Magic

So I'm a little behind here. We're still in the midst of sleep deprivation & chronic meltdowns so I'm pretty much useless all waking hours and our waking hours start before 6am but I'll try to catch you all up. Friday night the Weires gals and I were going to go see a new movie, my friend Jennie was going to come along too. Well, it turns out that the movie we planned on seeing didn't come out this Friday like we had thought. Jennie and I already had our husbands trapped into "babysitting" so we still went out and saw the movie Juno. I was afraid that I wouldn't like it but it was actually pretty funny and we had a lot of fun. Afterwards we went to Starbucks and talked way too much about our kids. Saturday morning Brian got his much talked about hair cut, "the Brittney". I really LOVE it. While he was in China everyone told him that he looked like this guy from the show Prison Break and now he does even more! I love how he took a picture of it just like I do and do you see me in the first picture?

Saturday morning we also did a big grocery trip. I love having a fully stocked fridge and pantry! Lorie came with us and on the way home it was decided (by Kendall) that Kendall would be going to spend the afternoon at Lorie's house. They played outside, took a nap (Kendall slept ON Alex), and then we were to exchange the goods (Kendall) that afternoon at CJ's indoor soccer game. WHOOO HOOOO an afternoon with only one child??? What would this feel like? It was time for Kate's nap too so the possibilities excited me beyond reason. So what did I do with this free time? I unloaded my groceries and organized everything so very nicely. I also cut up all the Dora vitamins, you know important stuff like that. Well, I know that since you have seen my freezer (see Where's the Beef) you have all been wondering what is in my fridge. No? You know at the end of the Rachael Ray magazine they always show a celebrity next to their fridge and they explain everything they have in there (usually just San Pellegrino and take out boxes) or on the MTV show Cribs they always show the Cristal in the fridge well, here is my version...

Yo Baby, for the girls and Yoplait Thick & Creamy for my favorite breakfast "Yogurt, Fruit, & Granola Parfait". I stole this fair and square from Scenic 90 Cafe and then McDonalds ripped off the idea and managed to turn something very yummy into something revolting. Seeing as I'm WAY too far from Scenic 90 I have to make my own.

Grapes that are washed and ready and screaming "Pick me pick me, we're easy to eat, not laborious like unwrapping a candy bar" and Ziploc bags of baby carrots at the ready.

Now this here, this is where all the magic happens. Diet Dr Pepper. Need I say more?

The beverage shelf, oh look there, another D.D.P. hello my lovely.

Saturday night we went out to dinner with a friend of Brian's uncle that's son is considering a college in our town. This morning we had church and then our weekly Panera trip with our best buds.

Stay tuned for the next episode, "What is behind these cabinets?".....only kidding.

My Sweet Baby Kate

Actually, it's Kendall at Kate's age. Did I get cha?

You Are Getting Sleepy

Kendall has been having sleep issues lately. Actually, she has never been a very good sleeper at nap time but for the last 3-4 months she has been getting up REALLY early in the morning. For awhile she would find her way into our room around 5am and I found her at the top of the stairs once and even in Kate's room with her hand between the crib slates in the middle of the night. We put a gate up on her door for safety's sake but now she just stands at the door and yells for us. We have tried later bed times we have tried putting her back in bed repeatedly but nothing works. For the last four days she has been up around 5:15-5:45 and last night she even woke up at 3 (that is even more out of the ordinary). Despite the lack of sleep she still naps horribly! She is exhausted and if we are in the car in the morning she will fall asleep by 10am. I think a 'normal' toddler nap time is 2 but she has always been ready by about 12:30. As a result of all of these shenanigans she is just exhausted and grumpy and weepy and needy... I'm seriously at my wit's end. I made an appointment for a consult with our doctor on Monday. I know that one of her ear tubes has fallen out but I don't think that is related. Regardless I'm hoping to get some advice. I was able to distract her a little while with blocks (a great gift from Gram & Pop), do you see the joy that is just radiating from her? Later while I was getting dinner ready I had to restrain both of the girls and occupy their hands and mouths with crackers. Hey, whatever works.

Pretty Princess

For Christmas one of the gifts that Memaw gave Kendall was some flavored lipsticks" (chapstick). Kendall has been VERY attached to them and would apply them unceasingly. Mom commented that Kendall would have the softest lips ever. Well, she completely used one of them up before we ever even left Florida and the other two have been used frequently, have been requested for at bedtime, and stressed over if she can't find them...Well, yesterday we went to dinner at Lorie's house and Alex gave Kendall a present it had sticky earrings, lipstick, a little purse, and hair accessories. You can guess what she did all day long. I always know when Kendall is reapplying because I hear her saying, "Not too much!" Then she comes to ask me or Kate, "Am I pretty?" She got in a little bit of trouble today because I found her new baby doll from Great Gram looking like this.

Really, I have nothing new to report. Brian has been at a conference. Last night we had some crazy wind, I was worried about tornadoes. This morning when I took the garbage can out I found this in the street. The family that this belongs to is a family that always fails to bring in their garbage cans so I fear that the trampoline may be there for awhile.

Also, I'm going to recover our kitchen chairs (not the dining room ones). I got this fabric this week, I think that it will go nicely with the Sage paint and will also hide stains well, hopefully.

Nothing exciting to report. The girls both have a bit of a cold. I think it is a short lived one because I can tell that Kendall is already feeling better but this morning I feel a little stuffy.

A Good Provider

The other night after the girls were in bed I mentioned that I wish we had something sweet to eat and immediately Brian offered to go get something. I gave him a list of different things I liked and he picked one to surprise me with. What a sweet guy, eh? Here is my night in shining silver Accord returning with the goods.

Last night after bath Kate had a bit of a big hair problem as well. She must get it from her father because my hair would never look this big.

I have been sorting through the girls' closets and going through all the stored clothes, rearranging, pulling out warm winter stuff for Kate (in a bigger size because this baby is growing like crazy--in the waist area). Looking at all those sweet little dresses has made me excited about summer weather. I do realize that I have a long time but you know, here's to hoping. Check out the static that Kendall had going on this week, it looked a little like mine yesterday. Speaking of frizz I thought that I would try the curl thing again today. I started out with the hair drier on low and cool but after about 4 hours I realized that my hair would never get dry so I'm just scraping that whole idea.

Beware the Light Socket

Last month while I was having my hair cut I heard the stylist ask, "Do you ever wear your hair curly?" I looked around to see who she was talking to and then realized that she was looking at me. "Who, me??" She informed me that I had curly hair. Now, I'm turning 28 this month and this was a piece of information about myself that I did not know. I knew that when I was little that I had curly hair but I just figured that since I now had some length to it and that it was now adult hair the curl was no more. She gave me instructions on how to make it curly and this morning I decided to give it a try. Maybe, there may be a SLIM (and I do mean slim) chance that beneath this frizz there may be a curl or two. Now that I think back to the moment when she was giving me instructions I think that she might have mentioned using low heat and that is part of the instructions that I failed to follow. So today my "curls" are marginally contained in a pony tail.

The Best Part of Waking Up

So we went from the ABCs straight to doing crossword puzzles. There is nothing better then a good bowl of Kashi and a challenge for the brain in the morning.

So She Says

Kendall has been saying the cutest things lately. Yesterday I was listening to her while she played and I heard her say, "We are little children" I have no idea where she heard that one.

While we were in the car yesterday I was listening to a mixed CD that sweet Dani made for me and Kendall started to ask for her "monkey music" (Jack Johnson's Curious George soundtrack) but I wanted to hear the new CD so I said, "Oh, you'll like this song, it's about love". She did in fact like it and when the next song came on she asked, "Is this song about snuggles?"

This morning we're going to Noah's Ark with Jennie, Anna, and Noah and I have both girls dressed now. When I sat Kate on the floor and Kendall saw her for the first time--in an outfit from cousin Kelly-- Kendall said, "Oh Kate, you're so pretty" then she looked at me and said, "Can I wear that outfit?" I explained that it was too small for her and she just turned and said, "Maybe this summer." Evidently this is going to be a very good summer. At Nancy's house Kendall kept asking to go in the pool and we told her we would go this summer so she thinks everything will happen then.

And finally, she can sing her ABC's!!!! So cute. Well, she skips the 'J', I don't know what she has against the J but it hasn't made it into her alphabet.

Happy New Year!

I love a fresh start. I always like the first day of the month, but the first day of the year is just bliss! We started off the year right by breaking in my new electric griddle (thanks Jeff, Jill, John, Patrick, and Lauren). Obviously healthy eating isn't one of my goals this year, eh?

I caught Kendall with her socks off yesterday. Too cold on the hardwood floor for that but I had to grab a picture before she put her socks back on.

Merry Merry Merry

I'm a bit overwhelmed by the amount of photos we have and all that has happened since my last post so I'm doing an abbreviated Christmas posting.

We had a blast hosting Christmas for Brian's family this year. I had so much help from everyone I never even felt stressed. The girls provided the entertainment for all and we got to do lots of visiting with everyone.

Everyone left Christmas Eve morning and Brian and I went into turbo drive and cleaned everything, took down all the Christmas decorations, washed all the laundry and packed bags. We drove 10 hours the next day to spend Christmas in P'cola with my family. Kendall, Kelly, and Patrick played so well together. Kendall and her Memaw danced early Christmas morning around the kitchen. Then we went to Kristy's for a great southern brunch and then we were treated to the afternoon at Nancy, and Gus's and a very yummy dinner by Gus and Nancy! Lots of special treats during our stay, Kendall got cookies and played Candy Land, Kate got to make out with her kissing cousin, Sammy (his inability to crawl away made him an easy target). We all trekked down to the park next to Memaw's house and the kids totally wore themselves out and cracked us up with all their tricks.

Now we're home. I've had to do the annual toy sort and Kate has returned to making out with her immediate family. Actually, here she is practicing CPR. See the nasal aspirator in her other hand?

Gasp

Can you find the hidden message that Kate is sending to me?

I don't think that she likes lasagna.

The Chicken Has Flown the Coop

Man, you guys are good. Just returned from the doctor's office. Yesterday we saw the nurse practitioner and today we saw the doctor. She said it was DEFINITELY not chicken pox! WHOO HOOO

The Chicken Has Landed

So we're ready. The first of our guests, Ron and Susan (AKA Gram & Pop), are due to arrive today and we're all ready for them.

Fridge and pantry stocked.........check

Car prepped for drive to Florida (new battery, oil, tires rotated).....check

floor mopped..........................check

sheets washed.......................check

air vents vacuumed...............check

chicken pox.............................check

Yes, despite the vaccine Kendall has a small case of the chicken pox. So small in fact that we are getting a second opinion today. She doesn't even know that it is there and behaves as if she is feeling perfectly fine. But, those little bumps could potentially throw a big wrench in the festivities. Pray that it was misdiagnosed or that it just mysteriously disappears today!

Keep Your Distance.

Don't get too close. Brian and I woke up after our night out with yucky colds. We're both feeling pretty crummy but trying to push through and continue to check things off our to-do list. Kate tried out Kendall's booster seat and some new pasta pick ups yesterday. We also finally hung those prints that we bought two years ago! More pictures later.