Thursday, December 04, 2008

6 Months Old

To My Beautiful Sara:


You are a miracle. You are so loved, so cherished. 6 months ago, our family was blessed to have you join us. You are sweet and beautiful and make me smile.
You are my sunshine baby!

My Name Is Kaci, And I Am Afraid Of Santa

She is so afraid that she gets tears in her eyes if you talk about her sitting on his lap this year. She asked if she could just mail her list and not sit on his lap. She asked if she could sit on Shanna's lap, instead of Santa's lap. (She was NOT afraid of him last year.)

Finally, we got to the bottom of it:

Shanna has been mean to Kaci... Kaci told on Shanna the other night for reading after bedtime, and Shanna told her that she wouldn't read to her anymore, wouldn't help her shower anymore, wouldn't be nice to her anymore...

Kaci is so afraid that Shanna will get coal in her stocking, that she is afraid of Santa.

That warms my heart so much. This little 4 year old would rather bypass Christmas than see her sister be disappointed. I love my kids. (Even the ornery one who caused all of this!)

Monday, December 01, 2008

It's Monday!

Quite seriously, I HATE MONDAYS. Every one if them. I would ban them if it was possible.

This Monday:
I had to wake Kaci up at 8:20 for school (she had me up before 7 every day of Thanksgiving break)
I had about 16 loads of laundry to fold which are now in the car (don't laugh) because we had a showing on the house
We had more mice to take care if in the garage (everyone knows who took care of them, right?)
We woke up to a LOT of water in the garage because of a hole in the pipe by the water heater. Think scraping wet paint out of the closet...
Did you catch that we had a showing on the house in the middle of all that craziness?

I know, I should be thankful that the above things were my struggles, not something serious. BUT, to me, it was a Monday!

Me Man, You Woman

So, the last time I checked, men don't posess (much) more ability to deal with unpleasant situations than women. I like to do things for myself... It's not so much of a "girl power" thing, more of just being a responsible, contributing half of a relationship, and a strong proactive person.

Well, that's in an ordinary situation when mice aren't involved.

Ooohhh... Mice. Let me just say for those of you who haven't been in my house, I KEEP A CLEAN AND SANITARY home. If anything, I fall more to the OCD side of things... Cleaning the range with glass cleaner after each use, wiping the counter right before bed so that it shines when the sun hits it on the morning, vacuuming the same way each time... I promise I keep a clean house.

That being said, let's get back to the mice. We have them. It's not the first time either. After we built the house, we caught 12 or 13 of them. Last week I heard one in the kitchen. We set a trap and caught it. Who dealt with it? Tyler.

When I was getting the Christmas stuff out of the garage this weekend, we saw evidence of more. We set up traps. Today, we caught 2... Guess who dealt with them?

Guess who goes to get milk from the garage fridge so that I don't gave to see the traps? And the dog bed in the garage... And taking out the trash... Tyler does. He gets totally wigged out when he has to deal with it, but he won't let me help.

Unless I am missing something, there is no genetic or physical difference between us which would make "mouse hunting" his job. Yet, it is just another way that he protects me.

He is so amazing, and mouse problem or not, I am so lucky to have him in my life!

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Take Two

I wasn't kidding about another photo shoot... only this time we ventured out to our backyard. (See, I'm a quick learner!)








Friday, November 28, 2008

Smile!!! (Or Fake It)

What a day... we decided that one of the things we would do (as opposed to the only thing we would do) today was take some pictures of our family. From the start, it was a struggle figuring out what to wear, doing everyone's hair... Sara's feeding and sleeping needs.... FINALLY we all got in the car and started to drive around looking for the perfect place to take pictures. We drove and drove and drove.... all of the sudden from the back seat, Shanna said "My tummy hurts and I'm really hot." (This is the same kid who rides roller coaster after roller coaster right after eating.) The next thing we heard was "I threw up."

Oh yeah... all over.

So, home we went, clothes and shoes went in the washer. We found another outfit and shoes, cleaned up her face and hair... uuuhhhh... Did I mention how afraid I was to have kids because I can't handle it when they throw up???

We found the perfect spot... about 3 blocks from our house. Most of the pictures didn't turn out great because of the shadows of the late afternoon. BUT, we were determined not to give up! There were several moments when Tyler and I looked at each other and laughed like patients at a mental hospital!

Here are some of the pictures (and outtakes of the day.) We had so much fun today we might just try it again tomorrow. Anyone want to come with us???

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A Rockin Thanksgiving

Here's Miss Spunk, thoroughly enjoying her first drumstick! Can you just imagine having this much energy under your feet all the time?

She suddenly got up out of her chair and started walking around the table.

I said "Kaci! What are you doing?" She looked at me with her big innocent eyes and said "I thought you said we were going to go around the table and say what we're thankful for!"


Oh am I thankful for her sense of humor! We just about fell over we were laughing so hard!

It was so much fun having my brother here. He came early in the day, and we cooked together. It all turned out great and it was special to have him with us!

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Thanksgiving

I regularly read a blog that inspires me. I rarely post emotional posts, but when you feel inspired, sometimes you feel emotional. Here is the post: Bring The Rain Here is my response to her:

"Angie, this is the most beautiful post ever. I love reading your thoughts and words. I ache for you yet also admire your strength and faith.

To make this quick, I struggle to admit that I am thankful for my angel baby of December 18, 2002. (and another one in 2003) As I see Christmas lights go up each year, it tears the scab off of my heart. Somehow each year I work through the hurt and I find joy and the Christmas spirit by the time Christmas comes, but the pain and tears are so fresh and painful. These were the words I needed to hear today.

I hope your family has a beautiful day of Thanksgiving tomorrow. Now that I admitted the hard part, I can admit the easy one... I am thankful for you, your strength and the inspiration you are to me. May you feel the sun shine on your face!"

I challenge each of you to read her post, (read her story to understand what she writes about) and then think about what you are thankful for. It's a lot harder than you think.

Traditions

When I was a little girl, I thought that noodles went with mashed potatoes and gravy. My Grandma Tiller always made them, and it is what I think about when I think of Thanksgiving. (Even before turkey) I really debated this year if I was going to make them or not. But, here it is, 12:45 am and I made them. Traditions are so important, and if my kids think about having noodles and gravy on their mashed potatoes, I will have succeeded. (Plus, if I didn't make them, either me or my brother would have complained about missing having noodles tomorrow.)

It kind of goes beyond what food you are serving on your table. What traditions are you serving to your kids? I hope that someday, each one of my girls thinks to make egg noodles at midnight and think of their Great Grandma.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Confessions

Do you ever feel the need to air your dirty little secrets? (Whenever Kaci hears that song on the radio, she says "You're my dirty little secret Mom!) No, I don't plan on airing all of my secrets, but life has been so crazy I might just bust at the seams if I don't admit to some of the following:

1. We had such a day on Saturday tearing our dishwasher apart that we actually thought it would get better by leaving the house. We took all 3 girls to the mall AND the grocery store. Any reasonable person would know that's a bad idea...

2. I really truly actually threatened the girls that they couldn't go to church unless they cleaned up their rooms. (Does that go against any commandments?)

3. We put a dog leash on Kaci's bike to keep control of her when we walked to get Shanna from school. (Can you imagine the looks we got? Look all you want but it really worked and you'll probably see us doing it again!)

4. Now when Kaci stuffs too much food in her mouth at dinner, we just point to the bathroom and tell her to clean up after herself when she's done... We also tell her the same thing if she has a potty accident because she is being lazy...

5. I let Shanna eat hot lunch at school this week just because I was too lazy to make it. (She thought she was winning!)

6. Kaci was telling me what she learned about the first Thanksgiving. I didn't correct her when she started calling the Indians ALIENS because it was too cute and funny!

7. Shanna is testing the Santa theory by asking for a bunch of stuff she knows we'd never buy for her. Included on the list are: 2 puppies, a Sugar Glider, a motor-scooter, to know if Jacob likes her, a laptop and a video camera. We are debating on forcing her to change her list, or just let her find out the truth.

8. I am cooking a whole turkey for Thanksgiving (I was just going to do a turkey breast) because Shanna came home from school talking about this new food called "drumsticks."

I could keep going, but I think that's enough for one day!

We are looking forward to a great Thanksgiving. I hope to sleep in at least one day... the girls are excited about seeing the parade on tv tomorrow. My brother is coming for Thanksgiving dinner and is (please Bryan!) bringing some sushi. No Black Friday shopping here... I went to Costco yesterday and just about had a panic attack. I might go to the grocery store for a few last minute things, or I might just call it good and not! It is raining here, it is the perfect holiday feeling. We just need some popcorn and puzzles and we're set!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thursday, November 20, 2008

It Takes A Whole Village To Raise A Child

Shanna has really been struggling lately. She has had such a hard time making friends and with her self esteem. Last week it got really bad with a group of girls, and she has gone from being happy and bubbly to not wanting to go to school each day. It is heart breaking as parents to watch. We are looking for ways to boost her self confidence and are hoping for some help.

She won a spot from her school (one of 6 spots) in their Story Telling Festival. They had to memorize a story and re-tell it in their own words. She is going to the District competition tomorrow morning. I think it would be a huge boost for her if she could get some e-mails or phone calls tonight wishing her good luck!

We are working with her at home, and her teacher is helping watch out for her at school, but maybe some extra love would help make a difference too! Thanks!

Babbling Baby


Sara hit a new milestone yesterday... babbling. I love it. Instead of one syllable grunts and the normal crying, her little bottom lip moves and she babbles this whole string of words known only to her. It is the cutest thing ever!

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Happy Baby!





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Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Happy Birthday Tyler!

We had fun helping Tyler have a fun birthday. The girls piled in our bed and gave him presents and a card in the morning. We let Shanna come home from school to eat lunch with us, and then we went to the park before going out to eat. I hope he felt our love!

Here's some pictures from yesterday:

Miss Sass


First Time Playing On A Slide!


Monkey Girl


Doesn't Look Like They Are All Yelling "Mooommmmm!!"



Sara is signing "I love you!"


Thursday, November 13, 2008

Smooth....

Last night, I thought I was ahead of the game... making dinner before Shanna had dance. I was putting a tray of asparagus cannellonis into the oven (it was in a pyrex dish on top of a cookie sheet with a loaf of bread.) Sara was fussy, I tried to set her down so I could put the tray into the oven. She didn't like that one bit, so I decided I would be talented and put the tray in one handed.

Guess, what? The glass dish slid off the cookie sheet. There was glass EVERYWHERE, along with pasta, pasta sauce and bread.

The icing on the cake?

Sara thought it was funny!

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

The Story...

I finally got the story tonight when I took Shanna to dance.

A man walked into the kids consignment shop directly next door to the dance studio. (The Chinese restaurant which I thought was robbed was one door over from the consignment shop.) He started arguing with his ex girlfriend. She asked him to leave, he refused. She called her boss, and then he pulled a gun to her neck. Luckily the owner heard what was happening and called 911.

The girls were dancing (their dance studio is a store front shop with big windows all over) and the teacher saw 5 men in regular clothes (SWAT) run past with machine guns. (Don't you think at this point someone from the police department would go into the studio and help keep the kids safe and let them know what was going on?) The teachers hurried all the girls from the different classes into the back classroom which has no windows and they locked the studio.

They did finally arrest the man, but he escaped at least once. So, Shanna was right... 5 guys with guns (not bad guys though) one man was arrested and he got out of the car... then they got him again.... I was impressed with how accurate her description of the situation was, down to what the people looked like. I feel so horrible that it happened, that I wasn't there to protect her. She seems to be fine though. She wasn't scared to go back to dance, and was quite matter-of-fact that the police did their job in arresting the bad guy. I just wish those innocent eyes didn't see what they saw. The other thing that keeps going over in my mind is that we almost went into the consignment shop after dropping Shanna off to get Kaci some new ballet shoes. The only reason we didn't is because Sara had fallen asleep.

It scares me how easily and fast life can change.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Lockdown

When I got to Shanna's dance tonight to pick her up... I saw a bunch of cop cars. She told me the Chinese restaurant next door to them had been robbed, and all of the people at her dance studio went in the back room for a while with the doors locked.

I didn't see that one coming... I'll have to update tomorrow after I read the story in the paper and talk to the people at the dance studio. She said she saw a bad guy with a gun, but I am guessing it was an officer not in uniform. (At least I hope) She said she saw them handcuff one guy, but she heard her teacher say there were 5 robbers...

So scary. I am glad she is ok. She said she was scared but tried to be brave. She said a lot of girls were screaming and crying, but she wanted everyone to be quiet so that the bad guys wouldn't find them. She said that the teachers and moms who were there were helping people to be calm, and she didn't freak out. (I wonder if she was more brave because I wasn't there?) She doesn't seem scared anymore, but I hope she doesn't have nightmares about it all.

Sunday, November 09, 2008

She Really Said This

"Moooommmmm.... Kaci put deodorant on the wall, but we wiped it off."

All I can do is laugh

What Kind of Parents Are We?

Take away the whole Costco experience... we may STILL qualify for the worst parents ever.

Kaci came home from preschool with the "purple" song... they are learning to spell colors through songs. She sang:" P-U-R-P-L-E spells Purple. P-U-R-P-L-E spells Purple, Like the grapes on the vine, and the Kool-Aid is fine, P-U-R-P-L-E spells Purple" Then she said, "Miss Katie said Kool-Aid is really yummy. What is it?"

Oh yeah, she is 4 years old and she doesn't know what Kool-Aid is!! I knew what it was.... My Mom only put half the sugar in, but still I knew what Kool-Aid was!!

So tonight (at bedtime) Tyler took out a glass pitcher, put A WHOLE CUP OF SUGAR in it, the tiny flavor pack and filled it with water.

Kaci LOVED it. She downed it like it was the best thing she had ever tasted.

Did I mention IT WAS AT BEDTIME?????

Fall Pictures

I have been so crazy busy lately... between keeping the house clean for showings, going through closets and drawers trying to get ready for the move when our house sells, I haven't had much time to post pictures. Here's a slide show I put together of some fun times we have had lately.

The girls have been playing together nicely (for the most part) They are enjoying the nice weather playing in their playhouse and with the dog.

Sara has such a fun personality lately. She laughs and blows bubbles and gets so excited when her sisters talk to her. She has been eating cereal and bananas and loves to be included at dinner time. She also loves to grab my plate or the food on it! She just about was successful in tasting guacamole the other night!


Click to play Fall 2008
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Saturday, November 08, 2008

A Public Safety Announcement From Kaci


When your parents tell you to sit down in the shopping cart, they mean it. The loud thump at Costco tonight was my head hitting the floor.

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Election Night

We made the election a learning process for the girls. They came to vote with us and then last night we printed an electoral map for them to color as the results came in.

Coloring + Competition = fun in our house!



Sunday, November 02, 2008

Halloween

We had a fun Halloween. Sara was a ladybug (that was easy since it has been in our closet since Kaci was a baby!) Kaci was a unicorn, and Shanna was an ice skater. She wore a costume that was mine over 20 years ago! She wore my skates around her shoulders and was so happy.

Our friends Sherry and Rick brought their kids over and we had fun trick or treating together. One house was decorated for Christmas and the people were dressed up as Santa and Mrs. Claus and gave out ice cream cones! It was fun. I carried Sara and Tyler carried Kaci on his shoulders, so we were exhausted by the time we got home.

Things were so crazy that I didn't get a picture of all 3 girls together. Maybe next year I'll have my act together better!!

Click to play Halloween
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Thursday, October 30, 2008

Questions that you don't want to answer

The other day in the car, Kaci peppered me with questions. They came fast and she was persistent.

They started innocent like:

  • How does a radio work?
  • How are cars made?
  • Why do cows moo?
  • How are clocks made?
Then came the kicker....

"Well, how are persons made?"

I remembered Dr. Phil's advice on this, so I gave her a little information and then waited to see if she'd ask more. I told her "God makes people"

The car got really quiet. (If Kaci is quiet, she is either into something or is thinking really hard) So, I tried to change the subject. I asked her if she could see the baby cows out the window.

She said "well, back to the how you make persons, I have a question." (oh great. I don't really want to have this talk right now....)

"Does God have an assembly line when he makes people?" (like how I told her cars were made.) "I wouldn't want to be the guy who plugs the eyeballs in!"

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Happy Birthday Grandma!

Happy Birthday Grandma! Sorry this is a day late... but we were thinking about you!Hope you had fun!!


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Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Through Kaci's Eyes

Moving is a hard concept for kids. Kaci has never moved and I don't think she has even seen anyone move. She was devastated when we told her we were going to sell our house. We let her talk for a while, and now I can understand. Here's what she's worried about:

  • That we were going to pack a suitcase like when we go on vacation, and never see the rest of our stuff again. After we told her we could take everything, she keeps coming up with new questions like, Can we bring my bike/bed/lamp/rug/toothbrush/dog/table/toys etc..
  • She doesn't like that we leave our house when we have a showing. We are letting strangers in. I explained how a realtor makes sure the people don't take anything, and that they can't have the key unless we give them the permission. She said "but still, they are strangers and they shouldn't be here."
  • She loves this house and doesn't want a new one
  • The play set that Daddy built can't come with us
  • I talked about selling our trampoline so that we don't have to move it and then get a new one after we move. (Oh yeah, Mom of the Year moment... I said "we can find the same one because the store where I bought it... oh I mean there are places in Colorado that probably sell the same trampoline that Santa made for you... nice)
All valid points through the eyes of a 4 year old. Shanna is just beyond excited, and Kaci is when I remind her that we'll be able to see her grandparents lots after we move.

She told my Dad on the phone the other day "I'll see you in a few years when we move to Colorado" (I don't know if "a few years" to her means tomorrow, or in a few months, or if she doesn't really think we are going to move.)

Then, last night she was being onery and I told her that after we move, I'm just going to send her to Grandma's house if she's naughty (Sorry Grandma, I won't really do that) She said "cool" So then I said that Grandma will make her scrub her kitchen floors. She got really serious and said:

"I'll never be naughty again after we move to Colorado."

Can I get that in writing?

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Repeat After Me: SLEEP IS GOOD

Last night was night 3 of no sleep. Getting them to GO to sleep, and then STAYING asleep... Having 3 kids between 8 and 4 months, we saw it all last night. What they need to realize, is that I am a MUCH happier person with a little (ok more than a little) sleep. If they want a happy Mommy, they better learn to sleep at night!!

Any Barney fans out there? Sing with me... "Everybody needs a nap you know...."

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Fun At The Corn Maze

We took the girls to the corn maze yesterday. (Which by the way is in the field behind our house) It was fun getting lost and letting them choose which way to go! After experiencing our adventure, I'd be worried if they really got lost in a corn field! It was funny... we came out by the haunted maze patch. At least it wasn't dark when we were there...(they only do the Haunted Maze after dark) or it would have been a disaster! Can you imagine running through the dark corn maze with three kids being traumatized??


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I don't make this stuff up

This morning, I actually said:

Band-aids are not stickers and it's not ok to decorate the couch with either.

Friday, October 17, 2008

Rag Dolls

Last weekend, Shanna asked me if we could make some rag dolls. (Sure, don't you keep rag doll supplies and patterns on hand?) After saying "NO" about seven times, I started thinking about if I wanted to be the Mom who always says "no" or if my kids would look back on their childhood and say "we did cool stuff"

So, out came the sewing machine and scrap fabric and patterns from the internet. They are so pleased with how they turned out!



Silly Sara

Sara has developed such a cute personality!


"I'll eat you!!"


"Are you talking to me?"


Ever laughed so hard you fell over?


Sunshine Girl

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Changes

This is going to be a surprising post.

We have put our house on the market. The house that we have brought 2 new babies home to, the house where so many memories have been made, the house where tears have been shed and happy times have been celebrated. We have worked and worked to landscape the yard, build a play set and pond, create a huge garden, and also to maintain it all.

But... When we moved to Southern Utah 9 years ago, we never meant for it to be forever. We wanted a little distance to start our life together and then move back closer to our families. Little did we know how hard it would be to pull up the roots. Tyler and I have learned to trust and rely on eachother. We have created an environment for our family which is unique, but works well for us. We have been through just about every emotion together, as well as some drastic highs and lows. I don't believe it was necessary to be out on our own in this world to have the strong relationship that we do, but there were definately times it would have been easier to ask for help rather than figuring it out on our own.

For the first time since we have lived here, we are no longer tied to partners and obligations. If we don't take this opportunity to move closer to our families, I am afraid that we may never have the chance again before our kids are grown. I want them to really know their grandparents. I want to be able to see our parents more. I want to be closer to help them with things and also to be able to have their support at times.

So while I am excited for that goal to happen, I am very anxious about the unknowns. Life is comfortable here. We love our house, our friends, our neighbors. We have a great dance studio and schools for our kids. I know where things are at in my favorite stores. We have doctors and dentists that we trust. We have a pretty comfortable routine. All of that is about to be uprooted and changed. Will I know how to put all of the pieces back together?

Friday, October 10, 2008

Sisterly Advice

The girls crack me up when they shower. Their voices echo through the house, but they don't know that! They have some pretty cute "confidential" discussions. Tonight Shanna was giving out advice on boys.

"Hey Kaci, do you want to know how to tell if a boy likes you? Trip in front of him. If he likes you, he'll help you up!"

Does anyone else have visions of being back in high school and falling flat on your face in front of the coolest boy in school and all of his friends? That didn't happen to me, but there was one painful day that involved me on a bike and a Jeep full of older boys driving by...They didn't stop to help by the way. Neither did the owner of the parked car!

No girls, I don't think this is the best way to find out if he likes you! But I'll never tell that I heard the conversation either.

Lazy Friday Morning

Saturday mornings are not so relaxing anymore, but today was. Tyler and I had a nice hot quiet breakfast together after Shanna and Kaci went to school. Sara sat with us, peaceful and happy... It was a great start to my favorite day of the week!

Thursday, October 09, 2008

I don't wanna grow up...

Being responsible sucks. I wanted to grow up so bad when I was little... now some days I just wish my parents could tuck me into bed again and the only responsibility I had to deal with was going to school.

Being Responsible means...

  • Taking 2 kids to the dentist in one day and trying not to flinch when one throws up because of gag reflexes and the other has a panic attack over having sealants redone
  • Scheduling flu shots for everyone and 4 month shots for the baby (and knowing what that day will be like!)
  • Cleaning the play room for 2 hours today and having it messy again tonight
  • Trying to fit all of the tree branches in the trash tonight so that I can trim more next week
  • I would tell you more (because there is lots) but I have to go right now and change another diaper and rock a cranky baby to sleep
It has been a day... At least tomorrow is Friday, right??

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Our Sweet Kaci

I love putting together these slide shows of our girls. I forget how much they change month by month. Here's a look back at the past four years with Kaci.

Kaci, you are so sweet. You can make anyone's day happy. You are so loved!

Click to play Kaci Lynn
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Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Birthday Pictures

Here are some pictures from Kaci's birthday

Click to play Happy Birthday Kaci!
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It's All Fun and Games Until...

Remember the "Angry Clown" pictures?

Well, it turns out that Kaci is allergic to face paint.

Yeah... go ahead and scroll down to see the pictures again. Notice how much of that little face is covered with face paint.

She woke up yesterday with a red rash on each cheek in the shape of a heart. (She had her face painted with hearts on Saturday for her birthday party.) Then, today she woke up with the rest of her face covered with a rash.

It looks like the poor kids has an infectious disease. Does anyone want to borrow her to get out of a social obligation?

Sunday, October 05, 2008

Angry Clowns

I have some great birthday pictures to post, but it will have to wait until tomorrow when I can sort through them all. But now, I will share some pictures of "Angry Clowns. "

The girls asked permission to paint each other's faces. I was expecting maybe some messy hearts and flowers...Not Angry Clowns.

Don't even ask me what got into them or what values I am teaching them. I have no idea. I really thought twice about posting this, but it was too funny not to. At least they didn't get to Sara.





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YOU THOUGHT WRONG

That's what Kaci said to Tyler tonight when he told her that "Special Piggy" was in her room. (I guess the real "Special Piggy" was on the couch.) You see, there are 2 identical "Special Piggies" Just like a mother can tell her newborn twins apart, so can Kaci with Special Piggy. One is special, one is just a pig.

Saturday, October 04, 2008

My Baby (And my rambling thoughts at 1am)

Tomorrow (well technically today) is Kaci's birthday. I still see her as "My Baby." I know that Sara is an infant, but Kaci still hasn't grown up in my mind. I still think of her as a baby, needing me every step of the way.

It catches me off guard when I realize that she is not so little anymore. Shanna seemed so grown up when she was turning 4. With Kaci, I just wish time could move slower. She is growing so fast, from her feet looking foreign and big, to her intelligent mind. (Ask her how to spell YELLOW or what her phone number is.) I think I blinked too long and now she is a little girl.

She is such a joy... she is happy and funny and sweet. She is also a mystery card. You never know when she's going to throw a kink in the day. I am terrified to take her to a restaurant because she has this thing that if she puts too much food in her mouth, she chokes and throws up. Yeah, not so much fun in public. Also this week, I found that she has a PHOBIA of firefighters. (Not just like "oooh... they're scary." Her face turned pale and she got shaky when I told her they were coming to her school.) Yet at the end of the day, her sweet kiss makes everything happy, and her sweet snuggles in the morning make my day start great.

I have been getting ready for her Tinkerbell party tonight... the presents are wrapped (thanks to Daddy) her room is decorated (thanks to Daddy) her cupcakes are made and the party activities are ready to go.

I'll tell you about her cupcakes if you won't get mad at me for making you fat. I'm serious. White Chocolate... Cream Cheese (2 packages) ........ (Do you feel your hips getting wider??) Well, just wait a minute... and a CUP of BUTTER.

I had a little taste. I have been so good working out and eating healthy, but this recipe sparked my interest. Cream cheese and chocolate... yum.

I do have a safeguard in place for not eating too much... I put it on cupcakes. (I know, it is weird, but I don't like cake) AND I made the frosting PINK. Food coloring weirds me out. I think this is due to "Green Eggs and Ham Day" as a kid. Scrambled Eggs should not be green.

Here's another confession: I get tears in my eyes when we sing Happy Birthday to my kids. I feel like their whole life flashes in front of me, from the moment I found out I was pregnant, to the first time I heard their cry, to their first steps, to their first day of school... Their birthdays are special and exciting to them, but they are also a defining moment in my life.

Tonight, I am remembering 4 years ago, the sleepless night before I had Kaci. Knowing that at 5:30 am I had to check into the hospital and that I would soon meet this new person growing inside of me. Tomorrow I will remember Kaci's first cry and how emotional it was for me. I will remember the amazing bond of sisterhood that I saw when Shanna fed her from a tube attached to her finger. I will also remember the look in Tyler's eyes when he held Kaci for the first time. He is such an amazing Daddy and I love the unique bond that he shares with each of our girls and how it has been special and unique from the first time he held them.

So, Happy Birthday to my special daughter. Congratulations to Tyler and me for the last 4 years of raising this mysterious gift... Thank you to Shanna for helping so much and being so patient with her sister and also with us....

Kaci, I hope that today will be special and happy and fun. You are so sweet and spunky and adorable! Love, Mommy

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Yard Work Saturday


Kaci had trash duty