Matthew made this 18"X8" glass platter this week! I was so impressed when he brought it home :). It's the product of his recent glass-fusing class. I think if the PhD in Economics doesn't pan out, we will just build a big art studio and live off our original art pieces. I'd buy Matthew's art! Wouldn't you?
February 2, 2008
January 28, 2008
Off the cuff answers...
A friend of mine asked her 5-year old some great questions recently, and I was inspired to do the same of my 6-year old. These are un-edited, honest answers from Abby:
What's your favorite thing to do?
A: Draw pictures.
What is your favorite place to go?
A: Um, toy shop.
What is your favorite ice cream?
A: Swirl. (This refers to a frozen yogurt made with live, active cultures, and no additives. Tastes like frozen Kefir, if you've had that. Very yogurtish compared to the "frozen yogurt" you might think of, which is more like soft serve ice cream with tons of corn syrup. Blech. Abby gets a belly ache from that stuff.)
Favorite thing at school?
A: To play in the blue stuff (tires and cut-up tires).
What do you want to be when you grow up?
A: Dolphin trainer.
What will you name your first kid?
A: Um, I don't know. Um, what is it, Bekatris? Beatrice. Beatrice, that's what I think.
Whom do you want to marry?
A: I don't know. (giggle) How should I know that? I don't know anybody yet.
G: what about Miles or Grayson?
A: They're not a grown up! Why can't I marry Noah?
G: Because he's you brother, and you're not allowed to marry your brother.
A: Allowed? Is that the law?
G: I think maybe it is the law.
Where will you live when you grow up?
A: I don't know.
G: Where do you WANT to live when you grow up?
A: St. Louis.
What is your favorite song?
A: Down by the bay.
What is your favorite thing to watch?
A: The Chipmunk Adventure.
What is your favorite food?
A: Cous cous.
What is your favorite treat?
A: (giggle) My favorite treat is to stay up late.
Who is your best friend?
A: Noah
What is your favorite drink?
A: Cold Water.
Favorite Book?
A: Dr. Seuss.
Favorite Game?
A; Sunken treasure adventure.
G: What is that?
A: It's a game where there is an octopus on a board, and whoever gets the most words, wins.
What is your favorite word?
A: More.
What 's your favorite animal?
A; dolphins. Why are you asking me so much?
G: Because I think you're interesting.
A: I want to do more.
How would you describe daddy?
A: Um, he likes to have naps. His name starts with an M. He's my dad. He is a doctor, that doctor thing where you're a teach-doctor. He doesn't smile very much, he doesn't laugh when I show him something funny, he just smiles. He loves me. And I love him. My favorite thing to do with daddy is go shopping with him. He lets me pick something out and he lets me choose whatever I want.
G: Does he let you eat when you're at the store?
A: YES!
G: Do you think daddy is handsome?
A: Yes.
G: Does he look like any cartoon character?
A: Dave from Alvin and the Chipmunks. Doesn't he?
Note from G: For the record, Matthew does smile, though not as much as I do, and not as much as Noah does, perhaps. Abby is a VERY sensitive face-reader. She notices even the tiniest glimmer of emotion in a face. She often asks me: "Momma, are you tired? Because when you smile, your eyes go down." Or she will notice the curve of your lip, the movement of an eyebrow...She will probably work for the CIA one day, reading faces.
How would you describe mommy?
A: Um, I like how you let me choose what movie I want. She has green eyes. Uh, I like her. She listens to me very well.
G: What's your favorite thing to do with me?
A: Not go to school. Play.
G: Does mommy look like any cartoon character?
A: Ratatouille Girl. (Colette)
How would you describe Noah?
A: He's little. He's my brother. He likes to chew on my stuff and he smiles at me. He doesn't like going to bed. His name is Noah, and he's my brother.
G: Does Noah look like any cartoon character?
A: yoda. No, Simba when he is little. Maybe piglet.
Are you happy?
A: yes.
G: What makes you happy? What do you like about your life?
A: 'Cause I don't have to do that much homework like you, and it's easy. I'm happy because I have a little brother. And I'm happy that he "Oh's" at me. And I'm happy that he says "G" and "mama."
What do you wish for?
A; That um, I could do anything I want, whenever I want. And I want every movie in the world.
What's your favorite kind of flower?
A: Tulip.
What's your favorite thing to do?
A: Draw pictures.
What is your favorite place to go?
A: Um, toy shop.
What is your favorite ice cream?
A: Swirl. (This refers to a frozen yogurt made with live, active cultures, and no additives. Tastes like frozen Kefir, if you've had that. Very yogurtish compared to the "frozen yogurt" you might think of, which is more like soft serve ice cream with tons of corn syrup. Blech. Abby gets a belly ache from that stuff.)
Favorite thing at school?
A: To play in the blue stuff (tires and cut-up tires).
What do you want to be when you grow up?
A: Dolphin trainer.
What will you name your first kid?
A: Um, I don't know. Um, what is it, Bekatris? Beatrice. Beatrice, that's what I think.
Whom do you want to marry?
A: I don't know. (giggle) How should I know that? I don't know anybody yet.
G: what about Miles or Grayson?
A: They're not a grown up! Why can't I marry Noah?
G: Because he's you brother, and you're not allowed to marry your brother.
A: Allowed? Is that the law?
G: I think maybe it is the law.
Where will you live when you grow up?
A: I don't know.
G: Where do you WANT to live when you grow up?
A: St. Louis.
What is your favorite song?
A: Down by the bay.
What is your favorite thing to watch?
A: The Chipmunk Adventure.
What is your favorite food?
A: Cous cous.
What is your favorite treat?
A: (giggle) My favorite treat is to stay up late.
Who is your best friend?
A: Noah
What is your favorite drink?
A: Cold Water.
Favorite Book?
A: Dr. Seuss.
Favorite Game?
A; Sunken treasure adventure.
G: What is that?
A: It's a game where there is an octopus on a board, and whoever gets the most words, wins.
What is your favorite word?
A: More.
What 's your favorite animal?
A; dolphins. Why are you asking me so much?
G: Because I think you're interesting.
A: I want to do more.
How would you describe daddy?
A: Um, he likes to have naps. His name starts with an M. He's my dad. He is a doctor, that doctor thing where you're a teach-doctor. He doesn't smile very much, he doesn't laugh when I show him something funny, he just smiles. He loves me. And I love him. My favorite thing to do with daddy is go shopping with him. He lets me pick something out and he lets me choose whatever I want.
G: Does he let you eat when you're at the store?
A: YES!
G: Do you think daddy is handsome?
A: Yes.
G: Does he look like any cartoon character?
A: Dave from Alvin and the Chipmunks. Doesn't he?
Note from G: For the record, Matthew does smile, though not as much as I do, and not as much as Noah does, perhaps. Abby is a VERY sensitive face-reader. She notices even the tiniest glimmer of emotion in a face. She often asks me: "Momma, are you tired? Because when you smile, your eyes go down." Or she will notice the curve of your lip, the movement of an eyebrow...She will probably work for the CIA one day, reading faces.
How would you describe mommy?
A: Um, I like how you let me choose what movie I want. She has green eyes. Uh, I like her. She listens to me very well.
G: What's your favorite thing to do with me?
A: Not go to school. Play.
G: Does mommy look like any cartoon character?
A: Ratatouille Girl. (Colette)
How would you describe Noah?
A: He's little. He's my brother. He likes to chew on my stuff and he smiles at me. He doesn't like going to bed. His name is Noah, and he's my brother.
G: Does Noah look like any cartoon character?
A: yoda. No, Simba when he is little. Maybe piglet.
Are you happy?
A: yes.
G: What makes you happy? What do you like about your life?
A: 'Cause I don't have to do that much homework like you, and it's easy. I'm happy because I have a little brother. And I'm happy that he "Oh's" at me. And I'm happy that he says "G" and "mama."
What do you wish for?
A; That um, I could do anything I want, whenever I want. And I want every movie in the world.
What's your favorite kind of flower?
A: Tulip.
little chef
Now that he can crawl, Noah is focusing his attention once again on vocalizing. He was quiet for a long time as he practiced pulling up, crawling, and a few moves somewhere in-between those two. Lately he likes to make funny crinkle sounds by blowing air through his teeth and smiling. He doesn't raspberry with his lips together very often, but every once in a while he surprises himself. Squeals, grunts, and attempts at baby-talk phrases are common. He favors the guh sound and the muh sound.
Noah lights up with grins when Abby comes home. His legs start pumping and his arms wave around with anticipation of her attention. Sometimes his excitement vents through small bites to my shoulder, but we're working on curbing that. When Abby is within reach, Noah likes to pat her: pat, pat, pat, pat, pat. After nearly every nap, we find him standing up and yammering for attention. When we walk up to the crib, the arms go up, as if to say "pick me up!" He is irresistibly cute, and is lots of fun at this stage. If you're a Noah fan, you really should come visit us before he grows out of the pre-toddler cuteness. You don't have all that much time!
Noah lights up with grins when Abby comes home. His legs start pumping and his arms wave around with anticipation of her attention. Sometimes his excitement vents through small bites to my shoulder, but we're working on curbing that. When Abby is within reach, Noah likes to pat her: pat, pat, pat, pat, pat. After nearly every nap, we find him standing up and yammering for attention. When we walk up to the crib, the arms go up, as if to say "pick me up!" He is irresistibly cute, and is lots of fun at this stage. If you're a Noah fan, you really should come visit us before he grows out of the pre-toddler cuteness. You don't have all that much time!
January 20, 2008
Happy Birthday, beautiful Abby!
Abby's 6th birthday party was a blast! The Paris-themed party, with Ratatouille flare, was attended by six kids plus Abby and Noah. The kiddos got to go to town on tons of cupcakes: sprinkles, color spray for an air-brush effect, sparkle powder, sparkle gel--you name it, we had it. Click on the pictures to see a couple of Abby's original creations; they are really terrific. The parents got to sit in the living room and drink coffee while the kids giggled and talked. Wow, six is easier than two or three! Noah watched the whole scene from his bouncy seat.
The two-tiered cake was a family affair: Matthew made the cake (vanilla/chocolate swirl) and the AMAZING (from scratch) vanilla custard torte filling. Abby helped with the baking and the design choices, and she had a hand in icing the cake too! She had a specific green in mind and wanted light blue centers for the white flowers. Noah and Abby were in charge of taste testing. We were going to have green and white balloons, but Abby simply didn't want balloons...she was adamant.
It was quite an event. We're more proud of our girl than we can say. She is darling and truly a sweet girl.
Next up: Noah's first birthday (in April).
The two-tiered cake was a family affair: Matthew made the cake (vanilla/chocolate swirl) and the AMAZING (from scratch) vanilla custard torte filling. Abby helped with the baking and the design choices, and she had a hand in icing the cake too! She had a specific green in mind and wanted light blue centers for the white flowers. Noah and Abby were in charge of taste testing. We were going to have green and white balloons, but Abby simply didn't want balloons...she was adamant.
It was quite an event. We're more proud of our girl than we can say. She is darling and truly a sweet girl.
Next up: Noah's first birthday (in April).
January 19, 2008
January 14, 2008
Peekie the Peacock
For their 100th day of kindergarten, the kiddos got to use 100 somethings to make a picture (100 macaroni pieces, buttons, seeds, cotton balls, etc.). Abby chose 100 pieces of fabric--she is a girl after my own heart!!!!!!
With help from mom and dad only on crafting the body, Abby designed this gorgeous peacock and placed every feather, every pompom, every string, with such flare! We all love "Peekie" the Peacock and will enjoy having him around for a long time.
With help from mom and dad only on crafting the body, Abby designed this gorgeous peacock and placed every feather, every pompom, every string, with such flare! We all love "Peekie" the Peacock and will enjoy having him around for a long time.
January 11, 2008
Student of the Month!
Abby was honored as the student of the month this morning at an all-school assembly! Her teacher praised her for her mix of intelligence and humility (a really lovely combination of attributes). Abby seemed very excited to see Matthew, Noah, and me as she filed in to the assembly room; we don't know if that tipped her off as to her award, but she kept looking back at us with bright eyes and a huge grin. We're so proud of our precious girl; she is a delight to know and to love. I cannot think of anything in the world that could teach us more about what love is and how deeply we are loved by God than having Abby and Noah in our lives.
January 9, 2008
Four teeth and an assembly
December was THE MONTH of teething for Noah. Four new teeth made their way to the surface (three on top and one on the bottom). Noah now has all four front top teeth broken through and three (maybe four, though I can't get a good look) on the bottom. WOW. He had another good sleep last night. He only woke once after being put down. His naps today, on the other hand, have been awful. Oh, and another first to report: Just a minute ago I checked on Noah (he had been crying for a few minutes after being put down for his nap); the little guy was standing all the way up, holding onto the side of the crib! So now he can crawl across a room, pull to standing, and bite with 7 sharp teeth.
I am happy to report that Abby, while also able to do these amazing things, is more busy reading on her own and thinking of herself as a little grown-up. She really is working hard to be a good girl, and we are VERY proud to report that she will be named student of the month during this Friday's assembly! She doesn't know it yet, though, so save congratulations for after Friday morning!
I am happy to report that Abby, while also able to do these amazing things, is more busy reading on her own and thinking of herself as a little grown-up. She really is working hard to be a good girl, and we are VERY proud to report that she will be named student of the month during this Friday's assembly! She doesn't know it yet, though, so save congratulations for after Friday morning!
January 8, 2008
thank you, NOAH!
I cannot believe it. My son SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT. I mean from 10:15- 6:15. I hadn't thought it possible, but he did it. Matthew also slept through the night. Abby had a leg owie around 4 a.m. and ended up sleeping next to me for a couple of hours, but still, it was a good night.
Note to self: do NOT overfeed Noah after a full night's sleep. His eyes were way too big for his stomach this morning and he ended up ralphing a ton of milk on me after eating like he was STARVING. It was the most spit up (though not at all digested yet) I've ever had on me. Amazing, actually. So we were totally awake by 6:45.
Off to teach my first class of the quarter. Oh yes, and we DO have power despite the storms here in NorCal. We were only without power for about 7 hours.
Note to self: do NOT overfeed Noah after a full night's sleep. His eyes were way too big for his stomach this morning and he ended up ralphing a ton of milk on me after eating like he was STARVING. It was the most spit up (though not at all digested yet) I've ever had on me. Amazing, actually. So we were totally awake by 6:45.
Off to teach my first class of the quarter. Oh yes, and we DO have power despite the storms here in NorCal. We were only without power for about 7 hours.
a bob!
Matty took Abby for a haircut this weekend! She looks SO adorable with her hair short (and it is MUCH easier to brush!). Abby loves it and has gotten some great attention from her teacher and classmates. She looks very grown up to me, which she always does after getting a haircut. But as we near her 6th birthday (in just one week!), I am especially conscious of how grown up she is becoming.
December 30, 2007
Wrapping paper tastes so good...
It has been a full month. We had a great visit from Matthew's grandmother, Nancy (a.k.a. Meemo). I'd blog pics from that but all of them are on Mattew's computer at the moment, so he will have to send them to me first! It was a treat for all of us to have her here, but I think Abby and Noah were most pleased and spoiled to have so much attention! I bet Meemo was glad to get home and sleep through the night again.
So the whole month of December has been spent hanging out together (well, finishing classes and research in the early part of the month), cooking, eating, getting Noah through his first cold bug (poor little guy), and fighting a war against mice. Let me explain:
While Meemo was here, we were up one night watching a movie when we heard some odd scratchy sounds coming from the kitchen. I claimed we had a mouse and Matthew chuckled at the idea and said he doubted it was a mouse. Meemo seemed pretty convinced, but mostly she just laughed at the situation. This became funnier with each rustle and even funnier after a day or two. Finally, a couple days after Meemo left, I heard Matthew whisper to me: "G, I just saw the mouse!" Since then, Matty has caught 8 mice, making the whole thing not so funny anymore. We think that since ours is the only warm apartment (our bachelor neighbors are home for the holidays), the critters have found their way here. We're winning, but it is no fun.
Highlights from our holidays so far: Abby loves her Littlest Pest Shop, her little Disney Fairies, and her Wii game Big Brain Academy. She has been playing happily for days. Noah began crawling on Christmas Eve! Our friends caught it on their camera (I'll blog the youtube link soon). Matthew and I had fun making a big Christmas morning breakfast and laughing in the glow of the Christmas tree lights at night. It has been really wonderful.
So the whole month of December has been spent hanging out together (well, finishing classes and research in the early part of the month), cooking, eating, getting Noah through his first cold bug (poor little guy), and fighting a war against mice. Let me explain:
While Meemo was here, we were up one night watching a movie when we heard some odd scratchy sounds coming from the kitchen. I claimed we had a mouse and Matthew chuckled at the idea and said he doubted it was a mouse. Meemo seemed pretty convinced, but mostly she just laughed at the situation. This became funnier with each rustle and even funnier after a day or two. Finally, a couple days after Meemo left, I heard Matthew whisper to me: "G, I just saw the mouse!" Since then, Matty has caught 8 mice, making the whole thing not so funny anymore. We think that since ours is the only warm apartment (our bachelor neighbors are home for the holidays), the critters have found their way here. We're winning, but it is no fun.
Highlights from our holidays so far: Abby loves her Littlest Pest Shop, her little Disney Fairies, and her Wii game Big Brain Academy. She has been playing happily for days. Noah began crawling on Christmas Eve! Our friends caught it on their camera (I'll blog the youtube link soon). Matthew and I had fun making a big Christmas morning breakfast and laughing in the glow of the Christmas tree lights at night. It has been really wonderful.
December 25, 2007
December 3, 2007
Abby's first Christmas tree at home!
For some reason, once Thanksgiving was over, I was feeling like we HAD to get our tree. We were missing out on something important and time was slipping away too quickly. I was right. We brought home our Christmas tree on December 2nd (yesterday) and had a grand time decorating together. We listened to Bing Crosby and Sinatra, Abby snipped branches at the table for fun, and Matthew and I strung lights and talked about how crazy it is that the last time we put these lights up, Abby was in-utero! We're all enjoying the warmth and excitement the decorations bring to our home. We put up ornaments, by the way, and we fixed the ribbon so it no longer looks like someone "TP'd" our tree with golden toilet paper. Matthew likes our star--it tops a very happy looking tree!
November 29, 2007
snaggle-tooth
Noah has a third tooth just showing! It peeped out this morning. This one is the first tooth to show up on the top, and is over to the right side. He is going to look like a real snaggle-toothed kiddo soon! A quick visit to the doc for immunizations and we now know that Noah weighs 16.5 pounds!! He has seemed VERY hungry lately, so I think he is hitting another growth spurt. Go, Noah!!
November 25, 2007
Tickle tickle!
We've had an awesome break from school. Abby and Noah have been playing well together (thanks, no doubt, to Abby's lovingkindness and patience). Matty and Abby have been mastering a game on the Wii, and I've been working to (finally) finish Abby's blue quilt. We've cooked and cleaned, vegged, watched football (GO VOLS!! We won a nail-biter of a game yesterday!!), and Abby and I went on a terrific girls-only date to see "Enchanted." Matty and Abby are already planning their date to see Alvin and the Chipmunks. Matty and I are scheming about our tree-finding expedition! My favorite moment this Thanksgiving: we sat around our little table and shared what we were most thankful for this year. Matthew said he that he feels like a success and that he couldn't want for a better family to come home to each day; Abby said she was thankful that we had "really good chicken, I mean turkey" to eat; I said that I'm so thankful that we have Noah in our lives now. We feel very much like a family, the four of us. These days have been the sweetest ever.
Feasting
Matty, Abby and I feasted on turkey and delicious side dishes for Thanksgiving (while Noah napped), then we packed some din din to go and got to feast our eyes on darling (and BRAND new) Tegwyn Ella! Proud parents, Bronwyn and Jeremy, are besotted with their lovely daughter, and rightfully so. She is amazing. Congrats, friends! What a cause for thanksgiving, indeed!
November 17, 2007
5K Baby-jogger Run
Matty and Noah did the 5K baby-jogger run. Apparently Noah was asleep for most of it! I'm proud of Matty for getting out there for this run; it reminds me of cheering him on for the Chicago Marathon when Abby was about Noah's age! Of course, it was a LOT harder to find him after Chicago, and this time I actually got to cheer him across the finish line. I did the mile with Abby in the jogger and Matty holding Noah, but since Matty had my shoe chip in the jogger for his 5K, I'll be listed in the newspaper as having finished the 5K as fast as he did!
Go Abby, Go!!!
Abby ran the 1/2 mile today in the 2007 Davis Turkey Trot. She had fun and did an awesome job! I've posted a bunch of pictures on flikr, so click on this pic and check out the rest!
November 12, 2007
November 10, 2007
7 months old!
Tomorrow Noah will be 7 months old (or 6 months old, gestationally, but he seems to be meeting the milestones for his birth age). Noah has two teeth now, with more on the way soon. He likes music and likes to play. So far he still prefers hands-on play versus playing in an exersaucer (spelling?) by himself. When he falls off to sleep, he does this funny moaning thing: aaaaaawowowowowowwuhwuhwuwuhmmmmmmm. I think he just might have been saying mummmmmummmmmummm (an early form of mama??).
So far the Pearsons 4 have remained healthy! No flu-bugs this October and early November. Yay!
So far the Pearsons 4 have remained healthy! No flu-bugs this October and early November. Yay!
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