Where is your momma?

I always wonder what triggers kids to talk/ask about death out of the blue. Are they having nightmares? Seeing pictures here and there and wonder, "who is that and where are they?" I just don't know.

We've talked to Alexa (when she's asked) about death, and how my mom died (4 years ago - still can't believe its been that long) and is in heaven which is way up in the clouds. We were in the car yesterday morning on the way to day care and this is a snippet of our conversation. No idea what sparked her questions at 7:45 AM!

Alexa: Mom, where is your momma? Is Carole your momma? Everybody has a momma.
Me: Carole isn't my momma, Nana is my momma. Remember I told you she died when you were a really little baby?
Alexa: Oh, yeah, Nana. She died when I was little. I don't want anybody to die. I don't want to die. Why did she die?
Me: She got really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, sick and couldn't be fixed. No one is dying right now......

UGH. What do you say? This girl remembers everything. She has a mind like a sponge. How do you talk about it? I've looked at books and most books are written for a slightly older child. And I wonder, does this get easier, or does it get harder as they get older?

A trip down memory lane!

I thought I would post these here after a question came up on a website, I've just started visiting. (A Million Memories - I just subscribed to their monthly kit - ADDICTING!) The question was, "what was your wedding dress like?" So, here was mine....

Ah, back when I was young, thin and energtic! My train was so long, my Maid of Honor (Jen!) had to keep "fluffing" it, so it wouldn't get all flipped around. I still owe her from that!

And, our HUGE wedding party. Nothing screams ITALIAN, like a large wedding party.

Poor John, he had no idea what he was marrying into. ;)

Definitely, a good day.

I took today off and stayed home with the girls. This is the sky:

We had lunch outside at the picnic table and I finally got these pictures of the girls together. Two years and 25 days later, FINALLY, a couple pictures of the girls where no one's eyes are closed, no crying, no funny faces.

Moments like this give me hope that we won't spend the teenage years listening to them fight daily!

Just add water.

And you will have two very happy girls! Our neighbors across the street were kind enough to give us a pool they no longer used. After getting the water figured out - well water does not work great for pools, especially with the chemicals we have to add - in the girls went. And Alexa, never wanted to come out!

Goggles. A girls best friend. I think we are going to send Alexa for swimming lessons this fall or winter. She is no longer afraid of putting her face in the water and holding her breath.
Doesn't she just have some of the most amazing blue eyes?

Are we starting a new fashion trend?

I picked up an ankle bracelet the other day. I knew the millisecond that Alexa saw it, she would have to have one. We found a bracelet in her stash of jewelry and she was good to go.

I feel for the man that marries Alexa, some day in the future. This girl is all about jewelry and she is going to expect it from her husband!

Ava, of course, has to have whatever her big sister has. This is her find in the jewelry stash.

Look out 5th Avenue. You saw it first here. The "calf-let" was born.

Tinkerbell!

Sunday was Ava's birthday party! My little pixie was was ready for her big day. It's not easy coming up with "Tinkerbell" themed food, so I googled the idea and came up with "Magic Wand cookies." The kids LOVED the cookies.

Sugar cookies cut into stars, flowers and hearts. Take them out of the oven and immediately insert lollipop sticks (medium length). When they harden, perfect little wands. :) Decorate with frosting.

Here's my little pixie in her Tinkerbell shirt. And a cute little headband we slipped on.

First gift to make an impression on Ava - karaoke microphoneThe kids loved to jump all over our nephew Brent. He's 13 and still really great with the young ones. Thankfully, he hasn't turned into a surly teenager. I think Lisa's little boy Andrew was trying to put a hex on him in this shot.

Tinkerbell cake! All over her face.

By the end of the evening Ava was just beat. Yes, I really did take the picture upside down.

One final one of Alexa. This girl loves the camera.

The party was fun and the weather turned out to be great. We were all WHIPPED by the end of the evening. Both Alexa and Ava were asking to go to bed!

Thanks for looking!

Donut!

I've never thought of "donut" in anyway but as a "donut". Fried, yummy, waist-busting. But, Alexa has found a new way to use the word. "Donut" is her catch-all word.
"You're being a donut!"

"I dropped the puzzle piece. DONUT!"

I have got to get it on video. Even John and I have picked it up. Guess its better than swearing right?

Some views from the weekends!

The last two weekends we spent at John's parents' cottage in Lexington and then my dad's place in Caseville. A little rainy in Lexington, but the sun came out enough each day so the girls could play outside. They just LOVE getting out of the house and up to the "beach houses."


I snapped this shot of Ava, she was actually playing in a bucket of water. You would have thought it was the greatest toy ever. She enjoyed it that much.
Over 4th of July weekend, we were up in Caseville and I tried out the "fireworks" setting on my camera for the first time. I wish we were just a little bit closer (we watched them from our porch, and not the beach) I think the pictures would have come out a little better. What do you think? Not too bad for my first try.





We introduced Ava to her first ever sparkler. And with a tip I read in Creating Keepsakes (July, I believe), I got some neat pictures of the sparklers.


And my blog post wouldn't be complete without one picture of each girl, right? I love this shot of Alexa drying off on the beach. Her eyes look just like chocolate!

This weekend should be another fun weekend, we're celebrating Ava's second birthday on Sunday. :0)