Lili and I went to Dallas

Lili has been asking me to go to Dallas to visit her beloved uncle and Godfather for about 6 years now. So, we finally went. Just the two of us. I feel like I have less and less time with my firstborn as her school commitments grow, so it was really nice to have some one-on-one time together. Even the plane ride was fun!

This is the main reason for our trip. Evangeline Elizabeth. My adorable goddaughter.

We got to see two other precious, precocious, and generally hilarious nieces as well.

We also got to see my fair cuz and her lovely Maggie.

But it was just so nice to get to hang out with my family. Looking back on our trip makes me miss my two brothers more than ever, but it was so nice to get to see a slice of their life in Dallas. Lili, needless to say, had the time of her life. Tooling around Grapevine...

...getting her first taste of video games...Star Wars Lego and the Wii...

...and of course, getting plenty of snuggle time with the sweetest little

new member of the Catholic Church. Oh Evie, I miss you so much! Especially your double chin...

Anyway, it was a great trip; long overdue. The baptism itself was beautiful, held in the chapel at UD. I hadn't been back to campus since I was 2 months pregnant with Lili, so it was a little strange. I did get to see some of my old professors and ducked into the Art building to inhale its old distinctive smell...I don't know what creates it: plaster? drying oil paint? but I love it, and it brought back a slew of happy memories of visiting my big brother as he finished some project, or working there myself into the wee hours of the morning.

Anyway, the other highlights of the trip included:

Exploring downtown Grapevine and seeing glassblowing and Guy Fieri

Watching Leah dance her way through life

Getting Fifi to repeat difficult-to-pronounce phrases like "bilateral symmetry"

Eating all of the delicious meals that were made for us

Going for a moonlit swim with my fam

It was a great trip. We'll have to do it again soon. Thank you so much Jon and Katie, Joe and Becca, and Nanny and Papa!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

We did our celebrating for St. Patrick's Day a little early. Last Saturday was the Burch family's renowned block party.

Our kids get excited every year for this party...

but not as excited as this guy. I think it is his favorite day of the year, second only to the Purple

Seriously, he and Lili were pacing around our house, (fully dressed and ready to go) a good two hours before the party started.

Not that I blame him. Guinness? Gorgeous spring Phoenix weather? Serious and intense cornhole tournament? What's not to love?

My favorite is how the kids all look after a few hours of green lemonade, green snowcones, and green cupcakes; all churned together in their little stomachs by non-stop bouncing in the bounce house. They look like this:

Sorry Audrey, but you look like you've had a few too many.

I'm sure a few of the adults looked like this at the end of the night, too.


Anyway, just as the kids are crashing down off of their sugar highs and nursing various bounce-house related injuries, the awesome live music starts:

This was definitely Kateri's favorite part of the night.

Thanks for a great day, Burches! You and your neighbors sure know how to throw a party!

Spring Break!

The girls have this whole week off... and we are so looking forward to a week of freedom... No carpool, no homework, nothing to do but decide to try to make a kite out of construction paper and embroidery thread all by yourself...and then give in to your baby sister's very vocal demands for one of her own.

...they flew about as well as you might expect with approximately a pound and a half of scotch tape weighing them down...but no one seemed to mind.

Family

We've had a lot of family in town lately, which has been wonderful. You can see by the look on Kateri's face how excited she was to have her godfather back in town.

We got to see Grandpa, too, but somehow Nanny managed to avoid the camera...

Even though she DID fulfill her life-long dream of bouncing in a bounce house. Justin rented one for the family and friends get-together he hosted.

He even hired a balloon lady!

Needless to say, the girls had a blast.

They made some new friends, too!

Thanks Uncle Justin!

Overheard on the way to the library...

From the back seat

Lili: Oh, I really hope I can find a book on Athena...I love Athena...Ok Audrey I'm going to be Athena...you can be Aphrodite.

Audrey: Who's Aphrodite?

Lili: You'll like her Audrey, she's the really beautiful one.

Audrey: Oooooooh. (contemplates this in silence for a while) Is she rich?




Another gem from Audrey, as she was looking at her own 20 week ultrasound photo in her baby book: "Mom, I was really cute when I was still in your tummy...even if I was all grey and black."

I had to google a real picture of a 20 week baby in utero to show her that they are actually pink and solid...not grey and black little profiles.

Grandma Precious and Great-Grandpa

Every winter, Great Grandpa and Grandma Precious come to stay with Nona for awhile. They get to soak up the sun, and we get to soak up a little of the warmth and wisdom of this amazing couple.

As you can see from the photos, the girls adore their great-grandparents, and Luke and I always look forward to the great conversations, and great advice.

There is so much to admire about these two; from surviving Omaha Beach to raising eight children to staying madly in love for sixty years and counting.

We're so blessed to be able to share this time with them...

I knew Audrey was feeling better

when we found that someone had snagged our old camera and taken a series of incriminating photos... There is only one person in the family with eyes that shade of blue...

Yep, it's Audrey.

(I like this somber self-portrait with her beloved Jesus statue.)

And this series in Kateri's Little Tikes Car is just astounding in its emotional depth and range...

Sneaking up and documenting Luke's conference call...maybe it's a little corporate espionage for a rival pharmaceutical company? I wouldn't put it past her.

This one might be my favorite, because while it looks like a terrible photo of her little sister, it actually does an excellent job of epitomizing how we all felt at the tail end of a week spent cooped up with the flu: grumpy, demoralized and disheveled.

I know all kids love to take pictures on grown-up's cameras, but Audrey seems to really really love it. Last year Nanny got her her very own disposable underwater camera. It was a big hit. 85% of the photos were close-ups of "beautiful" rocks at the beach surrounded by the silhouette of the shadow Audrey cast as she bent over them. I'll have to post some.

In the wake of this most recent discovery, I'm struggling to find the right course of action as a parent. Should I punish her for using a camera without permission, proving to myself to be strict and responsible? Or should I sign her up for photography lessons, proving to myself I am a perceptive and nurturing parent who recognizes my child's affinity for this art form and responds by nurturing her burgeoning talent?

Maybe both?