A Birth Story I have been telling for 12 years - how is that possible?

*******Post Warning - you know I usually digress - a lot? Well this whole post is basically one big digression so hang on to your hat and try to keep up because I am all over the place with this one!**************

(How is that strategy to keep you reading working? There is probably some blog guru somewhere having a terrible flutter at their typewriter as I continue to break lots of blog rules and suggestions)

Anyhoo

We must start with a little back story. Husband and I were married in March of 2000. Our Pastor provided us with some wondeful marriage counseling. One of the things that he advised us was to wait one year before we started having kids.

(There is no real way to tell this story without including birth control details so - with apologies.....)

I was on the pill and stopped taking it in March of 2001.

I promptly contracted the Chicken Pox - yes the Chicken Pox.

What is worse is that we did not know right away that I had the Chicken Pox because we thought that maybe my body (this is why you should go to the dr and not self diagnose) was freaking out with hormones or something from stopping the pill

(I look back on this and I really can't believe it but anyway) so long story short - I had a raging fever and was very sick before I went to the doctor and we figured it out.

Now - where does this fit in with her birth story you ask? Well - all of this happened in March. We were going to San Antonio to celebrate our first wedding anniversary and it was on that vacation that we were going to "start trying". I do remember asking the doctor about the Chicken Pox and trying to have a baby - I was told once the pox were gone - I was good to go AND that it was a real blessing that I got the pox when I did and not after I was pregnant. Off we go to San Antonio and had a wonderful time.

We come back and I decide that I need to find a good OB/Gyn. I pretty much went in and talked to the girl at the front desk and told her that I needed someone who would be very calm with me and answer all of my questions and put up with my idiosyncrasies and would never ever in any way be mean to me. The girl was like "ok - I have the perfect doctor for you."

Turns out he totally was because he wound up delivering all three of my babies!

Anyway - off I go to the doctor and at the time I was a shy pee-er - you know - had a hard time going on command (now 13 years and 3 babies later - let me assure you - no longer a problem)

but once again I digress.....because I could not go in the cup - I talked to Dr Greve about what to do in order to help me get pregnant, we talked about starting folic acid then - you know - the pre pregnancy stuff.

FINALLY I go in the cup and I have my little "so you want to get pregnant bag of goodies" and was ready to walk out the door.

Denise (Dr. Greve's nurse whom I still love and see to this day) came out of the bathroom and said,

"Holly - you are never going to believe this!"

Yes - I was pregnant - I had been off the pill for about 2 seconds, and had the chicken pox and bam - pregnant. I just kept saying, "no way no WAY!" Then I turned to Dr. Greve and said,

"wow that was some pill!"

Of course I could not wait to tell husband so I called him at work. He knew I was at the appointment to find the OB and I just said,

"Guess what - I was going to think of some clever cute way to tell you this but I really can't think at all right now - I am pregnant!"

He said,

"Man Babe - when you decide to do something - you really don't mess around, do you?"

It was cute - while I was on the phone with him in the doctor's office the nurse just quietly came up and took the "so you want to get pregnant" bag out of my hand and put the "congratulations you are pregnant" bag in it, grinned, gave me a thumbs up, and walked out.

We were of course thrilled - my Mom guessed the second I called her and I think that Husband called his parents that night.

Now in order to break up this incredibly long story - I am inserting a few pics of her as a baby.

Hit the milk a little too hard this time

She loved our dogs! Sniff Logan and Lewis - miss them.

Bring in the Fire Chief!

Food - Good! (You can see the Ladybug Curl Mohawk starting here)

Baby girl driving the car - she was pretty little in this one

That was her sticker from Gymboree class on her head - she was being silly.

Now moving on to her actual birthday. I am convinced that her due date was December 8th. For whatever reason - we had her due date as December 2nd. I really did not know any better and I just thought that on December 2nd - she would just come. I was patient and never even dreamed of having her until December 2nd but when December 2nd came and she was still not here - I was VERY ready to have that baby!

I fell twice while pregnant with my ladybug - once hooking up a horse trailer and once on the bleachers at Scott's indoor soccer game - both times - I was basically perfectly fine. Couldn't knock that baby out of me with a baseball bat.

I pretty much kept trucking with her without even thinking about it - I did gain quite a bit of weight (45 pounds) so I was good and chubby.

Anyway - I remember - I was working at the auto auction and I was mad at one of my car dealers and I went stomping out on the lot to find a car and bring it in. One of the guys that worked on the lot hopped on a golf cart and tried to get me to get in - I refused - so he followed me slowly creeping behind the little round angry pregnant woman who could have gone into labor at any moment - all the way out to the back lot.

I stopped working on December 2nd - it was my due date (although I still say not the right one but anyway) and I felt I should stop working that day. I kept getting calls - "hey where are you? I need some numbers..." (auto auction talk). I kept saying I am about to have a baby!!!!!!!

We induced her on December 7th - which - in retrospect - I actually wished that we had waited. I think that we made her come earlier than she was ready but hindsight is of course - 20/20.

We went to the hospital at 6:00 in the morning and they started the inducing process.

Here is how the next part goes:

Nurse: Are you allergic to any medications?

Me: Nope

Nurse: ok I am going to give you penicillin in your iv

Me: Great

Fastforward 5 minutes

"Honey - my tongue feelth kinda funny...."

as my whole face was swelling up.

Nurse: "ok you are allergic to penicillin - don't ever take that again

Me: "otay" (ok in really fat tongue speak)

The day went on and on and on and on and finally at 9:15 that night - I was able to start pushing - an hour and a half later - she finally came into this world. At one point in the middle of the pushing - I actually fell asleep - yep - asleep - just for a second mind you. Husband thought that was hysterical.

Now I have to admit for the sake of telling the story accurately - she was so wonderful and I was so happy to see her but the whole experience was so different than with my younger two children. I was so traumatized and so tired and so unsure - it was so new and I look back on that time and wish that I had enjoyed it more which I know sounds crazy. I cried and cried after they took her to the nursery and I just remember feeling so so so tired. I tell this because I want to try and remember what the experience was like and that was a part of it.

The positives - she was so perfect - so beautiful - so tiny! She was 7 pounds 3 ounces when she was born and we brought her home to our warm Christmasy house. I remember just looking at her and thinking that I could not believe what we had created. I remember holding her so tight and feeling like she and I were on a journey together - partners - lost and found together. With her brother and sister - the journey was different - I was already the Mommy - I knew more and I was much more solid in that role.

With her

it was just

all firsts

I wouldn't change a thing

(except for maybe the penicillin thing - it does not feel good to have your face swell up like that)

but anyway

I digress.........

We Believe

First off before I even get going on Santa and the elf on the shelf and what not I have got to say that first and foremost here is what I believe:

I believe in God, the Father almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord,

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the Virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried;

he descended to the dead.

On the third day he rose again;

he ascended into heaven,

he is seated at the right hand of the Father,

and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting.

AMEN.

I also believe in

Magic

I believe in the spirit of this season. I believe in the imaginations of children and you know what else?

I Heart Santa

I really do. I think he is kind and giving and jolly and I 100 percent believe in the magic of Santa.

Now I am going to talk about something that I hope no young eyes will read because this blog is not intended for young eyes. It is really intended for the eyes of people who have been tasked with the care of the young and I believe that this is a really timely topic.

This house believes first and foremost in the reason for this Season. We talk a lot about Jesus and the manger and all of the true meanings of Christmas. We talk about how lucky we are and all that God has given us.

We also believe in Santa.

We just don't really oversell Santa.

You won't find an elf on the shelf in this house. I just can't pull it off. You also won't hear my husband or I say to the children,

"Now you better be good or Santa won't come."

Just not going to happen. Once again - I just can't pull it off.

Three years ago- my then 9 year old - came to me and said,

"I need the truth Mommy - does Santa really come down the chimney and leave presents?"

Here is what I said:

Baby girl,

How are you getting so big so fast? I am your Mom and it is my job to lay it all out straight for you so here goes.

I love Christmas. I love this magical season. I believe that Mary and Joseph went and put a little baby in a manger that was sent to save us all. The Bible tells me the story and I have Faith that allows me to believe.

Santa is the same way. Tomorrow we can go to the library and check out books on the legend of Saint Nick. I believe that magical things happen this time of year and I never ever want you to forget it. I always, always, always want you to believe in magic.

"Yes Mommy but how does he fit down the Chimney? I don't understand how that is possible?"

Do you really think that a big guy comes down our chimney and puts all the presents there or do you think that Mommy and Daddy help with that?

"I think you help"

Yes - we help

"Where do you hide everything?" How do you get it all wrapped?"

You know what Ladybug? That is the most amazing secret and one day you will find out about it also. The most amazing thing about being a Mommy is that you get to create magic all the time. Now I get to have a secret Mommy workshop and make magical things happen. I get to work hard to see smiles on your faces on Christmas morning and it is the most precious gift that I have ever been given.

I love being a magic maker. One of the best parts of being a Mom - hands down.

She smiled and kissed me and went to bed happy. She asked me a couple of questions (in my ear of course we talked about the importance of keeping the secret to ourselves) about my Mommy magic and then

much like magic

The discussion was gone. There were no tears. There was no "why did you lie to me drama" just finished.

What is even funnier - it is "that which we will never speak of again." (Even to this day)

She is all about magic and Santa and believing and says that the friends in her class that are "bah humbug" as she calls it are missing it. It is like we answered her logistical questions but allowed her the space to imagine and dream.

So yes my friends - we believe and I am loving every minute of it!

Cute 2012 addition to this story. My second grader came RUNNING to me the other day and said "Um Mommy - isn't it Summer in Africa? I remember that right? Won't Santa get hot? How does that work?" 

Me: "Remember - they celebrate Kwanzaa in Africa? Let's read a book. Here I have one right here." (Because I am going to say this right here and now - 

Hello my name is Holly and I have a children's Christmas/Hannukah/kwanzaa/anything with a snowman book problem.)

So it is possible that I have a book

or two in this house relating to this or any holiday related subject.

Anyhoo - she was all

"PHEW - that makes total sense" 

We read a nice book about Kwanzaa and off we went. 

Another holiday crisis averted. 

For now......

Today

Here is the lovely thing about this little blog. I am able to look back on it and remember times of my life. I have written before about the seasons of my life and as I move from season to season how my life changes.

In deference to this and to the fact that I want to remember days like today I am going to write down what I did today. Now this is not a contest. I get it. We are all busy. You are probably busier than me. I am also not complaining. I just want to remember days like this.

Here goes:

5:45 - up and at em - shower, take dogs out, send out 16 soccer emails for the soccer club that I help out with (you know - in my spare time).

6:45 - wake up hormonal 6th grader with a hurt knee - pack lunches, feed dogs, so on and so forth

7:30 - leave with grouchy middle schooler

7:38 - drop off now weepy and apologetic middle schooler (The funny thing about this is that I did and said NOTHING to initiate this. I literally said/did nothing during the grouchy portion of the morning - just powered through. Somehow this triggered apologetic tears and a long speech about how much she loves me.)

7:39 - quick moment of combined joy and anger management therapy while banging head against steering wheel while waiting to leave the parking lot.

7:43 - arrive at my school

7:43 - 3:00 - general Elementary School business. It was a fun day because my class earned a pajama day so I was rocking an oversized shirt of husbands, yoga pants and very fuzzy blue, glittery slippers borrowed from the middle schooler.

3:00 - after what can only be described as a harrowing experience with 17 third graders and 17 ipads I hustled my class next door to my friends class so that I could rush off to the doctors office for a physical.

3:15 - literally jog into doctors office just in the nick of time - spend majority of appointment talking to doctor (who is our family doctor) about middle schooler's knee. As for me I am amazingly hanging in there and I am somehow not falling apart.

3:45 - blood drawn - hooray she types sarcastically

4:00 - HOME - cleaning, backpack checking, dog walking time (The dogs incidentally are the whiniest people about this whole Mom working full time thing), dinner prep, send husband and middle schooler off to soccer.

6:00 -  head up to kids elementary school for literacy night, go to book fair, see wonderful teachers that I love and appreciate, listen to a great story with my baby in my lap and my third grader holding my hand (pretty much the best moment of my day)

6:55 - quite literally run out of said elementary school

6:56 - stop for first grader who has landed on the concrete like a ton of bricks clutching his pencil and lego sticker book

6:56 still - send third grader running back into school to fetch another lollipop as original lollipop was crushed in the fall

6:59 - make it home - run kids into the house

7:00 - speeding to middle school

7:08 - literally (again) job into middle school

7:12 - sit in chair in front of first middle school conference text husband - "I made it"

7:15 - first of 4 conferences - the middle schooler might be an emotional basket case right now but the kid's a total brainiac and I really do appreciate that.

7:55 - scour book fair with awesome librarian looking for books for middle schooler

8:10 - HOME - bedtime routines, review spelling words, get a splinter out of poor first graders leg, general end of day duties including angry passive aggressive guinea pigs who were fed their treats late and "excited to see me" dogs.

9:11 - heat up black bean chicken dinner - hooray - food - totally forgot about that and man am I hungry!

9:27 - middle schooler shows up in my room to talk about the day - hooray

9:50 - pull out computer, finally turn on episode one of Parenthood that I have literally been trying for days to watch in approximately 7 minute intervals.

and that - my friends - is that.

until tomorrow......

The Great Pertussis Scare of 2009 AKA - the Pertussis Among Us - a repost just to relive the fun

This is an actual honest to goodness true story and I so remember the way I felt in every moment of it. Fun to relive it and also fun to celebrate having survived it. ;)


Soooooooooo................

Do you remember when I posted the cute pic below of the cake and the watermelon inside at Soccer Tots because we were on our way to a dinner party and did not want them to get heated to a balmy 113 here in Texas? 

Well.....................

At said dinner party - the host's (whom I love dearly just by the way) oldest Son had a terrible wicked no good very bad cough. He is also a Reactive Airway Disease kid just like my Noodle and is her "vewy favowite boy" as she likes to say.  As we drove away from the party I did turn to the BD and say, "you know - that really was a bad cough - I sure hope he is ok". 

Fast forward to Wednesday - 1:50pm - I am dressing kids in swim suits to head over to a birthday party for one of our very best friends.  Mom is an essential part of my Momtourage AND a Co-Cupcake-Lifestyle-Change -Creator AND the mother of the FOUR most precious girls you have ever met. Now needless to say - thankfully - I got the call before we all headed over to her house and infected half of our town's population of girls with.........

wait for it...............

oh yes - you know by now from my title:

Pertussis

aka

WHOOPING COUGH! 

Sigh...............

I had JUST been at the pediatrician that morning with my own Reactive Airway Disease cutie patootie plus the Little Buddy had a little cough so we called our pediatrician who immediately sent us to a big children's hospital nearby to be tested ASAP because you know what starts tomorrow???????

yes 

The Fourth of July Three Day Weekend! Yippee - right? Not so much if you are waiting on Pertussis results and have no idea if you are fit for human company. 

Soooo we race to the Pediatrician pick up the forms to get the test done, pick up the Best Daddy and head off to the lab in a wing of the big hospital. 

We get there - we get out of the car and we head in where I have to check three children in to the hospital and get outfitted with arm bands! 

I just wanted to say, "really? we are just going to be here for a second (little did I know) and I will keep a close eye on them. No need for id tags." 

No luck......

So 20 minutes later - we get checked in - head to the lab, she takes my millions of stickers and then says, "oh ooops - we can't do a Pertussis test here - you have to go to the BIG hospital." 

sigh 

So we head back out to our car after some very serious instructions that involved a parking garage, two elevators and a sky bridge. As we are loading up I say, "Sarah Jessica Parker - the stickers the stickers, we need to get the stickers back from the girl!!!!!!!!" 

So I run back in (have I mentioned it is really really really hot in Texas this time of year?) Anyway I digress......

We finally get to the next lab. I sign the children in at 4:18. My pediatrician gave us strict instructions (at 2:30 by the way) that we were to take the test (by the way - at this point - I still have NO idea what kind of test we were talking about but more on that later) by 5:00 in order to get results back before the holiday - 5:00pm -  I say - 5:00pm for the love of Mike - 5:00pm!!!!!!!!

So the lab guys says that they have to get someone from respiratory over there and it would be just a minute......

Tick 

Tock

Tick 

Tock 

Flash to 4:57pm - I am literally about to come out of my skin. I can feel the grey hairs pushing out of my scalp and the zits bulging out of my face............

Respiratory shows up. One by one I have to go back into a room with a man with a mask and gloves on and watch him joke as he shoves a sparkler- like object up each and every one of my children's noses until they screamed as if their eyelashes were being plucked out.......

.......it was great. By the time we left the hospital the poor Noodle was wheezing so hard from the stress of it all - I almost thought we were going to have to stop in at emergency to get a quick breathing treatment but at this point the Best Daddy has that grim - I am a Daddy - I am going to get us the hell out of here - if I have to go rogue Spiderman and climb the walls -  look on his face, so we just scurried on home. 

Thursday morning dawns and we play the waiting game. We stay in our pj's, we do breathing treatments, we make balloon animals (well sort of), we watch TV, we wait.......

Tick 

Tock 

Tick 

Tock 

2:00pm 

I call the hospital - here is the conversation.....

Me - yes hello there - I would like to check on my (insert last name) children's pertussis tests

Guy on phone at hospital - yes the labs are in the computer but I am afraid that I cannot release them to you - you are "only their Mother".......

Now let me tell you - at this point - you know when people joke about exploding - I actually know that feeling now - I really really think that my neck is sore now from trying to hold my head on.........

Anyway conversation continued....

Me - (voice one octave higher) ONLY THEIR MOTHER??????

Guy on phone - well yes Ma'am - we have no way of knowing if you are actually their Mother

Me - CAN YOU NOT TELL FROM THE HYSTERICAL TONE IN MY VOICE THAT I AM THEIR MOTHER????????

Guy on phone - I am sorry Ma'am - I need their doctor to call.

Me - click 

Speed Dial Pediatrician 

HithisisHollyinsertlastnamehereandtheywon'tletmehavethepertussisresultsbecausethey

saythatIamonlytheirMotherhaveyoueverinyourlifeheardofsomethingquitethatinsane??????

Nice lady on phone at Doctor's office - Holly - I promise we will call right now and call you back

Me - click again

Tick

Tock

Tick

Tock

Riiiiiiinnnnnnnnggggggggggggg

Hello? Good news Mrs. Holly! All labs came back negative. Enjoy your Fourth of July weekend. 

Sweet Sarah Jessica Parker! 

Might have to enjoy an adult beverage this weekend - just thinkin' out loud here.......

Stuff I am grateful for....

A husband who cooks

A good carpool 

Wine

Coffee

Coworkers I actually like

My kids teachers 

Other Moms who have kids the same age as mine. 

(They totally get me.)

Funny kids who say funny things. 

Homemade gifts

Making a middle schooler laugh

Sitting down

Wine

A hot shower 

Shoes that don't hurt my feet.

Long days that go by quickly 

Coffee

Harold and the Purple Crayon

Belly laughing 

Kissing

Blog posts that have a logical ending

The ability to stop typing when I run out of things to say

ok - for real

Totally grateful for that.......

The Birth Story of my Baby (who is 7 and insists that he is not little anymore)

Well - I have to say - I am basically in shock and denial that my baby boy is seven! I like to retell their birth stories each year on their special day and well - here is another special day.

I guess I should begin with how we came to have him in the first place. Sorry if this is too much information but this is basically a story that is tossed around at family functions quite a bit anyway so I want to go ahead and tell it here so that I have it down on paper er I mean computer somewhere. :)

We were a very happy little family of four and we talked about maybe trying for a third one day but we were certainly not looking to add on to our family at that time. It was Christmas Eve 2005 and we were celebrating, as is our custom, at my Sister in Law's house. We were enjoying some good food and family fun and I was enjoying an adult beverage. I raised my glass and said, for the universe to hear,

"I am having the BEST time. This is the first Christmas in forever that I have not been pregnant or breastfeeding!!!!!!!"

Fastforward to one week later - yes - one week later - New Years Eve - I knew I was pregnant.

The Buddy's pregnancy was nothing like my pregnancies with my girls. I pretty much knew this one was different from the beginning. I had a small puddle of blood that was sort of pooling between my uterus and abdominal wall and had to go for a BUNCH of ultrasounds. I was also supposed to be careful about lifting things (yeah right with a 4 yr old and a 2 yr old).

When it was time to go in for my 3D Ultrasound at 20 weeks I took my oldest daughter (then age 4) with me. She was very good and we found out that our baby was a baby boy. I had her call Husband and he picked up and she said,

"Hi Daddy - guess what? It is a boy baby!!!!"

We moved in May of that year - once again - pretty much a whipping to be 6 months pregnant with a 4 year old and a 2 year old and move but - we were actually doing pretty good!

Then - it happened -

the dreaded P.U.P.P.S rash.

I went ahead and made that a link if you are interested in it but basically it is a terrible itchy red painful rash that goes across your big sore pregnant belly and in the creases of your arms and legs.

Now - not to beat this point to death BUT - here I was - new town, a 4 year old and a 2 year old (have I mentioned that?), August, in Texas, 110 degree heat with a terrible painful rash.

I tell you -

talk about being trapped in your own body and life -

pretty miserable I will say.

Positives - my husband and the girls were really great and those two little girls were so sweet and good to their Momma - I will never forget that.

Anyway - my doctor wanted to induce me on August 27th. I said

"no way am I am having a boy in Texas in August"

(the cut off for school IN Texas is September 1st and he was not due until the 16th so I felt very strongly about this point).

September 2nd came and we headed off to the hospital for the third time at 5 o clock in the morning to be induced. Things went pretty smoothly and my husband went to go grab some lunch. The nurse came in to check me and I had gone from a 5 to a 9 REALLY fast so I had to call him - "Honey - come back FAST!"

My doctor (who is the GREATEST) came in - checked me and we told him that my husband would be back in just a second. He said, "ok good - I need to go to the bathroom anyway and you guys can wait a minute - perfect" and off he went. I had this crazy urge to call after him -

"be sure and wash your hands"

but anyway......

Husband came rushing back in and it was time to meet the Little Buddy.

That is when I heard my doctor say,

"oh, oh, well, ok, well, he is ok"

and then he said something like, "I want to send that off to the lab."

I cannot really describe what that split second of fear felt like but I can tell you it was so tangible that I remember what it tasted like.

We were told that he had one single knot in his umbilical cord and two double knots in his umbilical cord and the entire thing was wrapped around his neck. My Doctors exact words (and I will never forget them) were,

"he is destined for greatness - he really should not be here - I have really never seen this and have it turn out ok. I just lost one like this at 37 weeks."

We induced him at 37 and a half weeks. He was 7lbs 8 ounces and he was perfect.

Everytime I think about it.

Everytime I think about how close we came to losing him I get a chill.

I thank God each and every day for that terrible, awful rash!

I kept asking, "are you sure he is ok? He is really ok?" and he was.

That night - in the hospital room - I felt a sense of euphoria that I really had never felt and have not felt since. I could not sleep - all I could do was sit up and watch my sweet baby boy.

And now 

That baby is 7 and going into FIRST grade!

Sigh -  need time to slow down. 

How to create your own minions

So the thing that you know going into having little kids but don't really realize until you are knee deep in it is that they are a ton of work. Three kids means thirty toes and thirty fingers and every time we go swimming I have to sunscreen three and and towels for three and stomach viruses for three and so on and so forth. 

 Division of labor is a big thing for parents who have more than one kid and trust me - there is plenty of labor with three. 

When they were younger I would assign them chores to do because it was the right thing to do but honestly it was a major pain in the butt. You had to teach them and they did it wrong and everything had to be all developmentally and age appropriate for each kid and blah blah blah. 

So much easier to do it myself. 

Well now - the thing that husband and I have realized is that we have minions! They might be mouthy but you know what? They are pretty capable. They all want to live here and can pretty much be threatened or bribed into anything. 

They are also all three big enough that you can try out different stuff on them and it is probably not going to kill them. 

You know - stuff like "hey - see if you are big enough to run this lawnmower" 

and 

"Hey - let's see if you are big enough to dump this trash in the can".

Here are the minons hard at work

 

Here are some examples of things that I used to do before the minions and NEVER do now. Ever. Moms of preschoolers - please take heart when you read this list.....

 

unload the dishwasher

carry laundry baskets upstairs/downstairs

feed the dogs (at night - I still feed them in the am because I am up first and I am nothing but a kind soul so of course I feed them right after we go outside) 

take out the trash 

clear the table

mulch

Put away clean laundry in kids' rooms

Set the table

Water the dogs

Clean the Guinea Pig cage

Dump the dehumidifier

 

The list goes on and on I tell you on and on! 

 

Now don't get me wrong. I am not exactly sitting around and eating bon bons here and all of the activities and homework and this and that do keep me on my toes. Parenting is not for the faint of heart my friends but here is my advice for you regarding creating your own army of minions.

 

Feed your minions well. 

Support them in everything that they do.

Remind them (often if necessary) that they do live here for free

 

and soon you will have happy little people working industriously around the house. 

 

****Minion warning - they do bonk each other on the head on a regular basis, really enjoy fart noises and giggle - a lot, but overall - the minions are totally worth keeping around.*****

Summertime

What did I do with this knucklehead and his sisters today?

We watched Rise of the Guardians. (Rented from the library - how awesome is that? Totally new release - right?)

We made pumpkin bread AND darn good chocolate cupcakes and I didn't eat one bite. (For this I felt I should receive some sort of award which no one felt the need to offer me.)

We played Farmville 2. Go ahead and judge - we like it and so does our Mimi who lives far away so it is a fun way for us to connect. The kids get so excited about the little animals and they love it when Mimi sends them stuff.

We all learned how to operate a manual can opener.

We ate a lot of canned green beans.....

We all read a bunch of books. (I am not even just saying that - we actually read.)

We did the Teen Beach Movie Dance Along. Two things you should know about this - I secretly totally enjoyed it and I am glad my husband was not home. I believe it is possible that he would have teased me. He loves me and all but - let's be honest - I would have teased me.

We went swimming.

We ate homemade meatballs for dinner. I really love homemade meatballs. Almost made up for the lack of cake.

Oh yeah and we had canned green beans with that.

I wonder if I could cook green beans in eggs in the morning....

It is possible I should have thought through the can opener activity a little but but hey - it is my responsibility to teach these children how to be productive citizens. People should know how to work can openers.

Now I am typing on my computer watching America's Got Talent with husband while the girls play and the aforementioned knucklehead is putting around the living room - literally - golf ball, putter, cups, etc.

Sigh - I love summer time. I really do.

Keeping it Real

This is a post about keeping it real.

I love it when I hear (read on Facebook, blogs etc) 

"oh sure - I would look like that after I had a baby if I had a makeup artist and hair stylist show up at my hospital room...." (In case you have been under a rock - A really pretty Princess in England had a baby)

Listen Sweetheart, you tell yourself whatever you need to get you through your day but I am telling you - there is no makeup artist/hair stylist/pair of spanks in the WORLD that could make me look like that ONE day after having an 8 pound baby. You get to be a princess because you are a princess. You look and act and talk and walk like a princess. Just keeping it real folks. You can say that Husband is my prince and I am his princess and I would totally agree  but we were looking pretty bedraggled when we brought home that first little duchess. We are also totally ok with our ordinariness.

Just keeping it real folks.

Now on that same note. Did you know that people are WAITING to name their babies in England to hear what that little royal dude's name is going to be? I make fun of that but it is possible that I would wait to name my baby because I would HATE to accidentally  use the same name and then my poor kid would be one of like a hundred Chuck's (or whatever name) in his Kindergarten class.

Just keeping it real folks.

If you are a long time follower of the blog you know about my cupcake days. "Toughen up cupcake. You are not the only fat chick in the gym!" has been a long time mantra of the BFF and I and it helped me lose 25 pounds of baby weight (about 4 years after the last baby - keeping it real of course). I have never been one to hide my body from my kids. This is a good little body. It is not perfect but you know what? I am proud of it. It has worked hard and withstood some stuff. It made three beautiful babies and fell off of a bunch of horses and has somehow despite all forces of nature learned to ski again but now it is telling me,

 "Holly - in the interest of keeping it real - I think you should probably get your chubby butt back into yoga class and while I am not criticizing (this is my body still talking in case you lost me) it would probably not be the worst idea if you picked up a weight or two."

I'm all "ok body - whatever you say" and then do you know what my body told me back?

Ouch - damn girl - that hurt. 

Really? Not supposed to work like that. The body talked. I listened and now it is talking back. That sucks.

Just keeping it real folks.


Who's Line is it Anyway is a very funny show that I used to watch in the middle of the night when I was nursing my now 9 year old. It is back on and it a little bit makes me want a baby again but it mostly makes me happy I don't have to stay up all night and it really makes me want to laugh. I always like to confess guilty TV pleasures here so this is my keeping it real confession for the night.

Just keeping it real folks.

I love summer time. I love my little family. I REALLY REALLY REALLY love my new kitchen. I love that I am starting to get my groove back. I just might catch up after the craziest 6 months ever and I am pretty excited about that. I like being able to sit at my little computer and type my stream of consciousness posts for both of my followers to read and I really love that Husband just walked through the front door and said.

"Hey Babe."

Just keeping it real folks.

Happy Birthday my Zoe!

So here is a random collection of pictures. I dig through pictures and get distracted and look and laugh and talk and can't help myself but wonder how 9 years have passed but yet again, I find myself at the end of a birthday. My Noodle is 9 years old and here are just a few pictures to celebrate her....

Big fun with big sister and Daddy

 Hi Momma

 Daddy's girl

 She loved those fingers and her yellow blankie. At first it's name was "My" and then it went to "lello" and finally  became her "yellow blankie". Shh don't tell but it is in her bed still. It used to accompany us everywhere we went and my greatest fear was losing it. Now it stays safely in her room but is still very much loved by both of us.

 Ready for Sesame Street Live!

 2nd Birthday Party

I love you baby girl. I wish I had more time to look through your pictures but you want me to come and sit with you and read some Katie Kazoo so I will look through pictures another day.