spring randomness

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:::

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

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

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

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:

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 ;-)

"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

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

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......

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!)

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

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:

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

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......