August 15, 2011
It's Monday (late, but still Monday), so that means I'm at my Simple Woman's Daybook. Link is to the left if you'd like to drop by. Seeing as school is starting up again, I have a few sigtags relating to that. Link is also to the left. If you want one (or all), email or tag. See you all back here tomorrow! Hugs!
August 10, 2011
As is the norm when Avery spends the night, she got us all up very early, & ready to tackle life & the day. She started off running, & that's how she went through the entire day. We had to run to Pet Smart & get Tinkebell some food & then on to grocery shopping. I had promised Elliot, Emily, & Avery a stop into Krispy Kreme on the way home, so of course that was their favorite stop. After we got home & put the groceries away, they devoured one for their snack. 
Can you tell she enjoys hers?
This is how she eats hers - she gobbles the top & leaves it after the 'goodies' are gotten off of it - 
After an afternoon of non-stop playing with them, I was more than ready to go out to eat when Mike got home. Our son has been trying to get us to try his favorite burger place, Smash Burger. It was 'so' good! I had the mushroom swiss, & it was the best one I have ever had. Elliot loved his too, & ate, & ate, & ate. After 'every' single bite, he announced "Wow! This is the best hamburger place EVER!" 
On the way home, we made a big mistake with Avery! She said "Oh no! My nose is running!" Mike used the old joke "Go catch it!" She got the funniest look on her face, & then she burst out laughing so hard after she got it. So all evening long, she would say "Oh no! My nose is running down the road! I have to catch it!" She'd say the silliest things - like 'my nose is running down the road, & a car is going to hit it!", or "a dog is going to get it!". This went on, & on, & on, & on.... Avery the comedian!
August 9, 2011
Well, would you believe that after a week of my deep, deep cleaning, that I keep trying to find more to do? When I couldn't find anything more to do in our house, I decided to tackle my computer. So I spent late last night doing that.
Avery arrived tonight to spend the night, & will be spending tomorrow with us too, so I'll have to have another cleaning day after she goes home. She's a little tornado, but a sweet tornado.I got a new geek gadget - one that you will either love, hate, or laugh at.
I had never seen these before, & was reading my People magazine & saw Lenny Kravitz with one - somehow it looks more 'cool' with him holding it -
Anyway, I decided to order it from Amazon & got it in 2 days (love Amazon!). I ordered a pink one & red one. With all the talk about radition from cell phones, I am one that would rather be safe than sorry, so decided to give this a try. It will be great for longer cell phone conversations. There's lot of neat colors, & I love the retro look. Click here if you want to check it out. I got the Moshi Moshi one ('hello' in Japanese when you talk on a phone). I actually think the reception seems better with the handset, than without. I told Mike that at least I will never misplace my phone again when we are at home.
August 8, 2011 It's Monday, so that means I'm at my Simple Woman's Daybook. Link is to the left if you'd like to drop by. New summer sigtag link is also to the left. If you want one, email or tag. See you all back here tomorrow! Hugs! August 5, 2011
I started the week with my deep, deep clean, & I ended the week with it. In fact, I think it will go through the weekend. We're going to have 'family cleaning day in the garage tomorrow, so by the time we are finished, I'll have the cleanest most organized home in Las Vegas! 
I got a bit sidetracked today when I cleaned out some areas & ran across my diary. This particular one went back to when Shad was a baby. I 'had' to sit down & read for awhile, which turned into a long while. I shared some of it with Shad, & we both ended up teary. Actually, I was more than teary...I 'really' cried. I'm so thankful that I kept this diary for my children. My goal was/is to pass it along to them one day. I think they will be quite surprised to see all the detail. In my diary that I read today, I had written that I hoped one day, they would look back at this, & see just how very, very much they were loved. When Shad read that, he said "We won't have to read this to know that. We've known it every moment of our lives." That really touched me.
Mike has been out of town all week, & he got home this evening. With him, came Chinese takeout, & it was so welcomed! He found me buried underneath a bunch of stuff that I was going through. In fact, I was going through cards & letters that he'd given me through the years. Some of the most sweetest, romantic words! I handed them to him & let him read a few & I said "Who is this man??" He read them & said "I wrote this?!! No way!" 
I have to share this Avery story with you, & I hope it's proper to do so. She's been having so many problems going to potty. She went the other day & was 'so' happy. As soon as she saw me, she ran to me & said "Nana I went to potty, & it was big up to the sky!" And then she showed me just 'how' big.
Hmmm...I wonder what her fishing stories will be like one day?
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! See you all back here on Monday at my Simple Woman's Daybook. Hugs!
August 4, 2011
Today was my son Shad's birthday. We all went to Famous Dave's (one of his favorite restaurants). We could go there a thousand times, & each time, Elliot, Emily, & Avery would have to have their picture taken with this bear - 
And why did she become Miss Grumpy? Her napkin was taken away when she announced that she ate some paper (her napkin).
After eating way too much, we all headed back home to relax & enjoy some pie from Marie Callenders. My son would much rather have a pie than cake.
Emily loves planning games, & she told us that she had a special one. She drew this & called it 'pin the tail on the doggie'...notice the tiny little tail that she had attached to a tiny piece of tape - 
To show you just how tiny this tail is, I had her to hold it so that I could take a picture of it -
We all got such a kick out of it. She didn't think a thing about it. The only thing that was wrong in her opinion, is that this was going to be 'pin the tail on the donkey', but it turned out looking more like a dog.
August 3, 2011
Sorry I didn't make it here yesterday. Lisa dropped Avery off for me to babysit, & by the time she left last night, I was ready to go to bed when Elliot & Emily went to bed. We had played 'carnival' for a couple of hours, & of course, I had to be the 'ride'. They were played out by the time she was picked up, & so was I!Before the 'carnival' opened up, Emily & Avery wanted to hula hoop, & those girls can hula hoop!
I can't believe that at 3, Avery can hula hoop!
Avery obviously got ahold of a pen, because she was covered in markings from her thigh to her ankles. When I asked her what happened, she told me "I write my name." 
I'm glad she chose to 'write her name' there, instead of on the wall (which she's done before - in crayon).
Today was day 4 of my deep, deep, deep cleaning of our home. I feel like a cleaning machine! I've went through every room, & managed to bag up so much stuff for Goodwill. I should finish it all up tomorrow, & then on to the garage this weekend. Elliot & Emily have loved being a part of this. I felt a twinge of sadness though when Emily told me that she had some toys set aside to give to Avery.
I know she's outgrown some of those toys (a couple of them she's had since she was 2), but she wasn't ready or willing to part with them a few months back when she went through them. Just another reminder that she's growing up. Elliot parted with a lot of his toys too, & said that he didn't really like playing with toys anymore. And he doesn't. Kids seems to give up toys so much earlier nowadays. With Elliot, I think this is because of video games. What toy can compete with that?? Emily still loves her toys, & I hope she does for many more years. Anyway, I sure wish I could push back the hands of time! I want to keep them little for a long while more! This picture is one that I took last August, & have it printed out with word art added to it. We were at Krispy Kreme, & Emily wanted to dance with Lilly. To me, it's such a sweet picture of the freedom & joy of being a child. The sentiment that I put on it, is so true!
August 1, 2011 It's Monday, so that means I'm at my Simple Woman's Daybook. I promise, I'll get here earlier one day! Link is to the left if you'd like to drop by. New summer sigtag link is also to the left. If you want one, email or tag. See you all back here tomorrow! Hugs! July 29, 2011
I mentioned in my post last night that Avery was going to spend the night. Just as I knew, it was good that we took a day yesterday & enjoyed being lazy. Avery was making the rounds to each bed at 5am - she wanted to let us know that she saw the sun peeking out, & that meant that it was time to get up. I tried to get her to crawl up into bed with me, & she did for about 5 minutes. I was 'so' sleepy but I knew that there was no way she was going to go back to sleep. She was a livewire all day long. She also informed us all at the beginning of the day "If you don't do what I want to do, then I not gonna play!" She wanted to learn how to "do a flip dance" (& heaven help us if she learns to flip!), so Elliot & Emily tried to teach her - 
I think I have found Elliot's bent - I need to enroll this boy in gymnastics!
She was 'so' proud! Of course we had to cheer for her, & the more we cheered, the more she danced. Afterwards, I told them that they deserved a treat from Starbucks, so off we went. Was that a sneaky way for me to get my Starbucks fix?
Tonight, Emily & Avery put on a 'magic show' for us. Emily told us that she was going to "disappear" Avery, & Avery was going to "disappear" her. They had set up a table with a throw over it. Here's the magician & her helper - 
We were told to close our eyes, & Emily said "Abracadabra! Now open your eyes!" Oh no! Where's Avery!? We all gasped & said that, & had to pretend that we didn't hear the little giggles coming from beneath the throw covered table.
After being told to close our eyes again, Emily said "Abracadabra! Now open your eyes!", we were 'shocked' to see that Avery had appeared again!
Remember how I told you that she doesn't like to 'lose'? And by her comment to us this morning, you can see that she likes to 'run the show'. Well, this is Miss Avery after her third disappearing act.
She was upset because she didn't want Emily to say "Abracadabra" & make her "not disappeared". She was happy under that table (Ooops! Not supposed to know that she was under there!). It was hard to not know this though, as you can see in these pictures from 'Act One' tonight - before they became really good 'magicians'
- 
Those tears from Avery stopped instantly when we told the 'magicians' that we were taking them out to eat.
After a day of tag, hide-n-seek, dress up, 'flip dancing', & just plain playing, I will bet Avery will not be up at 5am tomorrow! I know we won't be!
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! See you all back here on Monday at my Simple Woman's Daybook. Hugs!
July 28, 2011 I decided to take today as a 'do nothing day' (except for our run up to Starbucks). Seems like it's been non-stop the past few weeks, so this day was needed. You always hear the phrase 'lazy days of summer', but I don't know where those went! Today, I found one. We curled up on the couch with books & iPad, & had such a good day. We were carrying that over into the evening, & then we hear this little knock at the door. Even though we weren't expecting her, we all knew who it was, but we always pretend not to know. I hurried & grabbed my camera, because I wanted to show you what she looks like as she 'flies' to me each time she comes. It's so sweet!
She runs into my arms & gives me the biggest bear hug! That girl can squeeze! She says "I never going to let you go!" After her big hug, she began jumping up & down, clapping, & said "I get to spend the night with you! I never leaving here again!" So we were not only surprised by a visit from her, but also that she is spending the night & all day tomorrow. It's good we had that lazy, do nothing day today, because we sure will need that energy for tomorrow!Yesterday, Emily forgot to show her that she'd lost her first tooth, so she showed her tonight -
Avery said "Oh no! I'll buy you a new one Emily!"
She kept telling us all evening "We have to buy Emily a new tooth! Hers is lost!
I showed Elliot the picture of his acrobatic pose in the picture from yesterday's post. He looked at me so shyly, & said a single word - "Oh." I mean what could he say? He was caught in the act. July 27, 2011
We went to see the Winnie The Pooh movie. They really loved it. Whenever we go to the movies, I always love looking next to me & seeing this -
After the movie, we headed for (can you guess?) - Starbucks. Then off to pick up a few things for our chicken fajita dinner tonight. That's a favorite at our house. Lisa & Avery came over too, but Avery informed me that she wasn't going to eat that "green stuff" (guacamole), & that I had to fix her something else. We played 'balloon bop' before we ate. One thing about Avery - she hates to lose. Or feel like she's losing. She missed catching the balloon, & immediately plopped on the floor with this look that we've all seen a thousand times! 
A few seconds later, & she was crying. Pooh says "Nobody can be uncheered with a balloon." Well, Pooh never met Avery, because I've seen her 'uncheered' with one many times!
Notice anything in the background in this picture?? I didn't notice it until I was going through the pictures tonight. He knows it's a no-no to do this on the couch. Wonder what he'll say when I show it to him tomorrow?
Makes me wonder what else he does when he thinks I'm not looking. I know what he was doing though. He adores Avery, & is soooo protective of her. He heard her crying, & was flying to the rescue.
Anyway, Avery's tears were short lived. One thing you will notice in this picture - she can't seem to catch the balloon or throw it, without kicking her leg up too.
If you ever wonder why I post lots of pictures on my blog & focus on my life with Elliot & Emily, it's because I want this blog to reflect our days with them. One of their favorite things, is for me to read my past blog posts to them each night. They love it! Each morning, they want me to read what I posted the night before to them. During the day, they will so often say "Are you going to tell about this in your blog?" Many times when I read it to them, Emily will say "That's not all we did. I want you to tell about everything we did." Or "Why didn't you put in more pictures?" I try to explain to them that I can't post everything. If I did, it would be a book each night! I have thought about copying & pasting each blog post into another blog everyday. That way, I could add more & share more, but that one would be just for them (& us), & they could have a part in 'writing' the posts. Like tonight - I could have shared so much more (like the picture of Emily crying, holding her popped balloon in her hands), but I don't want to go too long or bore you to tears. Anyway, I'm sorry if I go long on some posts, & share too many pictures, but now you know why.
July 26, 2011
Today was my errand day. Not so fun when it's triple digit temps! I keep reminding myself of what they say about the heat here - "At least it's a dry heat". True, but it's still hot! Elliot told me that he thought going to Starbucks would "help us", & I agreed with him. He loves going there, & tells me that he can't wait until he can have an iced caramel macchiato with me. I drink decaf, so I've let him taste it, & he loves it! 
The kids & I baked some cookie pops when we got home - 
Elliot wasn't interested in helping to make them, but he was sure interested in eating them. Emily compares it to 'The Little Red Hen' story.
She lost her first tooth on Sunday! We were eating breakfast Saturday morning, when she said "Mommy, how old are you when you lose your first tooth?" I told her 5 or 6, & she said "Well, I think I'm losing mine, because it's loose." And sure enough it was. This is something that she dreaded, but it was a breeze for her. It fell out while brushing her teeth the next night. It made me feel a bit sad, because it really made it hit home - she's growing up!She was really excited when she found out that she would get something for losing this tooth. I had to explain a bit about this though, after she told us that this is what she wanted -
Remember, this is the bed that she was going to get when she came out of her baby bed, but then she saw the Princess carriage bed & wanted that one instead. Even though she loves her Disney Princess pumpkin carriage bed, she said "If I had this one, you could sleep in the top part, & when we weren't sleeping, we could play up there in your sleeping part."
Today she made me smile when she asked me if I had any of my baby teeth left to lose. I told her "no", & she said "Oh, I was thinking that you could ask for a new iTunes card when you lost yours."
July 25, 2011 It's Monday (late Monday), so that means I'm at my Simple Woman's Daybook. Link is to the left if you'd like to drop by. New summer sigtag link is also to the left. Remember being excited to go to the carnival or fair when you were small? Or maybe you still get excited! That's this weeks sigtag theme. If you want one, email or tag, & let me know hair & eye color. See you all back here tomorrow! Hugs! July 21, 2011 Mike has been out of town this week, & was supposed to get home tomorrow. He sneaked home early & surprised us today. Elliot & Emily were so excited! As soon as he got home, he & Elliot ran out to get 'How to Train Your Dragon' for our new 3D tv. They've seen it before, but wanted to see how it looked in 3D. Elliot isn't all that fond of the 3D movies, because he says he "hates wearing glasses to watch it", but he does think it looks "cool", in his words. Emily had zero interest in that movie, so she & I watched 'Curious George 2 - Follow That Monkey" from Netflix. The guys had brought home take out for dinner, so it was a relaxing evening. Emily & Elliot were asking me about jobs & work, & we were talking about how Mike works to pay for our home, our clothing, food, toys, ect. I could see that Emily was thinking during this talk, & aferwards she said "Mommy, do you get paid?" I told her "No baby - not like Daddy gets paid. We all get the benefits from him working so hard. Plus, just getting to spend life with you & Elliot each day is all I want." Her eyes welled up with tears & spilled down onto her cheeks, & she said "But you work so hard. You do everything for all of us. Why don't Mommies get paid too?" I talked to her a bit about it while I held her, & then she went off to her room. I began cleaning up the kitchen, & a few minutes later she & Elliot came to me & she said "Mommy, we know what we're going to do. If you don't get paid, then we're going to pay you!" Then they both held out their hands & gave me this - 
It was so sweet, that they had run to get into their piggy banks. Emily was still teary, & it just really touched me. I ran to get my camera, because I wanted in some small way, to freeze this memory. And they think I don't get "paid"??? I get 'paid' a thousand times over! I will treasure this picture. So much so, that I'm going to print it out & frame it.
July 19, 2011
Yesterday was a girl's day while Elliot spent time with Shad. I had planned a surprise morning out for them all, but when Elliot felt the heat, he didn't want to go out. He avoids this Vegas heat as much as he can. I picked up Avery so that she could spend the day with us, & she was so excited. We stopped at the dinosaur park & they played in the water there for awhile.
Avery doesn't like to get her face wet (that's an understatement), so she did everything to stay dry from the neck up, & she accomplished that.
Next was a stop at Starbucks. Each time we go through drive-thru there, Avery yells out to them that she wants a "hamaburgular & french fries".
She settled for a strawberries & creme frappuccino.Then it was off to their favorite stop - Krispy Kreme donuts. Notice the Sleeping Beauty Barbie that Avery is carrying. She convinced me that she's "been wanting this for 'so' very long!"
Linda, I know how you love Krispy Kreme, so please don't drool on your monitor.
Then off to get Elliot, & we met up with my son & Lisa to eat out. The kids chose Cici's pizza. Elliot ate his weight in pizza & brownies! Here's a picture that I took of them there. I have no idea what Avery was thinking, but I sure would like to find out.
Then it was off to grocery shop & home to That's how hyper she was!
July 18, 2011 It's Monday (late Monday), so that means I'm at my Simple Woman's Daybook. Link is to the left if you'd like to drop by. New summer sigtag link is also to the left. If you want one, email or tag. See you all back here tomorrow! Hugs! July 15, 2011
Today Mike turned 12...or at least that's what he had convinced the kids for awhile. Emily said "12! Wow, that is big!" Remember when you were little, & you thought that 20 was 'big', & over 30 meant you were over the hill? I will never forget when Mike & I first married at 17 & moved to Phoenix, AZ. This couple took us under their wings & we became good friends. One night over dinner, they were asking us about our families, & asked how old Mike's parents were. I said "I'm not really sure, but I know they are pretty old. I think they are 36 or 37." I remember it so well, because I was shocked when they burst out in laughter. Then the dreaded question - "Well how old do you think we are?" After stumbling over my answer, they told me that they were "pretty old" too, because they were 37 also. I look back now, & I cannot believe that I thought they were old! Although, I do think that 37 'was' older then - or so they seemed (& looked). Or do I think that way because I'm older now??? So anyway, Mike had a good '12th' birthday. We got up, got ready, & went to see Cars 2. Elliot's favorite has always been Lightning McQueen, but he's now taken by Finn. Emily & my favorite is still Mater, & she loved that he was like a "hero" in this film.
After the film, we went out to eat. Emily always has to set Lilly up with a few bites -
We went shopping afterwards. I never know what to get Mike, because he always says he wants & needs nothing. Hard to shop for a guy like that! This year, I told him "Why don't you just think of something that you really want, & get it for yourself." And that's what he did. We came home from Best Buy with a 52 in. LCD 3D tv. I had some qualms about the 3D tvs, but this one uses 'passive' glasses instead of the shutter ones, so supposedly there's not the concerns with these. I also thought you could only watch 3D on it, but there is a switch/button that you hit if you want to watch something that is 3D. Otherwise, it's a normal tv. I must say, it is incredible! It feels silly sitting there with the glasses on, but you forget about them after a few minutes. My son came over & laughed - he said we look like the Blues Brothers watching tv. Mike called another friend before we bought it, & that friend said he would buy our plasma that we have hanging over our fireplace (which is now where the new one hangs), so in the end, the 3D tv was a great birthday deal.
We ended the day with Mike's favorite cake - German chocolate. Actually, he got two cakes - carrot cake is his other favorite, so he got both. Avery told him that she was going to spend the night with him for his present from her. She does anythng & everything to get to spend the night with us. So right now, there is a little girl sleepng upstairs. She's recharging her batteries so that she can be ready tomorrow. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! It's been great to be back to blogging this past week. I'll see you all at my SWD on Monday! Hugs!
July 14, 2011
Avery spent the night last night & woke us up early to crawl into bed with us. She's such a cuddle bug when she first wakes up...she feels like a big squishy marshmallow, & I love it. You cannot convince her that she should go back to sleep. She'll tell us "But the sun is awake, so it's time to get up." And when she gets up, she hits the floor running. An hour or so after we got up, I found this on the couch -
I've had this little antique looking horse for about 15 years, & that little bear sat on it. And no, I didn't keep it on the couch - he has sat on the floor with a few of my other bears. The only time he's been moved is when I've caught Avery trying to ride it (like that is possible!). Avery heard me say "Oh no!", & she comes running, looks at me with the leg in my hand, & says "Nana, that horsey broke his leg on the couch." I said "Avery, his leg couldn't have just broke off. Did you try to ride him again?" She replied "You need to glue horsey's leg. It broke off." I asked her again if she did it...& she told me again that "horsey broke his leg on the couch"...then she added to it, by telling me that she found him like that. So then I put Pinocchio on my lap & told her that it was okay, & that her telling me the truth was more important than the broken leg. She said "Well, I rode him when I was little & I broke his leg a little bit." So 'horsey' is waiting for some glue. I will bet you though, that as soon as he's fixed up, Avery will try to ride him again. She's 'so' big, & this is a 6 inch tall horse, & she honestly believes that she can ride him!
We took Mike out to eat tonight for his birthday (which is tomorrow). Emily chose the place to take him, & we all had a good time. Avery devoured some watermelon...she was a mess!
This picture was before she got 'really' messy. She had Emily in giggles, & Elliot worried too death that she would choke on a watermelon seed.
Never a dull moment. We're going to take the kids to see Cars 2 tomorrow. It was between that & Winnie the Pooh, but I think we'll save Pooh for later in the week. I love Pooh, so I'm probably more excited than the kids to see it! See you all back here tomorrow (can you believe it?).
July 13, 2011
She is such a sweet little girl, but a bundle of non-stop energy. I have a feeling, that she is going to be a handful. Last week she told me "I feel like being a mean girl today." I asked her "why?" She replied, "Because Emily won't do what I want her to do." She loves to 'be the boss'. Each time she comes over, we know that we are in for an hour or more of hide-and-seek. The thing is, she doesn't know how to play. When it's her time to hide, she goes to two places every single time. Behind our recliner, or in the shower. And keep in mind, our shower is all glass, so we can see her. We play along, & act as though we can't find her. I'll say loudly, "Where could Avery be?" She'll call out "I'm in here!" I'll then say "Hmmmm - I wonder if she could be in here", while we go off to a different room. She'll call out really loud "No, I'm in the bathroom!" When she goes behind the recliner, we'll walk into the room, & all we see is her from her eyes up, peeking over the back of it. I'll say "Baby, you're supposed to hide." Her reply? "But I wanted to see if you would find me." 
When she was finished, she held it up for me to see & said "Oh Nana! I so very sorry. I didn't get your hair right." I sure hope she doesn't think that everything else is right! Till next time, smile much, & be blessed! July 12, 2011
I can't believe I'm back today! My once posting at my SWD, made me want to come back before next Monday. I checked into my blog tonight, & it was so heartwarming to see the comments. I thought I'd share a few pictures from Emily's end of season performance in Sleeping Beauty last month. She was 'so' proud that night, & so were we! She loves ballet! Here she is, as she entered the room - she wouldn't take her eyes off of us, & we couldn't take our eyes off of her!
Last, but not least - her ever constant companion LillyTrixieLilly ("Lilly for short", as she tells everyone), in her regular weekly spot, patiently waiting for her friend to finish. She was made an honorary member of the class (notice her feet). And no, she hasn't aged this much - I used a texture on the photo.
I hope you all enjoyed sharing in Emily's special evening. Till next time, smile & be blessed!
July 11, 2011 I'm not back to blogging on a regular basis, but I would like to go back to at least doing my Simple Woman's Daybook each Monday, & offering a sigtag each week. I hope that this leads to me making a post every now & then, & then hopefully back to full time blogging. I will be visiting my reads & keeping up with you all. I've missed you! If you want to check it out, I have a summer sigtag (link is to the left). If you want one, let me know by tagging or email. Hugs! March 14, 2010
It's Monday, so that means it's my Simple Woman's Daybook. Link is to the left if you'd like to visit. I had a busy weekend, so I didn't get to work on the weekly sigtag. I'll do that tomorrow & post it. See you back here tomorrow! Hugs! March 11, 2011
Today was a lazy day, but we planned it that way. After playing 'Gumbo' yesterday, I felt we were entitled to having a day like today. After breakfast, we had to run out & get Tinkerbell some food, then I ran by Starbucks. Lisa had called Shad this morning, & she wasn't feeling well, so I bought her & Avery a treat too & dropped it off to them. Avery was 'so' excited to see us. She was 'really' excited when she saw that I brought her a cake pop from there. Lisa was feeling a bit better when I got there.After we came home, we didn't do much of anything excpet relax. I went through the apps on my iPad & deleted the ones that I don't really use. Of course, then I went to the app store & got more apps. I read some magazines on it too (ever read a magazine on the iPad? UNREAL!).
We went out to dinner tonight, then back home to more relaxing. Seriously, it was a major lazy day, which makes for a major boring post (sorry). I'll see you at my Simple Woman's Daybook on Monday. Have a wonderful weekend! Hugs!
"The essential question is not, "How busy are you?" but "What are you busy at?" ~Oprah Winfrey~
March 10, 2011 Avery got dropped off this morning - she got to spend the day & evening with us. She loves it when I take them to Starbucks, so we took off for there as soon as she got here. This is their new treat -
They are 'so' good! As you can see, Avery couldn't wait to eat hers. I kept telling her to look at the camera, but she couldn't keep her eyes off of the cake pop - nor keep her tongue in
Her verdict? "I want more cake pop!"
Avery also wanted us to play "Gumbo". I have no idea what or who she means, but she told me "I be the people & you be Gumbo." She told me that I have to roar, growl, & get her. Emily thought she meant "Gumby". She said "You know, that green guy you used to watch when you were little." Elliot thinks she's saying "Dumbo", but when we ask her that, she says "No, Gumbo." I told her to show me what Gumbo looks like, & this is it - 
When I showed her the picture, she said "Yes! That what Gumbo looks like!"
So, I was 'Gumbo' for over an hour...chasing two screaming girls through the house, & one very hyped up little boy (I think the cake pop had something to do with that). The more I roared & growled, the louder they screamed, & the faster they ran. At least I worked off that cake pop. So we go from 'Gumbo' to playing Princesses. Notice her arms - what Princess doesn't have tattoos on her arms???
Notice the hat Denise? Avery claims it each time she comes over, & Emily graciously shares it. She 'loves' that hat!
After playtime with the Princesses, came Chinese takeout, followed by hide & seek, & then finally settling in for the evening to watch American Idol. It was a full, but fun day. Never a dull moment here! Especially when you have 'Gumbo' in the house."A child reminds us that playtime is an essential part of our daily routine." ~Unknown~
March 9, 2011 Well, no Smilebox tonight. Mike took the day off from work today, & I worked on our Disney photos for the most part of the day, but I'm not even close to finishing. I always take so many photos (surprised? ), so I'm rethinking the doing of a Smilebox. Maybe I'll share a few pictures here & there.
As I mentioned, Mike took the day off, so he & Elliot hung out together while Emily & I had our time. She sat by me as I went through our gazillion Disney pics - she never tires of seeing them. She & I also made a little shopping run & Starbucks run. We had takeout for dinner, & then settled in to watch American Idol. So that was our exciting day. Speaking of American Idol, what do you think of it this year? I think it's one of the most talented groups ever. I'm enjoying the judges this year too. I wasn't sure how it would be without Simon, but it is been good. I have loved seeing a softer side of Steven Tyler.
Emily wanted this Minnie Mouse balloon so badly. We promised her that she could get it the day we left, although Mike did tell her that he wans't sure it would make the trip back home. Our car was packed down, & it wasn't so pleasant sharing space with this huge Minnie. We had to wedge it right behind the seat - right by my head. I was 'so' sleepy, so had fallen asleep about an hour out, when all at once I was awakened by this huge POP! Talk about a rude awakening! I jerked my head up, Mike yelled & swerved (he thought a rock had hit our window & broken it). Emily screamed & then cried when she realized her balloon was gone, Elliot yelled out (he thought we'd had a blowout)...looking back, it was comical, but it wasn't at the time. I think the pressure of climbing made it pop. Lesson learned - no more Minnie balloons will be traveling with us! For my quote today, I changed one of Pooh's - "Nobody can be uncheered with a balloon....unless it pops." ~Winnie the Pooh (words in bold added by me)~
March 8, 2011 As I mentioned in my post before we took off for my birthday, I knew we were going to California, but wasn't exactly sure where in California. Emily had planned this for weeks. She had been whispering to Mike nightly, & I had to either go out of the room or put my hands over my ears. Or rather "blindfold my ears" as she called it. She planned out the hotel (the Disney Paradise Pier) & some of the meal places. So yes, it was Disneyland, & I was so happy. It made it extra special, just because she had worked so hard to plan this. 5 years old, & planning away! I have to admit, I was 99.9% sure that we were going there. I fought to keep a laugh in when we were packing the night before we left. She wanted me to pack her Princess Cinderella dress & her Cinderella glass slippers (the dress & shoes that she always wears to meet the Princesses at Disneyland). Playing along, I said "Baby, why do you want to pack this? We're not going to Disneyland." She said that she wanted to pack it "in case we ate somewhere fancy." So anyway, I had to keep my head down or eyes closed during the last 30 minutes or so of our trip (not the most pleasant thing to do), so I read during that time. All at once, Mike, Elliot, & Emily yelled out "Surprise!" & I look up to this - 
That was our 'home' for 5 glorious days! We had a view of the Hollywood Tower of Terror. I can't believe it, but Elliot rode that a few days later. It was his first & last time. He says "NEVER again!" because he "didn't like the way it made his legs feel like they were floating."
I 
I hope to be able to make a Smilebox of our time there, so I won't bombard you with pictures & make this too long. Hopefully, I will be able to work on the Smilebox tomorrow & share that with you. See you back here tomorrow!
"Always when judging Who people are, Remember to footnote The words "So far." ~Robert Brault~
March 7, 2011 It's Monday, so that means it's my Simple Woman's Daybook. Link is to the left if you'd like to visit. I posted a St. Patrick's Day sigtag - link is to the left. If you would like one, please email or tag & let me know hair color. See you back here tomorrow! Hugs! February 26, 2011 I wanted to stop in real quick & let you all know that I will try to get back to blogging in another week. And yes Kia, I guess I have had 'bloggers block'. That, & that busyness that comes with raising children. So please forgive me for being so lazy about blogging lately. Yesterday was my birthday, so for my gift, I'm being whisked away for a week. We're leaving in the morning & should return late Thursday/early Friday. We're going to California, but that's all I know. The rest is a surprise. Apparently, Emiy has planned most of this, so it will be interesting to see where I end up. Seeing as she planned it, I would bet it's Disneyland. It's been fun to see her whispering to Mike for the past 4 or 5 weeks. She will then look at me & say "I"m sorry Mommy. I'm not whispering about you. I'm whispering about your surprise plans."
Anyway, I will try to get inspired to blog again when I return. Hope you have a great week! Hugs! "A birthday is just the first day of another 365-day journey around the sun. Enjoy the trip." ~Author Unknown~
January 31, 2011 It's Monday (late Monday), so that means it's my Simple Woman's Daybook. Link is to the left if you'd like to visit. I posted a Valentines sigtag - link is to the left. If you would like one, please email or tag. See you back here tomorrow! Hugs! January 28, 2011
I'm here early today because tonight is our monthly slumber party that we have with Elliot & Emily. It's definitely their favorite night of the month (ours too). We're starting it early today. Mike took off work at noon so that he could come home & start his time with Elliot early. They've just left to go out to eat, & going to follow that up with a movie (Tron). Emily has chosen going out to eat & then shopping (she is 'so' much a girl!). We'll then meet up to let them choose their slumber party snacks, come home, put on pj's, play games, & eat goodies. Elliot will then go off to our room with Mike to play video games & watch movies. While I'll go off to Emily's room to play Princess, have a tea party, & whatever else she desires. She's chosen Lady & the Tramp as our girl's movie tonight. So for tonight, I get to be a Princess, as I'll be sleeping in Cinderella's carriage with a very real Princess - 
Looks like we'll have to get someone out of the bed first!
So off I go - I have a little girl here anxious to get our slumber party time going early. I'll see you all back here on Monday at my SWD. Have a wonderful weekend. Wish I could share some of our 80 degree weather with those of you that are 'enjoying' snow. Hugs!
"Children are like wet cement. Whatever falls on them makes an impression." ~Dr. Haim Ginott~
January 27, 2011 Since I've been absent from blogging for awhile, I thought I would highlight some things that I missed sharing while away. For today's post, that would be Emily getting "holes" in her ears (her words). She'd always said she would never get these "holes"...'until' I received a beautiful pair of snowflake earrings from a sweet friend. When this friend found out that she was disappointed that she couldn't wear them, she said that as soon as Emily got "holes" in her ears, she would be getting some earrings from her too. That was all Emily needed to hear. She wanted to go that very day, but I convinced her to think about it & I talked to her about it. She got up the next morning (on New Years Eve day) & announced "Let's go get the holes in my ears!" So off we went to the mall. I let her watch 3 other kids get their ears pierced, & she was still all for it. She did want to know what it would feel like, & the only way I could explain it to her, was "like a big pinch - a stinging". I did tell her that it would hurt, but not for long. Here's her piercing story in photos - 
After the first ear had been done, she yelled out "Mommy!" I flew to her & comforted her, & I honestly thought she wouldn't get the 2nd ear done, but she did.
I felt so bad for her. I really felt bad when afterwards she said to me "Mommy, you told me that it would feel like a big pinch, but it didn't. It felt like a big nail going through my ear." She was wanting to show her earrings off within an hour though, & wanted to wear a ponytail for the rest of the day -
And she was 'really' happy when those promised earrings arrived in the mail!
She squealed "Minnie Mouse earrings!" when she opened them. She's counting the days until she can wear them. She has to wait until Valentine's Day. So another 'biggie' for Princess Emily!
"Life isn't a matter of milestones but of moments." ~Rose Kennedy~
January 26, 2011
If you checked out Monday's link, you saw that Emily began ballet classes on Monday. She had the 'best' time! I'm so happy that she's finally being able to do something that she's dreamed about. My only regret is that I didn't start her sooner. For weeks, she was on pins & needles, asking me every hour how many more days until her class. Now I am asked how many days before her next class. She's hooked! I made a Smilebox showcasing her first lesson. Sorry that some of them are blurry - the pictures were taken through the glass wall at the ballet studio. Hope you enjoy sharing this with us! You may want to click on 'full screen'.  |
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| Digital slideshow customized with Smilebox |
"Dancing is the poetry of the foot." ~John Dryden~
January 24, 2011 I'm sorry that I've been MIA for awhile. I'm back now & ready to blog. It's Monday, so that means it's my Simple Woman's Daybook. Link is to the left if you'd like to visit. I posted a Winter sigtag - link is to the left. If you would like it, please email or tag, & let me know hair & eye color.I have missed you all, & hope you forgive me for another long absence. It's so easy to let the busyness of life prevent us from doing certain things. I'm so sorry to those of you that were concerned. I hope I have pics to share tomorrow of Emily's big day. If you want to see what has her so excited, please click here. See you back here tomorrow! Hugs!