Friday, May 27, 2011

Pippi Longstockings


Larkin loves Pippi Longstockings!
In the spirit of Pippi ... we braided this impossible head of hair!
Larkin has impossibly thin and wispy hair. I cannot do anything with it. I usually just clip it out of her eyes {and she rips the clip out as soon as I turn my back}, so I was skeptical when she said she wanted braids.

It may seem like a small thing ... braids ... big deal right!?!
But if you tried doing this kid's hair every day you would celebrate Pippi pigtails too!

I remember when I was a little girl my mother would stand me in front of the mirror every morning and brush and do my extremely long, thick hair. Pigtails, braids, side ponytails {I was a child of the 80s}, clips, ribbons ... she spent HOURS on my hair every week!
Once she went out of town and my dad was left to try and do my hair every day. I was young, and my mom probably thought we would get along just fine without her, but it was rough! My dad tried to pull my long thick hair into ponytails and barrettes, but it was a disaster! The barrettes would slide out and the ponytails were lumpy and lopsided. I was grateful when my mom came home and took over hair duty again.

Doing Larkin's hair every day is a little like my experience as a child, except I am on the other end of the brush now. Larkin's hair is thin and slips out of the barrettes. It breaks when I put ponytails in. I brush it and spray it and put her in her car seat on Sundays only to show up to church with her hair looking like a rats-nest {and the clip is always MIA!} It is rough. Every day we struggle.

So today I celebrate Pippi pigtails!

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Making Faces


I am in love with these two gals!
Larkin loves having her maga come and visit and she loves spending time outside!

Just look at her face ... it says it all!


And speaking of faces ... I had to add this one. It is classic! Tongue slightly out. Complete concentration.
I am in love with this stinker!

Wednesday, May 25, 2011



It's never too late to be what you might have been.
~ George Eliot


Saturday, May 14, 2011

Whew!


We finished school this week (whew!) and Scot is switching to a later shift at work. Both are worth celebrating because both mean we will get to start sleeping in a little at our house.

How did we spend our first night of freedom?

... sick in bed!

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Luft Balloons

When I was pregnant and huge with Larkin, 34 weeks pregnant to be exact, I remember finally finding a car seat that stood up to my scrutiny. As Scot carried the car seat out to the car I jokingly said, "Okay. She can come now. We have a car seat to take her home from the hospital in."
She was born two weeks later.

This week a package came in the mail ... it carried our
Rice-Family-Summer-2011-Special-Addition-Spectacular-Adventure-Shirts!
... and so I not-so-jokingly say, "Okay. Summer can start now. We are ready.
We have our T-shirts. Bring on the sun and the fun!"

(Making silly faces while we model our luft balloons ... it's going to be the best summer yet!)

In other news ... Easter was a BLAST this year! It was so fun to talk with Larkin about spring and Jesus and the Easter Bunny. She loved hunting for eggs. She loved eating the candy. She loved everything about Easter except the pink headband I REALLY wanted her to wear to church. You can't win them all!

I love this time of year. I love when the earth wakes up and stretches it's lazy bones and starts to blossom with life. I love the fluffy white clouds that brush the bright blue sky. I love the warmth and growth that the spring brings.
It is appropriate to celebrate the life of our Savior as the earth begins to buzz and churn with new life!

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Day on the Quad

Sunshine, toys, friends, grass, bubbles ...
How can you go wrong?

Today was "Day on the Quad" at Larkin's school. It is national week of the young child, and this event is the schools way of getting the kids front and center ...
The school is literally moved to the quad by the library. Art center, blocks center, reading corner, sensory tables ... you name it, they move it. It takes a TON of work from teachers, parents, and volunteers, but it was so much fun!
Larkin loved playing and exploring outside!

(putting a baby to bed is Larkin's favorite thing to do right now!)


(Doing a little grocery shopping ... she said she was shopping for treats :)


(Playing the drums)


(Dot markers and finger painting. With a toddler it's always finger painting :)

What a wonderful way to spend the morning!
Larkin is the love of my life.
I love how she gulps up life like she just can't get enough of it all!

Saturday, April 9, 2011

lARKIN 101


fAMILY tIME iS mY fAVORITE tIME!

lARKIN 101
bUSY = hAPPY
rUNNING, gALLOPING, hOPPING = tHE oNLY wAY tO gET aROUND!
oUTSIDE = sMILES


sLIDES = wAY mORE iNTERESTING tHAN lIONS, tIGERS, bEARS, oR bIRDS
mUSIC = dANCING, eVEN iN pUBLIC

Larkin loves to move in a heard!
She is happiest when she and mom and dad can explore the world together!
Which means ...
tODAY = hAPPINESS