The Princess Ball

I finally got the pictures downloaded from our trip to the princess ball.
This was a fundraiser for childhood cancer that we attended. My mother-in-law's retreat center donated a mother daughter canoe trip as the grand prize so we got to be there to draw the winning name.

Luckily there is no photographic evidence of my lack of shoes, I'm telling you wool socks are totally the next thing in princess wear....

 The Princess Eats:

A sampling of what photos look like when Esme takes them:

Sure, this one she gets right on:

The two princesses (I'm not really sure why one of us looks a little grumpy...):

This next pictures was far and away Esme's favorite part of the day.
Three Ballerina's came from the Minnesota Ballet and danced for all the little girls. Esme sat right on the floor in the front row and I thought she might explode from sheer excitement. I really didn't think she could get any more excited when all of a sudden they started dancing to "Some Day my Prince Will Come". Esme LOOOVES Sleeping Beauty.  I honestly thought she might possibly shoot through the roof with excitement when she turned around to me and said "MAma...(it was half whispered she was so excited) They're dancing to Princess Aurora's song!"

Here's our little princess ballerina so excited (can't you see the excitement?) to be posing with the real thing.

The whole day was so fun and exciting that Esme fell asleep exactly two blocks away from the ballroom and slept the entire 2+ hours home.
It's good to be a princess!

forever and a day

Well...I know it's been forever since I've gotten my act together in the blogosphere....but here we are!

This move has been a bit more...everything...than I imagined.
A big adjustment to be apart as a family, and then back together again.
A big adjustment to move so many times -- have Esme move into her own bed and then into her own room for the very first time.
A big adjustment to leave the city
A big adjustment for me to have a job that has shifted so many times in so few months (leaving me a bit unsure of my abilities and self)
A big adjustment to have no tv or internet (although we still watch way too many netflix)

So it's been a lot. I think we're adjusting, I'm just not used to a slow adjustment, you know more of a jump in with both feet person so it feels kind of weird to still be finding my way and to feel so unsure about myself.

On the bright side Esme is adjusting beautifully....no hesitation there. She knows who she is (right down to the fact that she is "dying" for a princess gown for Christmas). She knows how valuable she is (evidenced by the church thanksgiving service where she announced to all she was thankful for herself). She has friends, is a good sharer, loves dance class, can't wait to go see the Nutcracker in two weeks, loves her new doll house -- almost as much as she loves her new Barbie (much to her father's chagrin).

Here's some photos of what we've been up to...birthdays, halloween and all that...enjoy!
and I promise I'll try to drop by more often!

PS if you have any good visit pics e mail me and I'll post them...I'm the worst picture taker EVER!!!!

Grandpa Ken's Visit (of which I'm hoping Grandpa Ken got better pictures)

Two cold swimmers

More presents...good thing she had help!

The super exciting new talking Dora Doll

(which we hear for at least 15 minutes every night at bed time!)

Esme's third birthday! (I know there are better pictures than these out there....share the love people :) )

My favorite present opening response:
breathless with excitement Esme says: "It's a...box!!"
no sarcasm, all joy

Just to show Auntie Melanie the beautifully wrapped birthday presents :)

Raspberry Torte (or Raspberry Torrit as Esme insists on calling her)

All the little girls got princess crowns (even some of the big girls joined in)

Who doesn't want to run around in their swimsuit when it's snowing out?

Some State Fair Pics....Esme loved the rides!

The Swings

This was totally Esme's "are you sure we're doing okay here Auntie Shooz?" face

after an encouraging grin from me Auntie Shooz passed it on and Esme decided "the scary ride" was perhaps fun after all!Worlds largest corndog...don't worry she had help :)

Esme & Daddy on the Carousel

Two happy piggys in the dairy barn

Cowboy Boots and Abbreviations

Grandpa Ken sent Esme some new cowboy boots last week and they are definitely the most exciting thing since sliced bread!

I'm not going to lie I was a bit skeptical when I saw the the heels light up every time she takes a step...but in a bizarre twist, it's my favorite part. I can't get over how cute it is. Plus every time someone compliments her on her boots she does this great little dance to show them how they light up, it's really too cute!

Had he was also sending a hat I would have made sure he knew she has been blessed with an Ashcroft head...so alas we will have to donate the hat to the dress up box at day care and the younger kids (or even the ones Esme's age with a normal sized head) can enjoy wearing the cute hat...

Esme has also been very into shortening words lately and I thought I better share a few of her favorite abbreviations from the past week... (Imagine a very reassuring know-it-all tone for all these statements)

"That's the kitty mom...sometimes I call her kid"

"It's so rainy, look at the puddles...I just call them pud"

"Babka are we going to watch Up? Is it time for the movie? I call it the move, let's watch the move!"

daycare, wilderness & bubble beards...

Esme had her first day of day care today. Of course since I warned her day care provider (Lisa) of Esme’s extreme aversion to naps she started off her daycare career with a 2 hour plus nap including a glare/rollover at Lisa when she finally came in and turned on the light.

Some of you will not be shocked to learn that the little 2 year old boy who only has eyes for the most popular boy (Ray-Ray) had a, perhaps momentary, but shocking nonetheless, shift in loyalties when he spent a good portion of his day following Esme around. When I picked Esme up I said it’s time to say goodbye to your friends and she promptly responded, “I better give hugs and kisses!”

We did Ya Ya proud today when I picked Esme up early to take her to the pool for a “swim lesson”. I think I did alright for my first lesson, we did a lot of kicking with a kickboard and practiced big kicks / big arms over and over again. I think my favorite part was when Esme figured out she could get some momentum going by using her arms as a sort of gerbil wheel right in front of her, it looked hilarious but worked shockingly well!

Esme has also been spending quite a bit of time with her Babka, they went canoeing and have even written their own version of the wheels on the bus…the waves on the beach, we expect their first solid gold hit is already on it’s way!

Esme proudly pointed out the gold finch at the bird feeder this morning and saw her first two deer in the front yard this evening…she is truly becoming a wilderness explorer.

Esme has become quite the fan of the bubble beard and bubble hat during her nightly bath, everyone has to be called in to see her magnificent creations which she keeps on as long as possible.

You'll be glad to see Esme is still practicing her photography...

As well as working hard to ensure all those rocks finally make it back into the lake.

Lastly Esme exploring the labrynth on a rainy day...

We miss you all!

sled dog puppies

I know I still owe you all the swimming videos I promised...this moving thing was perhaps a bit more intense than i realize... I have to get all the electronics up and running.

In the meantime, what could be better than a few puppy/baby pictures?

I'm sneaking in one little hiking pic to let you know we are doing something up here...

And now for the real fun...

Don't worry, we didn't bring any home :)

If you drug

Esme's been learning lately how to use a camera, mostly she likes to take pictures of herself. She doesn't believe us that you're supposed to turn the camera around... here are some of her best shots:

I have to share a quick funny story... proof that either my parenting style is a bit too unorthodox or I shouldn't have seen so many of those "this is your brain on drugs" commercials as a child...So we've all been taught that it's never too early to talk to your kids about drugs right?

Yesterday we were all in the car when this commercial about a home drug test came on the radio. I was so sad thinking about the concept that I said to Esme: "honey, if you're ever thinking about doing drugs just tell mama first okay?"

Esme thought for a moment and said: "like when I have to go pee pee, just tell mama

first, then we go pee pee."

"Exactly" I responded, "You're so smart, it's just like pee pee, just tell me first s

o we can talk about it"

"Okay" she said, "If I drug I will tell you first, you, or dada, or yaya..."

Then a couple hours later on the way home Esme chimed in by saying "Mama, you should not drug." Okay I said, no drugs for me!

Here are the kids at our church before their easter egg hunt

Esme with her Easter Basket

Happy Easter Season!!

rushing water

This time of year, the rivers come alive from the spring snow melt. They roar and kick up spray.

It's fun to walk up the trails and see the water running so hard, rushing on its way to the lake. As you go along the big lake you can see brown where the rivers come in.

Spring thaw is turbulent and wild. I have been thinking about that: how when I allow my emotions to thaw, I may find them a little wild and crazy, but that is what leads to growth--in new spring life and in growth in my depth of myself as a person,. That's what Easter is all about!

Our Father

I hope you all can hear this better than I could on my computer.
Out of the blue Esme has just started saying the Lord's Prayer (as if we needed confirmation that she hears absolutely everything...)
Andrew got it on video as she said it before bed tonight.
Sorry about the buzz as Andrew's phone got an e mail in the middle, he says he can't help that he's so popular :)



So at church we also have this kid friendly mass kit that we use in Sunday School. It's everything a priest uses for mass...thurible, corporal, fake wafers, everything you can imagine. Anyway I just received an update that yesterday at playgroup Esme got out the mass kit, went around and gave communion to each child "the body of Christ, the bread of heaven...the body of Christ, the bread of heaven..." Even the Aidan the very Jewish child received his bread as he was swinging the thurible around the room.
That's my little evangelist :)
Have a great weekend!!

That's Hillarious

Esme and I had some great girl time this last Saturday evening. We were hanging out at home and Yaya and Daddy were napping (each in their own room, just to be clear :) ) so Esme and I decided to take a stroll down to Anthropologie and do some window shopping.
We had a great time. Everyone commented on what a great little shopper Esme was and she had a blast going up and down in the elevator with a chair inside.
After Anthropologie we decided we weren't ready to go home yet and continued our shopping expedition at H&M as we were leaving Esme spotted the heels on one of their mannequins. "What are those" she asked? "High Heels" I said..."High Heels" she repeated very carefully..."Can I have a pair?" "No I said, babies don't wear high heels, they're what ladies wear on dates...or some people wear them to work...not Mama, but some people."
Esme thought about this for a few seconds. "Daddy does" she says...stifling a giggle (and thinking they would go well with his work dresses) I said "No daddy does not wear heels to work."
Esme then spent the next few blocks very thoughtfully repeating high heels over and over again eventually she asked me why daddy doesn't wear heels..."Well only ladies wear high heels I said, not men." "high heels" she said, "I don't like this word."
Now if that's not intuitive genius I don't know what is.
Later on during that same walk Esme proudly announced that she was sticking her tongue out at me. So I did the only logical thing and stuck mine out right back...just as we got home we were both sticking our tongues out at the same time "We're sticking our tongues out together...that's hillarious" Esme said.
It has to be one of the cutest things I've ever heard.

In other news...I was inspired to dig my sewing machine out the other night. (serious digging it was, of the order that almost required Mike Mulligan and his steam shovel Maryanne) Anyway. I took apart the pillowcase that came with Esme's new duvet cover and made it into a very rudimentary carrier for Esme's baby...here's documentation of a very sleepy Esme wearing her baby for the first time. More to come I hope!!!

quotes of the night

Andrew was trying to convince Esme she wanted to grow up in a cabin in the woods like Bode Miller...

"We could build an outhouse"

"Or snow men" Esme chimed in without missing a beat

Yaya and I are on the snowmen bus!!

Esme and I were going back and forth saying

"I love you" -- "I love you too" -- "I love you" -- "I love you most" --

"I love you infinity" I said

"I love you in a Phillies fan" replied Esme

She says that means we can go to Costco...

My little piggys...

Esme just had her first pig tails...
she went to bed that night, reached back and said "Mama, where are my piggys?She also woke up this morning and proclaimed that she was going to have a chocolate party.
Once I talked her into inviting humans (instead of only her Word World friends) she concocted a very select guest list after church and we all enjoyed Esme's first turn at hostessing which included carrying the plates of cookies out to the table herself and feeding people cookies by hand if they didn't seem to be eating enough. What more could anyone ask of a hostess?

Esmeisms

Esme has been coming up with some amazing statements lately.
I had to take a moment to share some of my favorites:

"When I was little" she spent all day yesterday saying...when you were little what we kept asking stifling our giggles...
"when I was little I used to cuddle" she finally said

Last night as Andrew put pajamas on an exhausted Esme:
"what the hell is going on here?"

"You would say no Mama"

"This is my pretty necklace, I will be gentle, I will not touch it" " I will not let Jesus touch it"

While standing at the door with her dress up suitcase packed:
Andrew: "where are you going Esme?"
Esme: "I'm going on a date"
Andrew: "where are you going on your date?"
Esme: "We're going for pizza"
Jennye: "Who are you going on your date with?"
Esme: "Elli"
Yaya: "Are you sure you only want pizza? What about ice cream?"
Esme: As her eyes light up and almost pop out of her head "Ice cream, ice cream, we will have pizza and ice cream."
Andrew: Why are you taking that bag? are you staying all night with Elli?"
Esme: "yes"
Andrew then called the nunnery :)

During the procession at midnight mass
"Look mama baby Jesus is sleeping in his big girl bed"

Esme has been singing two songs that make me giggle.
She is very fond of the Itsy Ditsy spider and Little Bunty Foo Foo who in her version is chastised by the 'blue fairy'.

More to come I'm sure.
Merry Christmas everyone!

it's the little things!

Esme went pee pee on her big girl potty....
she told me before she went,
we walked to the potty,
she told me there was peepee in the potty,
we poured it out in the toilet,
she got to flush (one of her favorite things),
she got M & M's (another one of her favorite things),

I think we may be on our way!
Hooray!!!

about time!

This picture pretty much sums up how I feel these days...and it's pretty crazy to see Esme playing so hard that she exhausts herself by the end of the day as well.

I started back to work full time about a month ago and boy has it been full time!
I've been so busy I haven't had time to do anything and sadly blogging has fallen to the very bottom of the list.
It finally feels like my feet are back under me. I didn't go into work on my day off this past week (I mean the one aside from Sunday which isn't really a day off anyway) and I take that as a sign that there is light at the end of the tunnel, I'm getting things at my store under control and the 55ish hour weeks may be coming to an end. Hallelujah!!!

So anyway on to bigger and better things...
Even with me working full time we've been doing our best to fit in some fun things, mostly some fun people....so here's a little bit about what we've been doing:

Grandpa Ernie and Grandma Bette came to visit at the beginning of September and we had a great time, they were hear for a wedding and we fit in some time playing and eating great food!
Auntie Anna and Uncle Steve came to hang out the same weekend and had a great time taking care of Esme while we all went to the wedding reception.


In August my best friend Sara, her partner Kathleen and their newborn baby girl Ingrid moved to New Jersey, only about and hour and a half from us. Esme and I took a Friday and drove up to the visit them, meet Ingrid, and make an unexpected trip to the beach. Esme loved the water and sand and had a wonderful afternoon. My favorite part was that every time a wave would come in the motion would throw off her balance so much that she would completely fall over, you could see her trying to figure out how to compensate for the motion but just end up completely baffled as to what she should do, hillarious!!
My other favorite part of the day was our trip to the ice cream shop.
As soon as we set foot inside Esme began insisting I give her pennies "pennies, pennies, pennies, pennies" repeated in an insistent, half whine, at every increasing decibels was her method of choice. As soon as I figured out she was asking me to give her pennies, something she's never done before, I fished one out of my wallet. Esme walked over to the ice cream case and raised her hand as high above her head as she could toward the woman working behind the counter, "here go lady" she said "ice cream". All three of us laughed so hard as I reassured her it was only our down payment and Esme went on to eat approximately two ice cream cones, good thing I had a few more pennies.

Esme insisting to Sara that she doesn't need help in the water

A happier moment!

Too much ice cream, sun, and waves = a peaceful ride home for Mama!

We were lucky enough this past weekend to spend Sunday in Manhattan meeting up with Auntie Mary, Uncle Mike, and Auntie Becky Uncle Shawn and Cousin Cameron who were in town for a wedding. We all met up at Central Park and let the kids play at one of the playgrounds then we had dinner and took a spin on the ferris wheel inside Toys R Us at Times Square.
Of course I realized about an hour into our day that it had been approximately 77 pictures since I had downloaded them onto our computer and I ran out of room to take anymore...so as usual there is a lack of pictures, but here are the couple I do have!

Playing with bubbles in Central Park
this bubble gun we bought on the sidewalk says
"I'm your lovely new friend take me home"

This picture cracks me up. Esme recently started into the phase where she insists on wearing only what she chooses. One Sunday for Church she insisted she must wear these green polka dotted bloomers paired with this blue striped shirt (the only redeeming factor here is that the shirt has green piping around the collar and sleeves) and the best part was that as soon as she got the clothes on her face lit up like a light bulb and she said "Purple shoes".
I mean really who wouldn't wear their purple shoes with this outfit?