Lydia & William

Will's Birthday Wish List

2010-03-11T00:00:00.002-05:00

Will's Snow Adventure

2010-02-18T22:27:00.002-05:00

My Jewel Party

2010-01-04T00:08:00.006-05:00

I know I have a lot to catch you up on.....Thanksgiving and Christmas and such, but for now I must tell you about my birthday. I just turned four against my parents better judgment.

For my birthday party my mom suggested we decorate with butterflies or flowers. I had other ideas. My first thought was to have a crocodile tea party where my friends and I would dress up like crocodiles and drink tea together. After mom explained that this would be quite technically difficult to do, I settled on the idea of a jewel party. Not princesses. Not jewelry. Jewels. Loose large diamonds, rubies, sapphires.....like the kind you would find in a mine..... like the one I'll own one day. Reluctantly, mom agreed but she soon came around and embraced the dazzle.

I helped make the invitations. Aren't they snazzy?

I chose pink and pink, otherwise known as "blush" and "bashful," for my party colors.

Jewels, jewels, jewels.

For the festivities, we had a treasure hunt in the backyard. We searched high and low for jewels.

We added ringpops to the cupcakes so they would sparkle.

I had such a great time with my friends!

Will had fun too. He was particularly fond of a Hannah Montana doll and Tinkerbell doll I received. We think he has a thing for blondes in short skirts.

And yes, we do realize he's not wearing any pants. This was probably related to the fact that they were coated in icing after the cake/cookies were consumed.

October in California

2009-11-01T17:53:00.008-05:00

Well, it's that time of year again: time to pretend like the leaves are changing and fall is in the air out here in sunny California. We psyched ourselves into the mood with a trip to the Silveyville pumpkin patch. This was Lydia's second time and Will's first.

Blast from the past, here's Lydia 2 years younger at her first pumpkin patch experience. My how fast they grow!

Will was more enthused with the farm dog and wild turkeys roaming around than the wooden cow. Go figure.

This is what trick or treating at an Air Force Base looks like: swarms of children descending on houses like bees to honey.

Lydia wanted to be snow white this year, so we made Will be "happy." Don't worry, he'll get to choose his own costume next year. But for now, what they don't know can't hurt them.

He makes an awfully cute dwarf.

And, ofcourse, Lydia is a beautiful princess.

In other news, Oma found a back up to Will's beloved 'bubby'. Here's his first rest with Bubby and the slightly more feminine, 'Lulu'.

Hope you had a great October!

Can I have a lifesaver?

2009-07-27T12:10:00.005-04:00

Mom and Dad were finally sorting through the last year and a half's worth of video footage. They found this gem - me negotiating for a piece of candy (not uncommon). The total footage was over 10 minutes long, so be thankful they trimmed it down. For the record, my tactics are much more sophisticated now that I am 3 1/2.

Family Photos

2009-06-30T01:02:00.001-04:00

DISNEYLAND!!!!

2009-06-19T23:30:00.010-04:00

Hey folks, here we are: the long awaited Disneyland vacation! We had an adventure (story for another time) flying to LA, and had a fantastic weekend with the Chicos (minus hand, foot and mouth disease for Will and 104.1 fever for Lydia) prior to the Disney extravaganza. Thank goodness Sebi and his mommy and daddy were able to come meet us at the park in the evenings. They're the best. We saw parades and rode rides. It's a Small World was my favorite. Who doesn't like a catchy tune and hundreds of dolls?

Here I am waving to Mary Poppins at a parade. This was Chico's favorite part, as you can tell by the picture.

Ok, on for the REAL reason we went to Disneyland: THE PRINCESSES!!!!

Here I am in line to see my first ever, real live princess.

Giving Will a high five for surviving the hour+ wait.

BELLE!

JASMINE!!!

ARIEL!!!

If that wasn't enough, I even went to have lunch with the princesses!

This is Aurora/ Sleeping Beauty/ Briar Rose. Don't we look like twins?

Cinderella!

This is me waiting to see who might possibly come to my table next....

And this is the look I give when I'm told to be patient.

Aaah! Here she is! It's Snow White!

And what about Will you might ask? What did he like about Disneyland? Well, his experience pretty much went like this:

so here's a couple of random cute pics. just because.

Disneyland....Check.

Daddy's Home again....but you already knew that.

2009-06-15T17:34:00.004-04:00

Kackie came out to help us get ready for daddy's return and to welcome him home. Thank you again Kackie!!!

He came bearing a mustache, abu dhabi t-shirts, and small wooden camels. Thanks. a lot.

We, on the other hand, had a free antique piano from our neighbors as a welcome home gift.

He loves it, and we love him!

Bike A Thon

2009-06-06T00:41:00.004-04:00

We had a bike-a-thon at preschool. I got to decorate my trike and take it to preschool, where a police officer taught us bicycle safety and then we rode in circles for ten minutes. It was awesome.

Can you guess which one is mine?

That's right! How did you guess?

Watch out gravel blaster, the princess mobile is coming through!

Catching up

2009-06-06T00:19:00.003-04:00

Yes, yes, yes, we know. It's been ages since we posted a blog. I won't make any excuses but instead I'll get right to the highlights of this past spring so that I can tell you about what's really on my mind: Disneyland. That's right folks. After daddy returned home from his deployment, we went to Disneyland. It was the coolest thing ever, but before we get to that - feast your eyes on this:

This is me being cute and girly while my friend Sebi was visiting for a few days.

This is Sebi. He's my beau.

This is us dying eggs at our good friends' house. It was my first time, and we had lots of fun.

We even let Will have an egg to play with.

Instead, he destroyed it.

And this is me all dolled up on Easter Sunday. Have a mentioned that I love pretty dresses? I had to change 3 times that morning before finally deciding on this one.

Aww, isn't he just the cutest?

Happy much belated Easter!

Spring is in the air

2009-03-30T16:55:00.005-04:00

Folks, the weather has been nice, the flowers are in bloom and the butterflies are everywhere. I am diggin' it.

...and so is Will.

aaaaah...... smell the freesia

This is the royal empress tree we planted the week Will was born. It is supposed to grow 10-20 feet this year. We'll keep you posted!

9th ARS Easter party

I was super excited to see the Easter bunny.

Will, not so much.

Will at play

2009-03-30T15:54:00.004-04:00

Happy Birthday Will

2009-03-19T17:05:00.008-04:00

A day late and a dollar short.....

Will is officially ONE!!!!!

I can't believe how the time has flown. I have had my very own little brother for one whole year. Folks, let me tell you - this kid is into EVERYTHING. That means all of my "projects" are ruined in seconds. So as of late, I'm not really a fan of the big sister gig, but I'll cut him some slack on his birthday. He's been cutting a lot of teeth lately, so he deserves a break.

Let me tell you about my brother.

He likes to slide.

He likes to yell.

He likes to stand by himself.

He likes to think he's as strong as a superhero.

....and he likes to play with his new big boy birthday toys.

I got him this super cool dinosaur. I like it so much that I haven't stopped playing with it yet.

As for Will's birthday dinner, this is the best shot we have.

He hated his bib. (as he does all bibs)

...didn't care for his dinner.

....and was equally excited about his cake.

Thank goodness for that slide.

Will can eat.

2009-02-02T17:49:00.006-05:00

Hi, I'm William...

...& I can eat.

I'm not talkin' about baby food, either. I crave only the real stuff these days.

As you can see, it makes me happy.

Come and eat with me!

Lydia is 3!!!!

2009-01-12T11:55:00.004-05:00

We're a couple weeks late, but as of December 29th Lydia is three years old!

Happy Birthday Liddsy Biddsy Boo!

Lydia @ 3 weeks

Lydia @ 1 yr

Lydia @ 2 yrs

Lydia is 3!

Santa Baby

2009-01-07T17:05:00.003-05:00

The Nutcracker

2009-01-05T23:30:00.005-05:00

Folks, this was the year I was introduced to the Nutcracker, and let me tell you...it was fabulous.

Here I am at the Nutcracker Tea in Vacaville, beaming with excitement.

Will was thinking, "dude, I can't believe they actually made me go to this."

Here I am talking to Clara.

She shows me point...

Then I give it a try...

Finally, we got to the Ballet in San Francisco. It was quite the to-do.

I met a ballerina, and a rat.

Here we are living it up in the dress circle.

Too fun.

Thanks, Mr Tchaikovsky! You're the man.

Merry Christmas Pics

2008-12-13T00:55:00.004-05:00

Here' s a few nice Christmas pics from our latest little picture session.

Merry Christmas!

Last NC recap

2008-12-02T13:31:00.008-05:00

OK Folks, here is the Raleigh cousins clan:

Catherine, Molly, Wells, Lydia, Rayne, & baby William

Aunt Ashley hooked me up with this beautiful princess gown.

Rayne got a lolli-pop (which made her weekend)

& Wells loves hangin out with the girls

All tuckered out...

This was a big mouth...you should have seen the toothbrush!

Hangin with the Hippsters

Glasses are a bunch of silliness, but they do make Will look 6 months older at least.

Here's Mommy & Will with her best friend, Amy Bell Terry, and baby Grace.

Oma & Pop-Pop

If you 've made it this far, you may think you've gone back in time to the Jurassic era, but this is just Mommy & cousin Wells in front of some cool robo-dinosaurs. AWESOME!

NC Trip (part deaux)

2008-11-30T16:39:00.002-05:00

Here's a few more pics of the fam we saw while we were home in NC:

ON The beach with Oma

IN the pumpkin patch on Renyolda

Chillin with Nanna & Papa J

Hanging with my cousin Rayne...

And Will was chillin with the Old Bang-Boy!

What a great visit!

Trip to NC (part 1)

2008-11-02T23:46:00.005-05:00

Hey folks, sorry we've been gone, but we've been gone. Before getting to Raleigh to see our cousins, Wells & Rayne (see below), we first went through San Fran.

Pier 39 was cool...

Lost of seals

Nice view

Sugar

2008-10-05T18:12:00.003-04:00

Folks, in case you couldn't tell, I like sugar. Here I am with my first of what will surely be millions of sno-cones. MMmmmmm.

And this is what happened when my Mommy allowed me to put the cookies out on the table for dessert. Notice there is only one which has not been tampered with...

I am not known for subtlety.

Meanwhile, Will is getting so big we have to restrain him in a futuristic, foam purple seat. He seems to like it pretty well...

Of course, we let him out every now and again. :)

As for the sugar, at least I come by it honestly.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2008-09-29T18:24:00.002-04:00

We love you!

Lydia & Will (& mommy)

Nana & Papa J

2008-09-12T16:07:00.005-04:00

Nana and Papa J were out for a visit last week. Papa J met Will for the first time, and as you can see from these pictures they bonded nicely. We were both spoiled rotten for a week, and mom and dad got a free date out of the deal. Love them grandparents.

Modeling my new "cinderella" dress compliments of Papa J.

My sassy face.

When a girl's got to go....

2008-09-12T16:04:00.000-04:00

... a girl's got to go.

Seriously?

2008-09-11T23:17:00.003-04:00

Ok, so the Chicos came to visit a couple of weeks ago. They were here for a whole week and somehow all we have is two lousy pictures. Seriously? How did THAT happen?

If anyone has pictures (sebi) to document our fantastic week, please share. We road carousels. No pictures. We jumped in bouncy castles and went down an enormous Lightning McQueen slide. No pictures. We swatted flies together. No pictures.

And yet, somehow we have about 20 pics of the night mom fell into the bathtub. Nice.

Uncle Mike & Aunt Katie

2008-09-01T19:57:00.003-04:00

Here's some pics from our recent visit to NAPA Valley with Aunt Katie & Uncle Mike

This gyser behind is touted as "Old Faithful...of California"

It is no comparison to the fabled one in Yellowstone, but after an afternoon of wine-tasting, who can tell the difference!?

**No wine was consumed by minors in the making of this blog**

Will's Big Day

2008-08-24T23:14:00.006-04:00

Hi, I'm Will.

I don't get a lot of air time because my sister does enough talking and has enough personality for 10 people.

That's ok. It suits my easy going personality.

Oma, Pop pop and Uncle Mike came to visit several weeks ago. We had a good time even though sis and I were under the weather.

I had my four month check up the day everyone came. I weighed in at 17 pounds and the doc said I was the size of an average, healthy 10 month old. Now that I'm five months old I weigh almost 20 lbs and I'm the size of a one year old. This is my astonished face:

Oma, pop pop and uncle mike were here for my baby dedication.

Lydia stole the show as she hurled all over mom moments before we were summoned up front. I retrieved the limelight by busting the crotch of my outfit open. Combine this with the way dad was holding me and it looked like I was wearing only sleeves and a diaper. Stellar performance.

We're back...

2008-08-05T23:59:00.005-04:00

Folks, no excuses, but we've been pretty busy. Here's a recap:

Swimming with my good buddy Micah..

Will is trying to eat everything...

I've been lovin' my pigtails!

There's also been...

Exercize w/ Mommy...

Teaching Nunni & Bear to read...

and of course, wrestling matches btw. Cinderella-Barbie & the Velociraptor (she wins every time)

As you can see, things have been very busy in the Cali Welch-Kid world. We'll update you on fam visits in the next few days!

xoxo

More Fun on the Fourth

2008-07-05T23:30:00.004-04:00

We went to our dear friends, the Keithleys, for a 4th BBQ.

Here are some shots (Chico style a.k.a. a bunch of pictures of the same thing) of Will donning Dad's Australian kangaroo hat.

Oh the cuteness.

Lydia was a little harder to catch on camera.

This is a typical Welch attempt at a family picture. There are about ten more pictures of this same pose, none of which include everyone smiling and/or looking at the camera.

1. the worst shot by far.

2. standard dad pointing at the camera, mom saying, "smile, smile!"

3. dad posed and ready. will crying. mom attending will. me checking out what Jackson and Logan are up to.

4. This is as good as it gets for us. three out of four looking in the general direction of the camera.

Mom also realized after viewing these that her hair is in desperate need of some highlights. She'll probably get around to it in a month or two.

Happy Independence Day!

2008-07-05T12:39:00.003-04:00

4th of July!

This is the the day when Americans everywhere can remember to say:

"TAKE THAT, BRITS!"

"These colors don't run"

ect. ect.

As for me, I love the family time, little flags and fun outfits.

Mommy & I get into the excitement of things, and Will is just wondering when it's naptime again.

He only needs red & white in his outfit, as his eyes clearly provide the blue.

More of the same

2008-06-19T23:23:00.005-04:00

Just wanted to share another ponytail day.

With glitter polished nails to match!

For the record: Daddy had absolutely nothing to do with this.

Except painting my nails.

Shhhh. don't tell.

3 Months Old...

2008-06-19T21:56:00.006-04:00

Hi Folks, I'm Will. And now I'm 3 MONTHS OLD!!!

Did I mention that I weigh over 17 lbs, and my parents are afraid I might outgrow my crib in the next several weeks? We'll see how it all works out...(pictured above is my worried face).

For now I'm officially fat.

And happy.

And old enough to watch Baby Einstein with the big sister.

Daddy's Girl

2008-06-12T23:10:00.004-04:00

Daddy's on a trip again. But I have had a lot of things I've wanted to show him and tell him. So, mom's been taking pictures and video per my request. My parents are still techno nimrods, so they haven't figured out how to get video on the blog. These pictures will have to suffice.

Daddy, here's a preview....

This is the castle I made for Cinderella.

This is an outfit I was particularly fond of.

And this. This is my first ever ponytail. I finally let mommy put one in after seeing Naomi's on her blog. Toddler peer pressure is merciless.

And in baby brother news: Will is now sucking his thumb. At 2.75 months. And he's closing in on 17 lbs. The doc told mom to start putting Desitin in his fat rolls to protect the skin since they're so deep. Who is this kid?

Gentle Giant

2008-06-03T23:08:00.004-04:00

We are calling Will our 'Gentle Giant'. Gentle because he is a sweet little guy and giant because he is....well....enormous. You can see for yourself from the pictures, although they don't really do his girth justice. The little man is 2.5 months old and weighs 14 lbs, 13 oz. That is almost double his birth weight! He is already in 6-9 month size clothes. And everyone thought I was a chunker. We are starting to think that mom's milk is of the condensed variety.

Memorial Day Freeze

2008-05-31T12:41:00.003-04:00

Well, this past Saturday we had a great neighborhood Memorial Day picnic, complete with grilled salmon and a pinata. The only problem was that it was about 50 degrees with the wind blowing with a vengeance. But that will not stop me from getting my WHACK on...

Are you guys watching this?

Take that!

Now I get pictures with y spoils...

And the token family pic (and yes...that is William hiding in Mommy's coat)

TIMEOUT- A Pictorial

2008-05-26T13:44:00.004-04:00

Folks-This is a pictorial depiction of a common event at the Welch household these days: TIMEOUT. The emotional stages of this exercise usually go like this:

1. Disbelief...are they serious?

2. Regret...I can't believe I got busted

3. Dismay.

4. Boredom.

5. Contemplating Escape...

6. Acceptance. Can I come out now?

Once free, I typically look for the most direct way to get back into TIMEOUT. It's a vicious cycle.

Lovin' the grandparents

2008-05-14T16:28:00.006-04:00

My Kackie and Andaddy came out to see us for a few days last week, and my Nana came for a week and a half. We had a blast. Nana even sewed some curtains for Will's room and helped finish off the nursery. We can't wait to see Oma and Opa in July!

Belated Mother's Day Reflections

2008-05-14T16:11:00.002-04:00

Mom asked for some airtime, and since she controls the computer, I was forced to oblige her.

In light of mother's day, I had a few things I needed to say:

To every mom with a screaming child in the grocery store and I thought you should have had more control over your kid or taken them out,
I’m sorry.

To every mom with a child begging, crying for candy at the check out and I thought you should have never exposed your child to candy in the first place,
I’m sorry.

To every mom who gave their kid candy to shut them up and I thought you were crazy,
I’m sorry.

To every mom with a house, car, garage, and purse full of crushed cheerios and goldfish crackers and I thought you should have never let your child have food away from the table,
I’m sorry.

To every mom who hissed at her child through clenched teeth while dragging them from the room by the arm and I thought you should have been kinder and more composed,
I’m sorry.

To every mom who’s kid has hurt another child and behaved just completely asinine at a playgroup and I wondered how you parented at home,
I’m sorry.

To every mom who occasionally ignored her child’s inappropriate behavior because you’re just flat exhausted from disciplining and I thought you should have been consistent at all cost,
I’m sorry.

To every mom with a toddler who’s thrown themselves on the floor crying and arched their back and stiffened their body when you tried to pick them up and I thought I’ll never let it get that far when I have my own,
I’m sorry.

To every mom I prejudged before having children of my own,
I’m sorry.

Thank you to our moms for loving us through sleepless nights and through toddler tantrums and through preteen drama and through teenage angst. I can now better appreciate all the work, sweat, love and tears that brought me this far.

8 AM

2008-05-01T11:26:00.003-04:00

It's 8 AM. I've been up for an hour and a half, and I've already lost all my jelly beans for the day, been spanked, and been sent to my room. It was in my room that I found a tub of vaseline and emptied its contents into my hair and all over my room. In my defense I was "conditioning." Anyone know how to get vaseline out of carpet and upholstery? Oh yeah, and when mom came to get me I had stripped down to my big girl panties in anticipation of "putting a pretty dress on so I can go to Easter." I figure that's where they keep the jelly beans.

Lydia

Oh yeah, and baby brother smiled today. Whoop-tee-do.

Copy Cat

2008-04-29T17:22:00.008-04:00

I hear baby brothers tend to copy older sisters. At least that's what Olivia says. Olivia is currently my favorite book character (with exception to all princesses), probably because I can identify with her spunky personality. Just yesterday mom called me a drama queen. I promptly corrected her. I am a drama Princess. Anyhoo, I digress. Here are some eerily similar pics of me as a baby (left) and baby brother now (right).

Fishin' & the Flux

2008-04-29T17:02:00.000-04:00

This was a great weekend....Daddy took me fishing, while poor Will stayed home with a not-so-mild case of acid reflux.

California can be pretty scenic at times...

But I'm busy trying to figure this thing out.

Poor little man can't wait for some PREVACID.

This is the fish I caught. I was so proud to have reeled him in all by myself. My daddy told me that plastic fish are common to these parts, and I can expect to catch one that looks exactly like this until I'm at least five.

The Boys

2008-04-23T16:31:00.003-04:00

Congratulations to Daddy for finishing his second to last grad school class. Only one to go!

Tummy Time

2008-04-21T00:41:00.002-04:00

I invited "baybrother" to come have tummy time on my big girl bed. It lasted long enough for mommy to snap this pictures, and then it was over. I like my space.

Latest Lydia Musings

2008-04-19T17:17:00.002-04:00

After mom realized that I had been a little too quiet while briefly unattended, she came into the family room to assess the situation. She almost caught me red-handed. I was standing at the couch...inches away from Ginger, who had been sleeping comfortably.

M: What are you doing?
L: Playing a game.
M: What game?
L: Ummm.....pull the tail.
M: Oh really. Pull the tail. Who's tail is getting pulled?
L: ummmm....Ginger's.
M: Lydia are you supposed to pull Ginger's tail?
L: It only hurts a little. Not a lot.

For your viewing pleasure

2008-04-14T16:31:00.004-04:00

My uncle Mike came by 2 weekends ago to meet baby brother Will. We had a blast, but as usual my parents forgot to charge the batteries on the camera. You'll have to check out this link to see uncle Mike's pics.

Once the camera was charged, we've been taking random pictures of the everyday goings of our life. As you can see, Will does a lot of sleeping, and I do a lot of pouting and playing.

bedtime

2008-03-28T22:08:00.002-04:00

saying ni-night after bath

my Don King look

Easter Pics

2008-03-28T21:52:00.005-04:00

Me and Daddy before church

Hmmm......should I pull her tail? Will that cost me candy? Too risky.

Can we stop taking pictures and get to the candy already!

There we go.

Posing with the bunny cake my Kackie made for me.

Having fun at the neighborhood Easter Egg hunt.

And this is what baby brother did all day.

More Baby Pics

2008-03-21T22:17:00.005-04:00

baby brother's first milk feeding

uuuuuuuhhhh, milk coma

making cupcakes for baby brother's birthday party

thank goodness most of the gifts were for me.....maybe this sibling thing will work after all.

Introducing...

2008-03-19T22:17:00.003-04:00

William Joseph Welch

8 lbs, 2 oz

18 March 2008

Well Folks, here he is, my little brother William.

I told Kackie I'd really like to hold him

But she gave me some milk instead.

This big-sister gig is wearing me out...stay tuned for more pics

The Name Game

2008-03-17T23:08:00.003-04:00

OK folks, mommy and daddy seriously do not have a name for baby brother yet, and it is starting to get to me. These are the names they are considering so far. I propose we vote and majority rules. Any takers?

John Stewart Welch, III ("Jack")

James Edward Welch ("Jed")

James Nathan Welch ("Nate")

William Joseph Welch ("Will")

Joseph Asher Welch ("Asher")

For the more wild-at-heart:

Donald Joseph ("Do-Jo")

Ezra James ("EZ J")

John Asher ("Jack-Ash")

William Woodall Welch ("the W3")

Guess Who's here....

2008-03-17T22:40:00.003-04:00

This is what's we've been waiting for....

Wait for it....

Wait for it.....

My Kackie! That's right folks. STILL NO BABY BROTHER! Nana had to go back home with Papa J today, and my sweet Kackie came to take second shift waiting for the little man to come. Mommy has only been to the hospital 3 times already, and I'm starting to wonder if this kid will ever get here. Oh Well, the longer I don't have to share the better, right?

Just to keep you in the loop, this week:

the computer broke. this may or may not have been my fault.
daddy sideswiped his parked car while backing out of the driveway in the Outback. This may or may not have been his fault....... depending on if you buy the line that mommy parked it too close to the middle of the garage..... or if it's optional to look behind you while operating a vehicle in reverse.
the computer was fixed
the car was fixed

Also in the news this week: my debut on the TRAVIS AFB Newcomer's guide. check me out.

(for all you conspiracy theorists out there, the man with the buzz cut and sanitized name tag IS in fact, my daddy.)

Adventures in Discipline

2008-03-01T16:11:00.005-05:00

Recently, Mommy and Daddy have had to resort to more creative means to get me to mind my manners at the table. Our latest exchange:

Mom- "Lydia, from now on you are going to start dinner with 4 jellybeans (laid out on the table in plain view but out of reach), and every time you throw food or drop your fork on purpose I'm taking one away. At the end of the meal you can have your treats."

Lydia- "You won't spank me."

M- "No, I will just take a jellybean away, and I know you want to eat all 4 of the ones you have."

L-" You won't take 2."

M- "I WILL take 2 if you disobey me twice."

L- [ drops fork on the ground and smiles] "It was an accident!"

M- "No, that was on purpose. You just lost a jellybean."

Mom takes a jellybean away

Lyd- [straightfaced & serious] "Mommy...I've got P-L-E-N-T-Y more."

M -[speechless]

Dad- [shakes head] "Wow." [thinking, 'She does have 3 left, though...']

I'm so proud of my sassiness.

Sass me again little girl and see how many jelly beans you get.

Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?

2008-02-20T17:37:00.004-05:00

OK folks, just to keep everybody in the loop with what's going on here in sunny CA:

-Mommy & Daddy went into the hospital to have my baby brother yesterday
-They were sent to another hospital with a NICU where they stayed overnight. They gave mommy shots and medicine through a booboo in her arm.
-Then they came home today--and baby brother is still in Mommy's tummy. What a tease!

The good news is, I'm doing great, and I had my first sleepover at my friend Virginia's house. What fun. Mommy is spending lots of time in bed (doctor's orders), taking it easy, and NANNA is coming out to play with me for a while.

So there it is: all is well at the CALI-Welches house. I'll keep everybody posted when my rascal little brother finally gets here.

The Chicos and Mr. Boos

2008-02-10T16:22:00.000-05:00

I also almost forgot to mention the most fabulous trip we took last month. We flew with Mr. Boos to Southern California to visit our good friends the Chicos. The highlight of the trip was getting to meet my future husband, Sebi. He is as handsome in person as he is in his pictures. See blog link at right. We only took our video camera, so you'll have to rely on the Booser's pics.

Miss Mariah, aka "that pretty lady," and Mr. Chico were gracious enough to host all of us THE DAY AFTER THEY MOVED INTO THEIR NEW HOUSE!

Some interesting tidbits I learned on the trip:

Mr. Chico performs an excellent airplane ride.

Mr. Boos sleeps 'nekkid.'

Miss Mariah cooks a mean New Mexican Tamales casserole.

Sebi is a stud.

I like lemons straight off the tree.

Long Time Gone...

2008-02-10T14:30:00.001-05:00

Well folks, after being accused of lazy blogging...I'm back! There's a lot to catch up on, starting with most recently my Daddy left for a ski-trip with the fam. Mommy and I stayed home because little brother is on the way, but looks like we missed a fun time:

Aunt Ashley styles in her Brittany Spears/1980's ski-outfit

Daddy chills with his friend, Stu Nelson

All this pretty snow! Then came a change of plans....

Then Daddy came home all of a sudden because baby brother thought he'd try to escape Mommy's belly about 6 weeks early. I thought it would be fun to play with the little guy, so I egged him on, but mommy was of a different opinion. She and the docs coaxed him to stay in a little longer. Just the sort of drama I thrive on. I had a blast playing with friends while mommy hung out at the hospital and daddy fought a blizzard to get home.

I'm off to get his nursery ready...wish me luck!

Who's the birthday girl?

2008-01-04T18:02:00.000-05:00

IT'S MEEEeeeeee!

I got this super cool slide from mom and dad, and then my friends came over for lunch. How fun!

Stay tuned, video is imminent. We can feel it.

Tahoe

2008-01-04T16:36:00.000-05:00

After church on Sunday while still in the parking lot, Daddy turned to mommy and said, "Let's go to Tahoe. Now. Like today. Let's just pack a bag and go. I have tomorrow off, and it will be a while before we get a chance to do anything like this again." We waited for it - mom's practical side forcing the "No." But it didn't come. She thought for a minute and then said, "you do the dishes, I'll pack a bag." And we were off. Off to snow and sledding.

Biggest gingerbread village ever!

Are these presents for me? how did they know I was coming?

Too cute!

1...2...3...GO!

Ok, that was mildly entertaining. Now for the big hill.

Much better.

Gas: $45.00

Hotel stay: $175.00

Food for 24 hours: $75.00

Lydia's snowsuit and boots: $40.00

Sled acquired at the 7-11: $20.00

Total cost of overnight trip due to no forethought and/or planning/ price comparing: $355.00

Total worth of this picture: Priceless

...or $355.00, however you want to look at it.

Christmas Wrap-up

2008-01-02T22:34:00.000-05:00

OK Folks, here it is...the long-awaited recipe for a fabulous Christmas:

2007

1)Decorate a tree (real evergreen for all you traditionalists)

2) Bake Cookies!

3)Open up your presents

4)Play with your presents

5)Take a nap.

More to come on my birthday party soon...

**Extra Holiday Tips**

Try to get to the nap before you show how disappointed you are at not getting to open every present at once.

Don't eat chocolate pretzels too fast.

Technical difficulties

2008-01-01T23:36:00.000-05:00

Bear with us. We have fabulous Christmas and birthday photos to share, but for some reason we are having technical difficulties accessing our photos. Probably related to the fact that my parents are technological morons.

My Newest Cousin(s)

2007-12-24T18:26:00.000-05:00

After a flurry of births this winter, I'm proud to say that I have several new cousins. Above is Katherine, who I got to meet (or see, at least) over Thanksgiving in NC. She's pretty cute, now that she's not so newborn...

This is a picture of my newest cousin, Margret Ashley Welch, or "Baby Maggie".

Uncle Bo & Aunt Theresa are doing fine, and I can't wait to meet this new addition to the cousins world. I would comment on the inherent cuteness of this baby as well, but let's face it: most little white newborns all look the same for the first few weeks. I'll save the compliments for a more meaningful age this Spring. I'm sure it was a very Merry Christmas in these houses

Breakfast Table Conversation

2007-12-17T10:43:00.000-05:00

Lydia: "Daddy went to work."

Mommy: "Yup. Daddy went to work."

L:"We need to go to the store to get milk."

M: "That's right. We're out of milk."

L: "Daddy didn't have any milk for his cereal."

M: "Right. We need to go to the store today."

L: "And buy cookies."

M: "Maybe"

L: "And buy chocolate."

M: "I think we have enough chocolate."

Pause.....

L: "I'm going to work."

M: "Oh really. Where do you work?"

L: "I work at Trick or Treat......and I get candy."

M: "Hmmmm."

Another Pause......

L: "There's ants in my oatmeal."

M: "There are not ants in your oatmeal."

L: "There's ants in my oatmeal."

M: "Those aren't ants. It's just part of your oatmeal."

L: "I don't eat ants."

M: "Those aren't ants. It's oatmeal. Just eat it."

L: "I don't eat ants."

M: sigh.

Fishin' & the Flux'

2007-12-08T21:36:00.005-05:00

This was a great weekend....Daddy took me fishing, while poor Will stayed home with a not-so-mild case of acid reflux.

California can be pretty scenic at times...

But I'm busy trying to figure this thing out.

Worn out

2007-12-05T22:33:00.000-05:00

Recently, I had some interesting adventures. Let me explain...

First I rolled some chicken & Dumplins with my Mommy...

Then I grew a pair of wings and was awkwardly excited about it

Flying turned out to be fun (my Grandpa 'PaPa J' is helping me out)

But after all this i was very tired

And I'm out. No, this is not a scene from the Wizard of Oz, it's me under all those blankets. It's tiring being almost 2...

Trick or Treat

2007-11-14T11:46:00.000-05:00

Last year I had no say in the ridiculous costume my parents forced me to wear. This year I was quite clear about my preferences. This is Nunny. My prized possession. My best friend in the world.

After looking through many catalogs and in stores for ideas, I came to the conclusion that none of the typical halloween fare was acceptable. I wanted to dress up like Nunny. Who wouldn't? She's soft, pink and white, girly and oh so cute. My mom fashioned a costume as best she could and this was the result.

hangin with Kackie and Andaddy

2007-11-13T22:52:00.000-05:00

Kackie and Andaddy came to visit in October. We toured wine country, saw the Redwoods, and ofcourse.....rode the pony. It was a blast!

Fall Pics

2007-10-24T00:09:00.000-04:00

We're moving next week, so here are some recent fall pics to get you through until I regain computer control in our new place.

Accessorizing

2007-10-24T00:01:00.000-04:00

Every girl needs to know how to accessorize, so I'm getting an early start. I put this little ensemble together all by myself.

Ride the Pony....or Elephant

2007-10-04T21:54:00.000-04:00

My one request for daddy coming home was to "ride the pony" i.e. a request for a carousel ride. This was a long-anticipated event that I talked about for weeks prior to daddy coming home. I'm sure you can't tell my excitement from this picture.

It's always hard to decide which animal to ride. This time I gave the elephant a whirl.

I liked it so much that a couple of days later I rode this one:

Thank God for Six Flags Animal Kingdom.

Daddy's Home!!!

2007-10-01T23:26:00.000-04:00

Daddy's return from his deployment was much more eventful for me this year than last year. The difference? I can talk.....so you know what's going through my head. For thirty plus minutes in a bus full of silent strangers, this is what I had to say as I waited for my daddy's plane to land:

"Where's daddy?"
"One airplane. Two airplane. Three airplane....."
"Where daddy go?"
"See daddy." "I want to see daddy."
"Where's daddy?"
"Daddy's coming home. Daddy's coming home!"

Finally the wait was over.

So Much to Say

2007-10-01T23:06:00.000-04:00

Well folks, here we are. Once again, I've taken a hiatus only to return with a plethera of information and pictures for you. I'll try to catch you up. For starters, daddy's been gone for the last 2.5 months and mommy (who usually helps me blog) hasn't been herself. For the longest time after daddy left she would just lay around or always be going to the bathroom. Turns out there's a baby on the way and I'm going to be a BIG SISTER. Now daddy's home again, mommy's feeling better and all is well with Lydia's world. We've had some exciting adventures this past week, so stay tuned for more blogging.

While Daddy was away mommy and I went back to NC for a couple of weeks. I had a blast hanging out with the grandparents and my aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Favorite Things

2007-07-28T23:15:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago when Nana, Papa, and Aunt Katie were visiting, I was afforded the opportunity to experience one of my favorite things of all time......the Davis Farmer's Market Carousel. This is monumental folks. I dream about it. I recite to my mommy which animal I want to ride next every time we're in the car. Piggy.....Cat....zebra.....ettettant (elephant)......mingo (flamingo)....and the list goes on. However, you would never guess the rush I get from this ride by looking at these pictures. I keep it all inside. Until ride is over. Then I lose it.

Anticipation

getting my game face on

focus

can't let them see me looking

oops

moment of weakness

ride over

San Fran, Day 2

2007-07-16T01:30:00.001-04:00

The next morning we had a fabulous buffet breakfast at the hotel and then headed to Chinatown. However, I must say that none of the sights or sounds came close to winning my heart the way the stuffed dog in the hotel lobby did.

San Francisco

2007-07-16T01:14:00.001-04:00

First stop in SF: Fisherman's Wharf for clam chowder in a sourdough bowl, fresh crab, shrimp, and ofcourse, fish and chips. I sampled everything, but definitely picked the clam chowder as my favorite.
Second stop: Pier 39 (somewhat of a disappointment this time because the Sea Lions were off mating)

After that, we headed to our hotel to check in. Long story short, I was too excited from the days events to even think about sleeping. Well, that and all the chocolate.

Aunt Katie stopped by to kiss me good night.

Just one more story? I promise I'll go to sleep after that. wink, wink.

Daddy the next morning after not getting nearly as much sleep as he's grown accustomed.

Road Trip

2007-07-16T00:52:00.000-04:00

My Nana and Papa came to visit last week, and we had a blast. Much of that may be due to the fact that they were constantly loading me up on baby cocaine (m&m's) when mom and dad weren't looking. Anyway, you'll be seeing them in the next few posts because we covered a lot of ground and took a lot of pictures in one week.

The second day they were here, we took a road trip to San Fran with a stop on the way at Muir Woods, one of the last Redwood patches in the country.

Sunflower Fields Forever

2007-07-07T16:56:00.000-04:00

Here's a few pics by the beautiful sunflower fields near our house. ENJOY!

As you can see, not only is this outfit cute, but I'm practically invisible in it.

The Davis Farmer's Market

2007-06-24T17:46:00.001-04:00

Here are some of the fun things to do at the Farmer's Market on a Saturday morning...

You can see the horses...

Or play in the fountains...

But this is what I came for:

The carousel is my favorite!

You can play tickle-me on a bench...

Or throw some airplanes around

You can even challenge a kitten to a friendly game of "Let's Bump Heads"

And one final shot just for gratuitous cuteness.

Baby-Gymnastics

2007-06-24T01:51:00.000-04:00

People, I have a new passion, and it's gymnastics. Sure, I'm no Mary Lou Retton, but I learned to jump on a tramp-o-leen and walked across a balance-beam! The exercize benefits are amazing, and a mere 1-hour session guarantees me at least 2 hours of nap-time. Mommy loves that. Now I'm off to work on my back hand-springs...

Here I am playing in the parachute.

And tumbling with Mommy.

Can't wait until next week...

Dress Up With Ginger

2007-06-20T01:22:00.001-04:00

True to the One I Love

2007-06-16T01:17:00.001-04:00

As mentioned before, I have been betrothed to Sebi Jones. See link to my future husband (the chicos) at right. I am quite pleased with the arranged marriage because Sebi is most handsome, even for a three week old. I usually go for the older boys, but Sebi is already half their size and showing great potential.

Anyhoo, being betrothed is not as easy as one might think. I, being the cute girl that I am, have multiple suitors at any given time. Why, just the other day at the pool, my good friend Lolo (Logan) Keithley pulled some moves on me.

Here he is trying the old "good to see you pal, give me a hug" trick.

My snub doesn't phase him.

Obviously now he is in hot pursuit.

Does this kid get it? I'm spoken for, buddy.

Out you go. Move along now.

You just have to be firm when you're being true to the one you love.

like daddy, like daughter

2007-06-14T16:22:00.001-04:00

And a little before and after for your viewing pleasure. A lot has changed since I was two months old, but somethings are still the same.

morning fun

2007-06-11T23:38:00.000-04:00

There's nothing like going out for a little sunshine and fresh air in the morning while still in your jammies. Especially if Ginger is around to play with/ torment.

Oma, Mite, and Tatie

2007-06-08T23:39:00.000-04:00

Ok, so we have some catching up to do. I am a busy girl these days with the pool open and gymnastics classes as part of my weekly routine. I had the best time over mother's day weekend (yes, I know it was a month ago) when my Oma, Uncle Mite (Mike), and Aunt Tatie (Katie) came to visit. We went to the Dixon May Fair, Old Sacramento, played at the park and ate chocolate. Lots of chocolate. Did I mention that I am now a chocolate addict. M&M's (affectionately referred to as "ding dings," "M.M.M.," and "choc-choc") are my drug of choice. My Oma also brought her "buzzers"(fingers ready and aimed for tickling) and taught me to use mine. Boy, do I love a good chase and tickle.

Peek a boo

silly Oma

checking out the Clidesdales, a.k.a. "big neigh"

1 2 3 jump

this is how I react when I get cut off from m&ms

It's about time someone joined me on the swings

Do you dare me? Double dog dare?

Flying Kites

2007-05-20T21:57:00.000-04:00

Here's little sample of our fun in the park...kite-flying. Our dragon-kite is quite spectactular, and well worth the 9.99 (thanks COSTCO!). Daddy wanted to name him Richard, but Mommy was afraid that he'd be called Dick for short, so she's calling him Dexter. It's all gravy to me, because I'm still speaking advanced baby-gibberish that only they can understand.

Also, Congrats to our newest blogger-parents THE CHICOS for the birth of their son (and my future husband), Sebe Diesel Jones. Even his name sound intimidating and cool....I can't wait to meet him!

Nana

2007-05-06T17:14:00.000-04:00

My sweet Nana came to visit for two whole weeks. It definitely lightened the load of missing daddy while he's gone to SOS (5 week training). We played and played and played! And Nana bought me all kinds of cute clothes and ice cream. Thank you, Nana! Grandparents rock.

Hairspray

2007-05-06T17:06:00.000-04:00

Well, as you have noticed, it hasn't been easy for me to get on the computer lately. Mom and dad got a new one and they've been hogging it. First it was daddy - downloading music into itunes. Then mommy was trying (unsuccessfully - something to do with the camera not liking apples?) to make dvds. Anyway, they finally let me back on. How do you like my hair?

Anybody have hairspray? I want my new do to stay in place.

Caption Contest

2007-04-10T00:05:00.000-04:00

The winner of the caption contest will be sent an undisclosed amount of cash, along with the venerable admiration of all their peers.

The runner-up will get the rest of this lollipop.

Sugar Daddy

2007-04-09T23:31:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure what to think...
I shouldn't take candy from a stranger...
But he is my Daddy...
Ohhh, that tastes sooo good. You can almost hear me getting addicted to sucrose...
Who's your Sugar Daddy? :)

Ungrateful

2007-04-09T23:22:00.000-04:00

This is the Easter "basket" that was awaiting me Easter morning. From what I understand, Easter is supposed to be the pinnacle of the Christian Faith. So why the Easter gifts are so scant compared to Christmas morning is beyond me. As you can see below, my Easter assortment was cute - yes. Substantial - NO!

Have you seen other kids' Easter baskets? Do you even know how this thing works?

Seriously? This is it? A lollipop and a few jelly beans?!!!

Really????!!!! You couldn't even spring for some Cadbury eggs and a few peeps?

And these jelly beans are GROSS!

I'm going to have to call the grandparents on this one. They'll be sure to send reinforcements.

Easter egg hunt

2007-04-09T12:52:00.000-04:00

These shots are from my very 1st Easter Egg Hunt (I was not able to get around so well last Easter, if you remember). They're pretty self-explanatory, and the bunnies at the end are real. This is toddler cuteness at it's best...

NOTE:
**None of the afore-pictured Bunnies were harmed in the making of this BLOG entry**

(Despite my best efforts! -Lydia)

My back"yard"

2007-03-29T22:53:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my backyard....... I mean my, uh, rock garden.

Come on, I'll show you around.

Here's a dying plant.

Oooooh look! I found a rock!

Now mommy is telling me to put the rock down.

.....so, I'll take it to daddy.

Yep, that's pretty much the whole tour.

Let's face it, I think I'm cute

2007-03-12T23:29:00.000-04:00

My Nana and Papa just emailed me these pictures that were taken of me in January. I can't stand myself, I'm so cute. Mom says this kind of thinking is narcissistic. I tell her, "DA -Da! beee bee meeemaaamaaameee. DA!" (translated: Keep your counseling mumbo jumbo to yourself. I'm cute darn it.)

This is the look I give when I'm not really interested in what you're saying.

This is my, "I'm thoroughly pleased with myself" face

And this, clearly, is my mischevious face.

All very typical on a daily basis.

Tornado relief for friends

2007-03-08T13:40:00.000-05:00

Dear friends of ours recently moved to Enterprise, Alabama. As many of you know, Enterprise was hit hard by a deadly and devastating tornado last week. Fortunately, our friends and their home were spared, but the destruction is just a quarter mile from their home. They have been touched and saddened by the loss around them, and they are doing all they can to help. They are physically helping to dig out of the rubble, and they are organizing relief for their community. Please visit their blog, enterprisetornadoministry.blogspot.com to see their story, but most importantly please pray for their community.

Thanks and peace,
management

Aunties & Uncles

2007-02-18T22:59:00.000-05:00

Last weekend we had a nice visit from Aunt Katie and Uncle Mike. We went out to IN & OUT Burger, up to Davis for lunch at an authentic Czech Restaraunt, and I even heard rumors of a Welch family tour of the Budweiser Factory...Ummm. Maybe I'll get to go on that one next time around.

Fun at the Playground

2007-02-16T16:03:00.000-05:00

I fed myself today

2007-02-14T17:15:00.000-05:00

I've been doing the finger food thing for awhile now, and mom & dad have been feeding me the messy stuff with a spoon. Sometimes they prepare the fork/spoon and hand it to me, but that gets old real quick. I've had about enough of them micromanaging meal times. Luckily, mom was catching on to my desire for independence and gave me free reign over lunch today. Ravioli with carrots, tomatoes and zucchini, and banana strawberry puree. She handed me a fork and spoon and I was in heaven. Things were actually going quite well until mom inadvertently started humming "head and shoulders, knees and toes." I got lost in the moment and next thing you know I've styled a mohawk with ravioli. True story.

Our Newest Recruit...

2007-02-09T15:58:00.000-05:00

Give me a month and I'll be reciting Scoffield's quote...

Now get me out of these things, please!!!

Noah's Ark

2007-02-02T18:15:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite past times is playing with my Fisher Price Little People Noah's Ark. On a good day I can even identify the animals, Noah and his wife by putting them in or pulling them out of the ark on command. On a bad day, I refuse to follow instructions and throw the animals back over my shoulder, bang the lid to the ark on the table and basically unleash destruction on the ark. Either way, I'm entertained for minutes at a time.

By the way, my ark-set includes a figurine for Noah's wife, Sally. I'm not positive that was her name, but that's what I'm going with. I'll read Genesis ch 9 when I'm older.

I'm back and I'm walking

2007-02-02T17:46:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the recent hiatus folks. I've had a case of the "runs" for the past two weeks since we've been back from NC, so I haven't exactly felt like blogging. The docs thought it might have been a virus, bacteria or giarrdia, but it looks like good ole teething has struck once again. I now have my bottom molars and the hershey river has dried up (for those of you counting, I have 12 out of 16 teeth now). Although the last 2 weeks have been pretty lame and uneventful, I do have one big thing to report:

I'm walking! Look out world. Here comes the Lydster.

Homeward Bound...

2007-01-10T03:42:00.000-05:00

Well Folks, I'm homeward bound for a while. That's right, we're going to visit God's country for a week, and I can't wait to see all my grandparents!You think they know I just had a birthday.....Hmmmm:)