Stories

I've been volunteering with my son's robotics team at the local high school.  Lilie helps me out each Tuesday night, and has become pretty well known by the kids and the other volunteers.

I was focused on some computer work tonight, and Lilie was getting pretty fidgety.  Finally she insisted that I help her put on her coat (the soft one that's a rainbow of colors) because she was cold.  She dawdled around the table where I was working in the cafeteria, eyeing the classroom nearby where all the kids were working on the robot.  Eventually Lilie explained the following to me:

"Daddy," she whispered. "I'm going to go unlock some things in there.  Don't worry.  Nobody will realize me with my coat on."  She spent the next twenty minutes tiptoeing over to the door of the classroom and retreating with squealing laughter when someone 'realized' her.   -- Jason


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Tonight, at bedtime, I asked Liliana what story she wanted to hear.  She answered that she wanted to hear an owl story.  It was late, I was tired and needed to tell something quick so I made up the following tale:

One day there was a little girl walking in the woods.  She came upon an owl.  She said to the owl, "Mr. Owl, what is your favorite flower?"  The owl answered, "Whoooo."  The little girl said, "No, not who.  What! What is your favorite flower?"  The owl answered, "Whoooo."  The little girl said again, "No!  Not who.  What?"  The owl answered, "Whoooo."  The little girl started to get frustrated.  She stomped her foot and said, "NOOO!  Not who.  WHAT is your favorite flower?"  The owl answered, "Roses" and flew away.  The End.

Now, I personally thought it was funny and that Lilie would get a kick out of it.  However, one look at her told me that was not the case.  There was no laughter, no giggles.  Only a a clear look of disgust on her pretty little face when she informed me, "I'm going to tell Daddy you told me a short story."  --Katie

Catchup

Ultimately, it's all about the pictures, right?

Here, we'll catch up from December.  Be patient!

She loves her stuffed animals...

The Bennetts joined us for Lilie's dance/gymnastics recital

We all piled into the van...

...to visit Wentzville's Christmas light display.

Lilie performs!

"Flowers?!?! For me?!?!"

Tell my adoring fans 'thank you'!

We've all shared a respiratory problem since December that just won't go away...

December 24... Katie gets concert tickets for her birthday.

The obligatory holiday self-pic.

Jonas and Lucas came over for a visit on Christmas day.

Liliana loves her 'brudders'.

December 30, and we're making mozzarella cheese at home!

New Year's Eve with the Bennetts.

We worked over the holidays to redecorate Lilie's room.

That's a Christmas present casting that rainbow along the chalkboard-painted wall.

Liliana found a book at the library titled 'Whopper Cake'.  It came with a recipe in the back.

Of course, we had to try it...

...and Lilie learned the value of a goopy eggbeater!

Sorry that took so long - we promise to be more diligent in the future...

Garlic, soil and poster.

We know it's been a while...  I'll cull some pics from the past month or so for our next post.  In the meantime:

We were cleaning up Christmas, which is kind of difficult for a three-year-old to do.  Katie was dismantling the garland she had wrapped around the banister and asked Lilie to bring it to me.  I was taking ornaments off the tree when Lilie handed it to me.

"Daddy, here's the garlic."
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Lilie was working waaaay too slowly on a piece of toast one morning.  We asked if she wanted to take it with her in the car.

"Can we put it in soil?"
"Soil?  You don't want to take it with you?"
"I want it!"
"Okay, honey - okay!...  Let's get going then."
"Can we wrap it in soil first?"

We only figured it out when Lilie actually went to the drawer and got the aluminum foil herself...
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"Put up the poster!  Put up the poster slide!"

We were horsing around on our bed when Lilie made the request.  I eventually figured out she wanted me to raise my knees so she could climb up on top and then slide down.  We still hadn't figured it out exactly until she got more specific:

"Daddy Daddy!  Put up the roller poster slide!"