Memories of my Childhood

With all the talk of the making of memories I thought that I would think back on my fond childhood memories of the holidays and sit back and relish in their goodness:

- digging through all the ornaments to find the one that I made in kindergarten, red with silver glitter spelling my name...I still look for this ornament on my Moms tree every year and it is still my favorite.

- the hands down most awesome Christmas cd ever made, I think my Mom bought it from Avon. It had the perfect mix of Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole but had the BEST version of Feliz Navidad EVER.

- decorating the tree while the above cd played.

- setting up my the nativity. My Mom had an awesome nativity scene. I'm not sure where she got it but for me there was none better. I always remember thinking that I wish we had one of the Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus scenes in our front yard made of the thick plastic, then I would get ours out and set it up in the front bay window and I would forget all about that outside version.

- making fudge. Do I even need to say more? I loved being in the kitchen with my Mom. I loved the finished product. I LOVED eating the finished product.

- I had my own little 4 foot tree. I thought this thing was gorgeous but in reality I'm sure it looked more like a Charlie Brown Christmas tree than the Homes and Garden version I thought it was. I had all these cute little Mickey Mouse and Looney Tunes ornaments for it. And a tin foil star with blinking lights. That same tin foil star is at the top of my grown up tree in my grown up house this year.

- my Dad hated the Christmas tree stand. Like a deep down hate. I think we got all the new fangled versions every year that promised to make it easier to get those fresh cut trees to stand straight but they never worked and my Dads hate of the Christmas tree stand continued. It's no wonder they opted for fake once I moved out. And it's also no wonder my husband let a sigh of relief when I succumbed to the fake tree at our house too. What is it with men and a Christmas tree stand?

_ singing a Christmas solo in the daycare production of the Christmas story. My mom was so proud she cried. I'll always remember that.

And others that are too many to list. These are just a few of my favorite and I know my girls will have a few of their favorites too...From the good of finding their most favorite ornament to the funny of Momma always having to clean up a broken one;)

Redemption

Sweet sweet redemption. As soon as I complain about the making of memories something wonderful happened. I got the nativity's out. We have a childrens nativity set that I placed on the coffee table and we went over all the pieces, who they are, and what they meant. She has more fun putting all the animals into a corral made out of her sisters headband but the message is there and she knows that it's the Baby Jesus. We also got out the "good" nativity set. It's a Willow Tree set and I love it! I again went over all the people this time but since we had just done the childrens set I let her say the names and tell me what I had just gone over with her. It was very sweet and very much a memory. I don't think it is by chance that the tides changed when we brought Baby Jesus out. After all, he is the reason for the season. I think next year I will be getting the nativity out before the tree. And, I'm sure that the holiday season will be off with a better kick knowing that we have the focus in the right place.

Memories vs. Hectic

I feel that it's my job to give my girls the best memories possible. To give them yearly traditions they can count on. Sometimes, I feel like I'm a huge failure at it. Take for instance decorating the Christmas tree. We brought the tree out over the past weekend but we waited till M was here to decorate it. We brought out the decorations last night. It didn't go as I saw it in my head. I know Lady had a blast finding the perfect spot for Dora and Buzz and Bug is too small to do much but enjoy the twinkling lights. But with a husband with jet lag from his recent business trip and teenager lounged out on the couch more interested in texting than decorating, am I giving my kids the memories they deserve? I think so and I hope so. I hope that Little Lady will remember we were all together, that she got to hang the ornaments up (which is why most are at her level on the bottom of the tree), that it was fun despite Momma getting upset when an angel broke (I hope she forgets that:)). And yes I know most families aren't drinking hot chocolate, and taking turns hanging ornaments while candles are glowing and Christmas music quietly playing in the background...is the memory just as lovely if Dad is holding the baby, the teenagers playing on her iphone, and the Momma is trying to clean up broken ornaments with SpongeBob playing in the background? That's good too, right? Because hopefully my girls will remember that we were together and that it was fun, hectic but fun. And I hope most of all they value the memory and think back on it with big smiles on their faces.

My Thankful Life - November Mini Series

My parents.

My parents are seriously the best ever and the only thing better than having them for parents is that my kids get to have them for grandparents and there is just something awesome about that. My parents taught me to be independent, responsible, loving, kind, defiant when it's needed and apologetic when it's needed. They created the woman that I am today. I learned to never let life get you down and to always love this country we call home but to never be afraid to explore the world we live in. To be open minded and fair. To appreciate both the indulgences of life and the simplicity of nature but most importantly to know to never let indulgences take priority in my life. To keep family important. To have close friends that you consider family. To always stand up for what you believe in even if no one agrees with you. To have the drive to make myself better in everything I do. To graduate from college. To know when to listen to my heart or when to listen to my head and to know which path to choose when my head and my heart aren't in the same place. Basically, to be me and thanks to them, I'm the best me I can be.

Keepin It Low Key

My Miss M is out of town. My mom had to work. So we are having a low key Thanksgiving. And after reading and getting a little inspiration from Kelle Hampton via Enjoying The Small Things, I picked up my matriarchal wand and I made that sucker work today. I decided to make traditions of our own for my little family. We woke up, watched the parade, ate cinnamon rolls, drank coffee, perused Black Friday ads and kicked off our low key Thanksgiving. We made a trip to the movie theater for an afternoon showing of Happy Feet Two. Made our way home for a wonderful dinner of homemade lasagna (my first go at it), spinach salads, and peanut butter cup crescents. It was delish. Now we are getting ready to watch Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas on tv. It was a perfect day, the kind to have on a day where we need to remember what we are thankful for. And, I have decided, it doesn't matter if it's just my little family or if there are 20 of us together at my moms - I'm thankful no matter where I am at or who I am with.

Still to come in my November Mini Series are my parents and my stepdaughter. So aside from what I have mentioned already that I'm thankful for here is a quick run down: Little Lady, Bug, my hubs, my parents, Miss M, family in general, my health, my home, my husbands job that allows me to stay at home with my girls, my husbands job that allows him to be at home with us every day, my little job at the outdoor store, our cars, our pets, my friends, basically my life in general.

My Thankful Life - November Mini Series

My Husband.

Where do I start? You are the cheese to my macaroni:) (cheesy I know) but, really, it's true. We are the perfect blend of your laid back personality and my type A personality. You talk me down when I'm stressed. I tell you when you need to not make a joke. We are the only ones that truly get our sense of humor. And like all relationships, sometimes you annoy me, frustrate me, and make me mad. I'm sure I might occasionally do the same to you. Sometimes I wish you would take a stand more and not let a certain somebody get their way all the time. I wish you would say more when M and I are arguing. And sometimes I wish that you wouldn't hold everything in when you are stressed. But all of that is you. The you I fell in love with and the you that I love everyday. I'm sure when we first started dating people thought we wouldn't make it - the age difference, the ex-wife, you having a kid, me being fresh out of college. And for most, all of those things would have broken couples up. But here we are - 7 and a half years, multiple job changes, and 2 kids later and we are happier now than we were than. I love you and I look forward to everything our life has to bring us.

My Thankful Life - November Mini Series

I'm so so thankful for the life I have. In honor of Thanksgiving, one of my favorite holidays and the one that for some gets lost between Halloween and Christmas, I'm going to shout from the roof tops what I am most thankful for. The people in my life. Because, after-all, the most important things in life aren't things.

My girls.

Little Lady. I love the child you have become. You have left behind being a baby and I'm so proud of who you are becoming. I love the way you say basito, waps, and chocy milk. I love your catch phrases you've come up with on your own - the "thank you thank you so much" or the "just a little bit" when you don't want to stop what you are doing. I love when you sing me twinkle twinkle and itsy bitsy spider. I love your cuddles in the middle of the night. I love that you love the outside. I love that you love school. I love the way you love. I love your square little feet and your chubby little toes. I love everything about you.

Bug. If your sister is my heart than you are my soul. I love that you complete us. I love that when you are so upset you only have to hear my voice to stop crying. I love the way you pass out after eating. I love how my chest has been your favorite sleeping spot since you were born. I love your sweet smile and your intoxicating laugh. I love how you look at us. I love your fuzzy hair and your chubby rolls on your legs. I love everything about you too.

My Grandpa

In honor of Veterans Day I want to talk about someone who is very special to me. Someone I wish was here every day. My Grandpa. My Grandpa was the best Grandpa anyone, yes anyone, could EVER ask for. The best man anyone could EVER ask for. When I was in pre-school, my Mom and I lived with my Grandpa. He would let me cuddle with him in his recliner while we watched John Wayne movies. He would let me put all my barrettes in his hair while he snoozed and inevitably someone would always ring the door bell every time he had his hair decorated by me. He would rescue me from a grumpy Grandma when my Mom was out on a date with my soon-to-be Dad. As the years passed, he would always come over on Sundays for dinner or find the time to bring me a special treat for no special reason. He would sometimes still tuck me in before he left telling me to have a good week at school and tease me about my beloved dinosaur. He would pick me up from school and we would run errands together every day when I was in sixth grade. He was my very best friend. Then he was taken away from me. He was taken away from everyone in my family. He had problems with his heart and a very regular October day turned into a very awful October day. I lost my Grandpa. My Mom lost her Daddy. And after so many years, he is still with us. My Grandpas name was Alfonso but he went by Al. I married an Alan that goes by Al. It's like he was saying "this is the guy for you." My Little Lady, her middle name is ALisa . And while it's a mixture of my husband and my name, it also includes a little bit of my Grandpa. And lets talk about my kids for a second, my Grandpa would have loved them. They would have been the best of friends too, just like he was for me. So in honor of Veterans Day, I honor one of the most important veterans in my life. I love you Grandpa and I miss you every day.

I would also like to thank all those that currently or have served, especially those in my family. Thank you to my Dad, Grandpas, and Uncle.

Homegrown

Even though the end of the summer has come and we are well into fall, we still have fresh tomatoes and jalapenos. While the rest of the garden died long ago, these plants are putting on and giving us our fair share of fresh well into November. Since we have colder temperatures and more freezes coming I know its not going to last much longer and I'm going to miss lunch sandwiches with fresh tomatoes and Little Lady is going to miss running into the garden for a quick tomato snack while playing soccer. Our garden gave us plenty of cucumbers, squash, and other homegrown favorites this year and we can't wait to do it all over again next year, especially since I have found my inner cook and look forward to new recipes.

Cooking

Since I last posted I have been in the kitchen a few times to try out new recipes.
The first was this recipe for homemade mac and cheese: http://www.marthastewart.com/316867/worlds-best-mac-and-cheese. It was touted as the "worlds best", I thought that it was just ok. I didn't use the Gruyere cheese, opting for more cheddar.
Next up was this recipe for chicken roll ups: http://www.plainchicken.com/2009/08/chicken-rollups-2.html. They were awesome! I got it from pinterest and one person did comment that they were going to change the amounts of spices used. One thing you should know if you are grabbing a recipe from me is that unless it is a pertinent ingredient I don't measure it, i.e. salt, pepper, garlic powder, etc. I shake it till I like the way it tastes. I highly recommend this one!
This past weekend I made this recipe for jalapeno stuffed chicken and had the parents over for a Sunday meal: http://cassiecraves.blogspot.com/2009/05/jalapeno-popper-stuffed-chicken.html. It too was fantastic! Everyone loved it and it was another great recipe to try to use up the jalapenos from the garden. Everyone did agree that I should have put more jalapenos in it.
The last new recipe that I tried was for fluffy sugar cookies:http://www.singforyoursupperblog.com/2011/09/02/soft-frosted-sugar-cookies/ We used our pumpkin cookie cutter, orange icing, and green sprinkles. It was a really good treat and a fun activity for Little Lady to decorate. I didn't cool for an hour, I popped the dough in the freezer for about 20 minutes because I had an anxious 2 year old that wanted them done - STAT!

Recipe Review

This week I made only one new recipe. The first was a great one to do with the left overs from a great Sunday night meal. Sunday Big A smoked a salmon and we had baked potatoes. It was delish. It left us with about a half of a salmon fillet. So, Monday, I whipped up this bad boy called a smoked salmon pizza. I got it from this website - http://thatssomichelle.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2011-09-11T14%3A21%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=7. You have to scroll down to it. It was wonderful. I made a few adjustments to this recipe since I had not a clue what a shallot was. I had to google it and that can't be a good sign. Wikipedia said it was like garlic and the picture of it looked like an onion so I came to the conclusion the garlic powder and onion powder would do the trick - and it did. I also could not find capers at my local Target so we went without. This thing was amazing and when I say amazing I mean the hubs called it "gourmet." I suggest this to anyone that loves salmon and cream cheese. Again, I will say this thing was amazing.

I also made the jalapeno poppers with this recipe again - http://aisletoaloha.blogspot.com/2011/01/pop-em-like-theyre-hot.html. I have so many jalapenos from our garden that made more than the recipe called for. They were eaten in a day and again were absolutely delish.

Meals In Review

As a proudly proclaimed Pinterest addict I have found a new love and it's in the kitchen. This is a huge step for me as I have never been one to enjoy cooking or to do it well for that matter. Pinterest has changed that for me and I feel like a more accomplished mom and wife at the same time. I have found that cooking and providing good meals for my family is highly rewarding. We aren't eating out as much and we aren't living in an endless circle of hamburger, tuna, chicken helper on repeat. This week was a very tasty week that in my opinion needed review.
Monday: clean out the fridge day. Going to be keeping this beauty around. I came up with a fantastic meal in no time with what I had on hand and left over from the week before. I put a roast in the crock pot, chopped up some yellow and white squash from the garden, found some carrots that I needed to chop up. Put it all in the crock pot together, added a cup of water, some salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Cajun powder and let it cook all day. It was fantastic over some mashed potatoes that evening.
Tuesday: turkey hot dogs and jalapeno poppers. I used this recipe: http://aisletoaloha.blogspot.com/2011/01/pop-em-like-theyre-hot.html for the poppers. They were amazing. I also used jalapenos grown in our garden so it was even better since they were FRESH jalapenos!
Wednesday: I took the night off from new adventures and we ate a late lunch so I just whipped up some roast beef sandwiches which kept us from heading out to fast food.
Thursday: Another crock pot day. I made sweet and tangy meatballs using this recipe: http://sixsistersstuff.blogspot.com/2011/06/slow-cooker-sweet-and-tangy-meatballs.html. I served it over rice and it was delicious. My picky step daughter even liked it!
Friday: Taco Pizza using this recipe: http://realmomkitchen.com/5301/taco-pizza/. I forgot olives at the store so that was missing and my step-daughter doesn't like green onions so I left those off. It was very good. The only thing that I plan on changing on this recipe in the future is that I think it needs a little more spice. So, after I add the refried beans I think that I will add a layer of salsa before adding the rest of the ingredients. And, I will definitely remember the olives. Little Lady loves olive but my step-daughter doesn't so I will do olives on half.

Chores

This week is Little Lady's first week of completing her chore chart. I found two very helpful websites while perusing Pinterest: the first is http://parentingsquad.com/45-chores-young-children-can-do and the second is http://www.money-and-kids.com/age-appropriate-chores.html. I used a few ideas from both and a little creativeness of my own and knowing my daughter and came up with what I thought would work best for her. I decided to give her two chores that would remain the same for the entire year she is two adding another when she is three another at four...The two that will remain the same for this year are making her bed and putting clothes in the hamper daily. I will also give her one more chore that will change weekly. This week it is using the sticky roll on the couch and the kitchen table chairs. She already likes to do this so I thought it would be a good thing to kick off her chart since she will be rewarded for doing so. She has to complete this chore whenever I vacuum the downstairs this week. I made her a chart on construction paper that I will re-do every Monday with her permanent chores and her changing chore. I made five squares next to each chore and she will get a sticker when she completes them. I am choosing to only make her to do them Monday through Friday and give her the weekend off - since I don't even typically clean on the weekends. If she completes her chores and fills her chart with stickers then she will get to visit the $1 bin at Target and pick something out. Some weeks I may choose to give her $2 (her age) in cash as a reward, but again, until she gets the hang of it I will choose the Target option for now. I'm really thinking that this will be a good thing for her especially to start it now so when she is 9 I won't hear as much whining and to teach her the responsibility of picking up after herself and helping around the house.

She's Here and Life Now

She is here and she is wonderful. Her birth was beautiful and uncomplicated...birth story to come later. There are no words to describe becoming a parent and definitely none that come close to describing the experience a second time. She completes our family and while things were a little hectic with a newborn and a slightly jealous, slightly confused two year old, I feel like I'm finally getting a groove and settling into my new life. Bug nurses and sleeps like a champ. Little Lady is back on track with potty training and loving school...more to come on that later. Life is just good. And while my house may never again be as clean as I want it to be and my to do list may never ever get done, I love it and absolutely wouldn't want it any other way!

Things I Wish I Would Have Known

There are a few things that I wish I would have known two and a half years ago when I was pregnant with Little Lady about parenting...
1. I wish I wouldn't have bought a crib. I'm an avid co-sleeper and I love it. And although sometimes the foot in the face or the head in the back isn't the most comfortable way to sleep, I wouldn't trade it.
2. In a bit of an extension to number 1, I wish I would have bought a more expensive/nicer pack and play. I bought a second hand one and while it's nice, I really wish I had one of the fancier ones. Since, we didn't use the crib much (I do plan on putting it up for Miss L because I do use the crib when I'm cleaning;)) I used the pack and play A LOT. It's where Little Lady slept when she was a tiny baby. It's where she played when she learned to crawl and I needed to corral her. It's where she slept when we went camping. That thing has been everywhere. I plan on using it more with Miss L too because as much as I love co-sleeping and even though I have a king size bed, I'm hoping that she really REALLY likes sleeping in it.
3. Kids stick everything in their mouths. From when they are really little and it's the first sign that you have that they are teething to when they are two and for some reason they are still going to want to stick things in their mouth. It's grosses me out. It freaks me out. I have a huge fear of choking. But, they will be ok. They might get sick. But, they are still going to do it.
4. Being a parent gives you irrational fears. From checking to make sure the house is locked 5 times before going to bed because someone might come in the house and take them. To not turning the ceiling fan on high because it might fall off the ceiling. Like I said completely irrational. The other day we were driving behind a truck that had the American flag attached to the bed of the truck with some flimsy stick and my thought was that I hope that pole didn't break because it could come through the wind shield. Who thinks of this stuff, apparently I do.
5. They grow up way to quickly. As I ready myself to watch my step daughter walk through the doors of high school to watching Little Lady walk through the doors of a local church to her first CDO/2 year old pre-school, it reminds me to soak them up. Treasure them. Love them. Tell them that every day. Take mental pictures of them every day because they do grow. WAY.TOO.QUICK. My step daughter was 7 years old and in 2nd grade when the Big A and I started dating and now she is starting high school. I remember when she would wear orange athletic pants and a red t-shirt with bright green nikes and she could have cared less if it matched. Now she has to be put together to run to Target with me for pull ups at 9:55 at night. So yes, I have seen it happen to my husband first hand.
I'm sure there are others and I'm sure I will come up with other list for it in the future because if there is something I'm good at doing, it's making lists. Now, onto my to-do list!

Am I ready?

Am I ready? It's a question I get asked every day, multiple times a day. My answer to the person asking is always yes, because really what else am I supposed to say. In my head, the truth is I don't know. Are we ever truly ready for a big change in our lives? This summer has been one of twisted emotions for me. From watching my little girl blossom right in front of my eyes to my step daughter becoming a true blue American high schooler. From going to a sorority sisters funeral to hearing of a high school class mate that lost her son after having him with her for only a month. It leaves me wondering how these parents do it. How lucky I am. Am I too lucky? It's been a summer of I don't have time to blog because I need to spend every waking moment with my family- because as I have seen this summer - a perfect life can quickly change. And seeing these tragedies and being pregnant at the same time has truly changed the way I think. It leaves me in a web of emotions for my sweet girls. One is here and I do my damndest to protect her from the evils of the world. One is still inside me and sometimes I think she is safer there. The truth is I can't wait to hold her, kiss her, nurse her. I already love her - so much. I can't wait to see my girls with each other. I can't . It's the knowing that I can't protect them from everything. I can't protect all the ones I love. I think when you become a mom that instinct grows ten fold. You don't just learn a new love for you child, you learn a new love for all the people you care about. The mother instinct isn't just in play for your own kids, it's there for your husband, your parents, etc. So, as I got about my day, knowing I'll get asked if I'm ready, I guess the real answer is yes. I'm more than ready to see the face to the heart I already know. Am I ready for what life has to bring me - are any of us?

Happy Birthday Little Lady!

Today is the anniversary of me being a momma, the day it stopped being about me and started being about her. Today she is two. And while it pulls my heartstrings to write a two and hear her say "I two" it also makes me happy, proud, and a bunch of other words that can't quite describe how being her mommy feels. She is the greatest thing to ever happen to me. I feel blessed in so many ways to be hers. And now, at the ripe old age of two she sits on the brink of a huge milestone in her life - becoming a big sister. Another time, when I as the mommy will get to have all these feelings two times over (how lucky am I.) I'm so proud of everything she has accomplished at her ripe age - counting to ten, counting to three in Chinese, potty training, the ability to hold an actual conversation with full sentences. The list could go on and on. She loves dinosaurs and the color purple, horseys and flip-flops. She is a girly girl sundae with a nature loving cherry on top and I wouldn't want it any other way. I love you more than words my Little Lady and I wish you the best future anyone could ever ask for!

Heartwrenching

My thoughts and prayers are with those in Joplin, MO. Going to college so close to that town meant that I had many girls in my sorority and cheerleading squad from there, it's where we went shopping, and on dates, and when we just needed out of the 'burg. It's hard to see the pictures. It's hard to know your friends are going through such tough times and that there is little I can do from where I am. Thankfully, everyone I know is accounted for, some of their family homes did not fare so well, but they are alive. If you can, please donate to the Red Cross. They will need our help now and for quite some time as they recover and rebuild. But above all, please keep them all in your prayers.

Potty Training 101

We are in the throws of potty training. And, she is doing FANTASTIC. We started on May 2, about one month before her 2nd birthday. She had been sporadically sitting on the toilet for quite some time but we never had made a schedule of it or pushed the potty training. With another baby on the way I knew that I would love to not be a two diaper kid household. So, we set out on our potty journey. I made a potty chart, set up the "rules", had marshmallows for good potties, and Toy Story stickers to mark the good days. I also set up goals - for the first accomplishment it was a Dora dinner set, 2nd was a pack of panties, 3rd a pack of panties, and the 4th is a trip to the zoo. Her first week she did well and the 2nd week was about the same. She had been keeping herself dry all night for about a week. Then last Saturday she just got it. She woke up that morning with her dry pull up and hasn't gone in one since. She has had a few close calls where she starts to go in her panties, realizes it, then tells us to hurry to the potty. Amazingly awesome, if I do say so myself. She is now the proud owner of Yo Gabba, Kai-Lan, and Princess panties. We still put her in a pull up if she is taking a nap or going down for the night or if we are leaving the house to be on the safe side. I'm very proud with the progress she has made and I know that there will be accidents, that's no biggie. She has it down for the most part and that is what we are most proud of. A few suggestions that I have for those trying to get their kiddos out of diapers and into the world of panties - Have goals but be flexible. It took her almost two weeks to get her first prize and she has plowed through the rest (mostly because a three pack of panties gets used up quick). Just keep asking if your child has to go, I ask if she has to go potty countless times just to remind her to let me know if she does. Usually, she just tells me if she has to go but for right now, I keep asking. Have a chart, she gets really excited when she gets to put a sticker on her chart. It shows her progress and lets her know how awesome she is doing. Finally, go to the library and find some potty books. We found the book Danny is Done With Diapers at our local library. She loves it so much I just renewed it today. I like it not only because it encourages good potty habits but it also teaches the abc's. We typically read it 2x a day. I think that's it. I'm so proud of my girl.

It's About Safety People

As a big rear-facing advocate, I'm so happy to see the new car seat recommendations that came out today. Hopefully parents can put the safety of rear facing above the convenience of forward facing so that children can ride safer. Linked is the article and new guidelines from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration - check it - and keep your kids safe:
http://www.nhtsa.gov/Safety/CPS

Spring Fever

Yep, I'm going there again. We are so so ready for spring. And today kind of feels like it...in the rainy thunderstorm super grey kind of way. But it gets me thinking that its close. Thunderstorms are one of the first big signs that spring is on the way. You know, that whole in like a lion thing:) So, with our very grey weather today that seems to be keeping me on the computer and on my couch instead of behind the vacuum, I find myself searching online for a perfect Easter dress for Little Lady. I have found quite a few cute ones but the thing I am most excited to have found is a big wide brim white Easter hat. I had one when I was a little girl and I loved it...anytime I dressed up in the spring I would want to wear that thing and I remember thinking that I looked "so sophisticated" in it. My favorite outfit to go with it I remember to be a kind of teal skirt with a white button up shirt with a peter pan collar that had rabbits on it. I mean how much more of an Easter feeling do you need. I remember loving my white patent leather "heels" that would come about every spring and the brown scuffs they would get on them from the brown sole hitting the other shoe:) Awww, memories. I want my kids to have the same fondness of memories too. Loving to wake up Easter morning to see what good amounts of fun are going to be in that basket...searching for eggs with candy in them...and knowing that they are decked out in the finest Easter garb this spring lovin' mama could find them!

The Fish Debacle

We have recently gotten Little Lady a small fish tank for her room. It sits on her nightstand and makes a fantastic nightlight. Well, needless to say, like any almost two year old sometimes she gets a little wild when playing in her room. The other night was no exception. I was playing in her room with her and it became one of those moments where you see it happening in s-l-o-w motion but there is nothing you can do it about it. She was running backwards hit her nightstand and the fish tank went flying. I went flying after it, thinking in my head, that there was someway in this world that I was going to be able to catch it. Yeah right! Water went everywhere, rocks went everywhere, and her three little fish went flopping. Little Lady immediately started crying and I told her just to sit on her bed with her animals for fear that she would stomp a fish- further traumatizing her....I yelled for the Big A and I went to the task of trying to catch the 3 said flopping fish. I caught the green one, no sweat. Then I saw the orange one and I was going after him and low and behold he flopped himself under the door frame and got stuck. Big A went and got tweezers and a flashlight and I was slopping water under the door frame to try to keep the fish alive. While he is working the extraction process, I go to work looking for the pink fish. I turned that room upside down. I picked up area rugs, moved the toy box, I was looking everywhere to no avail. About that same time Big A had success getting the fish from under the door frame and which fish does he pull out but the PINK one. So, yes, both pink and orange made their way under the door frame. We get pink in with green in the little bitty bit of water still in the fish tank and we go to work on the extraction of orange. At this point, I'm thinking that it has been over five minutes so there is no way pink is going to live let orange who is still stuck. Finally, after about another five minutes Big A gets orange out and puts him in the little bit of water too. He is damaged, bleeding a little under the skin from the tweezers. We are thinking for sure that we are down at least one fish if not two. We get the rocks, the water, all the little decorations back in the fish tank, put a little food in, and tell each other we will see how they are doing in the morning, since by this point it was bed time. We couldn't believe it when we woke up in the morning and had three very alive fish. They are still healthy and swimming a few days later. So, my suggestion is this, if you are going to get your kids some fish and you want them to be hardy and live awhile - purchase GLOFISH. I am completely convinced they are the hardiest of fish and they are not even 1 inch long:)

A Note on Co-Sleeping

I wish I had a picture of my bed last night. It was quite hilarious so try to picture it in your head. We have a king size bed and this is how the line-up went...Mommy,Baby Ariel, Mommy's pregnancy pillow, Little Lady on top of Mommy's pregnancy pillow, Penguin, Monkey, Daddy. Monkey ended up cuddling with Daddy, Penguin cuddled with Little Lady, and Baby Ariel got to hang out up with the headboard because she isn't very comfy to sleep with;)

Different Kids, Different Pregnancies

Now that I am in the 2nd (gasp) trimester, I have noticed some distinct differences in each pregnancy.

1-With Little Lady I was sick from DAY 1 till about 22 weeks or so. Sick from the moment I got up till the moment I went to bed, praying to throw up to get some relief but never finding any.
With Puppy the sickness came and went. It would have to have a trigger - the smell of coffee, getting hungry, etc.
2-Which brings me to point number 2 - with Little Lady I was never hungry during the first tri because I felt sooo sick.
With Puppy (and this is still true) if I get hungry I feel really sick.
3-With Little Lady I didn't feel as exhausted as I have this time. Maybe it was because I sat a desk all day but I didn't feel like I couldn't move by the end of the day.
With Puppy I was COMPLETELY exhausted. If you would have seen my house during the first tri you would have been sure that it was not this slightly OCD womans house. For sure.
4-Their locations are completely different. When I would go in for a heartbeat check with Little Lady she was ALWAYS down low, like really low. This baby is up HIGH, like REALLY high. The doppler for Puppy is typically right around my belly button.
5- A similarity! The smell of popcorn can send me into feeling like throwing up in the nearest trashcan. It's terrible. I like to eat popcorn, but to smell it has to be the worst thing you could throw at this pregnant woman during those long 40 weeks!

Itchin for Spring

Last week when Little Lady and I left gymnastics we took the top off the jeep, had a picnic, and spent the afternoon in the park enjoying a nice 70-some degree day. Yesterday we spent the afternoon in the backyard swinging and enjoying a breezy but nice 60 degree today. I woke up in the middle of the night to a thunderstorm, woke up again early in the morning to sleet, and we left gymnastics class driving home through slush and snow. We are READY for spring. Granted, I love snow. I think it's beautiful and peaceful. I got married in Colorado in the winter for guaranteed snowfall during the wedding. But, after being in the house for months on end without sunshine or outside play and a little girl that stands at the back door asking to swing come rain, snow, or shine- we are ready. We are ready for the park, the pool, the childrens zoo, the big zoo, swimming lessons, fishing. You name the summer time activity and we are ready for it! So, while I do love snow in all its peaceful glory, can we get some spring please, and soon (minus tornado weather - I'm not ready for that:))

Let the IMAGINATION begin!

Little Lady's imagination has really taken off lately. She will make food in her kitchen for all of her stuffed animals. She will wash their hands in the play sink and then sit them at the table. She makes "nummy" noises for them. The other night she told me she was a "dog-dog" and put a play plate on the floor and pretended to eat like a dog on all floors with her nose to the little pink plate. I love it. I mean I really love it. I gives me a chance to see the world through an almost two year old point of view and it's fantastic. I love when she is rocking her babies and telling them "shhhh, it ok." And I love that she has hit a naked phase and that her babies need to run around with no diapers on too! But her imagination hit an all time peak of cuteness yesterday - a little background first. She has been really into Happy Feet. It would soothe her when she was a little baby and now she wants to watch it at least once a day. The word LOVE does not begin to describe how this girl feels about her beloved "pengins." She even has a stuffed one that used to be Sissy's that she is in love with and since her love affair with this stuffed animal has started she often times has to put a bow that matches hers on the penguins wing - which by the way has started to lose the stitching because she drags it around by the same wing. She also has a book that I swear has almost every animal in the world in it but she keeps it open to the penguins page and leaves it on her nightstand. The same nightstand that has her fish tank which also has a penguin mommy and baby in it. So, you get the picture, the girl loves a penguin. Yesterday, she dressed up the said beloved penguin in her baby's dress (yes, that would be the baby that is currently naked) and she was pretending it was her baby and then what does she do but pretend that she is regurgitating fish into her penguins mouth because that is after-all what momma penguins do. Like I said, peak of all time cuteness.

Sick In The House Of Pickle

Today we are supposed to be at gymnastics right now. Little Lady's favorite day of the week. The one day we are guaranteed to get out and do something during this very snowy, cold winter. But, instead we are at home in pj's carrying around a box of kleenex and trying to cough up the crud that decided to take up residence in my little ones chest. Yep, it's one of those kind of weeks. It started last week. Big A didn't go to work during the blizzard because he was sick and he came home early Friday because he didn't want to spread the nastiness to those he works with. Instead, the crud has been spread around the house like wildfire. Sunday we were at my parents and that's when Little Lady started coughing and it only got worse as the night progressed and by the next day it was full blown chest cold. We have been sleeping with her on our chests, watching morning cartoons laying on the couch snuggled under Dora blankets, and having plenty of juice and Toy Story chicken noodle soup. She is getting better. She covers her cough with her elbow which is good and very very cute at the same time. Then yesterday, I woke up with the soar throat and today am a little coughy. I'm hoping it just kind of hop, skips, and jumps it's way over me but most likely it won't. My biggest hope at this point is that we are on the up and up by Monday - Valentine's Day - so we can go to her playdate party. Fingers crossed. Until then, stay away from the House of Pickle.

The Big Announcement!

I can finally start blogging again. Everything in my brain that I want to write has been about babies, or being a Mommy to two, etc. So now, I can get my write on. The side bar is also updated. Right now we are affectionately calling the new baby Puppy - Little Lady picked that one all on her own! We asked her if she was getting a brother or a sister and she says she is getting a Puppy so the nickname sticks for now:)

Feeling Motivated and a Little Refreshed

I didn't do anything to make myself feel motivated but maybe getting snowed in for three days helps with reevaluating things. New fallen snow can do that with all its untouched beauty you know, and when there is a foot of it, I guess it gives you a foot of things to reevaluate. Lately, I have been feeling like I can barely get through a day and take care of Little Lady and clean house and do laundry, etc, let alone blog. But I'm starting to feel better and I'm starting to realize that I think that I put expectations on myself that are unrealistic. Yes, I haven't had any energy lately and seeing the heaps of laundry that need to be washed and the dog hair and cheerios that need to be vacuumed can do little for a persons motivation, it's slowly coming back. But not in it's usual I have to get everything done every day kind of way. Thanks to a good friends blog about her pajama Fridays with her girls, I have realized I can do all the fun things and pick up a little during the week but maybe, just maybe, I need to change my thinking on the way my house needs to look. This week I took a different route into my week of being the "perfect" SAHM. I picked up the toys, did the dishes, threw in a load of laundry every day. BUT, I didn't force the cleaning. I said to myself, that this Friday, Little Lady and I are going to stay in and I'm going to clean. And what would you know, I, for the first time in a few weeks, have gotten the entire downstairs clean. Like, REALLY clean. And I didn't stress out about it, I had dance time outs with my girl during her fav parts of Happy Feet and had sit down convos with the hubs since he came home sick today. I don't have to stress out every day that I'm not getting enough done. And knowing that I was dedicating a whole day to get it all done helped me get through my week. So, like I said I finally found my motivation - just in a little different direction - AND it makes me feel refreshed to know I CAN do things differently with the outcome I want, actually with an outcome I like a lot more.

Finding The Words

Lately I just haven't been able to find the words. I want to blog, I have a lot to say. I just can't seem to find the right words. A lot is going on and maybe it's the reality of knowing my reality is changing and trying to find not just the right words but the right time to put it all out there. Because once I put it out there it's not just my reality it's everyones and while I'm more than thrilled with the changes that are coming in my life I'm scared to put it out there. Scared to make it real because what if once I do something bad happens. I know I can't keep it all to myself forever but for right now I think we are happy with it just being our little family and close friends that are in on the secret. So, stay tuned for major announcements coming very soon.

And just because she is the light of my life...this little girl amazes me every day. Todays example, she went potty 2x on the big girl potty and she got her shapes puzzle right on the first try. Yep, she amazes me.

The Catch Up Post

There has been a lot going on around here since Christmas and I could barely muster the energy to get the pictures downloaded let alone write about the happenings at our house. Christmas was fantastic and Santa royally spoiled two girls in particular. We woke up that morning and celebrated just the four of us. Sissy went back to her moms house and my side of the family came over for a chili/soup potluck. It was tasty and a lot of fun. The big downer around was the Big A and I had some colds that were straight out of a horror film. We mustered the energy together to make Christmas good for the ones we love but we felt like poop. Christmas day hit Big A the worse and our anniversary hit me the worse. So needless to say we spent our anniversary in pjs and lounging around the house. Little Lady got a bit of a fever but managed to escape without much else and Sissy was still on antibiotics from getting her tonsils out so I think that is what kept her from catching the crud. Move on to New Years and we still didn't do much. We were all feeling better but enjoyed a nice family dinner out and a nice midnight in. And that brings us to now. This year is chopped full of excitement and big changes - I'll divulge more on that later. 2010 was a great year and 2011 is setting up to be even bigger and better! And to get things back on track on the blog for 2011 here is a Mommy and Me pic from playing in the snow. Yesterday we got just a dusting and we woke up to a ton more this morning with a forecast of it snowing all day - so expect more snow pics!