Saturday Mornings Are For:

--Snuggling in our pj's till noon

--Painting and making a big mess at the table

--Watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

--Building a fort in the family room with pillows

--Decorating our fort

--Allowing (forcing) Max to join in the fun

--And our favorite---Dress Up!!!

Good Dog Max!!! We love you...even when you are dressed up like Tinkerbell!!!

Mmmmm.....Good!!!!

Kaden had a big pile of mashed potatoes with peas for dinner this past Thursday night. I put a big spoonful on his highchair tray and let him make a huge mess. And a huge mess it was!!! He definitely needed a bath afterward and the entire highchair had to be taken apart and cleaned. But...these are the good times when we make happy memories!

Love to all,
EMT

A Little Bit Nervous...

I forgot to mention that Aubrie told me in the car today that she has "plans"....

Aubrie: "Mommy can I tell you something?"

Mommy: "Of course." (why does she ask...I never say no.)

Aubrie: "I know what I'm going to do."

Mommy: "Do about what?"

Aubrie: "When I grow up...I'm going to be a 'Wild Girl' and then get married and have a baby."

Mommy: "Ummm....what exactly is a 'Wild Girl'?"

Aubrie: (Smiling very mischievously) "A 'Wild Girl' gets to do whatever she wants."

Mommy: (Pulling up at school) "Let's talk about that later tonight..."

Aubrie: "Okay."

A Mommy that apparently needs to be on her knees in serious prayer about my "Wild Girl."
EMT

Sweet Heart

This morning started out so well. The alarm went off. Aubrie and I got up at the same time and she sweetly asked me for a "Minnie Mouse" pancake. So...we trudge downstairs in our pj's and start to make pancakes together. Measure...mix...pour...flip...add butter...add syrup...add chocolate chip eyes, nose, mouth and a chocolate chip "flower" for Minnie's ear. I even let Aubrie watch a 15 minute "WonderPets" show. Go Mommy. This is a great morning I think to myself.

Now things begin to go downhill....very quickly.

Look at the clock. Realize I am running a few minutes behind. Hurry to make the rest of the pancake mix so it doesn't go to waste. The griddle is too hot. Burn pancakes. Stop making pancakes for a few minutes to let it cool down. Feed the dogs. Drop Max's entire cup of food all over the kitchen floor. Sweep it up. Let Max eat off the floor (big mistake). Come back to finish making the pancakes and step (in my bare feet of course) on a big slimy licked section of the floor. GROSS!!! Make a mental note to mop the floor...and clean my feet. Aubrie's show is over. Tell her to get dressed. Run upstairs to find Aubrie in Kaden's crib playing peek-a-boo. Smile at how cute my kids are and then remind Aubrie to get dressed. Come back downstairs. Nurse Kaden. Plop him down on the floor to play with toys. Run upstairs to get dressed. Back downstairs. Change Kaden. Rip a diaper in the process because he's being crazy this morning. I forgot Kaden's clothes...back upstairs. Get him dressed. Plop him on the floor again. Start to do Aubrie's hair....and this is where things REALLY go downhill.

Aubrie: "Mommy can you please not do my hair so I can play?"

Mommy: "No."

Aubrie: "Okay, well can you please do lots and lots of small braids in my hair?"

Mommy: "I can try but I don't know how much time I will have. I might only be able to do a couple."

Aubrie: "Okay...just please don't do one on each side...I want lots."

Mommy: "Okay...well hurry up and sit down."

Aubrie: "Can I please have rainbow twisties at the end of my braids and can I please pick them?"

Mommy: "AUBRIE SIT DOWN SO I CAN GET STARTED!"

Mommy: "Aubrie you have to turn your head. You can't look at Kaden."

Mommy: "Aubrie...please stop moving your head."

Mommy: "AUBRIE! Work with me please...stop moving!!!"

Aubrie: (starting to cry) "Mommy you are doing one on each side aren't you?"

Mommy: (getting annoyed) "No but if you don't sit still I will only have time to do one on each side."

Mommy: "Okay switch sides."

Mommy: "AUBRIE SIT STILL AND STOP MOVING!!!!"

Aubrie: (starting to cry again) "Mommy you are pulling my head when you braid my hair and that's why I'm moving."

Mommy: "Well.....Hold your head still anyway!"

Mommy: "AUBRIE IF YOU KEEP MOVING I WON'T BE ABLE TO FINISH!!!"

Aubrie: (trying very hard not to move)..."Okay Mommy...I'm trying."

Mommy: "Go look in the mirror and see if you like it."

(By the way there are two braids on one side and one on the other...)

Aubrie comes back crying and says she really didn't want me to braid her hair anyway she just wanted to play with her dollhouse. I told her all the reasons I had for needing to "do" her hair (none of which were very important) and then told her to hurry up and brush her teeth and get her back pack.

After a minor scuffle over which shoes to wear we were all piled into the car. Run back into the house for my coffee. Get back out to go over and "untwist" Aubrie's seat belt. Get back in the car and we are off.

Halfway to school I was starting to calm down and feeling kind of bad for being so grumpy with her about her hair. Not wanting to start the day so poorly I turned around (while at a red light) and held her hand and told her I was sorry for being such a grumpy Mommy when I was doing her hair.

And this right here is the part I love about kids...she just looked into my eyes and with complete forgiveness in her heart said, "It's okay Mommy." A lot can be learned from kids when it comes to forgiveness. She is so generous in giving it. So sweet about accepting an apology and so loving.....she's also pretty hilarious because after she accepted my apology she said....

"Mommy...it's a good thing you don't have to do Kaden's hair!!!"

Mommy: (laughing really hard) "You're right Aubrie...it is definitely a good thing!!!"

Blessed to be Aubrie's Mom!
EMT

Clothes

I love to share Aubrie's clothes with my niece Teagan. It's so fun to see her wear the clothes that Aubrie has outgrown. Occasionally, though, Teagan manages to find an outfit or item of clothing that we have not actually given to her (yet) and she likes to hold onto it. Usually this is a result of one of our many trips to visit family and understandably things get lost along the way. Usually I don't even notice they are missing...but then my sister posts a picture of Teagan wearing the "stolen" item of clothing on her blog and now I remember...hmmmm...So THAT is where that dress went....hmmmmm.....what to do.....

I know...I'll just call my sister and ask her if she could (in her free time) please wash and press the dress and overnight it back to me since she has so much free time and extra money. I mean seriously...have you read her blog? She doesn't have ANYTHING going on in her life. It would actually be kind of me to give her a little "project." You know...something to get her out of the house. I'll call her first thing in the morning. Yeah...good plan.

Never planning to get the dress back but so thankful for my sister,
Erin

Stamina

How does she do it???

The girl got up before 7:00 a.m. and had an incredibly busy day. She came home from school and played all night. We took a walk and went to the park. We followed our night routine and still she is up in her bed awake.

Aubrie: "Mommy, I can't sleep."

Mommy: "Aubrie you need to close your eyes and be very still and quiet."

Aubrie: "But Mommy I can't stop thinking. My brain and heart are thinking about one and a billion and sixty things. And a hundred more than that too!"

Mommy: "That's a lot of things!!!" (Hiding muffled laughter)

Aubrie: "Mommy, can we just talk for a while?"

Mommy: "Sure."

Aubrie: "I want to tell you something about Kindergarten."

Mommy: "I'm listening." (Ears have perked up with interest)

Aubrie: "I really like nap time the best!"

Mommy: "Oh, really?" (I'm confused...she wouldn't nap when she was at home)

Aubrie: "Only Mommy..."

Mommy: "Yes honey?"

Aubrie: "I really need a pillow because it wasn't very comfy and I couldn't fall asleep and we only had a little bit of time for rest...only like ten minutes or maybe it was twelve, I think."

Mommy: "Did any other kids have a pillow?" (Starting to feel guilty)

Aubrie: "No, but could I please take my big, orange squishy pillow...pleeeeeeeeease?"

Mommy: "No and now it's time to close your eyes."

Aubrie: "Okay...but Mommy..."

Mommy: "Yes Aubrie?" (Starting to get a little bit tired)

Aubrie: "I know I won't fall asleep. AND I PROMISE I WILL COME IN YOUR BED LATER."

Mommy: "Good night, Aubrie, close your eyes." (It is going to be another long night......)

Seriously...how does she do it? The child has an amazing amount of stamina...or insomnia....

Blessed to be the Mommy of such an amazing, smart, funny, creative, playful, imaginative, sensitive, beautiful and sleepless little girl!
EMT

Kindergarten

I can't believe it but it is true. I just dropped my sweet little Aubrie off at Kindergarten. She was so adorable and so excited and very nervous. She woke up at 6:45 this morning and came into my room and woke me up asking if we were going to be late for school. For those of you that don't know Aubrie well she is NOT a morning person so for her to wake up before 7:00 a.m. is a sign that she was beyond excited!!!



I was so good and didn't cry...today. I cried a little yesterday and got it out of the way. Today I just had butterflies in my stomach and didn't want to leave the parking lot just in case she needed something. It's so hard to let them go...



After a quick trip to the grocery store (and man is it ever easier to go with just one kid) Kaden and I are home and he's happily playing. It's very, very quiet in the house. I think it will take me a while to get used to it. I miss her already! I'm glad she's having fun and I can't wait to see her at 3:30 and hear all about her special 1st day!



Love to all,

EMT