Family Pics-December 2013

I am positive I have forever scarred my family for life and that the latest picture taking adventure will be mentioned EVERY time we have cold weather from here on out...I am glad we got a few good ones in the 25 minutes we took to get some pictures taken.

 

It was about 12 degrees when we took these, and we were taking our coats off- throwing to the side, snaping a pic and then putting them back on quickly. It was a production. And once we even had to go back inside to get warm before we went back out. Then do our best to hold our breath so you wouldnt see the "mist" coming from our breath! Sigh.

But these are some of my faves.

 

Ways we can show thanks!

During sharing time at church my friend Nikki was asking how you can tell someone or show thanks- Especially when someone gives you something. Our cute little Ella raised her hand and said

"You can say it in Russian" Sigh. She really does have the sweetest spirit.

Da, Da, Da, Si, Si, Si, Yes, Yes Yes

Artyom is really good at only speaking with the girls in Russian. I know it is frustrating for them at times, and they often get upset when they do not understand a word, but were keeping up on it. Sofia is also doing the dual immersion program at school with Spanish and I have been AMAZED at how much these kids are learning.

 

So last night at the dinner table, Artyom was talking to Sofia in Russian and she was doing her best to answer. Then Ella started singing (shocker I know) Feliz Navidad in the background and I was singing with her. I happened to look at Sof when Artyom asked her a quesiton and all the sudden she caught herself answering back in Spanish. The look on her face when he heard herself answering back in Spanish was PRICELESS. She just started cracking up laughing and did'nt stop for a good 2 minutes.

 

It was awesome. 

Letter of thanks

Ella came into our room the other day while I was picking up EXTREMELY excited. "MAMA! I fogot. This is for you" And she ran out the door to go on playing with Sofia.

It was clear it was a card for Thanksgiving as her very artistic turkey showed, but what I was not expecting was not only her great spelling- but her thoughts she put into the card inside.

Being a mom is not always the easiest role in the world, but it certainly has its perks...

The card reads, "Happy Thanksgiving. Thank you for my life. Dad I love you and Mom. Ella"

It has not been the easies of times this year, but the saying holds true. You can always, ALWAYS find something to be thankful for...

What's in a name

This is a loaded question if you were to ask Ella. She has names for EVERYTHING. Some are generic (her giraffe's name is...giraffe) but others she comes up with all on her own. She has a few giraffes and the names vary from baby giraffe,Safari, baby flower, yeah...you get the idea.

 

Aside from being called Mama (my favorite) she also calls me Mom, green eyes, Momichka (Russian), Betsy (hehe)  and a few others I can think of right now. But for her other half (aka her sibling) well there is only one name she has for her...SISTER.

 

It has yet to not put a smile on my face when she calls her that- and she ALWAYS does. It is not like Artyom and I ingrained it in her- really it is the opposite. It always was weird to me when Mom's would say go get "sister" instead of using their name or saying "your sister". But sister it has been and sister it seems will remain.

 

Sofia doesnt seem to mind. She answers each and every time and its pretty cute to hear. Ella made Sofia's day last night as I was making dinner and the girls were playing. Sofia came running in with a big smile on her face.

"Mom!" "Ella is saying my name!" "She really is!" "Its because were pretend playing, but she said SOFIA!"

 

Its the little things in life...it really is.

Of course I want them to be happy

So Ella talks in her sleep...alot. Sometimes I wish I would write down some of the things I hear her say instead of just trying my best to remember them. Its pretty darn funny. But a few that I can remember her saying lately:

Mama, I need some dollars

Seth that is not right!

 

CHERRY!

This morning however, she was not sleep talking, but very much awake when she asked me for ice cream at 6:15 in the morning....

When I told her no, for several reasons (and continued to list ALL of them) she just waited patiently with her big blue eyes till I was done and then thought just for a moment before she said (patting my arm mind you)

ELLA: "Mama, you want your children to be happy don't you? You would do anything to keep them happy right?"

Seriously?

ME: "Why yes, Ella, I would do ALMOST anything to have my children be happy...but giving them ice cream at 6:15 in the morning is not one of them..."

ELLA: "Sigh...I guess today will not be a happy day for me then..."

She chose rainbow sherbet.

Its kind of a pre Christmas miracle

I have the farthest thing from a "green thumb" there is. One of my co-workers had to take my plant away from me and put it re-hab because of the damage I did to the poor thing. HOWEVER. She was able to resurrect it and its fluorishing now.

So you can imagine my uneasiness when my Dad entrusted a hundreds of years old Christmas Cactus of my late Aunt Diane's into my care. He wanted to take them home, but left one of them with me.      I remember them being in her kitchen on the counter and I think of her everytime I see it now in my own kitchen.

My Dad let me know that it only blooms around Christmas. The girls have been anxiously awaiting the moment when we saw small white buds forming and I had HOPE! Hope that I had not killed it ripping it out of its home and into a new one. Well this little guy is resillient and doing WELL.

Here is where things are at now. Look at all those new buds getting ready to bloom! We cannot wait till Christmas to see it in FULL BLOOM. Be proud Dad. The Christmas Cactus lives on!