It keeps getting better

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-15T09:10:00.002-05:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day, no matter who your Valentine is!

All our love,

The Stiffies

Things my kids say...

2012-02-13T09:26:00.002-05:00

Mady: "Mommy, can i have an orange, please?!?!!!!"
Me: "Sure you can!"
I leave to peel and de-seed the orange and piece it up on a plate.
Mady: (After a few bites) "Mommy, did you get all the peanuts out of the orange?"
Me: "The what?! Oh, um, yea, i got all of them out i think. Why, did you get one?!"
Mady: "No, but the last one was hard, i think it was a bad peanut"

First kisses...

2012-02-07T11:30:00.001-05:00

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Just some pics...

2012-02-01T13:53:00.002-05:00

Shaving buddies

Running up my phone bill already, lol

So tired

The girls with Pap Pap Joe

Chillin at the doctors

What a week...

2012-01-31T15:23:00.002-05:00

As i'm sure you've noticed by now, i haven't blogged in a while.
And i'm sure you're wondering why.
Well, it all started wednesday...
Em woke up sick, and i don't just mean not feeling well, i mean puking sick.
But after laying around in the morning, she was fine all afternoon/evening, so i didn't think much of it.
Well, that all changed Thursday night.
She was kinda lethargic, and she didn't really fight going to bed like she normally does, but again, didn't think anything of it.
Well, she slept all morning friday...i'm not just talkin an extra hour or two, i'm talkin a total of 16 hours of sleep!
I had to check on her 6 or 7 times to make sure she was even still in there!
And, i had to go up and actually wake her up so i could go to work!
She was definately not herself.
Needless to say, she puked several more time that afternoon/evening...
and then the poop started.
Over the course of friday, saturday, sunday, monday and half of tuesday, we are single handedly keeping the diaper companies in buisness.
I've never seen that much poop come out of a kid!
And then sunday afternoon, Mady started.
She was fine, and then out of no where she starts puking.
That lasted all night long.
Thank goodness she woke up feeling better on monday.
But low and behold, come monday morning FRANK is sick now.
And then, just as you would expect, i started feeling sick come monday afternoon.
But here we are, tuesday afternoon...
Em is almost totally better
Mady is better.
I am almost better.
And poor Frank, well, he's still sick.

Fun in the snow...

2012-01-22T18:38:00.001-05:00

9 months already...

2012-01-20T11:05:00.007-05:00

Emmerson, you are 9 months old already!
You are almost 18lbs already.
You are in a size 3 diaper and you are wearing 6-9 month clothes (usually)

You are a really good eater, as we all know.
There isn't really much that you don't like!
We are getting ready to start 3rd foods with you, and i think you'll love it!

You are sleeping pretty good too.
Most nights you'll sleep from 9:15pm to about 8am, with the occasional 7:30am wake up and the occasional 9:30am wake up too (mommy loves that one)

You have been able to stand alone without holding on to anything for a few weeks now, and you just recently took your first steps alone!
You still aren't completely ready to walk a ton, but you do it when you really want to.

You still don't have any teeth yet, but i'm not worried.
Every keeps saying "Any day now, she'll get that tooth", but they've been saying that for 2 months now.

You and your sister love each other very much.
You are always happier when she is around.
I hope that lasts, but i'm sure it won't, so having this written down now (that you love each other and always want to be together) will be proof later when you want to kill each other.

You sleep on your belly just like Madylinn did, but you are not a binky baby like she was. You can go without it, and you even spit it out for bedtime.

Here are some of your favorites:
Food~ Applesauce
Outfits~ Naked would be your choice, but you really like your sweats and a hoodie
Movie~ You like to watch what your sister is watching in the car
TV~ (i know, you shouldn't be watching tv, and it's not like you REALLY watch) Elmo and Word World
Toy~ You love the foam puzzle pieces
Naptime~ You love yourself an after lunch nap, you can go for about 2+hours on a good day

Here is a comparison of you and your sister at the same age.
You used to look so much alike, and now you look so different.
But you are both the best things that have ever happened to me.
I love you both so much!

It says it all...

2012-01-18T22:16:00.000-05:00

I definately couldn't say it better myself, so i'll just let you read what this person wrote!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/glennon-melton/dont-carpe-diem_b_1206346.html

It happened!

2012-01-17T21:45:00.002-05:00

Yep, that's right, i said it.
It's finally happened!
Em took her first steps tonight!
I don't know if it's a good thing or not yet, that's yet to be determined.
Hopefully tomorrow i'll be able to get it on video for you all to see...
if she decides to do it again.

Look out Katy Perry!!

2012-01-16T20:54:00.001-05:00

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So much for that!

2012-01-09T14:58:00.002-05:00

Well, i knew it couldn't last.
I never would have thought it would have been that short lived though.
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, Em was napping like a champ!
A good 2 hour nap during the day, AND sleeping in in the morning!
Well, Saturday came along, and so did the old Em.
Up at 7, napped maybe 45min all day long.
Crap!
And today, i thought i could force her back into schedule.
Nope!
She screamed in her crib for an hour before finally passing out to sleep (she was waaaaaaaaay over tired, before you report me for neglect or anything...she was in a screaming kinda mood, so her crib was about the safest place for her)
And i think she would have slept for over an hour too, if i could have let her.
But wouldn't you know it, she has to fall asleep right before it's time for me to leave for work!
So i had to wake her up and take her to the babysitters house, and low and behold, she was good and awake then!
Argh!!
This is definately one of the memories that i will NOT look back on fondly when the kids are older.

Could is work?!

2012-01-06T15:27:00.002-05:00

So just this week, it's happened.
A day i swore i'd never see come...
But definately a day i was looking forward to.
Yes, that's right folks...
It's the day where my kids start napping at the same time!!!!!!!
It all started Wednesday afternoon.
Em had skipped her morning nap (by her own choice).
I decided that i would wait until after her lunch to try to get her to nap.
Both Em and Mady both at lunch at the same time.
Then i took Mady up for her nap, and came back down to see what i could do with Em before she became the crank of West Cameron.
No sooner did i pick her up, than she was asleep!
So i had a brilliant idea.
I took her upstairs to her crib and layed her down in there.
Wouldn't you know it, it worked!!
For 2 hours, both girls napped.
It was like heaven.
Dont get me wrong, i love my girls, but this was a miracle!
I made dinner without pulling kids away from the stove the whole time.
I got a shower, ALONE!
I got dressed without having to stop every 2 minutes to dance with/entertain the girls.
I loved it!!
And then, Wednesday night, Mady had a sleepover party at "Grammy Joanne's" house,
so Em got to go to sleep at a regular hour, and she slept 12 1/2 hours!!!
I thought it was only a fling, since Mady wasn't there to wake her up for either the nap or the sleep.
Then, Em took a 2 hour nap on Thursday!!
And then, last night (thursday night into friday), she slept 12 hours again!!
AND...they both napped at THE SAME TIME today, and for 1 1/2 hours!!
This is something i could totally get used to!!

Yea, not a good idea...

2012-01-03T16:10:00.002-05:00

So for Christmas this year, i got a pressure cooker and a cookbook.
I was really excited to use it.
I really thought it would make cooking quicker, allowing me to make better meals in shorter amounts of time, and thusly spending more time with the girls.
So today, i decided to try it out for the first time.
I definately should have done that on a weekend first.
I flipped through the cookbook and found a recipie that i thought we'd all love.
It was for Adult Macaroni and Cheese.
Basically, it's macaroni and cheese with white cheddar cheese, cream cheese, veggies and bacon.
So i followed all the instructions of the recipie to the letter, not missing a step, doing every single thing it said.
I got it all in the pressure cooker and closed it up.
I turned it on and started gathering all my stuff together for work.
Then, i heard the pressure cooker start to whistle.
Now, never having used one of these things, i had no idea whether this was a good or a bad thing.
So i got the instruction manual and started looking for an answer.
Nothing.
Wouldn't you think it would say SOMETHING about what's going on here?!
But as i was flipping through, i can across a section that said "You should not put rice or pasta into the pressure cooker"
I definately thought this was weird, because the cookbook that i got to go with the pressure cooker said it was perfectly fine to put the pasta in there.
As a matter of fact, they have an ENTIRE SECTION devoted to pasta recipies!
Well, as i'm reading this and becoming more and more confused, it started whistling louder.
I peeked my head around the corner just in time to see the thing explode.
Well, not like "BAM" into a thousand pieces explode, but something happened and all this steam rolled out of the top of it, and there was some sort of pasta water, i guess, all over the counter, the floor, the window, the cabinets, even the pile of stuff half way across the kitchen!
So needless to say, i was a bit late for work because i had to clean half my kitchen!
But when i opened the pressure cooker to see what had happened, everything seemed cooked!
It's so weird!
So after i cleaned up, i thought, what the hell! What worse could happen right now.
So i finished off the recipie like it told me too, lol.
I put the cheese and the toppings on, i stirred it a bit to mix it in, and then i closed it back up and put it on keep warm so Frank will have a hot meal when he gets home.
Now, there's no promising it'll be a good meal, lol.
So we may very well be eating McDonalds tonight.
And now i'm at work, googling, trying to figure out what went wrong with the darn thing.
Was it the pasta?
Was something not tight enough?
Did i set something up wrong?
I can't seem to find the answer, so if any of you have a clue, i'd love your help!

New year, new you?!

2012-01-03T15:57:00.002-05:00

So here we are, another year gone.
And now it's 2012.
Where are the flying cars that everyone always said we would be using by now?
Where are the robot butlers like the Jetson's?
Where are the time traveling devices so we can go back in time and see our parents when they were little, and intervene in their lives...oh wait, now i'm slipping into a little Back to the Future.

Our New Year has been, well, about the same as the old year so far.
Nothing too important has happened yet, but then again it's only 3 days in so far.
Frank and I managed to stay awake to watch the ball drop on tv.
I'd say that's a pretty good accomplishment with 2 kids wearing you out all day long and then getting you up early in the morning.
We made steak and bacon wrapped scallops and baked potatoes for dinner.
We gave the girls baths.
We watched some bowl games on tv.
We had some beers.
We played some Just Dance 3 on the Wii.
It was a really fun, low key evening.

We didn't really make any resolutions for the new year.
Every year we try to think of some really good resolutions that would be great to do.
Then, like a week into the year, we stop doing them.
It happens every year without fail.
I think we set our goals too lofty.
So this year we didn't really set any major goals.
Mostly, we just want to make sure we are spending time with the girls as much as possible, putting them first instead of stupid little things that can definately wait until later.
That sounds simple enough, but you'd be surprised how caught up in things you can get, and before you know it, a huge chunk of time has gone by and the girls are sitting around watching tv or being bored while i cleaned or did laundry.
It's time to play first and clean second.
The girls are only going to be little for a short time.
There is going to come a day where they DON'T want to sit with me and cuddle.
There is going to come a day when i am a HUGE DORK to them.
There is going to come quite a few days where it's just me at home all day long by myself because all the kids are in school.
I can keep the house as clean as i want to, then!
I can lounge around and do nothing if i want to, then!
But for now, i want to re-become the parent i used to be when it was just the 3 of us.
It seems that adding a child makes it really difficult to spend quality time with either of them.
There's just always something to do.
Well, enough of that.
Be prepared folks, for a dirtier house (well, not too much i hope)!
Be prepared folks, for less walking room in my house due to toys and games!
Be prepared folks, for SUPER MOMMY!!! (or her faithful sidekick, AS BEST AS I CAN BE MOMMY)!

Happy New Year!!

2011-12-31T16:48:00.000-05:00

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Merry Christmas!!

2011-12-25T23:59:00.003-05:00

Santa strikes again!

What she asked Santa for this year

Tearing into the gifts

Her own version of opening presents

That's better!

Hey!

My girls

Love them

Snack time

Playing with her toys

Check, check, double check...

2011-12-22T23:27:00.001-05:00

Cookies baked...check
Supplies for Christmas dinner bought...check
Presents finally all wrapped...double check

It really IS a Christmas miracle!!

Santa's got nothing on this mommy...

2011-12-19T16:12:00.002-05:00

So i'm officially done Christmas shopping!!
Well, i have 2 gift cards to buy yet, but they practically don't count since they just go in cards and are ready to go when you get them.
Everything is bought.
I'm so happy!
Now comes the hard part.
Saturday night and last night, i have been up until 1245am and 12am respectively, wrapping presents.
In years past, it was so easy!
Frank would watch Mady downstairs while i wrapped gifts upstairs.
It was so easy, in fact, that i had presents in HER CLOSET! And i would wrap in HER ROOM!
I also did wrapping and storing in the attic, so i wouldn't risk waking Mady up when "Santa" came.
Well now, i'm in a bit of a bind.
Mady is getting nosy, and very observant.
Plus, she has the memory of an elephant!
You can't so much as buy a candy bar in front of her and she's asking where it went 3 days later!
So i have to be sneeky now.
I've been hiding presents in the basement in the far corner.
I wait until she goes to bed, then i bring piles of things upstairs and i wrap as long as i can keep my eyes open.
And i have to make sure to do "Santa's" gifts in one paper, and Mommy/Daddy gifts in another...so she knows that "Santa" was really there.
Then i have to wrap Em's gifts in yet another paper, and Em's "Santa" gifts in another paper, because Miss Ever Noticing will definately put it together.
You can laugh as you read this, but she is a lot smarter than you think.
And then each person we buy for gets their own paper, so i know what is who's and nothing gets mixed up in the shuffle of the day.
It all takes so darn much time!
In 2 days of wrapping, all i've managed to wrap are the girls "Santa" gifts, their Mommy/Daddy gifts, and half of Franks stuff.
Yikes!! I better get my butt in gear if i wanna be ready in time for Christmas!

Totally over today...

2011-12-16T15:09:00.003-05:00

This is a TMI post, so feel free to skip if you want.
So today was a horrible day in our house.
It was super windy last night, so it felt like we were up half the night listening to huge tornado like wind gusts.
Then, when the girls and i got up and went downstairs, the real fun started.
It was about 30-45min after breakfast, and Mady said she had to pee.
Well, next thing i know, she is on the potty telling me she's sorry she pooped in her undies.
Here, the poor kid has diarrhea.
So needless to say, after the 3rd outfit change of the morning, i left her on the potty.
I brought in a box that was tall enough for her to reach, and i brought in her coloring book and crayons, and i let her color while she sat there.
Hey, at least she wasn't bored!
1 hour and 15 minutes later, she finally stops pooping every 5 min!
So she says she's hungry.
Ok, i can give you something.
And i'd make it something that's good for diarrhea too.
So i gave her a banana.
Not 20 minutes later, she's pointing to her tummy with this distressed look on her face.
I scooped her up and sprinted for the bathroom, only to make it to the doorway of the bathroom before she started puking everywhere.
So i had her standing in front of the potty for 30 minutes while she puked.
And those of you that know me, know that i am really really really really really not good with puke.
So cleaning up a lot of a lot of it, yea, that wasn't going over really well for me.
So then, it was bath time.
Mady reaked, and i figured i might as well give Em a bath while i was at it.
So i gave Mady some toast with butter for lunch, and got her in bed for her nap (which she actually took, since she's sick and all).
That's the only good part of this whole being sick thing, she actually naps!
By the time i got her into bed, Em was ready for a nap...so i actually had 30min to myself to get a shower!
So i guess today wasn't ALL bad, i just didn't get to do anything but clean up sickness all day.
Oh well, i guess it could be worse!

Same to you lady...

2011-12-15T16:41:00.002-05:00

So yesterday, i had a wrestling match at work.
I tell you this because when i have a game/match/what-not, i don't bring my phone into work with me, i leave it in my car.
Well, wouldn't you know it, something always happens on those days.
This time, i was my darling hubby.
Apparently, he was on his way home from work, and he was right around the Turkey Hill at the end of our road (those of you from around us know that that is about 12 miles from our house) and his car started acting funny.
The check engine light came on, and he said that it started smoking.
So of course, he pulled over.
He tried calling me, but like i said before, my phone was in the car.
So needless to say, something is wrong with the engine.
So this morning, he was going to take it to the dealership to get it worked on...thank God it's still under warranty.
So he called the dealership by the Burger King, since that's the closest one to our house.
He spoke to someone that said he would need his VIN number to make sure it was still under warranty.
So we got the VIN number, and luckily it was.
Then i told him to ask the lady if they had a loaner car there for him to have, since it's a warranty issue and they give you a loaner for those situations.
Well, she starts giving him all this attitude and ignorance!
She starts telling him that they don't have to give him a car, and that they don't even have cars for people with "those issues".
Really lady?! Are "these issues" that infrequent that you specifically don't loan cars out for them!!
And then, with even MORE attitude (which if you know Frank, he wasn't taking very well at all), she tells him that she wouldn't even look at his car until at least Tuesday.
Really lady?!?! What do you think he is going to do without a car until then?! And then, when you tell us he needs a bunch of new parts, what do you think he's going to do without a car for 2-4weeks?!
He was really flipping out now. He was so mad he was turning red.
So, instead of getting too mad, we hung up and called another dealership that is a bunch farther away, and they are giving him a loaner car until his is fixed.
Luckily for us, we can go get it tonight too! Which is a relief for me because if he didn't have a car, he would be using mine and i would have to go to work late...and i'm not a huge fan of that.
So that's been our morning.
Ca-ray-zi-ness!
Now we just have to hope that they don't keep the car forever....HA!

A typical Mady outing...

2011-12-14T09:20:00.002-05:00

The scene: We were at the mall, Mady had to pee, so we went to the bathroom.

(Standing in line, another mom walks in behind us with her toddler son)

Mady: Mom
Me: Yea baby
Mady: Mom, that boy can't be in here!
Me: Mady, it's ok, he has to go potty too
Mady: But mom, he can't be in here! This is the bathroom with the dress, and he is a BOY!!

Oh the things kids say

Mady debut...

2011-12-12T09:08:00.005-05:00

Last night, Mady had her performing debut.

She was in a ballet show at the mall.

Well, it was more of a "show off what we do at practice" type of show, but the little girls were soooooo cute!

Mady's class is all 3, 4 and 5 year olds...and she is the youngest in the class.

And i know, i'm just being a mom and i'm bragging, but Mady is totally one of the best!

She has such a good time performing though, it was hard to get her to be done.

I can tell i have a future star on my hands here.

Sneek peek at our Christmas cards...

2011-12-10T23:52:00.002-05:00

Here are a few out takes from our Christmas photo shoot...
ENJOY!!

Getting into the holiday spirit...

2011-12-08T16:44:00.002-05:00

It's definately starting to feel a lot more like Christmas around our house these days.
The tree is up, decorated, and still alive!
Most of the decorations are up inside the house (well, the ones i plan on putting up are, the rest are still in the tubs).
The decorations outside are up and running every night.
Presents are starting to pile up in the basement (yup, that's right, i said basement...there really isn't a safe place in my house to HIDE things...and this is going to be the one and only year i will be able to hide things in the basement, since it will be finished next year and Mady and Em will be down there quite a lot)
I really need to get working on wrapping everything that's sitting around, i really do. But the trick is finding time to do it all in.
And i need to finish shopping!!
I was doing really well, at least i thought i was.
I bought a ton of stuff on Black Friday, i even bought some stuff after that, i did some online shopping on Cyber Monday, i got a ton of great deals!!
But that left me in a bind.
I still have things yet to buy for people.
Here comes the problem...
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE THINGS ARE!!!
The sad truth is, as we get older, it gets harder and harder to buy things for people for Christmas.
Everybody already has everything they want, and if there is something they need they just go out and buy it themselves.
Short of telling people that they can't buy themselves anything after September 1st, there isn't really anything you can do to fix this problem!
And you don't want to buy people things that they don't really want or need.
Nothing is worse than watching someone graciously accept a gift you gave them, only to have them go home and never use/wear the thing.
In cases like that, i'd rather have given a gift certificate or something.
But what fun is a gift certificate?!
Gifts, boxes, bags, presents...now that's where the fun is at!
Who wants to open an envelope on Christmas day, while everyone else is opening boxes?!
What a predicament!
Guess i better get my google on...
That, or i better borrow someones thinking cap, and quick!!

Catch up pics...

2011-12-03T23:22:00.002-05:00

This is like a glimpse into the future...Mady getting picked on by Em

My babies on Thanksgiving

This is our house, decorated
Another house shot

I'm back...

2011-12-01T17:22:00.003-05:00

I know, i know, i've been slipping on the blogging lately.
What with the Thanksgiving holiday, running in the annual Run for the Diamonds race, black friday shopping, trying to get my whole house spring, er winter, cleaned, trying to get my house decorated for Christmas, and dealing with weight certifications at work (yuck), i just have lost track of time completely.
But i'm back now.
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and i hope you all did too.
There is nothing quite like spending quality time with your family...it just puts you in a good mood (if you have a great family like i do).
Black Friday i managed to get a decent amount of shopping done, although now as i look at what i got, i still realize that i have a ton to get yet. Yikes!
It always seems like i need to get something else, even when it's down to the last minute. I could totally go out on Christmas Eve and shop some more, no doubt.
We managed to get our house decorated for Christmas, though i won't let Frank turn the lights on just yet.
We have a ton of stuff in our yard, and a ton of lights all around...and the bill is going to be high.
But it looks so nice, i figure it's only 1 month.
But i won't let him turn anything on until this coming weekend. It just wasn't time yet. I'm not totally sure why, since Thanksgiving is over and all, but it just didn't feel right yet.
I'm big on not turning anything on until AFTER Thanksgiving is over. Since when did it become ok to just skip over Thanksgiving all together? I for one love Thanksgiving, and i don't want to skip over it.
So we wait until i say so, lol.
This weekend, we will most likely be going out to get our Christmas tree.
We are real people (by that i mean we prefer real trees to fake trees)
I don't have anything against fake trees, they look very real and sometimes really nice.
We are just real kinda people.
We like the tradition of going to the tree farm, searching around for the "perfect" tree, cutting it down ourselves and taking it home.
I DON'T like the part where no matter how hard i try, and no matter what i do, the darn thing dies early and sheds needles all over my house making a huge mess!
But i digress.
We'll most likely be getting the tree this weekend since my indoor seasons start next weekend and i'll be busy almost every night again.
We have to go out and get new ornaments for the tree this year. A ton of our old ornaments were destroyed in the flood.
On the positive side, we saved all the really important ones. And we get a chance to go out and buy all new pretty ones to decorate however we want to.
We'll see what we end up with and how it all turns out.
I'll be sure to add pictures of our tree cutting expedition and our ginormous tree sometime this weekend.
Now that we have a bigger house, Frank can't stop me from getting a huge tree, nor can he guilt me into a smaller one. Watch out people, i'm a girl on a mission!!

THANKSgiving...

2011-11-16T15:12:00.002-05:00

Nov 14~ I am thankful for...craft and crafty websites. Where else would i get my wonderful ideas and great motivation for all the crafty things i like to do, both by myself and with my kids. Sometimes being crafty is so much fun!!!

Nov 15~ I am thankful for...Santa. Mady is finally old enough to sorta get who Santa is, and what it is that he does. So now i can tell her she has to and she has to do it because "Santa is watching, and he only brings toys to little girls and little boys that listen to their mommys and daddys. Muah-ha-ha-ha-ha.

Nov 16~I am thankful for...front row parking (or close to it). Now, i don't just mean on any old day, but on days that i have both girls with me and it's pouring down rain. If it were just me, i don't care how far i have to park away, and i can always take my umbrella. But it's hard to carry the carseat, hold an umbrella, hold Mady's hand and make sure that she holds her umbrella right and doesn't poke anyone (ie me, Em, or a passing stranger). They really need "family parking" spots. Not necessarily up in the front with the handicapped spots, but maybe the ones that are right close to the carts. That would be soooooooo handy!

It's a picture overload...

2011-11-13T22:07:00.009-05:00

This is how my days usually end, with everyone crashed out on the floor

Sliding into the leaves

Running from leaf pile to leaf pile

Where's waldo?!

Sliding into the leaves

Striking a pose

Pap Pap Gary's Halloween mask

Chillin with her best friend

Building snowmen with Uncle Jack

So excited about her snowman

Lovin bein mobile

Mobile baby

Stiffie family totem pole...minus mommy

My blondie in her Blondie onesie

Hey!

Sisterly love <3

Penguin teether

Daddy hugs are the best

Pap Pap Gary's Halloween mask

Purse theif...on the move with Mady's purse

Seriously always smiling!!

THANKSgiving...

2011-11-13T09:09:00.002-05:00

Nov 13~ I am thankful for...cooking shows on tv. How else would i get new recipies to torture, i mean test, on my family. Sometimes they're good, sometimes not so much...but it's always fun to try!

THANKSgiving...

2011-11-13T09:06:00.002-05:00

Nov 12~ I am thankful for...Christmas decorations. I love the christmas season. It's just so, well, festive! I love all the colorful lights. I love all the inflatable decorations. I love the Christmas trees. I love all the knick knacks. And i can't wait to put it all up!!! But i won't do that until AFTER Thanksgiving, thank you very much.

THANKSgiving...

2011-11-13T09:02:00.002-05:00

Nov 11~ I am thankful for...a non mobile baby. Well, technically, she is semi-mobile...but she isn't crawling (yet). I know i say that i want her to crawl all over the place, and i can't wait and all...but secretly, i really don't want her to be able to move when i put her down because it's so convienient right now! How am i going to be able to pee when she starts crawling?! I already have 1 kid following me around the house, soon i'll have 2! And then i have to child proof the whole house...oy!

THANKSgiving...

2011-11-10T21:08:00.002-05:00

Nov 10~ I am thankful for...leftovers and/or microwavable foods. Cuz somedays, you just don't have the energy or the time to cook a really great meal.

THANKSgiving...

2011-11-10T08:11:00.002-05:00

Nov 9~ I am thankful for...opinions. I may not always like yours, and you may not always like mine, but that's what makes them wonderful...everyone is entitled to think whatever they want! There is no law governing your thoughts, except your own of course. Now, you can't go and act on your thoughts without reprecussions, remember that when you say what you want. But by all means, think whatever you want! I know i do :)

Thanks...

2011-11-08T20:23:00.001-05:00

Nov 8~ I am thankful for...hot drinks on cold days. They taste so good, and they warm you all the way from your mouth down to your belly. Then, they warm the rest of you all up too! And take it from me, sitting out at a freezing cold football practice calls for something, anything, to warm you up.

Can't sleep? Try counting your blessings...

2011-11-04T16:29:00.003-04:00

In honor of Thanksgiving (yes, there really IS a holiday between Haloween and Christmas), i am going to make my best effort to blog every day with one thing i am thankful for. I hope i inspire everyone to count their blessings, and cherish what they have.

THANKSgiving:
Nov 7~ I am thankful for...my job. I know i tend to complain sometimes about job, who doesn't?! But i really am thankful for what i have. My job is meaningful, for the most part it's non-stressful, and it's something i really enjoy doing. I like the people i work with, i like the kids i work with, and i like doing what i do because i feel confident that i can help people when other people would falter and not be able to. Also, my job allows me to be able to be home with my girls all morning, and getting that quality time is a very rare thing for a working parent. And most nights, i'm home at a reasonable time to eat with my family and play with my girls some more before bed time. And, i get summers off...yea buddy!

Nov 6~ I am thankful for...my church. There are so many wonderful people that attend my church, and our priest is very accepting of everyone...including the screaming kids. Some people tend to lose patients with kids, especially during mass, but it really seems that the people at my church enjoy having the kids there, screaming and all (except when they get REALLY out of hand, but that falls back to the parents at that point).

Nov 5~ I am thankful for...my jogger strollers. If it weren't for my single before, and now my double, jogger stroller, i would not be able to stay in shape with my kids in my new house. It's so nice to be able to go outside and run, having both my girls with me. Now, i wouldn't say that if you stopped me during that said run, since pushing BOTH girls AND a stroller is hella heavy!

Nov 4~ I am thankful for...my new house. Well, i guess i can't really call it new anymore, since we've been here since February. The new house has given us more room inside for our growing family, it's given us a huge yard for the girls (and the dogs) to play in without fear of getting hit by a car or stolen by a random stranger, and it's given us a better sense of independence. Someday we'll finish all our projects around the house and we'll finally be able to sit back and do nothing but enjoy our surroundings...HA!

Nov 3~ I am thankful for...my family. Both my flesh and blood family, my through marriage family, and my friends. Everyone is always there for us whenever we need them, and who could ask for more?!

Nov 2~ I am thankful for...my amazing kids. My girls are my world, and i can't imagine my life without them...come to think of it, i can't REMEMBER my life without them! They make me happy, even when it seems nothing is going right. Having them in my life makes me know that my time here was worth something and has made a difference.

Nov 1~ I am thankful for...my wonderful husband Frank. I am not always easy to get along with (hey, who is?!), but he is always there for me when i really need him (and even when i don't). We may fight, but i would definately have to say we are a perfect match for each other.

Happy Halloween!!

2011-11-01T09:40:00.004-04:00

Really?! Snow...on Halloween?!?!

2011-10-29T19:58:00.003-04:00

Cleaning off HER car, just like daddy

Snowy hands

Snowball time

Cheese!
We are the smart ones

What Em and I were doing while Daddy and Mady were outside

Our snow at 3pm...9 inches and counting

Pictures...

2011-10-25T09:58:00.004-04:00

Growing girls...

2011-10-24T16:11:00.002-04:00

Today both the girls had their respective doctors appointments.
Mady had her 3 year and Em had her 6 month.

Mady is 38 1/2" tall and weighs in at a staggering (lol) 33lbs 2oz.
The doctor said she seems like she will be at least as tall as i am, if not taller, and she will be all leg like i am too.

Em is 25 3/4" tall and weighs in at a stagger (a little less lol since she is my sumo bug) 15lbs 14oz. It's very funny, because when Mady had her 6 month, she was 14lbs 2oz. It just goes to show you that Em likes her food, just like her mommy :)

Both girls got the flu vaccine today.
I'm not a huge advocate of the flu shot/spray, but i figure that since both girls go to daycare twice a week, it's probably a good idea to get since i'm sure colds and sicknesses go around quite a bit. But once they get a bit older, we are going to not get the flu shot/spray anymore. I don't get it and i only get sick once or twice a year. And oddly enough, i know people that DO get the vaccine and are sick all the time. I guess it's just a personal preference. To each their own!

What have we been up to...

2011-10-24T16:00:00.002-04:00

Let's see, what have we been up to in the past 2 weeks...
Wow, has it really been 2 weeks already?!
Sometimes i don't know where the time goes!
So we had Mady's 3rd birthday party on the 8th, and it was tons of fun.
It was really nice out, so pretty much everyone was outside, and of course Mady was running people ragged. Em, she just wanted to be held and nap on people.
Mady got so much nice stuff, and it was so nice to have all our friends and family around to celebrate with us. We want to share and extra special thank you to everyone who came to share that memory with us, and for all the wonderful things that you all got Mady. We are so blessed to have each one of you in our lives.
We had a ton of rain days lately. And you all know what that means...playing inside!
So we've been playing tons of games and working on Mady learning to write her letters. And, thanks to the DVDs that my mom got her, Mady now also knows what sound each letter says.
We've also been playing a ton of dress up, thanks to the awesome clothes and princess gear that a few people got for her. The only bad thing is, she is mad that mommy doesn't fit into her dress up clothes...and darn, i'm sad too...or not!
This past week, the girls and I got sick. Mady was sick for about 2 weeks and is just starting to break out of it. Em was only sick for about 3 days (thank god), and mommy was sick for about a week and is finally breaking out of it too. Good thing Frank has a tough immune system...3 sick people in the house and he came out with only a stuffy sinus for 2 days, lucky dog!
This past Saturday, we took the girls to Rohrbach's farm for the morning.
They have hay rides, corn mazes, a playland, pony rides, a corn sandbox, a bouncy house, and tons of yummy food (including apple dumplings)
Em got in the corn sandbox for a while and played around. I'm amazed she didn't try to eat the corn!
I've decided that instead of a sandbox for the girls, i was a corn box. We'll see if Frank lets that one happen. Who says you have to fill those turtles with sand?! And heck, maybe i could even find something bigger!!
And yes, don't get mad yet...i will be uploading pictures from our recent activities within the next few days, once i get them off the camera and onto the computer.

My baby is 3!!!!!!!

2011-10-10T18:09:00.000-04:00

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

Oldie McFart...

2011-10-03T21:06:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday Frank!!
Luv ya!

That's my kid...

2011-09-30T16:38:00.002-04:00

So Madylinn was playing around the house Wednesday night.
It was like any other week night.
Mady was playing with her toys, Em was watching her and laughing, Frank and I were playing with both girls and semi-watching tv at the same time.
Mady got up and started running around the house doing laps (her new favorite thing to do, since the new house is a big circle downstairs).
Frank went into the kitchen for a drink, and that's when i heard it.
THUNK!
Low and behold, Mady was running through the kitchen, and like usual, she was looking back over her shoulder at what i can only imagine was Frank chasing her, and SMACK, right into the wall.
She had a huge lump form on the side of her forehead right away.
It even started turning black and blue right away.
We got her her Elmo ice pack, and Frank held it on her head for a while until it got warm.
She then insisted on having her teddy bear ice pack and holding it on herself.
She was a trooper though, i'll give her credit.
Only a few tears.
But not 30min later, what was she doing again?!
Running loops around the downstairs.
That's my kid!!

Could i be crazy...

2011-09-26T15:47:00.002-04:00

So i packed up the girls today and we went to the mall.
We made a few stops for things we needed...you know, birthday presents, odds and ends.
We ended up at Target so i could get Mady her birthday present from Frank and I.
Yes, we finally decided to get her the Leap Pad, better known as the IPad for kids.
They had one there to look at, but it was all but bolted down to the shelf, so you could pick it up and hold it or anything.
And it didn't let you test out any of the apps, it just played the same "commercial" that the website plays.
Cheap.
But, i bought it anyway.
It comes with 4 apps, and it has a built in camera and video recorder.
Mady will like the camera part, she is always trying to take peoples pictures.
Now i just have to make sure she isn't taking random people pictures while we're out.
I think she'll be good with the 4 apps it comes with, at least until she gets the hang of it.
We can put a few games on her christmas list.
The good thing is, it's compatable with the Leapster Explorer, which has some really cute games, and they are a bit cheaper.
As i was packing the car up to go home, i thought to myself...
Am i crazy?!
Did i just buy my daughter a video game or a learning tool (hopefully both i guess)?!
Did i just buy her a kiddie IPad, and we still have an old desktop computer?!
Why cant i ever just get her something small and reasonably priced?!
Am i totally out of my mind?!?!

A really real list...

2011-09-26T15:36:00.002-04:00

I got this in an email from my awesome, funny Aunt Marian.
I couldn't find it to be any truer!!
Had to share it with everyone, it made me laugh out loud...
until i realized that i could relate to each and every thing on that list.

Adult Truths:
1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die. (Amen sister, amen)

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong. (Now this one, this has never happened to me...haha)

3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger. (I tell Mady this almost every day)

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font. (I know quite a few people that deserve that one)

5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet? (I still can't figure it out)

6. Was learning cursive really necessary? (I only cursive my name on checks, everything else is print)

7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood. (Seriously)

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died. (Some of them would be quite entertaining)

9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired. (Double agree)

10. Bad decisions make good stories. (Quite a few years later though)

11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day. (For example, i'm typing this now AT WORK)

12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again. (Still haven't bought more than a few blue rays)

13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to. (I know right, and sometimes i'm afraid to hit save because i'm afraid it will save it bloank because i didn't actually make any changes)

14. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call. (Call ID is a blessing)

15. I think the freezer deserves a light as well. (How else can i find the ice cream)

16. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay. (Or bud light, or Yuengling, or a few shots for that matter)

17. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option. (Lock your doors people)

18. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger. (Especially during late night television)

19. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said? (I think i've gotten to about 4 before i just agree...sometimes agreeing is worse though)

20. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. (Don't you just hate that...and they are always followed by about 10 more people who think they can do the same thing!)

21. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever. (Try telling this to my husband...jeans don't need to be washed EVERY TIME you wear them!)

22. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.
(Sometimes i look down the 3rd time and realize i don't even have my watch on)

23. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time. (Right here, that's me!!)

24. The first testicular guard, the "Cup," was used in Hockey in 1874 and the first helmet was used in 1974. That means it only took 100 years for men to realize that their brain is also important. (Some still don't realize it)

Sisterly love...

2011-09-23T23:02:00.002-04:00

I really think i lucked out.
Madylinn and Emmerson really do love each other.
And no, i don't just say that, i really believe it.
Em will follow Mady around the room, just staring at her, waiting for her to look at her so she can laugh and giggle.
Mady will try her hardest to not look at Em, then spin quick and look at her so she laughs.
Mady does just about anything she can to make Em laugh, she thinks it's the best thing.
I'm pretty sure Em thinks it's the best too.
And i just feel really blessed when i look at them together.
I know they are going to be the best of friends as they grow up together.
Em is really lucky to have such a smart, sweet, amazing sister like Mady.
Mady is lucky to have an adorable, loving shadow, i mean sister, like Em.

The strange places kids sleep...

2011-09-15T08:59:00.002-04:00

Mady is one of those kids,
when she's tired she could sleep being held upside down by her ankles.
But for some reason,
once or twice a week,
i wake up to find her sleeping in the hallway.
It's not that she's afraid to come into our room and wake me up,
trust me, she's done that more times than i can count.
For some reason she likes the hallway.
There is a little bump back by the linen closet, and she just brings her blanket out there and cozies up and falls back asleep.
At first it was cute, even a bit funny.
Now i'm getting a bit worried.
It's just so...odd!
Maybe we need to get a brighter night light for her room.
Maybe i'm just worrying for nothing.
After all, she is sleeping, it's just not in her own bed.
I guess things could be worse,
she could be sleepwalking with her garbage can again, lol.

Just showin a little love...

2011-09-12T19:47:00.001-04:00

Too cute to not share...

2011-09-12T19:43:00.003-04:00

So one of my friends in facebook land had this link on their page.
It was really cute.
And of course, since we have 2 girls, i thought it would be very appropriate to copy and post this on my blog.
I hope you all enjoy it as much as i did.
And i hope the guy or guys in your life can benefit from at least one of these rules...
I'm sure mine will.

http://www.fromdatestodiapers.com/50-rules-for-dads-of-daughters

Flood...

2011-09-08T16:20:00.001-04:00

I know there are tons and tons of people that got it worse than us.
God bless them and keep them safe.
Here is just some of what we got hit with at our house.

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

Enough already...

2011-09-07T13:48:00.002-04:00

So it's been raining since Sunday here,
and we've had enough!!
Last night, the rain finally topped the limit and our basement started flooding.
We should be used to it by now,
the basement has flooded more times than i can count since we moved here.
I wish i would have known this before we moved in here.
The previous owner said the basement would "get some water" during heavy rains.
Since when does "some water" mean 3 feet?!
On what freakin planet?!
We had to go out and get a pump to get the water out.
But since it's been raining since Sunday (and not just raining, but pouring)
the pump isn't making any progress...
it's just barely keeping up with the rain thats coming in.
At least it's doing that i guess.
I'm just hoping the rain stops soon and we can get the rain out quick so i can see what kind of damage i have in the basement.
All our towels, decorations, extra toys, my extra clothes...all in the basement...all underwater or floating right now.
It's so bad that the school even closed early for flooding...
even our daycare closed early due to flooding!
Why can't we send some of this rain down to Texas where they need it?!
And the great news is, it isnt' supposed to stop until Tuesday!!
I'll be building my ark if you need me before then.

Half way to mommy-stressville...

2011-09-06T11:50:00.002-04:00

Look who's sitting on her own now!
She's still a bit wobbly, but it's started!!
Before you know it, she will be crawling, and mommy will be going insane on a daily basis!

A new schedule...

2011-08-30T22:07:00.002-04:00

Well, camp weeks are finally over!
I'm so excited.
I always feel going in that i will never make it through,
and yet somehow, i always do.
And now i'm back to a more normal schedule, if you can ever call my schedule normal.

On another note, Em is pulling a fast one on us.
She used to nap 3x a day, for about 30min-3 hours, depending on her mood and the day.
Well, now she's switching things up on me.
Recently, she's been sleeping like 2 hours for her late morning nap,
skipping her early afternoon nap,
and then napping about 1-2 hours for her late afternoon/early evening nap.
It really threw me off for a few days there, getting used to it and all.
Now it's kinda nice.
It gives Mady and I more time to play together during the day.
Not so good for whomever has to watch Em in the afternoons, hahaha.

Em is getting better at sitting on her own.
She still falls over almost all the time,
but she is really trying her hardest.
She is really into grabbing at things, and of course, putting them in her mouth.
Typical baby, her favorite thing to grab is my hair.
On a funny note, she also loves to grab Frank's chest hair.
Em, Mady and I laugh...Frank, not so much.
She is also starting to yell more and more.
Now that she knows that it's her voice that she hears, she thinks it's great.

Mady is still growing like a weed.
She is sillier than ever, and like a typical almost 3 year old, she is non-stop all day long.
We are always trying to teach her new things.
She is like a little sponge, soaking up everything she hears.
She is having a great time at her new "school" with her new friends.
I'm trying to get her to remember their names, but that's still a work in progress.
Right now, she is pretty obsessed with movies.
She loves to watch movies!
I'm trying to get her outside as much and as long as i can during the day.
Before we know it, it's going to be really cold and we won't be able to go outside as much.

I'm still working on all the details for Mady's 3rd birthday party.
She is very excited for it already, and it's still over a month away!
She will be very upset when, after her birthday, i tell her her next birthday is a whole year away.
That's a really long countdown.
Maybe we'll be having a few Un-Birthdays during the year.

It's no wonder...

2011-08-25T20:16:00.003-04:00

It's no wonder American's are unemployed.
People from other countries are willing to work,
They are smarter too!
Our education system in this country is taking some really huge hits.
Is that really something we want to do?
Is that really something we can afford to do?
Around here, they have cut pre-school classes all together.
They have moved the enrollment date for kindergarden back.
And now, kindergarden is only a half day!
When i was little (which wasn't really all THAT long ago) i went to preschool for TWO years.
Yup, you read that right, i went when i was 3 and when i was 4.
Then i went to a full day kindergarden.
FULL DAY!
Yes, we had nap time, recess, show and tell, art...
Nothing overly strenous.
But we were there full day to learn.
Look what it has come to.
They've already started weeding people out too.
Now, you have to make under a certain amount of money to be able to enroll your child in the only preschool class in the area.
No offense to anyone reading this, i'm not a bigot or full of myself or anything...
But why do the poor people get to have their children educated and people like us don't?!
I'm not saying i'm better than anyone,
But i work my butt off for what i have, and so does my husband.
So why must our kids be punished?!
I think all kids, regardless of money/race/gender/etc, should get to get an equal education.
It just really ticks me off.
Sorry for my vent.
Looks like i'll just have to dust off Aunt Marian's teaching skills and make her open her own "preschool" and teach my kids all they need to know and more.

Shake, rattle and roll...

2011-08-24T13:04:00.002-04:00

So yesterday there was an earthquake in Virginia, and the shock waves resonated all the way to New York.
And i totally felt it!
Something i can cross off my bucket list that i never thought i would be able to.
I was sitting in my room at work, getting ready to go outside.
Suddenly, i felt my chair start swaying.
I looked up and the water in my water bottle was shaking.
The blinds on the wall where rocking.
The door was rattling.
It was really weird.
I didn't know what was going on at first.
I thought maybe a really really really big gust of wind blew through,
but that didn't seem quite right.
It wasn't until 30min later when i was down on the football field that i heard an earthquake had gone through the area.
I wasn't the only one here that felt it either.
I can't imagine experiencing a real earthquake, not just an aftershock.

Parent job description...

2011-08-24T11:36:00.001-04:00

PARENT - Job Description

POSITION :

Mom, Mommy, Mama, Ma
Dad, Daddy, Dada, Pa, Pop

JOB DESCRIPTION :

Long term, team players needed, for challenging, Permanent work in an Often chaotic environment.
Candidates must possess excellent communication And organizational skills and be willing to work Variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends And frequent 24 hour shifts on call.
Some overnight travel required, including trips to Primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities!
Travel expenses not reimbursed.
Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES :

The rest of your life.
Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, Until someone needs $5.
Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly.
Also, must possess the physical stamina of a Pack mule And be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat In case, this time, the screams from The backyard are not someone just crying wolf...
Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, Such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets And stuck zippers.
Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and Coordinate production of multiple homework projects.
Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings For clients of all ages and mental outlooks.
Must be a willing to be indispensable one minute, An embarrassment the next.
Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a Half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices.
Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.
Must assume final, complete accountability for The quality of the end product.
Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and Janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION :

None.
Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, So that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE :

None required unfortunately.
On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION :

Get this! You pay them!
Offering frequent raises and bonuses.
A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because Of the assumption that college will help them Become financially independent.
When you die, you give them whatever is left.
The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that You actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS :

While no health or dental insurance, no pension, No tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and No stock options are offered; This job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth, unconditional love, And free hugs and kisses for life if you play your cards right.

Something to think about...

2011-08-23T10:24:00.002-04:00

My friend Tracy recently blogged about an article she found that she read and was moved by. I thought i should check it out and see what i thought. So i clicked on over, and found the article that i have copied and pasted below. I included the web address, so as not to unwillingly take credit for anything said below.
It's a really good article about mothering.
About taking time out to say "yes" instead of saying "no" or "i don't have time" or "not right now" so much.
It really made me think.
I try more than my best to be the best mommy i can be.
I want to have my kids look back on pictures and memories and think "wow, my mom really made time for me, we did lots of stuff, and she really cared".
Sometimes, though, i get caught up in myself.
I am a micromanager, as my mom would say.
And sometimes, i get caught up in things...like cleaning, organizing, planning, etc.
Sometimes Mady asks for something and i find myself telling her "not right now".
Why do i do that?!
It would take maybe 5 minutes to do something for or with her, and it would make her so happy!
Whatever i'm doing, in most situations, can wait.
I need to re-prioritze some things in my life i think.
Not to say that things will never get done.
But dinner can wait 5 minutes, the laundry can wait 10 minutes, Emmy can come outside and nap, no matter what it is it can wait.
I am going to make a concious effort to say yes more to my kids.
Hopefully, if you read this article, you will feel the same way.
Enjoy!

http://powerofmoms.com/2011/07/is-mommy-too-busy/

I am a very fast paced person. I love to be busy. I relish in the feeling of completing a task. I hate to be interrupted. When my first baby was born, I remember my greatest concern was that he would slow me down. It took me twice as long just to load the car with an infant. Now, with three kids, we often sit in the driveway for 10 minutes working to get everyone buckled! Even the smallest tasks seem overwhelming when it includes shuffling children in and out of the car more than once. I often find myself thinking, “I could have done this so much faster on my own!”

As my children have grown, I have gotten into the habit of saying things like, “Not right now,” or “In a bit,” or “Mommy is too busy,” or just plain “No” when my children ask for some of my precious time. They need me to play with them, build Legos, read a story, watch a movie or play in the sand. I’m also guilty of always hurrying my children. I can be heard saying things like, “Hurry quickly and get dressed,” or “We’re running out of time,” or “Come now!”

I had a realization a while back. I am not really mothering. I am so focused on my “lists” and moving onto the next thing that I am missing many of the moments that really matter. I have been so involved in the good things that I am failing to take time for the best things. These moments, right now, are the critical moments in my life! So what did I do about my realization?

First, I let go of some things in my life (or at least greatly scaled them back). I’ll have time later in my life to do some things that I am putting on hold now. I don’t have to give them up fully, but life has times and seasons, and this season is a little more kid-focused.

Second, I started to treat my mothering like a career it is. When I worked in other careers, I would attend seminars, read books and train myself so I could be the best I could in that job. Now, motherhood is my job, so it is okay to spend money on seminars and workshops, read books and work to improve my mothering. I focus on what I can do with my children that will be meaningful and fun. I am more intentional as I plan each day of my “work”.

Third, and probably most important, I say “yes” a whole lot more. I have learned to stop what I am doing to read a book with my oldest or smash Play-Doh with my three-year-old, or cuddle my baby. After all, it only takes five minutes. Don’t misunderstand; I still take time for me. I still engage in projects where my kids have to wait for me to step away. But, each time they need me, I evaluate if what I’m doing now can wait another minute while I “mother”.

After returning from the grocery store with all three kids at nearly 4:30 pm the other day (a trip I only make in near emergency situations), my oldest asked me to ride bikes with him. The immediate thoughts in my head were of the dinner that needed to be made and the baby that needed fed. But, I said “yes” and loaded my two youngest into the bike trailer and set out with my oldest in the front. We rode for 20 minutes. We bonded. And, guess what? Dinner still got made and the baby didn’t starve.

Today, I took my middle son to the greenhouse to get some soil pep. This greenhouse has a bridge over a pond on one side. As we were leaving, he said that he wanted to walk over the bridge. Even just a year ago, I would have said “No,” that we needed to hurry home. Instead, I loaded our purchases into the car and then walked back over with him to stand on the bridge. He was so thrilled to be standing on the bridge, looking at the fish and the water. It only took a minute or two, but it made his day. Once we got off the bridge, he looked at me with his huge, blue eyes and said to me, “Mom, I wanted to go on the bridge this many times,” holding up three fingers. I told him to run over it two more times and then we’d go, which he happily did with a very satisfied grin in his face. He had no complaints as we got in the car and headed home. A five minute detour had proved to be worth it. This is especially true considering the tantrum it prevented and the joy it brought to one little boy’s life.

Now that I have slowed down a little, I notice and enjoy the little moments more. I find more humor and joy in the silly things my kids do. We laugh together more. Amazingly, they are also more obedient and happy because they are getting the attention they need. And, I feel more balance in my mothering and in my overall life.

QUESTION: What can you eliminate (or scale back) from your life in order to be able to say “yes” to your kids more?

CHALLENGE: Just once this week, when you would have usually said “No”, say “Yes” instead and take note of what happens.

Another week...

2011-08-23T09:08:00.002-04:00

Well, we are officially into week 2 of camp weeks.
It hasn't been too bad so far
It's actually gone pretty quickly
I still can't wait until it's over though.
Only a few more days.
Then i can finally get back into my routine.
And i can start the girls on their NEW routine, which will now involve the daycare/babysitter.
It won't be a big change, but i have to change things a little bit or everything will fall apart.
Like nap time, for instance.
Right now, Mady is napping at 130pm and Emmy naps at various times during the day.
I have to move Mady's nap time back to around 1230pm on babysitter days and 115pm on daycare days (i will be taking her in early so she can nap with the other kids).
She isn't going to be a huge fan of switching things around, but if we don't she won't get a nap at all some days, and that will make for a miserable night for poor daddy.
Hopefully we can transition smoothly.
Hopefully.

Family picture day...

2011-08-20T22:28:00.017-04:00

Just call me biased, but i really do think i have the best family in the whole wide world!!
Not only are they ridiculously good looking, but look what they let me do to them!
Cuddle bug Em

All smiles

Split family

Family collage

Family rivalry

Daddy and his lil longhorn

Mommy and her lil irish princess

Cheese

My lil ham

Daddy and his angels

Mommy and her besties

The loves of my life

They are so freakin cute

Could i get any luckier

Football saturday at it's finest

Is it Friday yet?!

2011-08-18T12:06:00.003-04:00

So daycare went pretty well for the girls yesterday.
Mady, of course, had a great time.
She ate, she played with the other kids, they had learning time, and she even made a kitty cat mask that she brought home (she colored it green, hahaha).
Em is still having a rough time with me gone.
She only napped about an hour total at daycare, and she was a bit fussy still.
Nothing too bad i'm sure, but for how she is for me, i'm sure it was more.
Tomorrow Frank is taking off because Em has a doctor's appointment, and since i'm working all day everyday for the next week yet, i can't take her.
So at least tomorrow she should get back to a semi-normal schedule.
Although, Em does like me more than she does her daddy, lol.
I think it's because i can tolerate more crying and i'm a bit more soothing.
She loves him a lot, don't get me wrong, she just knows who's going to give her what she wants.
That will all change when she gets older,
Just look at how daddy is with Mady.
He is captain softee, mister i can't say no to her.
And he thought he would be the strong one.
HA!!

Day 3...

2011-08-17T13:06:00.002-04:00

Today is day 3 of my camp weeks.
So far it hasn't rained, and it's been pretty hot again today.
I keep trying to tell everyone that it could be worse,
But for some reason they just don't believe me anymore.

It's been an extra hard day for me today so far.
I had to take both kids to daycare for the day.
Those of you that know me, know that i HATE taking my kids to daycare for a full day.
Partial days i can do, but full days depress me.
I know 90% of parents take their kids to daycare for 8-10 hours a day,
But it just bothers me.
Depending on a stranger to make sure my kids are safe, fed and happy.
I just don't like the feeling.
Plus, we're at a new daycare this year since we've moved.
So on top of my already anxious feelings, i'm even more anxious because it's a new place will all new people that don't have a clue about my kids.
Mady is in the toddler room, but they are going to test her and see if she will be able to move up to the preschool room.
I know i'm just bragging, but i know she'll be able to move up because she is very smart!
Em is in the infant room with 1 other baby girl.
I worry about her the most.
Mady adapts well, and she is able to play with the other kids and almost forget about Mommy and Daddy until we come get her.
Em on the other hand, is a very needy baby.
And she knows when she isnt' with someone she wants to be with.
She has been having a really rough time with me at work.
She is so used to me being around her all the time (it's been 17weeks non-stop with her).
She hasn't been napping during the day very well, and she's been fussy.
It makes me sad to think she is so unhappy and i can't do anything about it.
I just keep counting down the days until camps are over.
Soon baby girl, soon.

Day 2...

2011-08-17T13:03:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was day 2 of my camp weeks.
Again, i was lucky enough to have someone come over and watch the girls.
This time it was "Grammy Kay Loraine's" turn.
She was extra smart too.
She brought reinforcements to help her tackle the 2 kids.
She brought Mady and Em's cousin Isabella!
I didn't hear much about the day, but i'm sure Isabella kept Mady pretty busy...
And visa versa if i know my kid, lol.

I had a long day at work.
It rained on and off all morning, so everyone was pretty soaked and miserable.
Then when the rain cleared after lunch, it got pretty hot out.
Knock on wood, it's still not as hot as years past...
But then again, we still have a week and a half of camps to go.

I forgot how much i dreaded camp weeks.
I'm tired already!!

And so it begins...

2011-08-15T19:35:00.002-04:00

That's right folks, it's that time of year again.
The time of year where i live at the school, and briefly visit my house, for 2 whole weeks.
I have been dreading going back to work more than usual this year.
I think it's because i've been home with Em for almost 17 weeks, and i hate leaving her.
When i had to leave Mady the first few times i cried.
Now i have to leave 2 of them!!
It's a little bit easier for me this time around though, as i have some wonderful family members that are willing to come over and watch the girls a few times for me so i don't have to send both of them to daycare everyday, all day.
I know daycare is good for them, for interaction with other kids, learning, etc.
It just hurts my heart to leave them!!
I know most people take their kids to daycare for 8-10 hours a day, 5 days a week.
I just can't do it!!
So last night my Mother-in-law came over and spent the night and watched the girls for us today.
It was nice to have them with family that they knew and were comfortable with.
I heard they weren't perfect little angels for her though.
They are definately a handfull to take care of sometimes!!
1 day down, only 10 more to go!!

Happy Birthday...

2011-08-13T22:15:00.003-04:00

Happy Happy Birthday to the best Uncle ever!! We love you so much Uncle Jack!! We hope you liked the brownies, they were mixed and poured with lots and lots of love by your favorite god-daughter/great niece Madylinn. We hope you had a great birthday, and tons and tons more!
All our love,
Stacey, Frank, Madylinn and Emmerson :)

Rainy day activities...

2011-08-09T12:49:00.006-04:00

This is what we do on rainy days.
It's getting harder and harder to entertain a 2 year old inside all day.
What am i going to do when winter gets here?!

My mini mommy...

2011-08-05T19:47:00.002-04:00

Mady has been really good with Emme ever since she was born.
She's been better than i ever thought she would be.
She loves to hug her and kiss her,
Hold her and feed her.
I even think she would change her diapers if i would let her.
So it should be no surprise how much she wants to help me in the mornings.
I try to wake up early so i can get a little workout in before the girls wake up.
That lasted about a day.
Between me not wanting to get out of bed,
Emme wanting to be awake early,
And Mady hearing Emme and not wanting to miss a thing,
We made it a family affair to workout in the mornings.
Emme usually sits in her swing, while Mady eats her yogurt and drinks her milk at the coffee table.
I turn on Team Umizoomi for Mady, and i do my workout from the computer.
Emme usually sits and laughs at me (what's so funny, i have to lose the weight i put on from you, silly girl)
Mady often takes breaks from her breakfast to exercise with me, or to just cheer me on (how could i not work harder when i hear "Go mommy, Go mommy, Go!!" from behind me).
Then, when Emme starts to fuss because it's getting close to her breakfast time, or she's just bored watching me workout,
Mady comes to the rescue.
It's so freakin cute, and so darn helpful!
She gets her her binky,
She sings to her,
She tells her jokes,
She gets her stuffies to hold and play with,
She gets pretty much anything that makes noise to entertain her,
And sometimes she'll even start to feed her for me.
Sometimes i feel like a bad mom, having my almost 3 year old feed my almost 4 month old while i exercise.
Good thing only i know about it...
Oh, and you all too now.
She wants to do it though, i swear!
She really does like it!
How sweet she is to Emme, now that's what i call love.

Love...

2011-08-03T22:01:00.000-04:00

He said, she said...

2011-08-03T21:24:00.002-04:00

(As we sit watching an already famous singer perform on tv)

He said: This is stupid, he is lip-syncing!

She said: At least he's dancing full out. You have to either sing live or dance full out, or its not worth watching.

What do you think?

Proof you can't say no...

2011-07-28T19:48:00.002-04:00

Look at those handprints, all over his shirt!!

And check out those matching chalky faces!!

It's time to crack down...

2011-07-25T14:07:00.002-04:00

So i think i've hit my wall.
It's been almost 13 weeks since i've had Em, and i've hit the weight loss wall.
I've been running as many days as i can, but the weight has just seemed to plateau.
So it's time to take more drastic measures to get it off.
Well, not necessarily drastic.
I hate diets, so that pretty much rules that out.
I like to eat what i want, in moderation of course.
That's not too bad. TOO bad. I hope.
So this morning i started back up on Insanity.
I did Insanity last summer and it really helped get me in shape fast, and shed some of the stubborn pounds that just wouldn't come off.
I'm hoping it works as good, if not better, this time.
I'm also going to make an attempt at eating better.
Less sweets, less soda (less, not none).
I'm also trying that whole "chew slow and long" stuff.
We'll see how it goes.
Here's hoping!!
Run away fat, run away!!!

A pretty busy time...

2011-07-25T08:02:00.003-04:00

So it's been a while since i've blogged, i know.
We've had a lot going on.
Last week i lost my Grandmother.
She was a great woman that was loved by many.
Also, our really good friends were in from Florida all last week.
So we've been very busy running around a lot.

On another note, this heat has been a killer lately.
Thank god we have a pool, or i think we would have all melted!
But it seems to have turned my kids into power sleepers at night

I think it could be that Mady has been sleeping in our bed at night the past few days.
We had an AC go down, so Mady doesn't have one in her room, so we've let her sleep with us to stay cool.
Thank god we got the bigger bed finally!
And Em always ends up cuddling with me in bed around 6am.
So it could be the cool air, it could be the new bed...
I'm not sure, but i need to figure it out.
If i could get these kids to power sleep in their OWN rooms, i would be the happiest mommy in the world!
I would get kicked, drooled on, layed on and otherwise mauled all morning long.

Look what i can do...

2011-07-15T12:30:00.001-04:00

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Comparisons...

2011-07-15T10:05:00.003-04:00

So i finally figured out how to do split screen photos.
It was really east to figure out to, once i sat down and had time to do it.
Now i feel kinda silly that i didn't do it before.
But anyway, i've got it now.
And here are some camparison pictures of Madylinn and Emmerson at month marks.
1 month old

2 months old

3 months old

They started out alike, but now Em is starting to look different

Easy come, easy go...

2011-07-13T08:49:00.002-04:00

That's how it always seems to be.
We get money, and we don't have it a full day and Frank already has it spent in his head.
And those of you that know Frank know he hates taking NO for an answer.
This one is partially my fault though.
I put the idea in his head.
We finally sold the boat :(
I know, i'm really sad about it.
But with Em being so little, it would be practically impossible to use the boat this summer.
And finding people to go on the boat every weekend so we can ski and tube isn't as easy as you'd think it would be.
But now we have the pool, so i think it's a pretty fair trade.
And we've vowed to get another boat in a few years when the kids get a bit older.
But anyway, back to the story.
We sold the boat, so now we have the money for that.
Frank wants to buy a hot tub.
Not that i don't want one, but when would we use it?
The way it is, by the time he gets home from work,
he showers and spends a little time with the girls,
we eat dinner,
clean up,
then it's time to start the bed time rituals (ie baths, stories and cuddles).
By the time that's all done, its late.
He can't even stay awake past dinner time the way it is,
and he thinks he can stay awake past the girls bedtime just to get in a hot tub?!
HA!
So when he was making his usual plea for what he wants,
i made the suggestion "Why don't we go look at beds".
I should have emphasized LOOK a bit better.
In his typical way, looking means coming home with something right then and there.
So needless to say, we went to Shimocks and Baders, and now we have a new bed.
This didn't come without a fight though.
Of course, he isn't happy with just a new bed,
he wants to entire 6 piece bedroom suit, plus 2 end tables, plus everything else he saw.
And of course he wasn't happy with a queen bed, he wanted the king.
Even though i told him the difference in the price of sheets from queen to king is a lot.
So after arguing, and me making my points well known,
we ended up getting just the queen bed, but we got the best mattress available.
I thought it was a good compromise.
Plus i told him we could get the bedroom suit pieces one by one.
We dont' need them all right now.
My most compelling argument is simply, "Just because we have all this money now, doesn't mean we have to run right out and spend it all".
Why doesn't he understand that?!
Is it a guy thing?!
But he at least gets the new bed he wants, so now i don't have to hear him complain about how much his body hurts from an old bed.

And so it's done...

2011-07-12T20:43:00.005-04:00

Em's ears are finally pierced.
She did better than Mady did when we had her's done.
Daddy, on the other hand, wasn't so ready this time.
But both patients did vry well.
Em only cried, maybe, 10 seconds.
Daddy didnt cry at all, but he looked like he wanted to.

Things that go bump in the night...

2011-07-08T11:52:00.002-04:00

So Frank is very insistant that there is a Mountain Lion in the woods behind our house.
Ever since our neighbor came home from vacation and said her dad thought he saw one.
I think they are ALL our of their minds.
There is no Mountain Lion!
But he is insistant.
He was out walking the dogs the other night...
now mind you, he takes a flashlight and a gun with him (so don't sneak up on him, lol)...
well, he swears he heard something in the woods,
and then he swears he heard something up behind the shed that "was definately bigger than a human",
you know, because nothing can sound big and be nothing.
So he comes running into the house, dragging the dogs behind him, yelling "get it, get it".
He is at the screen door, shining the flashlight out into the woods, looking for something out there.
All we saw was a cat, a kitty cat.
It's too funny how scared he is of this supposed Mountain Lion!
We were in the car the other day and we were going down the road.
I said to him "LOOK! There's the Mountain Lion!!"
and of course he yells "Where?!" like there really is one just hanging out on the side of the road.
Of course, it was just a kitty cat that i pointed to.
I told him he better warn the neighbors.
I was laughing,
he wasn't...lol

Happy 4th of July everyone!

2011-07-04T19:02:00.001-04:00

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-02T09:39:00.007-04:00

From our family to yours, have a happy and safe Fourth of July weekend!!

What have we been up to...

2011-07-01T18:13:00.003-04:00

We got some new hair accessories...

We had a few good laughs...

And we managed to get Grammy into the pool...

What have we been up to...

2011-07-01T18:00:00.008-04:00

I know it's been a while since i've posted.
It's been a bit crazy around here.
We've been trying to catch up on our reading...

Frank went out last week and got a new car.
Well, not a "new" new car, a used new car.
It's a Traverse, and it's so nice.
And it's just as roomy as the Yukon was, if not more!
It also has a DVD player in the roof for the girls,
And it comes with wireless headphones so mommy and daddy don't have to listen to the movie (for the millioneth time).

We've spend some quality time with family.

(As you can see, i am CLEARLY the one that doesn't fit into this family)

We caught some rays...

We had a few lunch dates...

And we spent a ton of time in the pool...

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's superman...

2011-06-21T08:16:00.002-04:00

Well, it's not really Superman,
it's just my husband...
But last night he acted like Superman.
It was pretty late, 9:21pm to be exact (cuz that's when i paused the Bachelorette)
Frank was out walking the dogs for the last time for the night,
and saw a car go speeding past.
A few minutes later he heard a huge screech and then he heard the car smash into the ground and crash.
He sprinted into the house, left the dogs and ran for his car with his phone in hand.
As he was getting into the car, he managed to say that he heard a car crash and was going to help.
He sped down the road (it only happened less than a half mile away).
He got there and the car was upside down and on fire.
There was a lady outside the car screaming for her friend to get out.
He ran up to her, yelling for her to get away from the car before it blew up.
He quick got back in the car and came home for the fire extinguisher.
He was calling 911 as he drove.
I got in the car with him to go back, in case someone needed CPR.
When we got there, he made me wait at the car a bit back, in case it were to blow up.
He ran up to the car and put the fire out with the extinguisher.
Unfortunately there was enough gas leaking to keep relighting the fire.
It was only a few minutes after that that the rescue squad and police and fire dept got there.
He said he would have pulled the guy out of the car, but he looked dead already (which unfortunately he was).
The car was really bad.
Mangaled and twisted and flipped around and on fire.
But Frank wasn't afraid to get right up to it and try to help.

That's one of the best things about my husband though, his selflessness.
He's willing to do almost anything to help someone.
That's what will always make him the best (and to Mady and Em, the worst) dad...look out guys, lol
He really is my Superman.

Emmerson's already 2 months!!

2011-06-15T11:25:00.001-04:00

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

My new toy...

2011-06-09T16:23:00.010-04:00

So Kay got me this really awesome toy. It's a hand-held scanner!! It let me scan pictures, like the ones below from my wedding album, onto the card and transfer them to my computer. Then i can save them forever on my flash drive! It's so much fun, i've been scanning everything i can find!! Look how nice they come out :)

The building of the deck (condensed version)

2011-06-08T13:51:00.004-04:00

The beginning, the steps

Coming off the sunroom
The boys, hard at work
2/3 of the way done

Another year in the books...

2011-06-03T08:46:00.000-04:00

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Happy Anniversary baby
Still going after 5 years

The building of a pool (condensed version)

2011-05-31T19:24:00.007-04:00

Framing the bottom

Dumping the sand

Forming the walls

Putting up the liner

The water truck arrives

In goes the water

Our pool is finally done!!

The pool is finally here!!

2011-05-31T13:36:00.001-04:00

The pool guys came this morning, and they are working as i type!!
The pool is almost all the way up, we are just waiting on the water truck now.
I'm so excited!!
I can't wait to get in!
Pics will follow when it's all up and filled.

Baptism...

2011-05-28T22:22:00.003-04:00

So tomorrow is Em's baptism.
And afterwards, we are having a baptism/memorial day picinic at our house.
It's going to be so much fun, if the weather holds out that is.
Good thing we got the playset fixed, since we'll be having kids here too.
I feel bad for all the people Mady is going to sucker into playing on her playset with her though.
Just wait until there are 2 of them bugging people!!

One thing i've learned, at our new house out here in the country...
There is ALWAYS something you need!
Whether it be a riding mower, a tractor, a new weed wacker, more patio furniture, new flowers for the garden, new deck boards, a pull behind trailor...the list goes on and on.

Post meltdown...

2011-05-28T22:15:00.003-04:00

So yesterday was not a fun day, as you could imagine from my last post.
But after some crying (by both of us),
And leaving the house so it was "out of sight, out of mind",
We weathered the storm.
Uncle Jack, Frank, and some of his friends from work came over and they all got the playset back up.
That was no easy feet, since it was not only knocked over, but twisted 180 degrees and folded in half.
Surprisingly though, only the one roof was ripped off and broken beyond repair.
There were some other boards broken, but most of them aren't too important for what Mady mostly uses the playset for.
The board that attaches the swing part to the playset was broken, but that was an easy fix.
And Frank more than made up for himself and his lack of anchoring the playset down in the first place, by getting the new boards and fixing everything as best he could so Mady could play on it.
It definately needs more work, but at least it's usable!
And yes, i made him use the anchors and anchor it down this time...just in case!!

Destruction...

2011-05-27T06:07:00.003-04:00

I know i shouldn't complain...
There are people that have it so much worse.
But the storms last night left destruction at our house.
Of all the things that COULD have been wrecked,
Things that wouldn't have mattered...
It had to hit the playset.
It was the only thing that got ruined.
And of course, it's Mady's favorite thing in the whole wide world right now.
She wants to be on it from the minute she wakes up until the minute she goes to bed.
And now it's a pile of rubble in the neighbors yard.
Leave it to my husband though.
Mister "Follow every step in order"
Mister "By the book...To the letter"
He conviently skipped the most important step...
Staking the playset into the ground!
But he doesn't blame himself at all...
Are you kidding me?!?!
Now he gets to leave for the day and go to work,
And i have to stay home and break my daughters heart.
She is going to be devastated!!
And i'm going to have to be the bad guy, when the real bad guy is at work.
Oh, and between the storms and the heat, Em didn't really sleep last night and has been up since long before the crack of dawn.
Today is going to be a GREAT day :(

Another year older...

2011-05-26T09:52:00.002-04:00

So tuesday was my birthday.
It was a big one.
I turned 30.
I know what you're thinking...
Did you melt down?!
Was it horrible?!
But actually, it was pretty good!
I didn't feel old, i didn't feel overwhelmed.
It was a gorgeous day outside, and i got to be with my family.
What more could i ask for?!
I'm sure it will set in eventually that i'm getting old...
But as long as i have my girls to keep me running around, i think i'll always feel young...
Or tired.

1 month already...

2011-05-17T09:38:00.003-04:00

I can't believe my baby is 1 month old today already!
It feels like yesterday that we had her.
Where did the time go?!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Weekend update...

2011-05-16T11:17:00.002-04:00

So this weekend was very productive for us.
We spent friday late afternoon/evening and almost all day saturday putting Mady's playset together.
Yes, this is the playset that Frank said he could do "all by himself in 3 hours", but it's been a whole week of 3-4 hour days and still not much.
So i took it upon myself to recruit my step dad to help.
Frank wasn't too happy, but he took the help anyway.
We got a pretty decent chunk done on friday,
then saturday we got almost all of it put together!
I was the board and attachment fetcher.
I found everything that was needed for each step, and the guys put it all together.
My mom, bless her soul, was the kiddie wrangler.
Mady loves my mom and step dad, and she loves to wear them out playing.
Thank God my mom was a good sport, because it really helped us get things done, not having the constant interuption of a 2 year old wanting up and down, and to run and jump.
Frank worked on the main structure while Gary put the swing beam, the stairs and the rock wall together.
All that's left is to attach the stairs, rock wall, slide and railing beams...
And that should only take another hour, 2 at most.
The only bad thing now is, it's supposed to rain all week and Mady sits on the back porch and stares at the playset wanting to go out soooooo bad.
Soon baby, soon!

3 week check-up...

2011-05-12T09:11:00.000-04:00

We had Em's 3 week well visit yesterday.

She is officially 8lbs and 20inches.

In comparison, Mady was 20inches when she was born, and 7lbs 6oz.

<---Emmerson

<---Madylinn

More pictures...

2011-05-10T09:08:00.007-04:00

Right before they were both sound asleep

Wearin Daddy's hoodie

She thinks its her "order window"

The Thinker

Asleep after church

So pretty in pink

Tough kid...

2011-05-10T09:03:00.002-04:00

Mady is my girlie tom-boy, if that makes any sense.
She loves to dress up and look pretty,
But she loves to play in the dirt and play sports too.
But yesterday, i found her weakness...
Flys.
Yup, that's right, regular old flys.
She was in the bathroom and she started screaming and crying.
I thought she hurt herself, so i rushed in.
She was crying because there was a fly flying around in the bathroom.
I almost cried laughing so hard!!
My tough little girl, afraid of flys.
LOL!

Welcome warmth...

2011-05-09T15:23:00.003-04:00

So it's finally getting warmer outside.
It's about time!
Mady has been dying for it to be warm so she can play outside.
With all the rain we've had this spring, outside has pretty much been a no-go.
But it's supposed to be warm all week, so she's thrilled.
I'm kinda excited too.
Hopefully Frank will get the playset put together (finally).
Then Mady will have something else to do besides play with me all day.
Not that i mind, but having Em makes it a bit harder to play the whole time.
Em isn't too into the outside just yet.
The light bothers her eyes.
She could be a vampire baby :)

We're getting the spot for our pool dug this week,
So hopefully that will be up and done soon.
That will be something else for Mady to do to burn some energy during the day.
I just have to get a nice big umbrella to put up over Em so she can be outside with us.

I can't wait for summer!

Outings...

2011-05-04T07:57:00.002-04:00

Monday, i decided to be brave and take both the girls out with just me.
We went to the mall...
Mady needed new shoes and some shirts and shorts for summer.
So after lunch, i packed everyone up and off we went.
We went to Kohls, Target and the mall.
It was actually not that bad after all!
Turns out, i CAN handle it...for now.
We got a lot of good stuff for Mady, all on sale...
And i got Em some stuff too, how could i not?!

On another note, when is the rain finally going to stop already?!?!
Where is it all coming from?!?!

Picture post...

2011-05-02T08:58:00.011-04:00

Thought i'd flood you with some pics of the girls!

Enjoy!!

Are you lookin at me?!

Posing in her Easter dress

Sisters on Easter

Oh my

During her Easter Egg hunt

Pretty in Pink

The future Dr. Madylinn Grindstaff, MD

Always so sleepy

After her Easter Egg hunt

Up close and personal

Our weekend in a nutshell...

2011-05-02T08:51:00.003-04:00

This weekend was full of firsts for us.
Nothing really major, just things that we used to do that are different now that we have 2 kids instead of just 1.
Friday night we pretty much just stayed home and watched a movie.
It was nice to be lazy and just relax with the girls.
Saturday we went to Frank's mom's house for a late Easter dinner.
It was our first "real" outing with both girls, where we were gone all day.
It went really well.
Both girls slept the whole way there.
Mady got to play with her cousin, while Em got passed around and just relaxed.
We also made a pit stop at Frank's dad's house on our way home, to meet the girls newest cousin Inessa.
The girls were so cute together!

Then on Sunday we made our first venture to church as a family of 4.
We take up a lot of room now, what with the carseat and all.
But Em was really good in church.
She woke up to eat a little way into church, and then just laid on daddy the whole time.
Mady was good, as usual, just a bit fidgety...but i guess that's a 2 year old for ya!
Mady spent the day playing with the toys she got for easter from grammy joanne...
Did i mention that all Mady wants to do is go outside and play...
Rain or shine, warm or cold, doesn't matter.
That doesn't work so well with a newborn.
We are gonna have to work something out.