memorial day at the zoo

we had a fabulous time going to the cleveland zoo today for memorial day. it was nice to have aaron home an extra day to hang out with us, and it was also wonderful to be able to have gram and pap come with us too. this was emma's 2nd time at the zoo, but her first time actually awake through the whole experience. she was very fascinated with all the animals-none looked like beau...how can that be?? the weather was beautiful-perfect to be out and about.

this one is for aunt corrie

thanks for the dress! love, emma.

p.s. mom had to take a picture of me in the dress while i was in my crib, because i couldn't keep still long enough for her to take a good picture.

my long-time gripe with united airlines is finally justified

read this associated press article to get the low-down on customer satisfaction with u.s. airlines...please note that UNITED is ranked at the bottom.

take a look at the u of michigan report the a.p. article was referring to (i only linked to the airline industry index scores). if i'm reading the index correctly, UA has fallen significantly compared to the other airlines listed just from the previous year...and even more so based on the baseline (first year??) score. it's funny how a low-cost airline like SW outscored the more "high-end," established airlines like UA, NW and Delta. we like continental though :).

chillin' in the front yard eating peas and playing with dad

chef in the making

this video clip is of tyler making garlic bread to accompany our homemade pizza dinner this past saturday. it was really good garlic bread-very buttery and garlicy, which is the way i like it. the recipe was from a book he checked out from his school library by emeril. it's a pretty neat recipe book, written especially for kids who want to try their hand at cooking. i would also say it's a very good book for adults who have no cooking experience and would like to start.

hello to morning naps

i don't know what's going on w/ emma's whole morning nap thing. i put her down this morning for her 1st nap, expecting her to just talk and giggle and coo to herself again for an hour, but she's sleeping. so after 4 days of no morning nap she takes one today? hmmm...it's a mystery to me. i guess we'll just keep sticking to our normal schedule whether she sleeps for her 1st nap or not.

good-bye to morning naps

i think it will soon be the end of emma's morning naps. for the past 3 days i've put her down for her usual AM nap and i don't think she sleeps at all. all will be quiet for the first 10-15 minutes and then i'll hear a little squeal or some babbling, then quiet again for another 15 minutes. then more talking, babbling, cooing what have you but no sleeping, until she starts crying after 45 minutes because she's had enough of being in the crib by herself. i don't know that i'll stop putting her in her room in the morning since she doesn't protest, but i think it's turning into playtime-in-my-crib instead of sleeptime-in-my-crib. *sigh* just when we were all getting used to a schedule, she goes and changes it on me. i think she likes to keep me on my toes.

visit to the park

tuesday the kids and i ventured to the park close to our house. didn't stay long because it was super hot, but i managed to get a couple of pics. it was emma's first time on a playground swing, and big brother helped push.

radio flyer!

aaron got this cute little radio flyer bike from someone at work. emma's still not big enough to ride it, but she likes it already. i just can't believe she'll be one already in june! it has been amazingly fun to watch her become her own person and see developmental skills grow and improve. she's always got a lot to say, makes sure someone is listening. she likes to be independent, though she shies away (or cries like a maniac) at times when unfamiliar faces approach her. and of course she is constantly getting into things and trying so hard to keep up with her brother. oh, and finally she has teeth. 2 have surfaced at the same time. she has been really great about the teething factor. it didn't seem to bother her much when the teeth started coming in, and now i think there's more starting to come in (the drooling and biting is back).

this last picture is of her in her summer dress ibu (my mommy) bought her. it is in preparation for our indonesia trip...i'm sure she'll be in need of more summer dresses given how hot it is down there.

birthdays all around

these pictures are from the weekend of may 5. we celebrated mamaw & papaws birthdays at mom & dad purdum's house. there was TONS of delicious food and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit with everyone.

the big 8-0!

mamaw & her birthday cake

a feeble attempt at getting a nice photo of the kids w/ papaw (it was difficult to keep emma still!)

then and now....

hair-then...













...and now
















baby-then...















...and now?

owen and jack

the proud parents with their babies

i'm seeing double!!

okay, here are the pictures of my twin cousins Jack and Owen that i said i'd post once i find some my way (i borrowed them from their blog :-) ). aren't they cute...and sooo teeny, tiny?

WARNING: this post may contain too much information for some readers-read at own risk!

after almost 2 weeks, it's now official...ms. emma is weaned. when i was getting up 2x a night to breastfeed and feeding her 4x during the day, i longed for the day when she could eat on her own and drink from a cup and have nothing to do with my breasts. i thought i would be elated, jumping for joy at my newfound freedom. but instead, when the day did finally come, i found myself a little sad (please see picture to get a more accurate description of how i felt...i guess "little" may be a slight understatement). i suppose it was actually more of a bittersweet moment. i felt happy to finally be done with the whole thing, but at the same time i was crestfallen that it ended sooner than i anticipated. no more morning feedings cuddled in my bed, or rocking her in the rocking chair while she feeds before bedtime (sniff, sniff)...ugh. and the sad part is that she didn't even notice the transition. oh well...it was bound to happen...she is growing up already. i guess it's time to have another baby so i can relive all those wonderful emotions (*wink, wink*).

some assistance please

does anyone know of any good, trustworthy, dependable private forum hosts that's free of charge? there are a lot out there, but most of the private ones require a fee/membership, etc. please use comments area to post suggestions (though i may not publish your comment on our blog i will still be able to read your input). thanks!