Harper Town ...and Margot City!

2011-11-09T12:24:00.001-08:00

First Day of Kindergarten!

2011-11-09T12:06:00.001-08:00

We had an excellent summer!

Scenes from two birthday parties

2011-05-16T07:51:00.001-07:00

Two Years Old

2011-04-27T14:12:00.001-07:00

If you read my previous post you can probably tell that I am feeling more than a little sentimental about the gals' birthdays. I suppose that Harper turning five just makes us want to sop up even more of Margot's "still little" years. Watching her little personality emerge in all the wondrous ways that only a two-year-old can pull off is so amazing.

She's ridiculously precious. Her teachers often comment that it's hard to scold her when she's mischievous (which is A LOT) because she's so darn cute. She knows exactly when to flash that toothy smile to make it virtually impossible to do anything but kiss her smooth little cheeks. She loves music and will bounce to the beat of anything she hears, even the windshield wipers. She finally SLEEPS! It only took her 22 months (good grief). She has this precious little off-centered run that almost looks like a limp (but not in a sad way). She loves hugging, candy and saying, "Ohhh mannn."

She's pretty close to perfect and she's made the Phillips Family Four complete. Happy Second Birthday, Margie!

We'll be celebrating on Saturday (yes, same day as Harper's) with an Elmo themed birthday party. Stay tuned for pictures.

Five Years Old

2011-04-27T13:53:00.000-07:00

It's almost more than I can comprehend. Harper is going to be five-years-old on Monday. I distinctly remember Buster and I listening to Loudon Wainwright's tribute to his young daughter, "Five Year's Old" when Harper was little and thinking - thank goodness that is YEARS away....five seems so grown up that it makes my heart hurt.

There was certainly no way for us to predict that it would go so very, very quickly. Sure, the day in and day out of child-rearing can be monotonous, and I suppose that's why it's more than a little shocking to realize that the cumulative result of that day-to-day is time evaporation. Poof...here we are.

She's so amazing. She crosses her legs like a little lady now. She's got a very keen (and unique) sense of fashion. She sometimes speaks with a British accent. She's thoughtful, caring, imaginative and inspiring. She starts kindergarten in the Fall. She's our big girl now. She's five years old. Sniff sniff.

We'll be celebrating on Saturday with an Alice in Wonderland themed birthday bash at FairyTales. I promise to post pictures after.

March!

2011-03-24T13:23:00.000-07:00

Well, we've successfully (at least somewhat) managed to entertain a four-year-old and one-year-old through winter time. I think they fared pretty well. See for yourself.

Harper's new obsession: the iPad. We have to limit her time as she would play on it all day if we let her. It's the new "Harper TV."

Margot's new obsession: talking. While she still has a ways to go, she's quite mastered "yeah" (not yes, but yeah), "no" and "Mommy." She has found that if she says mommy twice to no avail then if she screams it as loud as she can that will usually illicit a response. Oh, Margot. She's certainly not short on personality.

Merry Christmas Pt. II

2010-12-17T07:42:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas

2010-12-17T07:40:00.000-08:00

Finally, Winter

2010-12-04T07:56:00.000-08:00

It seems like this has been the longest summer/sorta fall ever. It's finally cold and dreary and, while we may have changed our tune by mid-February, for now we're loving it.

Today is parties for Harper's friend, grocery shopping, tree-getting, tree-decorating, possible warm-cocktail-making and enjoying being inside in general.

More pics to come once we get all Christmased up.

In the meantime, we hope it's cold outside and warm inside wherever you are.

Fall!

2010-11-03T18:40:00.000-07:00

We have some catching up to do...

We love Fall! It hasn't exactly been crisp but it's been eventful. We celebrated Mac Daddy's birthday (61!) in the mountains. We had a big time including Harper's first official touchdown!

We carved pumpkins and made pumpkin muffins, which believe it or not Harper actually ate! BTW, she also eats carrots now...huge deal around this place. We've been to several "on ice" productions including a very impressive Princesses on ice show (thanks, Nana!) that Margot watched every-single-second of (it was an hour and a half long) as if it were the most incredible thing she had ever laid eyes on. Professional ice skater maybe? (As long as it doesn't require much sleep, Margot will be great at it.) She clapped and smiled and waved at every performance.

As you can probably tell, we had an awesome Halloween. I think Halloween might be my new favorite "holiday" (as Harper calls it). Harper was a "pretty witch" named Spiderina, which thanks to Nonnie was quite an impressive costume complete with broom, hat and "armins" which is what Harper called the sleeves. Harper was so polite and told everyone Happy Halloween and thank you for the candy. "Margot the dog" toddled behind Harper and Jane to about 15 houses saying "twic twea" until she passed out from sheer exhaustion in the stroller.

Hope you enjoy the pics as much as we enjoyed making them!

The Lineup

2010-09-20T07:01:00.001-07:00

It's still summer, technically. If feels like it should be fall already though, doesn't it? End of vacation, schools are back in session, football. Yet the temperatures make it feel like it's still summer. Which makes sense, I suppose, since it still is.

Anyway.

In honor of the reluctantly fading summer, here are a few more pics from our last little summer vacation up to a local state park.

Margot flies a kite...

2010-09-12T05:52:00.000-07:00

...briefly.

Labor Day Perfection

2010-09-09T07:15:00.000-07:00

Funny how one's idea of paradise changes through the years. We found a little chunk of it this past weekend when Amanda and the girls and I retreated into the local woods of a state park and set up camp for three days. And when I say camp I mean a cabin with central air, appliances and a DVD player. But still. Quietude, good food and wine and the Phillips Phour made for a flawless weekend.

2010-08-30T07:16:00.000-07:00

We've been having some technical difficulties.

Hopefully this new computer that actually works will be a new beginning to sharing some more photos and painfully cute stories of the two littlest Philllipses.

I'm late for work though, so we're going to start slow.

Hope all's well wherever you are.

Nothing but love

2010-07-23T11:14:00.001-07:00

So, Harper walks in on me while I am putting on my bra

2010-07-20T13:52:00.000-07:00

And says, "Oh. Mommy, I didn't know that was how you put your boobs on."

If only it weren't so true...

Beaches, lakes, weddings, evening walks + seven-toed cats

2010-07-19T12:14:00.000-07:00

We're having a fantastic summer. Harper's legs have grown about two inches in the last two weeks (no kidding) and Margot has developed a tiny curl at the nape of her neck. Harper and Aneliese were the cutest flower girls you ever did want to know and Margot is doing her best to perfect her blowing kisses and language skills.

Harper and Margot took their first solo road trip (with Nonnie and Poppie) to visit our SC family while Buster and I had a fantastic long weekend in Key West at Jamie and Hanley's wedding. We've still got another beach week ahead of us, plenty more evening family walks (one of our favorite summertime weekday activities), cook outs and firefly hunting left. Yes, we love summer!

Margot says "Hi" and "Ut Oh"

2010-06-30T09:17:00.000-07:00

She also says "Mama" and blows kisses. Mmmwa!

Harper's FOUR!

2010-05-18T18:50:00.003-07:00

It doesn't seem possible, but little Harper is four years old. She's such a hoot these days. She dances and sings and talks nearly all the time. She's obsessed with letters and how they sound and if my calculations are correct she'll be reading very soon. She asked me the other day if Pie (pine) cones were made of pie. She loves to tell people that she's four now, she used to be "free" and she will be going to pre-k next year where she will be completely grown up. She's still dating Ridge and she thinks Margie (0r Rocky Stone as she likes to call her - not kidding) is a great addition to our little family.
Now, here are some pics from her fantastic birthday party that took place the day the rain started but before we realized Nashville was in great danger so we all still had a really good time.

Well, I like cake...pretty good.

2010-05-18T18:50:00.000-07:00

Margot's first birthday party was a success! She dove right into the cake and as you can tell, really enjoyed it. She also loved all of her presents and everyone starring at her and singing. We celebrated Margot's birthday on Friday, April 30 as that's her actual birthday with a party on the patio. The day before it started raining and nearly never stopped. Oh well. The gals didn't seem to mind at all.

Happy Birthday, Margie!

2010-04-30T12:02:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday sweet girl. You slept through the entire night (7:45pm-7:30am) for the first last night! Maybe one is your (and our) lucky number.

I'm so sorry that we've been so out of touch. We're so lazy.

For a very quick update, Margot started walking about two weeks ago and now she's off to the races! She cut her 5th tooth last week and is one of the spunkiest little gals you'll ever meet. She's a great eater and (other than last night) not a good sleeper. Gosh we sure do love you Margie. Happy Birthday, sugar bean.

Margot gets Daddy to sleep

2010-02-26T09:14:00.001-08:00

This picture is from Christmas, but it's so precious I had to post it.

Happy Friday. More pics to come soon...

Happy New Year

2010-01-06T18:48:00.000-08:00

So, it's 2010. It's been a great decade that started with two kids with very little responsibilty and ended with two kids with two kids.

Margot is turning into quite a little spit fire. She's a super crawler. Really has control over her little movements (thank you, Meghan). We are holding out hope that this means she's going to be a little less clumsy that her big sister who, according to her teacher, is the second clumsiest child at her school. She is also pulling up and walking while holding on to something. I think this is called "creeping" in the baby books. Anyway, she's doing it which is crazy considereing she just turned 8 months old. She's way advanced. She also eats like a small man. The only thing she doesn't do really well is sleep.

Harper is doing great. She has the vocabulary of an adult but still pronounces "three" as "free." She thinks that your shoe will rub a "blistard" on your foot and that some people would say that Rudolph's nose "blows." I love these precious little things about her and secretly hope that she doesn't figure out how to say them correctly anytime soon (maybe ever).

We had some pictures taken of the girls before the Holidays. See below and above and enjoy.

Here's wishing you all a very, very happy and healthy New Year. Love, The Phillies

Some things that are going on here

2009-12-03T19:15:00.000-08:00

So, here are some things that are going on at the Phillips.
Margot is crawling! She started last week, about three days before her 7 month birthday. So, that changes things. She's taken to it so aggressively that she's rubbed her little knees raw. I guess she was really ready. Who would have guessed that she would be crawling before she was sleeping through the night. She's also waves to herself, which is really cute.

Here's a conversation from this morning that I think is worth noting.

H: "MOM! Daddy took my rabbit away!"
Me: "Well, why did Daddy do that?"
H: "I don't know! All I did was give Margot a high five on her face."

So, there you go. I know it's not much but that's a small glimpse into our lives.
We are also really excited to get our Christmas tree up this weekend.

Ariel and the Bee

2009-11-01T07:25:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween!

Margot and "Fea Bea"

2009-10-27T11:44:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of Margot and her new ugly doll, Fea Bea. They're big buddies. It's hard to tell in this picture, but they both have two teeth. Yes, Margot already has two teeth! In summary: Hair - zero. Teeth - two.

Walking for a Cure

2009-10-03T15:10:00.000-07:00

This past week Harper and I (Dad here) went downtown to take part in the Light the Night Walk, a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. It's more than a little moving to see so many people come together to support those whose lives have been touched by blood cancers. Supporters walked with red balloons, survivors walked with white ones and those walking in someone's memory carried a balloon of gold. It was a sad and inspirational sea of balloons bouncing along downtown Nashville and in the mix of all those gold and white, to have little Harper Mae with me anchoring one of the red ones was a touching experience and one that made me grateful beyond words.

(She also carried a bag of Lays and a dirty piece of toy jewelry she found on the ground, but hey, she's three and it was nearly 8 pm...you've gotta keep em interested somehow.)

Anyway, I loved that she came out and took part even if she wasn't altogether sure what it was for. Here's to Harper and a long life of being there for others.

In other news, we accidentally washed Margot last week and didn't realize until we dumped out the laundry basket.

and the cute just keeps on coming

2009-09-26T09:25:00.000-07:00

I took Harper to see my buddy Thad play in Nashville on Thursday. (If you like music, you should buy his new record.) Around 6:30, as Thad was starting, Harper got sleepy and asked to hop up on my shoulders. Midway through the second song she started tapping my shoulder excitedly. "Daddy! The music is waking me up!"

Life as we know it.

2009-09-16T11:51:00.000-07:00

Wednesday's are water play day at Harper's school. So, naturally, today we sent her to school wearing a Dora swimsuit, Crocs and a towel in hand. I drove to school feeling quite proud of myself because I had actually remembered that today was Wednesday and therefore water play day without having to turn around half way to school. I like to give myself really big credit for really small feats.

Anyway, as the Phillies and I traipse into Harper's classroom looking like we could really use a shopping cart for all our loot (I am hauling Margot's car seat [ complete with Margot], Margot's bag of bottles, Harper's bag of extra clothes and Sleeping Beauty) I abruptly realize that Harper is the only child wearing a swimsuit. She turns to me and give me the classic, "MOM!" look as her teacher gently tells me that water play ended two weeks ago.

In other news, Margot is a complete insomniac. Honestly, I can't even begin to explain how frequently she wakes up through the night because no one would believe me. So, I won't. Thankfully she's precious so it's at least nice to visit with her all night long.

She also enjoys a little oatmeal cereal with carrots for dinner now.

A sister is a wonderful thing

2009-09-09T14:36:00.000-07:00

Hey Look: Fresh Fruit.

2009-09-08T06:39:00.001-07:00

Look at me!

2009-09-08T05:51:00.000-07:00

Margot says, "Look at me! I'm four months old and as precious as I can be!"

Family shot from Cheekwood Gardens.

Watering the Plants

2009-08-30T08:35:00.000-07:00

Harper posing in front of Laura Fern.

quick pics

2009-08-16T06:11:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone. Here's us and all the girls (and the lone boy, George) and what we looked like when we were all in Rhode Island recently. All's well, I just wish my face were a little rounder and puffier. Happy waning days of summer wherever you are.

Today...

2009-08-04T14:03:00.000-07:00

Today, I gave Margot her first manicure (trimmed nails, not painted), labeled her little clothes and cried about 1000 tears on her tiny, little, bald head.

Tomorrow, I go back to work and Margot starts school.

Send love, please.

Margot and Mom

Summertime - Phillies style.

2009-07-21T09:04:00.000-07:00

From marching in 4th of July parades, to first-time boat trips on the lake to a blissful 10 days at the beach, the Phillies are having one heck of a summer.

Notice how sweetly Harper is holding on to Margot's arm in this picture. It was the first moment I realized what a wonderfully protective and caring big sister she is going to be.
That's Harper in the red shirt and massive hat. They made about 50 laps around the playground and I noticed half way through that she was crying as she marched. As she passed me (not breaking formation) she sobbed "my hat won't stay on top of my head." Bless her heart. I promptly removed it and she finished the parade with a smile.

2009-07-08T06:44:00.001-07:00

Testing, one two.

They call me Monkey and Snort and Booger...

2009-06-30T13:09:00.000-07:00

And I don't know why.

Father's Day Fact sheet as filled out by Harper at school

2009-06-24T12:42:00.001-07:00

Favorite Food: Salads
Favorite TV Show: The Weather
Favorite Drink: Wine
Age: 24
Weight: I can't tell
Height: Giant
What does he do around the house? Cook with his grill and eat with my mommy.

Ballet, sweet feet etc.

2009-06-23T12:09:00.001-07:00

Margot's sweet feet at 7 weeks old...

Summer time fun?

Put your hands in the air like you just don't care

Harper is the one on the left. I promise to get a picture from the front next class. I was feeding Margot while snapping photos and didn't get the best shots, but I would like to point out that Harper is the only one in the ballet "ready position" here. Nice work, babe.

Happy first six weeks of life to Margot!

2009-06-16T06:59:00.000-07:00

Update from the Phillies...

1) Margot is now 6 wonderful weeks old. Her new tricks include the following: kicking her feet wildly, smiling and cooing, stealing hearts, hiccups and holding her head up with the skill and grace of an 8 week old. Yes, she too is advanced well beyond her weeks.

2) Harper is a great big sister. She has only asked me once if I thought Margot would like to be stuffed into the toilet. (Of course I told her no and she seemed fine with that.)

Much to Harper's great delight, she started ballet lessons. Harper "dancing" in her leotard and leather ballet slippers is hands down one of the cutest things I have ever seen in my life. Pictures forthcoming.

3) Sleep factor...low but improving.

4) Happiness and gratefulness factor...very high.

We are settling into our family of four very nicely. And now for what you're really wanting...

Sweet little Margot

Best attempt at capturing a smile

Harper's new cowboy boots and hat - thanks Nonnie!

Harper and her ubiquitous pasta

'cause it all goes by so fast...

2009-05-29T10:35:00.000-07:00

and it won't be too long until it will be impossible to remember that her hands were ever this small. Isn't it incredible that even with only a few weeks of life under her belt, she knows how to reach out and hold my hand?

Photos. That's all.

2009-05-24T09:16:00.000-07:00

Hello from the Gang of Four. Too tired to talk. Here's pictures of the little and littler. Hope your Memorial Day is glorious.

OK, so I have to comment on this one. It looks like Harper just auditioned to be the leader of a gang of street dancers. If you know of such a gang, please let us know.

Little Miss M.

2009-05-14T10:37:00.000-07:00

We are emerging from the fog. I got three straight hours of sleep last night and things are really looking up. (The three hours of sleep are because of an amazing product called the Miracle Blanket. It looks like a pink straight jacket but no new parents should be without one. I could not possibly be more serious about this.)

Little Margot is an amazingly sweet baby. She really only cries when she's hungry...did I mention she's a VERY hungry baby? The great news is that the minute I begin to feed her she's back to being her dreamboat self. I think we're going to keep her.

Welcome to the family, Margot. We're finally complete.

Playing Catch-Up

2009-05-10T09:44:00.000-07:00

Hi there. We have hundreds of pictures of Margot doing exactly the same thing and we thought it was time to share some with you.

Margot is now about 10 days old and is growing accustomed to her home. During the day she's a real snooze-hound. At night, she isn't really sleeping that much which means we aren't really sleeping that much which means we're in about the shape you might expect for parents of a 10-day-old.

Luckily for us, we've been surrounded by generous mothers who are making it possible for us to focus on Margot for a bit before we take off the training wheels and square off as an official family of four.

Arriving home.

Mood swing.

Why am I on the floor?

Who cares. I'm going to sleep.

The day we brought Margot home was also her big Sister's birthday. Everyone tells you that the second child arrives way in advance of the due date so, for a foolish second, we actually thought of throwing Harper a birthday party on May 2 thinking that would have allowed plenty of time for an early arrival and getting home and settled, etc.

We decided to bump it a week because we remembered we're not stupid which is good considering the original plan would have had a mess of kids and their handlers in the backyard the day we got home from the hospital. So we planned Harper's birthday party for May 9, in the middle of what is apparently Nashville's rainy season. For a party scheduled to take place in the backyard and with no real plan B for a move inside, the scattered T-Storms that were predicted were worrisome.

Miraculously, the clouds parted, the crowd partied, and we all enjoyed the first sunny afternoon since before Harper's real birthday. It was right on time. Much love and Happy Mother's Day to everyone.

Margot Juniper Phillips: April 30, 2009

2009-05-03T13:01:00.000-07:00

Three years ago next week we started trying to find a way to keep up with all of the changes that we knew were in store for us with Harper's arrival. We didn't want to forget them and we didn't want to forget to tell you about them.

Now, with the arrival of lovely, little Margot, we'll be hard-pressed to keep up with getting the laundry done and our teeth brushed. Tracking the exponential cuteness of a second subject while trying to keep up with Harper's (and Harper) seems impossible.

But then again the idea of Phillips Family of Four sounded impossible once upon a time too.

So, as with everything else involved in this amazing new phase, we're going to do our best. That's done okay for us so far. Stay in touch.

And without any further ado, ladies and gentelemen: Meet Margot!

A few hours old.

A few minutes old.

Harper trying on some gloves in the hospital.

What?! Who?!

2009-04-28T18:53:00.000-07:00

Well, we are seriously close to having our second baby. Could even be tonight, who knows?
Harper seems to be very excited. She kisses my belly and calls the baby " her baby." She asks if she will be taking the baby to school with her and if the baby will like to play. Since we installed the second car seat she likes to tell anyone who will listen that "her baby will sit there."

When Harper was born and I was so overwhelmed with love and emotion I remember saying to Buster that I needed two full years with just her before we even thought about another baby. I just wanted to soak up every second of her without any other distractions and that is exactly what we did. It's incredibly hard to believe how quickly these years have passed as we rapidly approach her third birthday (this Saturday). It's even harder to believe that we are making another go at this parenthood thing. I mean, seriously, parents of two...now that's officially grown up.

Wish us all luck, especially Harper as her little world is probably going to be the most rocked. As a dear friend pointed out, as difficult as it may seem at first a sibling is the most wonderful gift we could ever give her. So, happy early Birthday Harper Mae. You'll always be our number one.

A Saturday Triptych

2009-03-28T12:03:00.000-07:00

Mirrors aren't for seeing what you look like, they're for seeing what you COULD look like if you'd only loosen up and roar at people once in awhile.

Also, in case you haven't been watching the clock, holy mackerel this baby is almost here. I think Harper's excited about it.

And just for old times' sake:

She's charming - it's official

2009-03-23T10:06:00.000-07:00

This morning when I dropped Harper off at school she was immediately swarmed by a gaggle of her friends. Franklin said, "Harper's my BEST friend" then Ridge jumped up and said "NO! Harper's MY BEST FRIEND." Well, then sweet little Marshall had to jump on the bandwagon too, at which point Ridge started to get a little irritated and more emphatically staked his claim.
Then, Abbey decided to take matters into her own hands and went in for the big bear hug which in-turn started a pile-on of hugs for Harper. At this point, the teacher stepped in like some sort of body guard repeating, "give Harper her space everyone, step away from Harper."

Harper didn't say a word the entire time. She just graciously accepted all of their love so as not to hurt any one's feelings.

Monday, Monday.

2009-03-16T06:16:00.000-07:00

Good morning from rainy Nashville. It's messy, but it's warm. And since we've given up on a big snowstorm this year, the higher temperatures are welcome.

Wow. I sit down to update the blog and the first thing I come up with to discuss is the weather?

You don't need me for that. Have a great week. Harper loves you. And the guy from the aquarium.

Movin On Up

2009-03-03T06:11:00.000-08:00

Goodbye, crib; hello, big girl bed.

That's right, the news of the day is that Harper has left behind the strict confines of the crib and has made her way to the less strict and improvised confines of the big girl bed (with an added on bed rail).

But details aside, it's the spirit of the move that matters. She's in her big girl bed in her big girl room and has made the transition with flying colors.

We're not sure when this move is normally supposed to occur but we feel pretty sure we're a little late. She had started looking so big in her little crib and now she looks so little in her big bed. For parents who are given to fits of sentimentality, it's nice to see her as little again. Or still.

The bed rail, of course, is meant to keep her from a traumatizing mid-sleep fall onto the floor, but it may be that the caging is having a deeper effect on her. When we asked what she was going to teach her little brother or sister Harper answered, "To run free...like a dog."

Stay tuned for the removal of the bed rail. In the meantime, here's some assorted cuteness and Harper petting a stingray.

From your friends in Nashville and their little freedom fighter in training, have a great week.

Bath time quotes

2009-02-17T10:24:00.000-08:00

When I picked up the cup to rinse Harper's hair last night in the tub she held up her hand and said, "not yet, darling. "

Valentine's Day

2009-02-15T14:31:00.000-08:00

Well, we are officially a little over two months away from bringing home baby # 2 and couldn't possibly be less ready. Other than actually getting pregnant, we have done nothing to prepare for this lovely little addition to our family. I am pretty sure we were reading minute-by-minute pregnancy updates while folding piles of tiny clothes and pureeing baby food or something equally as ridiculous when I was 7.5 months pregnant with Harper. (Dear Buds, please do not take this personally if you ever read it when you're older. We really can't wait to meet you, we just aren't exactly prepared yet. We're just being honest.)

Theoretically, Harper is very excited about her new baby brother or sister. She has asked me several times if she can take the baby out the play with it (sort of creepy but that's neither her nor there when you're her age). She likes to make name suggestions...like Bonnie (which might actually be Barney), Buster or Charlie. All good suggestions but none that have really struck a chord with us yet.

She's having a ball decorating her big girl room in preparation of giving Buds her old room. Well, we're not sure if she's exactly realized that she will be handing over her old room to the new baby or not but that too is falling into the very large bin of "things we aren't choosing to worry and/or deal with right now." Hey, have you met us? That's sort of our gig and it's worked for us so far.

In other news, Harper received her first little box of chocolates from a boy on Valentine's Day. Yes, they were from Ridge. They are still together and just the cutest little couple you ever did want to meet. He's a great little guy and they are just crazy about each other. She still doesn't eat chocolate but nonetheless had a ball taking them in and out of the box and feeding them to us.

Here's hoping you all enjoyed your Valentine's Day with the same level of simplicity and enthusiasm.

With love,

3.5 Phillips and counting.

Sunday

2009-01-18T08:22:00.000-08:00

So it's Sunday and we've got tomorrow off, which is great. So today we're spending reading the paper, playing, drinking coffee and debating the possibility of doing some bowling this afternoon.

We're slowly but surely getting Harper's big-girl room all set up and ready to move her in at some point in the next few weeks, thereby making room for baby #2.

Very little else to report lately. Except that we watched some old home movies today trying to get a grip on all of the unlabeled tapes we have stacked up. Why didn't someone tell me I'd gotten so puffy? Geez.

Hope all's well everywhere. As usual, enjoy some newish Harper pics.

BP

2009, really?

2009-01-03T12:33:00.001-08:00

So, somehow it's 2009. The year before 2010. Nine years since Y2k (or Y2Cape). Almost three years since Harper joined us and now only four months until we become a party of four. How can this be possible? Sop it up, my friends, cause it evaporates.

We've had a wonderful holiday break. BP and I have both been off work for two full weeks and it has been amazing. Harper has been such a delight. Two and a half is a wonderful age. She enjoys every activity with such pure unadulterated excitement that we find ourselves equally as excited. She loves taking adventure walks, shadow puppet shows, reading, playing with her new doll house, hunting for Christmas lights, working puzzles, taking baths, helping me wash clothes and building towers. The best part is that each activity is met with equal enthusiasm. She's a truly amazing little gal. Her personality is kind and strong if you catch my drift. She told me yesterday to "be patient, mommy" when I told her it was time for bed.

So, as our great weeks of eating well, celebrating with family and friends, organizing our home (a personal favorite of mine), taking Harper to museums and puppet shows, napping, reading and watching movies comes to an end we wish you all a very wonderful, peaceful and happy 2009.

Don't forget to sop it up.

Day Maker

2008-12-30T12:35:00.001-08:00

Me: "Harper what do you want to be when you grow up?"

Harper: "Just like Mommy. "

Wow. Heart melter.

Merrily, Merrily, Merrily, Merrily

2008-12-26T15:39:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone's Christmas was wonderful.

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-19T11:15:00.000-08:00

Wishing you all a holiday full of the things that warm your heart most.

Here's to a wonderful 2009!

Much Love,

Amanda, Buster, Harper and announcing..."Buds" (estimated due date: 4.27.09!)

All Partied Out

2008-11-23T13:59:00.000-08:00

Man, kids have a lot of parties, huh? Harper's been to a bunch of em lately. And if we thought it was exhausting as parents, well, we probably didn't give enough thought to how taxing it is to
socialize at these things. As evidence: A post-party Harper.

Hopper Mae

2008-11-18T10:22:00.000-08:00

For those of you who haven't heard Harper pronounce her own name it sounds a lot like "Hopper."

While I was fixing supper one night I noticed that she was very intently watching a cartoon about a grasshopper on TV. Shortly there after she pointed to herself and inquisitively asked me, "Mommy, I Grasshopper?"

Recycling

2008-11-16T07:52:00.000-08:00

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

2008-11-09T15:48:00.000-08:00

I know it isn't what it appears, because I was there. I took the picture. Even still, it sure does look like a crazed Amanda is punching Spiderman Collin in the face as Princess Harper looks on while Meghan grabs Elephant Aneliese's arm to keep her from getting mixed up in the fracas.

This picture only needs two words: cute and harmonica

Halloween Weekend

2008-11-06T06:47:00.000-08:00

Halloween Weekend Wrap-up, featuring all the kids. Enjoy.

Fall!

2008-10-26T18:15:00.000-07:00

I love Fall. This weekend we took Harper to a Pumpkin Patch complete with lambs, hay rides, pumpkin bread, sand art and pumpkins (of course). See below as Harper feeds this little guy. She told him repeatldly that he was tickling her with his mouth.

We took a hay ride.

Harper played in a stall full of corn. That's right, corn. As you can tell she was a little confused at first too but ended up loving it.

Then she picked out the perfect pumpkin. Actually, she picked out three. One for herself, one for Collin and one for Aneliese. She insisted. Also, she did all of this while wearing big girl panties. She's been diaperless for three consecutive days with only one major accident. She is very impressed with herself as are we.

Happy Fall, all.

Just a picture

2008-10-19T16:33:00.000-07:00

Just a picture to start your week off. Love from Harpertown.

Halloween Costume

2008-10-15T09:37:00.001-07:00

So, after desperately trying to decide between a butterfly or pumpkin for the last week, Harper has decided (in no uncertain terms) that she wants to be a dolphin for Halloween. That's right, a dolphin.

Any suggestions on how I pull off a dolphin costume without copious amounts of duct tape?

Shirt Hat

2008-10-04T11:35:00.000-07:00

We take a lot of baths around here. The adults of the house fly through the shower in a matter of moments, but the kid around here requires a little more cajoling to get clean. Rituals, characters and props all help when we're trying to shine up an otherwise grubby toddler and one of those rituals has been to pull Harper's shirt halfway over her head and call it a hat. We call it Shirt Hat (I know, not our most clever moment.) Also, some other bathtime pics. Happy Saturday to all.

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Store

2008-09-14T08:03:00.000-07:00

Wha?!

2008-09-11T18:58:00.000-07:00

Friday already?! This week flew by!

Weekend Pics

2008-09-07T12:39:00.000-07:00

This weekend Harper played golf, ate quesadillas, took naps, drank juice, played with friends and loved life. We did the same. Love to all y'all.

Big Labor Day weekend

2008-08-31T15:40:00.001-07:00

So, first things first, Harper has had multiple potty successes this weekend. Big news! Huge news even. She may or may not get diabetes from the amount of jelly beans she has eaten as a result of our reward system, but I am choosing not to worry about that today. I really wish we had a recording of the shriek I let out when I discovered that she actually HAD peed in the potty this time. BP thought the house was on fire until her heard me scream a second time, " BABE, BRING THE JELLY BEANS. SHE'S PEED IN THE POTTY!"

Next, Buster and I finally bought ourselves a really nice camera as our anniversary present to each other. It's something that we have coveted for quite some time and you Harper Town fans are the real winners as this thing takes some GREAT pictures. Please see examples below. I would like to think that I have tapped into an enormous well of hidden talent as a photographer, but I think it's closer to the truth to admit that it's hard to take a bad picture with this new camera. Anyway, enjoy! We sure are.

Sadly, she's too young to vote

2008-08-28T18:38:00.000-07:00

Sssshhhh....

2008-08-24T16:58:00.000-07:00

Traveling Salesgirl

2008-08-21T06:10:00.000-07:00

Formal logic

2008-08-14T10:48:00.000-07:00

So, there is very little logical about the way Harper behaves lately. One second she's the sweetest, most charming little gal you ever wanted to meet and the next she's hurling her toothbrush at you and screaming, "NO! MOM!I DO IT!" Yes, she calls me Mom now. I mean, why wouldn't she? She is two and Mommy is so for one-year-olds.

Anyway, I throw this one out to the blogosphere because it truly baffles me and I would love some help deciphering her code.

Nonnie recently bought us a new CD for the car. Thank you, Nonnie. We really needed a new cd. I have now listened to the Backyardigans Greatest Hits more than I ever listened to U2's Joshua Tree and that is REALLY saying something sad.

Anyway, the new CD is a compilation of popular kids songs. The first one is the Alphabet Song. You know, "A,B, C, D, EFG...." When this one comes on she squeals with delight and if I don't almost immediately begin to dance my a off in my seat she screams, "C'mon MOM! C'mon MOM!" as if she were coaxing me out onto the dance floor at a middle school social. I am a real sight to see at red lights.

Anyway, here's the part that's hard to figure out. When the next song comes on "Itsy bitsy Spider" and I begin to sing and "dance" as previously instructed she screams, "NO! NO! NO MOM! IT'S MY FAVORITE!" If I don't cease and desist immediately she gets really upset and she's really serious about it. I have to admit that sometimes I just accidentally pick up the chorus at a red light or something "down the water spout" and she comes un-glued.

So, what gives? Any thoughts? Please note that any comments on my singing voice will be chalked up as tired and un-creative.

Some New Pictures to Enjoy

2008-08-14T06:21:00.000-07:00

Harper says hello and hopes August is treating you right.

Let the weekend begin!

2008-07-25T11:55:00.000-07:00

What a great summer shot. Harper's hair is still so sparse that when she gets hot her hair almost instantly become completely soaked with sweat. You know, sort of the way a balding man's head might look after an afternoon of golfing. Luckily, vanity doesn't exisit at her age and we would still think she was beautiful if her hair were made of trash.

Fourth of July

2008-07-13T13:10:00.000-07:00

How do you start your 4th of July off right? With Group Baby Yoga. How do you start off a 4th of July Blog on July 23rd? By saying sorry. We're a little behind around here.

Hope all's well.

Northerly vacation

2008-07-11T11:04:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned before, we headed North to Warren, Rhode Island and Boston, Mass to visit with some of our favorite folks in the world. We've all known each other for a very long time and enjoy staying up way too late, talking about old times and wondering how in the world it's possible that we're responsible for adding six little humans to the world. So, our vacations are a bit different than they used to be. Fewer bars, more zoos you get the picture. Here are some highlights. Thank you to the Pipers, Schofields and Morgans for reminding us why it doesn't get any better than y'all.

Pizza party overlooking the water at Asher, Erin, Flavia and Hazel's house.

Harper and George discussing whether or not this zoo was a good representation of the elephant's natural habitat. Millie (left) just being precious which is exactly how she is about 95% of the time.

Flavia and Harper catching some Z's

Harper enjoying a train ride. Something that she has asked to do every single day since we rode on this one.

Asher, Hazel and Flavia enjoying a walk on the Fisherman's Bridge

BP serenading us.
Asher and Harper playing dress-up. I promise this wasn't as disturbing as it looks here.

Safety first, Millie.

We even carved out some time for fishing.

Asher showing me why we have to get a scooter.

Doyle and Harper enjoying some waffles that he prepared for her. Well, I think Sam actually prepared them but Doyle talked about making them for her quite a lot. Very sweet.

Buster and Harper enjoying an exhibit at the truly awesome Boston Children's Museum

Millie and Harper enjoying a girls' lunch

Harper and Sam making spaghetti for our "cook out."

Me feeling like I need a vacation from my vacation.

Man, we already miss you guys so much.

The kids got a point...

2008-07-08T11:40:00.000-07:00

I recently had to take something away from Harper because it was made of glass and she was acting as if she was going to throw it. I said, "Harper, please give that to me it's not for babies."

She then said as dead-pan as humanly possible, "Mommy, I not a baby I Harper."

Super Harper heads North!

2008-06-20T07:29:00.000-07:00

We are taking some time off to go visit some dear friends. We'll take lots of pictures.

Super Harper says see you soon!

Recent Shots of Harper Taking a Load Off

2008-06-17T06:32:00.001-07:00

Too much Dora?

2008-06-16T10:32:00.000-07:00

Harper has recently fallen head-over-heals in love with Dora the Explorer.

Yesterday she called my purse my "rescue pack." Do you think that means she watching too much tv?

sigh...

Misc things I want to remember

2008-06-14T12:39:00.000-07:00

Some things that are in these days...

Saying "Oh, gosh." As in, "Oh, gosh, Mommy I dropped my french fry" which is a great segue to the next thing that is really in, french fries. I tell her they are only special treats but it doesn't stop her for asking for them every single time I ask her what she wants to eat.

"Ummmmmmm (note prolonged Um, it's also very in) frenschh friesh." That's also my best attempt at capturing her unique pronunciation.

Just a cute pic of her and her favorite guy, Cousin Collin, enjoying some juice on the beach.

Summertime!

2008-06-13T10:50:00.000-07:00

So, it's Summertime and we're spending as much time as possible outside, at the beach, at the zoo or having tea parties...hence the lack of blogging. We also had a computer problem that has since been rectified.

As you can probably guess, Harper's is blossoming into quite the young lady. She speaks in complete sentences now and can make my week in a heartbeat. Yesterday morning as I was strapping her in to go to school she said, "Mommy, have a great day." I mean, really.

We had a fabulous week in Destin with Ryan, Meghan, Collin & Aneliese. I know it doesn't look like AE is having fun in this picture, but she was on the inside.

Harper went "surfing" for the first time ever. She was a real pro. If this were a movie, you could tell how well she's perfected the ability to not move a muscle while surfing. Actually, a movie of her surfing would look almost exactly like this picture. As Ryan said to some people passing bye while she was surfing, "I swear it's a real kid."

Harper went to her first Kiddie Amusement Park. That's us riding the train.

That's Harper and Collin. You can't tell here but they are heading way up into the air. She loved every second of this incredibly scary and pretty unsafe kids' ride. If Nana had been with us, they wouldn't have been allowed to ride it.

More summer fun to come. Stay tuned.

Tiny Dancer

2008-05-22T06:27:00.000-07:00

It's true what you've been hearing on the streets: There was a dance recital. And yes, there is footage. But I used a video "tape" -- a rarity, I know -- and haven't taken the time to figure out how to get that tape translated into ones and zeroes so you can all enjoy them here. In the meantime, here are some still shots from the "recital."

The routine was pretty rudimentary (mostly for the other kids, of course): raise your arms, touch the floor, wiggle. But you-know-who really nailed it.

If you want to see the full-length video, come visit. There are three screenings daily.

Dumb Ole Dad

2008-05-09T19:42:00.001-07:00

Believe it or not, we don't take a picture of everything. So here's one of the few text-only posts.

As you'll see soon, Harper was the lucky recipient of her very own backyard playset recently. (Big thanks to Nonnie and Nana.) In the bottom of this is a little box that imagination has transformed into a storefront from which Harper serves us juice, turkey, milk, Cheerios and any other consumables for which she has the words. She loves it. And we play along cuz, you know, that's what you do.

So last week I'm bellied up to the counter ordering some "snacks" that Harper would go and get and pretend to serve me. On the third or fourth round of pretending to eat these things I ask for another order: turkey, juice, maybe some water. Harper scurried off, carefully picked out some rocks that would double as our pretend snacks.

When she got back she carefully laid them out and then, after careful consideration, presented to me one of the little gray rocks.

Playing along, I asked, full of animation, "MMMM! Thanks, Harper! And what is this?"

She looked at me a second, looked at the rock I was holding and said, like she was talking to a two-year-old, "a rock."

Birthday Girl

2008-05-04T19:42:00.000-07:00

After a weekend of vigorous celebrating, our two-year-old girl is fast asleep. And we aren't far behind her. There's plenty to recap as of late, but while we catch our breath, here's a shot of the happiest little lady in Middle Tennessee. Stay tuned for more.

Bossy?

2008-04-22T19:36:00.000-07:00

Some call it bossy, but I prefer to say she just knows exactly what she wants and she's not afraid to tell you exactly how to make it happen for her.

Tonight after accidentally dropping her pacifier on the floor she picked it up, handed it to me and said, "wash it."

Easter

2008-04-22T19:07:00.000-07:00

Easter was a bit early this year so in protest, I am just now posting Easter pics.
Harper had a fantastic weekend. She discovered that she loves Easter crafts at Cheekwood, the Easter egg dying process and subsequent hunt and that she's still crazy about Cousin Collin.

School update

2008-04-09T19:00:00.000-07:00

I am so pleased to report that Harper is absolutely loving her new school this week! We've had four consecutive drop-offs without any tears.

The first two weeks were so rough I was concerned that her teachers were going to think she was just a miserable little gal, which would inevitably result in her getting less attention and then blaming me for the rest of her life for how miserable her childhood was. (I am only slightly exaggerating how far I went with this in my head.) Anyway, it's all moot now because her lovely new director, Karen, has taken such a shine to Harper and vice-versa that when I picked her up this evening Harper was hanging out with Karen as her "special office helper." Harper was in charge of such chores as helping to lock the filing cabinet and putting the cordless phone on to its cradle. Needless to say, Harper was absolutely loving her new found responsibilities, and I breathed a heavy sigh of relief that they too have discovered her boundless charm.

P.S. Daddy, we miss you.

This morning...

2008-04-09T18:48:00.000-07:00

So, this morning Harper walks out of her bedroom and says, "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy (rarely is this word used if not in rapid succession) 'ook, cute coat!"

Every time she wears this precious Flavia hand-me-down, people tell her how cute she looks in it. Apparently, she's been listening. And, for the record, those pants are pedal pushers, not just too short.

Welcome to the world, Sweet Hazel

2008-04-07T08:36:00.000-07:00

Hazel Suzette, The world is suddenly a sweeter place.

We love you.

Amanda, Buster & Harper

Hang in there, Harper

2008-04-02T19:35:00.000-07:00

Harper's beloved "school" recently announced that they will be closing this summer. After an intense few weeks of searching for a new center, we found a wonderful new school called Holly Street. It's lovely. She's taking dance classes (she has a recital in May), she's working with new craft mediums like crepe paper, she's taking tumbling, she has a teacher who plays the guitar in class and her best friend, Ridge, has joined her there. It's wonderful, however, she's going through a bit of a rough time. When I drop her off in the mornings she acts as if I am dumping her at the gates of hell - I'm talking intense separation anxiety. Apparently, not even 10 minutes after I am gone she's laughing it up with the best of them. So, send her and us a little extra love right now.

Oh the things kids say...

2008-03-27T12:03:00.001-07:00

Scene: Harper, Buster and I sitting in the bathroom floor while she identifies parts of our faces.
It goes a little something like this...

Harper points to my lips and says, "lips."
Harper points to my cheeks and says, "cheeks."
Harper points to my eye and says, "eye."
Harper points to my eyebrow and says, "eyebrow."
Harper points to my nose and says, "nose."
Harper points right underneath my nose and says, "boogers."

I didn't really realize how often she has had a runny nose until she identified "boogers" as a permanent part of the body.

Odds and Ends

2008-03-16T11:19:00.000-07:00

Hey. Hope the Ides of March treated everyone well and that spring wherever you are is lacing up its new sneakers and putting its bulky sweaters away. Things in Harpertown are going swimmingly. And actually, when spring finally does get its act together, Harper herself will be going swimmingly. Stay tuned for what promise to be entertaining tales of the newly amphibian Phillips.

No real theme to this collection of shots, just some assorted pics to flip through while you're waiting on the mercury to rise. Enjoy.

Oh -- and while we hope to blow your mind with a video soon, I would like to let you know that Harper now counts to 12.

What's that they say about the weather?

2008-03-10T20:30:00.000-07:00

What's that they say about the weather in Nashville? If you don't like the weather, just wait a minute. It's not only hilarious but true! The following pictures were taken less than a week a part. No fooling.

The Zoo.

Harper and Cate have finally bridged the age gap! AJ and I watching our daughters grasps hands and tour the zoo as official friends is not a moment we will soon forget. As a brief aside, Harper's teacher told me today that she and her friend, Ridge, (who happens to be a boy) spent most of the day holding hands. It seems a little young to us too. Anyway...

The "Winter Event" 2008

So, as most of you know, we don't get a lot of snow in the South. When we do, it's a really big deal. The following pictures - featuring a whooping four inches of snow - were repeatedly referred to by the newscasters as "the biggest winter weather event in more than five years." Regardless, I finally got Harper in her snowsuit (once again, thank you Ava for the many, many wonderful hand-me-downs). She was...ahem...just ok with the whole ordeal. We had a lot of fun watching it fall and talking about it, but once we actually ventured outside she wasn't really that in to it. We persevered. She was most interested in the frozen gutter pipe (is that what it is called?) and this stick. She did get a chance to play with her neighbor friend, Jane, who is a year older and a whole lot more tolerant of sledding and snowman building despite BP's best efforts.

As you can tell, Carmie loved every second of it.

The ABCs

2008-03-01T15:36:00.000-08:00

It's the best trick yet. Everyone household-wide has been raving about it. Maybe too much because now when we ask Harper to sing her ABCs, she clams up. Especially when there's a camera around.

So this is a paparazzi-style video, made inconspicuously at arm's length while walking in the park.

Enjoy.

Recap - especially for Dad

2008-02-18T18:22:00.000-08:00

We had a very busy weekend. BP is out of town so this recap is especially for him (others are allowed to look too).

First, we celebrated Collin's 5th birthday like cowboy rock stars with a hay ride, face painting and cowboy cake...

Next, we decorated Sophie...

Then, I worked a puzzle with Collin and Uncle Ryan...

Then, I petted some horses and looked at some llamas...
And, finally, Nana and I just chilled for a while.

All the while, we were wishing you were with us.

Sponge Brain Square Pants

2008-02-15T12:05:00.000-08:00

Harper's vocabulary is exploding! I swear she is saying 25 new words a day. It's so fun to witness.

Last night we were driving by the grocery store and she said, "KROGER!" She now says things like "Mama, more toast" and "Sit down!" and "Watch TV?" I know, I wish she didn't know what the TV was too, but please save your judgement because sometimes the TV is very helpful. It just is. The "sit down" is especially cute because she pats the ground next to her as she says it.

Another favorite is "monkey" which is what is responsible for the delight above. An real-live monkey from the zoo, not just the word.