Christmas 2009

What a busy last few months! Christmas is over, and of course thats always bittersweet. The girls had SUCH a great Christmas! We got to visit with family and have family dinners and open some presents and the best thing of all... 4 consecutive days off work so we all got to just hang out together and enjoy the Holiday!

I got to snap some really cute (and some really silly) pictures of the girls. They looked adorable in their Christmas dresses.

Whoopsie Doo (Whoopsie DONT)

Santa brought Sophia a baby Whoopsie-Doo and that thing is making Whoopsies all over the place. This doll is SUCH a rip off okay.. she needs a diaper evertime she 'whoopsies' (poops OR pees) Now this is a problem because each diaper costs between $1.00 and 2.50 depending on where you get them. In case you did not understand that is 1 little baby doll diaper... 1 use... = 1.00+!!!!! That is REDICULOUS! Needless to say if she only pees, i dry out the diaper and pass it off for another use, but the little sticky tabs go bad after a couple and if she poops in the diaper, its a goner. The little food refill packages are like 6 dollars for 10-12 packages, well that will fill up 12 diapers so you have to spend 30 bucks a week if you want to keep this thing going their way.

This is how im doing it the 'cheap' way:

1.) Re-Use diapers. If there is only a pee, it gets dried and used again

2.) Just put water in the bottle so she mostly pees, then once a day (usually evening so i can closely supervise) she gets to feed it HALF a package of food ( i save the other half for the next day.) This is MORE than enough to produce a whoopsie, which for some odd reason thrills Sophia.
3.) tonight i will be going to buy regular baby diapers in the newborn or 'premie' size. I dont know for sure if it will work, but regular diapers are wayyy cheaper, so im going to give it a try!

And here is my little living Whoopsie Doo doll. :)

A Message from Santa

http://portablenorthpole.tv/watch/b77d6625aeb64368684dff5ff44b97ff

This is a personalized video for Sophia.
To get your own child a personalized message from Santa, go to:

http://portablenorthpole.tv

:) Merry Christmas

Family Pics 2009

These are a few pictures from our Family pictures we had taken this fall. :)

Yesterday, we decorated for Christmas, so more pictures to come from that fun madness!

New Moon

Sweet Maria, its almost here!! Eeeeeeek!

Busy Season is Over!

Us at the EIU Homecoming Parade

Just waiting for all that candy!!

Me and Dr. B at the Swisher wedding

This fall has been SUCH a busy time, but this was pretty much our last event so we should be able to spend a few weekends relaxing before the Holiday Season begins.

We all (like you, im sure) are hoping stay as healthy as we can, and get out as little as possible during the flu season. If there is anything more miserable than being sick, its taking care of sick kids and/or being sick trying to take care of sick kids.

We are looking forward to some beautiful fall weather before winter comes, too! Hope it happens, its so fun to play in the leaves!

A Mother's Worth

Some of you moms might have read this study that was done several years ago, but i love it. It just goes to show that, as mothers, we wear many different hats. This shows some of the monetary aspects of our job:

Based on 17 key occupations, Edelman Financial estimated that a mother's worth is approximately $508,700 per year

The 17 key occupations that mothers typically perform, with their median yearly salaries, are:
Animal Caretaker $17,500
Executive Chef $40,000
Computer Systems Analyst $44,000
Financial Manager $39,000
Food/Beverage Service Worker $20,000
General Office Clerk $19,000
Registered Nurse $35,000
Management Analyst $41,000
Child Care Worker $13,000
Housekeeper $ 9,000
Psychologist $29,000
Bus Driver $32,400
Elementary School Principal $58,600
Dietitians/Nutritionists $41,600
Property Manager $22,600
Social Worker $30,000
Recreation Worker $15,500
http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content5/mothers.worth.html

This doesnt take into consideration the things that we mothers do everyday that are priceless, though. There is no job title or pay for the little things we do for our kids: Like teaching them to tie shoelaces and cleaning up 15 spills a day. Like watching their favorite movie over and over and over with them because they love it. Like having having their favorite blanky clean and warm right of the dryer when its bedtime. Things like that. These things are priceless to our kids. And our rewards are priceless, too. Becuase no one adores us like those little guys/girls.

Pumpkin Patch

My little angels at the Great Pumpkin Patch (Arthur) last weekend. :)
Bella

Daddy and Sophie picking out some pumpkins

Bella enjoying an apple cider slushy

Sophie

Our Punkins :)

Love those wagons!

Aug/Sept 2009

1.) bella flower

2.) sophia on beach

3.) bella outside w/flower prop

4.) bella again w/flower

Our Doggies

♥ Sophia giving Gemma a kiss ♥

Our little boy, King Leonidas

and, of course, Cinderella Cinderella

me and Gem

Cinderella and Leon are buddies

Summer turns to Fall

Its starting to feel like fall, and i love it. i am lovining the cool evenings and leaves starting to turn.. and i especially love Football season.

My Sundays are now officially lined out for the next several months: church, lunch then football all afternoon and evening. :) there is something relaxing about sitting on the couch listening to an announcer narrate the plays that i can either see for myself, or just listen to with my eyes shut while im snuggled under layers of fleece blanket while the kids play around us.

I am VERY into fall, we are already going crazy with the Mums, but ive killed most of them, so i think i will have to buy some more. Also, its time for some updated family pictures. I cant wait, already picked out the color themes for our outfits! But i also like to take a lot of candid shots of the girls this time of year, because you cant beat the fall colors!

As for my seasonal fragrances:
Im buring MACC Soy Candles in Pumpkin Spice & Cranberry Apple Marmalade and my house smells like an Autumn Dream!!

Also tried the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Iced Latte today, it was disgusting. What i DO like though, is Dairy Queen's Pumpkin Pie Blizzard. Mmmm!

I would like to mention that these pictures were both taken last October, so our new fall pix will be coming soon. I just found these and thought they were cute and fit the theme. :)

Jimmy Needham: Forgiven and Loved Lyrics

Tell me I’m forgiven and loved

Cause I hear it from the street corner priests

On how God is love, and how man can be clean

But my joy has been a holiday

And my peace has almost passed away

Tell me I'm forgiven and freed

Oh I tried and tried to rectify my hopeless situation

But the bottom line, I still have work to do

Now I’m working nine to five like I can earn my own salvation

But there is no condemnation in You

Oh whisper to me now that its for real

Cause in the silence of these walls

righteousness lost its appeal

Dirty deeds have done me in

O but that can’t stop the Faithful Friend

Giving mercy once again as You heal

Here it is I’m feeling it

Oh He died, He died

to rectify my hopeless situation

And His blood commands my guilt to leave

Now on Calvary I stand

Empty pockets, open hands

Oh there is no condemnation for me

Child you're forgiven and loved

Child you're forgiven and loved

Child you are forgiven, And Child you are loved

Child you're forgiven and loved

editor's note: i absolutely LOVE this song. i wish i wrote it.

summer's end

It is SO hard to find the time to write lately, so sorry for the lack of updating. I try.

Anyway, we are getting ready to get into the swing of Fall here soon. The reason i know fall is almost here?... Ive been planting mums like crazy, which i do every fall. But lets hope i dont kill them THIS year, i dont exactly have a green thumb, but im working on it.

Bella is starting to talk a lot more now, any word that ends with the long "e" sound (ex: momm-y dadd-yy, cook-ie, etc)

Cinderella, Cinderella is good. But Gemma pretty much just walked over the fence a couple weeks ago. So Brandon fixed the fence to reinforce it and trained her not to

jump up (using a shock collar.) So far, so good!

Now for a short story about each child.

Warning: these stories are scary but TRUE and may not be suitable for all audiences (especially people who are pregnant or considering having children.)

Sophia is in a new phase, its the lying phase. This means that you can watch her do something, then ask her why she did it, and she will say 'i didnt do it, bella did it.' A new line she is using, also, is "i dont know what im doing." Example 1.) Sophia why did you pour your apple juice on the carpet.? answer "I didnt know what i was doing."

Verdict: LIEExample 2) I watched her push bella on the ground, when i came over to pick up a crying BellaBug i asked Sophia "why did you push your Sister?!?" And she said "i didnt push her, she fell." LIEI have explained what a lie is, and why we dont tell lies. Hopefully it will sink in... eventually. Until then, i just try to sort through the lie to find the truth. And in the process, we are getting a few laughs with the gray hairs :)

Now our Bella, she is a human trashcan. She eats bugs, dog food, grocery store reciepts... anything she can get into before someone notices and drags her away (arching her back, screaming, etc.) On the flip side, she also eats good things. However, she eats in VERY VERY large quantities. For example, one night last week for dinner she ate 3/4 a can of green beans and 4 chicken nuggets. i mean, for someone that

weighs 21-22 lbs, that seems like a lot!

I cannot believe its August already! Seems like summer is just getting started. :(

Before we know it, it summer will be over, though. So we are trying to take the girls to the park, go swimming, and playing outside as often as we can.

The girls LOVE McDonalds picnic in the park then they get to play afterwards. And of course, when McDonalds is involved, i always have a good time.

Sophia still loves the dog, she drags it around everywhere. She is the 'mommy' and Cinderella is her 'baby.'

Sophie also loves it when Bella lays on her lap. She is such a sweet big sister! :) im so proud of my girls.

In other news, i got a new car. I was driving a beautiful 05 Ford Explorer with all the bell's and whistles and we really loved it. However, Brandon drives a huge Ford F150. That means that both our vehicles were huge gas-guzzlers. As we only have 2 children to haul around, not 8, it seemed a little silly to be paying so much for gas when we really didnt need THAT much space on a daily basis. So we bought a cute little Ford Fusion, and i love it! Gets GREAT gas mileage and its really peppy and cute.

Whats not to love?

SummerTime Girls

Sophia holding Cinderella, Cinderella in the car. We cant go anywhere without her.. (great!)

My Bella loving on some baby dolls. :) She was giving them all kinds of kisses. SO Sweet!

Daddy and Sophia eating at the park. Aint they cute?

Bella pushing the bubble mower, trying to get away from Sophia.

Our newest little bundle of joy (well, usually joy, sometimes its another emotion.)

Below is a video of Sophia playing with Cinderella the day after we got her.

Sophia's 3rd Birthday

Tuesday (July 21st) was Sophie's 3rd Birthday!! Amongst many other wonderful things from Grandma's and Grandpa's and Aunts and Uncles, there are two especially interesting gifts.

1.) the puppy (from mommy and daddy)
2.) scissors (part of a backpack full of school supplies from Mamaw C)

1.) the puppy. Now, most of you know we already have a great dane named Gemma. we love her, but she is still a little to big and uncoordinated to successfully play with the girls. Sophia LOVES dogs, so Brandon and I selected a small-med. sized dog breed that Brandon is familiar with, and surprised her with it. She named the dog Cinderella Cinderella. Not to be confused with just 'Cinderella.' She loves the dog, she carries it around EVERYWHERE, does not want to leave the house without it, sleeps with it. Its a success... except...

this dog is about 2 lbs. its TINY, OKAY!? and she sleeps... a lot! and when she sleeps, she hides. Little Cinderella Cinderella will disappear for like 3 hours and we cant find her, then she just shows up. she hides under things, in things, in laundry, shoes... ANYwhere that is quiet and away from children pestering her. this is a problem when we want to leave, or have an errand. we cant really leave with a puppy somewhere sleeping that could at any moment wake up and need to eat or potty or chew. So we are currently working on discovering her hiding spots so that we can track her down when necessary. The Laundry pile in hallyway is the usual spot, we are discovering.

2.) the scissors. now this does not sound like a safe gift for a 3 year old. but i believe that the intent was not for her to use them now, but instead to be used when she needs them for school. however, they were in her backpack full of goodies, and i forgot to take them out and hide them.

(this picture was taken AFTER getting fixed.)
well, she found them. and yes, she used them... and,yes, of course on her hair. as you might guess, it was quite a pitiful sight. every person that knows about the haircutting fiasco has told me that their child cut their hair, too, and that all kids do. but it doesnt change the shock i felt when my 3-yr-old handed me a big handful of her own hair. the ANGEL that cuts hair here at the Spa came in (on her day off) about 15 minutes after i discovered Sophia's hack job (i called in hysterics) and fixed it, gave her a trendy little stack in the back and evened up the bangs as best as she could. so her hair ended up adorable anyway. ----->

other than that, the birthday books and dolls and clothes and jammies and playdough and watercolor paints all went smoothly. she is still playing with all her new stuff constantly.

Bella Pic

Little Bella reading an Elmo book in bed. Aint she cute!?!

Just a few pix.

Little Miss Bell slpashing around in the pool at Grandma & Grandpa C's house. This was the first time i heard her screetching like a trapped wildcat after we took her out of the pool.

She LOVES the pool. This was also the same night that sophia threw a full watering can at Bella's face and knocked her backwards under the water. It was NOT pretty, let me tell you!

This picture is from our trip to St. Louis a few weeks ago. Its the girls and daddy wrestling around in bed. I love to get them matching outfits. :) I think its adorable when they match, and they are still too young to think its silly. So im going to get away with it while i still can.

Sophia HAD to sit in another little girl's minnie mouse chair. If anyone has advice on how to get kids to share better, please let me know. Sophia has serious "THATS MINE!" issues.

This is Daddy trying to help Bella walk at the Fireworks on the 4th of July (well, technically, 5th of July, thanks to the rain.) Its hard to see but she is wearing her new Squeaker Sneakers. The name says it all, when the child steps, it makes a little sqeak. They are ADORABLE.! Here is a better picture of them: