Thursday, September 30, 2010

Quite a Girl...

I love toddlers...they have a cool way of thinking and expressing themselves...they are free spirits full of self-confidence...and super creative...I think my favorite toddler is a certain little girl named Elsie Jane...who firmly believes she is 6 and wishes her name was Emma. (I think she might idolize her auntie!) and she says the silliest things...
"This is really rad!"...can you tell "Full House" is new favorite show?
"This stinkin' rotten doll, it's plastic!" this said in outrage...like since when are dolls made with plastic? Love that she is using adjectives so well!
"Get out, ya bum!" she says this often because no one can be in the bathroom when she is using it. She has an attitude and knows just how to say things...her new thing is "Girl-friend" with a slight shift of her head like a teenager...she is quite a girl!


Going Home...

We were only 4 hours away from home...but for some reason it took us about 6 hours or more to get home...we had to make several quick stops for a certain almost 3 year old with a rather small bladder...Elsie is a rather creative child and at one point I turned around to find her rubbing hand sanitizer ALL over her legs...and she spilled half a bottle of water on her lap while trying to pour it from one container to another...in attempt to keep her still we put Full House in the DVD player...she is not that into tv so the show was really just annoying for Jon and I to listen to...Just need to point this out...she really does sit in her carseat...but when it is drenched with the water from her spilled water bottle it is not very comfortable ya know...
And this little man slept almost the whole way home...he woke up briefly so we stopped to feed him (and take another potty break)...then he fell right back to sleep...on all our car trips he is a terrible rider on the "going there" part but sleeps all the way home...crazy boy...but I am not about to complain!
Our chauffeur...at least for the first half of the trip home...the second half Jon and Elsie were in Jon's car and James and I were in the van...I prefer to have my chauffeur drive...even if his crazy driving sometimes about makes me scream!
One of our stops along the way...a huge pumpkin patch...there were rows and rows and pumpkins to choose from...it took a little time to find just the right one...
So many pumpkins...I love decorating for Fall and could have loaded up on lots of Pumpkins...but our van was already quite full of coolers, clothes, toys...you name it!
We tried and tried to talk Elsie into picking out a HUGE pumpkin...but she wanted noting to do with the huge ones...then she suddenly saw this cute little pumpkin that was just her size...Love at first sight...
A smile like that about such a cute pumpkin...how we possibly say no to a tiny $4.00 pumpkin!? She is happy and that is all that matters...
We did find a huge pumpkin for James...and after we got the van thought "darn where is that thing going to fit?" We squeezed it in somewhere...and Elsie's tiny pumpkin fit perfectly right on her lap. Now we need to wait a few more week before we carve them...and I think Mommy and Daddy might need to get a pumpkin also because we can't let the kids have all the fun!





Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Meet Taylor...

While on our little trip we had the pleasure of meeting Taylor Swift...oh wait...it's Elsie Jane in a WIG! We happened to find this very blond and curly wig at a garage sale...and Elsie fell in love with it! She really thinks she looks like "Tayla"...
She totally fits the part of Taylor with her cowboy boots on...the crazy part is Elsie loves this wig and is more than happy to put it on and walk around...as she was strutting around in the motel wearing the wig people some teenage girls were whispering about her hair and motioning for more people to come and look. I think they thought it was really her hair! And just for the record she is not working on growing a mustache...it is from some grape flavored water her brilliant mother bought for her...duh purple stains mouths...who knew!?


Vending Machine...

Who knew a vending machine could be so entertaining...sitting all day in a motel room with several little kids gets to be a bit much after awhile...so we gave the kids some $ bills and sent them off to the vending machine for a little snack...my mom went along to snap some pictures. Since Ana didn't want to bring her prego little body ALL the way out machine my mom took a picture and showed it to Ana so she could decide what she wanted the kids get for her...pretty creative thinking, I thought!
Down the hall with $ bills in hand...

What to choose, what to choose...just so many choices. Yes, we did clean the machine out of Fritos...I don't know how many $ bills were fed to the machine...but it was fun for the kids...(maybe they don't get out enough?!)
Checking to see if just maybe someone forgot to take their soda pop...
Trying to decide what to get...it seems that Oliver felt clothes were optional only on that day...at least he has his socks on!
The almost 3 year old in charge of the room key...for some reason having to unlock the motel room door every time you want in is a fun and magical thing for kids...but a pain in the butt for adults...why is that?
Everyone contentedly eating their vending machine snacks...gotta have those snacks...



Road Trip...

A few weeks ago my parents decided to go visit Ana, Brandon and Oliver...and because we like to tag along I excitedly announced that my children and I would gladly go also...what I was thinking to *want* to go on a 4 hour car ride with an almost 3 year old and a 2 month old I don't know...but we tagged along...my mini van following my parents 15 passenger van...wonder what the woman at the front desk of the motel thought as we pulled up!? On our way we stopped at McDonalds for a potty break (one of many for my lovely almost 3 year old!) and decided to rent a movie from the Red Box! Maybe I don't get out much...but I have always wanted to rent a movie from one of those cool red boxes...and we finally did...Date Night...but I couldn't watch it since I had to drive...but it sounded like a good movie!
When you come from a large family it is always someones birthday...and while we were away it was Laura's birthday...17! Now we are done with the birthday season until Elsie's birthday...then it is 3 birthdays in 2 weeks! We celebrate a lot...
Every Birthday requires the traditional "family birthday picture"...however my mom is *never* in the pictures...I even bought her a tri-pod for her birthday so she could be in some pictures...but it sits un-used! As you can tell getting a good group photo is impossible...
James is missing from the family picture...because as soon as we got to Ana's house the little man (who did not sleep very much at all in the car) fell right to sleep and slept in Oliver's crib for most of the evening...I think all that fussing in the car made him sleepy...the little stinker!
He still managed to sleep all night at the motel also...all cuddled in between mommy, daddy and Elsie...if a motel has such a thing as a "super sized queen bed" I would be willing to spend lots of extra money for one...4 in a bed gets a little crowded!
The next morning we all went to the city wide garage sales...then back to the motel. Ana's house was being taken over by the guys who were painting and doing lots of little things to get it ready to sell. So we all had some quality girl time...with James and Oliver,too...
And because this was a laid back kind of trip...lunch was made by the wonderful workers at McDonalds...(and some GF sandwiches for those who cannot eat burgers!) The kids were just happy to be able to their lunches in front of the TV! After lunch it was on to the swimming pool...and we somehow managed to not take a single picture!
In one motel room: Jon, Elsie, James, Mom, Dad, Emma, Marissa and myself...count em' up...8 people in one room with 2 queen beds...we managed to smuggle 2 sleeping bags in for the kiddos though. While in a motel it seem all rules and organization is forgotten...to put it lightly we had a rather messy room!
For Elsie the highlight of the trip was the little notepad and pen...she carried it around with her and did her "homework"...she covered the notebook with stick people and little "o" shapes...her 2 favorite things to draw...
Little Oliver had quite a thing for the phone...he would dial "0" for the front desk and Ana would quickly smack the receiver down before anyone answered...that boy is just like his mama...a button pusher!
And little James slept through all the chaos...and woke up a very happy boy all full of smiles! This boy is not going to know what quite it!



Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Growing Boy...

James is getting to be quite a big boy...he needs to slow down a little! He is now 2 1/2 months old...and is wearing a 3-6 months clothes already!
He is getting to the really fun rolly-poly age...he smiles at everyone...and is starting to laugh at funny sounds...he loves to watch Elsie dance and sing in front of him...and he loves his aunties and uncle!
James has always been a good sleeper...he takes a couple of really long naps during the day and is usually awake only 1 time at night...for some reason when James is tired nothing wakes this boy up...today he was sleeping in the living room as Elsie and the aunties played very loudly in the same room and he just slept right through it! I hope that continues...in hopes that it will I never tell Elsie to be quite while the little man is sleeping... What a perfect little man...and I can say that because I am his mama!



These Boots...

Elsie is love...deeply in love with her red cowboy boots...and she looks so darn cute. Everywhere we go people complement her on those boots...I think she thinks she is Taylor Swift or something...
Now that she has her boots she rarely wears anything else...in fact one night I had to wait until she was sleeping to carefully take her boots off! My favorite is when she wears the boots with her pink tutu...or a party dress...this girl has got fashion!


Canning Pears...

With being on bedrest for the first half of summer and having a newborn for the other half we did not get much food stored up for the winter...we did about 12 jars of apple sauce using the apples from our tree. And a few weeks ago I got really ambitious and canned a lug of pears by myself while watching the kids! I think we got over 20 jars of pears...now James will have some tasty and healthy baby food when he starts solid foods this winter...
Elsie was my good helpin' girl...she tried her best to peal and slice the pears with her little knife...don't worry it was just a little plastic knife...but still made her feel important! After she got tired of trying to cut she was happy to pick up the slices I cut and drop them into the lemon water...
This photo is more of a before picture...the kitchen looks so cleaned up...by the time I finished we had pear juice dripping off the edge of the counter...2 cups of sugar water spilled all over the stove top and the floor...In the end I was thinking to myself " maybe gerber baby food isn't so bad..."
After awhile Elsie got tired of helping me all together...and she sat on the floor eating pears and looking through old picture books...
After James woke up it was Elsie's job to give James a bottle while I finished before the pears got brown...thankfully my dad showed up and was willing to feed James while I finished slicing...and my sister Lisa was willing to come over and entertain the kiddos while I packed the jars...then it was over to my parents house to boil the jars. We have a smooth top electric stove and cannot can on it...but my mom is a bit like a perfectionist and usually takes over the boiling part for me...and I am not about to complain! (thanks mom...and dad and Lisa!) It feels good to know that I have at least a little bit of fresh food stored up for winter...



Monday, September 27, 2010

Bathtub Fun...

When Jon is gone working Elsie misses him so much...she calls him every morning to ask when he will be home. Lately Jon has been emailing Elsie one picture every morning...then she emails him a picture at some point everyday...our new Droids come in very handy for quick communication!
Last week Elsie was busy playing in the tub with her foam letters...so we used the foam letters to write Daddy a message to email to him...
A very happy girl...who loves her daily soak in the tub...just don't wash the hair!



Friday, September 24, 2010

Love...

Elsie is still totally in love with her little brother...she loves to hold him...and James loves it when Elsie talks to him...he flashes her big smiles and is now starting to "talk" back to her...
Love this picture...you can really feel the love! My favorite thing is at night...James and Elsie hold hands while they sleep...and when James wakes up Elsie reaches out and strokes his cheek and he goes back to sleep...so special! I have a funny feeling that these two are going to be best buddies...


A Litttle Polish...

Every little girl must learn at some point the importance of finely painted nails...and how to paint her own nails! Practice makes perfect,right? She pretty much painted her entire finger...
She tried to talk me into letting her use the bright pink polish...but I think we better stick with the clear sparkles for a while...


Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Swingin'

I have a love hate relationship with this lovely swing...I love that it keeps Elsie entertained for very long stretches of time....but I hate that this swing seems to need her at the worst times ever...like dinner time or on her way to the bathroom...she honestly cannot walk past the swing without taking a quick swing on it...



I grew up with a swing or a trapeze hanging in the living room...so it is perfectly natural for me to want a swing hanging in my house...I think it is totally natural...but one day we had a repair man here and every time he walked past it he looked at it as the craziest thing ever...some people just don't get childhood fun!!



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