Things I Want Recorded

Caroline cut her FOUR top teeth. Oh, they are cuuuute! (March 9th). Update 4/26/10: she just cut her 7th!

Maggie was ordering me around. Do this, do that. I was only half paying attention while I checked my email and I did something she had not asked for. She said, "mommy, you misunderstood". Such adult words!

Maggie is crazy about learning to count to 100. We do it all the time! It's tiring to me, really. She can count (and write) to 20 by herself...then it gets laborious. Update 4/26/10: she can count to 50 without any help.

Caroline has recently decided that tummy sleeping is her thing. It totally freaks me out because she looks like she's suffocating when I view her at night through the monitor. I tried for days to roll her onto her back but she would be back on her tummy in less than a minute. I gave up but it still makes me a little uneasy.

While at book group the other day (Mar 11th) Patrick texted me to say Caroline had crawled two full strides. I was so sad to have missed it I almost started crying in the middle of my group of ladies! He said she took the two strides then got scared and put her little forehead on the ground and whimpered. Ahhhh. For the record, I've been putting her on her hands and knees every day since and begging her to crawl. Nothing. She smiles and is very sweet but she's not about to give it up.

Update: Caroline is a crawler! Her first full (but very hesitant) crawl was April 14th. She must be a fast learner because she's pulled to a standing position just ONE short day after. I'm writing this on April 26th and we still have steady, but hesitant, crawling with lots of pulling up to standing. She's very proud....and very wobbly!

Maggie asking for some dried blueberries: "Can I have some of those old dried up blueberries?"

Learning to use the computer, and most importantly the mouse, has made Maggie a very a happy camper. She likes playing the little games on Sprout's website. Occasionally she wanders: Patrick said he was excited about the frame I'd bid on via eBay. Huh?? He showed me and sure enough it was in our account but I had not done it. Maggie.

Easter 2010

We had a fantastic Easter at home. Maggie was so happy about her basket from the Easter Bunny. She tore through hers and then...tore through Caroline's. Caroline was, as usual, just happy to be there!

The hunt for eggs around our house (too cold for anything outdoors) took all of 2.5 minutes. I know this because I video taped it--and it took 2.5 minutes. She was very happy about it though.

The rest of the family had decorated eggs while my family visited back in late February so Caroline was forced to do one that day. I just gave her a wooden egg and poured some blue paint on her hand and some right on the egg. She was only mildly interested.

Maggie was allowed to pick a box of sugared cereal for the big day. We picked out Lucky Charms almost a week before. Every single day she asked to open it early. We held out. That's her holding a marshmallow from her bowl. She ate three bites, max.

After a crazy morning Patrick hung out with the kids while I fixed a ham dinner. For those of you looking for a few good recipes you can try Martha Stewart's Pineapple Mustard Glazed Ham and her Twice Baked Potatoes with Gruyere Cheese.

Gardening

Last year I had Patrick make me a couple of small square foot gardens. I started pretty late in the season so only a few veges and herbs were grown. This is my first true season. I bought some early season seeds (Radish's, Carrots, and Broccoli) and took the kids out to "garden".

This picture is not so great of Caroline but it says a lot with the two gardening books out for easy reference. Yes, that is Gardening For Dummies. I was actually nervous to drop those little seeds into the soil. What if they don't come up? (they've already started--yeah for me)

Maggie bounced around the yard and pretended to plant seeds all over.

Latest family pic:

Sisterly Love

Ensemble

Maggie has just now started to enjoy the Fancy Nancy books. One of her new words from dear miss Nancy is "ensemble". She went from being satisfied with one outfit per day to needing multiple wardrobe changes. How many pairs of shoes do I have to gather and put away throughout the day?!?

It's also a battle I've chosen not to fight when it comes to wearing these get-ups in public. So if you see us wandering around town looking like the above pic, please know this is not how I wanted her to dress!

Last Day At Miss Kellies

We finally let go of our time with the beloved Miss Kellie. Maggie was down to once a week and it was time for her to grow up. We've been avoiding the fact that our little babe is too old for daycare. She has missed her good buddies and the always sweet Miss Kellie herself but has handled it better than I have.

I had every intention of making some yummy homemade treats for her last day but after a long week I opted for store bought cookies Maggie could decorate. I chose this particular picture of her because it makes her look so much like daddy. Oh, I love that kid!

Caroline sat peacefully on the couch while I helped her sister spread frosting on way too many cookies. Sometimes she's such an easy baby.

Ellen Came To Play

Almost every year Patrick heads to visit good friends in Ohio and watch some of the NCAA basketball tournament. In order to keep me happy (sane) he usually flies out a family member to hang with me while he's gone. Ellen came to play. Oh, the fun we had!

This isn't the greatest picture but I want to remember Maggie and Ellen playing with the play-doh. I'm pretty sure Ellen loved it!

We shopped, ate, stayed up much too late laughing and talking. When the kids were awake, general craziness ensued.

Does it look like Maggie had a good time with Elba?? You bet. One morning she woke up and started her morning routine before stopping dead in her tracks to exclaim, "WHERE is Ellen?". I assured her Ellen was still her and would wake up soon enough. Poor Ellen was subjected to our super early morning routine. We really did try to keep the noise down.

Ellen outfitted Caroline with some keys and a purse to run some errands on her toy car thingy.

Still finding her way under furniture. Hey, at least she's semi-mobile.

Park Day

We took advantage of another random warm day. This year I'm determined to get Maggie pumping on the swings (I cannot spend the entire park visit pushing her. It's tiring. It's also boring.) This is her very serious concentration face while working on the "pumping".

Caroline watched from a distance. She's so terribly happy to be outside, feeling the breeze.

First Time In The Sandbox

The weather lately has been in and out of good, bad, and ugly. On a good day we spent some time in the yard and I threw Caroline into the sandbox for the first time. I was hoping for more of a reaction. She just sat there as if she was sitting on the carpet in the house. Total disinterest in the sand itself--just enjoyed the toys and being outside.

Just a cute shot of the now madatory tummy time.

Randoms

Does it look like Maggie is wearing make up here? She is. It was the only way I could get anything done! So I helped her put on a FULL FACE of it. Eyeliner and everything. I have to admit we bonded and it was sorta...fun. Weird, but fun.

I included this picture to show the intense kicking that is going on at all times. Look at the blur that are her legs.

We had a nice day. I decided the best way to enjoy it would be to hit the road with the kids. Maggie was wearing her "Dorothy" red shoes and her Cinderella dress. She spent the entire walk leaning out of the stroller as far as she could singing to the top of her lungs, "A whole new woooooorld". It was hard to stay straight faced.

Another nice day. Caroline enjoys hanging on the back patio, watching her sister play.

We're Working On It

Crawling is coming along. Slowly, but surely. Please no comments on how developmentally behind she is or how this will mean she'll forever be "slow". I will seriously hurt you. She's fine!!

She likes to push herself up then back. This leads to getting stuck under the couch or the side table a lot. Maggie tries to help. Sort of.

Randoms

We have a humidifier hooked up to our central air. We've lived here five years and never turned it on. We just like living with the dry climate...static is our friend???

"Mommy, take my picture." No one will ever know how many of this exact shot I have. We do this pose every stinking time the camera comes out.

Sweet little munchkin. She is such a joy.

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.