Sporting a Big Girl Haircut

For the last two years I have kept Macey in the same hairstyle -- a little ponytail on top of her head. For the last year she has hated it, saying it made her look like a baby, and she was right.

But, Garry took the girls to Cookie Cutters to get haircuts. I told him I thought Macey would look really great in a bob. Check out my little girl!

Writing About The Un-write-ables

It has been hard to update my blog lately because it seems like I have been suffering from from bloggers block. There have been two huge things on my mind lately but they have been unwriteable. So it's been hard to get anything else to the surface.

First, Garry was out of town for a few weeks. It was a stressful time, but I could not really write about it because I did not want to advertise that I was home. ALONE. And the good news was that I did have company for some of the time! My parents came for a few days and my sister came and spent the night one night and another night my other sister took the big girls and let them have a sleep over at her house. I was really grateful for all of their help.

In other news, I am starting the fifth month of my pregnancy. It's been an interesting pregnancy because I was so sure that we wanted four kids and then when I found out I was pregnant, I realized that I was starting all over. There were moments of severe panic! I was still having problems getting Molly to sleep through the night! What was I thinking?!?!

At my last doctor visit they could not find a heartbeat, and I had to go in for an ultrasound. That was not a fun time. They said everything looked fine, but I am anxious for my next visit. I'm thin and usually nurses can find heartbeats fast. So, it's an anxious time.

I could find out this month the gender of the baby, but in my world of pink (pink clothes, pink hats, pink shoes, pink blankets, pink CARSEAT) I am daring the fates to send me a boy. We usually get what we're unprepared for, and so I think, hey, bring it on! So we'll just be surprised in March. I'm not that worried about it. Okay, I am worried about the pink carseat. . .

Kiss, Kiss

I love Miss Molly, but she is certainly a handful at times. Whether it be with Nestle Chocolate Powder or markers or baby powder. . .she's made messes with all of them this week alone (sigh).

After a particular mess, she got a stern talking to. She stood there, took her verbal lashing, and looked up at me, big blue eyes shining.

"Mama," she said, "I want mwa-mwa". She had to say it twice before I realized that she wanted a kiss. After all, if you listen to a kiss, it's not a kiss. It's a mwa-mwa.

I guess everyone just wants a hug, a kiss, and a certainty that things are going to be okay.

In The Valley. . .

In Maryland we were spoiled by living on top of a huge hill. We never had any water issues except when the drain next to the community parking lot would get clogged, overflow, and we'd lose a parking space for a day or two.

Here in the valley. . .I have water issues. Due to an ill-placed gutter and a front yard that was sloped incorrectly, everything from the front yard drains into one window well. When we moved in, it had flooded. And it flooded the next day as well. Our neighbors lent us a pump that I can put in the window well and pump out the water. But, this means that we have to be home during every rain storm, which is not going to be practical forever.

Another problem is snow! We had our first snow fall yesterday and I had to pump out the window well five times in the morning due to everything melting into that window well.

I know from the fact that there is an orange-bucket device in that window well that they had a pump in there before. They took the pump but left the bucket device. I am guessing that when they tried to sell the house (before it turned into a short sale) that they removed the pump so prospective buyers would not be immediately aware of the water issues.

We need to put in another sump pump down in there, but we do not have a dedicated power source near that particular window well. We'll have to have an electrician come out and create one or just deal with an ugly cord for awhile, because I cannot spend many more nights, half awake, listening for the rain.

If anyone has any advice or experiences, please share!

Saving the World. . .One Trip to the Beach at a Time

This year the Utah PTA had a state-side program that celebrates the arts. Students are encouraged to do a project (art, music, photography -- lots of options) around the theme "Together We Can. . ."

Emma is a great little artist. We are always amazed by what she draws and what she comes up with. So I bought her some markers and some paper and explained the theme. I said, "Emma, you have to finish the thought 'Together We Can. . .' and then draw a picture about it."

Wanting her to do her own work, I walked away and let her loose. I checked in later to find out that her theme was. . .(drumroll please!)

Together We Can Go To The Beach.

She drew a picture of our family at the beach.

Haha! I know it won't win any prizes but I had to laugh as I filled out the application, included the title and "inspiration" and under materials (watercolor? oil on canvas?) I got to write 'Crayola Marker'.

Go Emma!

Seventeen Again. . .And Still

Emma's teacher sent home a little sheet several weeks ago so that we can keep track of her reading. I am supposed to read to her 20 minutes a day. Sometimes we do well, sometimes we fall behind.

But, I decided awhile ago that the 20 minutes would go faster if I enjoyed the book, too, and so I started reading to her one of the first Nancy Drew mysteries: The Mystery of the Old Clock. This is truly an early, early Nancy Drew. There's no Ned, no Bess, no George. Just Nancy and her sleuthing.

And, oh! to be Nancy Drew for awhile! She has a housekeeper, Hannah, a doting father, a fast car, money to go out and buy dresses whenever she would like.

And she never ages! I do not think that I would like to be stuck at 17. But I would like to be stuck at an age where I had a housekeeper. And a fast car (sorry Odyssey!). And money for clothes. Stick me right there and leave me there for 80 years!

Learn Something New!

For the past couple of days I have been reading a book that takes place during World War II. It's a fiction account of three main characters, one in England and two in the United States, and so far it has been a good book.

In one section of the book, just quickly (it is fiction, after all) they discussed the rise of Hitler and his early propaganda speeches. Did you know that starting in the 30s when he was talking about the need to get rid of the Jews from "Homeland Germany" he suggested rounding them up to one location and relocating them just like the American Indian Reservations. He used the United States as a good example.

Just when you think that we're cool, you realize. . .we're not that cool.

A Little Thank You MIGHT Be In Order. . .

Sometimes in the middle of the night I will have brief night terrors. They come in one of three shapes. Sometimes I will be convinced that the ceiling fan has come loose and is heading straight for me! I'll wake up screaming and heading for cover.

Or, I'll be convinced that someone is in the room and wake up screaming "Who's here? There's someone in here!" (Garry's personal favorite).

Or I'll wake up screaming because some dresser drawers or a bookcase has tipped over and is heading my way!

The other night I woke up screaming because a bookcase was tipping over and was going to fall on us. Garry was not amused, especially considering we do not even have a bookcase in our bedroom.

But, here's the thing, when I woke I I was trying to shield him from the blow that was coming our way. And after the screaming stopped, did I get a "thank you?" No, which is just bad manners, I think.

You Have To Laugh

The other day Garry and I were watching a television show where the host was talking about grumpy old people.

He even had proof.

He said that infants laugh hundreds of times a day. (I'm not sure about that number -- maybe Molly is just a cranky young person) while people who were over age 50 only laughed 2-3 times a day.

I thought that the difference was kind of funny. I had to laugh. Which goes to show you how young I still am.

Evil Santa

I am a little concerned about this Christmas, and it's not even Halloween yet.

My children have decided, just like the little boy on The Christmas Story, that Santa Claus can be the way to get exactly what they want, no matter what Mom says.

For example, last week Emma told me that she was going to ask Santa for a trampoline. There's no way that a trampoline is in our Christmas budget, and I told her that I did not think that was going to happen, but she quickly told me, "Oh, don't worry, Mama, I'll just ask Santa. . ."

And then there's Macey. Through commercials she has discovered those Squinkies toys. They are tiny and would not survive a single vacuum pass of their room. I told Macey that they were too small and we were not getting them, and she said, "I'll just ask Santa."

I think I should explain to the girls about the Mommy Veto.

Little Conversations

I like to talk to Molly first thing in the morning because then I can discover what she has been thinking about all night, maybe even dreaming about. For a girl who is not yet two, she has a really good vocabulary and can generally express most of what she wants or most of what she wants to tell you.

This morning she told me about "the baby" (her name for Cousin Cameron who is her size) who has a swing. "Mama, baby swing. Baby swing."

Last Sunday Garry and I went downtown to watch conference and my in-laws were nice enough to watch all three girls. I guess they spent a lot of time on Cameron's swing, with Macey pushing and pushing a happy Molly.

Two days later, she's still thinking about it, still talking about it, which I think is amazing for a 22 month old. She has a little slide, but I guess it's just not good enough. Come on big tax return, baby wants a new swing!

Party Like It Was 2004!

Since October 5, 2009, Emma has been planning her 6th birthday party. Oh my! She loves, loves birthdays! I talked to her primary teacher who affirmed that it was a favorite topic on Sundays. She told me that she hoped I had something great planned because Emma has been looking forward to this day and planning this day and INVITING friends for months! We decided to hold the party at Black Diamond Sports Center, where Emma attends gymnastics three times a week. They had three coaches who let them play on all of the equipment. They did floor games, went through obstacle courses, had foam fights, ran into foam pits, got thrown into foam pits and jumped and jumped and jumped!

Here's all ten girls chilling in the foam pit!

Then we moved over to the party room for cake, ice cream, and presents.

Here's Emma opening her first present -- a Polar Bear Pillowpet from Grammy. It's all that she wanted, and she was so excited!

More partying is to come with the family party on Monday evening. Can you believe that she is 6!!!???!!!