31 October 2009

..and now for something less terrifying!
Ready to terrorize the 'hood!
Paisley was well chuffed at being Lola all day She kept walking around saying..."I'm Lola and I will not go to bed!"
Piper was in her element as Violet Incredible

Don't forget to bring Mummy some candy!!!! So pretty...I hope this photo doesn't come back to haunt me!

Bwaaaaa-hahahahahahaha!Did I make you jump? This is what you look like after 10 years of marriage and two kids!

FOUR YEARS AGO TODAY
I just cannot believe it's been four years already! On October 31st 2005 a little girl from Northern Guangdong Province was placed into our arms in Guangzhou. Our forever family day...'Piper Day'.
The past four years have been a whirlwind, so much joy, so many challenges. We are so proud of who you are, Piper Lily, we love you to the moon and back and then some.
What a bright, sassy and confident little lady you have become!
photo by Amy Lemaniak @ ten tiny toes photography
HAPPY FOREVER FAMILY DAY PIPER

29 October 2009

Going Private...soon
It wont be Nov 1st, I'm just too busy with the kids...but it will before the end of the year. I have had so many requests to follow that I need to go through them all and send out the emails. I do need email addresses, so if you posted a comment please make sure you entered your email address.
Cheers!

28 October 2009

"I've got to get to School before the Dragons!"
Paisley loves Lola...she does. she loves Charlie & Lola, and Marv and Lotta and especially Sizzles the dog. This BBC childrens series(all 9 or 10 of them) has had a huge presence in our home and lives for over four years. My kids never watched Sesame Street, instead they watched the antics of their little British pals Charlie & Lola! This year Paisley wanted to be Lola, and lucky me, because I already had a costume we made for Piper two years ago.empty cauldrons mean there is work to be done! No time for this standing around taking photos crap!

Zat's Incredible!Meet Violet Incredible...aka Piper(in case the disguise was just too convincing!). She has waited for over 2 years to wear this costume and there was no way that it was going to be a one time deal. On Saturday we met up with some friends for a trick or treat festival in the City burbs(we go every year because it's awesome!)
there was mucho candy.
Then on Tuesday she got to wear it to our local AWESOME grocery store for a Halloween party where she and her little sister cleaned up on high end booty! She also got to dance with some local cheerleaders which I think trumped the candy! from the grocery store to her Gymnastics Team party...complete with a haunted house(which she hated and refused to go in). Then today, she is allowed to wear her costume to school, and on Friday she has a Halloween party at one of her little friends houses and SATURDAY it's actually Halloween. I must say, this is the best year for Halloweenieness EVER!
Don't worry I'll post about Paisley's Lola soon...she has had a waaaay more low key week than her big sister.

26 October 2009

SOON!The papers are going to New Zealand today by courier. I'm so so so happy that our girls will soon be New Zealand Citizens as well as have their passports! This will open up a WHOLE NEW WORLD of opportunity for them as they get older. The ability to work in many different countries, to attend Universities around the globe and best of all...access to a national health care system and reciprocal access in other countries that honor the partnership!
My girls are the lucky ones here, they have options & choices.
They don't have to choose which nationality they want to be, they will be allowed duel citizenship for life because I have retained my New Zealand citizenship.
Now all we do is wait for the parcel to come back!
This makes me truly truly happy!

23 October 2009

SNEAK PEEKHalloween is almost here, but the parties start tomorrow and continue throughout the week! Piper has wanted to be 'Violet' from the Incredibles since she was two and a half, but the costumes were all far too big...this year her wish came true! I think she makes an awesome Violet if I do say so myself. As for little miss Paisley, she couldnt make up her mind...first she wanted to be Ariel, then Lola, then a bunny, then Lola, then Snow White, then Troy(HSM) then Lola....thankfully Pipers old costume won her over! She makes a cute cute Lola!

new dooff to the salon we go! Paisley got a new do last week...okay, it's the same do, just shortened up. She was the very best most still and listeney two year old ever to grace the chair! Once candy was offered up she was like a statue...the kid will do anything for a mars bar!

best tshirts EVER!Okay, I admit it...we have a thing for tshirts in this house. I've always tried to get the girls upbeat, rockin' and unique t's. Some I've received as gifts...like the super cool Sandbox Threads Obama tshirts Auntie Kris gave the girls! Or the Ramones and Pixes tshirts the girls wore on 'oath day' at the American Consulate in China(I don't have anything against stars and stripes, but seriously IMO nothin' rocks oath day like rock n roll!)
But today...my newest and favorite find are these adorable tshirts from DOGHOUSE!
I found Doghouse on ETSY...I had an idea for personalizing some shirts for the girls and I put out an alchemy request and got a tonne of replies. I loved the ideas DOGHOUSE sent me, and lickety split, I had the cutest shirts in the world with their very own saying on them.
For Piper, I wanted something that expressed her personality...
"I just want to direct"
Plus, it has the most incredible vintage camera on the front and is just too adorable! The white stitching on the black shirt is also tres rockstar chic!
For Paisley, our somewhat shy but incredibly funny child
"I'm laughing on the inside"

Please go check them out...they will do custom hand screening on fantastic quality tshirts...forget Mickey Mouse and lame'o sports teams...get your kids personalized tshirts!

DOGHOUSE ROCKS OUR HOUSE!

21 October 2009

SWEET SISTERS

wordless wednesday

14 October 2009

"Is there a Doctor in the House?"
"Paging Dr Piper stat!"
"Where did you say you went to medical school again?"
"Oh no, Bubby has no heartbeat!"
The amount of entertainment our girls get from this Doctors kit is absolutely amazing! Paisley got this kit on her 2nd birthday from our friends Kam & Naimisha and it gets used almost every day! I guess with Paisley having her surgery, and me having mine, the girls are just used to hospitals and doctors.
six months ago, Piper took the blood pressure cuff and put it around my wrist, she looked up at me and said
"it's okay Mummy, I'm just checking your BLOG pressure"

12 October 2009

SNOW-WAY!YES-WAY!
Mummy's not laughing.
(p.s. I am going to do a post on these adorable tshirts real soon)

SHUT UP!
The earliest snowfall in Minnesota in...TWENTY FOUR YEARS! So why on earth do I live here? I have no idea. Look, winter doesn't even start for two months and we're experiencing temps in the 20's and 30's! This just isn't right. At least we got the leaves raked up.
Our trip to the apple orchard in search of pumpkins was interesting..I didn't have my camera, but lets just say, seeing honeycrisp apples covered in snow while still on the tree...well, thats just not right!

the day the leaves fell...
On Friday I looked out at the tree in our front yard, it's branches still green with anticipation of the changing of the colors...
The next morning, after a particularly windy night...voila...the entire trees worth of GREEN leaves were off...bah humbug Minnesota Fall...you suck!
Still, the Snowflowers seemed to enjoy the prospect of making a leaf pile!
They raked...they jumped in piles...
they tried to commit murder!
...surprisingly, this did not result in an injury. Even after all our 'garden tool safety classes'.

How cute is this Snowflower!She smiles with such passion!
The playground is one of her favorite places in the world. This is how excited she gets when she sees the slides!

backing up...back to school
Backing up a bit...Piper started school a few weeks ago, well, she started one of her preschools...she actually attends two...but this was her first day at Chinese Immersion preschool...in September.
I practically had to beg her to wear a short sleeve cardigan because I wanted the 'appearance' of fall like weather(stupid stupid me!), it was over 80 and it lasted about 4 minutes before she shed it!
Then...after a week at Nana & Papa's in Colorado, she started her three day a week program. We ended up getting the afternoon program, but we're so glad we switched, it's a lovely school and both of her preschools are in the same building, as is her tap class(musical theatre..more on that later!) The difference in weather was pretty crazy, from the 80's to the 60's in just two weeks...but hey...that's Minnesota for you!

09 October 2009

THIS MOMMA HAS SOME SERIOUS STYLE

Meet Vivi...isn't she stylish! I don't know when I came across her Mom's blog, but when I did I breathed a sigh of joy...I'd at last found my twin sister in the 'kiddo' fashion department! A little quirky, never predictable and her kids...well, they always look AWESOME! Not only do we both have a penchant for knee socks, but our kids seem to have similar flair in the 'what to wear' department. Anyway...Kim is having a great giveaway on her blog and I just wanted to let you all know...she's giving away a wonderful dress..so that your sweetpea can look as cool as hers!

go here to enter!