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Friday, July 30, 2010

All Grown Up

We had Karlie's party last weekend.  Thanks to parenting.com she got the chocolate butterfly cake that she wanted.  In fact, that was the ONLY thing she wanted for her birthday....until she began opening presents of course.

I think it turned out pretty cute - it was a lot easier to make than the babies' cakes were, that's for sure.

It was really hot that day, lots of swimming and playing.   Thanks to Grandma Nancy who provided the best venue ever on a 100 degree day.

Here are some more pics of Karlie - she got some really cool gifts - dress up clothes, a kitchen, blocks, and a ton of other stuff.  Between all her "big girl toys" and the trikes that the hubs and I bought her, we came home to a whole different world for her to play in. 

So I'm not sure if it's been the big girl toys, playing with all of her cousins, or even the fact that it was finally her birthday party (she got a little jealous the twins party was before hers), but she grew up light years last weekend.  For example, she's always been little mama to the girls, but now she sits and just talks to them, hugs and loves on them, explains why she says no no to them, brings them toys - it's just amazing.  There is a lot less of the tri-cry going on now too which has done wonders for my patience as well.

And now at least once a day she comes up to me and as always, grabs my face with her little hands and says, "Look at me Mommy, I have to tell yous somting...I loves you Mommy.  I really, really, loves you."

What a sweet girl we have.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Karlie Bea is Three!

The noodle is three today, or "tree" as she says, holding up anywhere from 2 to 5 fingers.  This is an amazing age.  Who knew parenting got to be so fun?  Karlie is a very well-spoken, determined, smart, sweet, thoughtful, stubborn, thrill-seeking, spitfire of a little girl.  One minute she says, "Oh, I'll be happy to do that for you Mommy."  Then in the next breathe she says, "Oh, I don't think so.  Look, at me Mommy."  And she takes my chin in her little hand and turns my head to look at her and she says, "I just don't think I can do that now, Mommy.  It will be ok."  She makes me laugh every day - outloud, rolling on the floor laugh, and I wouldn't be honest if I didn't say that I love how stubborn and outspoken she is. 

Lately, we are very much into pretend and play-acting, tea-parties and such.  Here we are last night - she, Ba (More about Ba)and Bunny are having a snack before bed.  We had to pull carrots for Ba and Bunny, then pick a pepper for Karlie. 
Then He-Whore had to eat.  Yes, yes, that's right.  It may look like Eyore, but his name is He-Whore.  Not only is his name He-Whore, but I was told that I "needed" a He-Whore too.  My response?  "Yes, yes, baby girl, I do, don't I?"

That one still makes me laugh.  Three is such a great age.

Happy Birthday Karlie Bea.

Update to Calamity Jenn

Just wanted to let the world know that I am now covered in poison sumac from head to foot - exactly 7 days after I wrote that post.  AGAIN.

Ironic isn't it?  Maybe pregnant would be better.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Calamity Jenn

This is the first spring/summer in 4 years that I have not been pregnant.  Four years!!!  It's funny because all the time the hubs and I will be doing something and we realize that I'm actually not pregnant and things are different.  For example, we ordered our monthly pizza the other night and he said, "oh, I forgot to tell them no sausage, I'll call them back."  Well...I can have sausage now, and for about a year we still have been ordering without. 

Anyway, in what feels like my newfound body (at least it's solely mine!), I've apparently done just about everything I could do to my body without having to go to the hospital in the past 3 months.  Thus far this summer I have:

1.  Torn a tendon in my foot walking the girls back and forth to the park and had to wear a boot to fix it (that was really fun with my 3 by the way).
2.  Contracted poison sumac because I was hopping the fence to cut down bamboo (I am selling it on Craigslist and it is nasty overgrow back there.)
3.  Had a near death experience in finding out that I am allergic to hollyhocks (which of course I decorated with all through my house for the babies' party) in which my throat closed up so much I thought I would suffocate, and I literally wanted to scratch my skin off.
4.  Stepped on a wasp and been covered in ticks - that was the bamboo again (both of which aren't really that big a deal, but I HATE TICKS and will never forget that. 
5.  And finally, I now have a very swollen ankle - probably just sprained because I was able to walk it off for the most part - from a stupid hole in my yard beside the garden. 

Literally, all of this in just 3 months.  My sister always says "if it's gonna happen to anyone, it will happen to you."

I think she's right - it's a hell of a lot better than being pregnant though.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Mommy's Arsenal

Sleeping.  Finally.  For the first time today.  All of my children.  Finally sleeping.

I don't know what it is about having a house guest for the weekend that makes my children so crazy on a Tuesday.  You other Mom's know what I'm talking about - just having your husband go back to work on a Monday can make the kids crazy, but throw in a houseguest for the past 3 nights and days, and a long holiday weekend - and it's over.  The war began the minute my little ones started babbling to each other over their cribs.

Breakfast wasn't the same or wasn't right.  Ok, I didn't think I could miss with homemade cinnamon rolls and bacon, but CLEARLY it was not a good choice.

Playtime after breakfast usually consists of playing outside in the pool and chase in the backyard before it gets too hot.  HA!  They didn't even want to go down the porch to get to the backyard.  Both Ella and Maggie thought it was way too hot and that was after the struggle to get Karlie out there.  Alright, no problem, I'll change gears.  Let's dance.  Dancing is failproof - everyone dances in our house and loves it.  HA, HA!  What the hell?  Why the tears?  Not so fun today?  How about blocks, books, dress-up, hide-and-seek?  We played all of those for approximately 5 minutes each.  How about a movie?  We don't normally do movies unless it's raining, but we can try it.  Nope.  At this point I'm starting to get the tri-cry.  You do NOT want to get the tri-cry before lunch - that makes for a really bad afternoon.

Ok, ok, everyone hold on just a sec and we'll do early lunch (since no one ate their damn breakfast!)  Hot dogs, cukes and peaches have got to work.  I open up the lunch line and take a sigh of relief for a few minutes of peace.  Blissful, quiet pea....WHAT???  Why are you crying now Mags?  You're so sleepy, how about a bath to help calm you down?  So I give Mags a cuddle until lunch for the other two is over and get everyone in the bath.  The whole time I'm thinking that this is yet another failproof, and I can get everyone back to normal.  HA, HA, HA!  They did NOT want to be in the bath together.  Ok, Ok, Ok!!!!  I'll get everyone dressed and settled down for a nap.  HA, HA, HA, HA!

I'm running out of tricks.  The only things I have left are the park (I really don't want to strap a cranky baby on my back, pushing the other two and walk in the hottest part of the day because the hubs has the car), the vaccuum and Mommy and Daddy's bed.  So, I yank out the vaccuum.  This has got to calm everyone down.  Normally everyone follows me around and dances and shakes their head to the vaccuum - they love it.  HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!  Tri-cry.  And not just tri-cry, but pissed off and disgusted tri-cry.

So, Mommy and Daddy's bed it is.  HA, HA to you, you cranky babies!!!!  Yep, that is where we spent the last hour and a half.  Everyone jumping and being tickled.  The last line of defense worked.  Everyone got happy and decided that since it was late afternoon they would grace Mommy with a nap. 

I've got to get better arsenal.

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Garden Update

This is what we picked this morning.  Yea, yea, yea!!!!  It's actually close to what I've been picking for a week now.

The tomatoes are on the brink of taking off.  The cucumbers are ridiculous.  I ended up using more wire and electric fence posts to make them grow up.  It is working really well. 

I am in heaven.  Yummy, yummy, yummy food. 

Actually, we are logging what we pick every day.  So far we have gotten about 60 pounds of food.  We've already paid for the tiller and all the seed we bought.

My homemade fertilizer is apparently doing the trick, and my grocery budget is REALLY digging it. 

Contentment and satisfaction in my world.

Friday, July 2, 2010

1st Birthday Party for ME!!!

ME=Maggie and Ella.....of course!

Unfortunately we were unable to get a pic of Maggie covered in cake - she was very tired with all the commotion that day!

Aren't their hats cute?  Grandma Juannelle made those for them...each one slightly different.
Here is Maggie.  AKA Mags, Magpie, and Maggie May. 

She said, "It looks good, but it's too hot and why are people staring at me?"





Here is Ella.  AKA Ella Bella, Ella Lou, and as Karlie says constantly...Ellwa!!!!  Usually followed by "stop it."

Yep, that's a big shiner...her 2nd to be exact.  That one is fearless. 

She never has a problem eating cake...or anything else you put in front of her.



So, it was extremely hot that day, and yet we did most of the partying outside.  Lots of baby pool action, and of course, the redneck slip and slide.  Not sure who had more fun on that one - the kids or the hubs.  Yes, those are vinyls from bill boards, and yes the posts are part of our old electric fencing.  The best part was that it was crazy slippery b/c of the dish soap!  Can you say REDNECK!

All in all, I am still in shock that the babies are a year old.  I am SOOOOO glad we are at this point though.  Can't wait to see what this next year will bring!