1. I started a teeny cross stitch project last night. It will have my wedding date and my husband's and my name on it with a wreath of flowers. I thought it would make my husband happy when I finished it because I am SO not crafty. So far it says," they lived happily". I'd have to say it's pretty accurate.
2. My mom bought Maddy, my three year old, a pretty little jewelry box yesterday at Target, the kind that's heart-shaped and has the little ballerina that spins when you open it. I wondered what Maddy would keep in it. Her potty prize button collection? Her Hello Kitty little girl jewelry? Or two rocks? I bet you can guess which one she chose.
3. Maddy slept in today. My husband was already in the bathroom getting ready for work when Maddy busted into our bedroom. She usually climbs into bed for a snuggle and a little PBS before we start our day, but today she chose to fling open the bathroom door on a very naked, very startled Daddy. He screamed like a little girl. I love it when this happens.
4. Is anyone else horrified by those Kidzbop CD commercials? They play on Nickelodeon and show tweens singing current hits. For example, three 9-10 year old girls singing and dancing to "When I Grow Up" by the Pussycat Dolls. Inappropriate anyone? And I wonder what they do about the line in that song that says "I want to have boobies"? We're sticking with Choo Choo Soul, thank you very much.
5. I love facebook. There, I said it. I read on so many blogs how much people hate facebook, but it has actually helped me be closer to the people in my life. Especially my church family. So many people you know at church, you may not know well enough to call regularly (and who has time?) but on facebook I can get all the little updates and know if someone needs prayer, has a sick kid, etc. Then when I DO see them in person, I'm better informed. I think it's great.
6. I shaved my legs last night. I don't mean, took a quick shower and ran a razor haphazardly over them. I took a real bath, exfoliated the heck out of them with a scrub meant for feet, and really did a good job. I even lotioned after. (And it had nothing to do with s*x. I just needed a little pampering. I think it had been two weeks since I'd shaved. I know, ew.)
7. We go to Nashville next week to get my husband in the system at Vanderbilt so that when the time comes for a liver transplant, he already has a file started. We're not apprehensive about this trip, but prayer over his liver in general would be nice. His last report from the doctor said we'd probably be looking at a transplant in about 10 years. Mommy that I am, I'm doing the math in my head thinking, "Okay, a thirteen year old and an eleven year old. I hope I'll be able to help him and my kids through this when/if it happens." And of course, since I lost my father at a young age, I'm praying that God will let us keep him at least until they're grown.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Maddy's version
So tonight on the way home from church, Maddy tells me she knows "Goldilocks and the Three Bears". I asked her to tell it to me. This is how it went.
"Once upon a time, there were three bears and a little girl named Goldilocks. The end."
Then she said she also knew "Little Red Riding Hood". This one is even better.
"Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Little Red Riding Hood and a wolf came and blowed her down. The end." (It took me a while to understand the word blowed. She still pronounces her l's as w's.)
I love this kid.
"Once upon a time, there were three bears and a little girl named Goldilocks. The end."
Then she said she also knew "Little Red Riding Hood". This one is even better.
"Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Little Red Riding Hood and a wolf came and blowed her down. The end." (It took me a while to understand the word blowed. She still pronounces her l's as w's.)
I love this kid.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Loser
So, I've discovered that I'm a much better blog-reader than blog-writer, but does anybody really care? I don't think the blog police are going to come get me. I just wish I was better at throwing random things about the kids on here because I'm going to forget all their crazy little ways. For example, the other night at 3am Katie asked me for Benadryl. Yes, the child that can't talk let me know exactly what she wanted. She was pinching her nose, which usually just means that she needs it cleaned, and pointing at her room door over and over. Finally I said, "Do you want medicine?" and she did this little maniac giggle that always means yes. So since we've had colds pretty much non-stop this winter, who am I to question the kid that knows better than anyone else what's going on in her little sinuses? I gave her a hit of Benadryl and she went right back down. No more drama. And Maddy, where do I even begin? She went to a princess birthday party over the weekend and came home with a "princess" voice. I can't even describe it. She speaks much more properly and ends everything with this lilt in her voice. (Let me add that she has seen NO princess movies. She can't handle anything intense.) And she also starting referring to me as "Princess Mommy". At least she's not elitist. She even called her daddy "Princess Daddy", my mama "Princess Nanny" and Katie was "Princess Katie". I like that she didn't take it all to mean that SHE was somehow more special than everyone else. Equal opportunity royalty, gotta love that.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Seven Quick Takes (Vol 7)
1. I memorized the Jabberwocky in its entirety in eighth grade just for fun. It's still in my head, with all its brillig and slithey, and manxome. I thought it might come in handy some day. So far, not so much.
2. I have been eating hot Grape Nuts cereal lately. For those of you who do not know, Grape Nuts are kind of like gravel when eaten cold. I actually laughed out loud at my husband who asked if they tasted grapey at all. Why in the world they're called that, I'll never know. But for those of you who would like to give it a try, here's the recipe for hot grape nuts: 1/2 cup Grape Nuts cereal, 1/3 to 1/2 cup of milk (depending on how juicy you want them), and a squirt of honey (again a purely personal preference). The directions I read online said you could microwave them for 30-60 seconds depending on the texture you prefer. I go sixty. It softens them up enough, but still leaves the center al dente. YUM-O! (I've been watching Food Network, can you tell? That was a little Giada, a little Rachel.)
3. My mother in law cleaned my kitchen when I took Maddy to see "Elmo Live" this week. She came over supposedly to visit with Billy and Katie and I came home to find her PULLING MY REFRIGERATOR OUT to clean behind it. She then proceeded to clean my kitchen floor with a bowl of soapy water and a rag. On her hands and knees. Besides the obvious amount of clean she left behind, I also could tell she had been there from the zip lock bags left to dry on my dish rack. Not really a habit of mine, washing used zip lock bags. I have mixed emotions on all of this. They run the gamut from grateful (who wouldn't be?) and shame. I think I will just stick with grateful. This is how she shows love. I would rather sit and chat over some sweet tea, hear what's been on your heart and mind; she would rather work her butt off to show you that she cares. Either way, it's done out of love.
4. Maddy, my three year old, is on Miralax and has been from an early age. Prayers would be appreciated. We've had a rough couple of weeks in that department.
5. I get ridiculously excited when I see OPI nail polish on sale. Seriously, though, I've had a couple of bottles since before my Maddy was born and they still work fabulously. They have yet to get all gloppy and separated. So while it's a little pricey, it's so worth it. And their colors are gorgeous!
6. I'm actually making a list of books I want to read this year. I'm the worst to see a book recommeneded by someone, think it looks like a great read and then forgetting all about it. So I'm trying to keep a notebook by me when I'm checking out blogs so that I can write down anything that looks interesting.
7. Maddy has decided she likes to clean her room. It is kind of wonderful and weird all at the same time. It's great to have her actually pick up after herself on occasion but after she picks her room up, she gets all crazy OCD and won't let her little sister touch anything for fear that Katie will wreck the now clean room. No happy mediums with this girl!
2. I have been eating hot Grape Nuts cereal lately. For those of you who do not know, Grape Nuts are kind of like gravel when eaten cold. I actually laughed out loud at my husband who asked if they tasted grapey at all. Why in the world they're called that, I'll never know. But for those of you who would like to give it a try, here's the recipe for hot grape nuts: 1/2 cup Grape Nuts cereal, 1/3 to 1/2 cup of milk (depending on how juicy you want them), and a squirt of honey (again a purely personal preference). The directions I read online said you could microwave them for 30-60 seconds depending on the texture you prefer. I go sixty. It softens them up enough, but still leaves the center al dente. YUM-O! (I've been watching Food Network, can you tell? That was a little Giada, a little Rachel.)
3. My mother in law cleaned my kitchen when I took Maddy to see "Elmo Live" this week. She came over supposedly to visit with Billy and Katie and I came home to find her PULLING MY REFRIGERATOR OUT to clean behind it. She then proceeded to clean my kitchen floor with a bowl of soapy water and a rag. On her hands and knees. Besides the obvious amount of clean she left behind, I also could tell she had been there from the zip lock bags left to dry on my dish rack. Not really a habit of mine, washing used zip lock bags. I have mixed emotions on all of this. They run the gamut from grateful (who wouldn't be?) and shame. I think I will just stick with grateful. This is how she shows love. I would rather sit and chat over some sweet tea, hear what's been on your heart and mind; she would rather work her butt off to show you that she cares. Either way, it's done out of love.
4. Maddy, my three year old, is on Miralax and has been from an early age. Prayers would be appreciated. We've had a rough couple of weeks in that department.
5. I get ridiculously excited when I see OPI nail polish on sale. Seriously, though, I've had a couple of bottles since before my Maddy was born and they still work fabulously. They have yet to get all gloppy and separated. So while it's a little pricey, it's so worth it. And their colors are gorgeous!
6. I'm actually making a list of books I want to read this year. I'm the worst to see a book recommeneded by someone, think it looks like a great read and then forgetting all about it. So I'm trying to keep a notebook by me when I'm checking out blogs so that I can write down anything that looks interesting.
7. Maddy has decided she likes to clean her room. It is kind of wonderful and weird all at the same time. It's great to have her actually pick up after herself on occasion but after she picks her room up, she gets all crazy OCD and won't let her little sister touch anything for fear that Katie will wreck the now clean room. No happy mediums with this girl!
Friday, January 9, 2009
Seven Quick Takes (Vol. 6)
1. My 15 month old is obsessed with hygiene. You can't even say the b-word (bath) without her running to the bathroom and attempting to pull her own clothes off. It goes further, though. She also wants me to clean her ears and will sit very still and let me. The same goes for her nose. If she has something bothering her in her nose, she will point to it and let me know something needs to be done. She has also become obsessed with getting her teeth brushed. Now at every diaper change, she will yell at me until I get her toothbrush and put some of the fluoride-free baby teeth cleaner stuff on it. I try to get away with just the toothbrush, but she doesn't ever go for that. I always lotion her up after bath and she will sit there on her cute, naked tushy and scratch at her lower back so that I know exactly where she needs the lotion. Bossy? Katie? Never!
2. My resolution is taking better care of myself and all that stuff that falls under that category. You know, healthier eating (which has to translate into weight loss, because I mostly eat crap), exercise, more sleep, even little stuff like shaving my legs more often and doing my nails. You have a baby and all of a sudden, they're the only ones who really looked groomed. I'd like to look like somebody who really loves me is taking care of me, too.
3. I am de-cluttering. We have stuff that we have not unpacked since we moved to this house almost two years ago. Obviously those things are entirely unnecessary to our existence. I intend to go to the basement and make a garage sale/Goodwill pile. (Who am I kidding? I always do Goodwill because I dislike the early morning effort a garage sale entails.)
4. I have figured out the huge appeal of Elmo for toddlers. They can say it! How many one year olds can say "Barney" or "Diego"? But they can all get something out that sounds like "MO" for that little red monster! Mine has gone Elmo crazy. It's the only thing on TV that she will sit down and watch with rapt attention. She has gotten a little too smart about it, too. She will bring me the remote and say "Elmo!" I can't remember my first being quite so tech savvy. Of course, she had no competition, so she didn't have to make her requests so forcefully known.
5. Speaking of what's on TV, we got Maddy, my three year old, a Choo Choo Soul dvd and cd for Christmas. We all love it and the music is so rockin' that my Maddy always dances around like a crazy fool every time.
6. My husband is bubble retarded. I mean, when it comes to blowing bubbles, for some reason, he's really bad at it. And it's not the fault of the bubble liquid because I can use the same stuff and get a bunch.
7. Maddy, my three year old, got a vanity table with a mirror for Christmas. After staring at herself for an unspecified amount of time, she came into the living room and announced that she had lost a tooth. Poor baby, we had to explain to her that she just has such a big gap between her front teeth that it looks like she's lost a tooth. (I actually had an eleven year old boy at church ask me if she'd lost a tooth already.) I think it's cute on her. She's got enough character to pull something like that off.
Check out the other quick takes at http://conversiondiary.com/.
2. My resolution is taking better care of myself and all that stuff that falls under that category. You know, healthier eating (which has to translate into weight loss, because I mostly eat crap), exercise, more sleep, even little stuff like shaving my legs more often and doing my nails. You have a baby and all of a sudden, they're the only ones who really looked groomed. I'd like to look like somebody who really loves me is taking care of me, too.
3. I am de-cluttering. We have stuff that we have not unpacked since we moved to this house almost two years ago. Obviously those things are entirely unnecessary to our existence. I intend to go to the basement and make a garage sale/Goodwill pile. (Who am I kidding? I always do Goodwill because I dislike the early morning effort a garage sale entails.)
4. I have figured out the huge appeal of Elmo for toddlers. They can say it! How many one year olds can say "Barney" or "Diego"? But they can all get something out that sounds like "MO" for that little red monster! Mine has gone Elmo crazy. It's the only thing on TV that she will sit down and watch with rapt attention. She has gotten a little too smart about it, too. She will bring me the remote and say "Elmo!" I can't remember my first being quite so tech savvy. Of course, she had no competition, so she didn't have to make her requests so forcefully known.
5. Speaking of what's on TV, we got Maddy, my three year old, a Choo Choo Soul dvd and cd for Christmas. We all love it and the music is so rockin' that my Maddy always dances around like a crazy fool every time.
6. My husband is bubble retarded. I mean, when it comes to blowing bubbles, for some reason, he's really bad at it. And it's not the fault of the bubble liquid because I can use the same stuff and get a bunch.
7. Maddy, my three year old, got a vanity table with a mirror for Christmas. After staring at herself for an unspecified amount of time, she came into the living room and announced that she had lost a tooth. Poor baby, we had to explain to her that she just has such a big gap between her front teeth that it looks like she's lost a tooth. (I actually had an eleven year old boy at church ask me if she'd lost a tooth already.) I think it's cute on her. She's got enough character to pull something like that off.
Check out the other quick takes at http://conversiondiary.com/.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Resolutions
Okay, blogosphere, I want to hear your plans for the new year. I plan to eat more healthfully, trade Katie in for a baby that sleeps, and put Maddy on Prozac. Just kidding about the last two, although I have wondered aloud if it's too late to take Katie back. She's been a mess after being sick for a whole MONTH. (Two back to back colds and a stomach virus.) Last night was officially "let her cry and get back on track" night, which basically means if she pops up too early, I just ignore the noise. I'm fine if she wants a bottle around five or six am since she tends to need an extra long night to be a happy baby (I'm talking a 13 to 14 hour night), but if she is not ill or having a bad dream I refuse to get up at midnight, 3am, etc. She's fifteen months old, people. This is ridiculous. Last night it was her 3am wake-up call. It lasted until almost 5am. She is quite tenacious, I'll say that for her. And being her mother, I could tell it started with an "excuse me, I'm awake, service please" grumble that escalated into flat-out ticked off screaming because no one was at her beck and call the way I was for the last month because of illness. Once she stopped trying to wake the neighbors, she slept, popped up for that early bottle at 6:30 then back down until around 9. And woke up so sweet and happy that you never would have known that she and the shrieking devil from 3am were the same child. (Speaking of devil, she texted my brother "666" while she was playing with my phone once. It totally freaked him out. I, however, was not so surprised.) Anyway, let me know what your plan for 2009 is and I'll be filling in more details on mine when I am a bit more well rested. I leave you with this picture. This is my hope and prayer for my baby and myself tonight.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Seven Quick Takes (Vol. 5)
1. My mother doesn't trust the internet. I don't mean she doesn't fall for the "You've won the lottery in France" emails. I mean we found an awesome deal at Amazon.com on something she'd already bought and she refused to return the gift bought in a store and order from Amazon. To the tune of saving around $35. She just can't believe that it's the exact same product and it's that much cheaper.
2. You remember how I posted that my children don't ever do real sign language? Well, I tried and tried to teach the baby the sign for "more" because when she's in the high chair and wants something else to eat she tends to point and scream at me like I'm deaf. I tried this for literally weeks and then gave up. I haven't even attempted to show her that sign again in forever. Lately, she's been trying to say lots of words, even trying to say "more" when I prompt her. My mother visited today and I asked Katie to say "more" to show off her blossoming speech skills and she SIGNED it. And consistently signed and tried to say it the rest of Mama's visit. That little rat.
3. My three year old told me yesterday that she didn't like me. I'm obviously doing my job as a mother. She also apologized at bedtime and said, "I'm sorry I said I didn't like you, Mommy. Sometimes little girls don't like their mommies." Wow. I didn't think she'd make that discovery until at least the preteen years.
4. My one year old has ANOTHER cold. She hadn't even had any totally snot-free days since her last cold that came right before Thanksgiving. I think maybe God giggled when He made her and threw in a couple of slug genes just for fun. She is the single-most mucous producing child I have ever seen. Not the constant clear drippage of an allergic child, but you let her get a cold and her body's only defense seems to be as much snot as her little nose can crank out. Not even a nice little fever to help fight it off, just snot, snot, and more snot.
5. I kind of wish we could get cat. I know the girls would love something furry in the house to love on. I'm not quite ready for a dog, but cats are low maintenance enough that I think I could handle one of those. On the down side, my husband would probably have to move out or his eyes would be permanently swollen shut, hideously bloodshot (stuck with a hot poker bloodshot), and he would start having trouble breathing. When you weigh it all out, it's just not quite worth it.
6. I so need to wrap presents. No, not one is actually wrapped. And no, they're not even all bought.
7. Would it be bad if I toted up all the little people in my house (little people toys, not actual midgets) and just hid them in the basement and brought them all out on my baby's second birthday as part of her gifts? My oldest is pretty much done with them, and the little one isn't really into them yet and I'm so tired of organizing them into their little sets. Okay I rarely do it, but it's such an exercise in futility that I'd like to not even see them for a few months.
See the other quick takes at http://conversiondiary.com/.
2. You remember how I posted that my children don't ever do real sign language? Well, I tried and tried to teach the baby the sign for "more" because when she's in the high chair and wants something else to eat she tends to point and scream at me like I'm deaf. I tried this for literally weeks and then gave up. I haven't even attempted to show her that sign again in forever. Lately, she's been trying to say lots of words, even trying to say "more" when I prompt her. My mother visited today and I asked Katie to say "more" to show off her blossoming speech skills and she SIGNED it. And consistently signed and tried to say it the rest of Mama's visit. That little rat.
3. My three year old told me yesterday that she didn't like me. I'm obviously doing my job as a mother. She also apologized at bedtime and said, "I'm sorry I said I didn't like you, Mommy. Sometimes little girls don't like their mommies." Wow. I didn't think she'd make that discovery until at least the preteen years.
4. My one year old has ANOTHER cold. She hadn't even had any totally snot-free days since her last cold that came right before Thanksgiving. I think maybe God giggled when He made her and threw in a couple of slug genes just for fun. She is the single-most mucous producing child I have ever seen. Not the constant clear drippage of an allergic child, but you let her get a cold and her body's only defense seems to be as much snot as her little nose can crank out. Not even a nice little fever to help fight it off, just snot, snot, and more snot.
5. I kind of wish we could get cat. I know the girls would love something furry in the house to love on. I'm not quite ready for a dog, but cats are low maintenance enough that I think I could handle one of those. On the down side, my husband would probably have to move out or his eyes would be permanently swollen shut, hideously bloodshot (stuck with a hot poker bloodshot), and he would start having trouble breathing. When you weigh it all out, it's just not quite worth it.
6. I so need to wrap presents. No, not one is actually wrapped. And no, they're not even all bought.
7. Would it be bad if I toted up all the little people in my house (little people toys, not actual midgets) and just hid them in the basement and brought them all out on my baby's second birthday as part of her gifts? My oldest is pretty much done with them, and the little one isn't really into them yet and I'm so tired of organizing them into their little sets. Okay I rarely do it, but it's such an exercise in futility that I'd like to not even see them for a few months.
See the other quick takes at http://conversiondiary.com/.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)