The Goddess of Willendorf

Next Stop: The Kentucky Derby

2009-05-14T10:34:00.000-07:00

....Because these hats just shouldn't be wasted. Merrie and I made them out of wrapping paper for the mother's day tea we threw for Grammy. Fancy Nancy says food tastes better when served with frilly toothpicks, and we found that this is true. (Peppermint tea also tastes better in a gilded bone china teacup, as it turns out. Who knew?)

Stock the Pond

2009-05-14T10:22:00.000-07:00

It's Springtime in Pownal, Vermont at my parents' home (just ten minutes from ours). Just checking to see if the new brookies and rainbows will come to feed. Archer was feeling like a farmer boy on the tractor. Does Dane remind anyone else of Ronnie at this age?

Fashion Tip

2009-05-14T10:11:00.000-07:00

Make sure your accessories mirror the colors of nature. Note how Meredie's hair bow happens to match the eggs in this robin's nest. Nobody does it better than Heavenly Father!

multi-talented

2009-05-14T09:57:00.000-07:00

Baseball player.
Bass-drum toter.
Parade marcher.
Can Ian get any better at multi-tasking?
(By the way, his baseball season is already over. Ironically, it was the bass drum player pictured who threw an errant ball and broke Ian's finger. Bummer!)

Does this qualify me for a new baby shower?

2009-04-23T09:27:00.000-07:00

Like any expectant mom having her sixth baby, I was prepared. I went to the hospital with a list o’ names. We don’t like to have our babies named months before they make their appearance; in this high-tech age, some things have to be left to the last minute to make it exciting.

I wasn’t prepared to have each and every name shot down by my older boys when I whipped out that list on the day my baby was born. Here’s a handy hint for those of you bringing a new baby into a family with older children: DO NOT give your teenagers veto power in choosing names, because if you do, YOU WILL NEVER NAME YOUR BABY. Mistake!

Now I had a big problem. We had to choose a name in three days, starting from scratch, with the primary name chooser drugged and riding on about four cumulative minutes of sleep per night. Sounds like a recipe for choosing the wrong name under duress. And that’s pretty much what happened.

I never could admit to myself that no matter how many times I said it, “Cameron” felt wrong. I played endlessly with nicknames and was irked beyond what was reasonable when I met other Camerons his age and realized he might be relegated to “Cameron G.” in kindergarten. I assumed he would “become” his name over time, as all the other children did, and what was taking so long?

Joe and I finally looked at each other when he was ten months old and said “We should have named him Dane.” This had been the name we’d picked with hours left to go in the hospital and changed with the paperwork in front of me. And then I realized, why not? We can’t be the first people to change our baby’s name months after birth. Sure, it would be a little awkward at first, but everyone would get over it, and then he would finally have the right name. Can I tell you, I felt like a huge weight was lifted.

Oddly enough, the boys thought it was a great idea….we were prepared for some protesting but got none. It took us about two months of transition to call him Dane all the time and we still slip, even though we are keeping Cameron as his middle name. It’s going to cost $165 at the city court to change it legally, which we haven’t gotten around to but plan to do soon.

Happy first birthday, Dane! We can't be the only people who had this experience: I’d love to hear what everyone has to say. (However, if you’re a teenager saying you don’t like it, keep walking!)

Death Match, I mean Easter Egg Hunt

2009-04-12T17:39:00.000-07:00

It started out as a fun way for Meredith, Archer, and Ian to while away an Easter afternoon in Grammy's apple orchard in Vermont, and devolved into a no-holds-barred fight to the death for that last egg. Sigh.

While they were battling, I'm pretty sure Meri picked it up instead.

Grrr! Look at my pretty dress!

2009-04-12T17:34:00.000-07:00

Had to take a pic of Meredie in the sweet dress Grandma made her....but I made the mistake of asking her to pose just after breaking the news that no, she wasn't allowed to take that grocery bag full of toys to church. Here's the result of asking her to smile. (Love the clenched fists.)

The Fun Mom (for about four minutes)

2009-04-12T17:22:00.000-07:00

That's how long it took them to pass from amazement to "what's really for dinner?" when I presented Ian, Meri, and Arch with their April Fool's dinner. It featured "fish sticks" (cookie wafers rolled in peanut butter and crushed corn flakes), "ketchup" (strawberry jelly) and "peas" (melted and rolled green airheads....hello, those took an hour to make!)

future babysitter

2009-03-12T09:58:00.000-07:00

Which is more impressive.....Meri's ability to carry a child who weighs just two pounds less than she on her lap, or that he sat still for it? For, like, fifteen minutes?

Archer's team wins states!

2009-03-05T10:42:00.000-08:00

Just when everyone else is pleading for winter to have mercy and be done already, at our house we're saying "Already?" Archer's Mount Greylock Regional High School Nordic Ski Team won the state championship for the fourth year in a row! The middle schoolers didn't ski in this one, but got out of school for the whole day to go and cheer them on. Check out number 703 (the guy on the left seems to have number envy). First track and field meeting's today! No rest for the sports-weary (me, not him).

hats off!

2009-02-15T18:19:00.000-08:00

Hats for playing "guitar" in the snow

Hats for mimicking hair that won't grow

Hats with pompoms...does this make me look fat?

And a bonus baby with a bonus hat.

amazing valentine's day dessert

2009-02-14T09:48:00.000-08:00

Many M and Ms, vanilla ice cream, some magic shell, crushed oreos, and a slab of brownie gave their lives for this treat. Can you decipher Ian's secret message? (Hint: It's not "Please give me a haircut.")

2009-02-13T10:35:00.000-08:00

shout out to liz hall

2009-02-13T09:49:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm unimaginative. We've done this before. But I couldn't resist showing Liz that I am introducing Cax (10 months) to the joys of the oreo.

miss ya!

Ian wants to know if he can have one on HIS birthday.

2009-02-02T16:33:00.000-08:00

How about Meredith's Barbie cake? It's really a three layer cake under the skirt (which is covered with fondant). Since I am notoriously inept at making desserts pretty I am quite proud and am scheming about the next one. Ian, you know you want one.

gimme prize!

2009-02-02T16:23:00.000-08:00

now that Meredith is "this many" (three), she is a master of manipulation. Absolutely no one tells her no but the abovementioned Goddess of Willendorf. At any time of day or night she can be found with some candy thrust on her by an older brother hopelessly defenseless against her charm. Thankfully she has a sweet disposition thus far. Recognize the dress, Beck?

amazing arch continued!

2009-01-21T13:03:00.000-08:00

Had to post just a couple more pictures of Archer owning the competition. He's just behind the skier in yellow, head down, all business. Sorry, girls, he's only 13.

The Conquering Hero

2009-01-20T08:21:00.000-08:00

zzzzoooooooOOOOOM! So fast the shot is blurry! Archer (13) had his first Nordic Ski meet yesterday. For those of you who don't know, Nordic skiing is cross country skiing. It was a five mile race hosted by our junior high/high school, Mount Greylock, which is surrounded by woods and has amazing cross country trails on its property. Archer only started practicing with the team last month, and he had never been on skis before. (His parents had to take out a second mortgage on the house, throw everything we owned of value on eBay, and sell the car in order to buy him equipment, but don't get me started).
This was his first race and he assured me he might be coming in "dead last", but he was 18th out of 54!

My First Cheeto

2009-01-16T12:30:00.000-08:00

We all remember where we were the first time we experienced the inimitable taste, texture and color of a Cheeto. Cax (aka Cameron) was a Cheeto virgin until two hours ago. (By the way, this post does not relate in any way to the previous one, the one about his being impossibly fat.)
At top, see him fretting about trans fats and colors not found in nature. But he did immediately decide he liked it.

Fat Stanley

2009-01-12T12:32:00.000-08:00

Folks, why isn't this girl smiling?

(Answer below. )

For my first-ever post, I present to you....the fattest baby who ever lived. Here he is, the day he came into the world. When I was pregnant with Cameron, I had a medical condition (three-vessel cord) which sometimes results in lower birth-weight babies. Still, he weighed 9 pounds at birth, which should have been our first clue.

Now at just shy of nine months, he is ...is this really a word?....GINORMOUS. He wears size 18-24 month clothes and naked, resembles a sharpei. For you doubters out there, undeniable proof:

Yep, that's over 25 pounds on that scale, and my back hurts. He's going to "lap" Meredith, who agreed to be the compare and contrast picture above (fully clothed, with shoes and everything). She looks kind of glum because she knows that very soon he's going to be able to beat her up even though she's 2 1/2 years older.

i HATE goodbyes

2009-01-08T18:38:00.000-08:00

When the Greenhalgh clan sadly moved away from Arizona, a few hundred of their closest friends put on a going away picnic.
There was good food & of course even better company.
Here are a few highlights (ok, all the pictures I had of the event)
I am sure this will be a jaunt down memory lane for many of you!

Venetia Greenhalgh & our wonderful President Lewis.

Art & Susan Eck with baby Kami Eck.

Melissa Kartchner & Baby Johnny Kartchner.
(remember the big BABY boom?)

Jason Williams with baby Kenzie, Stacy Wheeler & Sandy Bell (enjoying a little sub-action).

Kathy & Dan Brimhall with little Kirstyn Brimhall.

Ingra & Bill Norton with wee tots Laine Norton & Emma Grace Hall

Jodie Martin with tiny fluff-ball Maddie Budge

Todd Hall, Ingra Norton & Liz Hall holding Baby Eliza Hall.

and bringing up the REAR...
Scott Carroll staying close to the foot-longs.
(by the way Greenhalgh clan, IF you decide to move back, we will throw you an even bigger welcome back party)

I Know You've Missed Me

2008-12-21T20:58:00.000-08:00

So Here I Am
full color
Fabulous