Friday, October 31, 2008

a tag (#2)

Freshman hallmate and ingenious designer Resa of Resa Design tagged me. Perfect timing, too. I've got nothing to talk about today.

Kidding.

To start, I could tell you how our Star Sleeper, Luke, has decided that he's not so excited about staying put in his bed during naptime. I could talk about how we've decided to lock his door--from the outside--after the first time he decides to get out of bed each time, and how he cries and fusses until finally he darts back into his bed and drifts off to sleep. But that's no fun to talk about and I'm so tired of thinking about it. I'd much rather talk tags today.

The rules are: 1. Link to the tagger and provide the rules on your blog. 2. Share 7 facts about yourself 3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post bey leaving names as well as links to their blogs. 4. Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blogs.

So, here it goes.

Fact #1: When I was in 2nd grade, I found a pair of old, tortoise reading glasses in a drawer at home. I'm sure they were my moms from the early 70's. I decided to stuff them in my backpack and put them on when I got to school. I told all my friends that I needed glasses, and that they were my new pair. I remember my best friend, Tracie asking me, "When are they going to put glass inside them?" They had no glass in them. They were just the frames. It didn't matter to me though. I thought needing glasses was so cool. However, now I have them, and think quite the opposite.

Fact #2: I'm a back sleeper. Yep, from the time I shut my eyes, to the time I wake. And, I love my bed. LOVE it! Mr. Marvelous and I bought a Queen Temperpedic a few months back and it was--by far--the best investment of ours.

Fact #3: I broke my nose the day before my first prom. It was the end of my sophomore year and during our last softball practice of the season, I was playing pop up catch with my coach. (I was catcher, and I LOVED super high pop ups.) Unfortunately, I lost a ball in the sun and it came down and cracked me right in the nose. When I fell backwards, two of my friends came to each side of me to help me up. Blood was flowing out of my nose and both eyes were beginning to puff up and turn a deep shade of purple. All that was running through my head was who I could talk into taking my spot at my first prom that was the next evening.

Fact #4: I'd always wanted to be a Pediatrician. Ever since I knew what the word meant. I wanted to be a Pediatrician, and a mama of 7. It wasn't until the end of my freshmen year in college that I realized how ridiculous that sounded. That's when I changed my major to Elementary Ed and graduated with an Early Childhood minor.

Fact #5: I can't stand a messy house. I find myself irritable and disorientated until it's picked up.

Fact #6: I spend my free time--during naps--crafting. I enjoy making things with fabric, mod podge, felt, spray paint, ribbon, and scrapbooking paper. And I aspire to be just like my friend, Becky, when I grow up. She knows how to do everything.

Fact #7: I wish Mr. Marvelous was a stay-at-home dad...with me. Or! I wish I could work in his office with him as his secretary. All day long. Everyday. I really LOVE HIM! And it drives me crazy.

There. Now you should know me a tad bit better. How many of you already knew these?

So now I'll tag the first 7 people who commented on my last post.

Lori
Stacey
FaithHopeLove Mama
Kaci
Baseballs & Tutus
4littlemen & twins
Kelli[at]GohnCrazy

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Wordless Wednesday


Alternately titled: Since I'm on a roll with Feet Photo Ops of the little girls.

Alternately titled: Norah teaches her little sister how to sit still for a minute and enjoy a favorite of hers.

Alternately titled: Can you tell--by the double chin--who has no "off" button on her stomach?

Alternately titled: A rarity. Non-identical outfits.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

These ladies were made for walking.


..and that's just what they do. All over the place, in fact. Hazel started first--my bet was on her anyways, since she rolled and crawled first too--and just a couple of weeks after, Norah followed suit.
And now, Hazel's feet are most likely found exploring in the backyard. That's her favorite place to be. Or possibly near Harvest, the bunny we sit for. Or Chloe, our neighbors new pup. It seems as though Hazel becomes highly energized by furry creatures.

Norah prefers the kitchen. I call her our little Domestic Diva. She'd be fine with standing on the stool at the kitchen sink, playing in the water right by my side. Or possibly standing on the washing machine looking through the laundry room cabinet above. No lie! Even though I was extremely startled the first time--seeing her little body that high above solid ground--I obviously didn't learn my lesson until the second time when I found her there again. It was the stool and utility sink that helped her accomplish that feat. There will be no more of that.

And speaking of ladies, it's time to announce the two winners of the Sibling Name Challenge.

Drumroll please.

So, if we were adding a boy to 4under3's household, I most definitely would love to name him: Max. Short, sweet. And, how cute would Luke and Max sound together! Love it!

Way to go Kristin! If you would hand over your snail mail address please.

And, I can't go without saying that Jack used to be a favorite of mine. Nicole, Lisa H, Weeksie50, Tracy, and Nicole thought so too. And, I've realized since the girls have been born--and apparently so in this contest--it's so very common.

And after much deliberation, if we added a girl, I most definitely would love to name her: Lilah with an "h." In fact, our youth pastor and his wife just had a Lilah. And I melted when I heard it. So sweet, elegant, and dear.

Congrats Andi! Your snail mail address too, please.

But, I'll tell you, Stella was close behind, smart thinking Annika. And, Amelia was next, so prim and proper, Jessica and Beth E.

Remember, and keep in mind, this is a hypothetical situation. Just wanted to throw that out there one more time for the grandparents who are with us this evening. And to be truthful, it's odd not to honestly be settling on names right around this 16-month-mark that the girls are at. You see, Julia was 16 months and 3 weeks when Luke was born. Luke was 15 months and 3 weeks when the girls were born. And here we are, 16 months and 3 days with no newborns, or pregnancies for that matter.

So thanks for playing along, ladies. I've gotten my fill of baby naming regardless.

Accident Scene

First off, Holy Shmoly! You're quite the baby naming bunch here. What a fun, and definitely smashing group of name options for our 4under3's* hypothetical brother or sister.

And, after debating between a few of my favorite boy names--tossing a couple back and forth--I believe I've come to a decision. This is without Mr. Marvelous' opinion, of course, since..well, we're not really having a baby, so I thought I'd be the sole decision maker this time 'round. Woohoo!

*4[children in] under 3 [years]


But, surprisingly so, I've had a much harder time deciding on my favorite girl name. I say surprisingly because the girl names came much easier for Mr. Marvelous and I while naming the Real Life characters of this cast. In fact, the reason we decided to find out what our identical twins were--before they were born--is because we were having an extremely hard time deciding and agreeing on 2 boy names. I hoped for Jack and Oli(ver), hubs liked Jack but not Oli. Hmm. Good thing they were girls. And, oh, I'm so glad they were girls! They sure are as sweet as sugar. This 16 month stage is so fun with them.

So, I've decided that instead of rushing the naming of our hypothetical daughter, I'll show you a couple of these:

(popped tire. hole top left)


(dent where the black mark is. it extends across most of the passenger side)

(running board damage)
(culprit. and store investigator)

...then, I'll keep tossing around the 4 favorite girl names in my head, I'll decide on one today, and I'll announce the winnerS tonight!

And, really, thanks for your encouragment and similar reckless car stories. They really did lift my spirits. Being carless this morning wasn't as bad as I imagined. We ended up making crepes, rearranging Luke's room, folding some clothes, and walking down our street to watch the roofing company maneuver their crane.

I'm sure you can guess who couldn't stop saying, "Woooo!" to that.
(And, darn it, if anyone knows WHY I sometimes can post clickable photos, and why sometimes I can't...please do tell. I wish you could "click in" on these photos.)

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Not Me! and a Sibling Name Challenge

UPDATED: Because I can't miss out on Not Me! Monday, and because I feel as though my event that DIDN'T happen in the parking lot of Target today is my most definite Not Me! incident, I'm joining in Mck Mama's fun again this week. Here it goes.

I DID NOT, repeat, DID NOT, run into a cart corral machine in the parking lot of Target this morning. And then, I DID NOT fight the urge to kick, scream, and cry right there on the concrete in front of my 4-year-old. Not me! I learned my lesson about careless driving when I ripped my driver side mirror off while backing out of our tight garage a couple of weeks ago. And even if there was a recently stalled cart machine positioned right in my blind spot--waiting for its driver that had run into the store to get help--as I rounded a corner to go down a lane to park, I would have seen it regardless of the size of my large SUV in comparison to its short out-of-view self. And honestly, who would want to spend an extra hour writing up reports with the Target crew and my dear sweet eye witness--who ran at me waving her arms proclaiming she saw it all and she'd testify for me--, while snapping pictures of my popped tire, my entire dented/scratched/damaged passenger side anyways? For surely not me. Sigh.



ORIGINAL POST:
I figure that Holly--the winner of this contest--has already received her loot, so it must be time for another challenge.

And, Hazel is here to get our new party started. Come on and dance with her. Let's get jiggy wit' it. Shake a leg now. And listen up.

If you followed me on twitter over the last couple of days, you know that my dear sweet friend, Sarah, had her 3rd baby last weekend. This is the first baby born--from my nearby friends--since our twins were born. And even though I was out of town until today--when I got to see the little pumpkin for the first time--it was still an exciting last few days because of the arrival of our new little bundle. The emotion of a newborn started all over for me after hearing about precious little Claire.

What a CaUte name! I love it!

And that got me thinking. I loved picking names for our children. The choosing, saying, writing, and searching for the meaning parts were so much fun. Then, I started imagining what names I would like enough if we had another baby to name.


[silence]

Hazel: What's that you say? I thought I was the last baby you were naming?

No! We're not pregnant. Nor are we trying. Which really doesn't matter, since we didn't "try" with any of our four. But that doesn't mean that I can't have myself a simple little Sibling Name Challenge here on my blog. Right?

So, here's the situation. (That is, if you'd like to have at a chance for a fun little snail mail package.)

Our children need a sibling...or two. Julia, Luke, Norah and Hazel need ONE more brother and ONE more sister. What you do is, in your comment, leave your idea of the perfect name for both a boy and a girl. What two names would look and sound simply smashing for our family? When I close the contest--sometime in the next couple of days--I'll choose my favorite boy and girl name from the bunch and award the winner (or winners) accordingly.

If you pay close attention to our girl names, we love "classic" names. And our boy names, short and sweet. That's all I'll say.

Happy hunting for more siblings!

Saturday, October 25, 2008

He got the memo.

There was no need to beg Luke to enjoy the frigid fall night at our home town's playoff football game. No need to teach him how to tackle his second cousins--in our staked out space just past the endzone--like the boys out on the field do. And there was definitely no need to tell him to pose a serious football playerish look here in this shot with his Uncle "D:"

He got all those memos, the day God wired his little body together.



He also got the memo--that day he was wired--to always jump off the 5th step up, that trucks were "WOOOO!" worthy, that fixin' things with daddy was the best way to pass time, and that a stomach is never full.

Stomping Grounds Agenda...and In case you didn't know...

Mr. Marvelous and I grew up in the same town.

[And in case you didn't know, he graduated high school with one of my younger brothers two years after me. [Gasp.] And it's a good thing, because I look sooo much younger then him and will probably age sooo much slower then him too. Ahem! And I'm quite the kid at heart, so it all works, I'm tellin' ya.]


Now, where was I?

Oh, right..we lived in the same town. Well, he lived on the last roadway on the way out of town, and I past his house and 3 miles into the country. His mom and my parents still reside in the same houses we both grew up in--as well as his grandparents and my grandma--which makes for a full weekend of chocolate, soy milk, goodies, and cheek smooshing (for the little ones) when we come back to our good ol' stomping grounds.

In fact, usually, most times, we flipflop back and forth between our parents' houses during our stay. Mr. Marvelous has usually delegated Luke and himself to some sort of venture at his mom's house, a project that requires Luke to bring his shovel and flashlight, or whatever Luke thinks might be suitable to get the job done.

I most likely will start out at my parents house with a walk to my grandmother's neighboring farm that is at the bottom of our hill. We greet the cows, dodge cowpies in the barn, romp around in the hayloft, and accompany my dad on a tractor ride.

And so far, we've accomplished most all of this since we arrived yesterday morning. Plus, the little girls added one of their much loved wrestling matches--that Hazel obviously thoroughly enjoyed...




in the fallen leaves...




in my parent's backyard...


until big sister swooped in to save little sister from our tackling torpedo, Norah.


And tonight:

A High School playoff Football game. Tailgating Style. With Julia and Luke, Uncle "D" and some high school friends. And 30 degree weather. Time to break out the Long Johns.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Wordless Wednesday

(Two years ago today, our little Lukers.)

Monday, October 20, 2008

Their sleep number is still: 2.

Norah (L) and Hazel at 15 months old, still feel as though sharing space equally in their crib is unnecessary.

We usually find them like this:


--leaving half of their crib empty--when we check on them before we hit the sack. It hasn't changed a bit since this and this.

I think we'll move them straight to a double bed when it's transition time.

Friday, October 17, 2008

the lady on the other end

UPDATED: Just for the record, I still do NOT like my hair. I was as hopeful as some of you were. And I assumed I was blowing things out of proportion when I proclaimed my haircut to be an inexperienced version of the Posh Spice cut caught in an electrical outlet. I hoped by letting a few days pass I'd allow myself to settle into my new 'do. Now, I've accepted that the only thing I can do is double my morning vitamin dose for the next month.

Sigh.

ORIGINAL POST:
I twittered about my hair today.

And first, let me set this straight, I have never been one to get all worked up about my hair. In fact, during my freshman year in college a friend on my wing wanted to color my product free hair in our wing's bathroom. When it turned out a sparkling shade of platinum, there were no tears shed by me. "It's no biggy," I assured her. "Better luck next time, right?!" And during the rest of my college years, my friends and I preferred going to the Aveda Institute students for haircuts. I kind of liked the idea of not knowing what the scissors had in store for me. Besides, hey had instructors right next to them. I knew it would always end up appropriate.

And because I have an extremely hard time paying normal salon prices for cuts and colors--especially when the majority of the last 6 years I've had short hair that required a cut once a month--I have stuck with the drive thru salons, and have had pretty good luck with the stylists I've found.

Until today.

But, like I said, this all happened because I'm so laxed about my hair. Let me show you what I mean.



Me: "Hi, I'm calling because I'd like to try to get in for a trim today and I'd like to see if my stylist is in.

Lady on the other end: "Ok, let me see, who is your stylist?

Me: "Well, I'm embarrassed to say it, but I don't remember her name. Can you look me up and see who's cut my hair the last few times?"

Lady on the other end: "Um, I. Don't. Know. Let me see. I guess..I'm not sure how to do that here."

Me: "Welllll, can't you just type my name in and see what comes up?"

Lady on the other end: "Hmm. Well, what did she look like?"

Me: "Oh, ok! She had dark hair. Really long dark hair."

Lady on the other end: "What else does she look like? Was she super skinny?"
Me: "Well. (hmm) No. (pause) She was a little heavier set, and she is quite the comedi..."

Lady on the other end: "Oh, wait! I found it here. It looks like that was me! Yep, I cut your hair the last time you were here."

Me: (Thinking back. If she was super skinny, that's an easy question to answer. Right? If she's not...not so easy.) "Ok. (what did I just say?) Well. (pause) Great! Then you're working today. Can I come in right now?

Lady on the other end: "Sure. I'll put your name down."

----Hold it right there. Embarrassing? Yes! End of story? No!----

So, I get to the salon and the Lady on the other end and I realized that we had never seen eachother before. She then apologized for the mistake and I assured her that was ok and I'd have her cut my hair anyways. She convinced me she knew exactly how to do an entire haircut with a razor, and she promised me it'd be "so cute" for the wedding we're attending tomorrow. The one where Mr. Marvelous and I will see all our high school friends at...that we haven't seen in ages.

Wrong. Wrong. She was most definitely wrong.

End of story? Yes.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

how to pierce your nose. and possibly your cheek.

I woke this morning and totally forgot that I was no longer a virgin to the nostril pierce. Then I rolled over, arrived at clear conciousness, and remembered the big endeavor that took place last night. That's when I ran the entire experience over again in my head.

First, Mr. Marvelous and I walked into the tatoo and body piercing shop and met my piercing artist--shoot, I don't even know his name. But by the looks of it, I'm sure his name is an unnecessary piece of info. If ever there was a need to reach him in the future, I could just ask for the guy who appears to be made of metal and ink. Therefore, I'll refer to him as just that. MetalInk Man.


Here, MetalInk Man has already suggested a spot for my new piece of metal, marked it with some ink, and is explaining the procedure involving the hollow needle. He--and the man next to us who was tatooing some young lad's arm--promised me that unless we adopted all 4 of our children, I've already experienced more intense pain than what I was about to.

I still wasn't convinced. Regardless of our stouty, big headed son's delivery.




Here, ouch. I haven't quite felt the pain yet. But I was sure nervous and halted the procedure twice with an, "Ok, hold on one second...(breathe)..alright." And then a, "Wait! Ahhh. Ok. Go."

Apparently it was amusing.

But, I was beginning to feel the same way I did as an 8 year old at the top of the highdive board for the first time, with a bazillion other children waiting behind me in line.

Here he placed the metal tube that's holding the needle inside my nostril . Milliseconds after was when he did it. Ouch!! It did hurt like the dickens for about 43 milliseconds. Maybe not even that long. Then, really, I couldn't even feel it.



Here is the needle awaiting it's curly nose ring. It still hurts here. Do you see it, just hanging there? If any of our children even think about doing this, I'll...


And despite the relaxed, cool and collected composure that appears on my face here, it wasn't really the situation. I was merely finding my happy place until it was all over.


And then the tiny, little, clear and flat gem made it's home. Ow.

And because I was so excited, surprised, distracted with the whole ordeal, I walked away with one piece of info about taking care of it. Disinfect it 3-5 times a day. So, all you nose piercees, what is it that I should remember? You know, so my nose doesn't fall off in a couple of months.

And that, my friends, is how you get a nostril piercing, AND how you create a great conversation starter with your 4 year old daughter. Leaving her excited to get her "cheek pierced someday."

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

The finished product

Sorry about that last post.

Something must have been wrong with my keyboard. (Tongue-in-cheek.)

But, here! I'll post a picture of tonight's finished product--the product being my nose, and the finished being the post put in it.

That's right! I got my nose pierced!! Who seriously thought that's what we were doing?

Can you see it? I've got a few more pictures that I'll try to post tomorrow. Mr. Marvelous did a good job getting souvenir pictures while this all went down.

And boy, do I have a lot to say about this whole ordeal and my Piercing Artist. But I'm tired, and I have a series of steps to go through--very carefully--for washing my face before bed. So it'll have to wait until tomorrow.

Good night! And don't let the bed bugs bite. Or pinch. Or stab you with a hollow needle.

We got a WINNER!! And, let's uncover the anomalous activity.

The contest is over.

Phew!

And really, the intensity of withholding this pertinent information from you all is too much to handle. I can't take it anymore. Thanks for all your great attempts in guessing the anomalous activity that I'll be taking part in this week. Ah! I mean tonight! My heart beat is beginning to race, right as I type this. After the children are in bed, and while my SIL sits at our house, Mr. Marvelous and I will go engage in a harebrained idea to...well, let's get this out of the way first.

Random.org picked our contest winner, and I'm excited to announce that:

Here are your random numbers: 11
Timestamp: 2008-10-14 19:58:22 UTC


This means that Jessie's Girls (And quite the cute girls they are. And close in age, the way we like it too.), you are the champions, my friends. Congratulations!! Please email me your snail mail address so I can send out a package full of fun as your prize.

And before I go on, I feel I must address some creative comments.

l e a h's creative response was enough to double me over in laughter. While I love to "go against the grain," I most certainly don't "thrive under pressure." I wish I did.

and,

joyful1's thankful response was what made my night. Besides, who doesn't like to add a little fun to someone's night?!

and,

I appreciate Melody's honesty. My brain tends to hurt when I play Scrabble too. But, I did find that playing by yourself and making up your own board is very entertaining. "Hi!" to you too.

Now moving on.

It's official--and I'm glad our parents won't be reading this until tomorrow morning--We're $%&#*$%&@)#$*. Call it an early, early midlife crisis decision. Or call it, this-is-the-longest-stint-of-not-being-pregnant-since-being-married, and we're-spicin'-things-up-a-bit-here-at-the-household-of-4[children in]under3[years].

Call it what you want. Because I'm calling it: $%&#*$%&@)#$*.

And believe me, I'll try to get a few photos of the whole thing as it unfolds. I promise, you'll all hear about it soon.

Aren't you so excited?!

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Not Me! and the contest follows

The other night--near the end of our sewing party at a friend's house--I did not give directions to the new girl in town to go in the complete opposite direction as her house. Not me! I know my East and West, and I've lived here for almost 2 years. Goodness! And besides, that would have sent her on an extra 40 minute countryside drive..at 11 o'clock at night. And it would most definitely have been the cherry on top of her night, being that she had just backed into a tree trying to get out of our friend's driveway.



And the other day, I did not try to pray away the circles under my eyes. Nope. Not me! I'm actually starting to like them right where they are. After all, I find they make me look mature and experienced. I feel like a full-fledged adult who is established in life. In fact, I think purple brings a little color to my face.



And Saturday night, as we were loading everyone into the car and attempting to leave the wedding reception, I most certainly did not have to pee so badly that I squatted right down in front of the car--in the dark--to relieve myself. For heaves sakes! Are you kidding me? Not me! It didn't matter the height of my heels, or the distance back into the reception hall, I most certainly marched myself right back to the ladies room and behaved...like a lady.

For more Not Me! fun, party on over to My Charming Kids. But don't forget to play along in 4under3's Scrabble contest below.

contest begins a little early.

Yesterday's wedding was wonderful.

I'm happy to say that our first wedding as a FF* went much smoother than imagined. Fortunately, there was no crawling under the pews--if you don't count Luke diving for fallen Cheerios--the acapella choir's volume height was at a superb sound level, muting Norah's one-ended conversation with the lady seated in front of her, and for a few moments there, I found my lap childless because of the help from grandmas and aunties.

In the end, sitting 2 rows behind the FIB and MIB didn't seem as paralyzing as first anticipated.


*Full Family


And as quickly as our leaves are changing, so is our choice of daily activities. We've packed up our pool and lifejackets, and pulled out our rakes and fall jackets--and vests. And while the children are excited for fallish type events this week, I'm eager for an out of the ordinary event of my own.

Here is where 4under3's very first contest comes in.
I'm kicking off the contest a day early, simply because tomorrow holds a lot for this household, and I'm just too excited to wait another day to tell you what's going on.

This week I am going to [do] [something]. And it's hidden below in the scrabble board.
To be part of this contest, you can do one of a few things. You can leave a comment--admittingly delurking or completely anonymous--about what you think my anomalous activity might be (and anything else you'd like to say about it). Or, you can leave a comment about a past anomalous activity you've taken part in. Or, you can just say hi. OR, you can do all of the above.

The winner will be picked at random sometime on Tuesday or Wednesday, then sent a splendid surprise package via snail mail.

Now get searching Scrabble challengers. First time joiners or daily visitors, Hunt it out. Rummage through. Go on your mission. Just don't bump the board, please.

Friday, October 10, 2008

contest secret. final thoughts.

Give me a F-R-I-D-A-Y! What's it spell?

Ahh! I daknow. F-R-what? Can you spell it again?

That's usually the way it is around our house. Whenever I try to secretize--oh, I like that word--something for Mr. Marvelous while in front of the children, I spell it out. But 99% of the time he ends up saying it outloud himself or not getting it and having me respell, then respell it again thus leading me to just saying it outloud.

But it's Friday, ya'll! And we had a great week.


Some final thoughts for Friday are as follows:


We went to a fabulous fun filled Apple Orchard today. Near the end of our visit, I seated the children down with some apples. It appears as though the apples had a little kick to them, so the little girls thought. And if I hadn't reserved this afternoon for scrubbing the double stroller for our excursion tomorrow, we'd head right back there for more afternoon fun.

Tomorrow, we're all traveling 2 hours to the much missed and loved big city that we moved from just 2 years ago next month. Mr. Marvelous' cousin is getting married and we'll all be attending the wedding and reception after.


The children and I have been going over how to act when seated for an hour in a pew. They understand there will be no background noise to drown out their squeals, pleads, and disputes. They've all accepted the idea of sitting still instead of crawling under the seated guests around us. The little girls are well aware that they are expected to leave their black patent leather shoes and their bows alone the entire day. And they all seem to be in agreement that they'll help make this a fun and memorable day for us. I sure hope they help make this a fun and memorable day for us.

-----

And then, I'm excited to announce that I'm kicking off next week with 4under3's very first contest on Monday. That's right. With prizes, and pictures, and fun...oh my!

I figured: that's the 13th, which is the day before the 14th, which is my dad's birthday, which he'll probably not be celebrating because, well, it's harvest time, and a combine is a farmer's best friend during harvest. So, I'm sure my mom will surprise him by taking out a treat, or something, then ride a few rounds with with him, and then he'll be back at it. I'm just sayin.

What was I sayin?

I digress.

-----

And before I sign off, please someone tell me how much you love puffy vests! Because, as I was getting dressed this morning, I reached for my hot pink vest to put on over my short sleeved Peace, Love, and Rock & Roll shirt that was over my long sleeved black shirt, and it got me thinking. In the last 5 days, I have wore a vest every day. And I know I'd be wearing one tomorrow if vests were considered wedding attire. There's the burnt orange, the black, and today's hot pink. For me, vests in the fall are like flip flops in the summer.

You think there's a support group out there for conditions like these?



Now, remember...

Wedding tomorrow. Pray for us.

Kickoff Contest. M-o-n-d-a-y.

And, that's all I got folks. (Ok, I got way more, but I'll save it.)

he's so brave

We had a surprise visit from my mom, grandpa, and aunt this morning. And while everyone was enjoying the beautiful fall day out on our deck, I was setting up the children's lunch on our deck table. Here's one conversation that took place between Julia and her grandma.


Hey Grandma! I really like bats. (She'll never forget this day, I'm sure.)


You do?


Yes. I'm not afraid of them at all.


Well that's good.


Yea. And my daddy, he's so brave at bats. (Notice she didn't include her mommy.)


(misunderstanding Julia's comment) Oh, he shouldn't be afraid of bats.


No, Grandma. He's SO.BRAVE at them. And he's so brave at everything, like lions and bears too.




...That's their some kind of wonderful that I was talking about. I won't mention to this awestruck daughter that her daddy has admitted to having a fear of heights. An obviously fading fear of heights, since he did climb Mount Kenya, has flown in more airplanes then I can keep track of, and has no problem walking around atop our house while bug zapping wasps nests.

Second thought, maybe he does it because he's so brave.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Sometimes we whistle while we...bathe in the kitchen

Sometimes we do this:


after a really messy supper.

It works really great. The little girls get clean at the same time as the kitchen. And for some odd reason, they find no purpose in climbing out. They just sit, splash, and throw their measuring spoons over the edge, all the while I'm wiping up milk puddles from dropped sippy cups, sweeping crumbs, and loading the dishwasher.

And then sometimes we skip pajamas on bath nights like these. Ok, we always skip pajamas on bath night, and slip them right into their next day outfits.


......And then there are sometimes when I wonder if the sweet old man who loads my groceries--at my favorite store in town--would think I was part of the loony bin if I gave him a big squeeze.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Happy Birthday, Julia!

To the apple of our eye and our little Ms. Pumpkin Pie, Happy 4th Birthday Juj!

I wonder if any of these things will change for you in this next year...
Your love for:
  • your dolls
  • downhill skiing with your daddy
  • your new vtech camera
  • rocking before your nap
  • runny "eggies" and toast
  • church camp songs in the car
  • climbing across the monkey bars
  • hanging upside down from the monkey bars
  • playing with the little girls in their crib when they wake
  • boots
  • bats
  • swimming and
  • eating out at restaurants

Your disgust in:

  • Asian Beetle Bugs
  • mashed potatoes
  • having your hair brushed
  • supper
  • being held down during Tickle Time and
  • Aspartame

You've blessed us tremendously and we love you very much! -Mom & Dad

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

daddy melts mama's heart.

The way I see it, Julia and her daddy sure have some kind of wonderful love for eachother.



I fancy watching these two do their thing. And I'm not afraid to share their secret either. Daddy is wrapped around her finger. Whether he admits it or not.

Like when Julia was between 2 1/2 and 3 years of age she went through a stage of coming down to our room in the middle of the night to "snuggle for a minute." It happened once or twice a week, and it really ended up only being a minute. She always obliged when she was told her time was up. But, I always walked her back up to her room if she came to my side of the bed, since I only sleep soundly when there are no children in it. Now her daddy, he always gave in. She ended up catching on quickly as to which side to crawl in on.

And now she's turning 4 years old tomorrow!

I'm not going to say, "I can't believe it." Because I can. I just don't want to.

And her daddy.

While he's excited to continue with new, bigger girl things with Julia--like downhill skiing and fishing--I think he's a little sensitive to this growing up business. He confessed on our date the other night that he thinks he's going to miss Julia's little girlyness that seems to be "slipping away."

Ohh. That just melts a Mama's heart.

sigh.

Monday, October 6, 2008

Not Me! Monday

I did not squeal with joy after finding my lost bottle of Pat on Black fingernail polish in a purse from last fall. Not me! It'd be ridiculous to have 4under3 in the house and still find time to paint nails anyway? And really, I find joy in surprises like diapers with hefty waste and leglines anyways. Not fingernail polish.

And this morning--before anyone was up--I did not run to the coffee shop to buy whole beans and a ginormous monster Cinnamon roll for only MYself! Not me! And then, once I was back in the drive way, I didn't slouch down in the car until I finished it completely, licking my fingertips clean and disposing of the box in our dumpster. Come on, I teach my children how to share here.

And last week, after unknowingly leaving my husband's bank card at a home design store, I surely did not bite his head off the next morning when he asked me if he could have it back..yet I couldn't find it. I'd never! Regardless of having dug through every purse, pocket, and nook in the car, and regardless of the fact that my heart rate had hit the ceiling, I'm cool under pressure! I never get worked up over those kind of things.


For more Not Me! fun, head over to My Charming Kids.

Friday, October 3, 2008

Hazel. And a Catch 22.

You all got me thinking.

While some of you guessed correctly--that Hazel is the more laid back little one--others guessed incorrectly but still nailed it on the head when deciphering between the girls' distinct personality traits.

So thanks to dictionary.com, I'm able to explain this catch 22.

Evidently, laid back is defined as:
  1. relaxed or unhurried and

  2. free from stress; easygoing; carefree

As of right now--I say that because the girls have been known to do a little switcheroo in temperments since they were born--this fits Hazel, the little carefree sister of the bunch, to a T. While Hazel is much more energetic, she is still the more laid back babe.

She is relaxed and unhurried when she needs to be (ie. carseat, highchair, stroller), she is carefree with a side of spunk when playing:


and she is easygoing when she's met with a confrontational situation. She must take after her daddy.

Bravo, Hazel guessers! Well done.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

One of these girls is not like the other. For now.


If you had to guess, which of these two would you say might be the more laid back of our darling duo? Norah on the left? Or Hazel on the right? Because there is one that is far more laid back than her sister.


Furthermore, which of these two do you think:

-has decided she doesn't mind her carseat after all (praise Jesus. one down, one to go), and often time finds it quite comfortable to snooze in as we're headed home for her afternoon nap?

-is fairly content with just watching all the action while sitting in her highchair after her tummy is full?

-is okay with the idea of exploring by herself, leaving the room Without.Her.Mommy, and playing unaccompanied?

-comes over and sits down in front of me holding her little foot in the air when I tell her, "Come, little little, let me put your shoes on."

-usually says no more than a, "Nooo nooo," when someone--say her big brother--takes a toy from her hand?

-sometimes goes beyond "the line" in the driveway, but turns her little stroller around when told, "That's too far."

Now.

Which of these two do you think is the EXACT OPPOSITE?

EXACT. OPPOSITE.