandatory soaking days" today they enjoyed the garden tub for extra splashing room...because no matter how hot, long, or soapy the shower...kid toenail dirt wins every time....



Speaking of something that wins everytime! I'm having soaking issues with some abandoned Cheerios out of Hallé's breakfast bowl as well.

Am I the only one that has really hurt her finger trying to scrape cemented Cheerios off the wall? This little friend on our wall stayed for a couple days because the girls were so impressed by it's strength that defeated their mommy that it became Eden's own mission...

I'm happy to announce that she finally won without any injuries.

Am I also the only one who has ever seriously considered smashing up a bowl of cheerios with water and getting a patent for the most amazing and chemical-free household adhesive ever? Don't laugh (or steal my idea) if I'm posting pictures tomorrow of my experiment because it just so happened that Hallé killed our last poor little glue stick (no art supply stands a chance against my Claire-Bear!) and I'm brainstorming storage container options as I type.

Perfect Parenting for Monkeys!

This little monkey was ready for Christmas Decorating....

...and this little monkey was too!

This little Monkey got to go up on the roof top...

...but this little monkey stayed on the ground

So... thiiiiiiiis little Monkey cried "wah wah wah".....
until she changed her Mommy & Daddy's mind around....

Back to school for Mom & Dad...

Eden's 1st Report Card!

Daddy & Mommy just had the "sweetest" and most adorable experience yesterday...attending our first "parent/teacher" conference with Eden's Kindergarten teacher; Mrs. Stumph. She is wonderful and made us feel like she loved Eden and thought she was wonderful too...

(Who doesn't think it's wonderful to have someone tell you all the great and creative things your kid is doing...!?!)

I'm sure that there are things that go down in parent/teacher conferences that leave moms and dads heartbroken or frustrated; for that "absense" I am sooooo grateful and we thank God for healthy children!

We giggled when Mrs. Stumph told us how Eden was supposed to be sounding out & spelling a sentence to describe a picture she had drawn; when asked "Eden did you write this?" She replied: "No, Jadyn (Beauchamp) :)-such a sweetie- told me how to spell it because I didn't know...but I didn't ask her, she just told me, I didn't ask her, she just told me....." Mrs. Stumph laughed with us and we didn't know what was cuter; the fact that Eden had no idea that it wasn't ok to take others answers just because they were unsolicited, or the fact that the answers given were still adorably "wrong"...

I wish life stayed full of that simple confidence

"to give and receive help you can never be wrong!"

love of pies....in His eyes

~~Granny Joey, we are thinking of and praying for you up there in the I.C.U. in Seattle after your emergency surgery and "life flight" to a middle of the night 6 hour surgery. We trust your doctors but ultimately have our hope in our Perfect Physician and His graceful timing despite our earthbound eyes. We are thankful for your skill and love of pie making as well; we pray we will be able to share a slice with you again! Our hearts will ache to have you miss these holidays with us and "baby conner's" big birth-day" whenever he chooses that to be...Yet your absense feels like nothing compared to the scare we had all night of losing you...You are loved and we are Thankful~~

"We're Rollin' in the Dough!"

That's Right....it's our favorite time of year....
Bulk Pie Making Time!
Ok, for those of you who know me...Yes, it has a lot to do with the fact that I love eating Pie dough! If you say "gross" then you don't have my pie dough recipe! "Thanks Mom." ( I think she actually entered it into a contest when she was in high school and won!)....I also have my grandma's lucky parring knife which I'm convinced is the ticket...j/k Maybe I should keep it a secret?!?
-Too late...the girls are already experts!

They're busy at it so put your orders in now..

"They're not ready yet Will (l)....."

See....Look at them, you just have to taste this dough!

Sprinkles and all???
(no matter how much influence I assert I can't convince them that sprinkles aren't appropriate on "everything"...maybe I'm wrong!?

(Thank you Anya & Tracie for the personalized aprons) *******************I didn't get a picture of it...because it was hazardous to bring the camera into the kitchen after the flour started flying and shortening all over our hands...

However, Eden did make her very first little pies. (she's been doing it for years, but this time-no hands from Mommy) She made them in these little ceramic heart shaped dishes, it was sooo cute to watch her roll and transfer in into the little dish and attempt to "flute" the edges. Then when I was off in the bathroom washing about a cup of shortening off of Hallé..lol,- Eden totally surprised me and took the Saran wrap and covered all 8 pie crusts that we had rolled and arranged in the dishes and needed to cover and freeze...I was so proud of her (& thankful I didn't have to do it)Making Pies with the girls will always be my very favorite thing to do together; it's messy, delicious, and always makes me grateful that I have loved ones to share them with...I hope it will continue to be one of theirs throughout the years. I truly am blessed with the sweetest and most adorable daughters, a wonderful family and perfect best friends. When I think of those that God picked to let me share afternoon laughs & tears with, Starbucks caffeine relief breaks, and holiday stupid human tricks with...I know I am blessed! When I have those days that I feel "just average"...I look at my "power team"...you know who you are, and I know in my heart for the ump-teen million-th time how lucky I am as "His child" to share my God's Eye view! "Thank you God for letting my eyes be open to your small and purposeful things in life-especially for my babies and pies!"

Hallé's Music!

Hallé as some of you might know, pretty much lost all of her ability to speak last Feb.08. It happened after what seemed like endless ear infections; the Doctor said she had become completely "hearing impaired" and had to undergo the surgery for tubes in her ears...she had lost most of her vocabulary down to about 3-4 words. After surgery; she began "double" talking again over the past 8 months developing a HUGE vocabulary....just no enunciation. "ma-ma" "da-da", etc.....including her own name "Hau Hau Ha Ha" = "Hallé Hatke" :)
This may sound silly, but last Thursday driving home from Mops she asked me why there was writing on her cup (I'd had to label it with marker) and I said "so your teachers know what your name is." And she replied: "Wha Mama?" (What is her favorite word right now.) I said: "so they'll know your name is Hallé Claire Hatke"
That's when the music happend....out of the blue she just said her name for the very first time at 27months old... Hal LEE C L AIR E... And for those of you who I've made be our audience you will know why I separated them. She ENUNCIATED every sound so separately and adorable that it made me cry to hear her little voice say a sound (her name!) for the first time so clearly. That was her first word that she pronounced the beginning and end of! Yeah Hal! I was so proud and grateful at the same time after the long road she's had with her ears. It breaks my heart everytime I can't understand her and after laying on the ground and listening with all my heart...I still can't understand her (it's rare..Eden and I are pretty good interpreters at this point)...and then to watch her melt into a crying puddle of frustration after repeating herself so many times! I know she can do it; she's working so hard! I'm just so relieved to see the light at the end of the tunnel I hope. She is proud of herself too and will show off anytime to anyone. I'd post a picture, but you just can't capture that sound of her saying her name! It's music to my ears!

Hallé's Nap Gone Bad?

A series of "MOM" screams brought me into her room while I thought she was napping today.... she is full of adventures, but this one got away from her!

.....Trying to fit into the baby dolls playyard gate & completely stuck!

"thank you mommy for not assuming I just needed to cry it out...."

"Sis and Mommy had to hold me in the air and tug it off my bootie...No cheers & rears for me for awhile!"

Books and Boots!

Eden says to tell everyone "I can read!"

She just sat down with me today and made it thru about 3 of her little beginner books and shocked even herself! Thanks Auntie for those Dora Phonics books (3 years later they're coming in handy!!!) It's really amazing to try and remember back when I was little "what was life like before I could recognize words?"... I'm excited for the world of reading to open up to her. Plus she's just so darn cute trying to lip/sound out the words slowly with a lisp and fat lip and missing teeth! They've been learning those high frequency words in class and it's helped her so much get thru those little words that are naughty and break the rules we say!

This is us on our way to go walk around the neighborhood hunting for puddles today....Brrrr! We are excited for a good reason to wear our rain gear and boots and made some good splashes!
(L) Will (Pronounced Wiw by Hallé)-12months old who comes to our house Wednesdays and Thursdays to play..The girls ADORE him and vice versa.

HTML Savy?!?

Ok, I don't know if savy is even close, but I've finally got the concept ( I said concept not the know how) behind html codes... I don't know how to find all the codes I'm looking for yet, but thanks Heather I'm happy I finally was able to make the playlist at the bottom of the page with our favorite songs! Hope you all have some time to leave our screen up or minimize it and enjoy the music; the girls and I really love them all! My brother will be so proud that I've finally added music and created my first "playlist"...If you have a blog site, let me know. It seems like a fun and easy way to keep up with family and friends.
The sweet little baby I've been watching now is Layla, who's blog site (Hoppe Family is a link to the right)....you have to check out her hysterical halloween photo shoot!...and of course my best friend from Highschool Erin (Courtney) Fay's twins "Hannah & Clara" are always hysterical to look at their photo shoots and bloopers...link to the right as well in case you didn't know whose link that was.

Tooth Fairy Time

So glad that we got her Kindergarten School Portraits taken by Courtney ...Because Eden has one less tooth to Photograph, AND brush the Halloween goodies off of. (Her 3rd now) She was rough housing with her friends and knocked her top loose tooth out, loosened another, and split her lip. Lot's of blood on the Seahawks jersey was her biggest concern! She lost her tooth at the Dron's house again like last time

(Just glad she didn't swallow it like last time)!

Her Fat lip is covering most of the tooth gap, but she lost the tooth below it as well last time! Can't believe how grown up and adorable she sounds talking now.

Eden's Christmas List:

1. Tooth
2. Tooth
3. Tooth

Halloween 2008

After I did up Hallé's face and explained to her why I was drawing on it and showed her in the mirror, she just kept pointing and saying...
"Heeeey, look mine bear nose!"

I think Eden's whole outfit she got with Grammie Beth this year evolved from her love of these silver shoes she got last year from her Grandma Jolene..and her desire to use Grandma's silver hair glitter in her hair! I'm grateful she has such "sparkly grandmas!"

Our First Trick-or-Treaters...(L-R)

Eden, Hallé, Sydney, Grady, and Justin the Ferocious Lion!

(L) Cousin Zain the MONKEY!
Cousin Aiden-4 months old!

"Let's go Fill These Bags!"

"Who are these people with animals and tree ornaments on their heads...& what did they do with my Grammie & Grampie?????"

Hannah Montana, "Super Mom", & Pooh Bear!

Here come the candy hunters!!!!

(L-R)
Jaedyn, Ella, Peyton, Zoe, Michael, Eden, Hallé, Abby

This photo below was taken by the Tri-City Herald & posted on their Photo Gallery of downtown trick or treating... (R) Eden as Hannah Montana in downtown Kennewick with her TinkerBell friend Abby and the rest of the gang following behind!

"Fill my Hunny Pot Please!!"

We had to explain to Hal after she got the hang of this that they wouldn't just keep filling her bag if she just kept standing there with it open...

(Turns out we were wrong...she did get the most candy by the end of the night!)

Here are the girls "enjoying their TREASURES!"

Don't worry Uncle Paul we've been brushing all hours of the day!

Daddy had one last minute costume idea for Hallé...to try his on...

i love you Hallé, but NO MULLETS ALLOWED!
(Thank goodness the billybob teeth didn't fit!)