You're So Vain. . .

You're so vain. . . I bet you think this blog is about you. . .you're so vain! I bet you think this blog is about you, don't you? don't you? (And yes, I know those are not the right words).

On Sunday I dressed Molly up in Emma's Easter dress. She looked all frilly and cute and to complete the effect, I put one of those cutesy headbands on her.

I put it on. She took it off. I put it on. She took it off. Finally I put it on and took her over to the mirror. "Look, Molly," I said, "Look how cute you look with it on!" And wouldn't you know it, she left it on!

Fishing With Dad

On Saturday we had to clear out so that people could look at our townhouse, and so we took the girls to Gilbert Park! Macey got her own fishing pole a few weeks ago, and she was so excited to use it. Molly was taking a nap in the van, and I stayed with her while Garry & gals hit the lake! They had worms, fancy lures, a boat, a beautiful day. . .but unfortunately no fish. Well, there was one really big one. . .but it got away.

Wonderful Day!

Yesterday Garry took the oldest girls to Kings Dominion. It was a Friday, and it was supposed to (and did) rain, and so they had the park to themselves.

And Molly and I had the place to ourselves! We cleaned up and then hit the town! We started our afternoon at MiMi's Cafe. I had never been to a sit down restaurant by myself before, except for maybe a business conference many lives ago, but I was willing to give it a try. Am I ready to order? Why yes! Yes, I am! And I was not in and out, oh no! I got an appetizer, an entree, and a dessert. Molly enjoyed the french fries, carrots from my chicken pot pie and the berries from on top of my mousse. She had a great time.

Afterward we went to Target and I found a book that Emma loves called Biscuit. She got it from the library, and she has memorized it, but she was sad that she was going to have to take it back to the library. But I found a cheap, paperback version. Yeah!

Then we went to the mall and I visited my friend who works at a jewelry story. She cleaned my ring for me. How great was that? It's all shiny and pretty!

I also found a bracelet and some yummy lotion and shower gel. Happiness.

Finally, I went to Blockbuster to get a used version of the movie Bolt. Disney has been VERY slow in marking down that movie, and so I just gave up and bought it used. The girls were excited.

It was good to get out! And with just one kid!

Nine Months of Mollyabulous!

Today Molly is nine months old! This month, she has mastered standing up and clapping and can walk, make that run, with her little walker. I think that she has even started to say "Emma" (no, I'm not jealous at all) but it's usually said with so much other gobbly gobbly that I cannot be 100 percent sure.

She loves to play with her sisters, torment them by stealing princesses and Little People, and she loves loves to eat Cheerios off of the floor (so much btter than the ones on her tray.) She hates her carseat and apparently nighttime.

She can crawl so fast and is a ham -- if she is not getting enough attention she stand up in the middle of the floor and clap for herself until we all join in. We love our Molly!

Here are some highlights from the month:

I'm standing! I'm standing! And I'm falling. . .

On the swing on Stake Temple Day

Exhausted from loving Macaroni & Cheese TOO MUCH!

Enjoying a little quesadilla at Taco Bell.

Calling Their Bluff

Before I had children and knew everything there was to know about parenting, I was always frustrated by the parents who would say, "Bobby, if you do that one more time. . ." and of course Bobby does it one more time and little, if anything, happens.

I have been guilty of that a lot lately. I have three kids at home all day. They wear me down, and I have decided to choose my battles carefully.

Today we were set to go play with Eddie at the park. The girls were very excited, but very irritable. Molly has not been sleeping well lately, waking up earlier and earlier (today it was 5:30 am) and though I try to keep her quiet, she always wakes up Emma who wakes up Macey. No one is getting the sleep they need (especially Mama!) and it's a difficult morning.

After breaking out into three large fits, I told Macey that if she cried one more time that morning, there would be no park date with Eddie. She cried, something about too much milk in her Fruit Loops, and so I told her there was no park date.

It's a tough decision to follow through on! I need the time out and the socialization as much as they do some days, and I felt bad indirectly punishing Emma for Macey's actions. But, I am hoping that installing stricter discipline with real consequences will pay off later!

Too Smart

We are in a rut. School has started, the pool is only open a few hours in the evening, and some of Emma's friends have started Kindergarten this year. It's a hard time. Yesterday, to help her have fun I met some good friends at Chuck E. Cheese's and then we went to the mall for lunch and ice cream.

Emma loves Chuck E. Cheese's. We do not go there often, maybe four times a year, and so it is a big deal when we go. She loves everything about it: the lights, the games, the picture making machines, the tickets, the prizes, the horrible food. . . Heaven.

My friend Laura gave us a coupon for 100 tokens for $10. This is a great deal as normally they are $5 for just 20. We came home with a cup full of unused tokens, and Emma started planning her return trip. But how to get her Mom to agree?

I told Emma this morning that she was starting dance lessons in 8 days. Hurrah! She took this information and then decided to use it in her little plot. First, she asked me if we could go back to Chuck E. Cheese's?

Not today, I said.

Maybe in a few days? Like eight? she asked.

Sure, I said.

Then she came up to me about 20 minutes later and said that there was a huge problem. She was going to dance lessons in eight days! That meant that she could not go to Chuck E. Cheese's in eight days. So she informed me that we needed to go sooner. Like maybe tomorrow.

I do not know whether I should be impressed or a little scared.

Look What I Can Do!

Molly, our eight month dynamo, has amazed us again over the last few days with her strength. She really is a small, little petite girl, but so strong and just a ham! If she thinks that she is not getting enough attention, she will stand up in the middle of the room (no need to hold onto furniture for this little dynamo) and clap for herself. It's very cute.