Update: Halloween Poem (now +video) by Julia Mae

The Halloween Poem

Little kids looking for ghosts.

Witches flying over posts.

There is a skeleton walking

while other kids are screaming and talking.

There is a jack-o-lantern floating

while detectives and thinking and noting.

Seriously, how do our children turn out so much more brilliant than we were at their age? She wrote this on her own, this morning, just for fun--not at school or with any prompting. I've never written a spontaneous poem in my life! She is 9.

PS Check out the cool video our friend Paul made to go with this fab little poem

photo from flickr

The Girl Power Stylish Sleepover*

Truth be told I loath the sleepover but they love it so much I can't seem to say no. Here's why:

I'm not sure I've seen a happier face on Julia or Aynslee! They spent the first half hour of their sleepover making the following schedule...translation to follow.

The Translation of the Schedule:
1. Get PJ's on
2. High School Musical Karaoke (singing)
3. Blindfolded Makeovers (I thought this meant that the one getting madeover couldn't see them selves until the makeover was done but I guess it really means that the one giving the makeover is blindfolded and just slobs make up all over your face without looking....fun!)
4. Get ready for *GPSS Sleepover
5. Brush Hair
6. Teeth (buckies) (Grampa Jim calls 'brushing your' teeth,'brushing your buckies' and Julia has adopted this as her own.)
7. Stories
8. Talk about R-a-n-s-o-m (boys) (Ransom is a boy that Julia has had a crush on for almost 2 years...yikes.)
9. Funny Shows
10. Fashion Shows

My "New" Phone...

Here's what my phone looked like before Julia fancied it up for me as a Valentine's Day gift. (above)


Here is what it looks like now. Did I mention that all the little crystals are fused to the phone? I smell an i phone in my future!

The Best Letter to Santa EVER!

Hey Santa- Just go "ditto" for me on this letter kay???--Miss Jen

The Tooth Elf

A very, very sad thing has occurred at the Stewart home. Piper "found out" about the Tooth Fairy. Julia lost 2 teeth this week and the first night Lowell and I totally spaced the whole thing. (I wish I could say this was the first (or last) time that we have forgotten our toothly duties but it would be a lie.) Since Julia was up at about 6 am and it was still dark I told her all about how night wasn't officially over until the sun was all the way up while Lowell snuck down to "take care of it".

2 days later when she lost the other one we did the exact same thing again! We are so totally up for nomination for the lamest-parents-on-earth award. Good grief. So this time Julia comes up and says, "I know the tooth fairy has until 7 am to get here so I'll just go check after 7." "Yeah!", I say as I wink at Lowell and he sneaks off again. Well this time Piper followed him and caught him mid act: pillow in one hand, money in the other, guilty look on his face-the whole bit.

Not one to think up lies at the drop of a hat like yours truly he just looked at her and said, "Ummmm......Don't tell Julia" I say he gave up too easily but she took it well and feels like she's in on a big secret now. She did however tell Julia that the tooth fairy was male, had a mustache and a beard and glasses. Hmmmm....good one Piper. So now Julia insists on calling it the Tooth Elf and has a pretty good idea of what's going on.

I guess I'm a little sad/mad at myself that this little secret got out. My mom was much better at keeping these important parental secrets than I. She still insists that the Santa that visited me as a 3 year old was the one and only. Oh well right?

(this is not my husband)

Julia Mae's Baptism

Jewel got baptized yesterday by her dad.  It was a really fun and special day.  We were so blessed to have so many friends and family there!  Congratulations Julia!

Julia Mae

Julia's Birthday Celebrations

This girl is 100% decked out with HSM gear!

Julia and India had fun making mini cheese cakes for her party.

UP: Mani/Pedi
DOWN: getting her ears pierced.

We had fun shopping for shoes and other birthday stuff.

Happy Birthday Julia! It's great to be 8!

A Slice of Julia! Happy Birthday!

3 days old

9 months old

1 year old!
Terrible 2's!4ish...?6 years old
7 years old.
Almost 8 years old!

Magic Nuudles

Have you seen these? Magic Nuudles are cornstarch building block type things. They are tons of fun, cheap and biodegradable.

Julia's Sleepover

I am not a big fan of the sleepover personally but from time to time we have one and summer seems to be the time when the kids break my will to say no.

I didn't get any photos of the actual sleepover but this is the 'schedule of fun' that Jewel had planned for her guests:

If only that 'Good Night' part had actually happened at 9pm!

School Tradition: Dance Festival

Our schools end of the year tradition is a dance festival. Each grade level performs a dance and since each grade does the same dances each year the kids really look forward to all the dances they get to learn. They have watched the older kids perform over the years so they really want to learn that next dance.

This year Piper learned tininkilling, a traditional dance from the Philippines.

Julia's class danced to 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight' where they hunt lions to keep the school safe.

School Art Show

There's really nothing like a kids art show and our school does a really fabulous one. Every kid has multiple pieces done in the styles of all the great artists. Here is Julia and her tribute to Paul Klee.

Julia's Da Vinci-esque self portrait, complete with backwards signature.

Piper's impressionist flowers.

Last year Piper's self portrait was chosen to be framed and hung in the school lobby.

Moab Arts Festival 2008

About 7 years ago Lowell and I decided at the last minute that we wanted to go somewhere on Memorial day weekend. We ended up camping in Moab during the Moab Arts Festival (MAF). It was so much fun that we have gone back every year since. Now I usually go with good friend Traci and her kids. The kids really look forward to it and it's become something of a 'schools out!' tradition.

A little early morning hike at Sand Dune Arch in Arches National Park. If you've never been, it's TOTALLY worth the drive and for the record this is the only 'hike' on the driving route that's really worth doing with little kids. It is so beautiful, shady and really fun. Our big girls are probably ready for something harder but it's still a favorite.





Moab's Swanny Park has a cool skate park so the kids brought thier scooters this year. They were rather impressed with the older boys that were doing all kinds of cool tricks with their bikes.


One of the major contributors at the MAF is Wabi Sabi, they do a children's art booth with all kinds of free activities for the kids like face panting, tie dye, puppet making, a magician, to name a few. Julia had her face panted like a Geisha.

And of course there are a handful of carnival 'rides'.

The new favorite: The sling shot!

Over all: a super fun day! See you there next year??

Funny Kid Quotes

One day we were watching The Brady Bunch and Julia said, 

"This show is so old!  When was it made?  In like, 1876?"  She was dead serious.

Chloe is what we like to call: SPICY!  She is full of life and into all kinds of trouble all day long. Sometimes when I'm exasperated I'll say, "Chloe, why are you so naughty?" Well, one day she answered with,  "Because I LOVE it!"

Wordless Wednesday: Photos from Gramma's Visit