Washington D.C. in January

We arrived a day earlier than we planned, so we decided to let the kids decide what we did. Reece chose the Natural History Museum and Adeline chose the Air and Space, Emma was just happy seeing her cousins. Rick's Dad lives just feet away from the Iwo Jima Memorial.

Rick never fails to make friends no matter where we are. Adeline isn't too sure about that

Emma could not get over how big this walrus was- plus she is a little drama queen

The day of the burial at Arlington. I didn't include any pictures, as it's too fresh still and I just want to look back on happy things- ok? Ok

Here are my 2 sweet little nieces, Vivian(aka angry burrito or smily burrito) and Marjorie( Baby Carrot) We stopped in to La Madeline a french bistro for dinner with Annette and her sisters, with my sister and her good friend. Even though, Rick and I had just been to dinner there the night before with his father, no one can get too much French food, like puff pastry covered in mushroom sauce or crepes with beef and cheese inside. Come on, I could eat there everyday!

Emma can't get enough of Vivian. She is always asking when is the next time we'll be seeing her, even if we are with her at the time

The Parrish- Bunch cousins- Vivian, Marjorie, Adeline, Emma and Reece( does he look happy being the only boy?)

The Rysak-Parrish cousins - Bethany, Angela, Adeline, Emma and Reece( AGAIN, does he look happy being the only boy?)

Our last day there, we forced our old friends Ernest and Margaret to come and see us at Panera Bread in a crowded mall. Besides a little less hair, no one has changed and our kids got along quickly. Thumb wrestling at the table and watching short videos on i-phones. Ernie's son reminded Rick and I of a young Fonzi, we had to laugh at his little leather jacket and swooped dark hair :) Ernie was in our wedding and Rick's close friend all through high school. Some things never change. It was great seeing you two!

These are a few of my favorite things

The Wii has finally come into it's own now that Mario Cart was brought by Santa. Even Adeline loves to be the baby character on the game and drive a rocket stroller into walls and over cliffs, so she can hear the baby scream " ahhhhhhhhhhh" as it plummets to it's cartoon death. This is her trying to "smile" for the camera.

My kids are also known as the Von Trapp kids, b/c of how much time they spend in the trees in our front yard. This night it was 30 something degrees out and as you can see Emma has no coat, no shoes and a huge smile. She even has a secret emergency exit from this tree that she uses for speedy getaways when the fuzz bust the joint.

The Big Three

Our baby turned 3 shortly after Christmas and just like that I have a little girl, not a toddler Yes I made the cake and before you get too gushy and overwhelmed, you are looking at it from a distance, up close you might say" hmmmm I think my dog coulda pulled off a cake slightly better than this."

Adeline was proud of her cake and wanted to pull the tablecloth off the table with the cake, hours before guests were to arrive

Double A - Adeline and Abigail

Her exact words " Abby has that at home!"

Aunt Robin sent a real kitty in a box. When we bought this together a month earlier, on the ride home from Tarjay, it sounded like the cat was trying to use the packaging as a litterbox

American Girl Bitty Baby Twins

It's my party and I'll be sullen if I want to, turning three sucks

Birthday Breakfast at Village Inn with Mimi and pancakes. Adeline Noel you may be the littlest one we've ever had, but you have more personality in your pinky finger than all of us combined. You can go from shy and clinging to mommy, to talking to random strangers in Walmart in under 5 seconds. Your classic Adeline grouchy face can be replaced by pure silliness and make me laugh just to look at you. You are going to be our jokster I can tell already. I have to hide my smile, when I see you snatch one of Reece's cars, run away while he chases you, then fling the toy under the couch out of his reach and run to the safety of mom's arms. Typical Addie. No one can tell you what to wear, you dress yourself, pick out your drinks at Starbucks along with Mommy, love shoes and purses, sit and wait nicely while your hair is done, and accessorize with sunglasses and pretend phones like young Hollywood. The one who is closest to Daddy's heart and squeezes the tightest, wants her hair pushed softly behind her ears at night, helps me look for fleas on the cats, is the first to start cleaning up when mommy asks for help and the one I am going to cry the hardest for when we watch you start college, because, then I will know the last baby bird has left our home. Happy third birthday Addie Boobal Bear

Have yourself a Parrish Little Christmas

In front of St. Paul's they built a real manger and after this picture was taken Adeline sat herself in the creche

The Christmas break started with gingerbread houses and good friends

Reindeer food extravaganza at the playground, Miminette flew in and was immediately put to work

Kate, Angela( expecting Baby #5- a girl), Jackie and Dominique

Santa was here- on the wish list this year - Emma wanted a scooter, Reece wanted Devastator the transformer and Adeline the Princess castle- as you can see, Santa was good this year

Stocking goodies- doesn't the face say it all?

This is Adeline waking up and coming determined for some serious present opening into the living room

Let the madness begin- this year the present opening was broken down into three categories

Emma- knew the fun would end eventually so let the present opening linger

Adeline- opened one present, wanted it out of the box, play with it for an hour, then move on to something else

Reece- open everything as fast as you can, then look around with feverish eyes for anything else to open, realize that nothing else exists with your name on it, look with disappointment at what you have opened- resign yourself to play with the crap you got while believing your sisters have both gotten better and more toys than you

Mimi will you please open this toy that will take 5 minutes of untwisting little wires, 10 minutes of plastic ripping, a few minutes of cursing under your breath, and 5 seconds to realize it required batteries that we don't have- Merry Christmas Mimi

Reece and Emma smile for a Christmas morning picture, please. Reece, please smile. Reece just one picture, please. OK fine, I'll take your scooter away IF you don't smile just once..........

Thank you for the creepiest most serial killer resembling Christmas smile ever! Merry Christmas 2009 Everyone

Big Paws to fill

Is this the face of a canine that can replace Bandit's big shoes? We'll see, but she's doing a good job so far. We started thinking of getting another dog about October, but postponed looking due to my father's illness. But, it seemed like a good time now. I checked out our local pounds and the Humane Society and found " fudge" and her brother "gingerbread" at the latter. As I came through the door and asked to see Fudge, another woman was hot on my heels to see Fudge as well. Then a married couple walked in also to see Fudge. Apparently the puppies pictures were on the website of the Humane Society. All of a sudden I felt this mad rush to fill out the paperwork and bring Fudge home. Her dad was a Chocolate Lab and her mother a mini Border Collie. So she'll be a smart frisbee catching, water dog digging machine.

After days of tossing around names like Gretel, Strudel, and Lucy, Rick suddenly remembers the 70's tv show Battle Star Galactica had a brown fluffy robot dog whose ears would rotate, anmed Muffet. And just like that, the name stuck.

Muffet took to the kids immeadiately. She follows them, tries to jump on the couch with them, bites their toes to get them to play with her and uses their toys as chewies. Auntie Robin found 3 Zhu Zhu pets for us for Christmas, but apparently she didn't know she was buying them for Muffet's enjoyment. Muffet can use her paw to whack them into the "on" position. Then chases them all over the floor.

Adeline has a love-hate relationship with Muffet. Sometimes she wants to walk her, sleep with her and feed her, and other times she picks everything of hers up off the floor and keeps saying" that's not a toy mubbet" Since she can't say Muffet yet. I think Bandit would be smiling down from heaven at our new little fudgy puppy and say " It was time to move on."

Is it really Christmas?

This was the title of the puppet show my brownie troop put on for their parents yesterday afternoon. Half thegirls were trees they decorated and the other half were angels they made. Then the girls drew out of a hat to see what part they would be. Emma was Angel #2( She brought the gift if Forgiveness) I have 10 girls this year and here we all are with my co-leader Shannon.

Here is Emma's angel

Emmy and Jenna starting the play and giving the introduction

The trees all made fun of the Poplar tree b/c she was different looking and no one would want her as Christmas tree

Penny Poplar and Suzie Spruce. I love being the Girl Scout Leader and wouldn't give this "job" up if you gave me a million doll hairs. Next semester we will start the careers badge and the Gulf Shores badge. I see a trip to the Gulfarium and the newspaper plant in our future.

December Chorus Program 2009

Emma joined chorus in September and scared me the first time she went. Since we switched schools and are still getting used to the carlinein the afternoons, it came as a huge shock one afternoon at 2:00 when they called Emma's name and Emma never showed up. They called the front office and they didn't have her, neither did her teacher. It took about 7 minutes of panic to figure out with the help of walkie talkies that Emma had taken it upon herself to join chorus and just trotted herself over there after school that Tuesday. Thanks for taking 5 years off my life Emma Roo.

They were required to wear white shirts and black skirts or pants. Her favorite songs were Lights of Hannukah and I don't wanna grow up. They sang about 10 songs, like Frosty the Snowman and O Holy Night( which surprised me at a public school), but we are in the bible belt.

Here is her favorite song Lights of Hannukah, she even figured out the notes today on the piano to the chorus of this song. Next semester she has the chance to enroll in drama club. I think I'm really loving this school!