Family Visit

A few weeks ago (amidst our nasty cold/flu episode) some of my family came to visit. I was so terribly upset that we were sick. Very sick. My mom, and sisters Julie and Ellen were great sports and did their best to deal with my zombie-like behavior and snot ball kids.

Julie taught Maggie how to hunt for an egg that is hidden "in plain sight" which was very funny. She loved it and had us playing it for quite a few days after the family flew home.

I love this picture of my mom and Caroline looking at each other. So sweet!:

I forced everyone to decorate Easter eggs. Cause I'm mean like that. Ellen working on hers:

Here I am attempting to read a book to Maggie while trying to care for Caroline. Caroline is in the midst of her stranger anxiety phase and basically needed me 24/7 while they were here. It was hard considering my family wanted to hold her and play with her and I totally needed a break!

Patrick was in California on business for most of the visit and upon returning I literally dumped the kids in his lap, finally took a long shower and headed out for some much needed girl time with my mom and sisters. Even with the illness lingering, the day at the mall was soooo great. Julie took this picture of me in Crate & Barrel with a chair I loved--one that I can never own because my giant of a husband would crush it.

Waking up to get the guests off to the airport. I think you can tell how ragged and worn out we all were!:

Tattoo Removal

Most people know I have a tattoo. Or I did. Now its a mass of "lightened ink". I'm having laser tattoo removal. Sessions required= about ten. This is 1 hour after my third session. This one REALLY hurt. And I soaked through the bandage they put around my ankle. It was gross.

Warning: the pictures get progressively....grosser.

Cool, eh?

Princess Tea Party

Maggie attended a little princess tea party the other day. Oh boy, did she have a good time.

Things I Want Recorded

We decided to stick with Miss Kellie's daycare for one day a week through the summer. Maggie's face when I told her we were quitting was...so sad. As I loaded her into the car today for daycare she said, "My friends are going to be so happy to see me!".

Feb 5th--the FIRST time Caroline got herself from the sitting position onto her tummy and halfway into crawling position. She's shown absolutely no interest or desire to crawl before. Not one wit. 9 months and I can still safely place her on the couch--and she stays.


I bought Maggie a package of conversation hearts for Valentines day. She pulled one out and asked her daddy what it said. "Too Hot!" he said. Thinking that meant it was too hot to eat, she pulled out another one and said "this one says just right".


We bought Caroline one of those Johnny Jump-Up things (you know, the things that hang from your door frame and your baby can jump around and swing in it?). Caroline pretty much hates it. I took her out and Maggie proceeded to try and climb in. I told her no, that she was too heavy for it and it was just for babies. She peeks inside the holder and pretends to read something and then says, "It says it's for little babies AND big kids!".


Mother Goose has been real popular at our place lately. The last time I started to read the What Are Little Girls Made Of? (sugar and spice and everything nice), I stopped and asked Maggie if she remembered what little girls were made of. Her answer: Frosting.


Then we read the rhyme that goes: There was an old woman who lived under a hill, and if she's not gone she lives there still. After hearing it, Maggie looked up at me and said, "Mommy, that makes NO sense".


Maggie did her first scripture reading in church today (Feb 28th). I whispered in her ear and she repeated--loud and clear. I was really proud of her! I expected her to just stare or maybe mumble a word or two. She impressed me. Patrick came to watch her too and said how proud he was.


A reminder to mommy to watch what she says around the kids: Maggie announcing after her evening bath, "Daddy, I'm so freakin' tired!"

March 7th. Caroline's first words: no-no. When I tried to put her in the crib and she was, apparently NOT tired. She grabbed me and clearly said, "no! no!" Then later that day I gave her a baby doll and said BABY a couple of times while patting the doll. She gave me an odd look and then said, "baby". It sounded more like "bebe". Maybe she's french. I called Patrick in and she did it for him too.

Valentines Cookie Decorating Party

What was intended to be a very small gathering (3-4 kids max) ended up being a much bigger and more stressful event. I wouldn't change a thing though--it was a lot of fun! Caroline was a clingy mess the day of the party but she LOVED the decorations I set up days in advance.


Maggie helped prepare the million cookies I baked. I'm always worried I don't have enough of something and end up with loads of leftovers.

She also made some paper flowers for her little vase as decorations. This is a pic of her next to the flowers and vase holding the Valentine she made and mailed to herself from preschool. Since we live in Colorado, very close to the city of Loveland, the postmark on the envelope says it came from Loveland and has a stamp of cupid (how cute is that?).


I thought this was funny. Can you see actual cookie under the huge mass of sprinkles on Maggie's cookie? You can't quite tell from the picture but it had some serious height on it!

Here's a picture of the cookies Maggie kindly decorated for her mommy and daddy.
The mess was intense but I really enjoyed doing the party. I have two little birthdays coming up in the next few months and this party made me realize I have to start asap on planning--they take a TON of work!

Funny side note: Maggie hadn't worn the shoes she had on at the party for a while. I got them out yesterday and the bottoms has tiny bits of sprinkle caked into sole. It made me smile.

Randoms

Family picture:

Caroline first real sign she MIGHT be interested in crawling. 9 months old at the time this photo was taken and virtually no interest in crawling--at all!

Maggie dresses up her baby sister when she can. Usually Caroline starts to complain pretty quickly--she gets a little too "loved".

Salt dough "M" Maggie made at preschool. We've really loved our little preschool. She has so much fun and they are so darn creative and cute!

Caroline enjoyed her Jenny Jump Up for 2.2 seconds. I happened to snap a pic during that time. It's sat unused in our closet since.

This girl cannot keep her paws off my laptop. But after forking over almost $100 the last time I let a baby play with my computer I quickly brush her hand away. That makes her more than a little mad. Sometimes I try and appease her with Maggie's little laptop.

Playing with make-up. Love the upper lip, baby girl.

To Sum Up

Where have I been? Let's look back over the last couple of weeks:

I will spare you any pictures of ME looking far more sickly than the girlies do/did. We are slowly recovering from what might be the worlds longest and most painful cold ever! After many tears (mostly mine) and two trips to the pediatrician I've been assured that's all it was. Hmpth!

Ballet Class

Maggie's new dance studio has windows to watch the kids. Best.Thing.Ever.

My teeny, tiny, baby girl (there are no words for how much she loves dance):

She's pretty good and concentrates on "first position", " second position", and following the teacher exactly. Focus, girl.

Randoms

Caroline in her dirty onsie. She's SUCH a messy eater.

One of our "regular" family pictures.

I just thought the expressions on both kids were great:

Yes, I'm aware I look bad here (no make-up, what is my deal with that anyway?) but the kids were so cute. Maggie was the one who set us all up like this and asked for the picture:

Games

Maggie playing some sort of card game of her making:

Daddy and Caroline's game:

Caroline Fighting It

Caroline is a terrible daytime sleeper. I guess she just hates to miss out. When she starts to get drowsy she'll actually shake her head back and forth just to stay awake. A couple of times she's fallen asleep in her highchair. Here she is CLINGING to the tray, not about to give up just yet.

And I just think this is so cute:

Preschool

Maggie's first day of preschool. I don't know who was more nervous--me or her...or her dad! I sat and filled out paperwork while Maggie and her dad explored the territory. By the time we left, Maggie was too busy to even say good-bye.

We didn't have time to get a new backpack before the first day so she took the little bag that Miss Kellie gave her for Christmas (she filled it with homemade bean bags and put her name on the front--what a sweet gift!).

But...the second I picked her up that first day we headed directly to Target and she picked out this beauty:

She's so proud of it!

Preschool has been SO fun for her but as we're cutting Miss Kellie down to one day a week and then (gulp) none, I'm a little sad to see that chapter end. We've loved Miss Kellie and so has Maggie. This will be a little bittersweet.

Birthday Parties

Two of Maggie's friends from daycare had birthdays recently.

Sophie's was a drop off party--Maggie's first. Luckily the mom took some pics for me. It was a tea party and the girls got very dressed up upon arrival. Maggie looked like this when I picked her up. She was so happy:

I loved this picture because no only does it show Maggie stuffing her face with cupcake but it has Ellen and Peter (from daycare) and I really want to remember these two. Maggie so loves them!

Ellen's party was next. She had a "tumbling" party at Airborne Gymnastics. Maggie was by far the most timid. It took a lot to coax her into doing some things but eventually she settled mostly on the trampolines where she could maintain the most control.

And this one I thought was hysterical because of how Maggie has her legs crossed.

Things I Want Recorded

Maggie said to me on my birthday: "Mommy, can I have your birthday?" Goes to the top of the stairs and says, "Mommy, when I come down the stairs say Happy Birthday Maggie!"

Maggie: Can we make chocolate?
Me: Do you know how to make it?
Maggie: Yes, you start with frosting, mix in some marshmallow and stir really fast (makes stirring motion with her fist) then you get chocolate.

Me: Mags, are you excited for Santa to come?
Maggie: Yes. I want him to have a tea party with me. Mommy, can you ask him if he can have a tea party with me?


Maggie watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas: Oh, Grinchy! Mommy, the Grinchy is not being nice....but he's going to get nice real soon (she's never seen this before so I don't know how she knows he WILL get nice).


Aunt Melissa sent us some hand-me-downs. Everything was a big hit--especially the Ariel dress and shoes. Maggie: Daddy, can you call Aunt Melissa and say Thank you for buying Maggie the Ariel dress??


We've been reading a new book from Santa a lot lately (since it's about going to school and Maggie started preschool this month). One of the pages talks about Lucy loving assembly because of the hymns. Each time I read that I stop to explain that hymns are songs. The most recent reading had me asking her what hymns mean rather than telling her. The response to "now what are hymns again????". Boys.

Me to Maggie: You're so cute I'm gonna cry.
Maggie: Ahh, Daddy will take care of you.


Me to Maggie: Did you say a prayer before lunch today? (at preschool).
Maggie: Yes.
Me: Do you start with "Heavenly Father" like we do at home?
Maggie: No. We do a God one.


Maggie switched dance studios. The new one is much more ballet oriented and much more serious--strict dress code among other things. One requirement is that if your hair is long enough it needs to be in a classical ballarina bun. My first attempt left both Maggie and I in hysterics. But it held. When we arrived I noticed a flyer in the waiting room on how to do said bun. A flyer! Good to know I'm not the only mommy who has NO clue how to put their kid's hair in a "proper" bun.

Caroline is a very good sleeper. At night. All day she fights it like crazy! When she's laying down and tired she shakes her head violently from side to side to fight off the sleep that threatens to overtake her.

Caroline is also very loud! She's not mad but just likes to kind of yell. Loudly. Usually while we're in a store. The only thing that stops her is to sing "You are my sunshine". No other song will do. We tried putting food in her mouth but apparently she can yell right through Cheerios.

Maggies first week in primary at church should have been a big deal. For me it was. For her...not so much. I walked her to the front row and she confidently sat down next to her nursery friend Annie who was bawling her eyes out. Maggie was unruffled. I told her to be nice to Annie and make her feel better. She looked at Annie skeptically and then said, "I'm not gonna cry".
Second week of primary we were the first to arrive. Maggie walked up to the front row, sat down, CROSSED HER LEGS, and looked around the room. I asked if she wanted me to stay until her teacher arrived. She said no. Just like that. I sat in the back anyway until she did.

Blowing spit bubbles with her mouth is Caroline's favorite thing to do. She does it a lot. If you want ot see her doing it for yourself check out the video I posted on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrjiQ5gPpKY

I told Maggie that I loved her the mostest in the whole wide world. To top me she said, "But Daddy loves me most in the whole kingdom".

Arizona, Christmas 2009

After our Christmas morning at home we hopped on a plane for Arizona and warm(er) weather. Maggie and Caroline had such a good time with the family. The cousins ran around like crazy the whole time and really seemed to enjoy each other. Ciara and Eamon were also quite interested in Caroline and even watched me bathe her one evening.





Here's Caroline hangin' out with her Daddy-o, Uncle Sean, and Uncle Don. I love her expression here:




Nerf gun madness. This burned a lot of energy!
Maggie also enjoyed putting on make-up. Aunt Melissa was very patient and helped her apply it all (something I've never really done).



We went to the Organ Stop pizza place. This place was...wild. The whole building was covered in pipes--the walls, the ceiling, etc. It was crazy loud. I wish the picture could show all the pipes. Maggie was in awe. Caroline was not so sure about the whole thing. Hopefully I'll post the small video clip I took since the whole experience cannot be captured in a silent photo.

While in Arizona I was able to spend what felt like 60 short seconds down in Gilbert visiting Karla. Maggie and Natalie had a good time playing. Natalie had a Thomas the Train that you could actually ride around on. Maggie loved it but was a little nervous when Natalie jumped casually onto the back for a ride around.

Caroline took a turn in the swing while the girls jumped on the trampoline. Man, Karla has a fun backyard!

Before I could even blink we were packing up the kids and heading out. Too short.