Tuesday, July 15, 2008

The after party

The Tepes joined in on the fun and we ended up with 16 adults for a cook-out and 14 kids that thankfully focussed their energy mostly in the back yard.
The sand box saw some action..
...but the second biggest hit was the stomp rocket and the game that was made up about getting the rocket in to the tree house...
The finale was the fireworks, and since we live in Baltimore County we can have our own...
Judging from these pictures you could be forgiven for thinking that the pyrotechnics budget was on par with the city of New York
If they weren't so blown away it would have been a standing ovation...
...yep THAT was the show! I believe this could be filed under "A little goes a long way..."

4th of July, Catonsville style


This one is tradition...
We did the soap box with the Steins again (sans camera), then hooked up with Grandparents, Uncle Jon and Chichin, the Ryans, the Mattisons and the Coopers at the parade...
...so much cooler from the other angle!
Lady Liberty came by too...
...she'll do your taxes apparently
...and the wiener car
some hot and bothered kids, all paraded out & ready for a big ol' bbq...

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Last traces of the (1st) baby girl...

Inasmuch as this blog serves as our unofficial baby book for all 3 kids at once, we've been reflecting on the last few words that remain from Cecilie's early vocabulary:

"aminals"
"prentzels"
"bonk beds"
"bollyball"

this doesn't count all of the hilarious interpretations of song lyrics - a whole blog in itself - but it is quite sweet that our stickler for pronunciation (Daddy gets corrected most often) hangs on to these few.

Lars doesn't have as many noticeable words like this (AMINALS seems to have worked its way through to him too), but our favorite is "gubblegum". Makes me smile just typing it...

Friday, July 11, 2008

Staying up late

We had a wonderful family & friends evening tonight - happy hour turned in to four, turned into a simple cook out, turned into the kids staying up late and fighting the British from the tree house (C: Let's pretend it is the war of 1812 and that the British are coming, and we're the sisters saying nyah nyah nyah boo boo!), catching fireflies, the whole nine yards...

As we finish brushing teeth, we have this conversation:
C: We are staying up late, aren't we?
Daddy: Yes we sure are...
C: We are staying up SO late, even later than God!
D: Yep, even later than God
C: Well, He has to get up really early in the morning.

So on good authority then, God doesn't last much longer than 9.30...

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Just some every day Nilsen pictures

Hurrah, yet another Disney Princess book from the library. Mommy, why are you banging your head against the floor?

Some very happy grandparents, managing bedtime with the Nilsen kids...

Still working on getting them all to look the same way at the same time... (see Annika angling for the sippy cup??)
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Partying, Nilsen Style

Arriving in style
ReLAXing in style

Engineering in style
Escaping in style

Party on Wayne. Party on Garth.

"Chase the balloons" was the big formal event...
...but sometimes you make the fun yourself
Yeah, he got train stuff, mostly...
Look at our big girl!

Yummy Jonah Jam: Jonah C's 3rd Birthday Party

Three years is a good age for any boy...
...having it be a TRAIN birthday is just icing on the cake, so to speak
Cecilie & Ellie
Talk about icing!!!

A show of nationalism and orphans

OK, with the baby in place...
...let's sing the national anthem, and "It's a grand old flag" for the audience...
...then take the baby out for some show tunes...
...and when it is all over take the baby back to bed!

A collection of pool memberships

I have this theory about surviving the Maryland summer: you're either a Water Person, or a Land Person. I was at dinner with some friends early in the spring, and when the subject came up, the table was neatly divided: 2 of our fivesome groaned and declared they couldn't think of anything more tedious than spending the summer poolside. 2 of us admitted that we were counting down the days to chlorine-scented towels and whistles blowing 'adult swim'.

No value judgements here: I am just a water person. I've spent my whole life in the water: beaches, lakes, rivers, pools, puddles... So pool life was just a given as far as I was concerned, when it came to embracing Suburban American Life.

And this excessively long lead-in is to give back story to the fact that, through the unique (read: sloppy) machinations of Nilsen Household Management, we found ourselves joined up at not one, but TWO pools this summer. Short version of the story is that we thought we'd never move up the two year waiting list at the Catonsville pool, so joined Grandma's pool for a last season.


So here is our girl doing the super hero jump in to the pool...
...and the back stroke

The day these pictures were taken we got the call that we had actually made the top of the list in Catonsville. Good for us, not so good for grandparents wanting swimmers down south.

Here's a sweet girl who is also turning in to a bit of a swimming nymph (although not quite doing the superhero jump yet...)
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Ballerinas galore: Cecilie's First Ballet Recital 5/31/08

She's an enthusiastic dancer, and let's just say... marches to her own beat. (In the following photos, just look for the girl doing the opposite of everyone else..)

Family Nilsen rolled up on the Big Night having forgotten the tights, the special socks, and worst of all - the bouquet for a special ballerina! However, the universe, and the Coopers specifically, were looking out for us, and had extra tights/socks and Torbjorn made a last-minute dash to get flowers.

The recital was adorable, and we couldn't have been more proud. When asked what her most favorite part was, she thought for a minute, and said "getting the flowers from Daddy & Grandpa." [whew! it was SO worth it!] And then added "oh yeah, and the ice cream after!"

So for a first time out, a happy time was had by all, and she seemed quite pleased. We're signed up for next year!




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Baby soup

Bath time is special at the Yellow House - at bath time, all is OK
...until a certain sister starts pulling the hair
Different occasion but certainly rubabdubdub, a bunch of cousins in the tub... (with tablets to color the water, natch)
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Larsisms (he's 3, they're never ending!)

We've been working with Cecilie on 'ladylike' behavior (you know, the basics: wearing underwear every day, not stripping on the pool deck, etc.). So one night at bathtime, she wondered "Mommy, do you ever show your underpants to the world when you're wearing a dress?" I responded with the requisite negative, and Lars, hopping into the tub, tossed out "NEVER SAY NEVER!"

(at this point of course, I thought of my friend Jen's chapel story...)

****************

C: Hey Larsie, let's play piggie back!
L: Yeah, let's do that!
[much hilarity as big sister totes him around the kitchen]
C: Okay, let's switch.
[3 seconds of grunting, Cecilie giggling as he collapses under her dead weight]
L: [grumpy] I don't wanna be the piggie.......


*****************

Lars' increasing need for independence is best reflected in his favorite phrase "by my own". This is used when wanting to do something himself, or when wanting to be left alone, or objecting to being left "all by my own!"

One morning Cecilie was the Garbo, 'vanting to be alone', and her devoted brother wanted to play with her. Cue much shouting, whining, etc. and Cecilie yells "I thought you wanted to be all by my own!" and Lars shouts back "NO! I want to be all by your own!!!"

Cecilie can plan a PARTY, baby

One Sunday evening, when Cecilie got wind that Grandma & Grandpa were coming for supper, she got busy setting the table, finding a centerpiece, planning her outfit - the works!

As we all sat down, she made her big announcement:

"Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls! Welcome, to the Family Communion Princess Party, with hula at the end!"

and she didn't disappoint: there was hula at the end, sans underpants. (Thus, no photos. Apologies to our dear readership.)

I'm with Lars on this one...

At bedtime recently, we discussed a family member who was heading off to Iraq.

C: Mommy? Grandma says X is going to the war
M: Yeah, he is.
C: I think the war is scary.
L: I think the world is scary.
C: Yeah. That's why you go out there with your Mom & Dad.
-long quiet pause-
L: Hey Mommy? Tomorrow, let's skip the world.
M: Ok bud. Let's skip the world.

Preschool Graduation - aka ancient history

Due to our tardiness, this end-of-May event is being blogged today, and due to the shortcomings of our little compact camera the actual handing over of the diploma didn't get captured at all, but here we are - all pensive waiting for the moment. (That's her much-loved teacher Mrs Galloway in the row behind her, white t-shirt.)
The pensiveness slowly giving way to triumph, the poster child of preschool triumph...

...and here a "lur" smile with favorite guy Ques

The RedTable, for prosperity, with Mrs Galloway in the background
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