And that's how you know you should go on a diet....

This is an actual conversation that Natalie and I had this morning as we were getting ready for the day. I wasn't sure whether I should laugh or cry.

........................

Natalie: Mom, it looks like my wish came true!

Me: That's great! Which wish came true?

Natalie: Remember last time I wished for a new baby and then you had Allie?

Me: Ummmmmm, yeah?

Natalie: I wished for a new baby again and look at your tummy!!! It is big!!! There is another baby in there!!!

Me: No there isn't.

Natalie: But your tummy is so BIG!

Me: There is no baby.

Natalie: But pull up your shirt Mom. Look at it!

Me: Just brush your teeth Nat.

...................................

Just for the record...there is absolutely NO baby in my tummy. So if you see me out and about please don't ask when I'm due. I'm getting enough of that at home.

Stories of my girls......

Vanessa is really starting to talk. One of my favorite conversations is when I tell Vanessa I love her. She answers "very much". My heart aches from the sweetness of my girl.

......................

I ask Natalie how school went. She won't tell me anything until much later when things begin slipping out gradually. As we eat dinner she mentions her fear of the monkey bars at recess. As I get her out of the bath she tells me about the book the librarian read to them and the accompanying puppet show. As we pack her lunch she tells me about sharing her cookies with her fifth-grade friend on the bus on the way home. I never push her, but by the end of the evening I usually feel that I have the gist of her day.

.......................

Allison has begun chewing. Her little cheeks puff out and her two little teeth work at the food. It is one of the cutest things ever. One of the best parts of the day is sitting her in her high chair, giving her some cheerios, and just watching her eat. It is better then any TV show in history.

.......................

As much trouble as I am having with this whole "growing up" thing my kids are doing, I am doing my absolute best to enjoy those little moments that pass all too quickly. I am having fun with my girls. I miss the years that have gone by but I'm also looking forward to all the years yet to come.

August 18th, 2009

Today was my baby girl's first day of Kindergarten. Ok, so technically she isn't a baby anymore. She is a big girl. A smart, beautiful, funny, kind, silly, polite big girl.

She was so excited. It didn't take much to get her out of bed this morning. She even woke up with a smile on her face. I think she was a little nervous even though she told me she wasn't at all. In the car, on the way she told me her tummy felt a little bad but not to worry because it would feel better soon. I laughed and told her I knew just how she felt!

I parked the car and before I could even get all her supplies and things together she was out of the car waiting on the grass. Then we walked together up the sidewalk and into the building she will get to know very well over this next school year. The first tears I felt in my eyes came when we were standing in the hall waiting for her Kindergarten door to open and her first day to start. The 8:50 bell rang and she looked up at me with her eyes wide, "What was that for?" I told her that meant that school was getting ready to start. She smiled at me and turned around just as her teacher opened to door to greet her. I held the tears in and walked my first born into her classroom.

She put her lunch in the basket, gave her backpack and supplies to her teacher, and was directed to choose a spot and play with some play-doh. She didn't hesitate. Off she went, picking a seat with pink play-doh in front of it (of course). I went with her to get her settled and give her one last hug and kiss. She held out the tub of play-doh and asked me sweetly if I would open it for her. Time to hold in the second round of tears. She has relied on me for everything for these last five and half years and I knew that after I opened that tub my job would be over....at least until 4:05!!

We gave each other big hugs and kisses and I told her how excited I was for her and how proud I am of her and then I left. I looked back as I went out the door and she was busy playing and already having fun in her new classroom. As I walked down the hall I felt good. Natalie is in her element. She is outgoing and eager to learn. School is exactly what she needs. She didn't cry as I left or tell me not to go. She jumped right in and that makes me happy in a way I didn't know was possible.

All day I have found myself wondering what she is doing. How lunch went. If she make it to the bathroom when she needed to. If she has made any new friends. If she loves it as much as I think she is going to. I will admit that on the way home I let a few tears escpae my eyes. I can't wait to pick her up and hear all about her day. And tonight I will be stealing extra hugs and snuggles, knowing that no matter where she spends her days she is always at home with me. She is always my baby girl.

A letter from my mom

Dear friends and family,

I'm asking Loni to post this message on her facebook and blog and wherever she thinks we might reach loved ones. I've also asked her to post it exactly as written without editing the part about her sainthood, which she will be tempted to do. :)

As you all know by now, Mike had a stroke on Wednesday, June 9th. Physically he's doing very well. He has weakness on his right side, but the therapists tell me that should be fixed with rehab and exercises. The stroke affected his speech and you know what a champion talker he is so this has made his awfully frustrated. The therapists and doctors all say "no crystal ball- but we should see constant improvement with time and therapy." Everyone has told us stories of success that they are all aware of, so I'm optimistic. Mike, the consummate pessimist, isn't so sure. We'll just have to prove it to him.

He does have a blood clot in a brain vessel that they are watching. It isn't going anywhere, but they have to make sure that blood can get around it to all the parts of his brain.

I've told Mike that after all the phone and computer well wishes, thoughts, and messages to us and to Loni, I'm going to start calling him George Bailey (as in It's A Wonderful Life). You really do find out how much people love and care about you when something like this happens. We're SO lucky to have the family that we have. I can't say enough about the support and help they give. Within an hour of arriving at the ER our niece and two of my brothers and a sister-in-law were here with us. Of course Loni, my rock, met us at the door. I can't even begin to express what Loni means to us and what she does for us. And with three little girls five and under it's not easy for her. You can refer back to family for the thanks for all the help for her to be able to be with us as much as possible. She's been a communicator, cheerleader, and just general love of our lives. I thank God for her everyday. And of course, the first day that Mike was here at the hospital, Natalie and Vanessa, our precious granddaughters, made their Papa cards for his windowsill. I'm sure Allison would have also if she older than seven months!

My coworkers have been wonderful! Coming to the ER and making sure that Mike is getting the best possible care that they can do anything about. Let alone assuring me that they understand that my place is with Mike and to not worry about the work on my desk or anything else. Thank you so much ladies. I love you all.

I'm thankful that the four days before this happened, Mike and I spent together and being happy. A laid back weekend with movies, homemade pizza and celebrating our 40th anniversary on Sunday. Monday and Tuesday we spent at Kanopolis Lake and Mike got to do a little fishing. Not much due to the weather, but a little anyway.

With finances a little tight this year, my anniversary gift to Mike was a love letter. The first line was "I've known since I was 15 that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you and I haven't changed my mind". I still haven't changed it, and I never will.

Please send Mike your good thoughts and prayers. We love all of you.

Patty.

UPDATE BY LONI (Saturday 4pm): Yesterday they found what appeared to be a hole in Dad's heart. Today they did a more extensive test and did determine that there is a defect (hole) and some blockage. We don't yet know how much blockage as this info came from a nurse, not an actual doctor. So now we wait. The doctor should come consult with us on Monday as to what the next steps are. Treatment for the heart could range from taking a few pills every day to surgery. We, of course, are hoping surgery of any kind is not necessary.

Dad is still very frustrated with the lack of communication. He understands everything we say and knows exactly what he WANTS to say, but he just can't get his brain to relay it through his mouth. But I KNOW that soon he will. It is just going to take some hard work and patience. But he can do it. And with two world-class nags such as my mom and myself behind him, he really has no choice!!

I also wanted to thank everyone for being there for us during this time. I have the best friends and family ever. I truly believe that.

I love my Dad so much. I have always been a daddy's girl, and it is so hard to see him like this. I am looking forward to a time when my dad and I can talk basketball for hours on the phone again or he can take Natalie for a walk though the fields to find various animal homes. But the important thing is that we still have him. Now we all just have to work to get him back to being "him".

Seven Years and Counting

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

On an incredibly hot Saturday seven years ago I walked down a grass aisle and said "I Do" to the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. Now, after years of ups, downs, and in betweens I still want forever with this guy:We have done a lot in the last seven years. We have had a daughter. And then another daughter. And finally, one more daughter! We have traveled. We have stayed home. We have fought. We have made up. We have laughed. We have cried. Above all we have loved. Because apparently, he still wants forever with this girl:Happy Anniversary Larry. I love you then, now, and always.

My favorite pictures from a wonderful Saturday.

Hey, Nat! Are you ready for the hay rack ride?!?

******** Nana and the girls

********

Allie and my friend Lacey.

********

Exploring with Dad.

********

Playing in the water with Kyndal. Nat and Kyndal got along GREAT and played all day!

********

My life-long friend Sarah (on the right) and my new friend Jaime (whom I finally got to meet IN PERSON this weekend....and I liked her just as much as I thought I would!! And Vanessa fell completely in love with her!)

********

Quite possibly my favorite picture of the entire weekend.

*******

Just look at that happy face and those chubby thighs!!

********

My beautiful little Pixie ready to take a hay rack ride.

********

All the kiddies. Notice the lack of boys!

(Allison, Kyndal, Kali, Vanessa, Natalie, Jamie, and Taylor)
********

Lovin' on Nana.

********

She is so photogenic! Especially when she is having this much fun!

Many tears.

My baby graduated from Pre-K yesterday and I'm still crying. I started yesterday morning in the van after I dropped her off for her last day/dress rehearsal. I thought I was done until a couple of minutes ago when I was reading another woman's blog about HER daughter graduating preschool and well she was doing with it. I thought "good for her" as more tears leaked from my eyes. I cried when Natalie was sad she wasn't going to see her teacher or her friends any more. I cried when that made me realize that I wasn't going to be seeing any of the parents that I had come to know and like throughout the year. I even cried when she was upset they didn't have a snack on the last day due to getting out early for the graduation ceremony.

I have obviously kept most of this crying away from Natalie. I don't want her to be upset about something that should only be fun and exciting. She couldn't even begin to understand if I explained to her that I was mourning the passing of a big stage in her life and that I was not ready to accept the next stage she is moving towards. Full day Kindergarten scares the crap out of me and August seems much too soon to be sending my little girl out into the world without being by her side the majority of the time. I realize that after a while it will get easier and I will more than likely come to look forward to the breaks it will give me. Right now all I see is my baby girl growing up and I am not accepting it well.

I love this child

Driving on the way to Natalie's dairy farm field trip last Friday we passed an animal lying in the street that had been hit by a car. Natalie asked what it was. Not wanting to get into it I just said I wasn't sure. As she gazed out the window she shrugged and said very casually, "must have been a dead lemur."

.............................

Every year we go to the opening day River Festival sun down parade and this year was no different. At one point in the parade there was a group of Harley riding men in wigs (yeah.). One of the burly men wearing a long blond wig held up his fingers and gave Natalie the peace sign. Natalie smiled and did it back to him. She then turned to me and was all excited, "We just said 'two' to each other!!"

..............................

An essential part of Natalie's, Vanessa's and my bedtime routine is snuggling up together on my bed and reading three or four books. They take turns picking the books and sometimes I veto them altogether and we read what I choose. The other night it was Vanessa's turn to pick and we read a Valentine's Day Dora book. They both enjoyed it and participated throughout. At the very end Dora and Boots are having a picnic. Dora is sitting on her knees and Natalie pointed to her with certainty. "She is going to have bad knees when she gets older." Apparently her teacher tells her that at school. I love that she is already concerned about the health of not only hers, but also Dora's, knees.

All in the name of getting my kids to eat.

Natalie is one of the pickiest people I know. Everything drives her insane. The little bumps on her socks where they are seemed at the toes makes her cry in agony. A twist in her seat belt has her screeching and screaming. And then there are mealtimes. She has a select variety of foods she will ingest willingly and trying something new requires me to go to drastic measures to make it fun and exciting. And even then she will moan and pout about how she knows she won't like it because it's GROSS!!!!

One of the tools I use to get her to eat is a theme meal. I make something new and create other dishes that go along with it. It makes it an event rather than an ambush (because that is how she views my attempts to get her to eat). Since the girls seem to like these fun mealtimes I use them quite often, new foods included or not. Today's lunch theme was "Orange you glad your mama feeds you?". All the foods were orange, or a variation of it. They ate bagel bites, mandarin oranges, carrot sticks, goldfish crackers, and fruit punch. They ate happily and I was satisfied they were eating something at least a little healthier than candy or Happy Meals. Score one for me!

Vanessa turns 2!

The birthday girl!

*******

The sisters.

*******

Cake!!

*******Her "big" gift from us.....a ride-on horse.

*******YEE HAW!!

*******The group on the train.

*******Pure happiness.

A whole bunch of random pictures!

A smile that could light up a room!

..............................................

Vanessa is MAD!

......................................................Allison Kaia at five months.

.........................................................

A Very Sick Easter:

This Easter all my girls were sick with the horrible "mono-like virus" that had us all home bound for a couple of weeks. We were very low-key this holiday. My mom and dad braved the germs and came over Saturday to give the girls their Easter surprises. We dyed some eggs and left them out for the Easter Bunny, who did not disappoint! When we got up Sunday morning the eggs were hidden and the girls had Easter baskets full of goodies. My babies didn't feel well, but we had as much fun as we could.

Natalie finding her Easter basket.

..............................Vanessa was too sick to even look for hers, so I brought it to her.

............................A little while later they both felt a little better so we went hunting for the eggs the bunny had hidden. What a smart bunny hiding the eggs inside since it was cold and rainy outside!

...............................Allie had to get in on the action too.

............................Natalie dressed herself that day. She would wear these boots with anything and everything if I let her. (Thanks Carisa!)

...........................................Allison's first official meal of rice cereal. She liked it but kept smiling so much that it would just fall out!

...................................

HONK!

My big girl ready to go see her cousins in HONK, a musical based on the story of the Ugly Duckling. She gave the performance two thumbs up!

....................................................

Three of my most favorite people in the world.

.......................................My nightlife. This is where I sit and read when the girls go to bed. That is one of the Twilight books there on the arm of the love seat. I curl up with a blanket and a drink and read by the soft light of the lamp. It is peaceful and calm and above all, quiet. It is one of my favorite parts of the day.

A vast conspiracy to make me feel old.

I am not old. I don't feel old (most of the time). I don't look old (most of the time). And I don't act old (unless I haven't had enough sleep). I do eat dinner at like 5:00 with my kids and my husband tells me that alone makes me old. I have also dropped the dreaded "back when I was a kid...." speech on my daughters more than once. I mean come on! You have twenty channels to choose from and you can't find something for the thirty minutes it takes to get lunch together? Back when I was a kid the only somewhat kid-oriented channel we had was PBS and that only came in enough to see it when the planets aligned themselves with the giant antennae on top of our house. My dad used to go up on the roof, my mom would stand in the doorway to yell to him, and I would watch the TV and yell to her until Dad turned the antennae just the right way and I could make out the figures through the snow. By the time I could even SEE Big Bird Sesame Street was half over.

Anyway, I am not old. I do turn 30 this year and that is kind of scary/weird, but still...not old. So please tell me why the world wants to make me feel old? I don't want to talk too much about this because I'm still a bit traumatized but, I have grey hair. Several in fact. My Mom actually tried to pick whatever was in my hair out the other day and then said, "Oh! That's a grey hair!" Leave it to Mom to make me feel so much better.

And then a child called me from the University of Kansas. Ok, to be fair she HAD to be at least eighteen or nineteen since she was a student. Unless of course she was one of those genius kids that graduate high school at, like, ten-years-old. But if that was the case I am quite sure she wouldn't have said "awesome" nearly as often as she did. The University calls every year to see if I, as an alumnus, would like to donate money and I always tell them the same thing. "Not today but someday I will be really rich and I will send a really big check." (I honestly, cross my heart, say this every time. It ends their argument AND I feel better for not technically saying no. I am such a dork.) So I answer the phone and this is the conversation I ended up having.

Me: Hello?

Her: Hi!!!! Is Low-Knee there?!?!?! (yes, she was that excited)

Me: This is LONI.

Her: Oh! **giggle giggle** I'm so sorry!!!!!!!

Me: That's ok. Happens all the time.

Her: How are you???? This is Lauren from the University of Kansas!!!!!

Me: Uh, hi.

Her: I was just wanting to confirm some information we have about you for the alumni association!!!!

Me: Ok.

Her: Is your address still 1111 Main????? (that's not my real address so don't send future Christmas cards there. I won't get them.)

Me: Yep.

Her: OH!!! THAT'S NOT FAR FROM LAWRENCE!!!! AWESOME!!!!

Me : (a little frightened by her enthusiasm) Yeah, not too far....

Her: Do you come back often?!?!?!?!?!!?

Me: Not really.

Her: That's too bad!!! Awesome!!!!

Me: Yep.

Her: I don't have any employer information listed here, is there anything you want us too add????

Me: No, I am being a Mom right now.

Her: AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!

Me: Yeah, it's pretty great.

Her: I BET!!!! So, do you have any plans to go to work?

Me: Not right now.

Her: Awesome!!! I see you graduated with a degree in magazine journalism!!!

Me: Yep.

Her: (in the words of Barney Stinson: wait for it........) AWESOME!!!!! I am trying to figure out if I want to do magazine or advertising!

Me: That's great. I loved magazine.

Her: Yeah, I just don't know!!!! What kind of stuff would you write? What kind of magazine??? What topics would you write about????

Me: (I wanted to tell her she might want to talk to an advisor instead of a random alumnus she is inevitably going to beg for money in a matter of minutes, but I was truly witty and on the ball and said,) Ummm....lots of things. There are lots of different things to write about. (I know! How smart can one person sound in a single conversation?)

Her: AWESOME!!!!!

Me: Yep.

And then she went into her script about how I can give as little as $50 and can break it up into as many as 4 payments and, surely I would be able to do that!!!!!!! I declined, gave my standard answer and listened to her practically shout the word awesome ten or fifty more times. I got off the phone wondering if that was what I sounded like when I was that age. I think I probably sounded a lot more tired and a little more hungover way back then. And I am absolutely certain I didn't say awesome as much as she did. AWESOME!!!!

Back to the land of the living

The girls are feeling better. Natalie went to school today, although unwillingly. Vanessa is back to her mischievous ways. I just found her hiding behind my bed pulling ever wipe out of a brand new box and filling her Easter basket with them. She also has bright pink chapstick all over her face and hands (THANKS NANA!!). I feel better too. My throat still hurts, but as a Mom I pretty much have to ignore it and go on with things. No one seems to care when Mama is sick.

Allison is growing like a weed. She is such a chubby little angel baby. I look at her in wonder, just admiring her cuteness all the time. I seriously have three of the cutest girls ever. But I might be a bit biased! While I am admiring the growth of my littlest baby, I am also actively discouraging her growing up! I haven't started cereal yet, even though I know she would be fine with it. In reality, I will probably start it tonight or tomorrow. I don't have any excuses anymore. She isn't sick and we are in a holding pattern with her reflux problems. So no matter how not ready I am I have got to bite the bullet and give her some rice! And then there is the bigger problem....the moving. Allie has been very interested in moving lately. She has been rolling for a while, but now she is rolling with a purpose. She sees something across the room and she is off and rolling to get it. It is amazing how fast she can get from place to place. Her other method of movement is scooting, which I am really, really, really not ready for. She lays on her tummy and uses her legs to scoot forward. It makes me nervous. Not only because she often falls flat on her face, but also because it means she will be crawling before I know it. I am not ready for three mobile children. Most days I'm not ready for one kid who can move let alone three. But she is growing whether I like it or not. I guess that's what kids do.

I guess I had better go difuse the argument brewing in my bedroom. Vanessa has apparently planted herself in front of the TV that Natalie is playing her game on and a violent and loud standoff is ensuing. Time for the big, bad bosswoman to step in!

Grumble, grumble, groan....

We are going on a week and a half of being sick in this house. Allie had it. Larry had it. Nat and Nessa still have it. And joy of joys, now I feel like crap.

This "mono-like virus" is a big ball of fun, let me tell you. Both older girls have suffered through sore throats, runny noses, upset tummies, and up to 105 degree fevers. Their tiny bodies have ached, their little heads have throbbed. There have been times all they could manage to do was alternate sleeping and crying. Nat would pace back and forth crying, "I don't know what to do!!!" It has been miserable.

So that kind of tells you about our Easter. We made it as fun as we could for the girls. On Saturday we dyed and decorated eggs which was fun for them. On Sunday morning we woke up and the Easter bunny had been there. He had filled their baskets and hid all the Easter eggs. The girls found a few eggs but were really too exhausted to look much. Mainly I found them and they smiled weakly. We missed the big family get-togethers, which I was pretty bummed about. The girls would have had so much fun. I was kind of relieved it rained all day. It made it more bearable to stay home all day.

So now our main objective is to get all of us healthy again. Nat missed the entire week of school last week and the plan is for her to go back on Wednesday when Easter break is over. I hope she can. I wish I could call in sick today. When do stay-at-home-Moms get to do that?!?! Thank God for my Mom who is coming over later to risk the army of germs holding our house hostage and help me out (maybe let me take a nap....hint, hint :-)). Have a good day and stay well. Off to dose my kids with more medicine!

Unfortunate Abbreviation

Natalie's spring-edition school pictures came in yesterday. When I picked them up the director of the preschool mentioned that the class picture wasn't there and would be delivered later. I didn't think much of it until later in the day when one of Natalie's teachers (whom I also consider a friend) put on facebook that the preschool class pictures had to be sent back because of an unfortunate caption. The company taking the pictures had apparently wanted to abbreviate the Methodist part of the school's name and wrote, "Blank Blank United Meth Preschool"!!! (they didn't actually write blank blank, I just didn't want to put the exact name). I am all for developing my kid into a street-wise woman of the world, but I'm pretty sure a preschool shouldn't be introducing kids to meth!

...................................

Sporadic Back-Seat Singing

The other night while cleaning the basement Larry came across one of our old disc-mans. The next day he gave it to Natalie so she could listen to her Cd's in the car (therefore, letting us listen to something other than Queen, Gwen Stefani, or The Imagination Movers). She is totally in love with it and has a bag that she carries around with it and her Cd's. The other day we were driving and all of a sudden, out of absolutely nowhere, she shouts "I LIKE TO EAT CHEESE!" Apparently in one of The Movers songs they ask what you like to eat, and Nat likes to eat cheese. A couple days later, again out of nowhere, she starts shouting, "SHA LA LA LA LA LA KISS THE GIRL"! At least this time I could tell what she was listening to (The Little Mermaid). We had to have a conversation at home about the fact that even though with the headphones on it doesn't seem loud to her, it sure does to us.

.....................................

Why Was I So Anxious For Her To Talk?

Vanessa is finally talking. We work on repeating things a lot and she can say ball, doggy, balloon (boon...too cute), Mama, Dada, Allie, Nat, Fritz, Axel, and a whole lot of other really, really cute little words that totally melt my heart. And then there are her two favorite words of all time. "No" and "Mine". The older girls will be in their room playing and all I will hear is Vanessa shrieking "mmmmiiiiiinnnnneeeee" and then her saying in her tough, I-mean-it voice, "NO" (which sounds more like own and is kind of adorable if it's not directed at me when I tell her to do something). And so it begins....

So over it.

I have an ongoing joke with my girls that goes like this:

I put Vanessa on my back and then pretend I can't find her. Natalie and I go around in circles while she tries to show me were I have misplaced Vanessa. We all laugh and it's a great time.

Yesterday Natalie was in my room playing and I threw Vanessa over my shoulder. As I was walking to my room I was saying in a loud voice, "Oh no, I've lost Vanessa! Where can Vanessa be?" Before I even got into the room I hear Nat let out a big teenage-like sigh and say, "She's on your back." I walked into the room and jokingly asked how she knew that. She looked at me with exasperation and said, "It's just like always." I am not at all looking forward to her being a teenager.

The most important meal of the day!

My kids are pretty picky eaters, Vanessa less so than Natalie. They have a menu of items that they will ALWAYS eat, a selection of items that they can be coaxed into eating occasionally, and then a long, long list of stuff they will not touch under any circumstances. This is an example of a conversation that Natalie and I have daily:

I'm not going to eat that.

Just try it.

No.

Why not?

It's gross.

How do you even know if you won't try it?

Because it's gross.

HOW DO YOU KNOW?

Can I have some crackers?

It is maddening that they won't at least try stuff. I know that so much of it is just a power-play. They don't have much control over their lives and one thing they can control is what they will eat. I can't force them to eat and they know that.

The one meal we have no problem with is breakfast. They LOVE breakfast foods, at any time of the day. We often have breakfast for lunch or dinner (sometimes both in the same day). They have always loved pancakes, which is a good thing since for a long time that was the only thing I was actually good at making. I pride myself on my perfect pancakes. I make them very thin so that the edges get lacy and crisp. I eat them topped with butter and sugar because that is what my Grandma taught me when I was a little girl eating my Grandpa's famous pancakes (his were very thin also). The girls prefer syrup usually, but mix it up with the sugar method every once in a while.

We eat a lot of waffles (I can't remember right now who gave us our waffle iron for our wedding, but if it was you, THANKS!!). I make a mean cinnamon sugar french toast that is another favorite. We also enjoy scrambled eggs topped with cheddar cheese and dipped in ketchup. You add a side of fruit, whole grain toast, and a big, cold glass of milk and it is a meal. The list of yummy breakfast foods that we enjoy here goes on. It is fun to make the girls breakfast because they will actually eat it. I can't tell you how many times I've made a big dinner only to set it in front of the kids and have it shunned. I am not a person who likes to cook just for the sake of cooking so when the food I make goes uneaten it drives me crazy. So I make a lot of breakfast. Actually, it's lunch time and I am without a plan. Scrambled eggs here we come!

Ummm, hi.

I was just sitting here listening to the quiet and realizing how little attention I have given to my blogs recently. My days used to be filled with "I've got to blog that!" type thoughts and I just don't have those too often anymore. That makes me kind of sad.

It sounds SO cliche, but I am a busy mom and that is that. My brain is in so many different places at any given moment that it can't handle anything else. At all. That is why I don't remember to return my best friends call.s That is why I go to all the effort of dragging the girls out shopping and then get home just to realize that I totally forgot what we went for and have to end up asking Larry to stop on his way home anyway. That is why when the girls are asleep or other wise occupied I like to do things that don't require my brain to work at all. Such as watch stupid, uninspiring reality TV. Or eat. So I hardly ever get the urge to blog anymore. And when I do I am usually interrupted by a kid or a dog or a husband or a Thin Mint.

.......................

An actual update that has nothing to do with my lack of blogging: Allison had her four month appointment this week along with a trip to the Ear, Nose, Throat specialist. She is twelve and a half pounds and is growing perfectly. She is healthy and happy, except for her continual congestion. So we went to see the specialist today and we are back to the reflux theory. We are going to try Prevacid tablets on top of the nasal spray and Zyrtec. I feel like that is a lot of medication for such a little baby. She doesn't mind taking it, except the nose spray. She could definitely do without that. There were a few irregularities he saw, her throat is a little swollen due to the reflux (according to the doc), the cartilage around her voice box hasn't fully matured yet, and her septum, the wall separating her nose, is pushed to the right. Her left nostril actually breaths a lot better than her right come to find out. He wasn't too concerned with the cartilage issue. He pretty much said she just has to grow some more. He did say that if the septum didn't correct itself and gave her trouble later in life they would have to do surgery. But really, everything looked pretty clear. I breathed a giant sigh of relief and walked out confident and optimistic. I just want my baby to be able to breath. That's it!

.......................

Bad Blogger!

I could go through all the excuses I have as to why I haven't been keeping the blog up lately, but you already know them all so I will skip that.

It is definitely not that I don't want to blog, it is just that there are so many other things I want to do as well. If I do have a spare minute I am usually reading, or watching really bad reality tv, or obsessing over the NCAA tournament, or sitting and doing absolutely nothing (which I have a newly discovered talent at). My days are taken up so much by the girls that my alone time has become very rare and VERY valued. I try to pack as much of the stuff I want to do and never get to do in as possible. And I never know how much time I may have. Some days the two little girls nap at the same time for quite awhile. Some days they time it so one goes down right when the other gets up. Sometimes no one naps and then everyone is grumpy the rest of the day. You just never know.

I have no doubt that since the weather is getting warmer and we are going to be more on the go then ever the blog will sadly take a back seat once again. I hope to update a couple of times a week at least. And I really hope to keep the One A Day blog updated better then I have been doing.

I miss the outlet that this blog has always given me. I will not let it end completely! Keep checking back, and I will try to give you something to keep coming back for!

A little something I found on facebook

This is fun! The instructions were to ask your kid to answer these questions and then type in their answers.

1. What is something your mom always says to you?

Good Night at bedtime

2. What makes your mom happy?

Me!

3. What makes your mom sad?

bad things

4. How does your mom make you laugh?

she tells jokes and makes faces

5. What was your mom like as a child?

she was like me!

6. How old is your mom?

65 (HEY NOW!!!)

7. How tall is your mom?

29 feet

8. What is your moms favorite thing to watch on TV?

Survivor and the one where they sing (American Idol)

9. What does your mom do when you are not around?

work on the house

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?

being in the circus riding the elephants

11. What is your mom really good at?

dancing

12. What is your mom not very good at?

ice skating and doing twirls

13. What does your mom do for her job?

works at Daddy's work

14. What is your moms favorite food?

pasta salad and burritos

15. What makes you proud of your mom?

when she reads books to me

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?

Garfield (I think I am offended!)

17. What do you and your mom do together?

buy ice cream and watch movies and got to the zoo. That was an easy one!

18. How are you and your mom the same?

we both smile at each other

19. How are you and your mom different?

sometimes one of us smiles and the other one doesn't

20. How do you know your mom loves you?

'cause she always gives me kisses

21. Where is your moms favorite place to go?

El Mexico

Ice Cream Sundaes

Saturday was our weekly family movie night. Natalie chose to watch the movie Space Buddies (which is kind of cute considering it is a movie about five dogs that ACCIDENTALLY put on space suits, ACCIDENTALLY get on a spaceship, ACCIDENTALLY fly to the moon, and then fly home with the help of a ferret...). Our snacks were deluxe ice cream sundaes. They were great...see for yourself:

First we got all the ingredients out. We had hot fudge, marshmallows, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, two different kinds of Barbie sprinkles, whipped cream, and cherries!

......................................

First came a scoop of vanilla, a scoop of chocolate, and then a generous drizzle of hot fudge.

......................................

Then the yummy toppings!
....................................

Whoops! Just a little spill!

...............................

Finally they were done and instead of letting them dig in I made them pose!

..............................

Then it was time to eat!

..............................Most people would use the spoon in their hand to eat ice cream.

............................

It was a fun, messy, yummy night for us all!

Now what do I have to talk about?

I have had today's blog topic planned out since last Friday when Natalie's friend Hannah and her mother Antonia invited us over for a play date. I thought that for sure an extended outing to an unfamiliar house with all three of my girls would provide more than enough fodder for a nice long post. I thought it had the potential to elicit laughter or sympathy or maybe a bit of both. So, here it is.....

Everything went well. The end.

Exciting, huh?

I guess I should be very happy with the way the play date went. The girls were on their best behavior. Natalie was respectful and polite. They had a great time playing Barbies and Polly Pockets and dress up and the only problem I ever witnessed was when Hannah didn't really want to give Natalie a turn on her bike. Completely understandable. Natalie didn't yell or cry, she just asked Antonia if maybe she could help her get a turn. Vanessa had a great time playing in the living room while the two older girls ran around the house. She wanted to follow them but listened to me when I said I didn't want her going up and down the stairs. She did take a face-plant in the backyard, but was fine. She cried a little and then shunned my offering of comfort, instead going to Antonia and having her kiss her owie all better. I guess even kisses feel better when presented with an English accent (they are from London originally). Allison slept.

We left with many promises to the girls to do it again soon and lots of waves and yells goodbye out the window. All in all it was entirely successful. Just not very entertaining to read about!

A good day.

It is an absolutely gorgeous day. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and my two little hooligans are running wild in the backyard. It is a warm seventy degrees and we are enjoying every last minute of it. I am sitting on the back deck, barefoot, drinking this day in. Let's put it this way, if this day were vodka I would probably be drunk-dialing you right about now. It is just that good.

My older girls couldn't wait to get outside and run. I tortured them by making them eat lunch first and then opened the door. Out they went, hair flying behind them, the sound of little girl giggles filling the air. The were FREE!!! Free to run and climb and swing and slide! Their glee was contagious and suddenly I found myself sitting here grinning like a fool. Because I was just happy. Happy to have such a nice day and such nice kids.

Natalie automatically went to her "castle". The castle is actually a Little Tikes play gym with three levels, a tunnel, and two slides. I'm sure if we had boys we would refer to it as the fort or the hideout or the Playboy Mansion, but here in our land of all things girl it is the Princess Castle. We bought it from a friend of a friend when Natalie was still toddling about on shaky, unsure legs. It was a great deal and I knew if we didn't jump on it then we would be shelling out major money for one some day. I was SO right. It is THE place to be in our backyard for the under six set.

Vanessa ran to the castle too, but not to pretend to be rescued from the dragon by a prince who saw her true inner beauty like her big sister. No, she was headed to her favorite new outside adventure. Sliding. It is the same routine every time. Run like crazy to the castle, climb up until she gets to the very top, and then sit at the top of the slide for awhile trying to work up the courage to go down. She doesn't want help and I have learned not to squat at the bottom to catch her because what I will really catch is an earful of toddler language that I'm pretty sure translates into "I CAN DO IT WOMAN!! NOW STEP AWAY FROM THE SLIDE!!" After a while she scoots forward enough that there is no turning back and she has to go down. Whoosh. Down she goes, lands on her butt, hops up, brushes off her pants and starts the whole process over again. Except after that first time there is no hesitation. It is just climbing up and sliding down. Oh, and a whole lot of prideful laughter.

It is days like this that make me yearn for the Spring. It makes me ready for weeks of warm temps, not just days. We do live in Kansas however, and another cold front is on it's way. I was talking to my best friend on the phone today and she was lamenting more cold weather and wishing she was back living in Arizona where winter never comes. But I am glad our seasons change. It makes us appreciate when the weather is nice. It is like if we were never sad how would we know to be thankful we were happy? Winter makes us thankful for Spring. I am ready to be thankful.

What I really meant to write about today....or.... why it's probably a good thing Natalie is not my youngest child.

On the way to the dentist this morning my five-year-old informed that she was going to go back for her exam by herself. I mean, after all, she IS a big girl now. The way my heart broke when she made that request gave me a glimpse of the future and the way I will feel when she grabs the keys, demands some spending money, and rides off into the sunset with a greasy teenage boy. The situations might be different, the growing up is not.

I was weary of her going back by herself. A couple of weeks ago she had to have a cavity filled (her one and only) and I sat in a chair beside her trying not to cry as they put the bubble gum scented mask on her nose to "relax" her and shot her in the mouth with numb juice. I kept asking her if she was comfortable, if she was nervous at all, if she needed anything. I was trying to put on a brave face for her while at the same time making sure she knew it was okay to be scared. She humored me for a while, telling me she was fine and patting my hand. Then she just got annoyed and informed me in no uncertain terms that she was trying to watch the episode of Sponge Bob that was playing on the TV on the ceiling and could I please just move to the side a bit so she could see.

So I wasn't at all surprised that she wasn't feeling any trepidation about this trip to the dentist. She was actually somewhat bummed when I told her it was just a cleaning and she wouldn't be wearing the funny nose. But I was surprised that she wanted to face it alone. I don't even like going to the dentist alone. I explained to her that if at any time she felt like she needed me with her she was to tell the dentist to come and get me and I would be right there. She humored me again with the hand pat and the head tilt of understanding and then waited for her name to be called. When the dental assistant came out for her I instinctively grabbed my purse and stood up. But she was up and through the door before I even had the chance to move. So I sat back down like the obedient Mama I am and waited.

I love the dentist she goes to. They allow parents to be a part of the procedures, which when researching different offices I realized is not the norm. It is a very open floor plan so when you walk in you can see the main room where the regular cleanings and check-ups occur. Everything is just very inviting and not at all as scary as the pediatric dentist I went to when I was a kid where you were completely separated from your parents the minute you walked into the doors. But, you know, my kid would have probably liked that.

Anyway, while I was out in the waiting room thumbing through an outdated copy of Sports Illustrated I kept standing up to peek back at my child. There she was, laying in the chair with her mouth open wide and her hands sweetly folded on her tummy. She didn't look scared. In fact, she looked down-right comfortable lounging there, watching the TV above her head and having her saliva sucked out with a mini-vacuum. She never asked anyone to come get me.
Finally, when the check-up was complete the receptionist motioned me in. Natalie was already at the appointment counter picking out her toothbrush and prize and telling anyone who would listen about how she didn't really floss all that much. She got a glowing report, on her teeth and her personality. They all gushed about how sweet she was. How polite. What a big girl she was getting to be. I hugged her tight (and she hugged me back because she isn't THAT big yet) and told her how extremely proud I was of her.

As we walked out of the dentist office she exclaimed loudly about how much fun that was. The other mothers looked at me with a mixture of shock and jealousy and I just took her hand and smiled. Because this is my kid. And that won't change no matter how big she gets.

Just something I was sitting here thinking about

I was talking to a friend the other day who was planning on getting a new wedding ring. The one she has is on the small side and since she was married ten years ago her tastes have changed. She was excited to be picking one out that had some size and some sparkle to it.
I understand having a small ring. When Larry and I got engaged we weren't exactly rolling in the dough. In fact, we were lucky to be eating dough. So my ring is not super big. It is not super extravagant. It is a single diamond solitaire engagement ring attached to a thin diamond and gold wedding band. And I love it more then any piece of jewelry I have ever seen.
I just don't understand getting a new wedding ring. I makes no sense to me. I am all for getting new jewelery, even new diamond rings. Since we have been married Larry has given me two other diamond rings and I love them both. But they are not my wedding ring. My wedding ring is what it is because Larry gave it to me when we stood up in front of all our friends and family and promised each other forever. My wedding ring is what it is because I wore it every single day until I got pregnant and my hand swelled so much that it got too tight. My wedding ring is what it is because when Natalie admires it she says with such love that Daddy gave that to Mommy at our wedding a long, long, long time ago.
I am not saying a new ring couldn't be special or that it wouldn't grow to become a part of me like the one I have now has. I am not saying it is wrong for people to want a big new diamond ring when they come to the point in their lives they can afford what they couldn't before. I am just saying it's not for me. If I do, at some point, get the ring of my dreams you won't hear me complaining. But it will have to settle on a less important digit because my left ring finger is taken.

Not exactly what I had in mind

Nat: "Hey, Mom! You wanna come play with Nessa and me?"

Me: "Sure. What are we playing?"

Nat: "House."

Me: "Do you want me to be the Mommy?"

Nat: "No, you be the chair."

A happy little update.

I feel like all I talk about lately are my kids and their various states of sick. So to break up that monotony here is something about a kid that has nothing to do with snot, vomit, coughing, medicines, or lack of sleep!

Allison rolled over today!!! I had just changed the little squirts diaper and she was happily cooing on the floor. I let her hang out down there for a while because who am I to disturb a baby when she is happy? I was attending to the never-ending needs of my other two children when I looked down and there was Allie on her tummy. It took me a moment to process the fact that when I last saw her she was on her back and now she definitely was not. She turned towards me and lifted her head up as far as she could and gave me the biggest, cheesiest grin ever. You could tell how proud she was of this new found talent. The big girls and I got down beside Allie and went on and on about how big of a girl she was now and how cool her new trick was. She just grinned and grinned.

And now for the baby book that I keep swearing that I will update: Allison rolled from back to front on 2-16-09, two days after her three month birthday and in the middle of a nasty case of RSV.

I really don't think I'm ready for my baby to be hitting these big milestones quite yet. Stay small Allie Cat. Don't grow up too quick on me!

Still sick

I'm tired. Really, really tired. Allison is still sick. She has a snotty nose, watery eyes, and the worst cough I have ever heard a baby her age have. Last night was tough. She threw up twice and couldn't sleep unless we were sitting straight up. So back to the doctor we went this morning.
He said it still presents itself as RSV. We discussed going back to the hospital to do another test to make sure, but since we would treat it the same if it was RSV or another virus we decided not to. We did start breathing treatments here at home to see if that would help. They just delivered the nebulizer an hour ago and we set it up and gave Allie a dose. She didn't like it that much but was a trooper through the whole process. It is just sad to see a three-month-old with a tiny mask strapped to her head.
So I am going to go now and try to keep my eyes open.

Just some stuff

We are back to Similac Sensitive formula for Allison. She just didn't seem to tolerate the other formulas well. She would pull off the bottle constantly and then was spitting up 100% more than before. So Mommy made an executive decision and we are back to what we started with. We're going to see how this goes and then decide the next step.
................................
I am working tomorrow....and I'm excited!! I am going to be a sub at the girls Children's Day Out program. Hopefully I can do the sub thing for now and then next fall become a regular teacher in one of the rooms. That is what I'm hoping for anyway. The director and I have talked a little about it. When Natalie heard that I was going to be there tomorrow she said, "My Mom a teacher?" and then burst out laughing. Thanks for the vote of confidence sweetie.
................................
Since I am going to be subbing tomorrow the girls all get to go to CDO twice in one week. This would be exciting on a regular week, but it is even better since it is Valentine's party week. They got to have parties on Monday in their regular classes, they get to have another tomorrow, and then Nat has her class party Friday in Pre-K.
.................................
I love yoga. We recently got the My Fitness Coach game for Wii. One of the workouts is yoga and I started with that since I didn't think I should be jumping right into cardio. I want to loose weight and all but I would rather do it without having a heart attack. I lost three pounds in the first week and a half. But then my monthly visitor arrived (if you know what I mean) and I lost all motivation to work out and gained a ridiculous amount of motivation to eat everything in sight. I haven't weighed lately, but my guess is those three pounds are back! I have to get back on my schedule. This is probably the best time of all to do yoga. It feels so good to stretch everything out and just concentrate on breathing.
................................
I guess that's about it for today. Maybe tomorrow I will actually post something that is interesting and makes sense!

a picture that made me smile.

Happy Birthday Brady!!

Saturday was my nephew Brayden's first birthday party!Natalie and Brayden!

..................

Loving him some cake.

.....................

Loving her some cake.

......................

The little girl cousins. Vanessa, 1; Hailey, 2; Natalie, 5

..................

"Come on guys, we need to ring around the rosey!!" Natalie attempting to get two toddlers to do what she wants them to.

And yes, Natalie did dress herself today. Cute boots, huh?