This isn't Nam, Smokey, there are rules.

So, a few weeks ago, we decided to take the kids bowling and see how they did. We went on a slow weekday afternoon, as the bowling alley was getting ready for league bowl that evening. This is our new bowling center in Fulton, and it is very nice and shiny and new, and not icky and smokey like the old one was. They have automatic bumpers that go up in the gutters when it was the kids' turn, which was pretty cool. They had kid-weight balls and even tiny shoes for them, and they really liked rolling the ball and watching the pins fall. Being the ages they are, they had some issues with understanding turn-taking, and they were severely distracted by the arcade games and toy machine-game thing in the corner. Noah especially liked the deer hunting game with the rifle-shaped controller. Being our child, though, he thought it was a guitar and pretended to play it as such. The highlight of the afternoon came when I, being the brilliant problem-solver that doesn't want to bother anybody that I am, attempted to rescue Madeleine's ball that lost momentum and stopped a third of the way to the pins. I took one step on the freshly waxed and buffed lane next to ours and immediately fell on my tookis. I mean, instantly, no time to regain my balance and not look a fool. I got up, sensibly walked in the gutter, gave her ball a push, and walked back. Soon after, we started to loose the kids. They really wanted to play those games in the corner. We finished an entire game, but after that, we decided to pack it in. It was an interesting experiment, but I think we'll wait another year or so before taking them back.

Madeleine the Bride

Ever since Kim and Josh Pierce's wedding, Madeleine has been obesessing over being a bride and getting married. At least 5 times a week, we marry her off to a stuffed toy, her brother, or her father. She loves putting on her ballerina dress, some sort of scarfy/veil thing, and grabbing whoever's handy to get married. She march up to me and ask, "Say the words, Mommy!" and if I leave out "Dearly beloved", she gets quite annoyed and makes me go back and start over. This particular day, she wanted the scarf on her head and I showed her a trick I came up with when I was a little girl dressing up and playing bride - covering her face and head with the scarf, putting a headband on top, and flipping the scarf back over her head like a blusher. She loved it! The flowers came from Debbie Gross, who gave them to Madeleine to play with. Sadly, the flowers are no longer with us, having been played with mercilessly by both the girl and Noah.

Littlestar Diapercakes at Southbank

Southbank, a cutesy little gift shop in Jefferson City, has agreed to sell my diapercakes on consignment! Southbank is in the downtown shopping district and has all sorts of frames, glassware, gourmet food, home accessories, and other fun and interesting things. I have decided to no longer offer them at craft fairs, as it has not been worth the time or effort or money involved. I am still hoping to get a retail website up sometime this year, but until then, I still have a few samples on the Littlestar blog and will always take special orders via email.

Left is my Go Cards! cake, complete with Cardinals onesie and baseball glove teether.

I've Got Video!

Hooray!

This is a short video of the kids dancing at the Shrine's World Youth Day event last month.

Ivy Green

On our way home from Gulf Shores, we detoured through northern Alabama to visit Helen Keller's birthplace, Ivy Green.

The home was the center of a plantation, and is now in the center of town. It seems small on the outside, but was quite large once you got inside. Many original items and artifacts from Helen Keller's life remain intact in the home.

Madeleine in the garden next to a statue of a little girl reading a Braille book.
The water pump where Helen first discovered how to communicate with other people. She was seven years old when this happened. By the end of that day, she had learned 60 words.


There were a couple pieces of machinery in the back yard - a grindstone and some sort of grinding implement. They were semi functioning, and the kids got a kick out of turning the cranks.

A Royal Banquet!

For our dinner night at Gulf Shores, we created a Royal Banquet, complete with sparkly goblets and paper crowns.

Noah can feed himself, but I guess Madeleine thought he needed help.

Madeleine snapped this picture of me and the beach.

Madeleine is very affectionate, but she needs to learn to be gentle. She can get a little too forceful and/or exuberant with her hugs and kisses.

Our after dinner entertainment.

A self portrait.The royal chef.
Our splendid glasses, adorned with the finest gemstones WalMart's craft section had to offer for $1.99.


The King.

More Gulf Shores

I am finally able to get some more pictures up from our vacation!

Noah tickling an uncle's foot, not sure if it's Apple Crisp or Apple Putt (Uncle Chris or Uncle Puck, in Noah-ese)

A modest sand castle. The kids loved the sand. Hated the water, but loved the sand.

Chris and Maggie's Mexican Night. I thought the Uncle Sam hat pinata was kinda funny.

Cousins!

Noah's all tricked out with pirate booty.

Madeleine taking a swing at the Uncle Sam hat pinata.
Maggie and myself with some interesting dental features.
Meeting for drinks after date night.

Toddlers in a boat. They took the kids to a little beach of an inlet to see if the calmer water would be more fun for them. Evidently, they enjoyed it, until Madeleine was overrun and bitten by sand ants. She only got a couple bites, but the episode made a huge impression on her. She still gets a little freaked when she sees an ant.

Prince Noah and Princess Maia, ready for our Royal Banquet.
Madeleine drinks from her bejeweled gobblet of the finest hot pink plastic.
Madeleine and Aunt Maggie.
Our Royal Family.
The beach at sunset.

Peek a boo!
If it wasn't for this enormous string of drool, I'd be the coolest thing on this beach.
Like I said, loved the sand.
The fancy tea party Madeleine and I hosted. Girls only, thank you very much. Madeleine is starting to make the sign of the cross.
A kiss for Grandpa.

Flying kites with Uncle Puck.
Cernekas by the shore.
Grandkids!
In the tub.