Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Warm Walks

The weather was so nice while at my parents, that we went for a walk almost every day. It was great for us all!







Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Birthday Fun

Sadie knew today was a special day. She loved hearing you tell her "Happy Birthday," and she enjoyed the singing to her as well. She knows she is two, but she can't get her fingers to show you. I enjoyed the kind emails and facebook comments. Thanks!
We had a quiet morning at home taking old fashioned baths and playing. We all worked together to make the big cookie. We then went to my dear friend, K's house, for lunch. It was a sweet time, and I was pleased with my girls' behavior. (Esp my middle child; you never know with her. :))
Sadie was the only one who napped, but the afternoon still went well. It was a beautiful day, so we were able to take Minnie for a walk around the pond. We all walked. I find it kind of nice not pushing a stroller. Analise walked Minnie, and we all followed while enjoying the day.
After we got home, Sadie opened a few gifts. She got some more Mr. Potato Head accessories, sheets for a big girl bed, and she loved each one!
The birthday dinner was noodles with Alfredo sauce, green beans, strawberries and bread. Yum! By the time we got to singing to her and eating the cookie, it was just Grandmom, the girls and myself. It took Sadie awhile to figure out what to do with the candles, but once she did, she wanted to keep doing it! It was so cute! Hard to believe my baby is two.
















It's the Simple Things

Before going on our trip, Grandma asked Analise what she would be doing while in Indiana. Analise's reply...taking a bath in the jet tub. Such a simple thing that both girls LOVE. Two girls + a few bubbles + jets = very happy girls!
Another "perk" about going to Grandmom and Pops...Minnie! Minnie turned 15 the day we arrived, so the girls were able to give her some extra treats. Minnie was a little skittish and spent some time under a bed, but overall, she didn't mind the attention from the girls. Even Sadie loved the puppy!





Monday was the day my dad stayed home from school to hang out with us. We started the morning off right - donuts! We drove to Dunkin Donuts; the girls thought the trip took a long time. (They are so spoiled with small town life. :)) Analise enjoyed her donut with "green, minty frosting." From there we went to Best Buy for me to look for a couple of things.
After mom got home from school that afternoon, we went out again. This time we headed to Dick's to look for new shoes. Analise can last in her shoes until the end of the school year, but then she will need new ones. We went ahead and got those where there is more selection. The girls love Dick's because they can "run" around the track. We also made a quick stop at the local Christian bookstore so I could get a couple of videos.
There is a new DVD series by Phil Visher that talk about the Bible and how we know it's true...very fundamental "apologetics" in my mind. Anyway, I was pleased they had what I wanted. Supper was roast beef and mashed potatoes. The best part was Maisie ate her meal with no prompting or threatening! I even had her call Brandon to tell him what she had done. :)
After the girls were in bed, I watched the Hallmark film, "Head of the Class." I loved it! In fact, though it was way too late, I stayed up to finish. A good start to our week of vacation...

Monday, March 22, 2010

Goin' on a Road Trip

A couple of weeks ago, our schedule took a turn for the better. We had spring break in the middle of March, and I wanted to go home SO bad. We had a week of nothing planned. Sometimes that's okay, but a week's worth is a little too much for me. :) I finally talked to Brandon about the girls and I heading to Indiana, but I didn't know how to make it work...logistically and financially. He helped me think outside the box, and within a few hours, the trip was in motion. It helps that I have two great men in my life. My dad was willing to fly one way to drive the last 10 hours to IN with us. My husband was willing to fly one way to drive the last 10 hours home with us. 'Nuff said. There was NO way I was making the 13 hour trip with myself and the girls.
So Saturday morning finally arrived. We were all packed and ready to go. My dad was going to fly into an airport three hours away, the girls and I would pick him up and hit the trail. We were on track for leaving on time at 7:45. Then the phone rang...dad's flight was delayed. The waiting game began. The time got bumped back again and again....stupid fog. :) Finally, dad let me know he was getting on a flight and going to a different airport - two hours away. He would land at 3:15. Yeah! Now, as much as I couldn't wait to get away, the other part of me was equally sad that I was telling my hubbie goodbye for several days. It helped that he was so supportive. The girls and I climbed in the van and backed out of the drive, waving goodbye to the main man in our lives....so sad. I was all teary eyed and trying to hide it from the girls. The last thing I needed was three other girls crying, too. :)
However, God had a smile planned for me just a mile down the road. Since we left two 4+ hours late, we ran into my sister in law and nephews who were also headed out of town, at the same time. She pulled up next to me at the stoplight, and the look on her face was priceless. We weren't supposed to be there. I gathered myself and enjoyed the situation. We traveled down the interstate together for 45 minutes, and we chatted 20 minutes of that on the phone.
The two youngest were supposed to nap this first leg of the trip, but they must have missed that memo. That's why I am so thankful for our DVD player! It helped the last hour go much more smoothly. We got to the airport, walked in, met Pops, took a restroom break and left again, all in less than 30 minutes.
Since we were running so far behind schedule, we knew we wouldn't be driving all in one day. We'd made reservations at a HI Express about half way. We made good time...ate dinner on the road, Sadie finally took a snooze, and we enjoyed another movie. We got to the hotel at 9:15...perfect! We got settled in and got a decent night's sleep. The time change threw us for a little loop, but we managed. Maisie awoke us all plenty early by opening the curtains and announcing, "Morning time!" Funny now...not so much in the moment.
Again we covered good ground and made good time to our IN home. We got there at 3:30...PTL. We made it and everyone was healthy! Let the fun begin!

Pops and Analise

We're Two

We just got back from an amazing spring break, but I will save that post(s) for later. First things first....Sadie is two! It's been over 6 years since I have had no one in this house under the age of two. The thought makes me a little sappy...for about a minute. :) Life moving on is an okay thing. I just can't believe it's been two years since Sadie made her grand arrival to this world...10 weeks early and weighing only 2-13. She has done a lot of growing since then!
She had her two year well baby check last week. Poor girl is frightened of the doctors and nurses, and I don't blame her. For the last five months, she gets shots every time we visit. This visit was no different. Sadie was 33.5 inches long, putting her at the 45%. She weighed a whopping 21-14...putting her at less than 3%. Her weight gain has stalled the last couple of months. So I will be pushing the Pediasure and Carnation Instant Breakfast. We go back in a month for a weight check. One of these days we will be done with those, too. Developmentally, Sadie is right on track. PTL! We are so thankful!
Two years ago I would lay in the hospital bed and wonder what Sadie would be like...how she would grow and develop. Looking back over the fast two years, I only have gratitude in my heart for God's blessing and work in all of our lives - thanks to the life of our Sadie.

Monday, March 8, 2010

Spring is in the Air

The birds are chirping, we've had some rain, and I am seeing grass that I haven't seen since October. Spring is in the air. This last week the weather was in the upper 40s and on Thursday, we got into the 50s. Those temps call for an afternoon walk. "Stroll" might be a more accurate term. I take all the girls and we all walk. Sadie thinks she is big stuff and gets very frustrated with me for holding her hand or picking her up when we cross a street. We walked down the street through a church parking lot and down a cultasac and back. Not one of the girls complained about being tired. We took our time to enjoy the sounds of birds, touching pine needles, watching planes and geese fly over. Maisie walked through every puddle, while Analise avoided them. Sadie would announce, "Birdie, Birdie!" But it came out sounding like "boobie." :) It was great.
We had a good and low-key weekend. There was no school on Friday, so went over to a friend's house to play. Analise joined us after her donut date. Fun times! Friday afternoon Analise went to play with her cousin, A. At that point I realized it would be a good time to get groceries. It was the battle within...go now with two girls or Saturday afternoon by myself. I was feeling adventurous, so I opted for that afternoon. It helped that I didn't have to bundle them up. Light jackets only. :) The girls did well. I spoil them (even Sadie) with a sucker. Once that is gone, we get some free popcorn chicken to munch on. We left in such a rush that my kitchen wasn't in the cleanest shape, and I knew it would take awhile to get groceries put away. I had had two huge, inch think rib eyes marinating all day, and I was going to make homemade mashed potatoes to go with them. However, when we left the store at 5:00, I knew if I wanted to get everything done and eat at a decent time, I would be crabby mommy. So I called Brandon and asked him if we could do pizza tonight instead of tomorrow. He knows what's good for him and the girls. He grabbed Pizza Hut on the way home. After dinner we took the girls to a farm store in town to play with their little chicks they always have this time of year. Simple, free, and the girls loved it. It was a winner! We had the girls in bed by 8:00, and I crashed on the couch.
Saturday morning Brandon worked again, so the girls and I had our typical slow and lazy morning. I took down all my winter decorations and brought out the Easter things. Maisie started running a fever, so she took an early nap. Brandon grilled those rib eyes for dinner, and they were amazing! Even Sadie enjoyed them! After the girls were in bed, I ran to get a movie. Due to technical difficulties, we couldn't start it until 10:00, which was too late for us. Instead, we watched a couple of "Red and Green." We both laughed so hard.
Sunday I took just Analise to church. She decided to join me instead of going to Sunday school. It was such a delight having her there. She saw her uncle play the drums, which she just loved. She sang the songs she knew, and she even took her own version of notes! It was communion Sunday, and even though she is a believer in Christ, I let the elements pass her by. I wanted her to understand the meaning. Last night at bedtime, Brandon read from her Bible the story of the Last Supper.
After naps Maisie seemed to be doing better. We all made a quick trip to Target. We walked into the house and Maisie literally lost her lunch in the hall. So sad and yet so thankful we were at home on hard wood floors! She camped on the couch and watched movies. Her temp climbed to 102. We've learned with our girls that 101 or below, they act pretty normal. Anything above 101, they are lethargic. I gave Maisie some Tylenol, it brought it down to 101 and she was more chipper again. She only had the one episode of throwing up, and we are SO thankful! It's not a good time to be getting sick...
Brandon grilled again last night. We had rotisserie chicken - another fave. I now have 8 cups of cooked chicken in my freezer to use in casseroles. And like that, the weekend was over.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Quick Funnies

Some quick funnies I want to remember:

Analise came home from a birthday party this month, and she had a cup with the Disney Princesses on it. She pointed to one and said, "That one is my favorite." Me: "Do you know what her name is?" A: "No." Me: "Cinderella." Is my daughter the only 6 year old girl who doesn't know who Cinderella is? Oh well. :)

While driving to school this week, Analise announced she knew what kind of guitar we could hear - the elastic guitar.

At lunch the other day, I asked Maisie to stop doing something. Apparently she didn't, because next thing I heard was Analise, "Obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. She's not doing that is she mommy. " There's that memorization for ya!

And this last one no one may laugh but me. It was Friday night, 3:30, and I woke up to go to the bathroom. I tried to move and be quiet so I wouldn't wake up Brandon. In my stupor, I forgot we had partially closed the bathroom door. My toes caught underneath the door, causing me to lose my balance, fall into the door causing it to slam against the wall. So much for being quiet! Of course, I then had the giggles. Sorry dear!

Memories

Last week was a busy but fun week. Weds. night Awana was a fun night for Analise; she finished the book and got her blue ribbon! She was so excited that she saw her Aunt S. and said, "Aunt S. I got my blue ribbon...want to see what color it is?" Seriously, Brandon and I are both proud of her and for all the Word she has hidden in her heart.
Friday was a special day for me. The girls and I (along with Grandma) headed 45 minutes SE so I could meet up with a college friend that I hadn't seen for 10 years. She just moved to our state and found me on Facebook. We found the town that was half way for both of us, and we met up. We dropped Grandma off at her mom's, and we took off for the children's museum. It was so fun! My friend, S, and I played volleyball together at CU. She now has three daughters that are just a little older than my three daughters. She had her youngest with her. She and Maisie played well together. The girls played and played while she and I caught up on the last 10 years. We then ate lunch and had to part ways. However, I am sure we will meet up again.
So leaving at 1:15 and driving over nap time had me a little uneasy. My girls have never napped well in the car. Sadie finally fell asleep and slept her typical 30 minutes in the car. Maisie never did sleep. We got home 2:15, and I put both girls to bed. Knowing I only had 30 minutes before school pick up time, I called for reinforcements. Daddy was gracious enough to pick up Analise. Sadie fell back to sleep, and Maisie never did nap. She did better in the afternoon and evening than I thought she would. After supper we went over to some friends to visit and eat pie. We all had a good time.

Saturday...Brandon had to work from 6-12, so it was just the girlies and me. Oh, it wasn't a pretty day. We paid dearly for Maisie not napping yesterday. She was moody. The other two had their share of moments as well. Maisie had gone a full week with no timeouts. Saturday morning she had three in a matter of 30 minutes. I tried to do a project together, and that helped for a short while. We made scotcharoos.
Our best moment was at lunch time when Maisie was blowing bubbles in her milk. We usually discourage this, but today was just funny. All three girls were laughing, and I couldn't help but laugh, too. So, I let her blow away. :)

While the family rested/napped, Analise and I went up to the mall. She needed a new swimsuit, and we were able to exchange it at Old Navy. We had fun shopping together.

Saturday evening we hung out with family. I was simply tired. I enjoyed the night but just felt kind of groggy.

Sunday was church and then lunch. Analise went out to eat with Grandma, Grandpa and her cousin, A. Since we were down a child, I suggested we eat at Q Doba. Mmmm. Sure, we were down the easy daughter, but she is also the talker, so it made for a lunch where Brandon and I could talk. Thanks to gift cards, it didn't cost us a penny. Great food, great price!

That afternoon, Brandon and I did some talking about getting me home to IN. Thanks to a selfless husband and great dad, it's going to happen!

After the girls were up, I had to go grocery shopping. It's not my favorite thing to do, but at least I was by myself. After supper was baths and a little Wii Resort.
Sadie loves phones

The girls with Grandma and GG

Who knew bubbles were just what we all needed?