The Ashcraft Family

2012-01-27T19:12:00.000-08:00

I have discussed before that I always used to think the people who say "I just couldn't help myself" when referring to little girls' clothes were sort of weird, but that after having a daughter I totally get where they are coming from. Felicity goes up a size in clothing so often, it usually isn't really a problem, because I am semi-constantly having to buy her new clothes because the old ones don't button (or they require two people and the jaws of life to remove from her darling little rubenesque body) (a friend once called her rubenesque and it was the best adjective I have ever heard used to describe a little person, especially my little person). Anyway, I had another attack. I saw this dress at Target and I had. to. have. it. They didn't have it in her size, and I loved it so much I ordered it. Call me crazy (if you want) but I think it was a good choice.

When is "handedness" official?

2012-01-27T18:58:00.000-08:00

Because I am pretty sure my girl is left handed. Interesting. (Maybe only to me.)

2012-01-26T19:40:00.000-08:00

Rocking out.

(to P!nk. Greg is in horror.)

Felicity

2012-01-17T16:30:00.001-08:00

Felicity is really good at talking. The doctors ask around age 3 if they talk so that strangers can understand them (because mothers can understand their child much sooner, and so the mark of being a little developmentally behind is whether someone else can figure it out) and I can't say that she passes that test, but she says way more words and sentences than Charlie did at this age.

Things Felicity Says:
Pippa, get down!
Want some cheeeese!
Need my bro bro!
I need you!
Help! Help! Help!
I want that!
I get apples!
Want Chickfila!
No, thank you!
Please!
Thank you!
Yep!
Nooooooo!
Minnie go pee pee!

(The last one is when she desires a diaper change, because the Huggies were on sale at costco recently so we bought those diapers and they have Mickey on them.)

Please note that all of these have exclamation points. This was not an accident. (Maybe she gets it from Elder Hathcock.)

I find her to be terribly darling.

Christmas Morning

2012-01-08T09:39:00.000-08:00

A bike.

Too much awesomeness to choose from: candy cane, doll house, pacifier.

Before church... right as Felicity's fever set in and she became uncooperative for photos.

CHARLIE

2012-01-03T19:29:00.001-08:00

My little guy has been practicing writing his name. I write it for him and then he copies. He is pretty proud. So am I.

Happy Anniversary

2011-12-30T08:13:00.000-08:00

We're celebrating six delightful years together today.

I love us. We have had wonderful years together so far, full of the good, the bad, and the ugly, and I have loved it all. (Maybe not the ugly.)
And I love the best two things the last six years has given us.

Happy anniversary to my favorite boy.

(PS, if you are thinking I look ridiculous in some of those pictures, I am pregnant in a couple of them, and don't look too hot. But, whatever. All in the interest of documentation.)

Merry Christmas, from us to you!

2011-12-25T07:37:00.000-08:00

Photos: Judy Cook Photography
Card Design: Stacy's Squibs (like her on facebook HERE)

Happy Christmas Eve!

2011-12-24T19:05:00.000-08:00

We have been talking about the "why" of Christmas all month, and I have been reminding Charlie that some of the presents we can give Jesus include being nice to our sister, obeying our mommy and daddy, and saying our prayers. I quiz him when we are in the car driving around doing errands, so that he will remember.

Today, we were driving and I had given the spiel about Christmas, and asked him what we were going to give Jesus. He said "I want to give him a baby toy and a wheelchair."

?? It's the thought that counts?

2011-12-23T11:34:00.000-08:00

Felicity was being a ham while we waited to see Santa (Charlie wouldn't let me take any pictures of him).

Once someone told me that if there was one photo trick you need to know, it is to get on the same level as your child when you take the picture.
Sometimes that makes them do weird things.

After Santa, I tried to get some things done in my office, but my assistants were hard at work instead.

SANTA! (I KNOW him!)

2011-12-22T23:21:00.000-08:00

One of the lovely things my company does each year is inviting all the employee's kids to visit Santa. Charlie loved him, Felicity, not so much. She liked waving, but she held on for dear life when I tried to have her sit on his lap.

Family Pictures 2011

2011-12-21T10:51:00.000-08:00

Photos taken by Judy Cook Photography. I think they turned out great!

For good measure

2011-12-20T00:16:00.000-08:00

Proof that I have TRIED to take pictures of our happy family when we were without Greg:There just wasn't really anything blog-able until he came back to us. =)

Welcome back to me!

2011-12-20T00:02:00.000-08:00

I'm back! Finals are over! My six week panic attack is over! I know, totally unreasonable for the spouse of the person in finals to be panicking. But, hey, it's just how I roll.

So, to my lovely blog readers, I give you cookie baking, or, what a person can do when she is not completely overtaken by (ridiculous and probably undeserved) stress.This girl digs cookies.And, of course, eating.Charlie seems physically incapable of having his clothes on for any length of time. I fight it when I need to, and ignore it when I don't.I was moderately proud of some of them. I mean, this one is cute enough to eat, right?Note: Greg is now officially halfway done with law school! We are proud of him, and of how hard he works, even though it is also hard on us sometimes. Way to be!!

2011-11-28T16:11:00.001-08:00

Felicity and I have been sick for a few days. So that means THIS. And this and this. Okay, okay, and this. And maybe a little bit of this.

Also, since movie watching for me always includes looking up the trivia, here's one for you: the actress who plays Jane in the BBC Pride and Prejudice was pregnant throughout filming. Oh, to have lived in a time where the clothing was flattering even if you were pregnant.

Matchy matchy!

2011-11-22T10:28:00.000-08:00

(No, it was not by accident.)

Also, one of my side of the family.

Gramps!

2011-11-22T10:22:00.000-08:00

We only get to see Grandpa L every so often.
Love that saucy little look which says "please take the photo so I can put these two down." Charlie and his sweet cousin Penny.

Most of you who know Felicity well know that she doesn't often take well to people on the first try. For the first fourteen months of her life, she would barely even go to her father. She has mellowed out since then, but I didn't have high hopes with getting some pictures with her great grandpa, whom she has never met.I was wrong.

It's a love connection.

2011-11-21T12:28:00.000-08:00

Look at this little slice of sweetness. Where has the time gone?!

piglets

2011-11-20T23:41:00.000-08:00

It took me like thirty minutes to do pigtails in this writhing monkey's hair. And then there was zip cooperation when I tried to document it.

First pigtails. A milestone only a bald white baby would celebrate.
(Note, these were last Sunday, which was also baby girl's first official nursery day. Was successful.)

I love these people. Make me laugh every day.

Feeling like a bad mom?

2011-11-16T17:40:00.000-08:00

Today I went to the grocery store with a rather extensive list.

The kids were being normal, considering. Definitely some whining, but we were getting through. We only smashed one container of food on the ground (marinated mozzarella balls. They were really nice about it, and they didn't even make me pay for it.) Toward the end, Charlie started up the potty dance. I told him we would go as soon as we checked out.

Halfway through the checkout, he was gone. I knew he went to the bathroom, and I KNEW he was in the "triangle" bathroom, because "the circle one is for GIRLS!"

They suspended my checkout. I stood outside the men's room for ten minutes, yelling in instructions. It took him five minutes to figure out how to turn on the water. I kept asking the men who were going in and out to please help my son. No one did.

I finally went in, dragged him out, put him in the ladies, and washed his hands (with my other baby and half our groceries in the cart, unattended.) Then I listened to his screams while I finished checking out about how he wanted the kid's paper towel (don't ask me what that means.)

Finally got out to the car. Buckling the other baby in her car seat when I hear various screams. Look up. My eldest is in the cart, pouting, rolling down the parking lot (toward a hill which goes down to the main street.)

You are not a bad mom. Whatever you did.

(PS, some man hopped out of a car and saved him right as I got to him. I can be kinda fast when one of my kids is about to die. The man had two kids with him and a mini van, which indicates there might be more than two, I would have thought he would have been nicer to me. I thought the whole parking lot was going to string me up. I fully expect someone wrote down my license plate number though, so I am sure I will be getting a call any day.)

(PS2, I am laughing too.)

Those who didn't have a half birthday recently...

2011-11-12T07:05:00.000-08:00

Dig them too.

(And Greg. Not pictured.)

Eleven eleven

2011-11-11T09:30:00.000-08:00

Sister bear is eighteen months!
Things about our girl:
~She has many nicknames around here. Fliss, Flissy, Lissy, and Sister are some favorites. But we just basically call her any number of sounds strung together and spoken in a sing-songy voice.
~She is very verbal. This includes her many words, her favorite being "MINE!" followed closely by "BITE!" Sometimes she puts them together in a demand for "MINE BITE MINE BITE" that is less than melodious. She also says mama, dada, pibaba (Pippa), bobbies (pacifier), that, cheese, please, waffle, thank you, trick or treat, grandma, Stacy, Minnie, uh oh, UP!, and a few others. She copies every single thing that Charlie says (or does) so sometimes it is hard to tell when she is copying and when she is communicating. Anyway, her verbal skills are not limited to speaking.... she also has a scream that could probably shatter crystal (if we had any crystal).
~She loves herself a snooze. At nap time we go in her room and I try and snuggle her for a minute but she points to the crib. She hops in and goes right to sleep. She usually wakes up happy, and is a morning person. (Charlie and I definitely don't have or understand that trait.)
~Her favorite people are primarily the men in her family: Charlie, daddy, and Grandpa Phil. Sometimes I remember fondly when I had to hold her 18 hours a day and wouldn't go to anyone else.
~She eats basically everything we put in front of her, unless she is offended by the person who is giving it to her, in which case she flings it across the room. (Pippa is fond of this habit.) She also doesn't require that her snack be an actual food item. She'll try anything that looks interesting. (Mommy is NOT fond of this habit. Or the food flinging one, come to think of it.)
~Nothing cracks her up more than my stern voice telling her no no. This makes discipline difficult. Both because she doesn't take me seriously and because her laughing at me makes me laugh.
~She likes to give prayers.
~She has the most darling red mullet. I am expecting (hoping for) the hair on the top of her head to start growing any time.
~She sings "Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam." Actually, someone else sings "Jesus wants me for a suuuuun" and she shouts "BEEEEEEEEM!

She is pretty boss. I like her.

2011-11-09T18:21:00.000-08:00

There are two types of arguments in the world: the kind you fight, and the kind you don't.

Whose turn it is to play with the stroller? The kind I don't.

Ahoy!

2011-11-01T22:05:00.000-07:00

(Photo by Sara. If you look closely, you can even find me in the picture...)

Sea World!

2011-11-01T21:40:00.000-07:00

My brother and sister and law went on a little vacation and left their kids with my parents, so we took all the kids to Sea World. We had them wear their Halloween costumes as well, which was fun.

Four adults, four strollers. (PS, what is with the weirdness of Greg's phone taking pictures? They were all overexposed, or they had cloudy spirits in the background. Maybe the spirits were because it was Halloween time... but I am pretty sure it was the phone.)
Checking out shamu.
Corban of course drank the first puddle he could find... Ha!
Best aunt/mom ever? Me. I bought everyone cotton candy.
Yum. Thanks, Syd, for helping my mom, Greg, and me with the little monsters!

Greg Ashcraft and the Tortfeasors

2011-10-14T22:12:00.000-07:00

Greg and the guys got together to play for the Race Judicada (it's a law school joke) which benefits the California Innocence Project (where law students and volunteer lawyers get together to exonerate those who have been wrongfully imprisoned, particularly in cases that were tried before DNA was a factor). The run is a 5k, and the band was there to greet the students at the finish line. The local news was there because there was a 9 year old girl who was running in the event to support the release of her father, who is imprisoned (presumably wrongfully imprisoned) for murdering her mother. (Sort of creepy really.) But anyway, the news people took a bunch of footage of the band, but they did not end up hitting the news. Maybe next time.

2011-10-09T20:50:00.000-07:00

I had a birthday! Greg couldn't be home, so my friends stepped up. Met some girls at lunch (chickfila, obviously) and then Emily had me over for dinner and cupcakes! Thanks for the good times, ladies! (And Buzz.)

Additionally, Greg had his birthday the week later. I told him that I had to go to Murrieta to resuce my stranded sister so that he would agree to go out with the guys after school for dinner at Smashburger. Then the kids and I surprised him there. He had been pretty disappointed that we weren't going to be around on his birthday, so he was happy to see us. But, we didn't take any pictures.

Shin guards.... not a myth

2011-10-09T20:45:00.000-07:00

(Don't let the picture on the left fool you. My legs are still super white.)

10 years ago today....

2011-10-06T08:19:00.000-07:00

Homecoming 2001 (our first date)
Can't believe it's been that long... can't believe so much has happened in such a short time... can't believe my parents let me keep bangs well into my teen years.

2011-10-02T21:43:00.000-07:00

So, I made a new header. And I am proud of it, because it took me a realllllly long time. And lest any of my eager readers are users of RSS Feed, I wanted you to be able to see it.
(PS, my sister said there might be more Felicity than Charlie, but I double checked and there is actually only one more of Felicity than Charlie, so don't worry.)

Disneyland at Halloween

2011-10-02T01:33:00.000-07:00

So, I find my little daughter terribly cute.
In case you aren't convinced, look at this hilarious little face.(cell phone photo, poor quality)

Charlie (also darling, for the record) saw me take a picture of Felicity here, so he wanted to be in one as well.
I told Sadie and Ty to join him, and Sadie sat down and did not like the pokey straw at all. So she decided to take another tack. I thought it was funny to see a little four year old trying to sit on a little three year old. Using her feminine wiles to secure a comfy seat. (I think it loses something in the retelling, but just believe me, it was funny.)

2011-09-23T09:36:00.000-07:00

I am crazy pneumonia mom. Every time my kids have a hint of cough, they steam shower.
So. Paranoid.

I love my dirty birdies.

2011-09-22T21:30:00.000-07:00

Did I mention...

2011-09-22T21:23:00.000-07:00

...we got a dog. Yeah, maybe a little bit crazy. But at the time, life was pretty calm. Greg was coming home most days in time for dinner. Work was pretty busy, but I was working it in during Charlie's school and their naps. So, we went for it. We got her on a Friday night.

Greg hasn't been home before the kids go to bed since. Charlie gave up his naps all together. Felicity went down to one nap. Work is still crazy. So, yes, I am feeling a little frazzled. But she is pretty darn cute, right? And we love her.

(Her name is Pippa. She is almost 3 months, and she is a puggle, a beagle/pug mix.)

First day of school

2011-09-10T20:39:00.000-07:00

Little dude is going to Miss Shauna's for preschool 2 days a week. He went one day a week last year. It is mostly play based, not a lot of curriculum, but it is really fun for him and he feels so grown up.

We were at the grocery store after school on the first day. He told the cashier he started school, and she said "oh, did Mommy cry?" Mommy didn't cry, for the record. But, Felicity cried and whined the WHOLE time he was gone. She missed her best buddy. I guess I need to be more fun/interesting. I used to use his school time as a great time to get a lot of work done.... I don't think that is happening this year. Time to reevaluate when I will have time to work full time. =)

Charlie also had his first "go to a friend's house" experience. He plays with his little friends very frequently, at their house, ours, the park, etc. But, it is always the three of us going over and hanging out, adults chatting while kids play. This time, he went over to Parker's house and Felicity and I stayed home. Seems like a pretty big step. But he isn't growing up too much. He cried like an infant the whole ride home. He apparently wanted to stay and live at Parker's house.

Tobi Cat

2011-09-10T13:56:00.000-07:00

We got our sweet cat right after we got married. We loved her. We miss her.

Sailor Suit Remix

2011-09-04T16:57:00.000-07:00

2011

1986

For the record, I did try and get one of the two of them together to match the picture of my brother and me. Here was the best one:

I think it sort of proves my point from the last post though.

2011-09-02T09:04:00.000-07:00

I might just be a doting parent, but I am pretty sure my 1 year old is funny. She does silly stuff, like, on purpose, and then looks around to see if people are laughing at her.

I always do. I, for one, think she is hilarious.

Swimming

2011-09-01T07:08:00.000-07:00

Swim diapers are helpful... unless you want to carry a thirteen pound diaper around with you...
I loved this summer.

Seriously, So.

2011-08-31T13:37:00.000-07:00

We have had a lot going on lately. Some good, some bad, just like anyone. But I might have been feeling a little sorry for myself. Just here and there. It just seems like we have had a little bit of bad luck. The stroller issue, potty training problems, car drama. Just the standard stuff.

But we had a little incident last week that reminded me how lucky we are.

Nothing serious, nothing to worry about, just a reminder that I am so lucky to have my wonderful family, and our good health, a great house to live in, and even a new double stroller which was partially paid for by insurance.

Seriously. So blessed.

More stuff I've done to the house....

2011-08-23T14:20:00.000-07:00

I haven't been working too much on new projects for my house, because I have sort of run out of steam, but here are a couple things I've done that I haven't shown the blog yet. I have at least one friend who requested photos of this, so if it is terribly boring, sorry. I am trying to give the people what they want.

Henrike took pictures of all of us, and then edited them into submission on Adobe Illustrator (I think), and they turned out great. I have to print out new ones because these ones aren't square so they are on top of the mats, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.

This rug was once a plain white rug from Ikea. We saw a rug painting tutorial somewhere online, so we decided to try it out (since as it turns out, a stripy rug is somehow way more expensive than a plain rug). We started by painting by brush (we measured out the lines and put tape down so they would be straight) but then eventually I taped down all parts that were to stay white and then just took a paint roller to it, and that went way faster and used a lot less paint. We will fully be doing this again (a yellow one for Felicity's room is the plan I think), and when we do so, we will start with the roller.
Personally, I think it looks awesome. I am so happy with it. The rug does have some texture on the part that is painted, but it isn't weird or anything. And I leurve it.

The photo wall.

There are more things forthcoming, but that's it for now.

I'm on a boat!

2011-08-21T22:11:00.000-07:00

Tuesday we went on a friend's boat. There was intertubing, and Greg tried wake boarding for the first time.

They had music pumping, and one of the songs that played was "I Got A Feeling." Remember, this was Tuesday. Saturday morning, I was out running errands and the song came on the radio. Charlie got really excited and said "IT'S THE BOAT!!!" and was singing along. Then, when we got into Target, he made me SING the song for about twenty minutes while he "surfboarded" behind me. Every few feet he would fall, and he would make me circle back around to "throw him the line." It was so hilarious, but I am sure I looked ridiculous singing the Black Eyed Peas while shopping. Whatever gets you through the errands with three year olds, right?

It's baaaaaaack...

2011-08-08T15:38:00.000-07:00

Photo Session

2011-08-07T17:45:00.000-07:00

We usually get family pictures twice or so per year; with young kids it is fun to get them so often so we can really track their progress. Anyway, we also have several extremely talented friends and family members who help keep us photographed, but this summer has been busy for everyone so we decided to try something different, and get some done of the kidlets in a studio.

The photographer was nice, but completely freaked Felicity out. She likes people to remain calm, and he bounced in the room very high energy and excited, in an effort to get my kids to be happy/excited. Worked great for Charlie, but Felicity was terrified. Then, if I was in the room, she would scream for me, so I had to sit outside the whole time and let Greg be the one in there because she was a little better when he was there without me. With the purchase we got a free membership to the "photo club" so now we have a couple free pictures we have to use in the next year, so next time I will request that the photographer be super calm and I will let her go in with Greg only. Either way, we got several cute shots.

(What is with photography studios and props? When we got there they said "did you bring any props?" and we were like "um...no." So they set up a tea party for Felicity and some bear. Ha! Except that she kept eating the dishes, and how many millions of children... yuck.)

2011-08-05T07:36:00.000-07:00

No, I haven't found my camera. But apparently the telephone devices these days take photos too. So here is one of my projects. Got this desk for 1/2 off the $49 at a thrift store. Sanded, primed, sanded, painted, sanded. And I lerve it. Finally, a place for all my work papers that are floating around the house all the time. (Felicity keeps losing leaves of absence.)

Next step: find a chair....

2011-08-02T09:21:00.000-07:00

At least we know for sure that THIS won't ever happen to Greg.

Just because my camera is still in an unknown location doesn't mean I can't blog.

2011-07-31T08:12:00.000-07:00

Right?

Anyway, some thoughts:

1) Where could my camera be? I mean, really? I need to unpack those two boxes of miscellaneous, but I get the feeling they will cause me a headache, trying to figure out what to do with the miscellaneous items. Except I really want my camera back.

2) Some of the stuff I am doing with my house is awesome. I am sort of turning into a thrift/antique/craigslist junkie. I am not normally known for my patience with purchases. I would rather buy the item I want, even if it costs slightly more (slightly at least) then try and price stuff out. (Another reason I cannot be a couponer.) So, the whole "wait and wait for an item which might potentially work out for you after you pour some man hours into it" has never really been my scene. But now, a combo of a friend who is helping me spot the potential and a rather low amount of cash flow going towards fixing up my house has made me start shopping around, and I have found a couple of awesome things. Pictures of my projects to follow. (Depending on if I ever find my camera.)

3) I have awesome friends who lend and give me furniture, for some of the pieces I don't want to/not ready to buy yet. (And yes. I call things pieces now. First the design blogs, now calling things pieces.)

4) Felicity is getting so big. She says a bunch of words (hi, bye, mama, dada, Stacy, yes, no, that, thanks) and is basically the most precious almost-15-month-old that I know.

5) Greg goes back to school soon. Really soon. Good bye to the summer of partying, no schedules, no routines, and man on man defense. Hello to the fall of routines, schedules, zone defense, and no husband. Sigh. Although I guess we are ready to go back into the routines. Greg keeps telling people that he is really looking forward to going back to school though. Not sure if that is because that is something he is supposed to say, or because I haven't washed dishes in months, and he is looking forward to designating that particular household chore back to me.

In better news...

2011-07-21T00:09:00.000-07:00

All my friends offering me sympathy really did help. I am still sad. Maybe I am even still crying every now and again. But I am feeling better. And, it really could have been worse. It could have been cancer, or getting fired, or, heck, even pneumonia (actually, I am pretty good at pneumonia by now. But I am still glad no one has it at this moment.)
It could have had my purse in it, and then I would have had to redo all my credit cards and get a new driver's license. And that would have sucked.
So, I guess, I am in step 6 of the grieving process: reconstruction and working through. I haven't accepted it yet (I am still scouring craigslist in hopes of finding the evil person who took my beloved stroller), but I am getting there.

As part of my working through, I am changing the subject and getting the sadness off the top spot on my blog. New subject: my house. I still love it, deeply. My good friend is helping me decorate. She has style. I am not sure what my defining characteristic might be, but I am pretty certain it is not that I have style. However, being around my friends with style encouraged me, and Henrike invited me to purchase my first design magazine. And, I have now been known to scour the internet, looking at design blogs. It is shocking. Anyway, many of the things Henrike has helped me pick out, using her aforementioned impeccable style. But this idea I came up with myself! And she loved it! Maybe I have a little style. (Or I just looked at a design blog and liked what I saw. Whatever.)

A sneak peak:How excited am I?!

I don't know what it is...

2011-07-19T04:26:00.000-07:00

...but I find myself cranky tonight.

Maybe it is that I have found myself missing this guy a little more intensely the last couple of days.
(For updates on his experiences while serving a full time, 2 year mission in Mexico City, check out his letters here.)

Maybe it is that I have gone through the last several years of pictures in the last few days (my mom has been asking for a CD of pictures for her birthday for about three years, so I decided to finally make it happen) and the nostalgia of seeing how big my little people have gotten. (And how old I look now.) (No, seriously. What happened between 22 and 25 that makes me look so much older?!)

At least part of it is likely the movie we watched tonight before bed, which is I guess a classic but I had never seen, and it was kinda upsetting.

Perhaps it is partially because it is 4:35am and I haven't been able to fall asleep yet, and now the time I would have to sleep is extremely limited anyway, which is deterring me from just downing some nyquil.

But I sort of think a lot of it is plain anger.

I am so mad I could spit. Like, that isn't even an expression. I feel like spitting at someone (I will refrain).

Lest you missed the well-commented facebook post this evening, someone STOLE MY STROLLER today at Sea World.

I have had things stolen from me before. In fact, this isn't even the first stroller I have had stolen from me (the first one being some years ago, and it was only one of those cheap umbrella strollers, and I comforted myself in thinking that it was probably someone who REALLY needed it, so I am glad they had it anyway.) But somehow, I am way more furious than with anything else I have had stolen.

I am guessing in no small part because this is likely the most expensive item I have ever had stolen.

Now, I don't consider myself much of a name-brander. For example, I have only had one pair of designer shoes in my life (that I can think of), I bought them five years ago and still wear them pretty darn frequently (even though since then I have had countless toe problems and they hurt my feet like the dickens.) I loved those shoes and really, really wanted them. And then when Target made a knock off a few months later, I was pretty bitter I had purchased them. But I digress. I don't think I would normally spend so much on a stroller. But lest you have no children, or your children are past stroller age, allow me to defend my purchase really quickly: obviously if you are going cost, the cheap umbrella strollers are the way to go. But, if the child to parent ratio is 2:1 (which it normally is when I am out, not counting this summer, which Greg has had off, but will be the last time he has a chunk of time off with his family until... retirement. Sorry, honey.), umbrella strollers aren't going to cut it, because I can't push two strollers at once. And I suppose my three year old should walk places himself and not need a stroller, but if I don't put him in one, he whines the whole time to be carried, which just makes things unpleasant. Or he walks, but at his own pace. It routinely takes 45 minutes to get the mail. I am not exaggerating. So, a double stroller it has to be. And, if you are buying a double stroller, the very cheapest ones are not that cheap, and they suck. So, really, the fabulous stroller is not THAT much more in the scheme of things, and it is so easy to push around. So, yes, I bought myself THE stroller. If that makes me foolish or spend thrifty, fine. (Is my excellent mood showing through here?)

Anyway, usually I try and think of how lucky I am, and I even sometimes try and tell myself that it is better that unfortunate things happen to me instead of someone else, for whom they might really be a tragedy.

But I feel like this is sort of a tragedy.

And to come at a time where I just moved into a bigger house, (which I still adore, but still), which means more rent, more utilities, and more rugs needed for the floors. Also, both of my cars have the check engine lights on, one of which won't actually start, so we are still trying to think of a way to get it from the parking lot at our old apartment complex to a mechanic. Also, I just got the bill for law school next semester, and it ain't tiny... even WITH the scholarship. Also, we just charged all the law books on amazon.com to our credit card (which, at a significantly reduced price from retail, are still expensive enough to feed a whole third world city.) Also, we are working on getting our house in Utah ready to rent, which is costing us. And is there ever a good time to have an unexpected expense? NO!
I loved our stroller. I am just sad. And I am cranky. And overtired. And it is 5 in the morning. So I am going in for a little self indulgence. Poor, poor me.

PS, I know I sound terribly bratty in this post. I have a lot of blessings. A lot. If nothing else, being a broke student's wife gives me access to student loans, which can help me forget my problems... until approximately six months after he is no longer enrolled in school full time. =) Forgive me for the brattiness, and I am sure I will feel better now that I got it out of my system. Next time perhaps we will work on getting it out of my system in a less public forum... hmm.....

2011-07-15T23:49:00.000-07:00

We've moved. I haven't seen my camera in weeks. (Have unpacked all but two boxes. Where could it be?) But, lest you miss us, here is a cell phone shot of me and my girl, enjoying a delicious home grown nectarine in the backyard.

Happiness is...

2011-06-25T08:46:00.000-07:00

...a backyard of one's own (long awaited sequel to Virginia Woolf's feminist manifesto).

We have spent basically every waking moment since moving into a house in the backyard. As it turns out, I absolutely adore having a backyard.

Tobi likes it too.

Felicity's Birthday Party

2011-06-24T10:38:00.000-07:00

For her first birthday, we had a little birthday party with mostly family and a few friends. It was Very Hungry Caterpillar theme, so the food included apples, oranges, strawberries, etc, and Greg cooked up some hot dogs. The cake was actually kinda cute (I am no professional, but I worked really hard on it). It was cupcakes shaped like the caterpillar. Did I take a photo? No. So you will have to imagine. Or look here, and just know mine was just as awesome. (It wasn't. Not even close.)

We had this banner. When we got there, we hadn't really thought about how to get it up...

So Stacy decided to act as a platform. And if she looks bored in that picture, it is because she is. Having a large human on her person is no big deal, I guess.

Grill Master

Thanks to everyone who came! You made it great. And for those who couldn't make it, we missed you. =)

We had a whole reel of funny family pictures, just like we did for our last family birthday. But at least we managed to get one pretty good one.

To take the banner down, we had to take it a step further. Wesley had to intercede.

Bakersfield Trip

2011-06-14T10:28:00.000-07:00

A few of the pictures from our trip to Bakersfield have already cropped up in other posts (or you saw them on my sister-in-law's blog), but here are the rest. Greg was in finals, my brother is working minimum 16 hours per day, so my sister-in-law and I decided that we needed a little adult companionship. We had the time of our lives just hanging out with kids and lazing about.

Swinging:

Just Dance-ing:

Eating (playing with) homemade corndogs:

Attempting a "cousins" picture (failing):

Peeing in the bushes....(since this time Charlie has potty trained, and he frequently requests to go potty in the flowers, like "Coban")

Enjoying ourselves:

My little colonists

2011-06-13T22:43:00.000-07:00

Statistics

2011-06-08T08:03:00.000-07:00

My kids had their doctor's visits (yes, Charlie's is three months late, but last year, I was pregnant, and not on top of things, so I took him in for his 2 year visit late, so now we have to wait until it has been a year since his last visit.... etc.) on the day after Felicity's birthday. (Not only was Charlie's appointment late, this announcement of stats is about a month late, but you don't care, do you? I thought not.)

Felicity

-Two feet, five and a half inches tall (which is the 65th percentile)

-Twenty six pounds and seven ounces (which is the 98th percentile)
-She started walking for real on the day of her first birthday party, May 28th.
-She claps, waves, points, and does a couple of signs to communicate (none of them are real ASL signs, just her own way of telling me what is up.) She also has a very effective screech for when she wishes to communicate something.
-She folds her arms for prayer time.
-She adores her brother. His antics hardly ever make her cry, which I really like.
-She is 100% mama's baby. It is a little hard to be so needed, but delightful to be so loved.
-She would probably breastfeed until she moved out of the house if I let her (I am grossing all kinds of people out with that declaration, so allow me to say that I am using hyperbole here), but I am working on weaning. A week or so before her first birthday I was talking to a friend and she asked me how often Felicity was nursing and I said four times a day. The friend almost fainted. Apparently I forgot to start weaning her a long time ago. You are supposed to cut down on that as they get older. Oops. Charlie weaned himself, so I didn't know. Anyway, we are down to one (sometimes two) nursings a day now. She absolutely loathes regular (cow's) milk though, so I am not sure how I am going to cut those last two out.
-She is a pretty good sleeper, and takes two naps about 60% of the time, and one nap 35% of the time, and no nap every once in a while (those are not good days. For anyone.) I just had to move her afternoon nap into my bedroom in the pack and play because my two kids being together in the same room for the afternoon nap has not led to much sleeping. She dislikes her pack and play. Strongly dislikes it. But, for now, it's what we've got. The two of them have no problems going to bed in the same room at nighttime. (Luckily.)

Charles

Three feet, two inches tall (49th percentile) and thirty four pounds (sixty sixth percentile).

I gave some details on what my little guy is like at age three here, but in health news, he officially has had pneumonia three times since February (we are currently in a non-pneumonia phase right now). No one seems that worried about it at the doctor's office, and I am not normally the type to be demanding about medical related things unless the doctor seems worried, but I think this whole thing might be my one time to raise a stink about it. So, at this visit I requested that something be done to quiet my concerns. They ordered an xray for when he is healthy so they could make sure that there is nothing in his lungs when he is clear of pneumonia that might make it easier for the pneumonia to take up residence there. He has had a cough on and off since that time, so I haven't taken him for that xray yet, but they said to take our time, and I want his lungs to be really clear so it can show any possible problem. It is highly unlikely that anything is wrong (most likely just our bad luck), but it will be nice to have that off the table. And don't worry, I will keep my eager readers apprised of the situation.

Pride

2011-06-07T12:36:00.000-07:00

I know parents are inclined to think their own little humans are the most darling and fascinating and smart people who walk the planet. Without this feeling, there would be a lot fewer successful people claiming that their supportive parent is what got them there (and a whole lot fewer mommy blogs). Anyway, I know that objectively, that probably isn't the case. But descriptively, I buy that logic wholesale. I literally think my little ones are the most darling and fascinating and smart and a lot of other excellent adjectives (and, let's be real, a few less complimentary adjectives) on earth. (Although I like your kids a lot too.)

It is pictures like this that make me swell with pride and love. If nothing else, my children really love each other. And that makes this mama happy.

2011-06-06T00:26:00.000-07:00

Photos of Felicity's birthday party, you ask?

My darling sister took two hundred and forty eight pictures of the event. (Thank goodness for her, or there would be zero.)

In any case, I am still working through them. To get you through the day (I know you need them), here is a taste of my hungry caterpillar working her way through one slice of melon.

2011-06-06T00:18:00.001-07:00

Before I had a daughter, I always thought of myself as "above" the concept of being obsessed with little girl clothes. I just didn't really get why people mourned the idea of having a darling baby boy because "girl's clothes are just so cute!" (Note: I am not disparaging any people; if you are one of these people I am not mocking, just saying I didn't get it.)

Now that I have a girl of my own, I try and maintain that sense of reality. Because, reality proves that baby clothes are basically the worst investment of all time. Take a parent of a...healthy sized little girl (ahem, Felicity). That child might go through seven sizes of clothing before her first birthday. (Yes. Seven. Thank goodness for hand-me-downs.)

Anyway, I try not to be too sucked in by the concept.

Sometimes, I literally cannot help myself.Twenty four dollars for a baby's swimsuit? Yes, I believe I will.

(In my own defense, I did buy it the size up, and my kids really don't grow as drastically after their first birthdays, so there is a reasonable chance she will still be able to wear this next summer. But even if this photographed moment was the only time she ever wore it ((and the photograph of her in the hat might really be the only time she wears that - not much of a hat girl, that one)) I am pretty sure it was worth it.)

PASSED

2011-06-03T21:38:00.000-07:00

Someone passed his first year of law school. (And did extremely well!)
(Charlie took this picture.)

2011-05-25T11:03:00.000-07:00

$8 on craigslist! Happy mama, happy babies.

A glimpse at our future...

2011-05-24T21:15:00.000-07:00

Felicity's Birthday

2011-05-18T21:33:00.001-07:00

First thing, Felicity opened up her present. I was so happy because I had been wishing for this cute little kitchen set I had seen at Target, and I went there a few weeks before her birthday, and saw that it was 50% off!! So, we got it, and both kids love it. They are terribly fond of cooking up their sandwiches and such after I make them lunch.Then I did a little diaper digging, and came up a winner. If you didn't hear, my little monkey swallowed an earring (mine, not hers, and don't worry, it was fake and cheap) the day before her birthday. So, I had to watch out for it coming out the other end to make sure it did. It did.

So, with that hurdle overcome, we headed out to (guess) Disneyland for the day.

We had a wonderful time with our birthday girl and our sweet boy. We met a friend of mine from high school and her family up there, so we got to go on some big kid rides, which is always nice.
Felicity ADORES "It's a Small World." She puts her hands up in the air and dances like a gangsta or something. It is hilarious. So, we went straight there for the birthday girl to enjoy it right away.Then we spent most of the rest of the day at California Adventure.
Great day. Love my little one year old to pieces!

Disneyland

2011-05-18T21:21:00.001-07:00

As part of our summer of fun, celebrating being all together, we decided to get Disneyland passes. I never thought of myself as much of a Disney person, but after we went last year and had such fun, I guess I am one.

We have gone several times, but here is one visit, where we joined some friends we know through law school and their kids. It was fun to be able watch each others little ones so we could actually go on rides with our spouses.

Anyway, more Disneyland pictures forthcoming, I'm sure.

2011-05-18T07:59:00.000-07:00

Occasionally at work we have employee events.
Occasionally at such events, I dance.

I have just made all of you feel better about yourselves. You're welcome.

2011-05-11T08:14:00.000-07:00

My baby girl is one.

Is anything more fun than photobooth?

2011-05-08T23:24:00.000-07:00

Charlie thinks no.

(PS, I know I am on a blog bender lately. It will pass.)

It's my Fliss in a box...

2011-05-07T13:40:00.000-07:00

Fam on Easter

2011-05-06T18:02:00.000-07:00

Where we've been...

2011-05-03T19:10:00.001-07:00

A friend from out of town emailed recently and mentioned that she doesn't know what was going on with us because I haven't really said anything in a long time. I have been putting up some pictures here and there, but for our out of town friends, I guess I better give a text update.

GREGFINISHED HIS FIRST YEAR OF LAW SCHOOL!!!! He worked exceedingly hard, and felt very good about all the tests. After last semester, he felt like he had a better taste of what the finals would be like, and did great group and individual study. He also got a typing program and increased his typing speed significantly, which, on a timed and typed test, will really help him. The grades don't come out for a month, so he doesn't know the details yet, but he did well last semester, and felt even better about it this semester, so I am guessing he will have done great.

Next year he is the 2L representative from his section in the SBA (Student Bar Association). Considering his antagonism of student body programs in high school, it is sort of funny to see him be on one. But, he is excited, and it should be pretty fun.

After the year from our nightmares, he is taking the summer off and just relaxing. He will be right back at the grind in a few short months, so we are enjoying having him home for now. He is also in cub scouts (8-10 year olds) now, so he has pack meeting twice a month, which should be fun.

CHARLIE
He is now a few months into age three, and he has finally gotten on board with saying "I'm three!" when people ask. He loves to ride his bike, scooter, and search for lizards. He likes to play with his sister sometimes, but occasionally wants his space and says "Mom, she is bugging me." I think we might be getting past some of the difficulties that have come with the toddlerhood to childhood transition he is going through, which is a relief. He is slightly less emotional, which is nice. He hasn't really recovered 100% from his two bouts with pneumonia, but he is generally okay in the health department.
He is still un-pottytrained, because the health issues have been enough, combined with Greg always being gone, and so I haven't felt up to going back. I am expecting it to be pretty easy though, because he was basically trained back in January, but then I put him back in diapers because of all the illnesses, and the side effects from the medications. Therefore, I hope to have it done any day now, I just need to get a few days in a row where I am not working, and we don't have anywhere else to be, so we can focus on it.

FELICITYwill be a YEAR next week! I cannot believe how fast this last year has been. (Or, how slow and difficult it was, haha! As a friend said on her blog, the days were long but the year was fast!) She is a serious delight in our family. She is (generally) very happy, and is a pretty good sleeper and eater, so I can't really complain! (I am so looking forward to weaning her this month, but I think she is going to be pretty mad, because she loves to nurse.) She is definitely a mama's girl though, so if she is a little under the weather, scared/uncomfortable, or tired, she wants only one person. She has gotten pretty vocal about her wants and needs, and if she feels she is being slighted in any way, she squeals in anger. She adores her brother (he calls her "Licity" and it is precious) and hardly ever cries about anything he does, even when he pesters her.

She loves to blow raspberries (Charlie always says "LICITY! WE DO NOT SPIT!"), eat chalk, pull the books out of their shelves, take baths, and pull herself up to stand and walk along furniture/people's legs/anything that can get her standing up. No steps yet, but probably in the next few months. She does enjoy walking while holding someone's hand. She does crawl quite adeptly, and speeds around the house, tearing things apart. She signs "more" and "all done!" and shakes her head yes and no (although she gets them wrong 1/2 the time. She mostly just enjoys moving her head I guess). She says "hi" when someone says "hi" to her, and waves and claps. She says "mama" and "dada", usually when we say it first, but I don't think she is REALLY saying them with meaning yet. However, when she is upset, she wails "mamamamamamamama" so I think she knows that when you are mad, you shout mama. We regularly call her "snots," so take from that (and what you will see if you look at the pictures more closely) what you will.

RACHEL
Charlie took this picture. I am just plugging along. It has been nice having Greg around and getting back to a two parent household. I admire single mothers, and also mothers/wives/partners whose husbands/boyfriends/whatever work long hours and they don't get...ruffled. I have been "ruffled" for approximately a year now. =) Anyway, I am glad to have Greg back. I am working a lot lately, and still loving my job, although it is a hard balance. I got my annual performance review a few days ago and got 99 points (out of 100) (is that awkward to say on a blog?). My husband asked about that last point. (He was joking.) But I think they didn't want to give me 100 points because that would be weird. I will take 99 though! Hopefully that translates later in the year when they do salary reviews...

I have wonderful friends and have appreciated every moment of the last year where every time I had a hard time (which was a lot) someone called, texted, emailed, invited us to the park/their house/over for dinner. I was really blessed by wonderful people and I appreciate it. With two small children and a job, and the million other things people have to keep them busy, I am sure I will continue to be busy for the rest of this year and my life, but I feel like with Felicity's first birthday coming up, I am at a checkpoint, and I feel good about having finished this last year up.

Easter

2011-05-03T18:58:00.000-07:00

Our yearly Easter traditions of visiting with family were enjoyed this year, but my camera only lasted through the first grandmother's house. So, here are some photos of the fun time we had.

Felicity enjoyed her first egg hunt.
Charlie is an old pro by now (aided by the fact that there were about 100 eggs, and only six kids under the age of ten, three of them under the age of one. He didn't have that much competition really.)

A little coaching from Grandpa.Our annual Easter pinata. I know, it is a weird tradition, but one rooted deeply, and we love it.And the yearly pinata conqueror at work.

2011-04-10T17:58:00.000-07:00

Pnuemonia: part 2

2011-04-06T15:47:00.000-07:00

Well, the little dude has pneumonia. Again. When we went to the doctor yesterday the doctor listened to his chest, and then ran out of the room and ordered a chest x-ray. Stat. Yes, the word stat was actually used. The only reason he was being so dramatic/rushed was because it was 4:50 and the radiology lab was closing. So I had to jog down there and get it done. But now we know that the word "stat" isn't just from TV medical dramas.

He seems to be feeling better, except that he is kinda manic. He will play really happily for five minutes, and then he will break down in sobs, or, worse, hit his sister/mother/cat. But we are working through it. And at least he is up and around, I guess (see post below). Although I doubt I would mind it if he just wanted to lay down for a few hours...

The doctor gave him an antibiotic (stronger this time, but not tasty, so the administering is not terribly fun) and also instructed him to blow some bubbles. I guess it... stretches his lungs? But, whatever, after two pneumonias (pneumoni? pnuemonium? the internet speaks: pneumonies. really?) in two months, I am not arguing with anyone.
Girlfriend is pneumonia-free, she is just coughing and has the snot. But she is generally happy. Sleep isn't excellent, but she is cutting about six teeth right now. I think she is making up for lost time.

She is growing up so very fast. She will be a year in just over a month, and I can hardly believe she has been around that long, and yet, typically, I can't remember life before she was in our family. She makes us smile every day, and her cuteness is surpassed only by her fabulous personality. We love our Flissy girl!

Dancing, again

2011-04-06T15:41:00.000-07:00

Not the best quality, but now you can see them dance.

Just Dance

2011-04-02T11:46:00.000-07:00

I think you all know how we love to dance.
We really. love. to. dance.

The kids and I dance all day. I put on the ipod and we just rock out. It entertains them, and counts as exercise, right?

When Greg won the talent show a few weeks back, it came with a Wii. We were unsure about if we were going to keep it or not (it was technically being split with the other guys in the band, so we were going to return it and split the cash) but then we played the game "Just Dance" at my sister's birthday party. It was settled. We kept the wii (still gave the cash to the band members) and got the game. We use it basically daily. I don't feel guilty, because it is dancing. Exercise, right?

The other day we had some friends over and they demanded to see the dancing. Greg and I danced, we even got Emily to do one (Buzz claimed foot injury, but we'll get him eventually.) No photos of the adults, but when the boys started in, we snapped a few.

This little guy was dancing too, but not for the camera.

Sleepers

2011-03-30T14:44:00.001-07:00

A few mornings ago they woke up as I was getting ready for work, but it is almost impossible to get ready for work with them nagging at my ankles, so I somehow induced them back to sleep in my bed.
Then last night we checked on them before we went to bed and found this.
Love my peeps (not least when they are peacefully sleeping!) And, yes, Charlie has a pacifier at night. I'm not ashamed. (Okay, I am really ashamed. But not enough to put an end to it, if it means an end to my own peaceful nighttime routine.)

2011-03-30T14:37:00.000-07:00

Aunt Stacy and my baby birds.
And letting them play with her iphone between bites. Aunts are awesome.

Family picture from Charlie's birthday.

2011-03-22T12:02:00.000-07:00

Well, we tried.

(These are randomly up a month later because I was looking at them, and found them so hilarious I wanted to share, even though I had deemed them unfit for public consumption previously.)

2011-03-21T07:56:00.000-07:00

Today is the birthday of my darling sister.
I am not sure I know exactly how to express how much I love and appreciate this girl. But here is my attempt:

Love you SO much!!!!

(to create your own, go here)

In case you can't read it, click below and it will take you to the original.

2011-03-13T12:15:00.000-07:00

Remember how this sweet baby used to go to sleep on the dot on 8pm and sleep calmly until 7am?

Us either.

Law School Talent Show

2011-03-11T08:03:00.000-08:00

Normally I think it is sort of weird when people talk about how hot their spouses are on their blog. But in this case, I think you know what I am talking about.

(They won first place.)

(PS, the screaming girls in this video are not any of the wives of the band members, they were some exuberant ladies behind us, who seem to have an affinity for Antoine Dodson.)

Cowboy Birthday Party

2011-03-04T12:08:00.000-08:00

I am not 100% certain whose idea it was to have the cowboy birthday theme originally, mine or Charlie's, but Charlie was really excited about it. When I asked him what he was going to be on his birthday, he would say "a cowboy!" (The answer I was looking for was "three!" but we are still working on that one.)

A million thanks to my wonderful friend Emily for letting us have the rained out party at her house, and my wonderful friend Sara for documenting it so well! (See her blo g for a few more pictures.) And also to all our lovely friends with delightful children who came and made Charlie's day so special. And to my sister for helping! Okay, I think that is it, sorry.

Since it rained, the pinata had to come inside. Someone shouted "just let them kick it!" and it went on from there, until the fury came to a fever pitch, at which point I broke the boot in half myself, to quell the mob.

I know. I am pure awesome.

McBirthday

2011-03-02T23:01:00.000-08:00

Grandma M wanted to take our little Charlie somewhere for his birthday, so we all went to McDonald's.

(I tried to crop the freaky Ronald McDonald statue out of the background, but could only get so much of him to disappear. Can you believe that this McDonald's had THREE of those things; one on every bench? Yikes.)
Then we came home to special cupcakes she had gotten for this very event, and he got to blow the candles out and then eat his cupcake (well, okay, lick the frosting off.)
An awesome present, and a quick peek at Shelby, the tortoise (he was hibernating, so we didn't get to play too much) rounded out the great day. Charlie has asked about Grandma and Grandpa M (and the tortoise) several times since then, so we'll be heading back over for a visit soon.I am so lucky to have wonderful grandparents that my kids get to enjoy as well!

Did I say there were no words?

2011-02-28T11:01:00.000-08:00

Of course there are words. There are always words.

My three year old:

He is a light eater. Friends have hardly ever seen him eat at all, but when it is just our family at the dinner table with all electronics turned off and the lights out in all rooms except the dining room table, he actually does eat. But he doesn't have an enormous appetite. His favorite food is pasta. Any time a timer goes off he says "is the pasta ready?"

He adores his family. Each morning he wakes up and requests a grandparent (a different one each day) and also asks where his daddy is. When I tell him that daddy is at school he says "is he in the library with books?" He calls his sister "Lissy" and "Lissity" and is almost always nice to her. When she bothers him, he USUALLY tells me "Lissy is bothering me" instead of taking matters into his own hands. He is very concerned for her safety when she stands in the bathtub, and he encourages her to sit back down. He also loves his cousins, (including but not limited to) Avey, Co-ban, and Tenny, and his aunts and uncles.

He has a good memory for things I promise. If I say he can have something after his nap, he wakes up with the words on his lips. If I say he can do something when daddy gets home, he immediately gets going on it as daddy walks through the door.

He naps most days, and is a wreck of a human on the days that he doesn't so I think they are still hanging out for a while longer.

He goes to Miss Shauna's for a preschool/playgroup type thing every Tuesday. On Tuesday mornings when he wakes up I say "what day is it?" and he says "TUESDAY!!!!" He loves it.

He is like his daddy with his laid back temperament, and he gets his desire to stay up late and wake up late from his mother. He wakes up slightly grumpy and needs a few minutes of cuddling before he is ready to take on the day.

He is a serious musician. I know, I am totally biased, but he really does have a pretty good ear for tune and rhythm. He knows a ton of songs, mostly primary church songs, but also a fair amount of music from my ipod. He is a huge Glee fan, so I play it a lot for him. The other day Greg was making up words to the tune of "Teenage Dream" which I assume he knows from Glee, but Charlie corrected him and said "no, it says 'let you put your hands on me.'" (I better start censoring better I guess.)

He loves TV and movies. Since we cancelled cable, he doesn't get to see his favorite shows very often (Wubbzy and Yo Gabba Gabba) but thanks to Netflix he has recently taken up Word World, which he adores. He also likes playing games on my phone. If it were up to him, he would have 24 hours of "screen time" a day. (Don't worry, it's not.)

Okay, he wouldn't have a full 24 hours of television, because he is a boy who loves the park. He also likes running errands in general. I think his love of Target is surpassed only by my own love of Target. He likes the doctor's office, and tells me all the time things that he will tell Doctor Page when he sees him next.

In general, he is the most incredible three year old I know. I can't help feeling that way. Even when he bugs me (which, in the interest of preserving reality, is fairly often. Terrible threes is way worse than terrible twos).

2011-02-27T20:21:00.000-08:00

This is a common sight around here.

So is this one.

(He's checking for "monies" or other questionable items that might be in her mouth. He's nothing if not helpful.)

2011-02-23T08:01:00.000-08:00

My baby boy.

February 2008
August 2008February 2009February 2010

Happy 3rd birthday. There are just no words.

PARTY!

2011-02-22T10:08:00.000-08:00

I got a package this week (more on that later) and the padding in it was these squiggly red pieces of shredded paper. I attempted to keep Charlie from spreading it around the whole house, but after a couple minutes I gave up and figured that 30 minutes of happiness now was worth the ten minutes of cleaning up later.

He kept throwing the stuffing in the air and yelling "PARTY!"
That's right. We know how to party in this house.
(In other news, as you can see, Charlie is back in diapers. He was doing great(ish) with the potty training, but then the pneumonia came earlier this month and it was hand in hand with some...unfortunate side effects that squelched my desire to keep him in underwear. Since he still isn't back to 100% in his health or attitude, with the serious crankiness and terrible sleep that has been going on around here, I haven't had the energy to get back into it. Oh well.)

2011-02-21T19:52:00.000-08:00

Top five things my mother said growing up that I swore I wouldn't ever say but now say:

1) It's a surprise.
(This is when someone asks me what was for dinner. I don't want to discuss it. I am cooking, that is bad enough.)

2) Don't step in the black!
(I don't say these exact words, but my mother always did. It is an attempt to keep your children from stepping in the oil, or other undesirables on the street. I used to think "that is what shoes are for, why shouldn't I step where I want?" But now I know. Shoes go into the house, and, often, into the baby's mouth. Don't step on the yuck on the street.)

3) If you stick your arm out of the car/grocery cart/moving vehicle, it will get cut off.
(My mother STILL totally maintains that a girl she went to high school with had her arm cut off. I am still pretty dubious as to whether this is true. When this came out of my mouth though, I was so shocked I had to call my sister and tell her that it has officially happened and I am Mom, because it is so obnoxious that I don't want to say it, but I can't help it, it just came out.)

4) You can't always get what you want.
(This is sung, a la The Rolling Stones. My parents sang this CONSTANTLY throughout my childhood, and I do it a lot too. I know it is pretty often, because a couple days ago we were supposed to go somewhere and I couldn't find my keys. I was looking through everything and Charlie asked what I was doing and I told him that I couldn't find my keys. He sang "well mommy, 'You CAN'T always GET what you WAAAAAANT!")

5) I couldn't think of a fifth thing, but I am only 3 years into my child rearing years. There is plenty of time.

I think I've spent enough time at the top of this blog.

2011-02-20T20:58:00.001-08:00

Felicity thinks so too.

I'm famous!

2011-02-15T15:27:00.001-08:00

Okay, maybe only a little. Well, maybe not at all. But a word that Greg and I submitted to mammalingo.com got posted today! Check us out!

Haircut

2011-02-13T19:35:00.000-08:00

I just got an awesome haircut from Andrea at Belleza Salon. I am not well known for my dexterity with hair (in fact, I don't even own a hair dryer, and I didn't have hair spray until I needed some last week and didn't have any so decided that is something I should probably have in my house), so a great cut is something I seriously appreciate. Andrea is the source behind my sister's always awesome hair (she is featured on the salon's site here) and she also gave Charlie his last hair cut (well, the one before I cut the left side yesterday and then ran out of oreos before I could do the right side. That cut was all me) and she is basically amazing.

Also, so you can see Charlie's stunning hair cut, courtesy of mom, and because he didn't understand why I would take the camera out to take a picture of someone other than him, here he is.
He looks like Donald Trump.

2011-02-11T21:28:00.000-08:00

Do I even need to tell you how much I love matching pajamas? I think I do not.

Sick

2011-02-10T21:26:00.000-08:00

This is the face of pneumonia.

It ain't pretty.

(He's actually feeling much better. It's been an unfortunate ten days or so though.)

Painting

2011-02-02T13:32:00.000-08:00

Felicity paints too. She uses a different medium (sweet potatoes) and canvas (face).

Contraband

2011-02-01T13:25:00.000-08:00

Bobbys (pacificer) + Sponge Bob
I am pretty sure Charlie is going with flu = totally worth it.

2011-01-22T22:34:00.000-08:00

We were reading goodnight stories and we glanced over at Felicity.

She was standing. Of her own accord.

No big deal.

-----

Side note: if you look closely, you can see the source of all the consternation from the last few weeks. There is a little tooth nub, and she is a lot happier. (Mommy is not so happy. She appears to be a biter.)

Not quite there.

2011-01-15T13:50:00.000-08:00

Poor child. She was born in the wrong family if she dreams of having long legs.

2011-01-13T14:30:00.000-08:00

I think my bathroom is currently cleaner than it has ever been.That is seriously significant, considering it is the current home base of a potty training two year old.

Magic eraser = pure awesomeness in sponge form.

2011-01-10T10:56:00.000-08:00

I continue to maintain that bathtime is the best time to catch photos of my little people.

He said "I'm Santa. Ho, ho, ho." I think he learned it from Mady.

Someone has plans to start crawling soon.

2011-01-09T22:52:00.000-08:00

Anniversary

2011-01-03T23:57:00.000-08:00

We celebrated our 5th anniversary on the 30th. We decided to take a little overnighter, sans children since it was a big milestone. So, we headed out to Palm Springs and stayed at this little resort (thanks to Living Social Escapes it was a pretty good deal), went and saw a movie, stopped at the outlets on the way home, and generally had a lovely time. The kids were perfect (allegedly) at my parent's house.

Husband: thanks for five wonderful years of marriage. I would do it again a million times.

I missed their little faces.

Yes, they (we) are sick (again).