Playing with toys

For Christmas Dan surprised me with a new digital camera and a new video camera. We're both pretty excited because neither of us have ever been the owners of a video camera. Oh the videos we have yet to make! Madeline and Reese are probably going to get tired of us recording their every move with our new devices.

With new cameras come lots of experimenting. Dan took some great shots of Reese in the bathtub last weekend. There's a setting on the camera called "nostalgia" and it makes the photos have that pinkish tint all of our baby pictures from the late 70's have. Kind of cool. I'd love to post some of those photos here but since my blog is public I'll keep the baby nudey pics private ;-)

But here are a few others that don't involve nudity...

This one was a test of the built in flash. Dan doesn't like it so much because it's "blown out" but I like it because you can clearly see the color of our eyes. And Reese's expression is pretty cute.

She thought her post-bath crazy hairdo was pretty funny...

She walked right up to the camera man and asked a thousand questions of him with this one expression.

Time flies when you're having fun!

I've thought several times about sitting down at the computer to compose a blog that can fill everyone in on the happenings of the (soon to be officially) Stroup household. But so much has happened since I last wrote that I don't even know where to begin. So maybe I should let the pictures do the talking...

We celebrated our friend Cali's 3rd birthday:

The birthday girl, Calidora

A very stylish guest, Sabine

Aforementioned stylish guest checking out the goods of yet another guest, Reese

Reese and her escort, Daddy ;-)

And we celebrated our friend Sabine's 1st birthday:

Here is the birthday girl unwrapping her gift from her Papa Joe. That's a sweet ride!

Sabine was such a gracious hostess...she let all the other kids try her toys out before she did!

Oh the glow of a complete sugar rush. Sabine loved her smash cake!

And of course everyone got in on the action for what's a birthday party without cake? And besides, whenever Gail is holding food Reese isn't far behind!

We called on the Toothfairy for her first-ever visit. Oh boy was this exciting! I really thought Madeline would try to sleep with one eye open all night so as to not miss seeing her!! The Toothfairy came again about 30 days later but this time had to coordinate her visit with Santa Claus so that everyone would have ample time to perform his or her duties under the cover of darkness.

Madeline posing with one less tooth.

Madeline has become quite the artist. She drew the picture below after reading a book called Just Like Abraham Lincoln. It was explained to me that Mr. Lincoln does indeed have hair but that you can't see it because it is under his hat. He's holding his briefcase and standing next to his lawyer desk that is home to a lovely quill pen and stool for sitting on. The sticker at the top of the page was placed there because that's where he went to live after he left Springfield.



We decorated in preparation for the arrival of Santa Claus...




...and we celebrated too!!

Madeline with her cousins Gabriel and Rebecca on Christmas Eve

Madeline showing off her new cozy pj's

Dan teaching Madeline how to play Connect 4. It took her a few games to get all the concepts to come into play at once but she's getting it!

Reese coloring in her new "Melmo" (Elmo) book. Sometimes she's a righty and sometimes she's a lefty but I see her use her left hand more and more.

This wonderful battery-powered instrument was sent to our home by Madeline's Grandma Cindy. As much as we love the arts we do pray for the day the batteries begin to run down :-)

But Madeline loves the noise and loves being a rockstar!

As does Reese! She's trying her hand at being a rockstar herself.

I do believe she takes the task a little more seriously than her older sister.

Madeline and her baby brother, Hudson, sat for a miniature photo shoot

And finally, we counted down to the New Year as we watched the ball drop in Times Square from the comfort of Kevin, Gail and Gavin's home. The night wouldn't have been complete without our wonderful friends:

It's always more fun when you get to play with other kid's toys

(good) Shawn, Suzi and Adam

Suzi enveloped in the steam from some busy fondue pots

Patrick, Sam and Michael Jackson...oops...I mean Kevin

Patrick, Sam and Dan the security guard

I would say that Madeline and Gavin were the only kids in attendance at the New Years Eve party but this picture proves otherwise

Madeline and baby Jackson

Gavin and his mommy Gail having a heart to heart

Say a little prayer

When Madeline came home from school this afternoon I was down in the basement. She yelled down the stairs for me then bound down the stairs very excitedly. She said, "Lyila! I voted for Barak Obama! And he's in the lead but I think John McCain won!" I was impressed with the fluidity in which she pronounced the names. Suddenly, her eyes welled up with tears and she looked very sad. I asked what was wrong and it took her a second to get her thoughts together. Finally, she was able to speak. Through tears she explained that she voted for Barak Obama and she didn't want John McCain to win and that he won at school and she is very upset about it. I told her she and I were going to go vote this afternoon and that we would have to wait until later tonight to find out who the real winner is. She said, "But Lyila, why are you going to vote? John McCain has already won." So I explained how many many more people still get to choose and we'll just have to wait and see who the new president will be. I told her to try to calm down and she said she couldn't because she really wants Barak Obama to win. I asked her why she likes him so much but she couldn't really pinpoint the source of her convictions.

She definitely does not lack passion.

All I can say is please God let Barak Obama win or I will have one very emotionally distraught kindergartner on my hands...

Zoolie Ghoulie

Dan and I celebrated Halloween a week or so early with the girls this year. Neither one of them were scheduled to be with us for Halloween so we took them to Zoolie Ghoulie, which is Springfield's version of Boo at the Zoo (for all you Topekans.) We had a great time trick-or-treating all the different stations in the zoo and seeing the few animals that were braving the tornado strength winds. Our pumpkin patch crew joined us for the festivities...Gail and Kevin brought Yoda (Gavin) and Suzi brought a little froggie named Sabine.

Madeline dressed as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz and Reese was the good witch Glinda. I made their costumes and it had been quite some time since I had sewn anything at all. Not to mention that I was never that skilled at it anyway so this created a bit of a challenge for me. I just kept praying my genetics would kick in and I'd instinctively know what to do. Each little costume has it's quirks but I made them with my own two hands and I can guarantee they are each one-of-a-kind!! Can you tell I'm proud of myself? Well, I am and after seeing the girls in the finished product I did take a moment and give myself a pat on the back. They looked adorable...

Reese smiling pretty in her Glinda costume.


Madeline loved being Dorothy!! She was especially excited about the red glitter shoes.


Dreaming of a faraway place...


Holding on for dear life? Boy was it windy!!


Yoda!!!


Yoda and his human parents Gail and Kevin.


Little froggie Sabine!!


This is one motley crew. I'm sure I've called them that before and it surely won't be the last time. I wish photos didn't take so long to load because this picture is only one in a series of about 10 hilarious pictures. Sabine doesn't like to be restricted/constricted; Madeline is trying her best to hold onto the slippery little amphibian; Reese has lost her crown but replaced it as only a one year-old could; Gavin refused to turn around and be part of all the commotion the girls were creating. There was lots of prodding but he refused to budge. This may actually be the best decision of his entire life ;-)


Sabine is funny. She dropped her toy and instead of going under the fence to get it she decided she would hang over the rail and kick at it. It must have seemed like a really good plan because Reese decided she would help. Suzi finally put an end to the futility and retrieved it for Sabine.

Last funny tidbit from the day...

As we're all going our separate ways, Suzi sends me a text message and comments on how windy it was and asked "where did that wind come from?" I told her I thought Dorothy brought it with her (meaning Madeline.) So Suzi says," Can she dress as Jimmy Buffet next year?" Sounds good to me!! Although when I told Madeline what Suzi said her response was an emphatic "NO! No way am I dressing like a boy!!!"

Follow the Yellow Brick Road

It has indeed been several weeks since I've posted anything...but not for a lack of things to talk about. We've been busy.

The first weekend in October, Dan and I took a little trip to Kansas. It had been a few months since I'd been back, and nearly a year since Dan had last made the trip. Dan and I took Luke and Nathaniel to Manhattan (Kansas, that is) for a little jaunt to Pillsbury Crossing and then we drove the "Scenic Byway" through the Flint Hills. I've got to say that this "scenic byway" really does look more interesting on the website. But nonetheless, it gave an accurate depiction of what Kansas is really about :-) Those of you FROM Kansas know exactly what I mean...




Dan and Luke climbed some pretty amazing rocks. I know I've become much more maternal in my old(er) age because all I could think of while watching these two daredevils climb was what I would do if someone fell. Thoughts such as these really do take the fun out of the moment...




Getting to this perfect photographic spot in front of the waterfall was a bit of a challenge. But the end result was worth it.




Lyila, Luke and Nathaniel. I can understand why swimming and frolicking in the water has commenced for the season...it was brisk!!



The boys at a lookout on the Scenic Byway. They didn't plan the tough-guy looks...I think it just happens naturally when a couple of guys get together for some pictures;-)


Luke is quite the skateboarder. He carries his board with him everywhere we go with hopes of finding a new jump,a new place to drop in, a new place to grind, etc. (I'll stop there with the skateboarding lingo...I can't remember anymore phrases anyway.) This first picture is on the stairs outside David Bridal. The other pictures are at a skate park in Council Grove, Kansas. We were passing through and eagle-eye Luke spotted it from the main road. We HAD to stop and let him try it out...we would have never heard the end of it otherwise. And we still had a looong drive ahead of us that day.