Mother's Day Painting

For Mother's Day I thought that some paintings from the girls would be a great gift. I went ahead and bought all the supplies and got the girls set up to create their masterpieces. I didn't want to influence the gifts more than I already had so I left Matt in charge and ran to Harding's for groceries. I no sooner parked the Jeep and my phone rang. I was Matt asking me if the paint was toxic. I had to laugh. I couldn't wait to get home to see what was waiting. And to my great pleasure, I not only got 3 beautiful pieces of art to adorn my bedroom wall, but also these videos:

Happy 1st Birthday Little Carolyn Mae!

Carolyn turned a year old on April 3rd. I really don't know where the time went. She's already walking and babbling and getting into EVERYTHING. She's a sweet girl and her big tricks are waving and giving sweet open-mouthed kisses :)

She's a much bigger girl than Eleanor was, already 19 1/4 pounds. She loves to eat everything, but her favorites are steak and bacon (just like Daddy).

Carolyn loves to play and play and play. We have a playroom upstairs and whenever we carry her up there her little arms and legs get a flapping and she squeals and squirms. She loves playing with her big sister and recently started mocking her - pretending to eat food from the play kitchen, etc.

Carolyn has the cutest toothy smile! And lucky for us, she's a happy girl and we see it often.
We love you Carolyn Mae!

Happy Birthday Sweet Eleanor Jane! (March 24)

Our baby girl turned 3 on March 24th. Eleanor is such a joy. She's got to be one of the sweetest girls always telling us she loves us - just out of the blue, she'll walk up to me, wrap her arms around my neck, and say "I love you Mama".

And she's always thinking of others. One day she had a dollar and I asked her what she wanted to buy and her response was, "Something for Daddy, Carolyn, Mommy and Eleanor".

So for her birthday, cousin Francie was celebrating her 4th birthday with a trip to Chicago and the American Girl store. How perfect, Eleanor was invited, and we celebrated her 3rd birthday too.

Eleanor, Francie and Delaney on the train

The girls: Francie, Delaney, Eleanor, Isabelle, and Anna

Eleanor in the "Big City"

Eleanor and Bitty at the AG Cafe

We had an amazing day. The store is unreal with its doll hair salon, hospital, and more dolls and clothes and accessories than you could imagine. Eleanor saw a high chair minutes into the store and wouldn't waiver. So we bought her that and some little jarred baby foods and a bottle for her birthday.

Aunt Jennifer bought little 3-year-old Eleanor an aluminum bat, glove and ball for her birthday. Did I mention the bat's aluminum? Yeah, I'm thinking we need to get a helmet (for Carolyn). No casualties yet, but Jennifer also bought Carolyn a whiffle ball and bat with a T. Eleanor T'd up a ball and crushed the ball into Jennifer's head with her first swing. How perfect :)

No matter what the doctor says (24.6 pounds), Eleanor is really growing up. Her latest trick is playing in her room after we tuck her in and say goodnight. We'll hear her singing and talking to her dolls for an hour after bedtime some nights.

Eleanor caught reading past bedtime (she's currently into my old Little Miss and Little Mister books - anyone remember those?)

Eleanor's our little entertainer. She dances, she sings, she plays the 'bitar' (guitar). She loves watching musicals. We recently watched Mama Mia, Annie and the High School Musical movies. She loves anything with singing and dancing. So when Annie came to South Bend I had to get us tickets. I got tickets to the Friday night show for the two of us. I picked her up from daycare and told her about the tickets. I told her it was a special night, just the two of us, and we'd probably get dressed up. Her eyes lit-up as she told me, "I'm gonna be a ladybug!". No Eleanor, not that kind of dressed up.

The entire drive to the show, Eleanor was in the backseat, "Mama, this is going to be fun!", "I love Annie!", "Where does Annie live?", "Mama, this is going to be fun!".

In our seats in the third balcony, before the show started, Eleanor pointed down to the stage and said, "Mama, someday I want to go down there and sing." You know, it wouldn't suprise me.

She loved the show and be-bopped in her seat throughout. Since, she's been going throughout the house singing, "HOLY COW, SOMEBODY PINCH ME PLEASE!

Eleanor, stay sweet. We love you!

Valentine's Day

I know, Valentine's Day has come and gone, but I have the excuse that we've all been sick since then and that delayed my posting.

The day started out great. We gave the girls cute little popcorn containers. Eleanor's had new panties and peanut M&Ms in it and Carolyn got animal crackers. Then we went to an indoor waterpark with all the Young cousins. The girls had an absolute blast!

The girls all happy with their gifts :)

Carolyn at the hotel - she loves TP (and fishing in the toilet) and since we were at a hotel, we let her have at it

That's where it turned bad. We've all spent the past week and a half fighting sicknesses, visiting the doctors, filling prescriptions, missing work, etc. Carolyn's had a nasty ear infection that the first does of antibiotics didn't kill. She's now on her second, higher potency dosage. She also had pinkeye which she has gotten for the second time this week and also passed to her sister and mother.

In addition to the pinkeye, Eleanor has had the nastiest cough which won't go away. And occasionally will run a fever, once as high as 102.7. The girl doesn't complain one bit, only wimpers "I gotta booga" when she needs us to wipe her nose. I finally took her to the doctor to find out that she too has an ear infection.

Eleanor hanging out with Daddy

With the girls both on antibiotics and hopefully on the mend, I finally treated myself to a trip to the doctor. I too have an antibiotic and luckily Carolyn's eye drops work for all of us.

Mama and Carolyn just being sick

Matt's missed one day of work and is feeling better without the aid of an antibiotic (knock on wood).

We've Moved!!

At last! The house is finally complete! What an adventure these past almost 2 years have been. But now we're living in our dream house and we are already forgetting all the headaches we've experienced lately.


The girls are adjusting wonderfully - like they've always lived here. Eleanor now sleeps in a 'big-girl bed' and is doing better than I had thought. She has a way of proving us wrong when we underestimate her abilities. She goes to bed and almost always stays in bed. She has only fallen out once (and that was when she was still awake - we're unsure of what she was doing).


We're pretty well moved in. Unpacking is another story. It's definitely livable as we've been here for almost two weeks, but there's more to do. Mainly getting window treatment up and decorating. But we'll get there.


I'm going to post still pictures on our house blog - http://www.444moccasin.blogspot.com/ but below is a video of Eleanor giving a tour. Enjoy!

Lots To Report

Eleanor, uncoaxed and unassisted, wrote the letters 'E' and 'O'

Carolyn learned how to yo-yo
Eleanor helped make her first batch of Pepparkokar (Swedish Christmas cookies)

We dressed the girls up in matching outfits and went to a Christmas Eve party

Eleanor got a scooter from Santa

The girls both loved Christmas morning

Eleanor learned how to eat black olives

Eleanor opened a restaurant and is acting as the executive chef

Carolyn's big enough to take baths with Eleanor

Carolyn's been playing with all her new toys

We got together with all their 'Young' family cousins - all 14 of them!

Eleanor's socks started standing on their own

We started a rock band

Carolyn can pull herself up

Merry Christmas!

This year we decided not to send our Christmas cards. It's sad because I've enjoyed doing them the past couple years. But we plan on sending the "We Have Moved" cards soon anyway. Then I realized that just because we're saving on stamps doesn't mean we can't have a digital Christmas card. So here it is.

The Young Family 2008 Christmas Card: