Monday, August 25, 2008
preschool starts today...

...do you think they're ready for her?

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posted by Joanna Bolick @ 7:57 AM   6 comments
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
my constant companions


Oh, these two! I love them so, no matter how much their incessant fighting/arguing/competing with each other drives me up the wall. Because sometimes they're still cute. They've been my constant companions this summer, and I've enjoyed it. But now summer is almost OVER. I can't believe it! Cole starts Kindergarten tomorrow. Harper will start preschool in a couple of weeks. Our world turns topsy-turvy again. Change is good, I suppose. Sometimes. Not always easy, but good. Good for them...with maybe just a little bit of peace & quiet for me sprinkled in between all the driving back and forth.

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posted by Joanna Bolick @ 8:01 AM   4 comments
Monday, August 11, 2008
she said...
While exiting the pew at church yesterday Harper looked up excitedly and asked, "Is it over?" When I assured her that church was indeed over she said, "Whohooo! Now we can talk." We keep telling her that church is the pastor's time to talk and for a chatterbox I suppose our mandate to "be quiet" feels rather stifling. The really funny part, though, is that she actually thinks she's being quiet during the service.


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posted by Joanna Bolick @ 9:02 AM   2 comments
Sunday, July 27, 2008
the rest of the day

Before church this morning...I love this one!


Acting quite nonchalant (though pleased) about the waitresses behind her singing "Happy Birthday." She requested pancakes for lunch so we celebrated at Cracker Barrel...


...then returned home for ice cream cake -- please note the purple sprinkles. (Grandma, check out the 3 princess necklaces she promptly put around her neck after opening up your present.)


After having a little trouble with the candles she requested some assistance from big brother, who was eager to accommodate the request...

PS> Though the cake looks a little wonky from this angle it was SUPER easy to make. I love that. It's from the July issue of Real Simple and is perfect for a 90-degree summer day -- here's a link.

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posted by Joanna Bolick @ 9:05 PM   7 comments
officially 3

The purple sprinkles are on the cake, and the princess dresses and tub o' dinosaurs are wrapped and ready.

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posted by Joanna Bolick @ 7:49 AM   11 comments
Friday, July 18, 2008
almost 3


She turns 3 in a week! (eek!)
She dressed herself today. (Love that she paired that skirt with a dress.)
She loves to be barefoot.
She's the filthiest princess/tomboy we know.
She's turned from sweet to sassy.
Oh, so sassy.
She's highly influenced by her big brother.
She picked out two books at the library today: "Bugs" and "Sharks!"
She wants to go to kindergarten, too.
Her favorite colors are pink and purple.
She still loves puppies, only now when she sees a dog she says, "That's MY puppy! I take him home?"
She's finally potty-trained.
She refuses to smile at the camera.
She's fearless. She rides her hot wheels down the hill with abandon and a cackle.
She picks up bugs and squishes them.
She has moments where she's still so baby-faced cute I can't stand it.
(Then the independence returns and time-outs are frequent.)
She asked for "purple sprinkles" for her birthday. No toys, just sprinkles. Purple. Lots of them.

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posted by Joanna Bolick @ 10:12 PM   15 comments
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Talkative


I did a layout a few months ago for Jessica Sprague's column in the August issue of Creating Keepsakes, which just landed in my mailbox last week. (Forgive the bad scan, will ya?) The layout includes a bunch of my favorite phrases that Harper uses (for example, she says "MMs," instead of "M and Ms." The last line, which you probably can't read from here, includes an excerpt of a daily conversation she would have with people we encountered while running errands:

Stranger to Harper: How are you?
H: Two.
Stranger: How old are you?
H. Good.


For some reason there's a disconnect whenever someone asks Harper how old she is. Now she's actually changed up her responses a bit so when someone asks how old she is she says, "Harper Kate." (When I try to prompt her by saying that they want to know her age she responds with "H.") The ONLY time you'll get a number out of her is when you happen to inquire with Cole, first, about how old he is (5). And THEN when you ask Harper the same question she'll say very matter-of-factly and in all seriousness: "Six."

PS. I forgot to mention that the thought bubble on the layout is from the digi kit found here.

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posted by Joanna Bolick @ 8:55 AM   5 comments
Thursday, July 03, 2008
speaking of butterflies...






We went back to the Nature Center today to check out the butterfly exhibit which opened over the weekend. So weird to think that we've been going to this exhibit since Cole was close to the same age that Harper is now! It's always fun, though, and we try to arrive right when the Center opens because the butterflies are still quite willing to be held.

PS. For those who asked, most of the close-up photos on the blog recently were taken with the Canon 100mm Macro.

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posted by Joanna Bolick @ 6:37 PM   3 comments
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
on the driveway this morning



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posted by Joanna Bolick @ 11:00 AM   6 comments
Monday, June 16, 2008
almost summer!

After two weeks of running around the kids & I were so happy to just hang out in our front yard this morning.


Our 3-season cutting garden is proving to be a good purchase!


I'm so proud of this little guy (I say little but he's like a foot shorter than me, okay, maybe 18 inches) because he's learning to ride his bike without training wheels! Love the tongue sticking out - a sign of true determination.


And this one...well, she's going to be 3 next month. Need I say more?

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posted by Joanna Bolick @ 1:31 PM   9 comments
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Back from the Beach








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posted by Joanna Bolick @ 9:29 AM   3 comments
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
a funny one



Last night Harper was having difficulty putting on her pajamas, so I asked, "Are you having trouble, Harper?"
Fittingly, she replied, "I am twouble."

Indeed.

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posted by Joanna Bolick @ 8:55 AM   9 comments
Saturday, April 12, 2008
flecks of green


I mentioned once that Harper's eyes look almost green in the sunlight...not really both eyes, just one. Can you see the green around the pupil in her eye on the right?

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posted by Joanna Bolick @ 9:00 PM   3 comments
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Harper's Hearts
When we dropped Cole off at school today Ms. Brenda, the director, gave Harper her VERY OWN BOX of conversation hearts. Needless to say, Harper was over the moon, and the whole way home she kept saying very excitedly, "Mommy! Hearts! Valentine's Day!" (yes, I realize Valentine's Day is actually tomorrow, but they are celebrating it at Cole's school today.)

Except for the brief moment when I merely borrowed 3 hearts to take this photo (can you hear the screeching?) she has been happily chomping on them and feeding them to her puppy.




After the heart stealing incident she thought it fair to only share one broken, crumbling orange heart with me. The rest, apparently, are for puppy, her real true love.

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posted by Joanna Bolick @ 9:14 AM   8 comments
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
First photos
For the past 3 years the first thing I've done on each January 1st is take a photo of both kids (bedhead and all.) I think it's fun to document their growth from year to year. I posted color versions last year but here they are in black & white.



Speaking of photos, according to aperture we took 4981 photos last year (not counting portraits or weddings.) I should maybe edit a few of those. ; )

Happy New Year!

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posted by Joanna Bolick @ 2:45 PM   12 comments
Thursday, November 29, 2007
lashes from Daddy

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posted by Joanna Bolick @ 8:29 AM   4 comments
Monday, November 19, 2007
I have learned
...not to have high expectations going into a Christmas card shoot with my children. (This is probably the first year I can pretend to have such wisdom, though!) This year we just went with the flow and hung out on the porch in our santa hats. Harper ate a leaf, and a carrot, and Cole played with the reindeer, and they fought over which one got to sit where and we have one picture that isn't perfect but that I have already turned into a card and ordered. We also have about three dozen or so funny ones that make me laugh but that aren't necessarily card-worthy.



I should add, though, that such wisdom does NOT make me above offering candy as a bribe for sitting still.

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posted by Joanna Bolick @ 3:08 PM   13 comments
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Harper, yesterday
With a rock and a stick...


Please note the floating feet...


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posted by Joanna Bolick @ 8:45 AM   8 comments
Thursday, August 23, 2007
if you really want to know who those curls come from


It would be this guy.
my dad. : )

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posted by Joanna Bolick @ 4:20 PM   11 comments
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Look alike?


That's me on the left at age 2, and a photo of Harper on the right taken the other day.

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posted by Joanna Bolick @ 8:01 AM   32 comments
Friday, July 27, 2007
the party

I love this photo. This little girl was just so happy to have a day all about her.


A little help from Daddy with blowing out the candles.


But she didn't need any help eating the cupcake!

My mom found that pink tiara in a little shop in Rochester called "Orange Clementine." We weren't sure if she'd wear it or not but I think she was too distracted by the cupcake to care. She calls it her "pretty hat."

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posted by Joanna Bolick @ 9:55 PM   12 comments
newly 2
Our first glimpse of the birthday girl this morning...we hung birthday streamers in the doorway.




Pigtails and a poptart for breakfast.

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posted by Joanna Bolick @ 9:38 AM   19 comments
Saturday, July 14, 2007
today

Just a girl in a chair
with messy hair

and a puppy
a sippy cup
rain boots
an outfit she
picked out herself

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posted by Joanna Bolick @ 5:20 PM   7 comments
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
taking a walk
Today we took a walk.
I should really call it a stroll, with a lawn mower, a scooter, and lots of lolligaging.

We stopped to smell the mountain laurel...
...it's not really very smelly.

We transcribed our names in dirt.

We pondered how small we really are.

We played hug-the-harper (guess how much she likes that?!)

Then we ran back down the hill toward home.

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posted by Joanna Bolick @ 10:22 AM   17 comments
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
In regard to the little blue barrette
The word that comes to mind here is ineffective...
Haircuts tomorrow!

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posted by Joanna Bolick @ 9:05 AM   6 comments
Monday, March 19, 2007
today at 1:10 pm

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posted by Joanna Bolick @ 2:28 PM   10 comments
Thursday, February 22, 2007
against the orange wall again

Just a silhouette this time...
Harper with her kitty cat, usually referred to as "puppy"

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posted by Joanna Bolick @ 10:44 AM   12 comments
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Happy Girl!
Keep those wishes coming!
In the mean time, here's one of H, rainboots and all.

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posted by Joanna Bolick @ 10:25 AM   10 comments
Monday, February 05, 2007
I love this photo

Mainly the color combination...even though she's not looking at the camera it just makes me happy. Makes it worth the orange walls, too... ; )

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posted by Joanna Bolick @ 10:32 PM   8 comments
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
worst. patient. ever.

Should she ever decide to become a doctor, she'll deserve every screaming child she gets.
I took her to her 18-month appointment today and it's like preparing for battle.
Seriously.
The worst little patient ever.

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posted by Joanna Bolick @ 2:34 PM   11 comments
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
puppies

Have you met Harper's puppies?
They are referred to by us as little puppy, middle puppy, and big puppy.
Harper refers to them each as either "puppppy" or "baby."
I don't know how she keeps track, but she does seem to alternate her attention between the three of them.
I made the mistake of throwing middle puppy down the other morning because stuffed animals are not allowed at the breakfast table. Bad, bad mommy. Harper pushed her chair away from the table and refused to eat.
(I don't think she realizes how traumatic it would be if any of the puppies had to be washed!)
Harper loves real dogs, too, but unfortunately Cole is severely allergic to them. I can just hear the arguments we'll have over this issue in the future.
The other day at Cracker Barrel we were unloading the kids from the van when a car pulled up beside us containing a couple and their dog. After spotting the dog, Harper leaned over and out of Mark's arms in order to give the lady a hug....because she owned a dog.

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posted by Joanna Bolick @ 3:00 PM   14 comments
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Harper vs. the snow

This one is much more pragmatic about the snow. It's cold. My feet are wet. I'm ready to go inside, Mommy. Can't you just see it all in this look?

It snowed more yesterday afternoon while the kids were napping. There was still snow on the ground this morning, so we even went out and bought a sled...now that we have a little hill in the side yard that's perfect for it...

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posted by Joanna Bolick @ 11:56 AM   14 comments
Thursday, November 09, 2006
forgot this one
Cole snapped this shot just as Harper turned to give me a kiss...

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posted by Joanna Bolick @ 2:05 PM   13 comments
Yesterday
Yesterday was perfectly overcast..but not yet rainy. We had to be out of the house for an hour for a showing, and with Harper still sick, I didn't want to contaminate anyone else. So we went to the park. (A little fresh air is good, right?)




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posted by Joanna Bolick @ 11:39 AM   9 comments
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
every baby girl needs a sassy skirt

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posted by Joanna Bolick @ 1:09 PM   21 comments
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
License to drive


Are you really SURE he's old enough to drive this thing, Mommy?

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posted by Joanna Bolick @ 10:35 PM   22 comments
Monday, September 11, 2006
to be a girl
One day she's all about the teddy bears, and the next day she's hijacking our remotes and hiding them in her room. From sweet to silly to mischievous...'Tis good to be a little girl!


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posted by Joanna Bolick @ 12:51 PM   14 comments
Saturday, August 12, 2006
so grown up!

She's anti-grass at the moment, which worked to my advantage last night since she refused to move off the blanket and sat still for a minute or two!

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posted by Joanna Bolick @ 2:42 PM   13 comments
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Sometimes...

they DO get along! I think they're building a rocket here or something like that while hanging out together in Harper's room.
I love the size comparison in this photo. Sometimes I forget just how little Harper is, or how "big" Cole is!

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posted by Joanna Bolick @ 5:20 PM   20 comments
Friday, July 28, 2006
Harper Cake
Last year when Harper was born Beth's daughter, Meredith, thought that Harper's middle name was "Cake" instead of "Kate" the first time she heard it. So I just wanted to show Meredith that Harper OFFICIALLY earned her nickname last night. : )





The funniest thing was that she wouldn't even touch the cake for a few minutes after we gave it to her. Normally she dives into her food (she looooooves to eat) so this was totally out of character for her! But eventually she dug into it and made a grand ol' mess. Which is what one is supposed to do on their first birthday, right?

Thank you for all the well-wishes yesterday!
Remember when I said that she'd still take 2 naps? Hahaha. That didn't happen.
But she did let me take a few birthday portraits, and here's one to share with you:

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posted by Joanna Bolick @ 3:44 PM   24 comments
Thursday, July 27, 2006
a special day



I'll post more later, but I thought I'd start the morning by sharing a few photos that illustrate how we started off the day one year ago compared to this morning. (Which is why you're fortunate to see not one but TWO photos of me sans makeup and in my pajamas.) Anyway, the real point of this post is that it's been ONE WHOLE YEAR since our little spitfire, Miss Harper Kate, decided to arrive 2 weeks early. (Let me tell you, her mama was more than ready!)


Birthday festivities are underway this morning. Which, for our newly minted one-year-old, basically means streamers festooning her doorway and a happy birthday song when Cole and I went in to rescue her from her crib (Cole took that second photo, too.) The cakes have just come out of the oven in preparation for a little party this evening. I haven't broken the news to her yet that there are still two naps on the agenda for today, even IF it is her birthday, but she'll find out about that soon enough.

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posted by Joanna Bolick @ 9:10 AM   29 comments
Friday, June 30, 2006
Sometimes it's hard to be the baby


you have TWO new teeth coming in
you have a runny nose because of the teeth
you bonk your head on the low windowsill
your skin is tinted orange from all the veggies your mom feeds you
you have to take a morning nap while your brother gets to play with his toys
your mommy puts you in a dress, which is not conducive to crawling
no one will let you chew on their books

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posted by Joanna Bolick @ 11:28 AM