Rimbo Fam

2012

2012-01-02T05:26:00.000-08:00

i want to start the year off right with a blog post.....since i wasn't able to finish it with one (i know....slacker). now let's see if i can do this before midnight....ha!

i want to start by saying what a great year 2011! i am truly blessed. let's start with the obvious....a wonderful husband, three amazing girls, great family and friends..a really awesome bible study (love ya girls), of course i could go on and on! these last few months have been exceptionally great (should have blogged about it, huh?) spiritually i am in a place where i haven't been in a very long time, if i can even say that i have been where i am at...did that make sense? i will just say that my daily time in the Word and in prayer has been my most precious time of the day. i have experienced God's peace and joy and presence in such a way that i am overjoyed and busting at the seems excited. His word is alive and alive in me....i am hoping and praying that i can be a reflection of all that i am learning and experiencing.

new years resolutions? be more selfless, loving, kind, PATIENT ;-), love on my kids more, complain less, blog more....and stop biting my cuticles (it's disgusting and it hurts)!!!

so today we start a new year....

kylee has started taking medication to help her sweet brain keep it's focus. since upping the dose a little it has calmed her down a little (though you can tell immediately when it wears off.....she is kind of like a balloon being deflated...the words just come from her mouth 90 miles an hour and she can't sit still) and she seems to be finishing tasks effectively. honestly though, it is hard to tell right now since we are on Christmas break. we have no routine going...and no homework to finish. i will be anxious to see what school will look like in the next few weeks. it was a tough decision for alan and i to go ahead with the medication route. but if it would help her, why wouldn't we try it. she is a sweet girl with a big heart and a wonderful brain....it just works differently...yet, like many others! i just keep praying God will give us wisdom in all of this. it is so easy to get caught up in the challenges that are brought our way....focusing on the negative instead of the positive. i am choosing to switch my focus....i am going to look at our beautiful children with God's eyes (He gave them to me, He lives in me, why shouldn't i use them). He created them, He knows them and everything He makes is wonderfully made! He makes beautiful things...just like that song by gungor (LOVE that song). each one is unique, different strengths, different weaknesses...different spirits, but each one is so wonderful, so beautiful.

i can feel bad for my girls knowing that they have two parents who were oldest children and are very much perfectionist and big KIA's, but i have to stop myself and remember that God gave me (us) all three of three of them. though i don't feel like i will be able to do a good job as their mom, God knows that i can because He is with me. i am willing to be molded into the mother he wants me to be. i need to take a deep breath....and trust.

our sweet little alaina jean, probably feeling a little lost in the middle right now. so much focus has been on the oldest and youngest these past few months...or has it been more like a year...hmmm?? she is our more bendable child...probably because she has too. half way through kindergarten and she is doing so well. i think she is reading like a champ and writing so well. i am very proud of her. she is still likes things that sparkle and loves to mass produce books! not kidding....she will go through an entire ream of paper in two days. we have a lot of teaching ahead of us about conservation!!!!

miss mya actually has a few more hairs on her head....maybe when she is three we can put in piggy tails ;-) sweet thing has everyone wrapped around her finger....probably one of the reasons she is not talking a whole lot. though after her 18 month check up....in which she didn't pass her hearing screen (i am pretty darn sure she has no problem with her hearing) she has actually started saying more things....or at least trying to. so far she says "yesssh (far better than "no"), dada, momma, peaase (please), baby, yanks (thanks), jo jo (our elf on a shelf), ky ky (kylee), ka cker (cracker), papa. She is really trying to say more, it's just a little challenging figuring out how to put all those sounds together. like when she tries to say Bible, it comes out as "bluhhh." it's pretty funny. she really is a smart little thing. she knows what she wants and how to tell you in her own way. one day when she was playing with ohie, it was time to pick up the toys and she didn't want to. when ohie said that they needed to put the toys in the bag mya went over to ohie and pushed her (ohie) with her hand, like, "you go do it." she tried that on me a few days later and i don't think she got the reaction she had wanted ;-) most may give in, but not this mom.....of course i do have to laugh first! i start early in teaching them to help out. we make a mess, we clean it up. unfortunately it hasn't always worked as well as i hoped....at least it has not been initiated independently (with the older kids i mean).

okay, i think i need to stop now. this post has made it very clear to me that i need to post more frequently so that it is not a book every time, but instead of a chapter...or bleep. happy new year to all!!
(side note: i started this post on the 1st and i did not finish this post before midnight....it took two days to finish....sad, very sad!)

2011-11-14T04:26:00.000-08:00

this one cracks me up....let's pick on the little one! so fun ;-)

i feel as though i have been in constant prayer the past few months (yesterdays sermon was quite fitting). one of the things i have been persistently praying for (and i will until the day i die) is the girls relationship with the Lord. every morning i can, i have been getting up before everyone else so i can have my one on one time with God. some mornings are easier than others, but when i am up i get excited. i love that time. i love God's word. i love that he meets me where i am at and he speaks to me! all of that joy and excitement have really been stirring in me...which brings me back to the girls. i want to badly for them to one day really realize how great and amazing God is. i want them to experience what i experience every time i sit down and read my bible or pray. he is peace, he is love, he is everything great. it is so true, that when you believe you want to share with others God's good news. i have been a believer for a long time, but right now he is so alive in my life. i want to badly to share that with the girls. something i have really realized is that i am not very good at sharing it with my words...i wish that i was, so i need to share it with my actions. i already know that my actions speak louder than my words most of the time. i look at mya....she is 17mo old and not talking (well, she says "hi" and "dadda"...everything else is "da"), but she knows what is going on. she is watching. she is a little mimic who does everything i do. she cleans, pretends to floss (and use mouthwash), she stretches before we run (even though she is in the stroller...not actually the one running), she paints, she scrubs the toilets. she see's what i am doing. she's not the only one. some of the things that come out of kylee's and alaina's mouth i am like, "whoa, they sound just like me...yikes!" if that doesn't make me stop and reevaluate my actions than i don't know what else would.

not to use this as an excuse, but i am human and i am not very good at slowing down my tongue, or controlling the looks on my face, or my selfish attitude. i want our girls to see God's love in me. i want to be more humble, gentle and patient. i want them to know how much i love God, how much i trust him, how much i want to obey him.....how amazingly good He is, how much he loves them, how much he wants to be the center of their world. i could go on and on...because God's love is endless....it is so wide and long and high and deep, that we will never fully understand, but....we can experience it. an man do i want them to. i want that with every fiber in my being. so each morning....i just pray ;-)

okay....status update (since it has been forever since i have blogged)....

kylee: growing up! as i walked to her classroom for her halloween party i became overwhelmed with the fact that we have a third grader. i remember third grade so well. it just feels like she is climbing up that hill getting closer to puberty (which freaks me out a little....not going to worry, just pray ;-)), she's not a baby anymore. things are just changing...the way she talks and acts, friendships. one thing is for sure, she is still a big tender heart! we are still working on school challenges, but we will get there. she is a smart kid, we just have to keep it focused in the right direction ;-)

alaina: she's not a baby either :-( she seems to enjoy school, but i think she likes coming home in the middle of the day. she is already starting to read...which is so fun to see. i wish i would have blogged earlier because she has said some of the darnedest things lately. i love how funny she is without trying to be funny. the other night we were driving home at night and she asked why the high school wasn't asleep (because there were still lights on). it was much funnier in person!

mya: oh boy! where to start? she is such a funny little thing. like i said earlier, not talking....still only has a few teeth, but man does she have personality. she is still attached to mommy. if anyone even looks like they are going to come near me, she starts running....like, "you can't have her, she's mine! i love her dearly, but she really is a little stinker!! there are so many things i want to write about her, but of course as i sit down to write this...i forget them all...darn it!

i have so much to be thankful for. i wanted to participate in the facebook "thankful for thirty days" or whatever it's called, but i knew i would be a big slacker.....so, i will just sum it up here! i am first and foremost thankful for my God. so very thankful that he loves me, that he is here with me always, takes care of me, provides for me, listens to me, holds me, knows me (and still loves me).....and i don't deserve it, not one bit, but boy am i thankful. i am thankful for His word and how it comes alive. i am thankful for the fire that is burning inside of me, for the desire He gives me to seek him everyday and in all things! i am so thankful for my husband who loves me no matter what, who provides for our family, who helps me with projects around the house (even though i know he doesn't want to do them), for our kids who bring so much life and laughter and joy (and tears and frustration....we love you, we love you....one day you will understand) to our lives. you girls make life so much more colorful! though i do love black and white, i have learned that color is better ;-) i am so, so thankful for our families...what would we do without you?! for my friends, near and far...i am so thankful for what you bring to my life. for the roof over our heads and the food on the table...and the clothes on our backs i am grateful. so many things....maybe i should have participated on facebook? here in a few hours i may be thankful for starbucks ;-) i hope everyone out there has a wonderful thanksgiving filled with the Lord's many blessings!

we did it!

2011-10-13T02:34:00.000-07:00

ten years ago.....TEN years ago i married my best friend and long time love! some may say that it is a miracle that we have made it this long....heck, some would ask, how the heck did you even get started? i laugh as i write that because it would be honest to ask that. we started dating sixteen years ago...and dating was not our strong suit, but marriage has been pretty darn good (if i do say so myself). of course we have our ups and downs, but we love each other and are committed 100%. i cannot imagine my life without this man who stands by my side everyday. he is my other half...to quote jerry maguire "you complete me."

i LOVE that we have such an extended history together. it is so fun to reminisce and to see where we have come. several jobs, a couple moves and three kids later here we are!

alan, i know you don't read this, but i will say it anyway....i love you...i am so blessed to share my life with you....to be your wife...the mother of your children...to be your friend. thank you for standing by my side...for loving me through thick and thin, for being a loving father....for being YOU! happy anniversary sweet heart....we did it! (happy dance!!) xoxoxo

humble

2011-09-23T12:26:00.000-07:00

the other night as i crawled into bed with a heavy, yet hopeful heart. i turned on my kindle and opened up to the first chapter in ephesians. i was going to just read it, but as i started, i could feel the power of the words...so i prayed it. i prayed through the whole chapter. wow! His words are so powerful, so personal and so endearing....why am i so amazed? it washed over me and soothed my heart. why don't i read His word every moment of every day? i need it...i want it...i love it, i truly do! i know how much he loves me, yet i can't comprehend it...does that make sense? it just blows me away that He has blessed me with EVERY spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm, He chose me...to be holy and without fault (in His eyes of course), He purchased my freedom, my sins are forgiven, He has given me an eternal glorious inheritance. i just hate it, that all of this and more is not on the forefront of my mind from the moment i awake in the morning, til my head is resting on my pillow at night. arghhhhh! i am so excited to read and study this book with three very special women. what else can i say........

zoo with my babe

2011-09-17T22:12:00.000-07:00

i wish it didn't take me so long to write this post.....but a week later is better than never. last tuesday was a gorgeous "fall" day. the sun was shining the, a cool breeze blowing....and just me and my babe at the zoo.....before the gates even opened. alan just happened to suggest that i take mya to the zoo after dropping the girls off at school. i pondered it for a minute, then said ABSOLUTELY! man am i glad i did. tuesday reminded me of a morning six and half years ago...the days were almost identical....beautiful fall day we took kylee to the zoo for the first time (she was 18 months old). it seemed as if we were the only ones there (out in africa that is)....well, we pretty much were. this day proved to be the same. it was just mya, i and all the animals. it was great! she was loving it. she could have stayed and watched the lions all day long! i was so disappointed that we couldn't stay longer. it was definitely a short visit to the zoo (i had to go and pick up alaina from school, which meant we only had an hour and a half to roam around), but well worth it. i can't wait to go back...maybe next time we can stay a little longer.

i am learning that our sweet little one just needs a bit of fresh air to be content through the day. if we get our morning walk in she is a much happier kid. this does concern me...what the heck am i going to do this winter? she is going to be a BEAR...oh my!

sigh

2011-09-07T10:45:00.000-07:00

Completely 100% accurate!!!!!!!!!

poor thing did have roseola for the second time in three months....it was BAD!

the sky is blue, the air is cool...there is a soft gentle breeze blowing through the house....i should be out there enjoying it, taking part in this glorious day. but instead i am sitting here writing, taking in all the silence i can before it comes to a complete halt! it seems as though our house has been turned upside down as of late and i feel the need to vent and pull out a little hair. the days seem to start fairly well (especially the days when i can get a walk in after dropping the girls off at school), but seem to spiral out of control at 3:50. i haven't written these past few weeks because honestly, i haven't had anything nice to say. this may sound harsh, but it's true. but now i feel the need to share this so one day i (and the girls) can look back on this and laugh....because i am definitely not laughing now.

in our house "pit" time starts the moment kylee gets home from school. the homework starts, then the attitude, then the eye rolling, then the frustration, then mya starts crying (and won't stop unless i hold her...but that is really hard to do while helping with homework and getting dinner started), then kylee starts crying...it goes on and on until dinner. then we are okay for a short time, that is unless mya is in one of her moods (which is typically every day)...then there is more whining and crying, then it's bath time with more whining and crying at some point...then mya goes to bed and it is a lot quieter....then the girls go to bed and it is even quieter. then i want to fall on the couch, but occasionally i will get a second wind, but by then i am completely unmotivated. There.....blah.

in regards to homework last week i wanted to try something different because i couldn't handle another argument. the deal was...kylee would come home, read for twenty minutes (unwind) then play until dinner. as soon as dinner was over we would start her homework. it seemed to go well the first night, but the next day she didn't want to do it that way. she wanted to get it over with. i completely understood where she was coming from, but the way it was going it was taking us so long that she couldn't possibly get it over with....it would just drag on forever! thankfully this week we get a little break because it is a short week and they are doing MAP testing the three days they are there. however i am sure there won't be a break from mya's fussiness. i love that sweet girl, love her dearly...and love the fact that she really loves and wants her momma, but there comes a time when they need to be able to be somewhat content with themselves. of course i don't mean leaving her alone, but being able to sit on the floor and play with her toys while i am in the kitchen cooking (which is only 12 feet away...and in open space) shouldn't be too much to ask. she would rather crab my legs and bury her face and cry until i pick her up. i think one of our biggest barriers right now is that she is not talking...not even trying to. she seems to have forgotten the sign language she once knew. needless to say we are not communicating very well and it is proving to be a struggle. she is super strong willed which isn't helping....it may help her down the road, but not really working with momma right now....or daddy for that matter. heck...not even with her sisters. she can actually be downright mean to them.

where is alaina in all of this.....well, quietly playing. i feel bad for her because the majority of my focus is on the other two. she really is the cream filling in the oreo...she helps hold the cookies together. lou, one day you will read this....i want you to know that you are not at all forgotten about, we love you very much!

i love all my girls. i have said it a hundred times...i just hate this tension....the fights, the struggle. we NEED a little peace in this house...even if only for a day. i need to be patient...slow to anger....and slow to speak....quick to love...and definitely more prayerful (and if i still need to, i can go in the bathroom and bang my head against a wall). ;-) that's all!

back to school

2011-08-17T11:40:00.000-07:00

we've done it! the first week of school has begun for everyone now. we officially have a kindergartner and third grader. i am minus two at home now....for a little while anyway. kylee's first day was great! which makes me smile and my heart happy. lainey had her first day this morning. it is so hard to tell whether everything went okay...she is so quite and doesn't like to talk about how she is feeling (a stuffer). i pried as much as i could, and it seems that she had an okay time. nothing very climactic. guess, i will have to keep asking.

i have such fond memories of elementary school. sitting in front of the school waiting each day for the girls to come out...i sit and reminisce of those days long ago ;-) some days i wish i could do it all over again....just without the mullet and little better fashion sense (okay, just not in the eighties). my two favorite years were the 3rd and 4th grade. it helped that i had really great teachers those two years (i will never forget them). i remember racing through multiplication times test to win the best prize, falling in love with the box car children and lots of little crushes. third grade was the year that the boys separated from the girls and vice versa. that is when cooties and crushes began. i am assuming that things haven't changed that much...i am only 22...right? yeah right! with that being said...about the separation of boys and girls...i hope and pray that that won't bring any added challenges to kylee's year. kylee is our little tomboy...nothing frilly or pink!!! she likes to hang out with the boys and play star wars...yet she loves to hang out with her girlfriends too. speaking from personal experience, it's easier to hang out with the boys, there is no competition and they are no nonsense! of course i liked hanging out with them because i was the one who always had the crushes. oh, how proud i am of myself ;-) anyway, kylee came to me one night this summer and said, "i know God made me a girl, and i like to play star wars with the boys and that's okay, but they don't want to play with me...and i don't want to play what the girls are playing." ohhhhhh, lump in throat! immediately i want to try to talk it out and fix it...i don't want my baby being stuck in the middle and getting left out. that breaks my heart....but....what if that is where God wants her. what if that is where he can use her? okay, that literally just dawned on my now (not this summer when we were actually having this conversation). i need to step back and rejoice in the child God created (that He created in each one of the girls), not try and change them, but help mold them, encourage them, LOVE them. it is sometimes so much easier to right these thoughts than to actually put them into practice. Lord help me! i need wisdom that is for sure and a better attitude. she will be fine...and i know she will shine (ooh i made a rhyme).

as for miss mya she has reminded my of my place in life right now....that is on the floor. as long as i am on the floor life is pretty good. if i dare get up, the world comes crashing down. what am i to do? she is getting so big. climbing up the stairs, not listening to a word i say, finding wonderful treasures in the trash can, locking herself in rooms (because she likes to close doors), growing out of all her clothes, NOT speaking a word...though she does lip sing....literally! when music is one, the lips are smacking, but nothing is coming out. we have a little milli vanilli! maybe i should play "blame it on the rain" for her and see what she does....ha!! she is too cute. things in her little world are becoming funnier and more adventuresome. i am glad i have her here at home with me while the big ones are off at school...she can keep me grounded a little longer ;-)

i am such a lucky girl. married to my best friend and the mom to three awesome little girls....excuse me, two big girls and a baby! what more could a girl want! homework....yeah!!!

hard

2011-08-12T10:19:00.000-07:00

yesterday was one of those yuck days. it started off fine. the kids were excited because they were going to find out who there teacher was...and of course, who was in there class. after a visit and several text, the kids found out who they had...no real need to even go up to the school. but we still wanted to see who was in who's class. i wasn't worried about alaina because we had already found out that two little friends were in her class (yeah!), but we hadn't heard about kylee. needless to say, we got there, we saw it, we were sad. none of her girlfriends from last year were in her class...the only other girl from her class last year is someone who doesn't mesh well at all with kylee. the look of disappointment on her face...which then turned to anger and a little anxiousness just made me sick. i felt horrible! she wouldn't let me touch her or talk to her, she just wanted to leave. the first thing i did when we got to the car was pray! i prayed that God would give her peace and comfort...and strength to stand strong....to embrace the situation. we left the school and as we were pulling away she asks me if i can call and have her moved to another class. i took a deep breath and swallowed the big lump in my throat and told her that i could not do that. as much as i wanted to say "yes honey, i will call when we get home" i couldn't. i know that there are parents out there who would be on the phone immediately, but i am not that parent when it comes to this. everyday we come across people who are rude, bossy and inconsiderate. how do we learn how to deal difficult people/situations if we are completely removed from them? alan and i both want her to learn how handle situations such as these...stand up for herself, be an affective communicator. but boy is it hard to swallow that and say, "here my little third grader, this is the hand you have been delt right now...we are going to figure this out and pray our way through it." ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

well, it gets better! we go up to the school later last night for the actual meet the teacher night. we get their supplies and head off to meet alaina's teacher. as we are walking up to the room, the grapefruit size lump reaches my throat. my second baby is going to start kindergarten....boo hoo! so, we go in, look around (mind you, alaina has a very firm grip on my hand telling me how nervous she is....awesome!) after spending a little while in there i think she felt a little more comfortable so we decided it was okay to go find kylee's classroom. we head over to the third grade pod....we look, and look, and look and can't find kylee's class. hmmmmmmm, where is it? alan finally finds it down the hall next to the fifth grade pod (not even in a pod, in a classroom off of the hallway). okay. so we go in and meet her teacher (very sweet) and find her desk. we put her things away and look around a minute. the teacher happens to mention that she hears (she is new to the school) that this classroom they are in can either be hot or cold. okay. i stop and talk to the teacher for a minute. she notices that kylee has dairy/gluten allergies, so she tells me that they put the other girls with those allergies in her class as well. okay. we leave, i get out into the hall and i want to cry. why you may ask? it may sound ridiculous to some, but what the heck. were they the left over kids and they didn't know what to do with them. they isolated them from the other third grade classes (and next to fifth graders....nothing wrong with fifth graders, but not necessarily an appropriate place to put third graders), when there is a fourth grade class in the third grade pod???? i don't understand. it also concerns me that they are secluding kids with certain allergies. i understand that it would be easier on the teachers, but we the parents are responsible for our children's allergies....and we teach our kids to be responsible as well. so why can't they be with everyone else.

at the end of last year during conferences, i was excited to hear that they were asked, if they could have anyone on there class with them next year, who would it be? we were told that they were really going to work hard to pair kids together to make things a little more comfortable, and an easier transition. i guess what i should say is that i feel that kylee keeps getting overlooked. what i mean by this is that because she is a "good" kid and pretty easy going (at school) she gets passed over. just like she was her first grade year when we had all that crap going on with all the girls in class being mean and cliquish. she never spoke up, yet she got dragged down...she was overlooked. oh, i don't even know what else to say. i feel that there is so much more....i am so frustrated. she had such a good year last year, she made some really nice friends....i don't want her to endure another year like first grade (yet, in a completely different way). it hurts her and it hurts our family because guess who she takes it all out on....us. not that i wouldn't gladly take it, but it's not fair that she would even have to internalize stuff.

i know i am jumping the gun in saying a lot of this.....i think i just need a place to vent. this year could be a terrific year....that, i am praying for!! God does not give us what we cannot handle. and He has a plan for kylee, plans for her to prosper, not harm her....plans to give her hope and a future. i love that..........

PAUSE.......

i just got off of the phone with the principal (i forgot to mention in the midst of my venting, that i did email her regarding the room situation....not with the intention of having her moved)....we talked and she offered to have kylee moved to another class. God just opened another door! yeah God!!! wow, thank you so much! i feel the weight being lifted. thank you mrs. hite for listening and understanding, it means more than you know. i think i am done now ;-)

PS. the allergy grouping was a complete coincidence.

2011-08-02T18:17:00.000-07:00

okay, i know i said it was hot, but man....108 degrees...WOW! something i have always wanted to try was to fry an egg on the ground when it was hot. well, it's HOT, so i thought i would give it a go. obviously, it didn't work, but i took a picture anyway...it looked kinda cool! i should have tried it in the street, but didn't want to further embarrass myself. needless to say, we stayed inside today. had our daily "let's let mya sleep as long as she can movie afternoon." i really hate that we have watched so much tv, but with it being so hot...and finally figuring out that if it is super quiet in the house mya will take a decent nap...what does a mom do? todays movie was "guys and dolls." the girls love musicals, and so do i! this past winter when it was so cold and blizzard like outside "bye, bye birdie" was playing. i am looking forward to the tv being non existent here soon when the girls go back to school.

i must say that staying inside has helped me to be productive in areas i have wanted to since we have moved into our house. i have organized all their craft stuff, organized junk drawers, cleared out the "throw everything in there" guest room. it feels good. next on the agenda is our bathroom....we have so many cabinets and stuff just thrown in willy nilly (it drives me crazy that it is not organized). we'll just see if that gets done in the next...i still want to paint our bathroom off of the kitchen. so much to do.

HOT

2011-08-01T18:46:00.000-07:00

it is SO hot!!!!! i have tried to hold my tongue and not complain, but seriously!!!! i am done! i am tired of staying inside. the pool isn't even fun...it's a warm hot tub...YUCK! okay, i am done......

school is about to begin. next week we are in full transition mode....early to bed and early to rise. we will just see how that goes. kylee is ready to go back (for the most part)...lainey on the other hand won't even talk about it. that makes me a little nervous. she is not one to really like school, she would rather be home with me. luckily she has a big sis to walk her to her class and give her a hug before she goes in (per daddy's request). i am still in shock that kylee is going to be in the third grade and lainey in kindergarten. it goes so darn fast. i have been watching alaina the last few days and have noticed a few changes in her over the summer. the way she talks, so much more mature....and her little baby body is no more, she is longer and leaner....and very tan! something she said the other day made my heart smile (something she has said before....and i will never try and correct this), she was laying against my chest she told me that she could hear my heart "beeping." AWESOME...love it.

speaking of funny things...we were all lying around, alan was channel surfing...stopping at "the three amigos" when kylee excitedly pops up and says, "it's the four francesco's!" i about lost it...the four francesco's....where did that come from? i am not sure, but i am sure it was funny.

okay, side note....as i am sitting here writing this alan pointed out that my left foot twitches when i am on the computer (he said all of my toes are always moving...great!) now i am trying to type without consciously doing it....and i can't think straight.....i am laughing. i may not be able to finish this post. yes, i know that i am WEIRD!!

anyway, my tail is still following me every where, kylee has just hit her reading goal of 1500 minutes this summer, and lainey...she makes my heart "beep."

i know there was more i wanted to write, but i lost my train of thought with my foot twitch. good night!

2011-07-19T12:00:00.000-07:00

sleepy morning eyes. she may look happy now....hmmmmm. it wasn't two minutes later she was crying.

why is it that kids instinctively know when you have things to do in the morning....they get up super early? for the life of me i can't understand this. well, actually i think i do, but i don't want to believe that satan would use my sweet little babies to deter me from getting into the Word for a little while....but why wouldn't he? he makes me so darn mad. i need to remember this when my feet hit that last stair in the early morning and the baby starts crying to not get mad at them....but to pray instead. not let him win! seriously, it never fails that on days that i intentionally set my alarm to get up early to read my bible and workout they are up as soon as I get downstairs!!! i have conquered kylee in regards to this...she can now read a clock and knows not to come out of her room until 7:00...alaina doesn't do it very often because she has big sis telling her not too....well, miss mya...sigh! it hasn't helped that mya has not been taking very good naps as of late. she was only taking a 30 min nap in the morning, so my thoughts were to get rid of that one and just put her down for an early afternoon nap. well, that is not working out very well. she thinks she only needs an hour to an hour and a half nap. NO WAY kid...you need MORE!!!!! mommy needs a little more time and a happy baby at the end of the nap! needless to say it has been a rough few days if not longer than that. i remember this time not being very fun with kylee and alaina too....but kylee never did wrap her head around the nap concept...alaina thankfully did (and still does on occasion) i am hoping and praying that mya will follow suit with her middle sis. i guess we will just wait and see.

thankfully she loves going to bed at night. in fact, her bedtime routine is such a sweet part of the day. she gets a bath, gets dressed, get her blankie, we snuggle up in the rocking chair and read her Bible! She LOVES her Bible, it is the ONLY book she will actually sit down (and really relax) and let me read it to her. i can read it cover to cover (it's a baby Bible, so that is not hard to do) and she won't move unless there is an action that i have her do with the story. it is so sweet and so hopeful...."it is the same with my word. i sent it out, and it always produces fruit. it will accomplish all i want it to, and it will prosper everywhere i send it." isaiah 55:11 NLT His words and truth are in her...she already longs for them. how awesome is that!!!! help me Lord, to not just be a hearer of your word, but a doer...so my girls will see your love, your truth and your ways through me. AMEN!

t-rex never again

2011-07-09T16:50:00.000-07:00

oh my....how i wish i would have had a video or even a picture of the experience we just had. i hope my words can do it justice. for our last evening without daddy ohie was going to meet us out for dinner. she told me to find a place that would be fun for the kids. well, the only thing i could think of that was close was T-REX. we have never eaten there and the girls have talked about going there every time have been up at the legend's. so...we get there a little early to walk around before we were supposed to meet ohie at the restaurant. we get to there, i open the door....alaina's feet stop and then SCREAMS! her feet wouldn't move! i tried telling her that we had to go in to see if ohie was in there waiting for us. yeah, that didn't work, she wasn't going in. so we back up and move away from the door. i try to calm her down and explain that the dinosaurs are fake and that i would never take her in a place that wasn't safe. well, that didn't work either. at this point i am hot (literally) and really getting frustrated. what do i do? i try calling ohie to let her know what is going on, but can't get a hold of her. so i keep trying, and keep trying to explain that we have to go in to make sure ohie is not there. i was thinking she just couldn't hear her phone inside the restaurant....so i knew we had to get in some how. by now, we had been sitting outside in the blazing sun, we had tried several more times to walk up towards the restaurant with no success, just more screams, i was getting mad, i was dripping sweat everywhere....i was to the point of tears...and didn't know what to do. finally, i put the stroller about three feet away from the door and tell the girls not to move...i was going to open the door and try and get the hostess's attention....at this point we had a large group of people (who turned out to be a little flash mob....not obvious or anything) staring at us (lainey is squatting down behind the stroller....and did i mention that kylee is now crying and scared too! the only calm one was mya, and she was the one i was concerned about). well, i can't get the hostess's attention, but i get the attention of some guy standing there who was able to get the hostess's attention. she eventually came over, i asked her if they had someone come in that was expecting anybody, she said she didn't think so. awesome! now what? i was done and walking away when my phone finally rings...it was ohie calling from another restaurant nearby telling me that she had left her cell at home and that she couldn't 't find a place to park. after all that, i was done and ready to go home and make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. after getting to the car and cooling off, i just laughed. what else was i to do. it really was much funnier to me....my words definitely did not do it justice ;-) hope everyone else is having a great saturday night!!

pucker up butter cup

2011-07-09T11:28:00.000-07:00

lots of pictures.......

summer is half way over. even with it being as busy as it has, it hasn't gone as fast as i thought it would. but i still feel like i haven't gotten anything accomplished....except for this weekend i guess. the hubby is out of town on a float trip, so it's just been me and the girls. so i have been able to check off a couple of things on my LONG list of "to do's"......painted tables, painted the girls cork board frame, met some new friends at the pool (this has been on the "to do" list for one whole year!!), maybe get a few pictures hung?? anyway....i feel a little lighter.

the first night without daddy, the girls (minus baby) had mini facials and pedi's (at "momma's special spa"), watched a movie, read a book and all crawled into my bed. i think my back is still a little sore from that night. last night kylee had a friend sleep over, which included pizza, popcorn and cookies. tonight is going to be low key...maybe a little movie, then off to bed (church in the morning)! we've had a good time, the girls have been great, but we all miss daddy!

i don't think i have posted since mya started walking. she took her first steps june 25th (actually walking)...and now she is pretty much all over the place. it is still so new that i forget that she can walk, when i turn around and see her coming towards me, it freaks me out a little. the latest thing is to carry something in each hand while walking! one of the cutest things she is doing right know...is give kisses. these aren't just any ol' baby kisses (you know the open mouth slimy kisses we all love), these are big puckered up kisses! she was never one to give out any kind of kiss, but now.......oh, they were TOTALLY worth the wait!! they are awesome. what is even funnier is that when she gives one, she expects everyone else to line up. she will give one kiss, then turn to whoever she wants to kiss next, pucker up and expect that person to come running....which of course we do, who wouldn't? i think she just likes to watch us all act like fools for her! but we are fools for her, she kind of melts our hearts!

kylee and alaina are about finished with their summer rec activities....which have been great! lainey has been taking a music an swimming class. kylee has been taking karate and loving it! oh, and miss alaina lost her very first tooth (june 30th)! i have a feeling she is going to be pretty toothless this school year....there are two more wiggly ones in there. i guess this means we will probably be heading to the orthodontist soon for spacers. her narrow little mouth isn't going to tolerate all those new big teeth. can't wait ;-) she is so much like her dad (he had to have them too! however, i was looking at alaina the other day and realized that her and i share the same chin. i know this has no significance to anyone, but to me it does. i didn't think this poor child even came from me, she is her daddy's clone.....but she did and she has my pointy chin ;-) it made me smile. why does it make us happy that our children look like us? i don't believe that it is because we are being conceded, maybe just to prove to the world that they are really are children. why, i am really not sure? weird!

well, miss mya is up from her nap....way TOO early i might add. this switching to one nap a day is for the birds. i forgot how bad it stinks. she has only been asleep for maybe and hour and a half...yuck!!! fun times ;-)

before i forget...while driving the other day, lainey overheard me talking to my dad. when i got off the phone she asked me why i still call my dad, "dad." so we went round and round about how even though you get older your parents are still your parents and so on. she proceeded to tell me that her kids will call alan, "alan." she also realized that papa and ohie would be her kids great grandparents and that papa would become "papapa", hence the extra "pa" stands for the "great." did i explain that very well. it sure was funny listening to her tell me. i couldn't stop laughing. i just love her wittiness, she's so funny without even trying to be funny! got love her ;-)

PS. for those of you who read our blog, please excuse the fact that i include dates of things in the midst of writing.....it helps me remember (since i have been terrible at keeping up baby books, this is as close as i will get)....and the fact that i can't remember anything anymore!

summ 'a' time

2011-06-20T18:47:00.000-07:00

man where to start? this summer has been so busy already. i am caught up with a few things, so i thought i would take a little time to reflect....while i enjoy a cookie!

miss mya had a great birthday! fun filled with lots of cake and presents...with all the fam ;-) the morning of her birthday the girls just couldn't wait to give her their present....so, before breakfast they gave her their present and sang happy birthday to her. we have never had a reaction with the other girls like we did with her. she got so excited when she saw her baby doll and then danced when they sang happy birthday to her. it was great! that night after dinner, i took pictures of her as she dived into her very own cupcake. what was better was when she dug into her polka dot birthday cake. she didn't hesitate....she had fun picking off all of the polka dots...then sharing. man i love that girl.

i love ALL my girls! we were sitting in the doctors office the other day for mya's one year appointment when i had a profound moment...imagine that!! sitting next to each other on the exam table were all three girls.....as i stood there watching them something one of my girlfriends had said to me hit me..."you were so meant to have girls." in that moment as i looked at them i realized that she was right. i was meant to have girls....these three beautiful, sweet, sweet girls!! i always thought that i would have little boys...why, i am not sure. i think that the thought of having girls scared me a little bit. in fact it still scares me. i start to think about how badly i will screw up, how i might scar them, or break there spirit. typical mothers guilt i suppose. but what i have to remember is that God knew what he was doing when he made me their mother. yes, i will screw up....but God has my back. i know the Lord is always with me, i will not be shaken, for He is right beside me (psalm 16:8) i love these girls so much, but God loves them a hundred times more than i am even capable. He has plans for them, and i need to remember that.....and pray like crazy over them. i am not one to brag, but our girls are amazing. precious gifts...that is for sure!!!!

today, i was able to spend the whole day with one of my dearest friends (and her boys). our visits are few and far between, but it is always so great to sit and catch up. i miss having her near. i did love being able to hang out with her three boys today too. they are so precious. her littlest one is just 15 days younger than mya, but doing everything 10 steps ahead. in fact, the last time she was here (which was about three months ago) she brought her little guy with her who was already crawling (mya was not)....but a week later she started crawling. well today mya got a glimpse of what "walking" looks like. so what did she try to do tonight....she tried (took one step) to walk. i have a feeling it will be any day now. i guess she learns by example?? oh, and something else i forgot to mention...two days after her birthday she finally cut her first two teeth. after her bath tonight i noticed that her front two teeth are next in line..they are almost ready to pop through! my baby is getting big. i guess that happens when you turn "one?"

well, i think it is time to close up shop....a storms a brewing....i think the house my blow over (the lightening show is pretty incredible though!)

:::one:::

2011-06-09T20:52:00.000-07:00

where to start?? a minute ago i was praying that God would give us another baby, a second ago you born....and now you are a year old!! last year on this very same day (only it was a thursday) i was going about my day as usual. i had to work that night at the hospital so i laid down to take my nap...only my nap didn't last very long because my water broke (kylee informed me yesterday that "my water bottle broke, then you went to the hospital.") within hours, you became an official member of the Rimbo fam! you completed our family circle! our new home finally felt like home. i have enjoyed every moment with you. your personality is really starting to shine....you are so wonderful! you are our last little baby, so it makes me sad that you are already a year old....but instead of being sad, i want to embrace this time. it is just too fun to miss. you are crawling all over the place (very quickly i might add), you are standing all by yourself and walking when holding on to one hand.....you are so close to doing it on your own, but i am okay with you waiting a little while longer. you love your baby dolls...and you love to EAT! you are almost done breastfeeding....i give it a few more weeks, if that (you are too busy). you are still a good little sleeper. you go to bed at 7:00 and wake up at 7:00. although i think you wake up before then, but you play quietly in your crib until i come and get you. you are still taking a morning and afternoon nap, but i am not sure how much longer we will keep the morning nap...this summer is already so busy. i think you would rather be playing in the pool with your sisters anyway.

miss mya, you are a little ray of sunshine, you do make me happy when skies are grey....and you will never know dear how much i love you!!! you are an answer to my prayers. i love you so much...i am so lucky to be your mommy. i hope you have a wonderful birthday...even if you will never remember this one.....i will. we LOVE you so very much!! xoxo

ouch!

2011-05-19T12:01:00.000-07:00

after

before

i know this is gross, but for the past few years we have had a bad case of plantar's wart living among us. it actually started with me probably 5-6 years ago. i went from dr. to dr. to get ride of it and it always came back. it was in such an odd place it really bothered me so i was determined to get rid of it. so two years ago, i finally found a dr. that got rid of it. by this time alan already had one. about six months ago (if that) we found one on lainey's foot. the exact same foot and same spot as alan's. they are more alike everyday ;-) anyway, yesterday she had it removed (cut out). the worst part of it is the shot....it hurts like a son of a gun!! after laying on top of her and alan holding down her leg...and the screams terrifying the whole office she did great! i have had such a hard time keeping her off of her foot. even today after foot had "woken" up, she has still been all over the place. sweet funny girl. i think she is going to be just fine!!! she sure is doing better than i did!! next it's alan's turn ;-)

miss mya on the other hand is becoming quite the ornary one! let's see if i can remember everything. the other day she was in my closet when i noticed that she was playing against the wall next to the door....it was odd, so when i went in there to see what she was doing, i saw her fiddling around with the electrical outlet!! YIKES!!! great...the one outlet i forgot to put safety covers on. thank goodness she didn't get a finger in there. today i hadn't turned for more than a minute and she was climbing up the stairs. crap!! the other two never went near an electrical outlet, and was never very interested in the stairs...at least not for a little while longer. she is definitely going to keep me on my toes. i am going to be very said when lainey goes off to kindergarten next year...not only because she is leaving me, but i am also losing an extra set of eyes!!

this week has been such a whirl wind, i hadn't had a chance to post earlier how great it has been to see the sunshine. it was so needed, and i was so grateful. today is a work day (well, tonight anyway), so a little rain is nice!

a side note: at bed time we have been reading about moses and the israelites. it's funny when one of the girls recognizes what we are talking about they get so excited and try to blurt out what they know before i can read or say it. well, we were talking about the israelites wondering in the desert....they weren't going to get to see the land God had promised them. kylee piped up and said, "oh yeah, the land of honey and nuts!" i about fell over. too darn cute. i love it when they say stuff like that. it makes my heart smile. now i just wish i could remember the funny things lainey has said in the last couple of days....i just can't remember them (darn it)!! my very literal girl always says the darndest things. if i remember i will post them.

blah....

2011-05-15T16:45:00.000-07:00

i would really love some of this.........

today is just one of those days. i know i shouldn't complain...so i am not going to call it complaining....it's more like crying out to God. i don't think i can take anymore of this weather. my mind and my heart don't want to take it. i almost said "can't," but i know this would be untrue because i CAN do all things through Christ who gives me strength. so Lord, i need strength. i am spent. i have been in a foul mood all weekend....and i am sure others would tell you "before that!" it doesn't help that little miss mya has not been herself either. major fuss bucket. i cannot figure out if she is just tired or she is teething. i don't think it is the later because there is no swelling, no drooling and no chewing. she actually made it to bed at 6:15 tonight! now i am hoping she will just stay asleep ;-) so my prayer tonight is for a fresh new attitude and strength....and a bit of sunshine tomorrow....pretty please. thank you Lord for your many blessings...thank you for letting me come to you when i am weak. love you, amen!

:::11 mo:::

2011-05-10T20:04:00.000-07:00

wow, my baby is 11 months old today!!! has it really been almost a year since we welcomed her into our lives?? unbelievable! she has been such a joyful blessing...in so many ways. in the last few months she has really blossomed. she has really "popped" out of her shell. she is so happy and so good. she has actually become quite the ham! she just likes to see our reaction. she is crawling and standing up everywhere.....but still no teeth!! they are no where in sight. oh well, she eats just fine without them. tonight for dinner she ate salmon, asparagus (not a huge fan of that) and mashed potatoes. i couldn't keep enough of the salmon and potatoes on her tray. she is quite the little piggy. she was hilarious the other night when alan and i went out for a little sushi. we barely sat down and she started clowning around. alan and i were trying to figure out what we wanted to order when i look over at her....she was downing the bottle of soy sauce!!! good thing she chose the "low sodium" bottle.....geesh! oh, and she would only eat the rice if it was dipped in the soy sauce. i know, not good for her, but she really liked it and i didn't give her very much. later that night after she had gone to bed, i went in to check on her and her room STUNK of soy sauce (it was from her clothes in the hamper). it really was hilarious. we sure got a good laugh!

alaina had her very last day of preschool today! or should i say "graduation"? they all wore there little caps, it was so cute. i just wish she had felt a little better. she just wasn't herself. but this afternoon we were back to normal.

it has been pretty exciting around here the last few weeks. we got a swing set (alan and our very gracious neighbor spend an entire weekend putting it up), a new fence and storm doors. i topped it off by planting flowers and herbs. the girls are having so much fun on the swing set....even mya (she cries when we take her out of the swing). it all looks so nice and it is so nice to have something to do outside....and to be able to let the dog outside without hooking her up to her leash. we are in love.

all my girls....so wonderful. this mother's day was so great. we didn't really do anything, just went to church and hung out around the house (played on the swing set.....and i got a nap...then a lovely dinner out). just being with my girls and my guy was so awesome. i am such a lucky lady. i wasn't sure what it would be like having all girls...and sometimes it scares me, but when i look at them and hold them in my arms i just know that this is where God wants me. this is what i have wanted my whole life...to be these girls mommy! they are so wonderful and i am so blessed because of them. they make it mothers day..and they make my day great (mostly crazy....but great just the same)!

with school coming to and end and summer starting the beat down the door...literally....i am ready to start organizing and cleaning out the house. tonight i started with my closet. can i just tell you how much fun i had! it was fun because i pulled out
all of my old jeans (that i have had for 6-7 years)....and they still fit!!!! awesome! too bad i won't ever wear them because they aren't as cool as my new jeans. alan was watching me do this....he looked over at me and asked me if i was having fun, i said, "heck yeah!!! this is great!" now my closet is cleaned out and i have several bags ready for the goodwill. now on to the girls room.....hmmm, maybe i'll wait a little while. that is exhausting. speaking of exhausting...i think it is about time for bed. good night!

spring randomness

2011-04-14T12:56:00.000-07:00

it is quiet in my house and i am unable to sleep before work tonight...probably because my brain is buzzing...and the wind is banging the crap out of my blinds....anyway. i have been reading a book by one of my favorite authors, it is one out of an endless series (which i love) and i can obviously tell that the theme is "moving on....leaving" which makes sense since the title of the book is "Leaving"...duh! anyway, it reminded me of a children's book that she also wrote titled "let me hold you longer" (which by the way is a tear jerker....so mom's if you need a good cry, read this. i can NEVER finish the darn thing. whenever the kids bring it to me to read alan just laughs because he knows he will have to finish it). it talks about holding on to those precious "lasts." you know last t-ball game, last dance recital...that kind of thing. well, it got me thinking and now my brain won't shut off. last night was kindergarten round up for alaina. this was the first year that they actually had the kids come with the parents so they could meet the teachers and see the classrooms, while the parents stayed in one room to listen to a few speakers and fill out paperwork. it really hit me hard when she got up to and ran to where the teachers were standing. she is going to kindergarten (it's a good thing alan didn't see my glistening eyes because he was making fun of all the moms who were already crying). i know i just said something about this, and i said something a while back about kylee, but it is hard. it's a new season and a last. her last day of preschool is in just a few weeks. i am not sure how to explain it...but in this season of my life (a mom of small children) is busy and things that are hard seem like they will last forever. like kylee learning how to read.....whoah...i thought that teaching her how to do that would last forever (and it was not fun), but it past and it became a "last" time of us having to help her how to read....and how i didn't stop and recognize that. i guess what i am saying is that i want to slow down and recognize those times...stamp them on my brain so i will remember for as long as i can. mya is speeding through some of her lasts.....and for me those will be the very last because we are not having anymore kids. alan, just wait for kindergarten round up for mya....i will just plan on bringing my box of kleenex! i am not ashamed!!

on another note.....spring is here and feels oh so good. have i mentioned how much mya likes it? she absolutely loves it outside. i cannot wait for our fence to be put in so we can finally get a swing set. i think i may be more excited than the girls.

a couple more things about mya that i want to get down before i forget....

*i don't dare change her diaper before she eats in the morning (she freaks out...for the life of me, i don't understand why she would want to lay there in saturated

diaper...yuck!)

*if you take something away from her that she is playing with...watch out, the back is

arched, the head into the floor and the screaming begins (isn't it a little early for

tantrums?)

*she absolutely loves taking walks.

*loves, loves, loves food....she really likes broccoli, which i think is pretty awesome!

*she is officially on the move (except when she is wearing dresses...they frustrate the crud

out of her because she trips up on them.

miss kylee had her first father/daughter dance the other night. kylee didn't want to go because she didn't want to wear a dress. but sure enough, once she put it on her eyes lit up and she was ready to go. she looked lovely! her daddy looked pretty good himself!

oh, and little lou is becoming a pro at doing her own hair ;-) lainey has really been into hot dogs too, so the other day i told her she was going to turn into a hot dog if she kept it up. she told me, "no, i'll just have hot brain!" (i guess that is the opposite of brain freeze??) what a goof! as always she makes me laugh!

:::10 months:::

2011-04-12T18:26:00.000-07:00

i swear there is just not enough time in the day....but if there was i would probably fill it with more stuff i "have to do." well, i am taking a minute tonight to talk about my sweetie pie. the last few months have been busy and exciting for our miss my my. up until a few days ago i referred to her as my little "slug." she had no desire to move anywhere on her own...she would rather us pick her up or bring things to her. but now she has discovered that it is fun to move around a bit. the weather is warming up....finally, and she is a happy camper. she likes to have bare feet and legs. she also likes to eat....everything! it has been so long between kids that i forgot what i could start feeding her when she turned nine months and will NO teeth. we were told not to hold back...so we haven't. spaghetti, chicken, eggs, strawberries, avocados, rice.......even broccoli....she really likes it! she is so funny. it is so fun to see her little personality start to shine. she is strong like kylee and ornery like alaina. boy are we in for it! so worth it! she is amazing and i love her so much. even though she doesn't really like to laugh her scrunched smile warms my heart and makes me laugh. my dearest darling mya, i love you so very much...you are AWESOME!!!!

too long

2011-04-03T19:19:00.000-07:00

all i have wanted to do since we got back from our trip was to blog about it. so much has happened these past few weeks...i didn't want to miss anything. well, i guarantee i will forget or have forgotten all that i wanted to say. darn it!!!

i guess i'll start with our trip. it was wonderful, but how could hawaii not be wonderful? ten minutes before we left for the airport we got a phone call from papa telling us that there was huge earthquake in japan and a tsunami was on it's way...but that we should still plan on coming. uh...what.....o...k! thank goodness everything turned out just fine. and that little baby of ours that we were so worried about taking on a plane for so long....AMAZING! miss mya was delightful. thank you everyone who prayed for us. we truly felt them. i just think she loved the all the extra attention she was getting from everyone on the plane. she was eating it up.

well we got there unscathed! the first couple of days for poor kylee were a little rough....from being visited by a water bug (which was almost 2 in long) while going to the bathroom, sunburn cheeks...aloe vera in the eyes, then a bee sting to boot! poor baby. fortunately things started looking up and she never looked back. we all were taken back by mya. she was the happiest baby ever. what's not to love...no clothes, warm sun, soothing water, family all around me and mommy ALL the time...oh, and PUFFS! i wasn't sure we would be bringing back a baby to kansas, rather a gerber puff!

we celebrated alaina's fifth birthday while we were there! we started the day with with breakfast in papa and ohie's bed...seeing as how the girls never stayed in our condo! then instead of beach time (because the girls faces got a little too much sun) we went and played miniature golf (lainey called it "nature golf") and jumped on the big trampoline. her birthday cake had to be improvised a bit. it was a pineapple upside down cake that was frosted....it was oh so yummy! we even saw a hula show....that kylee and alaina were the stars of.

one morning all the girls were swimming in the pool with ohie. mya was in her little raft and was not too happy. there was a group of older gals doing water aerobics in the pool watching her. ohie starting singing her favorite song, "you are my sunshine" so she would quiet down. well, the song seemed to get every ones attention...all the women started singing "you are my sunshine" to her....even the man floating in the deep end joined in. it was so cute!

i hate that so much time has passed...i am forgetting all the funny little stories. oh, i just remembered one! on our way to the airport alaina rode with papa and ohie, while the other two rode with alan and i. i guess someone cut off bruce while driving and he almost said something not so nice....when alaina chimed in and said, "my daddy says bad words when people do that."

o: "oh he does?"

a: "he says ass...uh.....hhhh.....ol...e."

o: "i bet your mommy gets mad at daddy when he says that."

a: "nope, she says them too....she says stuh....oooo...p...id."

phew! it was a good thing she didn't remember something i said on a bad day in the car.

i guess if another story comes to mind i will have to add it to this. i know they are in my brain somewhere...it's just late and i need to go to bed.

::5:: a little late

2011-04-01T19:43:00.000-07:00

you are five! you will be going to kindergarten in the fall...you will probably lose a tooth or two...you will learn to read.....sob, sob!!! my darling lainey, you are growing up. what am i to do? you girls make a sandwich and you are the turkey in the middle. but not just any turkey...the sweetest! you are as cute as a button and are so darn funny. you don't even have to try. you are smart, cute, funny, gentle...and very clumsy! seriously, you have run in to so many walls and fallen off many chairs. you don't like to pay attention...you are just off. you don't like to clean your room...or any room for that matter. i will tell you to pick up your room and when i come back there is even more stuff out because you found more things to play with along the way (your daddy says that i do this....i don't know what he is talking about. wink, wink!!) you love to play with your barbies and dolls. and you still love to put things in a bag!! you have been like that since you learned to walk. you are so unique and special, i could just eat you up. you brighten my day with your sweet smile and gentle hugs and kisses. i love you sweet girl....my little turkey in the middle!!

lots of cake...no party

2011-03-06T19:54:00.000-08:00

my girl knows how to rock it!!

daddy thought she needed a little taste of frosting...hmmmm!

okay, the cat is finally out of the bag! after waiting over five months the girls now know we are going to hawaii. the next morning i go downstairs to find their backpacks packed.....hence the reason we waited so long to tell them!! we all agree that we aren't leaving soon enough, but it is almost here! which is why these past few days have been a little stressful. i am trying to wrap my mind around packing for all three kids (and all the baby stuff!) i know you don't need a lot when going to hawaii, but to really convince me of that is extremely hard to do. kylee missed two days of school last week because she was sick...and she hasn't been sick in a long time!! now, miss alaina is sick!! i should be very grateful that this is happening now and now when we leave.....but, that still leaves the chance of mya, alan and myself of coming down with something in the next several days. prayers welcome!!

today was supposed to be the girls combined birthday party, but with lainey being sick and other friends and family who were sick we decided to cancel. alaina was sad because this party was geared more for her since she was not going to have a birthday party (due to our trip), and i was sad because i had made so much freaking cake!! thanks to our lovely neighbors who allowed me shove half a cake in their arms. anyone who wants cake or a cupcake come by...i need it out of my house ;-) anyway, it was a good thing we didn't have it. right before dinner lainey comes downstairs shivering....fever!! looks like we will be visiting the doctors office in the am. does someone want to come over an pack for me? maybe i should go do that now...or go to bed. i have much more to say, but i think bed would be a wiser choice. later!

:8:

2011-03-01T08:02:00.000-08:00

morning birthday calls.....;-)

this morning our baby turned "8!" i am humbled by this fact...not even sure if i like it much. every year i post on her birthday the fact that i don't like that she is getting older, but the truth is i love watching her grow up! tears are filling my eyes right now at the thought. it is and has been such a privilege being her mother. watching her grow is such a gift that only God could have given us!!

Kylee, you are beautiful, sweet, tender, compassionate, genuine, fun and strong...and those are just a few words that describe your heart! the heart that Jesus gave you is so special, words really can't express. i am amazed and the person he has created in you. you are AMAZING sweet girl. eight years ago, i held you in my arms for the first time and couldn't even fathom how much joy you would bring to your daddy and i's life....and to the lives of those around you. i hope you have a wonderful day! i am dying for tonight....you are going to get the biggest surprise ever! we love you so much!!! xoxoxo

happy "valentime's day" spelling is correct ;-)

2011-02-11T18:12:00.000-08:00

"happy valentime's day" (i hope it will always be "valentime's day") a little late in the day! once you have kids, valentines day is really whenever they have their school parties, not necessarily on the actual day....so this was put off a little. both girls had their valentine's parties last week (not sure why kylee had hers last week....why not start the week off with a party). candy is again coming out of our ears.

i can't stand that every time i sit down to post something, i forget EVERYTHING i was going to say. darn it!! the girls have been saying the funniest things lately and i can't remember all of them, but one of them is the "ducks of huzzard." kylee came and told me about this show alan had let her watch and kept saying something about "ducks," i was so confused. i finally went to alan to clarify...."dukes of hazard!" oh, and tonight we were sitting at dinner, watching the news when an old picture of elizabeth taylor comes on and kylee pipes up and says that she has an "air fro!" alan and i look at each other and start cracking up. it didn't take her to long to figure out that she meant "afro." alaina, today in the car told me to stop talking because her knees hurt. it just made me laugh. out of the mouths of babes! speaking of laughing, mya still does not laugh, well, she does laugh it just sounds more like a high pitched cough...if you can imagine. it's pretty funny! all it takes is for you to start laughing then she will get all excited. she has finally accomplished putting "puffs" in her mouth. it has amazed us that everything else can go in her mouth, but she couldn't put a puff or a yogurt melt into her mouth. so we have been helping her and when she gets it, we all cheer...and she LOVES that!! it is really funny, because when we started putting things on her tray it looked like a game of hungry, hungry hippos....her hands attacking the puff, only pushing it away with her fingers. so funny!

the next couple of weeks are going to be busy, birthday month is coming and i need to get prepared....and start thinking of all the things i need to gather together for our little adventure. it's time to make some more lists! oh boy! wish me luck. anyway, i hope everyone had a great valentines day. we did! i just love my honey's practicality and love....he got me a book light for my kindle (so i don't have to look like a miner at night) and a movie that i was never able to see at the theaters (hope it is good). thank you sweetie. i love you so much!! i love all my funny little valentines!!

random

2011-02-08T18:57:00.000-08:00

naptime....sweet sleeper!!!

i'm up ;-)

coach papooh and his girl!

today after a little latte stop, it was time to take miss lainey to school. since it was a little out of the way, i think it may have confused her. she proceeds to tell me that we are going the wrong way (we were just going a different way) so i asked her how we should go...."we need to go back there, then back, then turn. that is the easiest way." sounds simple enough to me! it made me laugh. i love kid directions. i wish she could have given them to the two people from craigslist that stood us up. i recently posted a few items on craigslist to help buy our girls a swing set this spring. i responded to the first person and we agreed to meet at a store at 3:30....we all loaded up in the car, and waited and waited until i called him asking if he was still coming. his response "never mind," and hung up. okay! then alan spoke with the next person who said he would come by that evening, but it wouldn't be until after the superbowl, but because it would be so late they decided that the next day would be better...so he said that he would call the next evening. the next evening, no phone call....and no response after alan called. why are people so inconsiderate? if you don't want it, no big deal, really! but to stand someone up, or not to respond...not cool. i was so irritated yesterday i could scream. luckily the third time was the charm. done!!

oh, and kylee just finished up basketball this past weekend. she had a good time. and it was fun to watch....they really showed improvement over the weeks that they played and made a few friends too. thanks dad for being willing to coach. kylee has already asked if you are going to coach again next time. we may have to do a little practicing this summer ;-) when lainey saw the trophies being pulled out of the boxes she announced that she wanted to play next year so she could get a trophy too....i think she should just borrow kylee's! i guess we'll see!

and sweet mya, i just couldn't resist sneaking up on her during her nap. i have loved watching each one of the girls sleep. too bad the camera wakes them up ;-) when i was putting her to bed the other night she was wide awake, not wanting to go to bed, she leans in for a big open mouth baby kiss. so sweet...even if it turned into a game of sorts....getting out of going to bed! she kept turning her head away, then turn back to find my lips and give me a kiss, over and over again. the next morning alan is making his good bye rounds when he comes to her...he leans down to give her a kiss and she gives him one back! this causes excitement from everyone, so everyone lines up to get a kiss from miss mya...kylee first, she gets one, then lainey, she gets one....then me...NOPE! what the heck? can you tell i was a little disappointed? i guess i will have to wait until she doesn't want to go to bed at night! little stinker ;-)

snow days...snow days

2011-02-02T08:48:00.000-08:00

starting the valentines month off right with a little sweetheart hot chocolate (soy of course)...strawberry marshmallows are actually pretty awesome in chocolate! not to mention, they look kinda pretty!!

playing parachute with the blanket...

my little poser.....and her sister!

you never know what face your going to get! when she was just a few months old i took a series of pictures of her making so many different expressions (i think i even blogged about it)....still to this day she will have a different look in five frames...our funny valentine!

it looks like we will be adding a few extra days to the school year....oh boy! this winter is starting to remind me of last year. i'm not even sure we have had one full week of school yet since christmas break.....geesh! so yesterday was a fun day, playing, watching movies and drinking hot chocolate, but today......is home schooling day. you can call us mean, but they need to put there little brains to work.....then they can kill a few brain cells watching bye bye birdie and yes, that movie was my suggestion....checked it out from the library on monday (anticipating snow days...because i am actually a little tired of watching star wars)...needless to say it was a huge hit. kylee was actually moaning and groaning about having to watch it (like i was twisting her arm or something), then in the midst of watching it she stopped to thank me because she really liked it. go figure!

you would think that snow days would be a good time to clean, but not in my house...what is the point really. there is a trail that follows each kid. i wish kids understood that their little lives would be so much easier if they would just pick up after themselves before moving on to the next task. why can't they figure this out?? i don't like having to tell them over and over again, but i am not going to pick it up either. that is why weekend cleaning is better...they go back to school after it is clean...ha! well, maybe not in the winter ;-)

i think being cooped up indoors has helped mya finally get back on track...just in time to mess her up again when we go on our trip that has a four hour time difference. we think she has also started to do a wave of sorts. when she sees you across the room and you say "hi" she moves her arm up and down and waves her fingers towards herself. it's pretty cute! she's getting so big...they all are...but don't i always say this??

picture overload......

2011-01-14T19:31:00.000-08:00

the time just slips by....well, actually, i think it runs right by me. i have been looking back at older pictures of the girls and it reminds me how big they are. kylee is going to be eight and alaina five in just a couple of months. alaina is at the age where she is losing all her baby features...her face just seems more mature. when i thought of her turning five, i started thinking about the big year ahead of us. losing teeth, kindergarten...reading. can this really be? just yesterday it seems she had a few hairs on her head and was giving me silly faces every time i got the camera out. if you can't tell, the reality of all of this is hitting me pretty hard. my babies are growing up. speaking of babies, mya is now 7 months old! serious as ever, but as sweet as can be. december was a bit of a rough month, seeing as how she decided she wanted to act like a brand new newborn and wanted to be awake all night!!! that was fun! can you see the sarcasm dripping from my lips? it has taken about three to four weeks, but i think we may be getting back to normalcy.....i think...and hope!

it's been so long since i posted , christmas, new years and our first snow days have come and gone. christmas was wonderful....even if everyone had a cold the week leading up to it. every year i hope with all my heart that the celebration of our saviors birth will be just that....a celebration! though it was, why is it that i let all the business consume me. i was very overwhelmed and bit stressed this season because i was busy with work...and still trying to make everything just right for christmas. i really hate (especially hate to admit) that i get so frazzled, that i don't STOP....and rejoice and celebrate why we celebrate. did i make any sense...or am i just babbling? i could come up with a million excuses, but none of them would ever be good enough. i think i need a plan of action for next year. but aside from that, it was wonderful. the girls had a great time. santa brought kylee a "DS" and alaina a "lainey, american girl doll" and mya a silver rattle (which she loves). we were able to spend Christmas with everyone and it was great...and the fact we were able to celebrate an additional day was even better. one thing that made me laugh was when lainey opened one of her gifts (an ironing board)..."oh boy, now i can iron with daddy!" yes, did you get that...."daddy," not mommy!!! i hate to iron, nor am i any good at it, but alan is awesome! i thought that was pretty cute. one morning while on christmas break after leaving the room, i come back to find kylee on all fours (with reindeer antlers on) in front of the exersaucer which held mya (with a santa hat on), and alaina in the rear pushing the exersaucer....yes, we had kylee the reindeer, santa in her sleigh and alaina the elf pushing the sleigh. so awesome and so creative...and i love how they include mya in their play....even if she has no idea what the heck is going on. they all have a great time. i know there are more stories, but of course none are coming to mind right now. the girls are just getting so big that the stories are more serious now instead of funny....however, i think we will always have stories of alaina running into walls that jump out at her, or her falling off chairs (like the ground was a magnet).

new years we were able to have our friends over from across the street to have a little wii dance party action. the kids had a ball! i wish i can say that i was a big enough person to participate, but i can't....i don't think that will happen unless i am completely alone....even then i may embarrass myself. it really was a nice christmas break...i think the girls would agree. they kept so busy between grandparents and there aunt d. i must admit, i wasn't dying for them to go back to school like i have been in the past. it was really nice to not have to rush around in the morning...staying in our pjs....yes, lovely. i was actually sad for them to go back. but just like last year, it didn't last too long....we had two snow days in a row the week after they went back to school! and this monday they don't have school again. oh, the life!! but from the lips of babes, "i hate preschool, i want to go to college!" alaina (because she thinks that is when you get a cell phone). what a goof, but man do i love her....all my girls. they are AWESOME!!!!

i feel like i am forgetting something....hmmm. i guess i'll just have to post again in a month or so...ha, ha!!

SIX months....(tear!)

2010-12-10T11:56:00.000-08:00

i just love six month old babies...they are just so cute and so much fun...but why is it that my baby is already six months old today? can this be? the first year just seems to flash by in the wink of an eye and it makes me a little sad. i just love this girl to pieces and don't want her to grow up so fast, just like her big sisters. i do have to say that the really fun times are just about to begin. this is the time that goes even faster because they are doing so much.

she is already rolling over (one side preferred of course), and yesterday she sat up by herself...for a few minutes...and in our bed (which gave her a little more butt support i think). she still doesn't laugh a whole lot, but smiles all the time especially when her daddy walks in the room. however, alan did get her to laugh really good last night (when i was at work of course....but thank you so much for calling me to let me hear it). she gets so excited when she sees certain things she likes...like the tv. the kid won't eat if there is a tv on in the room! one thing she has been doing for the past few weeks is when i pick her up from her crib after a nap...she is all smiles, then buries her face in my neck and shoulder...i kiss on her neck, then she lifts her head back up. then i ask her "where are my snuggles?" she buries her face back into my neck...and the whole process repeats itself two or three times. i love that the 'cause and effect' thing is starting to happen. it makes everything a little funnier...and sweeter too! oh, and who ever said that the more kids you have the less and less pictures you have of them....not in this house!!!! the baby book may be neglected almost entirely, but not photos of my girls for heavens sake.

so my dearest mya patricia, you are half a year old today. i can't believe it...but what i can believe is how wonderful you are! you stole my heart the before i even new you. you are so precious and so sweet. your daddy and i are the luckiest parents to have three amazing little girls. when i look at the three of you...or even think about you, i just smile. i am looking forward to the next six months and forever with you. love you my sweet 'my pie.' -mommy

hello

2010-11-21T21:53:00.000-08:00

five month picture of miss mya......

i should be in bed right now...it was only a few hours ago and i was yawning feeling oh so tired....but i guess i got a second wind. i thought i would let my brain unwind a little bit. it needs to be wrung out. it's been so crazy around her i haven't been able to keep up. i did however take most of the day off from editing photos and other busy work to put up the christmas tree. yes, the christmas spirit bit me in the butt today! i just love it when the house is decorated for christmas, it just feels so warm and cozy...it also makes me want to bake. need to stay away from that for a little while. the girls helped get all the ornaments out...making a mess and fighting the entire time. we popped popcorn and had cheese and apples for lunch while we decorated....though i had to fight for my food....little piggies were on the loose! each year since i was pregnant with kylee we have gotten each one of the girls a brand new ornament, one that somewhat reflects them at their stage in life. it is always so fun to pull them out and reminisce. it was interesting though to look at the three or four "baby's first christmas" ornaments kylee got and alaina and mya just one (don't worry girls, you are loved just the same...trust me). it's not that the same excitement isn't there for each one, i think it is just the practicality of it all...what baby needs four "first baby's christmas" ornaments.....just funny!

i am so excited to celebrate this year...our little family is complete! four years ago after alaina was born i decided it was time to have matching stockings. so i found some really cute ones at target. not realizing until i went to hang them that i didn't just buy four, i bought five. i never took it back because i new that there was just one more little person who needed to have their name on that stocking. even though she will never remember this christmas i am so glad she is here with us! i will remember it for her ;-)

speaking of mya, she is growing like a weed! seriously, it really hit me the other day when she was sitting in alaina'a lap....she looked huge. what the heck, where has the time gone...it really doesn't seem fair. she is finally starting to laugh more (with a lot of work on our part of course). she is really in to watching bella too! let's just say that poor little bella is getting a lot more play time because i can kill two birds with one stone....entertain the baby and play with the dog. speaking of killing, i went down stairs before a photo shoot yesterday to set up...i went over to the basement window to see if i could spot the GIGANTIC spider that has been living in window well. well, instead of a spider i saw furr...yes, furr! it was lying in the corner under a peace of plastic. i watched it to see if it was breathing, and sure enough it was.....ooooh! i ran outside to tell alan. he brought with him our neighbor who said it was a mouse. alan asked what we should do with it and he said "kill it." the next thing i know our neighbor (good ole' country boy) is down in the window well stomping on the mouse. OH MY GOODNESS!!!! it was horrible. alan was later making fun of me because they could both hear me in the house yelling like a little girl...but come on, it was nasty and sad all at the same time. if fact when i went to bed last night, the first vision i saw when i closed my eyes was a foot stomping on that thing. don't get me wrong, i am grateful that he was able to do it because i guarantee that alan nor i would have been able to do much about it. i am just glad the girls were not around!!

before i sign off i have to tell a little funny kyleeism. kylee has been very interested in nutcrackers lately (probably because they are everywhere), so i have been telling her that i would really like to take her to the "nutcracker" next year when she is eight (because that is the first time i saw it....and i LOVED it!) well, in the car tonight kylee proceeds to tell me that she doesn't think she wants to go to the nutcracker. i asked her why and this was her response....."i don't think i want to go watch a play about nutcrackers eating nuts!" i just about fell over. that was awesome...and so is she! just love that girl!!! i don't think i would want to do that either honey ;-)

:5 mo:

2010-11-10T17:51:00.001-08:00

can it be so that my baby is five months old already? my fuzzy head, smiley girl is getting so big....it is making me sad :-( today i am so thankful for the little snuggle/nap time we had this afternoon. she hasn't fallen asleep on my chest since she was a few weeks old (she would rather be in her crib)...i savored every second...even though i had my eyes closed too!

her daily routine hasn't changed much. she still doesn't take very long naps...maybe an hour or so. she has started eating veggies and LOVEs them! however, the diet changes have constipated the poor thing...the one time she does try to poop is in the bathtub....oooh gross! she will finally roll over from her tummy to her back (she still doesn't like to spend much time on her tummy). she is really grabbing things and bringing them to her mouth. when she wants to be she is super smiley and very vocal. her sweet sounds are like music to my ears. i am trying to think of other things that she is doing...i know there are more. one thing i do know is that she is AWESOME! we love her so much.

"worstest" day

2010-10-22T03:00:00.000-07:00

i feel as though i have lost my creativity when writing blog post. we have funny things happen all the time, it just seems that i forget them too quickly...and when i do remember i don't have my computer or a piece of paper to write them down. my brain is mush....complete mush! even sticky notes don't help anymore (i lose those before i can use them). these past few weeks have been super busy...and i think they will continue to be busy until the holidays are over!

anyway, kylee didn't have school yesterday (or today), so the day started very early (6:30 am)...why is it that when kids have to be up for school they can't drag themselves out of bed, but on days off, they are up at the crack of dawn? i am sure i did it when i was a kid, but for the life of me, i just cannot figure out "why?" so, early morning = tired kid...emotional kid, cranky kid....mouthy kid...hmmmm. needless to say that yesterday wasn't a great day. it didn't help that it was a thursday, and thursdays i lay low because i have to work at night. that meant that kylee and i had very different ideas of what the day should look like. to her....a vacation, to me.....rest and mentally prepare for the evening (mind you lainey did have to go to school in the am). so what ever didn't go my little darling's way, the tears would flow, the arms would flail and the words, "this is the worstest day EVER!" would pour out. poor kid! i really did and do feel bad....she has been in school for a while and isn't used to our little daily routine...it's pretty boring (especially on a thursdays). i guess what i need next time is to prepare myself for no rest and just stop and enjoy the time i have with her. i really hate that i don't do this more often. i am always doing, doing...not stopping! she is such a good kid and i love her to pieces. i feel like i need to just stop and get to know her better...in this stage of life. she is growing up so fast and i miss out on so much...so much of her, when i am "going" all the time. her sweet, tender heart is so big and i want a piece of it...and i want to give her a piece of mine! she deserves that and much more...each one of the girls do. i am learning each an every day!! Lord, please help me to be quiet and still, even in the most busiest of days....help me to be slow to speak and quick to love and embrace my girls (and husband too!)

this is what i found at work in my lunch bag......

adventure

2010-10-13T19:38:00.000-07:00

adventures.....the first one i want to mention is the adventure my husband and i have been on for the last nine years (actually a lot longer, but today was the day we said "i do" nine years ago). my man is the greatest...he's my best friend, and i cannot imagine my life without him. each day is a new adventure, i look forward to many more....hand in hand. i love you babe!!

the second adventure is the one lainey and i got to go on the other day. tuesday was lainey's fall field trip with her preschool to the "red barn farm." our plan was to meet everyone there because i needed to take big sis to school then wait for someone to come and watch little sis....so, we left following google maps directions.....taking k-7 most of the way....big mistake. so we go, and go and go, then go the wrong way, then go another wrong way...then it starts to rain...then we go another wrong way. i ask lainey if it is okay if we go home if we can't find it.....she says "sure" (not seeming to be too disappointed) but i said i would give it another try, if not we would have our own adventure. so we drove down this road and found an apple orchard. we went inside the store to ask if we could just walk around the orchard...because no one was there, there were no apples and most of the pumpkins had been picked....and it was raining. so we put on our boots and went walking in the rain. we found a pumpkin and bought some jelly beans and called it good! our very own adventure ;-) when we were pulling out...guess what i saw? the sign for the red barn farm directly across the street. so we head on down that road and met up with her class for the last half an hour of the field trip. fun times! i think we both enjoyed it best when it was just the two of us ;-) sweet little moments with my middle wee one!

:4mo:

2010-10-10T20:03:00.000-07:00

i CANNOT believe that four months have passed since this precious little girl came into our lives! super sweet and super serious....we love her. little miss mya p, four months seems such a short amount of time...but my, how much love can fill that time. your smile lights up my heart! i guess you can say you "turn on my heartlight" (words from a favorite of mine....neil diamond...wink, wink) yes, i love me a little neil diamond...one day i am sure you will laugh at me...everyone else does! you really are such a delightful little person already. you are changing so much, so fast. you are now starting to grab things and really pay attention to what you are doing. you love the TV! in fact, i can't feed you in the same room if the TV is on...you get a little distracted. oh, and you are finally lifting your head and chest up when on your tummy....though it is quite loud when you do this.... a lot of grunting. with a 4 year gap between you and alaina, it is amazing how much you forget what babies do do! i love it. i love you! i love all my girls. i have the greatest little family ever!!! i am such a lucky mommy ;-) thank you Jesus!

5 days over due

2010-10-04T19:44:00.000-07:00

working on it!!!!

feeling much better!!!

5 days+ no poop = very stinky baby!!! for the last five days mya has been passing an obscene amount of gas...and i am talking "foul" smelling. she could clear a room or two! i started to panic a little bit sunday night...i don't think i have heard of any babies who were constipated while breastfeeding. but instead of freaking out i just prayed. i couldn't believe i was praying for poop....actually, i wish i would remember to pray for the simpler things ALL the time. we're supposed to! well, He heard and answered. when i was feeding her this morning the eye brows furrowed, the eyes began to water and the chair started to vibrate...and i started cheering her on! boy was i in for a treat. oh my goodness. poor baby had to feel better after that. i think she weighed a few pounds lighter. it was one of the most disgusting things i have seen in a long time....it was everywhere. sure was a good thing daddy wasn't around....i would have been cleaning up after him too. after we got all cleaned up she took a two hour nap. i guess pooping that much will take it out of you ;-) i am so glad that all of cyberspace can know about my daughters first bout of constipation...or whatever you want to call it. she'll be so proud one of these days...mommy loves you honey!!

2010-10-01T17:01:00.000-07:00

no pictures tonight...just a little talk. i am sitting here in my office preparing for a busy day of photo shoots tomorrow. the windows are open, the weather is perfect, mya is sleeping, the girls are with papooh and nana....all is good...quiet and peaceful! i have been looking over and over my calendar for the month of october and my head begins to spin. i think i keep looking at it hoping a few things may disappear, but they don't. i don't want to whine because being busy is a good thing...my brain just has to process and organize it all. each phase of life has it's own "busy." it just takes a little time getting used to. right now it's babies, homework, work, bath times and bedtimes, field trips, doctors appointments, grocery shopping....trying to keep the house clean. as i listen to the announcer at the high school football game (it's actually pretty fun to hear....brings back SOOOOOOOOO many memories), just a short ways away i start to think of the different kind of "busy" our lives will be then. not to rush anything, but it is exciting. sitting here thinking about the good old days. waiting for the fall friday nights to begin.....for the football team to run through the "run through" sign we worked so hard on, the fans cheering with you in the stands....the excitement of the first touch down, hanging out with all your friends...or that special guy ;-) wink, wink alan!! i just love to sit here and wonder where are girls will be, what our life will be like then. it's crazy and so surreal. it just makes me feel so blessed to have such an amazing family. to dream about the plans God has for us. i can't wait for each days adventures with them. many will be rough, but many will be mountain top moments. i get goose bumps thinking about it. go team go! i know i am so weird ;-)

love fall

2010-09-29T19:54:00.000-07:00

i just love fall! days like today are just so lovely, they make me smile. i wish you could just bottle it up and save it for a rainy winter day. yesterday i even planted mums for the porch...lets see how long it take before they die! i do not have a green thumb, but i am still hopeful.

guess what??? mya has been napping during the day...longer than 30 min at a time. i had to make a parental judgment call....we started cereal and i am still waking her up at 5:30 am. it seems to be working. she actually took a two hour nap this morning....it was so great and what was better was than she woke up so happy. hopefully this will be an ongoing thing. not that i would complain about anything she does...she is just too great ;-)

on a funny note, lainey today, had gone to the bathroom...so i go in to do my motherly duty and wipe her little fanny. as i was proceeding to do this i say, "lainey, you really need to wipe your own butt!" she responds with, "mom, i'll wipe myself when i am in high school." wow, really!! do i really have to do that for that long??? too funny. high school??? i wonder what made her think of that. she is just too much.

i know this was a hodge podge post, but i wanted to tell lainey's story before i forget it!!!

all five

2010-09-26T20:16:00.000-07:00

finally.....we have a picture of all five of us. i had to put my foot down...ha, ha! it was killing me that mya is three months old and we have only one picture of the five of us...and it's blurry. thanks d for taking a few pictures of us.

it still feels a little surreal when i look at them and see not just two kids, but three.....and not only that, but to see how big kylee and alaina are getting. our three pretty little girls. we are so blessed! i want to slow things down just a bit. it really hits me when i am rocking mya at night, i just want to savor every moment, yet all day long i move everything along so quickly. i am sure every mother knows what i am talking about?!?

mya is finally back on track at night...in fact she has been sleeping 13 hours....seriously!! however, she doesn't like to sleep during the day. i am wonder if she is getting too much sleep. the last two days i have been waking her up and feed her at 5:30 am, then put her back to bed. she seems to do a little better. she is such a good baby.

we went to the pumpkin patch this weekend and you wouldn't have even known she was there she was so quiet. she is so serious (she hasn't laughed again since that one time). it is going to be so interesting to see her personality come out....not that i want to rush things. little miss has also officially found her thumb, but doesn't use it all that much. she is also on the verge of rolling over. i have forgotten how much they do and how fast they change the first year. it is so amazing!

i need to post some pictures of the pumpkin patch, but i am really tired and need to go to bed. i want to start the week of right...so off i go! night, night!

:3 mo:

2010-09-13T18:02:00.000-07:00

i am just a few days behind in posting...imagine why? i can't even believe that our little baby is already three months old. how can this be? our very sweet, but oh so serious little girl. i know i have already said this before, but i will say it again...she has captured my heart. she has changed so much in the last few weeks. even though we still don't like to sleep much during the day we are getting better again at night. two days before i went back to work we started putting her to bed at 6:00/6:30....which helped a lot. the bonus of that was that i am able to feed her before i go to work....so the cow only has to be milked once at night during my shift, ha, ha!!

she "coo's" all the time now and is typically pretty smiley...until i try to get the camera out, then she pulls out the serious face, furrowed brow and all! seriously, i think i only have one or two pictures of her smiling. one of the cutest things she does is after her bath, she LOVES to have her legs massaged. she starts cooing and gets so excited...and she doesn't stop until i put her jammies on...then the tune changes dramatically. she knows exactly what is happening next...bed! from that moment on, she cries, that is until she gives up the fight or i start singing "you are my sunshine." why she would like it when i sing is beyond me...poor thing has to endure that!

oh, and late this afternoon she made my day....she laughed for the first time! that sound really is the sweetest sound. that first little laugh can just melt your heart. i am so thankful i was able to record it (unfortunately i didn't have the video camera handy, but i did have a digital audio recorder...that way alan was able to hear it too!) we just love her to pieces and are so glad she is a part of our family...i already couldn't imagine it without her. love you baby girl!

on a side note....kylee is doing very well in school and has overcome her fear of going over to ask to play with the neighborhood kiddos (i have to mention that they are great kids...they all have a good time together.) in fact we have been able to get to know our neighbors as well, and i just have to say that it has been awesome! we are having a lot of fun getting to know them...they are wonderful "salt of the earth" people...and great parents too! you can't beat that. i think it's actually funny to see....all the guys will be out in there yards on the weekends and within a short while they will all congregate together on the sidewalk...sharing "tips" or helping each other out. it's really awesome! and the kids (our kids anyway)...oh my, they just wait by the door waiting for one of the other kids to emerge from their house so they can go out and join them. this is so new to kylee and alaina that they are a little obnoxious about the whole thing, but i guess you can't blame them! we knew from the beginning that this house was a God thing....this just proves it all the more! he is so good and so faithful, why do we ever doubt? anyway, i need to run...lots of work to do and pictures to edit! good night ;-)

WTH?

2010-08-30T12:37:00.001-07:00

i am so overwhelmed by emotions right now and i think this morning they got the better of me. when you think of starting a family, you don't necessarily think about how hard it is to raise children...not bad, just HARD! as we are going back to "baby days" we are continuing to enter adolescents as well. while both are challenging in themselves they are so confusing to parents....i guess i shouldn't speak for anyone other than myself. i am having a hard time! miss mya was doing so well, sleeping through the night, starting to take naps....over all happy. then about two weeks ago now she started waking up again in the middle of the night (it has not helped that she CANNOT get her thumb in her mouth...she wants it, but just can't quite release it from her death grip) and the past three or four days she is so over tired that she won't take naps, starts screaming out of no where and is still waking up in the night. everyday i rat my brain trying to figure out what the heck it can be and then i start comparing her to her sisters....and i don't remember them doing this (but i must say that my brain does not work as at remembering things these days). i have come to the conclusion that she is just way over tired. but what do i do about this? even when i try to rock her she screams forever. do i let her cry it out already, she is almost three months, but still not there??? i may be stressed over nothing, but in the midst of it...and other things it IS stressful, especially because i am probably just as tired as she is!

on to the next thing...my poor bug! i shouldn't say "poor" because i know that she will get through this stage...it's just hard to watch (and i know it's just going to get harder). my heart is just aching for her. it is so hard going to a new school and after last year, even harder. i really feel that last year tore down a bit of her confidence. recently we met our neighbors kids (which are both seven) and kylee has played with them just one or two times....but is already afraid to go over and ask to play because the last time she was there, when one of the kiddos had to go inside she asked to play with the other one and he said he didn't want to if the other girl couldn't. that right there just shot a hole in her heart. she is a clayton through and through when it comes to her sensitive side. because when she told me it shot a hole in my heart too. as parents, you, just like they do want everyone to like them....you think, "who wouldn't want to play with my kid, they're great!" but the fact of the matter is, not every one likes one another, not everyone gets along....but when you are "that" person, it hurts just the same. we tried to encourage her, telling her that they have known each other longer and it takes time and effort getting to know someone. we also told her that she has to think about others and what they would like to play, because there is a slight tendency to have a one track mind and to only want to play what she wants to play (i have NO idea who she would get this from). so all i can do is pray and ask God for an abundance of wisdom for alan and i as parents and for her as a young girl and friend.

phew, that feels better! oh, did i mention that as i was writing this i let miss mya cry herself back to sleep and it worked!!! thank you Jesus!

i love my husband, i love my girls and i wouldn't change my life for anything....tis a season and with the Lord on my side we will ALL get through it...for the better!

sweet baby

2010-08-14T20:06:00.000-07:00

oh sweet baby mya! i had to post a little something about you since i have almost completely neglected your baby book (i am hoping this blog will help me fill in the blanks). i just have to say that i am so happy you are here with us to make us five. you are indeed a blessing. after feeding you in the middle of the night (which is practically morning), i place you on my shoulder to burp you....you just lay your head on my should and sleep....your heavy breaths, your pouty lips...and sweet random smiles....so peaceful. some may say that newborn smiles are from "gas," but i disagree. i want to think that God is speaking to you and you can't help but smile. i just stare at you and thank Him for you.

in the morning when you wake, you are now full of smiles. your arms stretch up over your head and you look up at me and smile. what a wonderful feeling that is, to see your baby look up at you and grin from ear to ear. we have learned that you are not a fan of your bouncy seat...which your other sisters loved. you would rather be lying on a blanket on the floor. so each room is equipped with a blanket just for you. because your sisters never liked being on the floor i got rid of the baby entertainment mat...so guess what i had to buy the other day....an entertainment mat....and you LOVE it. you lie there and swing your arms around and coo....especially when you see yourself in the mirror.

you had your first bottle two days ago....we thought we would give you a little practice before i go back to work in a couple of weeks (not looking forward to that). you weren't a big fan of daddy giving it to you, so i finished....but we'll keep practicing with him. i am just hoping you will sleep at night like you do for me. you typically sleep anywhere from 8-10 hours at night...bless you sweet girl. well, i think i need to go to bed so i can say i had a little sleep before you decide you would like to eat again. i love you so much, you are a delight and a blessing little one!

PS. did i mention how fun you are to look at! i could stare at you for hours ;-)

grade 2

2010-08-13T19:00:00.000-07:00

what a day! today was kylee's first day of second grade at prairie ridge elementary. i am sure that many people saw my post on facebook after dropping her off. i was miserable. she didn't want me to walk her in like ALL the other mom's and dad's. watching her walk off and walk up to the school just broke my heart. i think i was more nervous for her than she was. i couldn't help myself...i even emailed her teacher to check in on her. i didn't want to be "that" parent, but i remember starting a new school, in the second grade i might add. i remember feeling scared and anxious, but never expressing those feelings out loud. i didn't want her to have to experience the same thing...putting on a brave face. however, i think i under estimate my little bug. she is a super brave girl...and when she does have feelings of fear she typically is able to express it very well. i am so proud of her.

so, i get in the car line at school 25 min early ;-) so i can be one of the first ones to pick up....she gets in the car and says "it wasn't such a good day." heart sinks! i asked her what happened and she said that her stomach hurt all day. so we talk about it and i ask her about the kids in class, and what she did and she seemed to perk up a bit. i also told her how sad i was to drop her off by herself this morning, but how incredibly proud i was of her....how brave she was. i did add to that and told her that next year that i am going in with her. her response, "no mom, i can do it by myself." with that response i was reassured that i wasn't a horrible mom and that she made a decision that she was more than capable of making...not that i will give her that option next year ;-) we get home and her stomach is still hurting...i am thinking it is just nerves (especially after reading the response i got from her teacher via email....she said that she seemed a little sad throughout the morning and was complaining of her tummy hurting....so she went to the nurse and spoke with the school counselor before lunch, but after lunch wanted to go back to the nurse. they avoided sending her back to the nurse and made it through the rest of the day...she seemed a little happier), but i decided to go and feel her head and sure enough she had a fever! seriously, sick on her first day of school...at a brand new school....poor kid!! no back to school dinner for miss kylee, just a little motrin and early to bed. praying for a quick recovery from what ever is going on with her. what a way to start the year.

kylee, i am so sorry that today was such a difficult day, but it is only one day. changing schools is not an easy thing to do, but you are beautiful and smart and have a heart of gold. just keep trusting in Jesus and know that he is with you where ever you go. He loves you so much and will give you all the strength, peace and comfort you need. i think i needed to remind myself of that this morning. i love you honey. you are going to have a great year in the second grade!!!

2010-08-06T18:53:00.000-07:00

i cannot believe that summer is coming to an end! kylee starts school next friday and is going to be in the second grade.....the second grade!!! after last year's not so good experience i am feeling a little anxious for her (not that she is showing any signs of feeling anxious....it's all me). please join me and praying for our sweet bug that this year will be a great year, that it will be filled with fun and friends...and lots of learning ;-)

this summer has been bitter sweet for the girls. it has been fun and exciting having a new little sister, but also a very big adjustment. we were just getting used to being able to go anywhere we wanted when we wanted....and they had a lot more of my attention. like i have said before, i know this is a season and it will pass and hopefully the girls won't hold it against me until i die. but i also don't want to rush this season because it is also so tender and sweet (especially on mya's and i's end). you may be able to tell that i am really struggling with this. everyone is so used to the way it was...mommy/wife did certain things a certain way, had more time and energy (some days) and now things are different. this week my brain has been spinning....so many things to do and not enough time in a day or hour to do them. i am not complaining, i knew it would be this way and wouldn't want it to be any other way, mya is worth all of it....it's just challenging and i need to vent. my sweet girls really have been amazingly patient...just not in stores...ha!

the picture of kylee above was just a little time we had together while everyone else was napping. she is so stinking photogenic and cute! she is growing up so fast. she has changed so much in the last two years. such a beautiful girl with such a compassionate heart...truely! but seriously, what seven year old wants to have their picture taken?? our kids actually like it. next it's alaina's turn! they even want me to take more of mya...like i haven't take enough already.

oh, and miss alaina with her accessories....getting ready to go to schlitterbahn with papa and ohie. a green plastic necklace as a belt...nice touch! two funny little stories that i don't know if i will be able to explain in writing...you really have to hear it, but i will try. the trip to schlitterbahn today was a surprise (for the last couple of weeks they have been talking about wanting to go...and alan kept teasing her that because she was so short that she couldn't go down the slides because she was too short....that she would have to swim in the baby pool with all the snotty nose kids), so when they found out where they were going alaina stands there, shoulders drop, head drops and the eyes roll back as she says "great, i have to swim with the snotty nose kids." poor thing actually believed it. her reaction was so priceless! the other thing happened several days ago. all three of us girls had our hair cut the other day, but because lainey's hair get so tangly she had to have it washed. i think she thought she was pretty special because she got a little extra treatment. lets just say that she really enjoyed being primped and pampered. so, the next day we were at papa and ohie's and they had just gotten out of the shower when lainey goes over to the vanity and sits down on the stool...pulls up the mirror and starts combing her hair....and as she does this she looks up at me through the mirror and says matter of fact, "tom really did a nice job cutting my hair." i just about lost it! what are we going to do?

last, but not least, sweet little mya...she's is just great! we are starting to get into a pretty regular routine (for now anyway). she eats, she plays (smiles), she sleeps...couldn't ask for anything more...especially for the amount of sleep she is getting at night....she is a rock star (do i need to knock on wood?) i just love her, love her, love her......all my girls! i am so blessed. did i happen to mention that i have a wonderful husband too! he is the greatest husband/daddy i could ever ask for....he's pretty good lookin' too;-) love you babe, i don't tell you that enough!

6 wks too fast

2010-07-26T20:00:00.000-07:00

a long awaited post! our little munchkin is already six weeks old, i really can't believe it. the time is flying by, but probably because i've been so busy. you forget how much work a sweet newborn is....worth every minute, but still demanding. i can't really say that she is an easy baby, but not difficult either....she is just right ;-) she seems to be doing better now that she is going to be a little earlier, evenings aren't as fussy. she is starting to smile a lot more too, especially in the morning when laying on the floor (we have found that she is much happier lying on the floor as opposed to being in her bouncy seat)...looking at the fan. she loves the fan, she even likes it when i say "where's the fan?" she gets this big goofy grin on her face, it is so funny. i love to just lie there next too her and watch her grin and coo! i can't stop kissing her either...too irresistible.

kylee and alaina are still in love with her, they are constantly in her face...literally. i have to remind them frequently that she can see them better if they are a few inches away from her face.

the summer is wrapping up...kylee starts school in 2 1/2 weeks!! that means that we will busy getting ready for school...haircuts, new shoes, last minute stuff. she has worked really hard this summer reading like a mad woman. she has read 21 chapter books and is still going. i am so proud of her hard work. she said that she "loves reading now." it helps when you find a few god books. her favorites are "franny k. stein" by jim benton and the "my weird school days," by dan gutman. she's actually a little obsessed. she gets on the computer almost everyday doing a search for more franny k. stein books (because she has read all of them) and dan gutman. she even made a list for me the other day of all the books she hasn't read. i was actually really impressed that she did the search all on her own (sadly her and lainey are left up to their own devices more than not these days....we are so lucky and grateful for such good kids).

lainey....well, she's a piece of work that is for sure. our little fancy pants! always wearing fancy things and being dramatic as ever. kylee and her have for the most part played so well this summer...always playing "kid" of course.....oh, and barbies! sometimes when they are playing i have to stop to check on them because alaina is crying...fake crying (but it sounds so real). is it weird that when they are playing someone is always dying...or getting married?? hmmmmm! she is slightly morbid at times, but we love just the same.

i love all my girls so much, i don't tell them enough. i feel so bad that i haven't spent more time with them, or just telling them how much they mean to me. i have to remind myself that this is just a season and it will pass. i just hope and pray that they won't hold it against me ;-) so girls, i want you to know....i love you with all of my heart. i am so sorry that i haven't had more time focused on you, but it doesn't change the way i feel about you. i am so proud of both of you. i am also so very thankful for all your help taking care of mya. you are the best big sisters ever!! i couldn't do it without you. you are smart, beautiful and funny...and so full of love. thank you for loving your mommy no matter what. i love you both!

:rimbo five:

2010-06-30T11:34:00.000-07:00

okay, i just laid miss mya down for a nap....so lets see how fast i can do this. so much to say about the last three weeks, i don't know if i'll have the time. three weeks ago this thursday we had our third sweet baby girl....mya. i was supposed to go to work that thursday night, but my water broke that afternoon, so i was able to call in and say that i would rather come in as a patient instead. we got to the hospital and things progressed smoothly. with this pregnancy i decided that i wasn't going to have an epidural...for more than one reason, but the main one being to prove my husband wrong ;-) about half way through labor i contemplated the epidural but kept focusing on a bible verse that i had recently been reading (john 16:21 - A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.) i kept thinking of that joy that would come. low and behold i did it, and she came out and the pain was gone and she was breathtaking. we became a family of five! the joy was almost too much for words. after coming home from the hospital every time i looked at all the girls i wanted to cry because i was so happy. the girls as i know call them my little hover crafts are in love with her. the first few days were pretty easy....but now she has her little routine. she is awake in the morning from 7:00-9:00, she eats, then sleeps, eats, then sleeps, then in the evening she is awake, awake, awake. she eats every two hours gets a bath and goes to bed. she gets up again at 2:30/3:30, eats, sleeps and gets back up at 6:30. you may ask why i am writing a detailed description of her schedule...but if i don't i won't remember and i obviously don't have time to write down in her baby book right now (hopefully soon). it's amazing how fast you forget stuff. i can't believe that she will be three weeks old tomorrow...crazy! she is beautiful and wonderful and i am completely in love...we all are. we are so glad that you are here sweet baby girl. god is so good and we are so glad. did i mention she looks just like kylee! i pulled out kylee's baby book the other day and held it up to mya when she was awake...and they are almost identical...it will be neat to see how she changes over the next month or two. anyway, she's crying now, so i gotta scoot!

summa' time

2010-06-06T20:11:00.000-07:00

38 wks.....love the eyelashes!

little picaso's

my girls!!!

the count down in on!! tomorrow i will officially be 38 wks and i am ready to meet this sweet baby of ours....it has nothing to do with the fact that i go to the bathroom every 5 minutes or i can barely roll out of bed to do just that ;-) really, this pregnancy has been great, but feeling her move inside for so long i can't wait to see what she looks like. the lake has been a great distraction for all of us. just being on the boat, swimming and soaking up a few rays. the girls are having a blast!!! they would be out there everyday if we'd let them...but i think papa and ohie might need a break. but so far the last two saturdays have been "lake saturdays." maybe we'll even be out there this saturday?? i am kind of hoping to be holding a baby in my arms, but i really think she has decided that she is quite comfy in my belly. here are a few pictures from the lake....and a couple from the little artist who thought it would be fun to paint momma's belly (papooh's idea). they thought that was quite fun....until they started fighting over who was doing what. it was quite comical trying to lift my belly over the sink to wash it off...it's just getting a little too large....but i love it!

new beginnings

2010-05-27T06:32:00.000-07:00

today is the day....it is officially done! our first house is no longer ours. it really hasn't been for a few weeks now, but today it will belong to someone else. i hope it will be a great home for them...as it was for us. it feels weird to say that it is not our home anymore, but it feels great to call our new home "our home." we love it....it's feeling more like home everyday. we're still trying to put stuff away, though i think that will be an ongoing process for a while. i had to put a picture of the girls last night in their room before we moved. they were so excited to sleep on the floor!

this little girl is one of a kind....well, maybe a second edition (she is just like her ohie...she likes all things that sparkle and glitz...along with "tools"!! during the moving process if we heard the drill going we had to go make sure it wasn't alaina...because if it was lying around and we were were out of site it would be in her hands, drill buzzing) the other day we had to go to the hardware store....again...and she couldn't have been happier. she wanted to spend her money on a tape measure. she knew exactly what she wanted...but couldn't decide between sizes. i was cracking up. she really wanted a drill, but they were out of her price range;-)
yesterday papa and ohie got their boat we we broke it in. the girls were up at 6:30 in the morning asking when the boat was coming. such a nice boat and so much fun. we can't wait to spend the summer on the lake, sunbathing and swimming off the "papaohie." do you like the coconuts and watermelon floating below. the girls thought it was hilarious....mya is already swimming in the lake. it was a little chilly, but still refreshing. so much fun!!

36 wks...she'll be here soon!!!!

::home::

2010-05-13T23:46:00.000-07:00

we are officially in! after months and months of praying and trying to be as patient as possible, the house that we never thought we could have is now our new "home." it's all a bit overwhelming...i think i am still trying to process it. over six months ago alan and i started looking at houses. we were very specific in our "looking." we wanted a place where we could spread our wings a little, be closer to family, and of course...a bigger kitchen. oh, and i forgot the third car garage for alan's other little baby;-) it's really funny because the house that originally caught our eye was the house directly across the street from us. but that one was already on back up so we decided to look across the street. well, we fell in love with it. we went into it knowing that it could take a while for everything to go through (because it was also a short sale)...but not really thinking it would actually happen. i think we got to a point where we didn't really think too much about it (well, maybe a little). anyway, six months later we got the news that the banks approved our offer and we would tentatively close mid may. i must say that God's hand has been in this the entire time, there is no denying it! it's hard to explain sometimes how God actually speaks to you personally, but in the last few months leading up to our offer being accepted i was starting to get a little anxious about if and when this whole thing would happen. but can you blame me...a baby on the way....seriously, my type "a" personality was going nuts. well, during that time God spoke to me. amidst my anxiousness i kept being reassured that april was when something was going to happen. so i clung to that and guess what happened...we not only found out that we got the house, but that we were going to close april 30th....and we sold our house in five days (april 26th). are you kidding me!!! absolutely not! God is so good and so amazing! so when i start to question whether we made the right decision or whether we even deserve this place....because we really don't, but seeing God's hand in all of it, how can i deny it! this wasn't just an accident. we prayed, we asked, we thanked and praised and he answered in amazing ways. we are so grateful to have a God who loves us, who cares for us, who listens to us....who answers us....even if it is not the way was expect or want it. i am so excited to call this house our "home," and to create memories with all three of our girls. oh, and all this before the baby comes. not to say that we won't be busy up until the time she comes....unpacking, but i am so incredibly grateful that we are in before she arrives. honestly i don't think that is too far off. i am 34 wks and have been pushing it with this move...so we'll just see how much longer we last! maybe she will be making her appearance on my birthday;-) i would love for everything to be ready before she comes...only because i know i will be exhausted when she does arrive (not that i'm not now)...but i really can't wait to meet her. i am so curious to see what she looks like. all i can see and feel right now are her feet and gigantic movements. the alien is alive in there!!! we can't wait to meet you little one. you are already so precious to me, i am anxious to hold you in my arms and give you sweet little kisses! and i have tested out the new recliner and it is ready for the two of us to nap in!!

phewww!

2010-03-22T12:35:00.000-07:00

the bread is kneading in the bread machine (why do all that work???), the carrots sticks are cut and put away...and the house is quiet....ahhhhh! so i have decided to take a minute and blog. can i just start by saying how thankful i am that the march birthday festivities are done!! i love making cupcakes and celebrating my girls, but it is an exhausting to have them both in the same month. i am so thankful that this next bundle of joy won't be joining us for a few more months (though i am so excited to meet her). these last few weeks have been busy, but mentally they have slowed down. i have been able to check a few things off my to-do list and that alone feels wonderful....hopefully i will be able to mark a few more things off soon.

good news for today....i just found out that i do NOT have gestational diabetes with this pregnancy. that is a total answer to prayer. i wasn't sure how i was going to do it behind on this blood type diet and all...it would have been very complicated, but God knew...why do i doubt??? oh, i and i just realized that i only need to work four extra shifts to make up for my maternity leave...i may try to get them all in this month so i can actually enjoy the last month and a half of pregnancy....and not suffer from complete exhaustion before she comes (because i know i will endure once she gets here). hmmmm, what else is good about today....oh, the sunshine, grocery shopping done...i am sure there is more. now if our accountant would just call us and tell us that we are getting back an amazing refund, that would be the cherry on top!

i am 27 wks today, so that means i only have 13 more weeks to go. the time is starting to fly by. i am really excited to meet her, but seeing as how this is probably our last go around i am enjoying this pregnancy to the fullest. i really do love being pregnant, i feel great, other than my silly sciatic nerve....it's killing me. i love feeling her move around inside. she is super active around 1:00 pm, 6:00-7:00 pm, 11:00 pm...and if i am at work 3:00 am! i think the girls really enjoy watching my belly grow...they continually remind me how big my belly is getting (at least they haven't told me that my backside is getting bigger too...ha!)

well, i just heard the fan click off in alaina's room, which means she will be on her way down any minute. yep, here she comes, gotta run!

PS. thanks to everyone for coming to the girls birthday bash on saturday. i know the weather wasn't great this year (first time in almost seven years that we haven't had nice weather at their party), but we really appreciate that everyone was able to come. they had a blast, and i just enjoyed being with my family. love you all!!!

::4::

2010-03-16T19:18:00.000-07:00

beautiful girl...it's been a busy day! today you turned four and i am still blown away! i feel as though i am at a loss for words and don't know where to start. before you came into this world i wasn't sure how i could love more than one child...but then you came and it was love at first sight. you light up my life, bringing me so much joy and laughter. every single day you bring something new to it. your sweet little hands still fit perfectly into mine. our "glitzy and glam" girl, you have such an impeccable taste for accessories...high heels and jewelry...oh, bags too! you are so funny and sooooooo ornery! we love you so much! hope you had a great birthday. tomorrow it's disney on ice...whoo hoo!

much needed fun!

2010-03-15T13:33:00.000-07:00

(26 wks)

God sure knows what we need....even if we think we can do without!!! this weekend is proof of that. last week was an awful week. things just seemed to be piling up and last week i lost it....yes, again! it's the pregnancy i tell you;-) anyway, i didn't think i was going to be able to attend the "holles girls weekend" this past weekend because of work, or lack there of! but God knew, He had it all arranged. i was planning of having to work thursday and friday (which wouldn't have allowed me to go), but tried to work monday instead of friday...but that didn't work out...so low and behold i received a call wednesday to come in and work. well, it worked out perfectly. i worked wednesday and thursday and was able to go to iowa on friday.

i have to say...it was wonderful. not only was it a nice little break from my little family (i love you dearly), but it gave me an opportunity to be with a wonderful bunch of women, who i dearly love and adore. they are so much fun!!!! though alan and i had many breakups in our relationship (hee, hee) we have technically been together for fifteen years!!! so, needless to say i have been able to get to know his wonderful aunts/uncles and cousins. i am so lucky to be able to call myself their family, really...they are wonderful! i have to thank them so much for taking me in as there own (i really don't feel like an in-law at all..i feel like a real niece/cousin). it is such a special thing for me.

it was so neat to have that time to sit and talk, sharing stories about our families and our faith...and laughing until we were all about to pee our pants (well, i was anyway!) oh, i almost forgot about the shopping....that was great too, but exhausting;-) i can't wait until our next girls weekend....especially for that glass or two of wine that i had to miss this time around! i love you all, thank you for a wonderful weekend!!! i needed it!

rice bread...

2010-03-07T15:18:00.000-08:00

Rice Bread

(for bread machine)

1 C water

1/3 C rice milk

2 eggs

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

4 T canola oil

2 T sugar

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 C white rice flour

2/3 C brown rice flour

1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum

2 tsp quick rise yeast

combine the ingredients in order listed above. i have an old bread maker so i only have a few settings....so, i set it to bake for whole wheat bread (and normal crust color)....which is approx three hours and fifty minutes.

i would love to give credit to the person who originally blogged this recipe (and i will if i can find her), but i can't find the site! anyway, it really is a great alternative to wheat bread. it has a great, but unique taste (makes great grilled cheese sandwiches). just don't forget to add the salt. i did that with the last loaf and it was awful!! but the loaf pictured above made up for it in taste and looks. i even had a pb&j sandwich today....which was simply heavenly because i haven't been able to have one for years (due to my peanut allergy, i used almond butter and an organic mixed berry preserve....it was sooooooo good!) who would ever thought an adult could get so excited about a pb&j sandwich? loved it!! if you try this recipe, i really hope you enjoy it as much as we do (kylee LOVES it!).

b-day fun

2010-03-03T18:38:00.001-08:00

traditional birthday breakfast in bed (she was already sitting there waiting for us to come in..."what took you so long." to beat her in the morning you have to wake up at the crack of dawn!

i have to say...i think she had a great day. started with breakfast in bed (bonus....NO eggs!!), lunch at school with mom...and cupcakes, picked up from school by papa and ohie....then pizza for dinner (gluten free/dairy free of course) followed by cake and presents. phew.....that was a mouthful. she was in a wonderful mood.....and would not stop talking!!!!!!

i do have to say that i was a very proud mommy that night. i remember being so nervous when we found out that alaina was a girl...i thought, two girls and three years apart they won't ever get along. man have i been proven wrong and so happy to be. i can honestly say that these girls really love one another. of course they fight and say mean things to each other, but over all, they show genuine love for one another. my eyes were just opened a little more to that on kylee's birthday. when kylee was getting ready to open her presents alaina was so excited for her. she wanted to help her open them and kylee said "sure." she never pouted or was sad at the fact that none of the presents weren't hers or that she wanted to play with them. i believe she was really happy and excited for kylee....just to see what she got. i know this probably happens every day with many kids, but i think God really wanted to make this known to me.

the next morning while getting ready to leave for school i over heard the girls talking. kylee was telling alaina that she knows that she takes really good care of her own barbies and because of that she could take care of her new doll while she was at school. she said she could do what ever she wanted with it. (when i was little there is no way in you know where would i have let my sister do that with my brand new, special birthday present...sorry megan! i was a little selfish...ya think?) i came around the corner, just shocked at what i was hearing. i said, "alaina get's to be the babysitter today?" kylee said, "yeah, she takes really good care of her dolls so i know she'll take good care of my doll." it was such a sweet moment....the love and trust kylee has for her little sister....it's pretty awesome.

as for lainey....boy did that boost her self esteem! she took the best care of her doll all day long. she played with her, took her "pretend" shopping, had lunch with her and put her down for a nap in kylee's bunk while she slept below. oh, and when we went to pick up kylee for school she made sure that the doll went with us! it was just awesome!! my girls are great....but i am very biased. i had to share this story so i will have written proof...a mental snapshot of a sweet, tender moment between sisters.

:7:

2010-03-01T09:46:00.000-08:00

seven years ago this morning alan and i welcomed into this world our first child....kylee! seven years ago!!!! i remember that day like it was yesterday. that first time i saw her, it was so surreal...nothing i had ever experienced before. it almost felt "out of body." i was lying there watching her and thinking, "she's really real, she's here and she's ours."

here we are seven years later and when i look at her i am still amazed. such a little beauty growing right before our eyes. i see so many things in her that remind her of me or of alan, but the deeper i look i see "kylee." she is definitely one of a kind....caring, passionate, sensitive and strong. though i don't want her to grow up too fast, i am excited to see what kind of women God is growing up in her. God does not make mistakes, all things He creates are wonderfully and beautifully made....and my dearest little kylee, you are a little treasure sent straight from heaven, made by His hands, wonderful, beautiful and all things good!!!!

(a little note from mom:

kylee,

i know this year hasn't been easy, and i can't promise that they will get easier...but i can promise you that daddy and i are always here for you and will always love you. know that no one is perfect (we all make mistakes)...it's not possible. you are smart, sweet, funny and so loving...you are WONDERFUL! God made you, you, and it shouldn't be any other way. don't take to heart negative things that may get thrown your way. know that you have us, but more importantly you have a God who loves you so much. He wraps His arms around you each day, He will never leave you...you are so special to Him. so stand strong in God's love and the love of all of us. we love you so much and hope that you have a wonderful birthday!!!

love,

mommy xoxoxo)

2010-02-15T19:34:00.000-08:00

i am trying to update the blog while watching the ku game...we'll see how this goes. i am sure that blogging will win out, since the need to write a little feels more important. well, the last time i posted i was constantly in tears...well, they have dried up (but did i mention i even cried at parent teacher conferences that night...so embarrassing!!!) we survived the 25 hours of eating organic, another treatment with dr. hall...however that weekend kylee got a nasty cough and drainage from her ears (thank goodness for those tubes...otherwise we would have had a major ear infection on our hands). needless to say she didn't feel very good. BUT.....and let me emphasis the BUT, we noticed that she was only coughing to cough up the nasty crud that was in her lungs...not every two minutes. we went back to see dr. hall on tuesday and by then her cough had subsided even more. now i can say that she is not coughing at all!!! praise God! seriously!!!! as far as treatments go we have moved passed the allergy testing for now and have moved on to the emotional stuff (which is affecting her sinuses....her snort...which has improved too). it really is a beautiful thing to see god working right before your eyes...and not necessarily through the hands of a man in a white coat!

kylee is still struggling a little with the diet...i am not sure she fully understands, nor do i expect her to. she tears up quickly when she finds out she can't have certain things. i think it has helped that we are all eating very differently...alan is scavenging the cupboards to find snack foods;-) i do have to say that i found a recipe online for sesame chicken (like the kind you get at a chinese restaurant)...holy cow! it was amazing...alan even said that it was one of the best dinners i have ever made. even better, it is gluten free and dairy free...whoo hoo!!

little miss alaina has also started treatment with doctor hall for her pigeon toed walk. she was so excited to show me what she has to do at home....plie' over and over again. it's really funny watching her do them because for her to just get into position is hilarious...then she does about 10 of them in about two seconds. it reminded me of the i love lucy episode when lucy takes lessons from a ballet instructor.

unfortunately, today was not a good day for alaina. all weekend she just hadn't been herself and i could tell that she was getting a cold. in anticipation of this i even went to the grocery store at 6am this morning so we could just stay home all day. well, that lasted until 8:30 when she told me her ear was hurting. i didn't even skip a beat, i told the kids to get their shoes on and we were on our way to the doctor...thank goodness for our pediatricians sick clinic....and the fact that i already had taken a shower this morning!! sure enough, once we got in the car the pain set in and she cried the entire way there...and in the doctors office...and in target while filling her prescription...until i had a bright idea....."lets go look at toys!" we made it home, had lunch and a nap and then more motrin. all is good right now, we'll just wait and see how things are at two in the morning! have a good night everyone.....i'll be up for a while, baby is doing olympic sized flips in my belly.

:organic:

2010-02-03T08:08:00.000-08:00

i know every woman on the planet has had one of those days where you just tear up at every little thing you start to think about. well, today (it actually started last night) is one of those days. yesterday, kylee had her first appointment with the chiropractor...and it went well...i think. he did something that removed all of the food poisons out of her body...and wanted her to remain somewhat "food poison free" for the next 25 hours (what that means in a sense is that he removed a screen, which will hopefully help him go a little deeper to figure out what is causing the problems...does that make sense?? he is taking the puzzle apart so he can put it back together...) which meant we had to go to the store (AGAIN) afterwards to buy ALL "organic" foods. it was already past dinner time and now i had to go the the store and find not only organic food, but dairy free and gluten free foods...and with two hungry kids in tow....need i say more. so, we grab a few things that i think she could eat for the next day or so, get to the car and remembered that i forgot to buy free range chicken to actually cook for dinner (along with organic veggies). i was not going to go back so i decided that kylee would have an organic peanut butter and jelly sandwich for dinner and the rest of us would have the chicken i had already set out.

we are driving home and i completely loose it, i mean loose it.....tears streaming down my face (i didn't mean too, but i think i scared the crap out of the girls....there was nothing but silence the entire way home)! some may think, well, it's not that bad....and really, it's not, but our plate is just so full of "stuff" right now....and this thing with kylee has been ongoing for two and a half years now....oh, did i remind everyone that i am pregnant!!!! hormones.....not helping;-) but during the drive home, something interesting occurred to me. satan would love nothing better than to get me (us) down, but something i don't think he understands....because he really is a stupid jerk (sorry for being so blunt, but he is), is that instead of pushing me down, he pushes me into the arms of my Father who loves me, my Father who is in control (because I AM NOT!), a Father who cares more about kylee than i ever could.....a Father who wants to be and will be glorified in all of this!!! the chiropractor called (i will be calling him dr. hall from now on) last night....(i even cried to him...what a dork), he gave me a verse to read, Jeremiah 32:27, "I AM the Lord, the God of all the peoples of the world. Is anything to hard for me?" No, there is not and i am going to remember that, i have to.

after dropping lainey off at school today i came home to do a couple of things and then go back to the store and get the stinking free range chicken so we can have an organic dinner tonight...but as usual i had to stop and check my email. after reading one thing, i was set off again....lost it! that stupid jerk is still trying...but instead of believing his lies i cried...i cried out to my God. i think i sat in my rocking chair for an hour and cried, cried out and prayed for everything i could think of. it was actually really nice to be at home all alone and have the time to do that. i think i've been needing that for a while. every woman needs a good cry!! even as i am writing there are tears in my eyes....damn hormones!

i want all of you to know that i am not writing this for anyone to feel sorry for me, maybe to pray for us, but not feel sorry for us. i am writing because i don't want to forget times like these...so i can remember God at work!

:half way there:

2010-02-01T11:01:00.000-08:00

19 weeks....last week

self portrait

chocolate goatee anyone?

it's time to take a minute...put the darn cookies away and spend a little time in "blog world." i have actually wanted to sit down and write for quite sometime, but haven't devoted any time to it...obviously! i am officially twenty weeks along today with our third girl! go team girls!!! oh sweet alan, how the lord will bless you...i know he will;-) my thoughts these days are so wrapped up in this new little girl. i love being pregnant...especially at this point. i am not too big (except for my darn boobs...they won't stop growing...they are bigger than my belly!!! yikes!) to be uncomfortable and i can feel her moving inside! i LOVE that! it really is one of the coolest things i believe a women gets to experience. knowing what god has created, and knowing that she is growing and moving inside of your body....holy cow, it's so amazing. i am already noticing certain times when she likes to wake up and wiggle around...she really goes crazy after i eat a chocolate chip cookie (give her 10 min and she is rolling around). the girls and i have been going through names and for the life of me i can't settle on one. i know, so many people like to wait until they are born, but i want a name for this child...so i can stop calling her "baby." she needs a name. so far our list contains McKenna, Corrina, Mya and Annalise (lainey really liked this one because it is the name of a princess in some barbie movie)....opinions welcome....if anyone is even reading this thing anymore (that's okay if nobody is, i feel that is more of a journal of sorts for myself and the girls). keep praying for this sweet girl, that she would grow strong and healthy and be a blessing to the Lord.

as for the the big sisters....sweet kylee has had a trying year so far. with school (social issues...why do girls have to be so mean...and so early on too???) and her coughing and snorting is back with a vengeance. the doctor would like to perform another surgery, placing a valve in her sinus so it would continue to drain (the same sinus we had surgery on is completely full again). however, after three surgeries and many, many antibiotics we don't feel that another surgery is the right thing to do. we met with a chiropractor who specializes in emotional stress, nutritional deficiency, allergy sensitivities, body alignment, etc. he was highly recommended by friends of ours. we met with him last week for a consultation and i really feel God calling us in this direction now. her first appointment is tomorrow. we have already started something that he highly suggested...and that is eating for our blood type (which for kylee it means no red meat, no dairy, no wheat and so on). so far it has been a bit of a challenge, but i am still researching and learning what we can and can't have....and as soon as this last gallon of milk is out of the house i will join her (since we have the same blood type)....the day before the appointment i had bought three gallons of milk...we like our milk;-) so if you think about it, pray for kylee to help her adjust and along with her treatments that God would heal her body and put it into working order (which i know he fully intends to do). also, pray for me, for wisdom in how to do this and not make it miserable for everyone in the process! pray for my rice bread that is in the bread machine right now;-)

last, but not least little miss lainey....not a lot of drama on her end...unless she is dressing up! she is just baring with all of us. she likes school, but would rather be at home with me. i'm not sure what she is going to think of four day a week school next year? one thing i hope does not change any time soon are her naps! she still takes a 1 1/2 hour to 2 hour naps almost every day. please say they will still take place for another year....but that is probably just wishful thinking??? but if she doesn't want to i really don't care, she is the sweetest little thing...who wouldn't want to spend the afternoon with her?

nesting

2009-12-31T09:17:00.000-08:00

okay...question....is it too early to be nesting? i think it is, but my husband is convinced that i am. it's after christmas, there could be a move in the near future and a new baby is coming...i just think i am trying to organize. our house seems filled to the brim and i am just trying to make room for all of our crap. actually what i really want to is give or throw stuff away. spring cleaning may come a little early this year. if we do end up moving, that means that i really have to get this house in order....and clean.

the thought of cleaning every nook and cranny of this house scares the pants off me....maybe not scares, but stresses me out! i do have to say that i am in love the mr. clean's magic eraser!!! being a parent and home owner, i think that has been one of the best inventions EVER!!! for instance, while the girls were playing i thought that i would start cleaning (a little). what would be better than to start with cleaning a bedroom door...it's white (off white now) and very dirty. well, out comes mr. magic eraser and zam the door is white and clean...no more finger prints, crayon marks, pencil parks....and what ever other mysterious spots there were. all gone. i think i am going to go out and buy a box for each room....i think that's a good way to start ;-)

anyway, needless to say, i think this is going to be a busy winter. not to mention that one of my new years resolutions is to blog more. i am just finishing up a book of every blog post i have created. i am so excited about it. what a great way for the girls to be able to look back (and it won't be lost). the only sad thing was that when making the book i noticed that my posts were so few and far between the last year and a half. so i am hoping to do better. we'll just see how that goes, especially with three kids. ha!

ending 2009

2009-12-30T18:37:00.000-08:00

princess bride...

POPCORN BALLS....in the making......yummy!

one last post before the end of the year. the christmas decorations are down (so sad, the house feels so empty without them)...the yummy treats are gone (which is a good thing)...and it's still snowing...and i'm all ready for bed! christmas was great, in fact we are still enjoying it because my dad just got in to town today...so the christmas cheer is still here, just no more decorations....boo! the girls had a blast. they were especially excited for their "party" on christmas eve....(out to a fancy dinner with papa and ohie). they each had a special outfit to wear, lainey in her "white christmas outfit" and kylee in her stylish sweater and jeans (kylee style). did i mention that since we got home from out trip alaina has been obsessed with the movie "white christmas?" i am pretty sure she has watched that movie at least, if not more than twenty times. you know what she likes most about it...the clothes and shoes! we have a little monster in the making. speaking of alaina, when we were celebrating christmas with papa and ohie she opened her gift from them which was a bride costume...after putting it on (which was immediately) she completely changed. personalities i mean. i am serious, it's like she has multiple personalities when she dresses up. she sat there in her costume, not speaking, no expressions...nothing. we kept asking her if she was okay and she would say that she was. after about twenty minutes of this "lainey" we asked her if she would put her jammies back on because we wanted "our lainey" back. after putting her jammies back on she was back to her old self. trying to explain does not do it justice....it's so weird.

kylee was so funny when opening her "big" present from papa and ohie. they had letters in a box that spelled out her present. once she put them together and unscrambled them a few times she got so excited and new right where it was....b...i...k...e!

the girls are getting so big. on christmas morning they actually slept in, and when we started opening presents they were much more excited handing them out to mom and dad than they were opening their own. i have to say how proud i am of our girls. they really are the best (yes, i am bias) they are polite and well mannered and they have huge hearts. even though each one is going through "a stage" right now, i love them with all my heart and am so glad that they are ours (on earth that is). i am so excited (and a little nervous) that we will have one more to add to the bunch come this summer.

i am fifteen weeks pregnant with our third child. i am so excited...and so are the girls. they went with me to the doctor today to listen to the heartbeat. i think they were pretty fascinated. i must say that it brings so much joy to know that they are as excited as they are. this baby is being prayed for so much...everyday the girls pray for a healthy baby...a "great" baby! we do know that this baby will be great, every gift from God is great and this baby is definitely a gift from God. I can't wait for what God will do in 2010! I hope everyone has a safe and happy new year!!!

i am only fifteen weeks....yikes!

hawaii 09

2009-12-15T11:53:00.000-08:00

chistmas time is here again....and again i am not sure where it came from. so much has been going on. in the middle of november we started getting ready for our trip to maui. for the first time in my life i was packing up to the last minute...typically i am done a week before (i know, very sad....but efficient!) actually, my husband was the first one packed....and a week before at that. anyway, we left and thoroughly enjoyed our eight and a half hour plane ride....ha! the kids actually did pretty well, it was the adults that were going insane! funny story though....when we were landing in maui the pressure in laineys ears were really bothering her. i tried to explain how to open her mouth really wide, like she was yawning...or to swallow....none of that worked. so, i told her that she really needed a piece of gum to help with her ears. after giving alaina her piece of gum, i turn to look at her and found her actually trying to jam the unchewed piece of gum into her ear...i just about died!!!! this child is so literal. it really was one of the funniest things she has done.

anyway, the trip was amazing! so much fun and not enough time...it just goes too fast when you are having fun! every morning we would wake up and have breakfast, then gather up our stuff and head down to the beach. the girls would swim for several hours (i didn't partake that long...i had a few books that were calling my name....and sleep too...nothing better than a nap on the beach), then we would come up for lunch, the rest of the afternoon we would either hang out on the lawn...resting in the sun, or cleaning up. we'd watch the sunset while getting ready for dinner and then after dinner of course came the nightly trip to lappert's ice cream. the girls loved that...well, who am i kidding, i loved it too!

a few days after we got there we were able to celebrate papa's 60th birthday! it was pretty special. that night we had dinner on the lawn while watching the sunset...with pineapple upside down cake for dessert. later we all sat around and were able to share 60 different reasons we were thankful for him. the girls got a little confused because all of us adults were crying...it was a little comical.

a few days before thanksgiving we went on a little excursion to see dophins and to snorkel. it was awesome!! on our way out we saw several whales (that actually breeched, like six times in a row), then when we had almost reached our snorkeling destination we came upon a large pod of dophins! it was so amazing to see so many at one time, i wasn't expecting that at all. the girls loved it! lainey wasn't too sure in the beginning (she was clinging to daddy for dear life), but after seeing the whales and dolphins she thought it was pretty neat. once we got to our snorkeling spot we all jumped in, kylee and alaina too! i have to say that i am very disappointed in myself for not bringing some kind of underwater camera.....it was the cutest thing seeing both girls' little legs with little flippers on treading water. kylee even decided to put on a mask.....and that was all it took because after that came the snorkel and she was off.....then lainey decided she wanted a mask too (but no snorkel...that came later). i couldn't believe kylee was snorkeling and lainey was following us around putting her face in the water. i really was so proud of both of them. i don't think i ever would have been brave enough to try something like that when i was either of their ages. when we were finished and we got back on the boat lainey looked up to me and said, "i conquered my fear." yeah, our three year old said that! kylee was so proud of herself. it was just a few days later that we had to go and buy a kids snorkeling set so they could snorkel when we were swimming at the beach. the second to last day when we were in the pool lainey put the snorkel in her mouth and off she went. amazing i tell you. i wouldn't believe that a three and six year old were actually snorkeling.

thanksgiving was great...nothing better than spending the morning on the beach and then later stuffing your face with a bunch of thanksgiving carbohydrates...yum, yum! but once thanksgiving rolled around we new we would be leaving soon....too soon. by the end of the trip lainey had been nick named "tan toosh," kylee was ready to go home and see bella and alan and i were sad because we didn't want to leave. it was so wonderful being together as a family and really relaxing.

when we got home we got to our car at the airport to find really cold weather and a dead car. luckily someone was able to give us a jump...but the next day after getting a car full of groceries, the battery was dead again. between groceries, new battery...and a few extra car things that needed to be fixed we spent A LOT of money in one stinkin' day. it was pretty disgusting. anyway, all is better now. i think i've written enough for one post...i'll will shut my yap now.

over rated

2009-11-09T12:05:00.000-08:00

okay...i have a confession. i am the worlds worst tooth fairy...i guess a cheap one to according to some others i have heard about. last night kylee lost another tooth (#7)....it literally fell out when she was hit in the head with a pillow. it didn't even bleed. anyway, alan reminded me last night to put a dollar in her tooth fairy pillow (we use a pillow that hangs on the doorknob....it is actually the same one that alan used when he was little). as i was walking in my room to go to bed i remembered that i needed to do something, but couldn't remember....so i thought nothing of it and went to bed. this morning i when i was getting ready to take my shower (mind you the girls were already awake in their room at 6:15!!!) i remembered what i was supposed to do before going to bed.....uh oh!!!! please note that this is not the first time this has happened....the last time the tooth fairy left the money, but forgot the tooth...so she had to come back while kylee was in school to come get it (geesh!) so when i get done getting ready i slip a dollar in my pocket and get ready to go get the girls....well, they beat me to it and guess what the first thing out of their mouths were....."the tooth fairy didn't come!! (in distress)" i play dumb....i go to the pillow, as i reach in i pull out the tooth and quickly stick it in my pocket...all the while saying, "i don't feel a tooth in there! look again." then i go over playing dumb yet again and slide a dollar under her pillow while asking her, "did you make your bed?" while she is still looking in the tooth fairy pillow. i told her to go look under her pillow, so she did and what did she find?? she pulled the dollar out and said "i can't believe it!" i said, "that is what the tooth fairy did when i was little, i would put my tooth under my pillow and she would leave money in it's place." she said, "oh yeah, they did that back in the old testament!" seriously!!!! i wanted to fall on the floor....i am not that old honey!!! too freakin' funny if you ask me. oh, and i just remembered as i was writing....guess what is still in my pocket???? i think i need to be fired!

happy haLloWeEN

2009-10-31T18:59:00.001-07:00

another halloween down! our super girl and our princess. they had so much fun trick or treating...though lainey did't make it far before wanting to be pushed around in the stroller. at one point she even wanted me to push her up to the door in the stroller.....i don't think so. goofball! then back to the house to count the stash and eat a few goodies. luckily the kids are still young enough to not really remember what's missing from their bag in the morning (mom and dad helping ourselves to a few pieces);-)

only one

2009-10-17T19:47:00.000-07:00

months ago kylee had been saying that she really wanted alone time with mommy.....so an opportunity arose where alaina could go to iowa for the weekend with papa and ohie and kylee could stay here with us. i waited until this week to tell both of them...not knowing how each one would react. we figured kylee would be disappointed because she hates to miss a party, and we didn't know how alaina would do away from home (mommy) an entire weekend, so......kylee was disappointed and alaina was excited. we left it up to kylee to decide what she wanted to do, "stay or go." she decided stay. so last night we were going to go see 'where the wild things are' but decided it may not be the best movie to take her to, so we went with plan "b." pizza! we went out for pizza and then went up to the legends to buy her yearly pair of converse (it has been a different color each year for about five years now). we had a good time. this morning we got up and went down to crown center (kylee actually slept in until 8:00....that is AMAZING!) to go to Kaleidoscope, then have lunch at Fritz's (before my photo shoot). we were met by all the marathon runners finishing up their race...we called them "aluminum people" (they were all wearing aluminum wraps...i guess that is what marathon runners do???). kaliedoscope was fun...it's kylee's wonderland....mine too when i was a kid. she gets her crafty side from me. then it was off to fritz's...you know the place where the train brings you your food and all the kids (except mine) are wearing the gigantic engineer hats! well, can i just say that i am still hurting from lunch today. i am sitting here typing this trying to forget the stomach pains that i am enduring. i will never eat there again. next time i'll stop at d'bronx and sneak it in and let kylee enjoy her delicious grease on a hard bun....yuck. all in all it was a great time spent with our oldest. we haven't been able to do that in a long time. it was different only having one kiddo, it was only a little quieter. we missed you lou lou!! kylee did too;-)

our girl

2009-10-06T18:10:00.001-07:00

some of you know that this summer wasn't just fun and games.....it was about reading. it took a little while in kindergarten to get the phonics down, then reading...so this summer she had to read a book every day (except saturday and sunday). can i just say that it was not in the least bit fun...and i can say that confidently from both ends. some may say we were hard on her, but we felt the need to push, because she wanted to give up and that does not fly in this house. it was painful watching her, her frustration, her tears (our tears, our frustration...boo hoo, i know). seriously it was awful!! but we kept going. even after school started, it has been one book a day since. anyway, today i got an email from her teacher saying that she had reassessed kylee's reading level from the first month of school which was at a "c" and is now an "f"....i know that doesn't sound very good, but it is. by the end of this year they want all first graders to be reading at a "j" level. so much has changed since i was in the first grade...all i remember was playing footsie with a boy named joshua and getting in trouble for it. i guess my mind was in the gutter!?!? anyway, we are so proud of you kyleebug! you are growing up right before our eyes....i don't think i should blink!