The Malcolm Montage

Swimming Season is over

2011-08-03T06:30:00.001-07:00

Swim Team is over for the summer and our kids did fantastic. Both are in the younger tier of their age groups which is sometimes frustrating but they kept a great attitude about it. Henry learned breaststroke & butterfly this year. He is very intense about his stroke and has a natural competitive spirit -- for better or worse. Bradley wasn't so sure about this whole swim team business for the first 2 weeks but grew to love it by the end of the season. Both kids won their heats in the last meet which was SO FUN for them! Bravo!

Washington DC

2011-07-02T19:23:00.000-07:00

John had a Urology conference in Washington DC this spring and we took advantage of the opportunity and accompanied him. We loved the city and want to go back again soon. We saw the White House, many Smithsonian museums, Chinatown, mastered the subway, ate at Old Ebbitt Grill, and (the big highlight) went up the Washington Monument!
{inside the Washington monument}
{Eliza wants to see Obama!}
{I have decided that Bradley is a city girl. She was ENERGIZED by all the people, walking, and sites. Here she is posing near the Mall.}

{on the mall}
{Family pic in the National Gallery of Art}
{Playing in the Natural History Museum - Note: Those two Asian kids in the back are not mine. Sidenote: I got asked if Eliza was adopted later this day. WHAT?}
{This picture sums up our time in DC. Bradley danced, twirled and sang her way around the city. Henry was enthralled with the history and the size of everything. And, Eliza was chill -- just along for the ride. It was a great vacation . . . . oh, I mean, work trip.}

Camp Jr.

2011-07-02T19:17:00.000-07:00

Our church offers a VBS each summer for pre-schoolers and I got the opportunity to head it up this year! This event has been a big part of my summer, and it was a lot of fun. Fun to serve and give back, fun to have something creative to focus upon, and fun to put on a week for the kiddos! Glad it is over -- now, onto SUMMER!

Theme was "Where God is WILD about you!"

Bye Bye First Grade

2011-07-02T19:09:00.001-07:00

Eliza during Henry's "Festival Day" at school. "What? Am I not supposed to play in here??"

Nah - They don't look anything alike, eh?

Henry had a great 1st grade year. He concluded his year with Festival Day where he was awarded one of the top awards for the whole school which recognized him for being a good citizen, encourager of classmates, hard worker and embodying the motto of the Williams School which is "Honor above Honors." Congrats Hen!

Snaggle-toothed grin

2011-07-02T19:06:00.000-07:00

He's losing them like crazy these days!

Happy Birthday!

2011-05-18T14:36:00.000-07:00

It has been birthday season around here again. John surprised me with a birthday trip to NYC! We had such a great time touring around, eating at the finest restaurants I have ever experienced and seeing a Broadway play!

And, Happy Birthday to our favorite 5 year old!

Happy Easter!!!!

2011-04-24T18:54:00.000-07:00

Sewing Season!

2011-04-05T18:19:00.001-07:00

Rarely do I get to blog about what I have been doing!! My love of sewing has been rekindled this Spring and I have been driving John crazy with my new introverted hobby. I can always blame him because he bought the sewing machine for me, right?! I LOVE having 2 girls to outfit -- one with a will and one who doesn't have one yet. We'll see how long they will let me play matchy-matchy dress up day. Here's a sampling of what my hands have been doing. Thanks Aunt Carrie for the pattern!!

Jackson Hole

2011-02-16T18:49:00.000-08:00

Video from urology conference in Jackson Hole last week. With special guests: Julian, Wes, and Mike.

TROUBLE

2011-01-10T11:56:00.003-08:00

Yes, that's what she is. This is an hourly occurrence in our house these days. . .

Henry is 7?

2011-01-10T06:41:00.000-08:00

Henry turned 7 on Dec. 31st. He is becoming a fine young man. Infatuated with sports and numbers, tender towards his baby sister and lives to run around outdoors. Happy Birthday Henry! This year is going to be a great one!

We took some of Henry's buddies bowling for his birthday. Bradley striking a birthday pose at the alley - oh my, we are in trouble!

John playing a birthday tune at the party. Does anyone notice anything different about the hubs?
We love you Henry!

Christmas

2011-01-10T06:36:00.001-08:00

The kids must have been good this year because they got everything on their list! Bradley got a new bike, Henry got a new foosball table (which will not remain in our living room) and Eliza got a toothbrush. Hope your Christmas celebrations were full of happy times!

Advent

2010-12-13T06:09:00.000-08:00

We're getting ready around here. Preparing our home, preparing the gifts and preparing our hearts for the anticipation of Christmas!!

How can I ever say no to her?

2010-12-13T06:08:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday baby girl.

2010-11-12T06:13:00.001-08:00

Eliza's 1st birthday was this week. It is so cliche to say, but I really can't believe that she is 1. It has in some ways, been the best year yet in the life of our family. She has been the perfect addition and I marvel at how much her siblings love her. As evidenced here: they threw a birthday party for her in our garage and invited some neighbor friends. Did all the planning, decorating, cookie making, etc. because "MOM! She HAS to have a party!!!"

{Henry helping Eliza open his present -- a homemade book and some random toys from his room}
{Bradley's book she made for Eliza. It was so sweet!}

{Mmmmmm, sugar is good!}

{"Oh, you are a mess! Here let me help you clean up"}

We love you Eliza Mei! Happy Birthday!!!

Halloween

2010-11-09T18:17:00.001-08:00

We have Clinton Portis, a Strawberry, a Flower Princess and TOO much candy!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AJ!!!!

2010-10-18T18:16:00.001-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Jess!!! May this be the year of good, new things!!!

We love you!

1st day of Pre-K

2010-09-25T18:52:00.000-07:00

Bradley started Pre-K a few weeks ago. She planned out this 1st day of school outfit 24 hours in advance. Note the matching headband, gold clip on earrings from Grandma Pete, and 1 purse in hand and 2 more in her backpack. We love her preschool which is 5 blocks away. We bike or walk most days beside Bradley as she scooters. This is her signature arabesque move.

1st day of 1st grade

2010-09-25T18:48:00.001-07:00

Henry began 1st grade last month and is doing very well. He is starting out the year with more confidence than last year and we are anticipating a great year!

Summer has come to an end. . . or has it? It is so hot outside!

2010-09-25T18:29:00.000-07:00

{silly banz - fad of the summer}

{more of our harvest!}
{beach trip to Emerald Isle}

{Bradley's signature Canonball}
{We got to hang out with Aaron & Jacob for a few days when Baby Samuel was born. Can you tell they are cousins?}

{Eliza is still a great but messy eater!}
{Bradley attended a gymnastics camp with her friend}
{Hard to believe that baby Eliza is 10 months old now! She is a happy, peaceful baby.}

Trip to Delaware

2010-09-01T10:09:00.000-07:00

We took a trip to visit the Delaware Malcolms last month. John's brother, Daniel and family (Ashley & Reuben) moved up there earlier in the year to manage the Delaware Nature Society's CSA. Beautiful land, simple life and good eats.

{everytime reuben saw eliza, he would lean in for a tender smooch. so cute!}

{cousins}

{onions drying}
{the kids' favorite activity -- feeding the sheep}

Water Country USA & our new toy

2010-08-19T07:22:00.000-07:00

We took a trip to Water Country yesterday. It's our 3rd year visiting this land of chlorine and water slides. This year we told Henry that we would go when he completed his summer task of reading 100 books. He did it on Monday and off we went on Tuesday. Way to go Henry! We also got a new camera that adds a new dimension to our photography. . .

What have you been doing?

2010-07-20T18:04:00.001-07:00

Here is a glimpse of our summer so far (in no particular order):

{Everyone comes home to NC for a reunion|

{Henry blazes down the pool again this summer. Swim Team just finished and Bradley can also swim the whole pool now!}

{Sprinkler Fun}
{The hubs and I celebrated 10 years of bliss on July 1! Only bliss and absolutely NO strife!}

{More shots from our trip to NC -- Gong Gong and all the grandkids|

{The best surprise and thrill of the summer -- I have a child who eats anything and with passion! Note the carrot stuck to her bib}
{Pulling up and SO happy about it}

{our scarecrow}
{our harvest}
(Eliza's favorite position}

AND THE SUMMER IS ONLY HALFWAY OVER!

Henry playing T-Ball

2010-06-02T07:34:00.000-07:00

High School Musical -- Starring Bradley

2010-06-02T07:26:00.000-07:00

The kids have a new obsession that is a few years past its prime - High School Musical. Highly entertaining, catchy and clean. The pink cup is her microphone. This is a little taste of the soundtrack of our home these days.

Eliza is MOBILE!

2010-06-02T07:13:00.000-07:00

Eliza is on the move. Life changing around here. She can actually crawl/scoot much further than this. I think she was afraid that her sister might slap her with a magazine if she got too close. That girl is smart. . .

Henry loses his first tooth!

2010-05-07T18:36:00.001-07:00

You can't really tell because his adult teeth had already come in behind his baby teeth. We've been calling him "shark teeth" lately. He is really growing up. . .

HAPPY 4th BIRTHDAY BRADLEY!!

2010-05-07T18:31:00.001-07:00

Happy 4th Birthday the biggest ball of personality in this house! Bradley has turned into a little girl -- still has those famous cheeks but really growing into a young lady. We love you Bradley! Big party tomorrow. Pictures to come.

Mommy blogger?

2010-04-08T11:57:00.000-07:00

Am I a mommy blogger? Heard that term recently and I think I fall into that category!! I don't like being put in a box -- it's so constricting! I always covet the Martha Stewart type blog -- you know the ones where people take creative pictures of their step by step family crafts and activities and everything looks so fun and the light is always right??? But, I haven't the creative energy or time to invest in the "art" of blogging. (sigh).

So, because I guess I am a (gulp) mommy blogger, here are some obligatory pictures of our Easter holiday. We had a great week complete with Easter egg hunts, egg dyeing with friends and the annual Easter parade in Richmond with old friends.

{these are all in the wrong order. i can't figure out how to shift them around on our new iMac}

{chowing on Easter treats -- eggs stuffed with Trix!}

{off to church}

{dyeing eggs with the Hwangs}{Henry's class had an Easter egg hunt. This is actually a monumental event because Bradley touched the Easter Bunny for the first time. She has been severely afraid of this spring creature every year and usually refers to him as the "Monster Bunny." Way to conquer your fears of adults dressed as animals (that is a bit creepy).}
HAPPY EASTER!

More Spring photos

2010-04-08T11:51:00.001-07:00

Our weekends have been full of yard work and yard play lately. John & I have been trying to create a spot for a vegetable garden and tame the beastly weeds that went wild last year. This is what we've been doing:
{baby stage of our garden}
{kids playing on a blanket while we work in the yard}

Eliza's Baptism

2010-04-08T11:28:00.001-07:00

Eliza was baptized at our church a few weeks ago. It was the perfect Spring day with a perfect combination of family, faith and feast. Spring and faith go hand in hand with me. The Bible says that faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. I am reminded of this as the green pops through the cold, brown earth and we watch expectantly for the flowers that will appear. Similarly, our faith in something other than ourselves in not easily seen or felt but is the anchor for our lives and our hope in things to come. Our desire is that sweet Eliza will choose to walk in this faith that Jesus gives us -- hope for a future and hope for life. Thanks to all who celebrate this with us!

"Spring" Break

2010-03-12T06:49:00.001-08:00

We took some much needed vacation last week while Henry's school had Spring Break. Never in my past spring break history did "spring" break include so much snow. BUT, we had a great time and it was nice to get away and try a new sport. Well, I didn't try skiing. This is what I looked like the whole time with Eliza strapped to my body all cozy and sleepy:

Henry did awesome and mastered skiing by the end of the 3rd day. See video below.

Typical slopes family picture. The "yuppie-ness" factor of this picture disturbs me. I was looking for a family vacation picture but this is what I got:

Bradley had a great time just playing in the snow -- all made even more fun with the promise of hot chocolate. Mmmmmmm.

I should add that a special Cinematographer's Award should be given to John who videotaped this WHILE snowboarding down the mountain. Unbelievable!

the new Bradley

2010-03-08T07:40:00.001-08:00

BEFORE . . . .

AFTER!!

Bradley LOVES her new do. It is so much easier to take care of and she enjoys showing off her new locks. . . and the extra attention doesn't hurt either. HA!

Sweetness

2010-03-08T07:30:00.000-08:00

Jackson Hole trip

2010-02-16T17:06:00.000-08:00

John & Julian just got back from Jackson Hole, WY. John was attending a "work conference." Here's a video of John -- trying to get disability benefits to start kicking in. . .

SNOW days!

2010-02-16T17:02:00.000-08:00

January Highlights

2010-01-27T11:58:00.000-08:00

{Henry turns 6!}

{Yet another racetrack cake}

{Racing theme - laid out some cones on the street and the boys raced each other on bikes & scooters. They had a BLAST! Who knew something so simple could be such a hit!}

{the first smiles - she has the Nash dimple!}

{a princess take a nap - note the shoes}
{Bradley IS Ariel all day long}

{Sisters who don't favor each other yet. BUT, Eliza is getting Bradley's cheeks!}

{2 months - so sweet. . . }
{our studious ballerina}
{John's new baby. . . um. . . I mean car. It was 29 degrees on this day and he just HAD to wash his new baby!}

Piano Daddy

2010-01-04T17:16:00.000-08:00

John has a new hobby these days which he is coupling with his Daddy responsibilities. We inherited a piano this summer which has given birth to new acoustics in our house. The music fills our house (and our neighborhood when the windows are open!) which limits his playing to weekends mostly. These are pictures of a musical Saturday morning as he lulls Eliza to sleep and provides a soundtrack for our 3 year old ballerina. This scene usually goes on for long periods of time and is fine by me. . . .

Christmas

2010-01-04T11:15:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas this year and felt blessed to be near family. I don't have too much time to blog these days but I hope to at least post pictures periodically. Life with 3 children is much fuller than expected!

{Christmas in Raleigh at my sister's house}

{my 3 chickadees early Christmas morning eager to see what Santa brought}

{Princess Bradley. . . oh, I mean Ariel}

{Family photo in NC (minus a few characters)}

{Christmas card photo}

We visited the Malcolm side too in Charlottesville but unfortunately did not snap any photos there. Happy New Year all!

Thanksgiving in Norfolk

2009-12-19T18:43:00.000-08:00

I know it's a bit late but I thought I'd post some pictures from Thanksgiving. We had family from both sides come to our house for the holiday, and it was grand. John fried his famous turkey, and everyone else brought all the fixin's.

I like this picture of Daniel with the parasol. =) He is actually shading Eliza from the warm sun in Pete's arms.

It's a GIRL!

2009-11-15T19:37:00.001-08:00

Elizabeth "Eliza" Mei Malcolm. Born November 9th at 8:58 a.m. 8 lb. 7 oz. 21 1/2 in.

Eliza took her sweet time deciding to come into the world, but she made a quick entry when it was time! I was 1 week overdue and started labor around 2 a.m. We were at the hospital by 7 a.m. and she was born by 9 a.m. Many people have asked about her name. Mei (pronounced may) is part of my Chinese name Mei Ling given to me when I was born by my Nanny's sister. Mei means beautiful and it seems to suit Miss Eliza Mei perfectly.

We are all doing well. Norfolk had some catastrophic tidal flooding in the days following Eliza's birth. The whole city was under water and housebound so we had a few unexpected days together as a new family. Eliza is perfectly healthy and for that we are extremely thankful. The kids argue over who gets to hold her next, and they are so sweet with her. It is a true joy to watch. Hope you all can meet her soon!

More Halloween

2009-10-31T19:06:00.001-07:00

Halloween is not my favorite holiday, but you wouldn't know it from the vast number of pictures we took today! Maybe it is because it is a Saturday or maybe it's because we're just waiting for this baby to come on down! Regardless, here are some pictures from our fun day.

{Bradley made a game-time decision to be SpiderGirl instead of a princess. I think she actually scored more candy this way. Henry is a highway.}

{I am about to pop! Also, quick disclaimer on the UVa pumpkin. All John's idea and carving. A UNC logo would be much more difficult. Don't think I have been converted!}

{Off to trick-or-treat!}

{Henry's Halloween art from today. It's a PUMPKIN RACE, of course.}

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T13:24:00.000-07:00

October 28

2009-10-28T17:28:00.000-07:00

NO BABY YET! (just in case you were wondering. . . .)

Pumpkin Time!!

2009-10-14T12:14:00.000-07:00

while we wait for our 'lil pumpkin to greet us!

Recent iPhone Moments

2009-10-11T17:35:00.000-07:00

{John & Henry attended another NASCAR race in Richmond.}

{The boys ran a 1 mile race together a few weekends ago for a fundraiser. I see many more of these in their future! Can you see them crossing the finish line?}

{John attended the recent U2 concert in Charlottesville. Nice seats!}

{Bradley at breakfast one morning. Doesn't everyone dine like this?}

{Henry plays soccer once a week at a field nearby. LOVES everything about it. I THINK we might have a little athlete on our hands!}

First Day of School

2009-09-10T06:53:00.001-07:00

Miss Bradley started school on Tuesday which might have been the nastiest, rainiest day of the year here. But, as you can see, she was all smiles with her umbrella and backpack! She LOVED her preschool class and wishes she could go everyday. The best part? It is 4 blocks from our house so we can walk or bike (when it isn't a monsoon outside).

Henry started school last week and made the big transition to Kindergarten. He is so grown up and would NOT stand for me to take his photo, so this is all we got. He is attending a small school called The Williams School which is a great fit for him this year. He is loving it so far but not loving the long days away from home and the only schedule he has ever known. He'll adjust soon I'm sure. Meanwhile, we are just waiting for that note to come home from his teacher telling us what a child genius we have . . . . . we're still waiting. . .

Summer 2009

2009-09-08T11:19:00.001-07:00

Summer 2009 In Review

2009-09-08T10:59:00.000-07:00

Have I lost all my blog fans this summer?? All 3 of you? =)

This summer has been ripe with activity! So much so that it left little time for blogging. My apologies. I'm trying to do a little Summer in Review for you all so you can catch a glimpse of how our summer looked. I have been sorting through our last 3 months of pictures over the past few days, and I realized that I did not capture many of our summer's greatest moments on "film." I did get some good shots but there were some fairly significant events that did not see the lens of my camera but did make an impression on our family. Some of those uncaptured moments were. . .

** Moving into our new home in Norfolk.

** Trying to unpack while 2 little kids run circles around us.

** Meeting baby cousin Reuben Daniel Malcolm for the first time.

** Watching Henry achieve MVP (or MVS as they say) on his swim team.

** Countless trips to the beach and pool.

** Delightful visits from all our family and good friends who came to stay in our new abode.

** Feeling the baby kick and watching my kids eyes light up when they feel it too.

** John starting a new job and tackling with triumph yet another milestone in his medical career.

** Hearing silence in our house after 7:30pm because Bradley has finally learned to fall asleep on her own (after 3 months of screaming, crying and gnashing of teeth)

** Listening to John and Henry play music together on our new piano.

I'll post some pictures next of the moments that I did catch. While I am deeply saddened that our beachy, laid-back summer is ending, I am excited about the STRUCTURE of fall and anticipate the arrival of our new baby in a mere 8 weeks!

Swim Season Conclusion

2009-07-21T11:57:00.001-07:00

Henry's swim season has concluded, and (may I brag for a moment?) we think we have a little Michael Phelps on our hands! Henry has shaved about 10 seconds off his 25 yd. freestyle since the beginning of the season and can beat most of the 6 year olds on his team hands down! We are so proud of him and best of all, he is thrilled with himself for accomplishing it (OK, maybe a little TOO thrilled with himself. We are working on humility).

{taking his mark, ready to dive in for the relay}

{he's OFF!}

{check out that form!}

{the touch}

{swimming buddy}

{checking out his ribbons -- that's what it is all about in the end}

{"Look Dad! " I got 1st and 2nd place!!!}

Stay tuned

2009-07-06T11:58:00.000-07:00

We've been offline for a while to catch our breath from the big move last weekend. All went well -- no major moving drama, so that's good. It might be a wihle before I get to updating this thing since I'm not really sure where my camera is, but stay tuned! Oh, and come see us at our new house if you're in Norfolk any time soon. There is plenty of room for guests!!

Swim Team

2009-06-19T11:27:00.000-07:00

Henry is participating in his first "organized" sport this summer - SWIM TEAM! John and I think that swimming is a lifelong investment so why not start young? Plus, he sleeps SO WELL every night! His division is 6 & Unders and he is one of the youngest swimmers on the team, but he actually placed 6th of 12 in his first freestyle 25 yd. heat!! We were very impressed. GO TORPEDOS!

{how cute is he in his Speedo!}

{waiting for his turn in the relay}

{coming up for air}

Bedtime Conversations

2009-06-15T10:36:00.000-07:00

Mommy: "What did you learn about today in church?"

Henry: "We learned about who wrote the Bible."

Mommy: "Oh really! So, who wrote the Bible?"

Henry: "David, Moses and Paul wrote a lot of it."

(pause)

Henry: "Are they older than Dale Earnhardt?"

Mommy: "Um. Yes."

Our new abode

2009-06-11T16:43:00.001-07:00

Here's a little picture of our new home in Norfolk! We closed last week (call me if you want a grueling, painful story about this) and will move in at the end of the month. More and better pictures to come but thought I'd share a quick peek. Come visit!

NASCAR

2009-05-24T12:50:00.001-07:00

Whether we like it or not, our son is a NASCAR fan. A big one.

He can tell you the names and numbers of all his favorite drivers. He will watch (if allowed) an entire 400 lap race on TV. He draws NASCAR cars in detail almost every day. This boy loves cars. As you can imagine, it was a dream come true when he and John attended his first race a few weeks ago at RIR in Richmond. John reports that he has never seen him so energized and attentive. It might have been the equivalent of Disneyworld for some children. Fun stuff!

Mother's Day Event

2009-05-11T11:29:00.000-07:00

We went strawberry picking for the first time on Saturday. What a delicious experience to drive up to the farm, see all the dots of red all over the field and come home with almost 4 pounds of ripe strawberries! But, what's a girl to do with 4 lbs. of strawberries? I decided that we should attempt to make strawberry preserves to enjoy all year long. Here's how the process went down yesterday:

{Beautiful, ripe, red strawberries that melt in your mouth!}

{Kids enjoying the family jam making experience}

{Henry mashes the berries while Bradley carefully measures them}

{Who says you can't taste a few or a LOT of them at the same time!}

{So, the kids have had enough of this by now. Plus, cruel mom and dad won't let them near the boiling pot of red goodness. But, John hangs in to make sure we do this by the book so we don't die from botulism.}

{After 2 hours, the yummy, red goodness is finally ready for the jars!}

{Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!}

We had the preserves for breakfast this morning, and they are rich in color and taste. The kids loved eating them (of course) but I hope will grasp the fact that they went from strawberry patch to jelly jars and watched the whole process.

Bump alert: Did you notice anything in picture #6? Yep, that's right. We're adding #3 to the mix in early November! We're very excited, grateful and a bit terrified at the thought of being outnumbered! SURPRISE!

Mud pies

2009-05-11T11:27:00.000-07:00

We have had a lot of rain here in Virginia in the past week. What is a little boy to do with rain and mud everywhere? Grab a buddy and get dirty!

More from Bradley's birthday

2009-05-11T11:22:00.001-07:00

Little Party with Bradley's new girly friends, Emma & Julia.

A bleary-eyed birthday girl waking up to lots of presents? Why is she bleary-eyed? Because we made her put her pacifier in the trash (b/c she's a big girl now!) and she screamed all night!! (btw, it is now Day 15 without Passy and we are STILL screaming every night!)

VERY proud of her new princess gear. See. . . .I told you a 3 year old's birthday is more fun!

Birthday Celebrations

2009-05-11T11:10:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, I have the honor of sharing my birthday with Bradley. Well, it's one day later than mine but I might as well share the day because a 3 year old's birthday is FAR more fun than a 33 year old. I do think otherwise but it is hard to convince some adults. sigh. . .

Alas, we had a great birthday weekend and were treated to a visit from my mom, sister, niece (Bradley's hero) and nephew (who is almost 7 months!). Had a little party, a little cake and a celebratory trip to the beach! We are LOVING that warm, beach weather IS HERE!!!

Easter

2009-04-15T11:35:00.000-07:00

We hope everyone had a fabulous Easter weekend. I love the imagery that spring offers us each year as winter turns to spring and presents us with pictures everywhere of new life and new hope. The same life & hope that we celebrate during Easter that we receive through Christ. Spring is my absolute FAVORITE time of the year. I feel like a butterfly coming out of her fleece blanket cocoon! Being outside and soaking up the warm sunshine is like medicine for my long winter illness -- that illness being cold weather! We spent Easter morning at church in Norfolk and then scooted up to Richmond for the Easter On Parade which is my ALL TIME favorite event in Richmond. It is a photographer's dream on Monument Ave., but unfortunately, with 2 kids in tow I was unable to explore my inner photographer lest my children get lost or kidnapped! Here are a few pics from our day:

(pictures that Henry drew us for Easter. the things on the right are eggs that he drew and cut out)

(traditional posed picture of the kids dolled up for Easter. have I mentioned before how unwilling my kids are to pose for me? I had to put 2 jellybeans in my nostrils for a bribe and a smile - CLICK!)

(Bradley clinging to me for dear life while she watches a puppet show. This girl is petrified of puppets and especially adult sized costumed cartoon characters)

(Kids watching the biggest bunny I have ever seen in my life with Hayden Sadler)

(bumped into John's college roommate Patrick & family)

Bye bye training wheels!

2009-04-10T11:07:00.000-07:00

Chain Reaction

2009-03-23T17:58:00.000-07:00

Here's what Henry has been up to lately. Setting up this "chain reaction" in his room everyday at rest time. Dominoes are cool.

SNOW - (a bit late)

2009-03-23T17:51:00.000-07:00

We got about 1/2 an inch of snow a few weeks ago when everyone else on the East Coast got the white stuff. Apparently, it was the first time in 4 years that Norfolk has seen snow! We didn't have much but we managed to make some snowmen. Can you see them on the steps in the second picture? HA!

It's OFFICIAL!

2009-03-13T11:36:00.000-07:00

We are sticking around Norfolk indefinitely! John finally solidified his contract with Sentara Hospital here in Norfolk last week. We are excited about staying in the area, and John is thrilled to join this great group in town. John has worked extremely hard for the past TEN YEARS to get to this point in his career and deserves some big congrats. Way to go Dr. Malcolm!

On with the house hunting. . .

Making Cinnamon Pizza

2009-02-21T11:42:00.000-08:00

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm, doesn't that sound good? That's what my kids are serving up these days in their play kitchen. Here's Bradley on a typical afternoon: playing with her pizza, wearing 1 earring, a scarf and the cutest smile on earth.

THE funniest thing I have seen in a LONG time

2009-02-13T06:18:00.000-08:00

Henry the Great

2009-02-12T11:27:00.000-08:00

Henry has many strengths in life -- two of which are: drawing and a long attention span. Well, he has unknowingly combined his two loves in life by copying an ENTIRE BOOK. This boy is illustrating and writing the words of a 32 page Cars book. It has taken him almost 1 week, but he is almost finished. It's great practice because he is writing letters and drawing his favorite subject on earth - Cars. Here are a few pics from this week's obsession.

Bedtime & The End of an Era

2009-02-09T17:09:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures from a typical bedtime routine in our house. Reading books, cuddling, praying, etc. all help our kids wind down to beddy-by time. These pictures were taken a few weeks ago on one of Henry's last nights as a thumb sucker. He started sucking his thumb when he was 11 weeks old and has been a "self-soother" ever since. I have always found this very endearing about him, but my pediatrician thought otherwise. So, we started the "weaning" process 2 weeks ago, and he has done so great!! We gave him the chance to stop by himself for the first week or so, and I asked him if there was anything I could do to help him stop. His response was, "We should pray for God to help me." So SWEET the faith of the little ones, eh? So, we prayed, made a reward chart and put a band aid on his thumb every night to help him remember. We are so proud of him! Give him a High Five if you see him!

More musical numbers by Bradley

2009-01-28T17:49:00.000-08:00

She has a cold, and the resolution is awful, but enjoy a few numbers from Bradley.

Our little songbird!

2009-01-28T17:44:00.000-08:00

Pizza Party Birthday Celebration

2009-01-13T11:37:00.000-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HENRY!!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2009-01-02T11:04:00.000-08:00

Most amazing lights display I've ever seen!

p.s. if anyone knows how to embed youtube videos on a blog, please let me know. =)

Happy 5th Birthday Henry!

2008-12-31T10:26:00.001-08:00

It's hard to believe that just 5 years ago today, Henry looked like this. . . .

Now, he has grown into a bright, funny, and creative little boy who we are SO proud of! Happy Birthday Henry! We love you very much!

Preschool Program

2008-12-20T08:22:00.001-08:00

It's that time of year for all parents of preschoolers -- that wonderful day when you anxiously gather at your child's school with all sorts of AV equipment in hopes of capturing what might be a first glimpse of raw talent in your performer. That's how it was at Henry & Bradley's school this week. Parents elbowing each other for the best seats, cameras galore, grandparents galore. . . oh, the expectations were high!! Here are a few glimpses of our "performers."

So, for those of you who know our son, you know that he is NOT comfortable in the public eye as evidenced here. But, we all have our gifts, and his are numerous. . . just don't ask him to show you in front of a large group of people. Bradley, on the other hand, usually welcomes an audience but perhaps this gig was a bit too much for her.

Yes, they are real.

2008-12-02T08:04:00.000-08:00

While I might make our new home sound picturesque in my blog, there are a few drawbacks that I have failed to mention such as the loud magnolia wallpaper in the kitchen, sharing a hot water heater with the neighbor upstairs, gold faux-painted molding with emerald green wallpaper in the bathroom, and oh, let's see . . . a NAKED mermaid statue in the front yard!! Norfolk has a mermaids all over town as part of their public art. You will find them in parking lots, on top of buildings, on the harbor, etc. Apparently, the owner of our house thought it would be really cool to have one in his front yard. When we met him, we discovered quickly that he took great pride in "his mermaid." He even went so far as to "enhance" her with the aid of Playboy centerfold models so that she was more voluptuous than when he originally purchased her. Yes, that's right - he performed ceramic surgery on this lady. He explained that the reasonings behind his augmentation was because he was a "T-n-A kind of man." Nice.

During our first few weeks here, we tried to brainstorm ways to cover her up to make our home more G-rated. But over time, we got used to her and now barely notice her as we pull down the driveway. A few weeks ago, we got home from a trip, and to our great surprise (and dismay) she had been repainted and spruced up! She was a bit more palatable when all the colors were muted, but NOW everything is florescent!! She practically gleams now -- especially with her spotlight that comes on at night. . . sigh. . . .

Let's end on a positive and say, that it's REAL easy for the pizza guy to find us! We always say, "We're the house with the naked mermaid," and people always know where we are. We're getting a giggle out of it, and isn't that a grand thing in life. Any creative ideas on how we should decorate her for Christmas????

Last row out

2008-11-23T10:31:00.001-08:00

It is FREEZING here in Norfolk. I hear it is cold everywhere, but I feel like winter has slapped us in the faces with its arrival. Determined to keep fall alive, I spearheaded one last boat outing last weekend. It wasn't THAT cold, and besides that's why we have hats! Getting into the boat is a bit trickier now that you really don't want to get wet, and keeping the hats on with the wind is also a problem. Our last row out lasted about 9 minutes. Oh well. Looking forward to the spring. . . .

This is what we see everyday from our house before day turns to night. Have I mentioned before how much we love it here?

Halloween

2008-11-13T17:57:00.000-08:00

I despise Halloween. I'm not sure why it has been deemed a holiday for children because it is anything but. Creepy masks, frightening porches, ghosts, and loads of sugar??? Any mother would agree that this is NOT a holiday for kids. . . or at least for pre-schoolers. We tried trick or treating for the first time this year, and it bombed. At one point, our kids were paralyzed with fear at the edge of a driveway, viciously shaking their heads indicating that they were NOT going towards that house with spiderwebs, scary music, and a sketchy clown handing out candy. We retreated and found a "harvest festival" at a nearby church. sigh. . . . twas a fun event with nice people, CUTE costumes, games and candy. Call me conservative, call me a party pooper, but my kids had a blast!

Our Halloween was made even MORE fun because we had my sister's family in town with us! Loved having them here, and the cousins had a ball together.

Have I told you that we have a giant mermaid statue in our front yard??? This was taken from the back of her. I'll get a picture in the next few days of her frontside. . . .

Burkes Garden

2008-11-13T17:45:00.000-08:00

I'm slowly catching up on the blog. Thanks for your patience! Here are some pictures from our trip to Burkes Garden, VA. John's family has a house in this SW Virginia mountain valley. John remembers flying there as a small boy with his granddaddy and now has a memory of taking his own family here. It truly is one of the most beautful places on earth. Click HERE to see even more pics from the trip.

San Francisco

2008-11-02T18:12:00.001-08:00

I know, I know. . . it's been too long since I posted last. We have had a FUN but busy October. I have lots of fun pictures to post, but only a few hours in the day of free time. I am NOT one of those moms who blogs with all her free time!

So, back to early October. . . John attended a conference in San Francisco, and I got to tag along. HUGE thanks to Grammy & Pop Pop (john's mom & dad) who (i won't just say watched) played with, fed, transported, read to, bathed, entertained and loved on our kids while we were gone. We could not have had this great time without them! I put a slew of pictures on flickr here, but posted a few on the blog. We loved everything about our trip. Highlights. . . . fresh, organic food EVERYWHERE, seeing the Blue Angels flying overhead as we crossed the Golden Gate bridge, uninterrupted days with no children, experiencing the diversity of California, and walking everywhere.

On the Road Again

2008-10-18T04:18:00.000-07:00

We're back from San Francisco and off to Burkes Garden, VA this morning for a little time away with foliage, fires and family time! See ya when we get back!

Festivals, Festivals, Festivals

2008-10-08T11:57:00.000-07:00

This post is a bit out of order, but I had some post-worthy pictures to share. Not really in their artistic quality but more in their description of where we live. Some of you have asked me to post some more pictures of our town. . . . . so here you have it. . . .

Last weekend, we attended the Virginia Beach Neptune Festival which was loads of fun. We haven't done any beach night events, and this surely was the one to attend!! The whole boardwalk was full of rides, fair food, arts & crafts, and exhibits. On the beach, there was a sandsculpting contest and surfing competition. I kept calling it a Sand Castle contest, but Sandsculpting really is more fitting. Check out these creations! UNREAL!

(this one was my favorite - the one on the left was the Foolish Man's house built on sand and the one on the right is the Wise Man's house built on the rock.)

After the contest, we played on the beach for a while, ate deliciously unhealthy food and let the kids indulge in a few fair rides. Maybe one day I'll get a picture of me posted here. Sigh. . . . .

To top off the weekend, we also attended the Acoustic Music Festival. This was not as overtly entertaining for the kiddos, but we enjoyed a quiet sunset evening on the waterway with new friends listening to Eddie from Ohio and the Old Crow Medicine Show. Can you see the water behind the stage? Henry & Bradley danced to the music and rolled around in the grass the whole time. It was one of those perfect evenings where you want a glass of wine, a nice camping chair, dinner in some sort of box brought to you and the company of friends. We had the friends but none of the other stuff, so unfortunately, our evening was cut a bit short. =)

Welcome Davis Tillman Jackson!

2008-10-07T10:44:00.000-07:00

My sister's family (Stacy, Ryan and Alyssa) welcomed a beautiful baby boy into the world last week! Born Sept. 30th, 8 lb. 6 oz. 22 in. long. Welcome to the family Davis! We love you already!!

Puddle Jumping!!

2008-09-30T12:14:00.000-07:00

Quote of the Day

2008-09-23T18:23:00.001-07:00

"Mom, can I have a piggy bank ride?"
-Henry Malcolm, age 4

Malcolm Camping Adventure '08

2008-09-21T19:18:00.001-07:00

Some of you may remember stories from Malcolm Camping Adventure '06 that were highly entertaining and very unsuccessful. There were a variety of things that contributed to its failure: a nursing 6 month old, rowdy campsite neighbors, insufficient bedding, etc. I'm happy to report that Camping in '08 was much more successful! Mainly because it involved only the boys, and it happened in our awesome backyard. John has been itching to camp out ever since we set foot on this property, and the weather this weekend has been spectacular! Breezy, mild and no humidity. Perfect set-up for camping.

We started with a delicious kabob meal prepared by Chef/Doc Malcolm.

Then, the boys retired to their quarters. Henry loved camping so much that he has requested to sleep outside for every nap and for every slumber since. (which we have denied)

View from the tent at dusk:

Future Child Models? Don't think so.

2008-09-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

The light was right, and I was in the mood to snap some photos. I had just spent the afternoon grazing a photographer's website and was inspired to see if I could replicate some of what I had seen. All I needed was a subject. Enter Henry who wakes up from a nap. PERFECT! Well, since entering the photography business, my children are less and less likely to actually look at a camera when pointed at them. They have actually grown to detest seeing half my face hidden behind my black idol. It's quite a shame. My kids have an opportunity to take center stage in photographs, and mostly what I get is a whine and a quiet, disobedient turn of the head. . . . sigh. . . .

Here's what I got that afternoon:

And, here's that "look" that says "do not point that thing at me again!"

Sign of things to come?

2008-09-10T12:23:00.000-07:00

Every time I pick up Bradley from preschool, time this is how the conversation goes:

Me: "Hi Bradley! How was school today?
Bradley: "Good."
Me: "What did you do today?"
Bradley: "Boys."
Me: "You played with boys?"
Bradley: "Yeah, boys."

Apparantly, she loves boys! Oh, the teenage years are going to be fun!

First Day of Preschool

2008-09-05T10:18:00.000-07:00

Here the kids are getting ready to enter into a whole new world of preschool! Let's hear it for some free time for momma!

We hope Henry is going to make some good buddies at school! Doesn't he look so big? He had a great attitude and a fantastic first day.

Bradley, on the other hand, was not too excited about leaving the house to be dropped off with strangers for 3 hours. She collected herself by the time we arrived at school, but voiced her opinon LOUDLY for the first part of our journey.

Should we live here?

2008-08-29T11:55:00.000-07:00

We visited Stauton, VA this weekend. It's one of the potential relocation spots for the Malcolms. I didn't get any pictures of the quaint downtown, but here are some pictures from Granny's farm. We went swimming and visited the animals. What do you think?

My brother at the Olympics

2008-08-22T17:28:00.001-07:00

I think it's pretty cool that my brother got to attend the Beijing Olympics last week. He went to the USA vs. Greece basketball game and was stoked about it. For those who don't know, he is living in Suzhou, China where he has been for the past 4 years. We miss you John David!!

Tarheel Reunion #10

2008-08-13T19:00:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that college was 10 years ago. Even though a decade has past, my closeknit group of friends reunion at the beach every year, and when we get together, it's like no time has passed at all! We had a blast catching up, sunning, and laughing, laughing, laughing. I love you girls!

And, a HUGE thanks to Grandmama who hung out with the kiddos while this tired mama got some R&R with her girlies. Thanks too to Mama Red for the awesome house!

Henry meets the King

2008-08-13T18:33:00.001-07:00

Henry loves Cars (the movie). John took him to see the movie when it first came out (summer '06) and he is STILL obsessed with the movie characters. It is not unusual to find Henry lying on the floor racing his cars around the hardwood floors with his feet motoring him around in circles. We have Cars plates, forks, shirts, underwear and even a fishing pole. He doesn't even watch the movie that much, it's just the idea of talking, fast race cars that enthralls him. When we were in NC last week, I surprised him with a trip to Randleman, NC to see the Richard Petty Museum. One of the Cars characters (the King) is modelled after Richard Petty, and all his old race cars are on display in this museum. So, imagine walking into a room and being surprised by a life size model of this car!! Henry went crazy!!

even Bradley found something to gawk at! Richard Petty's wife's doll collection!

We are Family. . .

2008-08-13T18:03:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite things about being in Norfolk is that we are just a few hours from family. Most with whom we have had minimal visits for the past 5 years. We headed down to North Carolina last week to spend time with the fam. Here are a few pics:

Bradley & Jessica (a.k.a. "AJ") giving some chin sugar:

Bradley & her cousin Alyssa - now, do these look like part Chinese babies? NO!

Gong Gong & the grandkids ready to go swimming:

Henry & Alyssa at the pool:

Alyssa (who is looking forward to a baby brother next month):

Water, Water Everywhere

2008-08-01T18:26:00.001-07:00

Today my cousin Rob took us to Water Country USA which is a waterpark in Williamsburg about half an hour away. I remember this place from my childhood as being THE MOST FUN PLACE ON EARTH. We went when I was about 8 or so, and it is still a vivid memory in my mind today. The slides! The wavepool! The neverending water heaven! Well, I was a bit skeptical how the kids would take to it because a) they don't like crowded places and b) they aren't exactly dare devils. Well, was I ever wrong! Bradley was a bit frightened by the multi-story water slide (probably shouldn't have taken her up on that one), but Henry absolutely LOVED every minute of it and can't wait to go again. We got there when it opened and didn't leave until 4pm! Thanks Uncle Rob!!!!

If I had a boat. . . .

2008-08-01T18:06:00.000-07:00

. . . I'd go out on the ocean. . . . isn't that a Lyle Lovett song? Well, we can't easily row out to the ocean from our house, but we can go out on the river! And indeed we have. John found a sweet deal on a canoe/sailboat last weekend on Craigslist and we've been having a blast on the boat this week. Another reason to come visit us!

(fyi - this was our first, quick trip out. we promptly bought life preservers the next day. also, that's our house in the background)
John & Henry taking out the crabpot to a deeper location in hopes of more crabs . . . an unsuccessful venture)
Grammy came to visit this week. She has named this spot "Popsicle Point." Very fitting as the kids eat popsicles out here almost daily.

Happy Birthday Stacy!

2008-07-27T18:46:00.000-07:00

Today is my sister's 30th birthday, and I just wanted to give a shout out for her birthday! It's nice to have another person added to the ranks of thirty-somethings. She's a great sister, friend, wife and mom, and she deserves to be celebrated! HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIS!!!

More fishin'

2008-07-21T11:32:00.000-07:00

Last night Bradley & I sat out back and watched John & Henry do some more fishing. My sister, Jessica, has been heckling me about this, but we are enjoying the outdoors so much!

(don't let the waves fool you. we live on a river not the ocean. these waves are from a boat's wake.

hey, look what Henry caught!

Thank you "Nother Beach"

2008-07-21T10:55:00.000-07:00

Virginia Beach is about a half hour drive from our house which is great considering it took us 10 hours to get to a beach from Memphis. But still, half an hour is a bit far to drive for a morning beach trip with 2 kids, a lunch and plans to come home for a nap. So, we found another beach in Norfolk which is less than 10 minutes from our house on the Chesapeake Bay. It's called Ocean View and is just like a beach with much smaller waves. Here's some pics of the kids there last week:

Henry embraces sand and waves which is quite contrary to his picky personality. He asks to go EVERYDAY and when there, you will find him rolling in the sand, jumping the waves, and having a grand ole time. Bradley, on the other hand, is VERY afraid of the water and clings on to me for dear life when a wave seems to be approaching her within a 2 foot radius. This is also quite contrary to her fearless, nature-lovin' personality. At the beach, you will find her dippy her dainty fingers in a bucket of clean, ocean water, bundled up in a blanket in the stroller or clinging on to me for dear life. We visited VA Beach 2 weeks ago which has much bigger waves, and I thought she might choke the life out of me from fear. She enjoys Ocean View much more because the waves are almost non-existent which is actually great for little kids who love the ocean but can't handle the undertow and waves yet. Every night when we say our prayers she wants me to "thank God nother beach" which means to thank you God for the other beach -- the one with the smaller waves.

Crabbing

2008-07-15T18:13:00.000-07:00

To immerse ourselves fully into coastal living, we decided to try crabbing this weekend. We heard from neighbors that you can catch a dozen crabs easy, and that information sent our mouths watering. So, we purchased a crab pot, stuffed it with some sort of oily fish, and tossed it into the water. This was much more gratifiying than fishing for me because you don't have to stand there all day AND you get a feast at the end!! The kids loved watching John reel in the crab pot to see if we had caught any crabs. We didn't catch as many as our neighbors had bragged, but had enough for dinner last night. Mmmmmmm, fresh crabs!!!!

John bringing up the crab pot:

Henry and the prisoner:

Henry watching dinner get cleaned up. I kinda felt sorry for the little guys climbing around knowing this was their last moment on earth before they hit a boiling pot:

We didn't get any pictures of the final product. We were too hungry! They were yummy and oh-so-fresh.

Top 10 List

2008-07-08T11:33:00.000-07:00

Words cannot express how thrilled we are to be back in the Commonwealth!!! Not only that, but how ecstatic we are to be in this awesome house on the river. It is a must see, so please put us on your vacation calendar now! I have been mentally composing a list of the top 10 things that I love about our life now. Here goes (in no particular order):

1. Our house has a clothesline which currently holds articles of wet, flapping clothing right now!

2. I hear sea gulls in the parking lot at the grocery store.

3. Cashiers and other service industry workers are knowledgeable and KIND!

4. John comes home happy from work at 5 o'clock every day AND has no call during the week!!!!

5. We eat every meal and spend most of our at home time watching the peaceful river which flows past our house in the backyard.

6. Our dear family and friends are SO CLOSE! See pics of our first visitors below!

7. There are so many things to do! Fish off the backyard, short drive to the beach, playgrounds galore around us, day trips to see family, etc.

8. Our kitchen.

9. Breezes - even though it is July hot, there is always a nice ocean breeze blowing which makes any day bearable.

10. Our backyard, our backyard, our backyard!

John & Henry fishing in the backyard:

Henry catches his first fish!!

Daniel & Ashley, the newlyweds, came for a visit this weekend:

The view from our back room (sigh. . . . ):