breaking news!

jack just added "bah" to his repertoire.

Gah.

Gah. Who knew Jack, almost 16 months, would've picked such a cliched word to be the one word he uses for EVERYTHING? Here are some examples of a typical conversation between us:

Mom: "Jack, are you hungry?"
Jack: "Gah."

Dad: "Are you stinky Jack?"
Jack: "Gah."

Mom: "Jack, what are your hopes and dreams?"
Jack: "Gah. Gah."

The word is usually accompanied by pointing, smiling or crying, depending on the context. Although he says "Da" and "Ma," we were worried that "gah" would be Jack's sole member of his vocabulary. Then, the other day, a breakthrough. In the store, Jack pointed to a box of Golden Grahams with a race car on it, and said: "Cah." Leave it to a Wallace boy to make an effort for a car.

mamma mia...

anyone who knows her is well aware of the contradiction that is mia. she's brazen, she's shy, she's loud, she's girly. she falls an awful lot, but can float like a butterfly and shake it like a rockstar. bottom line, the girl likes to dance. we couldn't get her into dance last spring, so she settled for gymnastics, which she absolutely loved. i got her into the dapper dancers class at the rec center for 3 year olds, which she started yesterday.

her teacher, miss marilyn, is well known in these parts for being a great teacher. it was amazing how well she managed that class of little girls, and i was surprised at how seriously they were taking the class. it was adorable! they did some work at the barre, a little tap, and some prancing around with pieces of tulle. later, at walmart, mia announced that she was going to do a plie, and executed it perfectly! hopefully we can get her in the spring class so she can participate in the spring program.

this is the best shot i could get through the viewing window...

aidan's first day of kindergarten

it's official! aidan started kindergarten on monday. grandma accompanied us through the crowded hallway to his classroom, where mrs. mcg. enthusiastically welcomed her new kids. the principal, mrs. kelly, greets parents and students at the front door of the school, while students hold the doors open. i can honestly say that this cute little school is amazing--very warm, welcoming and a place i feel great about aidan spending his days learning and making new friends! aidan did great, and although he was a little apprehensive, he had no problems with me leaving. people who know me will be shocked to hear that i didn't cry, although i teared up a little when i read a little note mrs. mcg. left for the parents which included kleenex. guess we both were more prepared than i had thought!

can you believe i already scrapbooked a page?

at the door of his new classroom

finding his place...

picking up my little "kindergarten star"

good times...

this past weekend we hooked up with some friends and went to an early showing of the Clone Wars and had a picnic at the park. it was a fun day!
sidenote: what the heck was up with zero the hutt, the ambiguously gay uncle of jaba the hutt? if you've seen it, you know what i'm talking about.

the boys...aidyn, jackson, cardon and "little" aidan

the girls...brinley, avery, emma-kate, mia and brynn. did i mention we took up 3 rows of seats?

the boys...aidan, christian, aidyn, hunter & cardon. yes, aidan is the youngest

the "little" girls...mia, avery & amelia

jack's first haircut

even though jack obviously doesn't have that much hair, he had a few wisps that were ridiculously long. his before photo doesn't do the right side of his head justice...i think i could've put a braid in his hair it was so long. despite the fact that he was SUPER cooperative, i still cut his ear a little. he didn't even cry, although i almost did. my poor baby! bob, in an attempt to document my mistake, tried to take a photo but it didn't turn out. i wouldn't have posted it anyway...

before...
after

ode to amy (and the rest of the stevens family)

things that are in my life because of amy:

hannah montana

bubble art

digital scrapbooking

twilight series


most importantly...this cute family!

all kidding aside, i write this with a heavy heart as they make their way to their new home in Texas. i am so happy that they have the opportunity to move closer to their desired location, and hope that great new adventures and great new friends await them there. even though they only lived here a year, i know that amy will be a life-long friend...she's one of the most genuine, generous, kindest, and warmest people i've met. amy's been a little bright spot for me here in overland park--she's got a knack of making you feel right at home. we've had a lot of fun this year becoming friends and watching our kids develop close bonds. i'll miss team-teaching the CTR 8 class with her, digi scrapping until after midnight, lunch and shopping, and just hanging out with our kids! love ya, and we'll see you soon!

it's a whole new world...

well, the time has come for me to grow up as a parent. aidan starts kindergarten on monday morning (am kindergarten, what was i thinking?) and i'm starting to freak out. i could barely get him to pm preschool on time with his backpack and hair combed. pray for us!

so we showed up at his school a little after 10am today to see which class aidan had been placed in...there was a crowd of other parents and kids there, and i have to say that it was quite exciting! later, i attended the new family orientation where we watched a safety video on how to drop off and pick up your children (it is indeed a procedure worthy of an instructional video, trust me!), then met aidan's teacher (Mrs. McG., really sweet) and finished up with popsicles in the cafeteria. aidan's ready, we'll see how i'll do on monday. i'm predicting tears...

aidan's class list

Daniel & Leann

daniel and leann came out from nyc for a little visit earlier this month, giving us the opportunity to see what a cute pregnant lady she is (may lee littlewood is due early november) and for me to marvel at the fact that my little brother is going to be a dad soon! awwww!! they'll do a great job, and we're super excited to welcome the newest addition to the littlewood family. we ate, played a lot of rockband (see earlier post)and just enjoyed each other's company.

comiendo at la fuente, overland park

leann's baby shower...she's posing with the quilt that i made for may (thanks to val for her help choosing the fabric and cutting out the millions of squares!)

Kumain ka na ba? Daniel cooking chicken adobo his way...

mom and her kids

Littlewood-Wallace Family ROCKS!

Rock Band...Our latest obsession has taken over nearly every family get-together — even Aidan and Mia play! David has unofficially named us the B-Flats — Bob, Andrew and David usually play the guitar, Annie and I prefer the drums and Mom loves to sing. Daniel and Leann came for a visit and we indoctrinated him into the world of rock band awesomeness (Leann wasn't quite as interested...I know she thinks we're all crazy!) We had a lot of fun with Daniel — he's great on vocals and drums.

Forever a child of the late 80s and early 90s, Bob loves Metallica and Bon Jovi, and I'm partial to Weezer, Jet, and Black Crowes. Here are some funny pics of Daniel's brief tour with the B-Flats...we're still waiting on our record deal.