A Tight Spot.

Chad spent most of yesterday with Hannah, playing with all the new toys she got for Christmas. He took her out to McD's for dinner and she helped him grocery shop. After they got home, they decided to play with her new Dora Explorer Playhouse. For some reason that I will NEVER understand, Chad thought he could make it through the tunnel. This is what happened. Now, when I entered into this, he'd already been stuck for like 15 minutes. I grabbed the camera and filmed Hannah trying to save him....I was laughing so hard I thought I was going to pee my pants! I can't remember the last time I laughed to the point of tears. In the end, I had to put the camera down and assist in the efforts....Chad was getting hot in there and awfully frustrated!

Catching Up

So, Christmas is officially over...and I'm officially over Christmas. It was great...we had a fantastic time visiting everyone...opening gifts....eating good food...opening more gifts...music, lights...all the wonderful holiday things. But enough is enough. Frankly, I'm tired of the clutter...and I'm ready to rip my tree down. It's actually starting to stink. I think it smells like a poopy diaper, but Chad swears it's the Christmas tree. And since I've searched the room high and low for any dirty diapers, I'm beginning to agree. Our tree smells like it's over Christmas too. The trash pick-up won't take trees until Jan. 7th, so I think we'll be hauling it to the dump ourselves.
Chad has this entire week off, which is GREAT! He plans to spend the whole week catching up on unfinished/un-started projects around the house.
On a totally different note- I have been to the movies 3 times in the past 2 1/2 months!...truly a record for me. Anyway, on Saturday, Liz and I went to see Marley and Me. I didn't realize we'd be crying through most of it! Really good movie, and I'm NOT a dog person. Me seeing that movie was probably the best thing that's ever happened to Dave. After the movie, I actually missed him! He got lots of love from me when we got home.....I even got a little crazy and let him lay with me on the couch. Dave may be obnoxious, stinky, and loud- but he loves us- and he's a sweet dog.
Chad's parents have a Bishon Freise (sorry- no idea how to spell that). Her name is Stella and she's a little white puff ball. Hannah had a blast with her yesterday- Stella kept giving her kisses and making her laugh. I love this picture of them sitting together.

Our Christmas trip so far...

We had a very nice Christmas Day yesterday. Hannah woke up and asked if Santa had come- then downstairs she noticed that all the cookies we'd left for Santa and his riendeer were gone. She said "Santa ate those cookies all up!" Then she asked where the cup of milk was- I realized that I'd stuck it in the sink after drinking it- so I told her that Santa was tidy and cleaned up after himself :) She was in awe when she saw her stocking stuffed with goodies and she LOVED her Dora Explorer tent/tunnel. She kept saying "Look what Santa brought for me!" After we opened gifts, we loaded everyone up in the car and began the 4 hour drive to Virginia Beach. The girls did great on the drive- Sadie slept most of the way, and Hannah snacked and watched her new DVD's.

Hannah and Sadie had a whole new slew of gifts to open when we arrived at my parents house in VB. Hannah helped play "santa" and distributed the gifts- and also helped rip them open :) Everyone seemed to like thier handmade scarves....and I'm sure they will wear them ...everyday...

Sadie is not sleeping well at all- she has a runny nose and is teething hard core! Hannah woke up last night around midnight and wanted me to sleep with her, so I had to sleep with her knees in my back for 2 or 3 hours until she was sleeping deeply enough for me to pry myself out from under her and sneak back into my bed. I knew I wasn't going to get any sleep...I don't even try to fool myself anymore into thinking I may actually get a good night's rest.

Today we went to see "Yes Man" with Erin and Matt---laughed my butt off!! Jim Carey was hilarious in this one. It was very nice to get out and have some grown up time- eat Mexican for lunch and enjoy a movie. Tomorrow we're going to breakfast with some friends, and the maybe take Hannah down to the boardwalk in the afternoon. I'm heading to bed - maybe I can get a whole hour of sleep in before the sniffly baby wakes up!

Countdown Begins

I feel super busy this week with everything I'm trying to accomplish before Christmas Day. I'm officially done with all my shopping so I can cross that big one off my list! We're going to VA Beach on Thursday, so I'm trying the get the house in order, conquer Mt. Laundry, and make sure we have everything we need for our trip. Thank goodness for the teenage girl across the street who will be taking care of our zoo for us while we're gone. She's very responsible, and seems to actually really like our dogs (go figure)...and I'm sure she's happy to earn some holiday cash...so it's a win win! It's also my goal to make sure the van is packed by Wednesday night so all we have to do on Christmas morning is open presents, get dressed and roll out! I'm looking forward to our trip, but dreading it a bit as well- because I don't know how the girls will do as far as sleeping goes. The no sleep situation can make our trip seriously crappy. On the other hand, I could be pleasantly surprised and they might do great....ya never know! In any case- I'm excited to see family...it's just not Christmas without family!!!

Happy Saturday!

Oh the weather outside is frightful...but our day was pretty delightful. I took Hannah to Little Gym this morning. She hadn't been in two weeks (b/c of the plague that consumed us) and she was super excited. She was having such a blast all through the class, then right at the very end- before the final goodbye song- tragedy struck! One of the twin boys in her class, named Dash and Jag (trust me- the names are self-explanatory), decided to charge full speed at my child and send her flying backward onto her bottom. The father was totally preoccupied with the other twin and didn't' see it happen, so little Dashy (or Jaggy) kept right on running. Hannah picked herself up and started her hyperventilation cry. Some of the other parents and kids saw what happened and came over to console her. She cried through the goodbye song, but calmed down after we left the gym. Her teacher gave her some extra ladybug stamps and she was in a good mood again. On the way home from class, she brought it up in the car and said "Mommy, that boy pushed me away" "That wasn't nice!" I told her that he was just so excited and that he probably didn't mean to be so rough. Of course, in my head I was thinking ..."damn kid.., hope he trips on his shoelace and eats it!"...but good Moms don't say that out loud I guess :)
Later on, Hannah went down for a nap. I left Sadie with Chad and headed out into the holiday madness to get some Christmas shopping done. I must say, I'm very proud of my thrifty shopping today. I knocked out 3 people on my list for under 40$ at Old Navy!...Then went over to Target and got stocking stuffers for everyone. It was nice to get out and spend some time alone...even if i was exposed to the insane drivers that live in Winchester VA!
Tonight at bath time, Hannah and I were making silly faces...here are her best ones. Hope everyone is having a nice weekend.

Today was Hannah's school Christmas program and she was spectacular! She belted out all the tunes- her teacher said she was the only one in her class that sang the whole way through. They sang Jingle Bells, We Wish You a Merry Christmas, and Away in a Manger. She could see me when she first marched into the fellowship hall and smiled and waved to us. She was VERY proud of herself and loved the attention/applause! Chad video taped the show, so that's much better than these pictures, but ya get the idea. What a proud moment as a parent to see your child sing for the first time in a christmas program! I can't believe she's actually old enough for me to start enjoying this sort of stuff. Becky's son, Max was in the program too- a few rows behind Hannah- with the "big kids" :) We were giddy with excitement watching them! They were all too cute!







I also wanted to post these pictures of Hannah's December art work from school. The hand/footprint angel is my favorite. I think it may need to be framed!

Wordless Wednesday

Paper Cuts

Chad and I died laughing when we came across this mess tonight. Around dinner time tonight, Hannah got a paper cut and (being the drama queen she is) cried endlessly about it. I offered her a Dora Band aid and she cried even harder...said she didn't want one. So I told her she could hold the box ....and that seemed to make her feel better....just carrying around the band aid box..lol. So, anyway...by bedtime the box was empty. This is why....



Apparently the doctor's office was busy tonight treating paper cuts.

Poor Mr. Cuddles!


And Purple Baby, too!....Man, I sure do hope they pull through!

Hannah's Blue Scarf

I finished crocheting Hannah's scarf today. I made it a little wider than it really needed to be, so I just folded it in half. She seemed to like it and wore it around the house this afternoon. All the scarves I've made are like this one, just different colors. I've learned only one type of stitch so far, but when I get some more time and inspiration I'd really like to branch out and create some really cool stuff. I LOVE making handmade gifts...but sometimes I think I'm more skilled than I actually am..lol!

Twas the Night Before Christmas- for Moms :)

I'm going blog wild tonight! Call me a geek, but this poem makes me cry every time I read it! Whenever the stresses of the season get too be too much, read this. May the true meaning of Christmas be with you all :)

Twas the night before Christmas, when all thru the abode
Only one creature was stirring, & she was cleaning the commode.
The children were finally sleeping, all snug in their beds,
while visions of Nintendo 64 & Barbie, flipped through their heads.

The dad was snoring in front of the TV,
with a half-constructed bicycle propped on his knee.
So only the mom heard the reindeer hooves clatter,
which made her sigh, "Now what is the matter?"

With toilet bowl brush still clutched in her hand,
She descended the stairs, & saw the old man.
He was covered with ashes & soot, which fell with a shrug,
"Oh great," muttered the mom, "Now I have to clean the rug."

"Ho Ho Ho!" cried Santa, "I'm glad you're awake."
"your gift was especially difficult to make."
"Thanks, Santa, but all I want is time alone."
"Exactly!" he chuckled, "So, I've made you a clone."

"A clone?" she muttered, "What good is that?"
"Run along, Santa, I've no time for chit chat."
Then out walked the clone - The mother's twin,
Same hair, same eyes, same double chin.

"She'll cook, she'll dust, she'll mop every mess.
You'll relax, take it easy, watch The Young & The Restless."
"Fantastic!" the mom cheered. "My dream has come true!"
"I'll shop, I'll read, I'll sleep a night through!"

From the room above, the youngest did fret.
"Mommy?! Come quickly, I'm scared & I'm wet."
The clone replied, "I'm coming, sweetheart."
"Hey," the mom smiled, "She sure knows her part."

The clone changed the small one & hummed her tune,
as she bundled the child in a blanket cocoon.
"You're the best mommy ever. I really love you."
The clone smiled & sighed, "And I love you, too."

The mom frowned & said, "Sorry, Santa, no deal."
That's my child's LOVE she is trying to steal."
Smiling wisely Santa said, "To me it is clear,
Only one loving mother is needed here."

The mom kissed her child & tucked her in bed.
"Thank You, Santa, for clearing my head.
I sometimes forget, it won't be very long,
when they'll be too old for my cradle & song."

The clock on the mantle began to chime.
Santa whispered to the clone, "It works every time."
With the clone by his side Santa said "Goodnight.
Merry Christmas, dear Mom, You will be all right."

Hannah Flashback and School Pics

I can NOT believe how big my little girl is getting. Today I bought her size 10 shoes! On Thursday, she'll be singing in her first school Christmas program...and next week she'll be in college!! Geeze, I just don't know where the time is going. She just keeps growing bigger and bigger and doing new things every day. She's not my baby, anymore. She amazes me and I'm so proud of her. Here's the video of Hannah's very first steps :) She took them at my Mom's house over Easter weekend.

Hannah's school pictures. Yes, I scanned them- so sue me. I didn't like them very much and had already spent plenty of money on portraits from Sears...so I didn't buy any from Lifetouch. But- if you want one, let me know...I can email it to you, or print you one with my handy dandy photo paper. voila!

Sadie Cut One...

Sadie has been teething for a couple of months now- she will put her entire fist into her mouth and just chew on it. So this morning I was feeling around those little gums of hers, and BAM!- a tooth had finally broken through. Sadie cut her first tooth at 5 months old :) Bottom left. So cute! Alert the media!

The Plague

Warning- You may toss your cookies. Read at your own risk :)

We just can't seem to get healthy around here! We had just finally all gotten over our colds. I had sent Hannah back to school..and Friday night I put her to bed and she was just fine! Then at 10pm she woke up crying and Chad went upstairs to find her covered in puke. That poor baby vomited every 20 minutes for the next 3 1/2 hours. I was very close to taking her to emergency room. She threw up in her bed, in our bed, all the bathrooms in the house...until there was nothing left in her stomach. After midnight, she'd become so exhausted that she'd fall asleep, wake up to puke, then fall right back asleep. I felt so bad for her. Around 2, she was going longer between rounds, and by 2:30 she was asleep for good.
....That's when I started throwing up....I threw up until 5am. When I first started feeling sick, I was sure it probably was from watching my child throw up like 10+ times and having to clean up all that puke. But when I kept throwing up, I figured it had to have been something we both ate that did not agree with us! Chad was fine, so I'm guessing it was a peanut butter/jelly sandwich I made and split between Hannah and myself earlier that afternoon. Chad mentioned he'd seen the jelly out for several hours a few days before. Someone had forgotten to stick it back in the fridge.
So on Saturday morning, Hannah woke up chipper and was completely healed. She wasn't very hungry, but that's only to be expected when you puke your guts out. I, on the other hand, had an uneasy stomach and fever all day. Last night we put the girls to bed early, and headed to bed ourselves around 8:30. I had a fever all night pretty much, but woke up this morning feel MUCH better! So, now I'm up cleaning and taking care of the kids, and Chad is getting some well deserved zzz's. He's been taking care of us all weekend :)
Friday night was THE absolute worst night for me as a parent. Hannah was 9 months old the last time she threw up and, of course, doesn't remember it- so she was totally devastated when she started getting sick.
Anyway, say a little prayer that Sadie stays healthy. I am praying that the plague will leave us alone now!

Just Bragging

Sadie was dressed in a particularly adorable outfit today...I love the overall bib look! Just had to share. I'm constantly amazed at how I managed to produce such a beautiful baby. Don't really have much else to say :) More later!

Rain, Rain- Go Away!

The only thing worse than a rainy day is a cold, rainy day. I usually wake up before the sun does (against my will), but this morning it was extra dark and extra depressing. Man, I hate this weather. The only saving grace is that Christmas is in the air. After the New Year, I guess I will just have to hibernate until spring.
So, I dragged myself downstairs to make Hannah's lunch for the day, got her dressed, fed her some breakfast, feed Sadie, squeezed in a shower for myself...and we were off to school. Of course the day that it pours down rain all day is the same day the clicker for the garage door dies. arg!
Anyway, Hannah had a good day at school. Her teachers say she continues to open up more each week and interact with her classmates. When we got home, you guessed it...still raining. I realized that the cushions on my patio set are still outside....it only ever occurs to me to take them in when it's actually raining and they're soaked. Hope they're not ruined...

I had to stick these photos up. Sweet sisterly love. Before Hannah took her marathon afternoon nap, she was snuggling with Sadie on the floor. Nothing makes me more happy.

Three Things that Rocked my Socks Today

1. GAS PRICES!!! 1.47 a gallon baby! Took me less than 25$ to fill up the van...absolutely amazing, considering a few months ago it would have taken at least 60 bucks. ....ridiculous! Maybe I can actually afford some Christmas gifts for my kids now... :)

2. The look on Sadie's face when she ate peas for the first time today.....a bit confused?



And 3. Wrapping Christmas presents with Hannah. She was a right jolly little elf tonight...had a blast choosing what color bow would go on each gift. And when she saw I needed more tape, she would holler "MORE STICKY TAPE!!". Goofy kid cracks me up!

....Pay no attention to the disaster zone that I call home

Cat Napper

So, I was really looking forward to having a 4 hr. block of time during Tuesday and Thursday mornings while Hannah's in school where I could catch up on laundry, clean the kitchen, crochet, and do a million other things that are impossible to do with a toddler in your way. But, I failed to factor in little Sadie Bug's nap schedule....or lack thereof!
She may look identical to Hannah as a baby, but make no mistake about it- our Sadie is a completely different child. I have never known an infant to get near ZERO z's during the day! She will fall asleep for maybe 20 minutes tops, then wake up squealing and bushy-tailed...like she was never sleepy in the first place. Here is a picture I snapped of her this morning after she'd napped about 15 minutes. 15 minutes??! That's not even R.E.M. sleep.
Oh well, at least I've been blessed with a car napper this time around. Hannah NEVER slept in the car, which made even a short trip almost unbearable. However, Sadie falls asleep almost immediately once we get going.....even with Hannah talking her ear off in the back seat. So much for 'sleeping when the baby sleeps', eh?

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

Christmas is absolutely my favorite time of the year. I look forward to the music, food, lights, family time, gifts, and the TREE! Each year as a child, my sister and I would accompany my Dad to choose THE Christmas tree. Not only is this one of my favorite memories of being with my father, but it's also one of my favorite childhood Christmas traditions, hands down.
Every year since Chad and I started living together, we have always traveled back home for Christmas, plus we've had small living quarters and too many animals to accommodate a real, live tree. I would assemble our fake, wiry Walmart tree and just make do with evergreen scented candles. But this year is different! Since we have a new house and children of our own...and still a million smelly pets....we've decided to stay home for Christmas morning and do the whole Santa thing. I'm super excited to start our own traditions ( as well as carry on some from my childhood) with Hannah and Sadie. Sadie won't care, but Hannah has been talking about Santa Clause since Halloween and is really into it this year.
Even though we've ALL been sick this past week, I was bound and determined to get a Christmas tree over the weekend. We went to Lowes to pick out THE tree. It was freezing!! I was so cold that I didn't even care which tree was THE tree. We grabbed one and threw it on top of the van. The next morning, despite our sore throats and grouchy attitudes, we...as a family....decorated our first Christmas tree.