Monday, April 27, 2009

Steeplechase Fun

We try to go to the Steeplechase when we can. I always have fun making the girls hats and they have a great day spent in the spring weather (which felt more like summer this year) watching all the people and events on this fun day. They love having free cokes, sprites, waters and an endless table full of goodies and sweets. They also love spending time with their grandparents while we are there.

This year proved to be just as fun and memorable. We had 2 beautiful girls in cute hats:

We watched as sky divers plummeted to Earth and landed safely.


We enjoyed many cokes (and perhaps a few other beverages by the adults).

We posed for a few pictures and forced a smile, even though we were hot and worn out:


Oh, and we did see some horses and some horse races!




Next year maybe little J will be able to attend the horse races, but for this year, I left him safely behind with a babysitter knowing that if I hadn't HE would have somehow climbed the fence and ended up on the race track just as the horses were making the turn!

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Where Did My Baby Go?

J is 18 months old, actually he will be 19 months old next Tuesday so I am behind in posting this, but I would like to document him at this age. And what's better than a list when you have writer's block?!

J, this is what you are up to at 18 Months Old:

-You can open up anything...doors, cups, bottles. You use your teeth to get caps and tops off of things. You are very determined.

-You now have forced your mom to call poison control a total of 4 times already, TWICE (2 days in a row!) this past weekend. You drank Windex (vinegar formula thank goodness) and the next day you drank my astringent for my face. Yes, I have child proof locks on cabinets, but things get left out and you find it immediately.

-You still aren't talking very much, but you do have these words, even if you choose not to use them often: Momma, Dada, bottle, dog, cracker, cookie, juice, Casey (our dog), bye-bye, see, baby, light, ball, car (the last two being your favorite!) I'm sure I am leaving out some as well. I am hoping for a word explosion soon from you.

-You can tell us what a "dog says", a "cow says", a "rooster says", a "pig says", and what a "fish says" (with this one you don't make a sound but you purse your lips and move your mouth up and down...just like a little fishy making bubbles!)

-You can "choo-choo" like a train and go "vroom vroom" like a car.

-You love toy cars. You also like balls. Those are about the only toys you will play with although I have 3 baskets full of toys for you in our den.

- You LOVE it outside.(See pictures below!) Everything is an adventure outside for you and everything is a treasure. You try to put rocks and sticks and other things in your pockets when outside. If you don't have pockets, I usually find some of these things in your diaper when I go to change you.

-You love to eat, but you don't like eggs or peanut butter.

-Your favorite food is probably bananas, but you like pizza a lot too.

-You love to make people laugh at you. I think you enjoy the attention.

-You still have that little "purr" and when you laugh I can hear that little vibration in the back of your throat that sounds just like a "purr". You've been doing that since birth. I love the "purr".

-Your favorite thing to do in a normal day is get dressed and go down to the office with Mommy. I think I could drop you off in the parking lot and you would find your way to the right office which is up an elevator to the 3rd floor, two doors to open and 3 office doors to pass until your there. The main reason you know exactly where to go is that there is a lady in your Grandfather's office (Mrs. "B") that gives you candy. You love candy.

-You then like to visit your Grandfather in his office and look at his Georgia Bulldog, his toy car, and his ball that he keeps in his cabinet there. Then you are ready to head home and wait until your sister's come home.

-You get a lot of attention from your sisters. You love to scream at them and they scream back. (Mommy doesn't like it so much when you 3 do this in the car though)

-Your sister's don't like it when you try to take their Barbie they are playing with away from them. You don't want to take it to play with, you mainly want to just grab it, throw it down, and make them yell at you (again, I think you like attention).

-You love to lay your head on your Daddy's shoulder and give him a hug.

-You give hugs and kisses, but only when YOU want to.

-You can't stand to have on socks and shoes. Every time we go somewhere in the car that is the first thing you do is take them off (You get this from your mommy...I can't stand socks!)

-You love to take baths and you don't mind water being in your face. As a matter of fact, you will dump cup fulls over your head and laugh.

-You sleep with your "buddy" every night ,which is a little stuffed blue mouse. You like to bite his nose. I have to give "buddy" a bath in the washing machine often.

-I like to call you "Buddy" and I have since you were born. Daddy and your sisters have also picked this up. I only want this to be a pet name for you...PLEASE don't decide you want to go by this name when you grow up.

-You love to read books and turn the pages yourself.

-You like to do everything yourself, as a matter of fact. You are definitely in that, "I'll do it" stage. It makes me a little sad that you are becoming so independent, but proud at the same time.

-You weigh 24 lbs and you wear a size 24 months. You are growing so big and way too quickly for Mommy!

-You are a handful, but an absolute JOY!

-You are so loved.

You playing outside yesterday:






Monday, April 20, 2009

My Head and Heart..All Over the Place

I'm not quite sure what my problem is, but I find myself wanting to write here on this blog often, however I can't seem to get a coherent thought much less an entire post out of me lately.

First of all, I am busy, literally covered up with work. There are so many files to process every day, along with the simple daily routines like breakfasts, , lunches, carpools, ballet practices, etc. Notice I didn't say, mop the floors, dust the furniture...that is just temporarily on hold for the moment. I NEED a Maid!

Second, and more to the root of why I am unable to process my thoughts, is that I keep hearing of bad news. The most recent of which is M's best friend's mom who was diagnosed on Easter Sunday with pancreatic cancer and apparently the prognosis is not good. She also happens to be M's assistant principal at her school. This news is devastating not only as a friend, but as a mom. I just can't imagine. My heart is breaking for the mom herself...for the husband...for the nine year old little girl who loves her mom so dearly. I have offered my assistance in helping in any way I can, but this just doesn't seem like enough.

I am trying to process all of this information, figure out a way I can help, and trying to get my words together to just explain it all to my daughter. To be honest, I am having a hard time digesting it myself, especially with this big lump in my throat and my heart aching, let alone explain it to a (almost) nine year old.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Maybe We Have Watched The Wizard Of Oz One Too Many Times!


Last Friday we had bad weather in our area along with some tornadoes. Since we live in a typical brick ranch house with no basement, our "tornado place" is in my daughter's closet that happens to be in the center of our house. Luckily, that Friday my husband had come home early from work because he was sick. I was thankful, and so were the kids, that he was there. It just made us feel safer somehow.

As the storm got worse the kids and I got into my daughter's room/closet and listened to the radio. J, oblivious to the situation, couldn't care less. As a matter of fact he thought it was fun being all together in a tiny space like that. M was a drama queen that just kept saying, " I KNOW we are going to have a tornado! I just KNOW it!," then she would add, "I'm totally freakin' out, Mom...totally freakin' out here." K was very quiet for the most part but you could just tell that her wheels were spinning in her head. After a while, K asked me in a soft, quiet voice (and quite calmly), "Mom, will other people land where I land?"

"What K?" I asked back, confused.

"You know mom, when the tornado picks me up and drops me, will I land where anyone else lands." she explained carefully.

I explained to her that although technically a tornado has done that and is capable of doing that, that hopefully that would not be our situation and that we were safe inside our house and people could rescue us here if in fact a tornado hit our house.

I just couldn't get over the differences in my girls thought processes. My oldest "freakin' out" and my youngest worried if she would "land where anyone else landed." She is such a deep thinker, but what's more amazing than that is that she has such a calm spirit. And if anyone is wondering which personality type I am...Well, that would be daughter #1. I was "FREAKIN' OUT" myself.. I have just learned to stay quiet in front of my kids so I don't make matters worse. It's hard though, REAL hard!