Eyelash wishes

You all know what they are, right?

Well tonight when I was putting Katherine to bed, she had an eyelash almost go into her eye, so of course, I had to go fishing and get it out! When I finally got it out, I told her to close her eyes, make a wish and blow. Do you know what she wished for??? A kiss from her Mommy. AAWWWW... Boy, do I love her. Isn't she the best??

Winter wonderland

This weekend we had quite the winter storm blow in. All day on Saturday we had rain, sleet and freezing rain -- and ice was dripping from everything. Then the snow set in on Saturday night. When we woke up on Sunday morning, everything was covered and it was just gorgeous. Pretty much everything was cancelled on Saturday night and Sunday. The roads were horrible and tons of people lost power. I was supposed to teach Katherine's Sunday school class on Sunday, but it was cancelled too.

Sunday morning Matt got out the snow blower and started on the driveway, but because of the thick layer of frozen slush under the snow, the snow blower kept quitting, and Matt had to bust out the shovel. Poor guy -- his back had to be killing him. It was super windy and we ended up with over a foot of heavy wet snow in the driveway.....

When Matt was finished, he took off his coat and was taking it downstairs to hang in the utility room. Katherine couldn't understand why in the world he'd do such a thing -- as coats do not belong in the basement. When Matt told her that it smelled like gas from the snow blower and he didn't want it to stink up the main level, she said, "Daddy, your coat stinks just like the Cyclones???" I nearly died laughing. I always thought she was my daughter, but today, she was all Matt's!! LOL! I can't believe that my NOT YET 4 YEAR OLD is already trash talking! UUUUUGH! Between Max and Isaac (the boys in the backyard who are huge Cyclone fans) and Matt, she's turning into a trash talking, Hawkeye lovin' fool!! LOL!!

After lunch we all piled in the car to check everything out. It was soooo crazy -- some people only had about 3 inches of snow, and then 2 blocks down the road there'd be over a foot of snow in the lawn. The electrical lines were 100% covered with snow and ice and buckling from the weight. Some of them were just laying on top of trees and stoplights, while others looked like they'd snap at any second from being blown so hard by the wind. I've never seen the wires blow like that in the wind before. On the way home, Matt even took a different way home so we didn't have to drive by them again. It was nuts.

Jodi and I were such mom's on Friday night. After dinner we decided that with the storm coming we should make a Target run and get groceries. (Holy cow -- this is something my mom would have done! LOL) We drove together, and she helped me unload my loot. We put the sacks by the door and made another trip. Caleb came over and watched me pick up the bags and take them to the kitchen island. All of a sudden, he started grabbing bags and bringing them out to the kitchen. It was hilarious!! When he was down to the last bag, he refused to let it go and started running laps around the kitchen and yelling at the top of his lungs! He's such a big helper! LOL.

Tell me if you find this odd -- every week we get weekly letters from preschool, telling us what's going on that week, any announcements, etc... A while back, there was a note in the newsletter basically saying that several parents have asked how else they could help out and get involved. The suggestion was that the teachers and staff meet on Monday mornings after preschool and we could take turns bringing them snacks -- and went on to describe what kind of snacks they'd like. Now, before I start ranting, this letter comes from the director, not Katherine's teachers. I LOVE LOVE LOVE her teachers, but the director is enough to get on my last nerve... So here it goes -- First of all, I have a feeling that parents wanted to help out in a way that would benefit their child, not provide "brain food" while all of the teachers meet, and second, being told what to bring is ridiculous and insulting. If they wanted to place an order they should call a restaurant, not rely on the generosity of parents who are already busy... Just my two cents. Needless to say, only one other mom signed up to bring them food. So, of course, I signed up for the next available date, which was today. Back up to last Thursday..... I was picking up Katherine from class, and Caleb was acting like a wild man running around in his squeaky shoes and I was chasing him all around. Katherine's class is the farthest from the front door (and the director's office is by the front door) and we were last in line to get her because Caleb would not stand still. The director has the nerve to come all the way down the hallway, through the crowd, and remind me to bring them snacks on Monday! YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!! Yes, I'm going to bring you snacks, no I didn't forget... I'm on every board that the preschool has, did tons of work to help them get ready for this school year, and she thinks I'm going to forget to bring them treats!! UUUUUUUGH! GIVE ME A BREAK. I know I over-react, but I really thought this was distasteful and rude. Thoughts???

Michelle, Ben and Tessa came over to play today and the kids had a great time. They were laughing and screaming so much that Michelle and I could hardly hear each other at times! Caleb has big kid envy in the worst way. He's all about playing with Ben and Katherine -- Tessa's just too little at this point!

Tomorrow night we are having our neighborhood play date since I'm now going to Weight Watchers on Wednesday night. Katherine can't wait to play with Abby, Walker and Ryan -- and I'm sure she'll be wearing her PJ's over there. She's had a love affair with them lately. Every time she gets together with Walker, she thinks she's having a PJ party... Girls! LOL

The rest of the week is going to be super busy! I've got a ton to get done, and then we're heading to LeMars on Friday to spend the weekend with Matt's parents and get our taxes done. We've been going to an accountant there for years -- actually he's my parent's accountant and they started going to him when they first got married. And -- he's cheap compared to Des Moines standards. Gotta love that!

Gifts....

This has been quite the week for hall of fame gifts. Today at playgroup, I received another great gift -- one that I will always treasure. One of my neighbors recently delivered twins (these are babies 4 and 5) and was on bed rest since she was 15 weeks pregnant. They thought she (or the babies) had something called twin/twin syndrome, where one of the twins takes the majority of the nutrients, and thus one is malnourished, and the other grows too large. It was touch and go for several months, but thankfully she delivered healthy baby girls. All of the families in our neighborhood took turns making dinner for her husband, 3 kids, and a caregiver (her mom, mother in law, aunt, etc...). This morning at playgroup she gave us books that she had made (I think at mypublisher.com) and they were all of the recipes for the food we had all given them over the past several months. It was a cross between a scrapbook in that she added journaling and pictures of the twins, and a cookbook. I was one of those wonderful, heartfelt gifts that I'll always keep. It's a tangible reminder of what a great neighborhood we live in, and someday when our kids are grown and some of us have moved on, it will always being me back to these cherished days -- when our kids were young and we spent the days playing together... If only time could stand still....

This afternoon after naps we are heading over to one of our neighbor's house (Matt and Jodi) for a little Cool Basil take-out. All I can say, is YUMMY! It's a well known restaurant in West Des Moines that has great spicy Thai food. Since the kids won't eat it, it'll probably be pizza for them! I guess we're all going to get our fill of junk food tonight. Matt and Jodi have a little girl, Abby, who's a little younger than Katherine so they have a blast playing together. Katherine can't wait to go over there!

I started Weight Watchers on Wednesday, and so far so good.... Lisa and I are going to have ongoing contests to see who can lose the most weight... I'm *sure* I'll beat her! LOL! OH, the good times -- dieting!

These shoes ROCK!!

I can't believe that I'm blogging two days in a row about a pair of shoes, but I tell ya -- these shoes seriously ROCK!! I can't believe what a big hit they are! They are adorable to look it, but when they squeak, it's hilarious!! I'll take a picture of them and post it.

Caleb has started "marching" just to make them squeak. He stands in place and moves his feet as fast and furious as his little legs will allow him. And then he stands there, as still as can be, throws his head back and lets out this huge belly laugh. LOVE THEM. ABSOLUTELY LOVE THESE SHOES. And, more than that, I love how happy they make Caleb.

Today Caleb and I went to preschool to pick up Katherine. The parents wait in line in the hallway until class is over and then pick up the little ones. There's 4 classes going on at the same time, so I don't know all of the moms... We got there a little earlier than normal, so Caleb, Big Bird and Cookie Monster (yes, they still go everywhere with us!!) and I waited in the hallway talking to the other moms. All of a sudden, he decided that he wanted to get down. He grabbed Big Bird in one hand, and Cookie in the other and took off running down the hallway. He was squeaking so loudly everyone could hear him -- I could see all the parents rubber neck to see what was causing the squeaking and when they realized it was his shoes, EVERYONE was laughing. These shoes are awesome!! When Caleb realized that everyone was laughing at him, he turned into a little performer, and started doing the "high step march". It was adorable! Like I said -- these shoes are definitely going down in the gift hall of fame!!

After preschool, we went back to the party supply store and got a good chunk of Katherine's birthday supplies. As soon as we pulled into the parking lot, Katherine starts crowing about how this wasn't a good store.... We *settled* on an Ariel birthday party, which she's OK with. After all, she does get to wear a crown, so it can't be all bad!! She's so excited to turn 4 -- so at this point, that's all that matters. I just want to give her the party of her dreams, and since no one makes Little Einstein's, we had to come up with a back up plan. I'm sure it'll be fine, just not what she originally hoped for...

Squeaky shoes

Today we went over to Michelle's house to meet their new daughter, Tessa. Holy cow, she is beautiful! Absolutely gorgeous! She's got thick dark hair and dark eyes, and wonderfully creamy skin. She's just perfect and boy does she love her mommy!!

Michelle brought Katherine back a gorgeous purple silk dress. Katherine loves it!! She's been wearing it around since the moment she got it and refuses to take it off. It's such a fun addition to all of her dress up clothes!

The dress was great, the dress was perfect, but the gift she brought back for Caleb is out of this world! In China, the kids wear "squeaky shoes". They're made of super soft leather, and have incredibly flexible soles. The blow Striderites out of the water! What's even better about these shoes is that every time Caleb takes a step, the shoes squeak. So, I can turn my back on Caleb for 30 seconds while I load the dishwasher, and I know where he is! Oh-- I tell ya, these shoes are GREAT. Every mother of a boy needs a pair! They are just wonderful!! It's as much a gift for me, as the little guy!! They're definitely going down in the gift hall of fame!!

I've got the fever!

Spring fever that is! Today is was a balmy 47 degrees, and I tell ya -- I felt like pulling out my shorts! I am sooooo ready for spring.

Today was a day for life changing decisions...

Right before I got in the shower this morning, I stepped on the scale and nearly died of cardiac arrest. I was terrible!! The mere shock of that number nearly took my breath away. So, I did what any normal girl would... I turned off the shower and picked up the phone. I called Kelly and Lisa and tried to talk them into joining weight watchers with me. Thankfully, they've agreed to keep me company along this journey to lose 20!

Then, I took a shower and called Matt. Thank God, I have a supportive husband! He's a saint really.... Even though I rarely admit it, I do know that I'm beyond "quirky" at times, and could drive ANYONE nuts. Thankfully, he takes it all in stride! And yes, I do get on my own nerves at times! LOL!! Anyway, when I told him of my great plan to rejoin Weight Watchers, he told me that I looked good and didn't need to lose any weight (OK, he's a big fat liar, but I love him for it). I was like, "thanks honey, but I"m going to WW". When he asked how much weight I wanted to lose, I told him 20 and he then said, "fine, set the goal, and when the weight comes off, go and buy a new summer wardrobe". Oh -- how I love that boy -- skinny and all! LOL! So, starting tomorrow, I'm back at WW!

However, right before WW, Matt and I are going to dinner with Lisa and her beau. We're dining on the best Mexican in town. It's this little hole in the wall that serves the best chips and salsa anywhere!! I can't wait! There's nothing better than going out to dinner with good friends!!

Then, later tonight, I'm talking to Val, a friend of mine from high school, and tell her of my WW plans -- Wouldn't you know -- she's starting tomorrow too! Watch out world, there's gonna be some hot mammas on the lose! LOL!

Tomorrow the kids and I are heading over to Michelle's to meet Tessa. I can't wait to love on that little girl! She's soooooo adorable. Katherine can't wait to give her the presents we got her!

In other, more important news -- the big countdown to Katherine's 4th birthday party is underway. And I've got to say, I'm totally unprepared. She really wanted to have a Little Einstein party, and of course they don't make party supplies yet. So, I was contemplating making everything (invitations, decorations, etc). We went to three different party supply stores and I couldn't find anything I liked well enough... She was OK with either Strawberry Shortcake or Ariel, but it wasn't her first choice. So we kept running in and out of stores, not finding anything that was "good enough". Matt kept suggesting random stuff, but I wasn't happy with having a second rate birthday party **** This is where I know I'd drive anyone NUTS ***** I spent waaaay too much time on the Internet researching Little Einstein birthday parties, and still wasn't happy, so tomorrow after naps, we're heading back to the same stores that weren't good enough on Sunday to get second best.... UUUUUUGH!

quick update....

We are having a wonderful weekend so far. No big plans. No huge to-do lists. No firm commitments. Friday morning we had our neighborhood playgroup and the kids had a blast playing. Katherine got into big trouble -- but that's a story for another day! Let's just say that she decided that their bathroom could use a quick cleaning and put soap and lotion all over everything -- the mirror, the countertop, the floor.... What a mess! I'm not sure what she was thinking.... UUUUGH! Friday night we went over to Andrea's house for dinner, and Katherine had a great time with Max and Isaac. They played their little hearts out for over 3 hours. By the time we left, she was sooo exhausted. Caleb and Collin played really well together too. Collin is 7 months younger than Caleb and it was hilarious watching him try to follow Caleb all over. They played ball and Caleb pushed him all over the house in a walker type thing. It was adorable! Every time they get together, they interact more. I love watching them grow up together.

Today we went baby shopping -- Michelle is back from China with her little girl, and another girl I used to work with had a baby girl, so I spent the afternoon buying pink. AAAAAHH, got to tell you - I've got the fever! LOL. I can't wait to give Michelle the little outfits, they're so girly -- I hope she loves them as much as I do. It seems like only yesterday that Katherine was that small...

On the way shopping, I got a call from Carolyn (my neighbor who hosted the playgroup on Friday) and she said her little girl started running a fever and is now throwing up. Wonderful! Glad to know what next week will be like.... UUUUUGH. Keep your fingers crossed that by some miracle my kids will not get sick.

Matt doesn't work on Monday due to the holiday, so tomorrow night is DATE NIGHT! WOOO-HOOO!! I can't wait. Mom and Dad are going to watch the kiddos and then we're going to pick up Caleb. Katherine is spending the night with Grammy and she is soooo excited. Let's just hope the flu doesn't ruin it!

Picture perfect!

Today was picture day, and let me assure you -- it was exhausting! Holy cow.... It is sooooo difficult to try and get an energetic, rambunctious 17 month old boy to sit still and look at the camera!! He had his eyes set on a football and bouncy ball, and there was NO distracting him. Boy, does that kid LOVE balls! I was thrilled that we were able to get a picture without a ball in it! But, by the time we were done, I was sweating! LOL! We got a couple good pictures, so I guess that's all that matters.

Caleb absolutely stole the show this morning. He was running around Portrait Innovations yelling "HEEEEEEEEELLLLO" to everyone he saw. Little Mr. Personality was in rare form today! He found another little boy about his age and attempted to play with him. Before I knew it, he was chucking Lego's at this little boy's head. Thanks for sharing little man! LOL! Then, while I was picking out pictures, he ran up to a little girl, yelled "GAAAANK YOU" and stole her fruit snacks. Oh that child! *sigh* He now thinks that he can take anything he wants as long as he says thank you. LOL!!

We also brought his stuffed Big Bird and Cookie Monster dolls. Having a favorite "lovely" is so foreign to me.... Katherine loved Elmo and she always slept with it, but Caleb wants to haul his Big Bird and Cookie Monster everywhere he goes. In half of the pictures that they took, you could see his lips forming the "B" for Big Bird. He absolutely LOVES classic Sesame Street. Big Bird and Cookie Monster are his faves. He could care less about the new gang -- Elmo, Baby Bear, Zoe, Rosita, etc... He's probably the only kid on in the universe that when you say "Cookie" he thinks of the blue fuzzy monster rather than the sweet treat! LOL!!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Happy Valentine's Day to all!!

This morning our Valentine's Day activities continued. We went to Michael's for Kids Craft Day with the girls in Katherine's ballet class, and she made the most wonderful, glittery, bright red and covered in ribbon heart key holder I've ever seen in my life! LOL!! At her request, I wrote in bright pink paint pen "my heart belongs to Daddy". She wants her Daddy to bring it to work and hang in his office so that he doesn't lose his keys because mommy isn't there to take care of everything. LOL! Isn't she precious???? I, of course, think it's a fabulous idea! Matt *should* bring it to work! he-he-he!

When Matt and I were talking about Valentine's gifts, I told him that I didn't want flowers -- I'd rather have the Cricut, which for all of you non-scrapbookers, is a super-dooper cool machine that cuts out fonts, shapes, etc... And yes, for all you doubting Toms -- it blows flowers out of the water! And since diamonds weren't a choice this year, I took the next best thing! LOL. That {bleeping} transmission!

One more cute Katherine story for you... Last weekend, I decided that the steps needed to be vacuumed and it just couldn't wait. So while the kids played with Matt, I pulled out the vacuum, and went about my business. When I was finished, I sat at the bottom of the steps for about 20 seconds before Katherine came over. She looked at me and started laughing. Here's the conversation--

K: Mommy, why are you in time-out?
M: I'm not in time out honey, I'm just sitting here.
K: But Mommy, that's the time-out spot and you're in it.
M: Well honey, I guess Mommy just needs a time-out every once in a while too.
K: But Mommy you didn't do anything wrong.
M: Honey, I do a lot of things wrong.
K: Oh no you don't Mommy. You're the "goodest" woman I've ever met.
M: Thank you Sweetie!
K: (Laughing) This is sooooo funny mommy. I've never seen a mommy in time-out before!

How adorable is she???

Tomorrow while Katherine is in preschool, Caleb and I are going to get his 17 month pictures taken. I can't believe my baby is that old already! Where does the time go? If I can get them scanned, I'll post them tomorrow. He's wearing his little brown cords and matching sweater. Soooo cute!

Caleb was a little stinker today. As I was cleaning up the toys in the living room, Caleb kept trying to tackle me. He'd pull himself up on my back, grab my shirt and laugh until it hurt. So, of course, I played with him on the floor for about 20 minutes before cleaning up. When I turned away from him, he yelled "GEEEEEEZZZ" (I have NO idea what he was trying to say), and grabbed my underwear and pulled it as hard as he could. My 17 month old is giving me wedgies! And the little stinker knew what he was doing, because he'd let out this fully belly laugh! What's up with that???? LOL!

Valentines Update...

The last two days have been FILLED with Valentine's day celebrations, crafts and food. Katherine and Caleb can't get enough! And if I find one more foam heart on the floor, I'm going to scream. LOL!!

Yesterday morning we went over to Andrea's house (she lives directly behind me) to make Valentine's day boxes with her boys Max and Isaac. Max and Isaac had to make their Valentine boxes for preschool, and Katherine was just along for the ride. I pulled out all of my scrapbook and craft supplies and we had a great morning! They cut and glued for two hours. The floor was covered with scraps of paper. There was more glitter glue on the table than on their boxes. I brought coloring books and play dough for Caleb, so he had a ball too. Katherine is so proud of her box. I told her that she could use it as a bank and save money for our trip for Disney in November. She can't wait to go and is already planning out what she can buy. She told me that she's going to buy Caleb some toys too. How sweet is that???

Today Katherine had her Valentine's Day party at preschool. Last week, they learned all about the post office, so they painted their V-Day bags and brought the actual Valentine's early so that they could practice reading names and putting them in the correct bags. Today, all of the kids brought the candy part of the Valentine's and I tell you -- I've got enough candy for a small army. Some of it is going to have to get "lost". There is no way she can eat that much candy. She'd be on a sugar high for a month! LOL! They had so much fun -- games, face painting (Katherine has a red and purple heart on each cheek), great treats, and silly songs. And yes, Val, I was the home room mom! I think I love it as much as she does!

I bought both kids a Valentine's Day present and it's sitting in the middle of the dining room table. It's KILLING Katherine not to open it. It makes me laugh -- she's so like me! If there's a present to be opened, I can't stand it, and neither can she!

Tonight after dinner we're going to bake some Valentine's cookies and deliver them to all of our neighbors. I have to get rid of them or I'd eat them all!! So I'm going to "treat" my neighbors to a couple of sticks of butter! LOL!! Tomorrow morning we're heading back to Michael's for the kids craft day with the girls from her ballet class. And she can't wait!

Oh -- one more thing -- Every night before bed, Katherine and I talk about our day (what made us laugh, what our favorite part was, how we felt, what we learned etc... ) and she picks out something that she'd like to do the next day and also something that Caleb would like to do. It can be anything -- play with the play dough, paint, read a book, go to the park, etc.. Just a special time that we set aside every day to do something that makes her happy and that she has chosen to do. Last night when I asked her what she wanted to do today after preschool, she looked up at me with a serious look, and said, "Mommy, I just love to dust. Let's dust all day". HA-HA-HA!

Weekend fun with Leo

Matt's parents came down for the weekend to stay with Todd (Matt's brother), Caroline and their little guy, Leo. Katherine and Caleb always love playing with Leo, so they were in heaven this weekend!!

On Friday night, we went over to Todd and Caroline's house for some yummy take-out. We all decided that sometimes it's just easier to eat at home with three little ones. We could enjoy dinner, and they could run around and play. Everyone wins! LOL!!

Here's a couple of pics Katherine and Leo helping Caroline make the muffins.

On Saturday night, we braved the crowds and went out to dinner. The kids were wonderful!! After dinner everyone came over to our house and the kids played until well past bedtime.

Here are a few pics from our house. We have a toddler swing set in the basement, and the three of them used it more as a jungle gym. They were three little monkeys!

Here's a picture of Caleb with his Grandma. She brought him a new Elmo book, and he took every opportunity to have her read it to him!

Katherine and Leo spent a good deal of time on the floor wrestling, so I had to get a picture. I did make them pose for this, but it's not like they weren't on the floor most of the night anyway!

After church today, we went back over to Todd and Caroline's house for brunch and the kids played catch with Grandpa. Caleb couldn't get enough! He loves any game that involves throwing balls, and Grandpa was happy to oblige. I think we have either a pitcher or quarterback in the making!

The kids and I went over to my parents house tonight for dinner so that Matt could get some studying time in. UUUUUUGH! I can't wait until he's done studying for the CFA! The first weekend in June can't come fast enough... Isaac is coming home tomorrow night, and taking boards on Tuesday so we'll head over there tomorrow night for dinner too. This time Matt will join us!

I am such a slacker!!

blogger slacker that is... I haven't posted anything since Tuesday, so I'll have to give you the quick overview...


Wednesday morning we went to a Kids Craft thing at Michaels with the other girls from Katherine's ballet class. They had so much fun hanging out together outside of class. It was giggle central!! They made Valentine pots. It was like a little flower pot thing that they painted red, glued white hearts to and wrote their names on. The inside is filled with white paper stuff, and has this wooden doll that they made. Katherine's is really girly -- covered in hearts. Who would have thought?? LOL. Caleb played with another little boy who is about 4 or 5 months older than he is. They had a blast too -- eating snacks and harassing the girls! The best part was that we (the ballet class) were the only ones who were there!

After that, we met Ben and his Grandma T at the mall so that the kids could have lunch together and then play in the play area. Yes, this is the same play area where "goth boy" was taking pics! I couldn't believe I took them there so soon, but they all had a blast! Katherine and Ben made friends with a couple of older boys and were all playing tag. One of the bigger boys (it doesn't take much to be bigger than Katherine -- she's almost 30 pounds) tackled Katherine and hurt her. She started crying, and Ben went up to the other little boy and started telling him off. He said, "Don't hurt Katherine. She's my friend, and I'll protect her". Ha-Ha-Ha. I'm so glad Katherine and Ben have each other. They're learning so much from each other, and learning what it means to be a friend. These are lessons that are hard for me to teach...

In other random news -- I got my car back! I can't tell you how wonderful it is to finally have the gas guzzling road hog back! My mom and I had to make a celebratory trip to Sams! It was so nice to fill up the back with boxes of diapers, wipes, propel and other great finds. Never again will I take my large trunk for granted!! Oh -- the final bill came in -- $4150. *Gasp* *Choke* I can't believe how expensive it was... BUT, it was supposed to be even more if you can believe that. Evidently, they misquoted Matt the labor rates, and were off by $1000. Yes, if you do the math, the bill should have been over $5000! I don't think my first CAR cost that much! UUUUUUGH!

We missed our usual Friday morning play date this morning. One of the families had a pink eye infestation, another was gone to a wedding, another had family in town, so I decided that it would be a good day to get caught up on laundry, cleaning, etc.. and we stayed home too. Plus, Matt's parents are going to be in town for the weekend, so I'm sure I won't get much housework or laundry done until after the weekend.


Isaac got Katherine this Bella Dancerella thing for Christmas, and boy does she love it. It's this ballet bar, dance mat and DVD's that teach little girls how to dance. She danced for about an hour today -- and yes, I danced with her. When she first started dancing, I sat quietly on the floor behind her, tears falling down my face (not sure why -- emotional today I guess). I can't believe how big she's getting. And how fun! She's got a wonderful sense of humor, is really kind, and loves her mommy! What more could I ask for??? Seriously though, while she was dancing, I was thinking to myself about how great she is.... If I was 4, I'd want to hang out with her... She's got endless energy, loves to play and is constantly happy. Some days I have to pinch myself. I thank god that she's mine, all mine!

Caleb certainly had big kid envy this morning. He stood right in the middle of the mat and bounced up and down. Boy can that kid groove! He'd dance for about 3 seconds, then stand perfectly still and let out this ginormous belly laugh. It was hilarious! After a few minutes of this, he went and got his little basketball and tried to throw it through the hole in the bar. Poor Katherine was trying to dance, and all he wanted to do was play basketball! I swear, she tripped over that ball about 50 times!! LOL. Of course Caleb thought is was incredibly funny and kept doing it!

Tonight we are going out to dinner with Matt's parents and Todd and Caroline. I'll try to take a couple of pics of Katherine and Leo and post them tonight. For those that may not know, Leo is Katherine's little cousin who'll tum 3 in July. The three of them have a blast playing together! Actually, Katherine and Leo have a blast playing together, and Caleb follows them around with *stars* in his eyes.


I was just thinking -- the last time Leo was over, he and Katherine had a sleepover. Here's a couple of pictures from that night. Aren't they adorable??? Oh, and yes, Leo is wearing Katherine's jammies. His mom doesn't normally dress him in pastel purple! LOL!!

True Friends...

Today Katherine, Caleb and I met Ben and his Grandma T at Chuck E Cheese after preschool. Katherine and Ben had a blast. They feasted on cheese pizza and ran around until they were exhausted! They drank lemonade and got prizes. They had slide races. They used more coins than I could count. It was a good day. Caleb certainly had big kid envy. He followed them and wanted to play any game that involved throwing balls! Caleb out ate both of them. Actually, he ate as much as both of them put together! LOL.


Katherine and Ben certainly have their moments -- as you'd expect with any three year olds. They've "learned" how to share together, they've cried over who could run faster or jump higher, and they've fought like bitter enemies over who'd get to be the leader. But today, when it really counted, Katherine stood up for Ben like only a true friend could. When we were at Chuck E Cheese, this little girl (probably around 6 and a good 30 pound heavier than Katherine) came up to Ben and started picking a fight with him. When she called Ben a girl, the wrath of Katherine was unleashed. She let this little girl know, in no uncertain terms, that Ben was NOT a girl, but even if he was, he was her friend and that's all that matters. I was proud of her for sticking up for Ben. I was proud of her for not letting an older girl bully them. I was proud of her for being loyal. I was proud of her for knowing what was right, and not letting a mouthy girl intimidate her. I was proud of HER.


Here's a couple of pictures from today.

Playdate at the Burkle's

Today Katherine, Caleb and I went over to the Burkle's house for a play date with Ben and his Grandma T, while his parents are in China getting baby Tessa. As soon as I got up this morning I checked their blog and saw pictures of the new happy parents with the baby girl they've waited soooo long for. She's adorable! I can't wait until they get home so I can hug that baby girl. Ben is thrilled that Caleb will now have a friend to play with while he and Katherine hang out doing big kid things. We're all ready to have you home! I've got to say that I'm glad it's you on a 16 hour plane ride with a 12 month old, and not me! LOL.

Here's some pictures from today. They're not the best, but I thought you'd want to see them anyway!

Ben and Katherine playing Chutes and Ladders --

Here's a couple of pictures of Ben and Katherine sitting on the couch. Michelle, I had the hardest time getting Ben to sit still! Finally, I bribed him with a cookie, and look at the smile I got. LOL (Katherine and I made cookies last night and I brought some over to T and Ben).

Ben made a wonderful zoo out of Lincoln Logs, and had little animals in pens. He was so proud of it!! I tried to get him to sit behind it so you see it, but he didn't want to.... Anyway, the zoo is behind him! The picture is really dark, but I thought you'd still like to see your little boy!

Michelle -- Ben also decided to redecorate your house. He made tons of artwork, and hung it all over the living room! You can see some of it in the background, but he probably made no less than 30 pictures. LOVE IT!

Tomorrow after preschool, we are heading to Chuck E Cheese with Ben and Grandma T. The kids will have a blast running around and then will *hopefully* be tired for their naps. LOL.

Granny in the making

There are moments when I look in the mirror and see my mother. Moments in time when I do something, and I think, OH MY GOD, my mom would have done the same thing. Moments, when I see myself *GASP* turning into her. LOL!! Tonight was one of those nights. At Lisa's suggestion, I broke down and bought the heating pad. My back is in so much pain, I feel like I could pass out! So Katherine and I head to Target to make the all important purchase. Thank goodness they only had one model to choose from. Since I was delirious from the pain, I didn't need to be making such big decisions. I just wasn't qualified! LOL! I get home, open the box and out falls an instruction book. Are you kidding me? Not a single sheet of paper or a small pamphlet, but a book for cryin' out loud. How hard can it be??? Of course, I didn't read a word, I just assembled and turned the thing on. Thank God it works. Oh, and to top it off -- I'm working in the nursery in church tomorrow morning. I'll be crawling all over the floor and playing with babies. I guess I'll be popping some Tylenol first thing!! This is where my mother comes in... As Laurie and Isaac will tell you, she's always using the heating pad -- even in the heat of summer. It's insane. I will not keep this thing out... My back will not hurt next week... I will not turn into my mother! LOL.

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Katherine has her obsessions -- ballet class, shoes, her art easel, anything pink, and the lint between her toes... AAAh, yes, she hates the lint between her toes. She goes through probably 4 or 5 pair of socks daily. She's constantly taking them off and picking in between her toes.... I'm not sure she actually finds anything, but it certainly appears she's diggin' for gold. And of course, in true Katherine style, she can't wear "dirty" socks, so she grabs a new pair. So tonight we're upstairs and she finds the lint roller. (Matt must have taken it with him to NYC and left it out, because I have no idea where she found it). She asks me what it is, and as soon as "lint roller" crosses my lips, she has her socks off and was trying to shove this honkin' thing between her toes. HA-HA-HA.

I feel like an old woman...

Literally, I feel like I'm 90!! It's horrible! Late last week, I threw my back out. I was running in the house with Caleb in my arms and my foot slipped off the step. I nearly fell to the ground from jerking so suddenly, and ever since then I feel like I could burst into tears when I bend over to lift one of the kids. UUUUUUGH! I think I need to head to Target and buy a heating pad. Such a grandma thing to own! LOL.

This morning we met my friend Lisa and her two two step-sons-to-be at the Science Center. As soon as we got there, they had this fire and ice chemistry demonstration. Katherine, Caleb and I sat on the ground level because of the stroller, and this little loud mouth girl (without parents, I might add) comes and sits next to Katherine. She's yelling at the girl doing the demonstration, and everyone in the crowd is laughing and snickering at her. At one point, she's yelling how her mom told her glass was a liquid... Great! I'm sure everyone thought I was her mom! LOL. Katherine finally had to tell her to be quiet (This girl was probably about 8 or 9, so much older than Katherine). Poor Katherine didn't know what else to say, so finally she looks at this girl in frustration and says, "no shirt, no shoes, no service". Not sure what she was trying to accomplish, but that didn't do the trick because, on the way out, the girl decides that she's hungry, and asks me to buy her lunch. Where in the world are your parents???

Val -- just watching this demonstration brought me back to high school chemistry, and all the trouble we got into as lab partners. Thanks for carrying me the whole year! LOL. I was also thinking how wonderful it is to have great friends that you've known all your life. Your one of these special people, and I just wanted you to know how wonderful it is to have friends with who you share so much history. Just thinking how long we've been friends also makes me feel really old! Over two decades. OMG!!! I can't wait until you move back! I'm soooo excited!