I'm so proud!

I've made little people jewelry for a long time but I've never done something for myself before. (Well, that's not entirely true. I made a bracelet once with tiny beads I bought for Julia so it looked like a big baby bracelet. I only wore it once before I realized how weird it looked.) Anyway, I made a gorgeous bracelet and earrings for myself! I've never done earrings before and they look so great! I used all big chunky brown beads - did you expect any other color from me? I love brown as much as I love chocolate. (That's a stinkin' lot, in case you were wondering.)

Now I'm sad that I'm wearing a gray shirt and I can't wear my new bling to church tonight. =( Boo. On another note, I think my husband is going to be so happy when he finds out how much I might be inclined to spend on beads.......

When my camera battery is charged maybe I'll post a picture of my creation.....

F-R-U-S-T-R-A-T-E-D!

Aulora had her first dentist appointment scheduled for this afternoon at 1:30. It's not like we're rich or anything so we use a clinic here in town which is in a bad area but is surprisingly nice inside. We've used this place for Julia already and it was great. So at 1:15 I loaded the girls up and drove across town to get there. I filled out gobs of paperwork. I entertained children (horsey rides, reading books, playing Dora and My Little Pony, played high five, peekaboo, and who knows what else), wiped snotty noses, tried to stay awake, played with my phone, blah, blah, blah. You get the picture. We were waiting a LONG time.

Finally, at about 3:00 I went up to the counter to see about how much longer the wait would be since I needed to pick up my son soon. There had been a dental emergency and I guess they thought they didn't need to inform anyone that the wait would be lasting all of eternity. By the time the dentist was going to be available school would be out so we had to leave. Two whole hours of my day completely wasted. Grrrrrrrrr. I had to fight a foul mood all the way back across town. I also had to fight from making a mental list of ALL the things I could have done instead of sitting in a crowed waiting room with two little girls all afternoon. (Like take a nap.) Oh well. I should be thankful that my kids have teeth. Chomp chomp chomp.

Best New Dessert

My mother-in-law loves to watch "The Biggest Loser". She recently went to the website and found some recipes. We tried one for dinner tonight - some kind of grilled chicken that had a delicious marinade on it. Very tasty. But the best of all so far is dessert. You just sandwich cool whip (regular or chocolate) in between 2 graham crackers and then freeze them. It's like eating an ice cream sandwich! Very low in calories, fat and sugar! You just can't beat it - try it!

What to do, what to do.......

Well, I don't know what to do. Kablot is a big mean bully so now I'm afraid to share the dirt. It's not like it's a HUGE deal but she might come beat me up if I say. Although, I can't for the life of me think of anything she's got on me that she could possible use for revenge.......

Maybe she should just share on her own blog - that's what I told her from the beginning. Come on Kablot, it'll be fun!

I've Got Dirt....

.....on Kablot, that is. hehehehe. I know the real story behind her "innocent" injury. I wonder if anyone is interested in hearing about it......Hmmmmm.......

Stupid Papa Murphey's

For dinner tonight we had pizza from Papa Murphey's Pizza. It's a place where you bring your pizza home and cook it yourself. I made the horrible awful mistake of also bringing home a dessert pizza. It's kind of like the little cinnamon and powdered sugar desserts from Cici's but these are sooooooooooooo way better. They come freshly baked out of your oven and you can dip them in the special icing that comes with it. Absolutely sinful. If I was Catholic I would have already gone to confession. You know that 5 pounds I lost in the last week? Well, I'm pretty sure I just found it. =( Crud.

Needed: One New Sunday Afternoon Restaurant.....Pronto

We ate at our favorite Sunday hangout again today. I thought I would try just having Aulora in a booth instead of a high chair this time, but that turned out to be a mistake. She was quite the handful and kept trying to get down and run away. While we were waiting on our food, John got up to go wash his hands. Usually, there are plenty of grandmas or an aunt or uncle close by to help but not so much today. I asked him to please not leave me by myself but he said he would be right back.

He was only gone for a few seconds when Aulora decided to hop down and make a run for it. I was feeding Joshua so I couldn't run as fast as she could which was quite a problem as she rounded the corner and headed behind the serving counter and on towards the grill and fryers. I was wearing heels and, like I already mentioned, feeding a baby so I was certainly not able to race towards her in an Olympic style fashion of any sort. (Although I think what I was having to do should definitely be added to the list of events to compete in. I could win a gold medal!) She appeared to be deaf as she continued running forward with no thought to her mommy calling her in a frantic voice. I let out an "infamous" (according to my husband who was at this moment coming out of the bathroom) "STOP!" in a shrieky kind of voice and finally managed to grab her right before she got to the cook.

I'm sure it was a sight to behold. If the restaurant people didn't know us already, they certainly do now. I wonder if they'll decide to follow Chickfila's lead and be closed on Sundays from now on? =)

John David's Super Rough Day

Sleeping while he's supposed to be studying

Modeling his new goggles

Enjoying an underwater excursion in the bathtub

Saturday Morning Pancake Stickiness

I think the mess was much worse than the pictures convey. What's up with that?

Ill-Gotten Gain

Julia sneaked into the garage freezer and got herself a push-pop. Then she found a nice comfy spot in the front yard to enjoy her sneaky treat. When I finally found her I wanted to be mad but it was just too cute. Maybe that's the problem - I always just whip out the camera instead of the paddle. =)

(In all fairness, she does get her fair share of discipline!)

My Happy Boy

Poor Baby....or Maybe Poor Parents

Someone wasn't the sharpest crayon in the box. Does this kid even stand a chance?

Will I Ever Learn?

What was I thinking? We went to Chuck E. Cheese's last night and we had a boatload of tickets. Over 1200! So I stood at the prize counter trying to help the kids figure out what to get. I should have distracted Julia with some other cheapo stupo toy but NOOOOOO, I have no brain. I let her get a little purse filled with make-up and nail polish. If you frequent my blog you have already seen that the latest entry on Julia's side-bar has to do with nail polish and lipstick. I thought it was all over. It was not.

Julia was on the computer chair with me, sitting behind me. I thought she was looking at some pictures with me but instead she was putting on lipstick. I turned around to find her pouting because Aulora's germs were on her lipstick and it was ruined. I had to inform her that her sister's germs were the least of her lipstick worries.....

Sunday Afternoon with the Sullivans

We've found "our place" for Sunday afternoons. We had been going there every single Sunday but John finally declared that we have to have two places so we can at least alternate. This little restaurant has BBQ and chicken strips and steak and a lot more. The kid meals are big enough for an adult and they only cost $2.99! They make these little fried biscuits to dip in honey that come with every meal. Yummy! There's a whole back room that we take up because we're usually with a large group. There's an old school arcade game for John David and a candy crane game for Julia and Aulora. Even Daddy gets a big tv with a remote to watch sports. What more could you want? What's that? You want Blue Bell? Well, this place has a Blue Bell ice cream case too! The kids always want a scoop of ice cream and on this particular day they got their wish.

Here's the dessert crazy mob going after the chocolate chip ice cream. One dish and three spoons. Look at poor Julia's face. She's having a hard time competing with the big pigs.

Oops! We're busted! Mommy has the camera.

We'll stop pigging out long enough for one cheesy picture. Are you done yet? The ice cream is melting and Julia is sneaking bites. Hurry!

Aulora hasn't tasted the goodness of ice cream yet so she doesn't really know what she's missing. That's good though because I don't think her cute little pot belly needs any help. =) (Like I should be talking.)

I absolutely love it that I have two little girls. I just know they're going to be the best of friends! Julia has taken to calling Aulora "B" which I think is short for baby, which she also calls her sometimes. What's up with Julia's hair in this picture? She has wings sprouting! Poor baby - she inherited my wingish prone hair.

My Beautiful Friend

This is Jessamy, my kindred spirit. I'm so excited that she's finally an old married woman like me. =)

Please, no comments about my whiteness. I already know.....

Barbie Girl

Julia and Aulora both love to play with their Barbies. Most all of it is actually mine from when I was little. I still very vividly remember playing with the same little things. It's just so cute to listen to them chatter and have little conversations when they're playing. Maybe one day I'll catch it on video....

Arghhhh!!!

A couple of weeks ago was our church's spring children's musical. This one was pirate themed and it was so cute! The video is of one song that both John David and Julia were in.

Warning: this song is hard to get out of your head!

Family Time

Two weeks ago I got to make an overnight trip to Dallas. I stayed at my cousin Mei's house, visited my MaMa and Aunt Edee and Uncle Mike, and ate at Cracker Barrel with my Aunt Donna and other cousin Mindee. It's sad that I don't live closer to my beautiful cousins because we really get along well.



MaMa has Alzheimer's so she doesn't always recognize us. It's very clear that her mind is not well but I can tell you that her spirit is. She's spent many years serving the Lord and He still uses her despite her physical decline. We were about to leave and for a few brief moments she knew who I was. She pulled me down close to her face and whispered a very much needed word from the Lord. I miss MaMa but I'm so glad to know that Jesus is still using her.

Pink Mansion Anyone?

Earlier today I had Julia in my lap for a long discussion. I don't remember exactly how the flow of conversation went but we got on the topic of having Jesus in our hearts. I told her that Jesus was in my heart and I was going to go to heaven one day. Then I asked her if Jesus was in her heart - had she ever asked Him to come live there? Her eyes were big and she shook her head no. I asked her if she wanted to ask Him to live in her heart so she could go to heaven one day too. She immediately teared up and wrapped her arms tightly around me. I was so touched thinking we were about to have such a sweet moment together.

"I don't want to go to heaven!" she wailed. "And I don't want you to go either!" Very loud boohooboohoos followed.

"Why not, Baby? Heaven is a wonderful place! Jesus is getting it all ready for us. Don't you want to go there?"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Please don't go! Don't leave me! I just want to live here in WF!!!!!!!!!!"

I sat there trying to think how to explain things to a 4 year old who is still very much affected by our recent move.

"It's ok, Julia. We aren't going there right now. The Bible says that one day Jesus is going to come and get us and take us to live with Him there. He's building our mansions right now! What color mansion do you want? Pink? Heaven is going to be so wonderful - you'll never get hurt or sick! And Granny and Papaw will be there!"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I don't want to go to heaven! Please don't leave me! I don't want you to go to heaven!"

I tried a little more but I could see that we weren't getting anywhere so I just told her I wouldn't leave her. She acts like she's got abandonment issues. All I know is I hope they don't start teaching about heaven in her preschool class at church - she might have a serious meltdown!

I Bet She Learned Her Lesson

Julia has been begging to make cookies since Saturday and today I finally gave in. I love baking but 1)I don't have a lot of extra time for it these days and 2)baking does not exactly help me in my quest for thinness - I know, it's a mystery to me too.

Anyway, she was thrilled to finally be a chef and happily did whatever I asked of her. She always loves to taste the batter and was having a hard time waiting for that moment. I told her that we had to wait until we had mixed everything in, but apparently she didn't want to take my word for it. I turned to put an ingredient away and heard the distinct (and if you're a mother, horrible) sound of gagging. I turned back around to see the poor child trying to scrape flour, baking powder, salt and other powdery type things out of her mouth. It was hard not to feel sorry for her but hey, maybe one day she'll learn to listen.......

What are the odds today is that day?

I can wish, can't I???

The Cop Who Saw a Bird

Once a week, John David's teacher requires them to write a story using the words from their weekly spelling list. I thought I would share the story he wrote this week:

The Cop Who Saw a Bird

"Once there was a cop who saw a bird singing. It sang and sang. And the next day the mother came and said back off, you Big Flea Bag. The next day the mother bird got hurt and the baby bird was sad. Then the cop took care of it."

First of all, I never said he was a brilliant writer. Second of all, NO, John and I do NOT call each other Big Flea Bags. I don't know where he learned that nor why he chose to use it. I told him not to write things like that again. He thought it was incredibly funny though and simply could not understand why using such terminology isn't a good idea. I admit, I had a really hard time not laughing as I read this out loud in front of him. Boys.........

Not to brag or anything.....

but Joshua went to bed (his own bed) at 9:00 last night. He slept soundly until 5:30 this morning when I got him and put him in bed with me. He nursed (while I slept) and didn't wake back up until almost 9:00 this morning. Lest you think I got a full night's rest because of this wonderful little sleeping boy, you should know that I did not. I was too worried that something was wrong with him! I kept getting up checking on him. I can tell you though, if he does it again tonight I'll sleep just fine. =)

Call Me Cheap All You Want.....I think I'm Smart

This past weekend we stayed at the beautiful Marriott by the Galleria in Dallas. (No, I did not pay their going rate. Remember, I'm smart. Priceline, baby.) After we paid for our room online I went to the hotel website for directions and noticed that you have to pay to park in their parking lot. We were paying guests and yet we were expected to pay to park our car in their precious little lot. $10 for self parking or $15 for valet. I don't think so, Marriott.

I had my 2 hour drive to contemplate my options. John was already in Dallas so he left his truck at a friend's house and got dropped off. Good job, Johnny. That's $10 we kept in our pocket. (Realistically, $15 plus a tip, because we all know Johnny would have gone for the valet parking. )

When I arrived I scoped the place out. I smiled at the valet guys who were, I'm sure, hoping for a nice mid-afternoon tip, and went on my way. I gleefully drove right next door to the Comp USA parking lot where you could actually park for free. I got out the double stroller and, voila, I had my own little luggage cart. I strolled past the valet guys again, who were by now pretty sure they weren't getting any parking money or tip money from me. I smiled even bigger this time. They just had no idea how much pleasure I derived in avoiding their little parking fee scam.

I think I'll tip myself.......

Thanks Dad.......

Today has been a hard day. Sometimes being a mommy seems like no big deal, but other days (like today) it's just uphill all the way. I hadn't talked to my dad since Friday night but he called me tonight and told me to make sure I checked his blog. So as soon as I got the kids all in bed I went to my computer and went to his blog. It was just what I needed and yes, I cried. =) I bet some other mommies need it too. Read it yourself on my dad's blog.

I love you, Davus!

This embarrassing moment is brought to you by.......

Thursday night at the hotel I had an armload of stuff on my way up to the hotel room. I was on my own because it was pouring rain and John was parking the car. I was disheveled and wet so I was surprised that anyone would look once at me, much less twice. When I got on the elevator the two gentlemen that were already there were extremely kind and attentive and very talkative. I figured I must have looked nicer than I felt. The doors opened on my floor and I got out and went my way. Halfway down the hall I looked down and noticed what everyone else must have already seen - my shirt wide open because a very strategically located button was undone. Oh well, I guess I made their night. hahahahaha Just kidding. They were probably rolling on the elevator floor as soon as I got out. =) Either way, I'm glad I'll never see them again.

A Special Weekend

The wedding is over and everything was wonderful and beautiful. Most weddings are nice but there's something so special about a wedding for two people who are living for God and have waited for his perfect timing. These two friends make the most beautiful couple - not just outwardly, but you can just see Jesus all over them. What an amazing testimony they have. It was so great to be around old friends and back at my home church. It made me homesick. =( My friend was soooo beautiful and as soon as I get pictures off my camera I'll put one up.

I got sick on Thursday and by Thursday night after the rehearsal I was pretty miserable. It was a bummer since we had a nice hotel in downtown Dallas and I was too sick to even enjoy it. On Friday I wasn't feeling good but I was ok enough to make it. It was a long day and ended with a 2 hour drive home. That wasn't fun but it felt so good to be back in our own bed again.

I'm still sick now but we went to church this morning and had life group here at the house tonight anyway. I think I must look like a certain famous reindeer by now with all the nose blowing that's been going on. The good news is that I lost 5 pounds over the last couple of days because of a lack of appetite. We went to Pappasito's and I couldn't taste anything! How sad is that??? I ate one little fajita that could have been from Taco Bell for all I knew. Poor little (err, big) me. Although, like I said, I'm at least 5 pounds less big now. And I think I'm about to start that diet for idiots that Bacamamma is on. We already bought it and it looks very doable. Maybe I'll blow away soon. Wouldn't that be nice.......

I have to brag about our Daddy. He took care of Joshua during the rehearsal and most of the day on Friday too. Feedings, diapers, rocking and all. Isn't he a great Daddy? A trophy Daddy for sure. =)

This is just funny. Who would do this???

This is one milestone that should NOT be happening yet......

This afternoon, one of John David's friends came over to play after church. This little boy is very nice and he plays well with John David and Julia both. I was working in the kitchen and the three of them were playing outside on the deck. I looked out at one point and noticed Julia standing up and this little boy was kneeling on one knee in front of her. I chuckled to myself and thought it looked like he was proposing! I opened the door and asked them what they were doing. They immediately all looked sheepish and John David said, "Seth just told Julia he loves her and he's going to marry her and then he kissed her hand and her cheek!" They all started giggling and I started stuttering. All I managed to get out was, "I don't think so. No more kissing out here. That's not allowed." (Or some other lame thing along those lines.)

I pulled Julia aside later and reminded her that she's only allowed to get kisses from Daddy or her brothers or grandpas and uncles. NOT other boys. She wasn't very convinced. She REALLY wants to marry Seth.

When Daddy found out she was talked to again. And then her big brother got a warning. Guess who gets a spanking if he lets one of his friends kiss his sister again? =)

You better watch out, Seth. This Daddy's not playing around. When he says no kisses, he means NO KISSES!

Oh boy........the fun is only beginning..........

All My Ex's Live In Texas.....(Am I the only one who knows that song?)

I found out last weekend that the only other serious boyfriend I ever had besides John is moving back to my hometown. Not only is he moving back but he's going to be on staff at my home church. And he's going to be at the wedding. Weird. I haven't talked to him for almost 10 years but it still makes me uncomfortable. We were convinced when we were together that we were going to get married. It wasn't the best break-up (I still think my dad threatened him to break things off!) and I was in "mourning" for a long time. Obviously, I got over him and moved on with my life (quite nicely if you ask me), but I still just think it will be super weird to see him. I'm totally wishing I had worked harder to lose all the baby weight now. hahahaha. Oh well. I'll just show off my trophy husband and baby. =)

Gotta Love That Girl

This is a collection of mischievous things Julia has done. I used to keep a sidebar updated daily here on my blog. It turns out that God does love me and has finally allowed this child to grow out of her mess-making stage (mostly). For posterity, I am posting all of these in my archives. Enjoy. =)

She used a red rubber stamper she won at Chuck E. Cheese's to stamp the window sills and the pictures on the walls. So artistic.

She emptied the whole bottle of bubble bath into the tub in order to wash her stuffed toy ducky. Daddy told her no and to leave the bathroom. She was quite determined to blow dry that wet duck though so she snuck back in and used the blow dryer. Not a good choice.

She wanted Fruity Pebbles. All adults were busy. She climbed the shelves of the pantry and got the box & carried it to the table, leaving a huge trail of cereal behind her. The milk soon followed.

Put both big kids to bed tonight. Went in later to put Aulora down only to find baby dolls and toys everywhere and Julia in the crib snoring.

She decided she wanted to wash Strawberry Shortcake's hair. She put herself and her doll into the bathtub and got the doll wet. She soaped SS up in the sink and then rinsed and styled. Yea for water all over the floor, counter, and her clothes.

Well, today she was an artist. We had some glitter glue left over from a school project and I thought to myself, "Self, you better hide those from you know who." So I hid them way up in a pretty glass bowl where she would never find them. But find them she did. And today she decorated the grapes that were sitting out to snack on. Somehow, the glitter just didn't make them look more appealing.

I caught her hiding out in her bedroom wearing only her panties and going wild on a dum dum spree. She tried to cram the sucker sticks in her mouth really quick when I walked in so I wouldn't know. hahahaha. Serves her right. =)

I went in tonight to make sure she was covered up and asleep. I found white goopy stuff all over the soap bottle, the towel, in the sink and on the counter. My nose is stopped up so I couldn't really smell it to know what it was. I started looking around to find the source and finally found my tub of body butter open on the floor with big empty spots where she had scooped it out. Lovely. Absolutely lovely.

This is a gross one.....we were looking through old pictures together on the computer today. We came across one that I took solely for the purpose of one day proving to her what a horrible child she was to potty train. It was a picture of a perfect little poopoo log sitting on my bookshelf. I still have no idea how she did it, but she did. I have the picture to prove it. Anyway, a couple hours after looking at pictures I found her naked in my room. Naked+Julia=Trouble. Every time. Before I could even get an explanation I could smell it. Oh yes. "WHERE'S THE POOPOO? TELL ME NOW!" That child pooped another perfect little poopoo right on my floor beside my dresser. She tried to hide it by putting my purse and a basket in front of it. Man I was mad. She got a spanking for that one. I have no doubt that if my bookshelf wasn't in storage she would have pooped on it, just like in the picture. Gross......

Poor little Alex, the elephant webkin that lives in our house, got a bath today. He didn't want one, but he got one anyway. The bathroom looked so lovely afterwards. There were dirty footprints in the tub, water all over the floor, wet towels strewn about, and of course, the soggy wet elephant himself sitting on my bathroom counter. All because she wanted him to smell so nice and pretty. Gotta love it.

The mess of choice last night after she was supposed to be in bed was getting up and putting toothpaste on all the toothbrushes. She doesn't have very good aim though so there was toothpaste on the counter and the drawers too. A big goopey sticky blue mess I got to find the next morning. Maybe I should chain her to her bed at night. Or at least put a big cowbell around her neck.

Oh my word. All I can say is lipstick, nail polish and lip gloss. I was RIGHT there in the room and she still managed to be destructo girl. I need a nap.

She was hiding out in my closet tonight when it was bedtime. What was she doing? She had taken the bulletin board off the wall I use to hang my jewelry (yeah, I know I'm fancy) and she was playing with all of it. She "just wanted to wear a pretty pink necklace". So now there's necklaces and bracelets ALL over my closet floor. Ughhhhhh.....

She wanted some Frosted Flakes because she was "starving" and I wasn't RIGHT THERE so she took matters in her own hands. I came running when I heard a big crash. She had gone into the pantry, closed the door behind her, climbed on top of the trashcan, grabbed the cereal box and then fell off the trashcan. This caused cereal and trash to go everywhere and knocked over lots of bottles and kid cups. Arghhhh.......

Sunday morning I dressed the girls in beautiful new (to us) matching dresses that were very expensive. (Not that I myself paid lots for them. I'm a bargain shopper!) They both looked so pretty and I was a happy mommy. We got to church and I looked down to discover that Julia's beaded flower that went on the front of the dress was gone. GONE! She had taken it apart, petal by petal, and left nothing but the silver backing in its place. I still haven't found the petals. Arghhhhh.

We got out of the van a few days ago to hand the girls over to a babysitter and the babysitter's mom looked down and noticed that Julia's panties were hanging from the cuff of her blue jeans!?! That was a funny moment. They must have gotten misplaced when she went potty. =)

It never fails - when we're at Chuck E. Cheese's, as soon as I say we're leaving Julia runs and gets inside the playplace equipment. At least she's now old enough to understand when I use mommy sign language to tell her to get her booty down NOW.!

Yesterday Julia was rubbing lotion on my legs. She was having a great time while I watched tv so I wasn't paying too much attention. When it was time for me to get up she said,"hehehehe! You have sticky legs! hehehehe!" She just kept giggling like that and proudly told me that she had rubbed apple juice on my legs. "hehehehehe!"

Playdough on my bed. On my bedspread. Do I need to elaborate?

More Shots

Taking Julia to the doctor for her 4 year shots today. Whaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh. I need a huge lollipop to give her. I wonder if a dum dum will suffice?

Why? why why why why why

Why does Julia do the things she does? She baffles me. I should have a whole blog devoted solely to the humorous (and not so humorous) things she does.

It amuses me to see my kids' beds in the morning. John David's bed covers are always neat and barely disturbed. Before he leaves his bed he wants to straighten them even more. When I tuck him in, he goes bananas if the quilt is not hanging even on both sides of the bed. Mr. My-Middle-Name -Is-Obsessive-Compulsive.

And then there's Julia's bed. It always looks as if a couple of badgers thrashed around all night. And of course there's always a million toys spread about from where she kept sneaking up the night before and getting more and more. You can usually find a water bottle (if she can't find that then she'll get the spray bottle I use on their hair), her tooth brush, an assortment of dolls and babies, wadded up pajamas because she changed during the night and whatever else she managed to sneak out and grab. Sometimes it's Gran's porcelain bird bell, sometimes my make-up. You just never know. Wow, she's a wild one.

My sister-in-law and I went to a, uhhhh, different kind of store tonight to buy a present for my friend. We laughed as we were leaving because we were picturing Julia hiding behind the couch eating this gift. Oh, my. It could totally happen. hahahaha

By the way, when I went in to check on her a few minutes ago, she was sleeping half naked. why why why........

Stupid VFTW Strikes Again

I can't believe Michael Johns is gone. I'm sure he'll get a record deal from somebody anyway, but still. It's just crazy. Unbelievable.....

Something New

If you scroll down my blog a little you'll see a list on the right hand side. It's all about Julia. It will be added to frequently, I'm afraid. She is sweet and wonderful, but my goodness, that child makes messes and gets into things like nobody's business. As you read it I'm sure you'll either a) be sympathetic because you too have a child like this, or b) be eternally grateful that you DON'T have a child like this. =) Either way, enjoy a glimpse into life with a creative, strong-willed, busy and energetic little 4 year old girl.

The way I see it, this list will serve several purposes. First of all, it is pretty entertaining to read about when you're not the one who has to clean it up. Second, when (not if) she makes a mess I'll be able to stay a little calmer because, hey, at least it's something interesting for the blog. Lastly, if I don't keep a record of these things, I don't think she'll ever believe how mischievous she was when she's grown up. I plan to put the list in post format on a monthly basis so it will be saved in the blog history. So read it or don't - it's cheap therapy for me......

You know what's annoying?

I'll tell you what's annoying - to feed your baby, burp your baby and rock your baby to sleep only to have a gigantic sneeze and cough attack before you can lay that baby down. You should have seen the look on his little face when I coughed. I suppose he was more annoyed than me. After all, he was the one who was trying to sleep. Poor little man....

If silence is made of gold, I think my life is made with those cheap little rings you get out of a machine.....

Last night, after church, our family went to Ihop for dinner. They have Horton Hears a Who pancakes, you know. During our meal, a HUGE group of women was seated next to our table. They were very loud and boisterous women and they seemed to make no attempt to control their volume. John David was not pleased with them and kept telling me how loud they were being. He finally leaned over to me and said, "I wish they had a mute button."

How ironic is all I could think. If only he knew how many times I've wished the same thing about him.....

Finally

I think I'm done. I just tried on the dress for the wedding - with the underthings, the shoes and the jewelry. It looks good. Thankfully, I don't look like I just had my fourth baby. Oh, the illusions we can pull off. =) Now, I'm not saying that I look like a skinny model for slim fast or weight watchers, but I don't think anyone will cringe at the sight of my body in a formal dress. Hopefully not, anyway. I know that having all of this done doesn't sound like a big deal, but it's been a little stressful. When I bought this dress, John and I liked everything about it except for my after baby tummy bulge. Since the wedding was a full month away and I needed to lose the bulge anyway, we decided to buy it. So for the last few weeks I've been trying to eat less and trying to faithfully use the gazelle. I haven't been successful 100% of the time, but at least I was trying.

(This would be a good place to mention John's favorite Yoda saying - "There is no try; only do.")

Anyway, now I can focus so much more on just looking forward to this wedding. Jessamy is so special to me and we've waited a long time for this day! I can't wait to see her move into this next stage of her life. She's going to be a gorgeous bride......

My , Uhm, I Mean Joshua's New Toy

Joshua just got the coolest mobile. I'm not a mobile person (None of my other kids have ever had one - can you believe that? I'm just not crazy about the way they look.) but this seemed like a necessity. This mobile spins (obviously), plays different songs, projects a light show on the ceiling, and even has a remote control so I can turn it off or on from my wonderful bed or recliner. I just finished putting it on his crib and he's now enjoying the show. I can hear his little happy sounds. Can you hear my little happy sounds? =)

Kidless Freedom

I had quite the to do list - the kind that takes days to finish with children in tow. It was one of those lists that makes you want to stay in bed and not even try.

Would you believe that I got to tackle my list with 0 children? Zero, zilch, noodle. (Veggie Tale fans will get that.) I forgot how quickly you can zoom in and out of places without kids. No big double strollers. No buckling and unbuckling car seats. No bottle/nursing breaks. No toys thrown down or messy hands to wipe (or bottoms for that matter!). It was heavenly. I was checking off those pesky to do items while my children enjoyed Chuck E Cheeses with Mimi and Daddy. Of course the littlest man stayed home with Gran.

What a great day....

She's a Chef Now

I've become keenly aware of the fact that unless Julia is sufficiently stimulated or entertained, she will find something to stimulate or entertain herself. A few days ago we found her in the dining room (the carpeted dining room I might add) stirring a big pot filled with ice cream sprinkles and water. She was about to add chocolate chips, marshmallows, raisins, and some various other ingredients. "I'm a chef!" she was happily proclaiming.

Today she got busy again. I was upstairs nursing Joshua and I thought she was playing a game downstairs. There were some suspicious noises so I called her up. She assured me that she hadn't been into anything. We went on to have issue with something else (she was going potty and when I checked on her she was sitting on the toilet eating taffy - she found it in a blue easter egg that somehow rolled behind the toilet and she was the lucky finder). Then she feel asleep for a nap and I went downstairs only to find her newest creation. There was a big colander in the corner of the kitchen with syrup and milk poured all into it. Of course it had all flowed through the holes and onto the travertine floor. Beautiful. It was also all over the table and the floor underneath. I mopped four times, I believe.

Only a year and a half before she goes to kindergarten......I can make it......I think. =)

John David the Psychologist

A few nights ago the kids had gone somewhere without me. Julia apparently had a meltdown due to being very tired (and a tiny bit strong willed). When they got home John David walked in first. "Mommy?" he hollered.

"Yes, John David?"

"Your daughter has some serious problems."

I just didn't want to forget this little gem.....

Smiling and Dancing Again!

Oh happy day! Although they aren't 100% better, my girls are soooo much better. We had an awful, torturous, never ending night but "joy comes in the morning"! They ate a small breakfast and let me comb their hair. Now they are playing with toys, sitting in a "fort", and dancing as the Dora music plays. The last couple of days are going to make our "normal" seem so easy now!

Bedtime At Last

They are all asleep. Finally. This has been a super long, non-stop, tiring day. I really, really hope that in the morning there are some happy healthy children in this house.

Joshua of course needs lots of attention whether he's sick or not. Aulora wants to be held and carried constantly when she's sick. Julia is drama queen to the max - she does feel really bad though. John David was, by far, the easiest. He just laid in his bed and watched cartoons and occasionally needed his face wiped or a drink of water.

There is one of me. Daddy is gone until tomorrow night. Grandma has been sick. Grandpa has been gone. Whah. Great Grandma came over today though and took care of Joshua for awhile. Thank you, Mimi! That was the only way I could make it with two sick girls to the doctor's office.

Now, I'm going to my room to watch American Idol. I can only hope that Ramiel (or whatever her name is) is off tonight. If not her, then PLEASE Kristy Lee Cook. That's all.........

Sick

My kids are sick. It started Monday morning. Throw up, yuck from the other end, fevers, tummy aches and head aches. Poor little babies. I think it will be gone by Friday though from what I'm seeing. The end is in sight..........

Shock

Oh my word. I don't even know what to say. I don't know how this happened and we're in complete shock. We already have FOUR kids! Two of them are still babies. This is not good......

APRIL FOOL'S!!!!!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA