Mother's Day is coming! I just got an email from the lovely necklace lady Suzanne Myers. You know, she makes these...Well, she just started making earrings that go with the name charm necklaces and I LURVE them! l.u.r.v.e. them. I don't wear earrings very much anymore, but these...ooooh, I'd make an exception.

You can find Suzanne and her fabulous jewels here...

and don't forget, Suzanne was kind enough to donate TWO of her amazing necklaces to the Kreuer fundraiser...and there's still time to enter!

BOX IT UP

I just saw this great 'BENTO' giveaway on a blog and had to link to it! I am a BENTO girl at heart and have decided that my girls would benefit greatly from the BENTO lifestyle...after all who doesn't want to compartmentalize their food!

If you want to enter this giveaway head over HERE.

I think this is an art form in food, and fun to boot.

it rained and it rained, and it bucketed down!

It's always more fun playing in the rain if you have friends along! Almost the entire cul de sac turned out for the splashfest the other day...this shot was taken during a brief pause in the downpour. The best part of living in the Netherworld is our neighbors across the street, the three girls are the Snowflowers BEST buddies in the entire world.

I don't get the attraction Mummy?
It's always nice to get some use out of the umbrellas...Piper has been BUSTING to use her Charlie & Lola one for ages...I used to have one of these little see-thru ones when I was little....quite cool really.

can you see me now?

someone call the dentist please!

Our good friends Kam & Naimisha gave us this whopping block of Cadbury chocolate they picked up on a trip to the UK! Holy tooth decay my friends! Can you even believe the joy on the Snowflowers faces!!! This is a years supply...or if Piper had her way, perhaps a weeks worth. Yum.

"ey wand fug'n mowyee"

I took me at least five minutes to figure out what Paisley was saying to me this afternoon when we got into the car. It started out softly and quickly moved into a yell...at the 10th time I FINALLY got what she was asking for...and obliged.

What do you think it was?

Can you decifer it?

If you can, there is a prize...first person to get the right answer will get something really cool.

...and, she isn't swearing...I promise!

Mike said this is too hard so I have to give you a clue...

Clue 1. Irish.

Clue 2: A bodhran is involved

Last clue: it's a band...now you just need to figure out which one.

LISA M. wins! (she left a comment on a different forum)

I WANT FLOGGING MOLLY!

Paisley's favorite band. Lisa wins this CD!

little snowflower gets her turnjust in case you think Piper has all the fun...it's Paisley's turn tomorrow.

stay tuned for details...but it involves organic clothing, websites, and this amazing photographer

UPDATE: the session went really well, Paisley was quite solemn during the photoshoot, but they seemed quite pleased with her sweetness...the clothing for this new website is amazing...all organic cotton, lovely colors...so soft. As soon as the website is up and running I'll pop the link up here.

not to mention....this photograph was taken by Lauri Stumph...yet another talented Minneapolis photographer!

"NO FAIR!..

...how come JESUS

made grownups

the bosses

of EVERYTHING?!"

What does one say when your indignant four year old is throwing a tizzy at the local grocery store and these words come out of her mouth?

You tell me...I was speechless.

yep...she goes to a Lutheran pre-school...I guess she was raging against the machine that day!

RAINDANCING

So...we are back to the 'official' Spring forcast, snow, rain, more rain, snow...get the drift? Sometimes we get a few 60 degree days that lull us into believing winter is REALLY over, but we're just kidding ourselves, Winter is never really over until June!

In the mean time, the snowflowers had fun playing in the 1/4" puddles that formed in the cul de sac, they were pretty measly puddles, but the girls did not care...they threw themselves into puddle jumping like it was an Olympic sport!

Big Snowflower shows little Snowflower her technique
the downhill gutter stomp
'breakin' the pavement stomp'

note: we have several names in our house for rainboots...I call them 'gumboots' because I'm from New Zealand, Mike calls them 'rainboots', and sometimes Piper calls them 'Wellies' because she watches Charlie & Lola...okay, sometimes I call them 'wellies' too. We have as yet to call them galoshes, which is another word for them...hmm...I like that one, it rolls of the tongue!

There it is...new word for rainboots...GALOSHES

I want a pettiskirtI do...I really really do...and I know I cannot justify buying one, because they are stinkin' pricey and ridiculously so. But...something in me wants one...I think I might need to find one to borrow so that I can at least take photos of the girls in it. It's romantic and pretty and whimsical.

I saw this photo on pixel fairy princess and I swooned. Isn't she a beautiful photographer, and wow, her LiLi is just stunning.

I want a pettiskirt...bad.

I forgot my camera...On Saturday night...and I missed out on taking some amazing photos!

We ran into our neighbor at the supermarket in the afternoon and were cordially invited to dinner...SUSHI night - YUMMO!

We made a quick stop to pick up some dessert and a few bottles of wine and sake and spent the next few hours hamming it up across the cul de sac. The snowflowers had fun hanging out with the bigger girls, and we all enjoyed the impromptu 'culture show' that was put on by the 8-11 crowd...which included dances and songs from China, Sweden, Germany and Russia!(the girls made EVERYTHING up, and did a wonderful job!)...Piper even did a kung fu show and made up her own song about leaves, wind and trees.

Everyone played guitar hero, and Mike was SLAYED by each and every tween...I dared not even attempt a try, especially since I'm as coordinated as a shopping trolley at Walmart!

Much fun was had, the sushi was awesome...the smoked trout was exceptional and the sake...lets just say, my new favorite drink is SAKE baby!

next time...I will take my camera!

pretty paisley rockin' the camo
struttin the stripes

f.i.e.r.c.e. On Sunday Piper was in the NORDSTROM fashion show at the Mall of America. She had such fun being a supermodel for a day!strutting her stuff on the runway! She made sure everyone could see how 'twirly' the skirt was on the 'ooh la la' dress she wore! Don't worry folks, this isn't the newest recruit for 'Toddlers & Tiara's', it was just a bit of fun for Piper, who is always dressing up and putting on a show!

I think she liked the 'make up' part the best

practicing her twirl for the runway

thrilled

Pour me a glass of whop-arse!On our local morning show today, they announced that Dan Aykroyd was in the Twin Cities...the following conversation went like this.

Mike "hey honey, Dan Aykroyd is in Minneapolis"

Me "what for"

Mike "selling his wine...did you know he made wine?"

Piper "we're going to have to defeat him!"

aaaah, the things kids say...hmmm, wonder if his wine is any good?

MY BEAUTIFUL SNOWFLOWER I know every Mother under the sun believes their child is beautiful...and rightly so. ..but there is something about her that makes you catch your breath. it's not just that she is a pretty child, she is so much more than that...it's that she has an old soul, a 'knowing' of sorts that seems in far excess of her years. She has an intelligence that astounds us, and inquistive mind that challenges us, and a passion for all things that inspires us.

The experiences in her life that have shaped who she is so far are many. Her resiliance and ability to adapt are amazing but not perfect, never perfect. She reacts with passion in all aspects of her life. She is a storyteller, theatrical and insightful in her creations. She is dramatic...oh so dramatic. She is more than just a pretty face...so much more.

all photography by Lauri Stumph (you didnt think I could take photos like these did you?)

HAPPY SAINT PATRICK'S DAY!

I don't have a 'specific' Paddy's Day photo, but this one just makes me happy! Lauri took it back in the Autumn, and I just love how it makes me feel about my two Snowflowers...blissful! Just seeing how much my two girls love each other is better than corned beef & cabbage (which btw I have never seen on a menu in Ireland!

..and then, because I felt guilty, I took an extremely overexposed shot of Piper in the shamrock glasses Nana & Papa sent her. Paisley wouldn't cooperate...she sees no purpose in being in a gimmicky photo....I'm pretty sure she thinks I need photographic help. Hello my name is Hayley, I am a terrible photographer.

ONE YEAR AGO TODAY!

One year ago today our sweet Paisley was handed to us in a hotel conference room in Nanchang China. Our little girl had been taken from her foster family the day before and was scared, shocked, traumatized and anxious, so much so that she scratched her legs so badly that you couldn't see skin under all the blood! While it was a happy and long awaited day for our family, it was also possibly one of the most traumatic days Paisley will ever experience. She clung to her little green and yellow plastic pickle for dear life...her only link to her foster family.

Today we celebrated the day Paisley was united with our little family, ONE YEAR people...ONE WHOLE YEAR! We also remembered her foster family and are so thankful for the love and affection they showed our little girl for her first 10 months.

Paisley is an extremely sweet and trusting child, she loves hugs and kisses and snuggles.

She adores Charlie & Lola, Olivia the Pig and Peppa Pig!

She can sing 80% of twinkle twinkle little star.

She loves shoes, especially her bright pink cowgirl boots and a patent red and white pair of "Olibia" ballet shoes.

She loves hairbows and clippies.

She loves pony tails, and if Daddy calls them "piggies" she corrects him "ponies"

She loves her Daddy, Mummy & Sister...and her "dog" and she tells us all at least 50 times a day "luv you"

She is shy in public and rarely speaks in new company, but talks up a storm at home.

She loves sleeping with her sister...they now share 'Piper's' full sized bed...and LOVE it!

She eats anything.

She is almost potty trained!

She loves being as fancy as possible and will refuse to wear something if it is not pink!

She can take your breath away with a smile.

She is truly amazing.

Thanks

When Kris and I were in the beginning stages of setting up the Kreuers Fundraiser we contacted a bunch of people and flat out asked for donations....we tried to find things that adoptive parents would be interested in and myadoptionwebsite came to mind. One day I just decided to email them Carrie's story and asked if there was anyway they could participate.

They jumped right in and were SO generous, offering not only one of their wonderful adoption online travel websites for one lucky winner, but they also offered to give one to the Kreuer Family when they travel to get Anna Grace! They even featured the fundraiser on their website!

We've been having a bit of a hard time getting donations for the fundraiser, I know, it's tough times for many folks right now, so we understand. I just wanted to give a shout out to a wonderful company, run by a talented and giving couple.

AND...if you know anyone who is travelling to adopt their child internationally, send them over to myadoptionwebsite to check out their packages, then tell them to jump over to the Kreuer's Fundraiser because they have a package on auction!!!

TWO PARTIES in TWELVE HOURS!HOLY COW! Piper had two birthday parties to attend last weekend, the first one was her friend Aubrey's...a swim party! Yes, I know a swim party at 6pm on a cold Minnesota winter's night might seem a little crazy, but it was fun, indoors and Piper loved it! Paisley and I stayed out of the water, but Daddy reluctantly took the plunge with Piper...brrrr.Paisley looks on as Daddy & Piper take the plunge...it was too HOT in the pool room for both of us so we retreated upstairs.

Chunkin'Cheese Party #2

The second party was the next morning at 'Chunkin' Cheese', well, that's what Piper called it! We'd NEVER been inside one, and if I were to hazard a guess we'll probably avoid them forever if possible. Piper was SO SCARED of Chuckie that she cowered in the corner when he came around

Mike snapped a grainy photo of our terrified little girl, this was actually after she emerged from under the table....I don't blame her....an 8 foot mouse is pretty scary!

SO FREAKIN' EXCITED!

I'm signing up for a photography course in June...it's with the talented Pixel Fairy Princess and I couldn't be more EXCITED! WOW...what a talent! If I can learn 1% of what she knows I will be happy! She has workshops all around the Nation, check her out...who knows she might have one near you!

Hallway GymnasticsPiper loves Gymnastics...L.O.V.E.S. it! She has been going once a week for about a year now and has the best time. She is really trying her best to perfect a cartwheel and is almost doing the full splits, she is a little cautious on the bars and beam, but I think tumbling is her favorite! She cartwheels herself down the hallway at any given moment and is proud of her 'straight legs'

She has also been working on the splits...ouch.

Who knows, perhaps gymnastics is her thing?

CUTE

My Dads' truck is better than your Dad's truck!My Dad is a car guy....from the time I was a wee kiddie until today, my Dad has loved cars, trucks and all things with chrome and whitewalls! Today Dad sent me a few photos of the 'project' he has been working on for the last few years...boy it's cool...but then again, so is my Dad! My Dad is a details guy...details details details! I just love the color Dad, well done! Now, if it was back in the 70's all the neighborhood kids would have piled in the back and headed down to the waterfront for fish & chips...no seatbelts required!

I remember an old green truck we had when we were kids...just seeing photos of this one made me remember the fun times we had when we were kids.

Dad's also a bit of a garden freak...having transformed a few acres of land into one of New Zealands most famous tropical gardens in less than a decade. Here he is with one of his 'babies'...a bromeliad, he's a bit of a pro in the bro' department...creating all sorts of fancy new ones....(no, he does not work for the CIA, this isn't 'Meet the Parents', he actually DOES love plants!)

I miss my Dad terribly, we don't get back to to New Zealand very often, I hope to take the girls next year if we can manage it. I miss seeing my family, the kids really are missing out on having WONDERFUL grandparents by living so far away. Grandad Pete & Nana Jocelyn, and Nana Rosemary are our KIWI family, we miss them, and all the cousins and Aunties and Uncles too.

BTW..New Zealand rocks in March...ROCKS!

WANNA WIN THIS?

Of course you do...I do! You can...all you need to do is visit our friends fundraiser blog and donate $10!

Click here to go to the Kreuer Family blog to read their story or click here to go directly to their fundraiser page. Honestly, if you read their story you will not be able to resist helping them! Carrie and her family have experienced a tragedy beyond comprehension, and due to the death of their daughter MJ and the medical and funeral costs, the adoption of their newest daughter Anna Grace is at risk.

Please donate just $10 to this wonderful caring family, it will honor the memory of MJ and help them bring sweet little Anna Grace home!

POP POP POP

When the winter blahs are getting you down, and your kids are sick of drawing, painting, stickering and all other traditional amusements...try a good old fashioned sheet of bubble wrap! It's 45 seconds of pure joy. Throw in a couple rolls of wrapping paper for balance, a giggly and somewhat sniffy Mummy (blame my cold medication) a silly big sister and a very hairy schnauzer... VOILA...pure magic!

If we can't have our concert....

then the Snowflowers shall at least have theirs!

let me say, despite being monumentally bummed about missing out on FOTC tickets, I will at least have a little fun when we take the girls to see one of their favorite singers in a few weeks!

Rock on Justin...rock on.

BUMMER

sigh...I missed out...I didn't get tickets for my 'boyz', my 'hommies', my kiwi 'cuzzies'.

They are selling them on stubhub for $450 each!

I'm deflated, bummed, downcast.

Seeing Bret & Germaine last year was the highlight of our winter...and now...nothing...just snow and sadness.

sigh

FAIRY JUICE!

Someone cannot get enough 'fairy juice'....looks lovely doesn't it! Paisley sure does enjoy her daily dose of 'green food' ....lots of good stuff in this, from kiwifruit to kale..wheatgrass to broccoli! I don't think I've ever seen a kid chug it with quite as much gusto!

lip smackin'ly scrump-diddley-umptious!

mmmmmm.....good! "more pleeeeze"