It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

I know I have not posted in forever...I have been completely absorbed with reading every night. There is something about the quiet of a house with sleeping children and a roaring fire tended to by my wonderful husband that makes me want to sit in the recliner and read. I am almost done with Breaking Dawn, so I will be back to posting on the blog more often.

Okay, so I know it's not even Thanksgiving yet, but pre-Christmas preparations are in full swing at the Marlar house. We put up one tree and still have one left to go...I am thinking of nicknaming Mike "Ebeneezer" because he cannot stop complaining about all of the "stuff" everywhere that comes along with Christmas. We took the girls to have their pictures made with Santa, which did NOT go over very well. I thought I had Lilly Grace prepared for Santa by pumping her up for the entire week. She had her list ready to spout off to him, and she actually seemed like she was going to be okay with it when she first saw him...that all took a turn for the worse when we got within a five foot radius. She started crying, Pressley started crying, and I almost started crying...needless to say, the pictures will probably by endearing in twenty years.

We also made the trek to Toys R Us to buy all of the toys from Santa...I have to say that I was disappointed. There just isn't a big selection of toys for two/three year old girls. There are tons of Barbies, Hanna Montana, and High School Musical...all of which is too old for LG. There's also a lot of baby things for kids up to two years, but not a lot in between. She's not really into babies, so that left us with lots of Play Dough, Art Supplies, and Leapster (which is really for kids 4-8, but she's really into games and stuff). At least she'll be able to practice her numbers and letters with some of the games that we bought. After we got everything, we went to Wal Mart for some other stuff, and I realized that a lot of the toys we bought were cheaper there...so we went BACK to Toys R Us so I could return the expensive stuff and save a few bucks. At least Mike and I got to go to lunch...that was nice.

Thanksgiving is this week, and so begins the crazy next month that is the "holidays." We have a turkey-frying party Wednesday, Thanksgiving at Nana & Papa Chuck's on Thursday, the Cory Smith concert on Friday, Thanksgiving at Grandmother's on Saturday, and oh yeah...did I mention that LG is spending the night in the "Georgia Bus" for the Tech game? What were Nana and Papa Chuck thinking? We'll see how that goes...

Blessed

Okay, it's been so long since I blogged that I don't even know where to begin! This calls for a list...

1. Before we left for vacation, we took the girls to the Pumpkin Patch here in Jefferson. They had a new maze this year, so we decided to let Lilly Grace give it a try. She quickly realized that there was candy hidden down a certain path...Sweet Tarts (her first time eating them), so instead of trying to find them over and over again each time she went through the maze, she politely asked Mike to pick her up so she could see over the barriers to the candy. Sometimes she's too smart for her own good.

2. Speaking of smart, we were having a conversation on the way to Janet's the other morning about the moon, which is now in the sky when we leave the house every morning. Here's how it went:

LG: "Mommy, looka the moon! It's beautiful, shiny, and big."

Me: "Yes, sweetie, it's a full moon."

LG: "It's way up high - I don't want to touch it."

Me: "Well, that's a good thing because you can touch it from here."

(about five minutes later - sun is coming up)

LG: "Mommy, the dark is going away...can you make it dark again."

Me: "No, sweetie, the sun is coming up and the moon is going down. The sun brings light during the day."

LG: (very sad) "Well, I want to touch the moon before it goes to bed."

Me: (we're out of the car now) "Well, maybe one day you will touch the moon."

LG: (jumping, trying to reach it) "Mommy, I can't touch that moon because it's too high. Maybe if I had an airplane I could reach it."

NOTE: I have never explained airplanes to her

3. We went to Jamaica, mon. One word - AWESOME! There is something to be said for all-inclusive resorts....you don't have to carry money (or worry about it for that matter)...you can eat really good food and have really good drinks at any hour of the day as much as you want without paying or tipping...people wait on you hand and foot...you can scuba, snorkel, go sailing...and you don't ever have to step off the grounds of the resort (and that's a good thing!). We stayed a Couples Negril http://www.couples.com/ and I highly recommend it to anyone seeking ultimate relaxation at an affordable price.

4. I have the best husband on the planet. It is our five year anniversary this weekend, and our gift to each other was the trip to Jamaica. We are on a strict no-gift policy this year. Well, this evening, Mike said, "I want to give you your anniversary gift a little early," to which I replied, "you better not have bought be anything." (Yes, I am one of those women who really means "don't buy me anything") He led me to the computer and proceeded to start a video that he created and burned on a disc. I sat at the computer and cried as I watched the sweetest, most romantic thing I have ever seen. He made a video of all of the pictures from when we were dating, when we got married, and when we had kids...put it to music ("A Moment Like This" by K. Clarkston)...and even had captions edited in with sweet things like "And then our family grew - Lilly Grace - May 2005" and "One just wasn't enough - Pressley Kate - April 2008." I swear, sometimes I wonder what I did to be so blessed...there are not enough diamonds, cars, or expensive things in the world that compare to how rich I am.

My Take on the Current Political Situation...as Quoted by MamaNeena

Okay, I have a good friend from college who blogs daily and is quite hilarious. She posted her political rant on her blog today, and I couldn't have said it better myself (well, I probably wouldn't have cussed as much because my family reads this). So here it is...

"...here is my take on politics.
Suck it!
To all those folks out there bitching about paying and not paying taxes - suck it! Taxes will never, ever, ever go away so just pay your share and shut up!
To all those folks that are all upset about the war and the soldiers and what is and isn't our place in all of it - suck it! My brother and his wife are over there doing their job and doing it well. Try saying thank you for a change rather than a bunch of political mumbo jumbo. They might appreciate it.
To all those folks that are up in arms about education and if it is working or not - suck it! Quit blaming teachers. Quit blaming schools. Quit blaming government. Quit blaming parents. Maybe, just maybe, it could be the fault of the kid. Take responsibility, do your homework, quit expecting miracles from teachers, and take an interest in your kids and their lives. And, for Pete's sake get that damn cell phone off your kid's ear and make the little f*#ker do his assignment!
To all those people saying 'gimme, gimme, gimme' - suck it! Get a job, do some hard work, and quit expecting everyone to help you all the time. If you only do what you've always done then you'll only get what you've always gotten.
To all those folks making issues with health care, social security, and the like - suck it! I'm just tired of hearing about this one. We live on one income by choice, pay for our own health care, insurance, retirement, and whatnot. We're doing fine. Make the right choice for the future, work hard, and quit blaming your money problems on everyone else.
Just vote for the candidate of your choice. Be confident in your choice. Realize that there will be no huge changes overnight and just be happy and feel blessed that you get to live in this wonderful country in the first place. Quit picking on the politicians so much because none of us are stepping up and giving the job a whirl.
Plus, I can guarantee that there is not a single person out there that wouldn't have something from their past jump out if they were in politics. None of us are perfect and most of us couldn't do the job we are asking McCain and Obama to do. So, suck it!
God Bless America!"

-MamaNeena
http://mamaneena.blogspot.com/

Amen, sister!

Got Gas?

Okay...I am gonna talk about gas...both kinds...
WHY ISN'T THERE ANY GAS??? We live in America for Pete's sake...it's the year 2008...I feel like I am in a time warp back to the gas crisis of "I probably wasn't even alive" year. The hot topic of conversation today at school (among students and faculty) was "is your tank full?" Maybe that's the problem...maybe we've created mass hysteria to the point where every person on the road is stopping to fill up when they get to 3/4 of a tank so they are full in the event of an "emergency"...okay I could understand this if you are pregnant or something and need to get somewhere quick, but c'mon...most of the people in this town are either driving to the grocery store, the Peach State Speedway, or the Pendergrass Flea Market (I do love Jackson County even though I make fun of it often)...all of which are less than five miles away. There was even a rumor that they were going to cancel the GA vs. Alabama game (GASP!), but Sonny Purdue didn't want to tick off all of his friends in the upper echelon of GA football, so instead he's ticking off the whole state. I can see it now...all of the drunk, overpaid, middle aged alumni will be obsolete during the game while the criminal element in Athens is busy siphoning gas from the half-million dollar RV's all over town (hehe)...okay, I shouldn't laugh. Although some people blame Ike and Gustav for the shortage, I personally like to blame Sonny Perdue...I don't really have a good reason other than the fact I am really mad at him for taking away state raises, so this just gives me another reason not to like him. Where is ol' Sonny now? Why, he's in Europe, escaping his state in the middle of a crisis he's responsible for...what a good little politician. Hope he has fun being driven around in a car full of gas!

On to a more positive subject...(sorry, had to get that frustration off my chest...I know, I am cynical and angry right now)

Okay, just a note on the second type of gas...Lilly Grace has become quite aware of it, and she thinks it's funny. Of course, I am horrified because I detest bodily functions...especially ones that make weird noises. Needless to stay, when she looks at me, giggles, and says, "Mommy, I tooted!" all I can do is laugh.

Art in the Park

We had an exciting weekend...here's a rundown of events:

1. On Friday, I got my hair cut, which may not seem like such a big deal, but it took weeks of contemplating until I finally decided to cut seven inches off. I am happy with the new look...drastic enough to tell a difference but not so drastic that my kids couldn't recognize me.

2. Lilly Grace had dance class again Saturday, and even though she was ticked about having to put on the leotard and tights, she actually had a good time and participated (for once). Of course, we did have to make our weekly trip to the store for M&M's as a reward. She has now developed a fondness for the ones in the brown bag and won't have anything to do with the peanut kind.

3. I went to Homecoming to chaperone the dance (oh, joy). I really went for moral support for Raygan...bless her heart. I found it interesting that kids now thing that simulating sex acts constitutes dancing...I mean, c'mon...they are taking "dirty dancing" to a whole new level...yuck.

4. On Sunday we went to Art in the Park, a little festival at Hurricane Shoals. We had a really good time...it brought back memories of going to Prater'sMill every fall with my Mom. I just love the South...as soon as the air starts to get crisp you are bound to have fall festivals on weekends. Lilly Grace liked seeing the animals at the petting zoo and feeding the ducks. I chilled with Pressley on a quilt by the shoals while we played and listened to good ol' Bluegrass Music (i.e., old men strumming banjos singing about seeing your family in heaven one day - LOVE IT!!!) All that was missing was endless groups of little kids in petticoats clogging. I love seeing the folk art and crafts and the smell of BBQ, fried apple fritters, boiled peanuts, and funnel cakes. I also like people-watching...believe me, some of the county's finest turned out:)

5. Lilly Grace and Pressley actually hung out together and watched Dragon Tales on TV...see picture...without Lilly Grace protesting that "she touched me!" or "she's on my side!" Yes, my five-month-old likes to watch TV...so what???

At some point during the weekend I realized that Lilly Grace is becoming quite sassy. At one point I was trying to sing a song with her and she stuck her hand up (talk-to-the-hand style) and said, "Mommy, stop, right now. You need to stop or you're gonna be in trouble. I will count to five and you're gonna hafta sit in time out...one, two, three, four, five!" I didn't know whether to laugh or cry...

Dancing Queen

Lilly Grace started her first ever dance class last weekend, and since I have had absolutely nothing interesting going on this week, I thought I would blog about it. I have to say I was a bit nervous about the process of actually getting her ready and on board with the whole dance class thing. She loves to dance...but only on her terms. The first obstacle was the outfit. As you have probably ascertained, LG is very peculiar about clothes and shoes, so I was fully expecting a meltdown, resulting in the forfeiture of my dance class deposit and a child who does no extra-curricular activities because she refuses to wear the uniform. Needless to say, it wasn't that bad. I tried not to make a big deal out of it...I just casually began to put on the tights (which she stared at which a very strange look on her face), then the purple leotard, and finally the skirt. As I started to put on the ballet shoes, I could feel the mood in the air begin to change, so I shifted into bribery mode (which does not happen often in my house). I asked her if she wanted to go to the grocery store with me, which I knew she would immediately respond to with a resounding "YES, Mommy, and I promise to stay in the buggy!" I told her we just had to make one stop on the way to the store, omitting the fact that the one stop was a 45 minute dance class in a place she had never been before. Then something happened...she began to realize that something was fishy, so she decided to milk the situation for all it might possibly be worth. She said, " I REALLY want to go to Chuck E Cheese, too, Mommy." How do kids know the precise time to ask for what they want and actually GET IT???? So, of course, I told her we might go tomorrow if she was good while we were out "running errands" (A.K.A. going to dance class).

Anyway, we got there and she was pretty cool with it. She didn't jump right in and chaise (I have no idea how to spell that word) immediately, but we got through the class with no major catastrophes. I, on the other hand, realized quickly how out of shape I am when I got winded after 30 minutes of the organized-chaos they call the Jump, Jiggle, and Jive class...there was some jump, a lot of jiggle, and zero jive on my part. Lilly Grace was happy to get to the store and spend two hours at Chuck E Cheese as a reward, and I was satisfied to see her in the too-cute leotard and tights. I just can't wait until Mike has to take her when I have class...he'll look cute in the circle with all the mothers and two-year-old girls waving scarves and "picking buttercups." (hehe)

On a side note, you'll notice her embarrassment at being photographed in unknown attire...in the bottom picture she is hiding behind her Easter Basket, which she now carries around the house with her in case she finds an egg.

Out on the Town

It is a glorious, yet lonely feeling when you are allowed a few hours of "adult" time without your kids. Sunday night we decided to celebrate my best friend Raygan's birthday. We were going to have "Grandmother" watch the kids, but Nana and Papa Chuck volunteered to keep LG overnight. I think it was out of guilt over the total meltdown she had when they all jumped out of the car on Saturday to go to the GA game, leaving her bewildered and alone, not understanding why she started with a carload of loved ones (and I do mean carload...people in the front, back, and hanging on to both sides of the vehicle) and suddenly they were all gone. Anyway, we packed her up and sent her to the lake, and Pressley went to stay at Grandmother's for the evening. Once again, we were alone...two parents, back in the big adult world of nice restaurants, cocktails, and good, uninterrupted conversation...we almost didn't know what to do. We quickly remembered...eat what we want (when we want), talk about things with our friends over a long dinner filled with appetizers, mojitos, and laughter, go to bed past 10 o'clock, and sleep late in the morning. Oh, glory!


We all met downtown and ate at DePalma's. We had yummy bruschetta with olive tampanade and smoked salmon cream cheese spread for an appetizer. I had a Grey Goose and orange juice, and Mike, in true Mike fashion, ordered a Pabst Blue Ribbon...don't ask me why. He kept going on about how PBR is really a delicacy...whatever. We ate until we were stuffed...mine was grilled pork tenderloin with an apricot demi-glaze with steamed broccoli and garlic mashed potatoes...his was spaghetti with Italian Sausage (go figure), which looked like a phallic symbol atop a mountain of noodles. Anyway, now that have bored you with my menu for the evening...sorry...food excites me, I will say that we had a really relaxing evening with old friends. We came home and sat on the front porch and talked, went to bed, and slept really late. It was really nice to be back in the adult world for a while, but I did wake up with a bit of an ache in my heart...the house was just too quiet. What did we do before we had the two most precious little angels in our lives? (oh yeah, we ate what we wanted, drank what we wanted, and went to bed when we wanted) I wouldn't go back for anything!

GO DAWGS!

I love the South. A friend of mine recently blogged about the joys of fall...musing at length about the smells, sights, and leaves in a pensive, poetic way. So here's my take on it...fall means football Saturdays in Athens watching full grown, highly paid, professional men act like 20 year-old frat boys stumbling drunkenly through the streets of campus...it means college girls in freakin cocktail dresses and heels in 98 degree temperatures to go see a football game...it means hearing the best of the Redcoat Band and Larry Munson coming from iPods at every tailgate...it means beer, food, and friends...it means miles of RV's and red & black as far as you can see...it means you have a connection to 80,000 perfect strangers, who, because they are GA fans, are instantly your best friends and will share their food, beer, and RV toilets...it means walking to the game singing "who's that walking down the tracks?" with every other drunken person hoping their high heel doesn't get caught in the railroad ties...it means another year of a tradition that will never die. God...please let my children go to the University of Georgia so they can know how it feels to be a part of the biggest, best, proudest family of football fans in the South. GO DAWGS!

Splish Splash

Who says a rainy day can't be tons of fun...not my daughter, that's for sure. She has been psyched about the rain all day. She was really pumped this morning that she was able to wear her green jacket, with the hood up of course because, 'it's rainin on my head, Mommy." Then when I picked her up, she made me open the sun roof so she could see the raindrops falling on the top of the car. THEN when we got out of the car, she insisted that I zip her jacket up and put her hood on so she could go stomp around in the pouring (and I mean pouring) rain and puddles all in the driveway. Pressley and I just stood in the garage for like 20 minutes while she got soaked from head to toe. I finally convinced her to come in, just in time I learned, since we were under a TORNADO WARNING and I didn't know it...yeah, I know I'll get "Mother of the Year Award" for that one.


Anyway, Papa Chuck came over for like 20 minutes in true Yuppie fashion...always in a hurry (I tease him but I enjoy seeing him even if it is only for a few minutes). He snuck out and a total meltdown ensued...I mean LG cried for at least 10 minutes...big, wet, crocodile tears, saying "I need my Papa Chuck!" I convinced her to stop crying by telling her we could go outside for round two of puddle jumping...who knew a little rain could be so darn fun?






I am including a couple of new pictures...not because they go with this post, but because I told my mom that I would. (Love You, Mama)

Just an Update

Update...quick facts to catch you up on all of our business:)
1. Pressley went for her 4-month check-up on Wednesday. She now weighs 16 lbs. 10 oz. ...I know, she's huge! They gave her four shots, which shouldn't even be legal. Bless her little heart...she turned bright red and forgot to breath for like a whole minute. She promptly yanked off one of her band-aids off in protest when we got home.
2. I now have zero sicks days left...a scary thought when you have two kids in daycare. I used almost all of them for maternity leave last year, then another two for our trip to Maine, a 1/2 day for Pressley's doctor's appt, you get it...
3. Classes have started back at UGA...what was I thinking again? Two kids, full-time job, Specialist degree..I must be crazy
4. Lilly Grace just keeps getting more like a two-year-old every day, and my patience is quickly wearing thin. I think we were up to four fits just today...the first one about having to wear the lobster shirt I bought her in Maine, the second because she couldn't find a leaf in the car that she'd picked off a tree (you would have thought she was missing some serious cash or something), the third because I tried to get a splinter out of her finger, then I tried to put Neosporin and a Band-Aid on it, which she ripped off in a matter of seconds, and the fourth because she didn't want to take a bath, and oh yeah...one more..because I pushed the button on the remote to start The Little Mermaid DVD instead of letting her do it...pray for me.
5. On a happy note, Pressley has started cackling every time she thinks something is funny, which totally cracks me up. LG and Mike were jumping in puddles in the driveway the other night and she just started hee-hawing because she thought it was so funny. Then we started laughing at her so hard I thought we were going to pee our pants...I am sure the neighbors were curious why we were all barefoot, jumping around in the driveway, laughing so hard we were snorting. We'll probably get a letter in the mailbox from the Homeowner's Association warning us about public displays of happiness

Baby Duckling

Isn't it funny how kids form attachments to fuzzy objects? Why are they always fuzzy? One morning, I handed Pressley a yellow duck "lovie" (definition - stuffed animal head attached to a blankie) that Lilly Grace never seemed interested it, and she immediately became smitten. She quickly realized she could put it in her mouth and start gnawing away or rub it on her face and cuddle. Now she's hooked! An immediate problem surfaced when LG remembered that the duck was once hers, and she promptly yanked it out of Pressley's hands. She eventually decided that the sisterly thing to do (yes, she is acknowledging that role now) was to give Pressley the duck as a love offering and officially name it "Pressley's Duckling." I not exactly sure how she knows it is a baby duck, thus calling it a "duckling," but hey, who can figure out the mind of a two-year-old. Not me...if I could, I would be a millionaire.

On a side note, we just got back from a fabulous long weekend in Squirrel Island, Maine, where THERE'S NOT A SINGLE SQUIRREL (or poisonous snake or spider, according to Marge). Mike said they all fell from the sky during a massive squirrel suicide or something...he was just looking to start a good ghost story. I can say a few things about the folks on Squirrel:

1. they know how to drink...any time of the day or night...they are professionals

2. they know how to make Southerners feel right at home...seriously, they were awesome

3. they don't lock their doors...in fact, I don't think I saw a single door with a lock the whole weekend

4. they think it's warm when its really friggin cold

5. they like to dress like pirates and run around the island yelling "AARRRGH"

6. they love their island...seriously, half the wedding was devoted to their "new member acceptance"...but for good reason...it's straight out of a postcard and absolutely breathtaking

Congratulations on your wedding Marge! Congratulations on your initiation to the island, Bill:) We can't wait to come back one day!

Slam...not damn!

Well, unfortunately my child has inadvertently learned a cuss word from "Elmo's Magic Cookbook." Although I cannot claim to "keep it clean" all the time, I have NEVER cussed in front of my children because I have tried to make a concerted effort to eliminate four-letter words from my vocabulary since Lilly Grace repeats everything she hears. In the above mentioned DVD, Emeril Lagasse cooks with Elmo and uses his trademark phrase "BAM" everytime he throws something on the miniature pizzas he is making with the kids. Anyway, Lilly Grace picked up on it, and so now whenever she throws a toy back into the basket she yells "Damn!" because that's how she has interpreted what Emeril does. When I heard her say it, I of course said, "What did you say?" She then proceeded to throw another block into the bucket and yell, "Damn!" I said, "Lilly Grace, you can't say that word...you have to say BAM." Needless to say, she didn't understand and she looked at me again and said, "Damn." Since she couldn't seem to transpose the letter "D" into a letter "B" I told her that she could say "slam" instead. That worked, but now she looks at me when she throws something and says "Slam! Not Damn, Mommy 'cause I can't say that word." I am just waiting to pick her up from the church nursery to hear the nursery worker tell me that my child put her toys back, saying "Slam, not damn, 'cause I can't say that word...I can't say damn." Oh, lordy!

Will my child show up for kindergarten still in diapers???

I have been trying to introduce the concept of potty training to LG for a while now. The potty has had a presence in the house now for about 8 months, and she will occasionally even sit on it and read books...but that's about the extent of it. I have tried a reward system...I've tried "hanging out" in the bathroom with her for up to forty-five minutes in hopes she will go...I have tried Pull-Ups (which she vehemently rejects)...I have even tried letting her run around completely naked...all to no avail. When she finally realizes she has to go, she politely asks that I put her diaper back on and then proceeds to pitch a fit if I don't honor her request. There is a delicate line between making her do something because, dang it, I'm her mother and scarring her for life because I have forced this bathroom thing on her before she's ready. I am at a crossroads...
1. I am sick of buying ridiculously expensive diapers (for two kids) when one is obviously old enough to move on to bigger and better bathroom habits
2. She can verbalize when she is about to go, when she has gone, and when I need to change her
and
3. Because, dang it, I am her mother and I think she needs to go to the potty
Mike (of course) thinks I am overreacting...sometimes the "voice of reason" is annoyingly reasonable...and that I just need to let her do it in her own time. My question is...WHEN IS IT TIME???? They SO need a Parenting for Dummies book...

Burn Baby Burn

Okay, I'm 30 years old, so you would think that by now I would have learned how to properly apply sunscreen so as not to get burned. Apparently not...because I am covered in random bright red splotches all over my body, causing small fires on my back, feet, hands, and knees. It looks like I was drinking when I put on my 30 spf this morning. RM and I went to the pool for a little R&R while our kids were at the sitters house. We had a very relaxing day, and it was nice to have adult conversation with a female my age (as opposed to my husband or by two kids). Unfortunately, I am paying the price now :) Speaking of my husband, I just have to say that I love him to death. He is really great because he does all of the things I hate to do (probably because he knows that if he doesn't they won't get done). Also because he says things like this...I was teasing him that he hoards things and he said, "The only thing I hoard is ammunition, because you can never have too much of that." What a Mikeism...

When I got to Janet's house today, she said, "Lilly Grace just hasn't been her little self since she woke up from her nap." Now Janet is like the nicest person in the entire world and she loves my kids like they are her own (at least I think she does - if she doesn't then she's just really good at faking it). When she says "she just isn't her little self," that is her nice way of saying that A. Lilly Grace has been bad or B. Lilly Grace is sick. Either one is not good...Needless to say, she is not feeling well. She started to fall asleep in my lap about 5:45, so I took her upstairs, covered in the remnants of brownie batter that I couldn't get off with a baby wipe, and put her in the bed. I couldn't bear to make her take a bath because she was so pitiful, so I wiped her feet and face with a baby wipe and put her to bed in a diaper and the t-shirt she wore today. I layed down with her and watched Elmo's "What Makes You Happy" and "Baby Noah" until she fell asleep. Bless her little heart...

La Diva Fashionista

Okay, I have not posted in a while because I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON MY APPLIED PROJECT SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME!!! Can you tell I'm hostile???

Anyway, I found this brand new dress in the back of the closet the other day that I forgot that I bought for Lilly Grace. Well, getting new clothes is like better than chocolate and McDonald's around here lately. I showed her the dress and she about had a fit to wear it. She willingly let me put it on and even let me tie the bow in her hair without protest (when I told her she had to have the matching bow for it to be an outfit). She danced around and said "looka my dress, Mommy!" She about ran smack into Mike going around the corner into the bedroom so she could "show Daddy." Of course, he made a huge deal out of it like every good Daddy should, and she gave him lots of kisses and even took a picture with him.

On a more depressing note...I have to go back to work in like two weeks...that bites.

Just the Two of Us

I kept Lilly Grace home with me yesterday so that we could spend some time together. I forgot how easy it was to have just one! I told her the plan for the day ahead of time (I would want to know), but I probably shouldn't have. She was concerned about it all day. On the way home from Janet's she said, "Nana's house is that way." When we pulled into the driveway at home she started to cry and said, "I wanna go to Chuck E Cheese!" (part of the plan for the day). I couldn't get her to understand that we were going to the pool first, then Chuck E Cheese, and then Nana's. On the way to CEC, she immediately noticed that we had not turned off to go to Nana's...kinda creepy that she pays that much attention to where we are and how I drive. By the way, she has also gotten into the habit of reminding Mike to buckle in when she sees that he hasn't. (hehe).

Anyway, we had a good day at the pool. She had a blast at CEC; although Mike said there were more trashy people there per square foot than any Wal Mart he had ever seen. There was actually one little kid who would jump on rides with kids who had put their tokens in and then was trying to take people's tickets from the machines before they could get to them. This boy attempted this with my daughter's tickets...OH NO YOU DON'T! It bewildered me that four adults watched this happen and stood dumbfounded (my relatives included) and did not say anything. I guess the teacher came out in me because I swiftly stopped the boy and gave him a talking to...he immediately handed over the tickets. (hehe). What is sad is that his parents probably taught him how to steal and mooch from others to get ahead...I cannot believe it begins so early.

On a side note...I included a picture of us a CEC - notice LG is not looking at the camera...that's because she was way to busy dancing and playing. The next two pictures are from the other night...Lilly Grace insisted on playing in Pressley's crib (and using her pacifier and her Baby Einstein playmat) that day. The other one of Pressley was just way too cute not to post...I know, I am one of those people...

Never Underestimate the Power of a New Handbag!

Yay! I love my new purse!!! I have been doing some retail therapy this week, and it sure does feel good. I bought myself a few new things at the outlet malls, and I went shopping with my mom on Monday. We were walking through Macy's and I saw the bag. It is rare that I stop in a store because something catches my eye...okay, it's not that rare...but it is rare for me to stand there and convince myself that I need it because I usually do just the opposite. I will say to myself, "Do I really need another white shirt?" "I don't have the money." or "I already have five lip glosses with stuff left in them." Well, although I did say to myself that I didn't have the money, I kept thinking about that purse for the rest of the day. It was not on clearance, and no other stores had one like it, so I got on ebay when I came home, thinking it may be going for cheaper...boy, was I wrong. Apparently they are sold out in stores and are going for more than retail on ebay. Anyway, I called Mom and told her...and being the wonderful mother she is said...just go back and get it. OMG! My mom rocks! Did I mention that the purse I was carrying up until yesterday, which is also fabulous, was one my mom bought me two years ago! I just hope that I can afford to do the same things for Pressley and Lilly Grace when they are older...or maybe they will both get high-paying jobs and buy them for me!!!

Anyway, It is not typically my style to love animal print, but I do love this bag. Apparently, so does Lilly Grace. When I went to pick them up at Janet's it was sitting in the front seat. LG said, "ooh, Mommy...is that my bag?" I said, "No, it's mine." She said, "it's so cute...is it mine?" I said, "No, sweetie, it's Mommy's new bag." She said, "I like the bag Mommy, is it mine?" I guess there's something to be said about persistence...wonder where she got that from???

Four Generations

It has been a CRAZY week...my hard drive crashed...enough said...oh, wait...I forgot to mention that I lost my entire annotated bibliography for my applied project! I felt like such a fool...here I am getting a degree in Instructional Technology and I did not back up my work. Anway, here's to a week of playing catch-up.

Grandaddy Jack came by today to visit with the girls, and they had a great time. I feel so blessed to still have him here with us so that he can spend time with his Great-Grandchildren. He and Lilly Grace played golf, read books, and rolled the ball back and forth. She was totally digging the attention, and I got lots of pictures and videos.

On the LG front, she has now expanded her vocabulary to include the word "impatient," imagine that, and she told me in the car that the reason she couldn't wait for me to read Hello, Little Wombat to her WHILE I WAS DRIVING was because she was impatient. She also looked at me this afternoon and said "duh!"

Pressley went to the doctor for her 2 month check up last week and she weighs a whopping 14.3 pounds...that would be the 100th percentile for weight! The doctor assured me that there was nothing wrong with the fact that my child is an amazon woman. She came in 90th for head circumference and for height...whoa. She has been "talking" a lot more this week and becoming very interactive when we play with her...she loves to stick her tongue out at us...lets hope that habit fades before she's a toddler.

Thank Heaven for Little Girls...

Last night I was awoken by both girls...crying...at different times. This is a rare occurence, as LG sleeps great and Pressley has started to last until 2:30 or 3:30 before waking up (knock on wood). Anyway, I had just nodded off to sleep (about 10:37 p.m.) when I heard Pressley cry like someone was pinching her. "Great," I thought, "she is going to be up all night." I went up to her room and scooped her out of the crib...instant contentment. She just needed me to hold her for a few minutes. There is something about that nightlight glow of a nursery that makes you look at your tiny little baby and think about how much greater your life is now that you have her. I had one of those moments, and although it was fleeting (she fell right back asleep and I laid her down before she 'crossed over' - more on that later), it was precious.

Then at about 1:25, I heard Lilly Grace start to whimper. I waited a few minutes (probably only like 45 seconds) to see if she would go back to sleep, and when it was obvious she was not going to, I went up to her room. She saw me and whispered, "Hey Mommy, I need my pappy." I fished around in the bed until I found it, stuck it in her mouth, and started to turn for the door. That's when the little arms went up, begging, "hold me." I obliged, and for the second time that evening, I spent a quiet moment with one of two little princesses. I held Lilly Grace close as she fell back asleep, with her arms around my neck and her head on my shoulder. I thought back to when she was Pressley's age and remembered holding her tiny little fingers in the middle of the night in that very chair. I thanked God for her then, and I found myself thanking Him again...this time for giving me two precious little girls. I hope I never forget those sleepy, nightlight moments...

On a side note..."crossing over" - definition...the difference between light sleep and deep sleep. When a baby is in light sleep, it is easier to lay them down for the night because the jostling of putting them in the crib will not jolt them into that funky falling reflex where they throw their arms out in an attempt to save themselves. If they are in deep sleep and you move them, they freak out and wake up. I can tell when Pressley is in light sleep because she smiles to herself like she knows a secret that no one else does...so cute.

Calling Humpty Dumpty!

Janet has this week off, so I have been home with both kids all week (well, actually just yesterday). Anyway, poor Lilly Grace has no one to play with since I have to hold Pressley all day, so she has resorted to calling various nursery rhyme characters on the phone. I am attaching a video of her phone call to Humpty Dumpty...notice the concern in her voice. She will definitely be the child that takes care of us when we are too old to take care of ourselves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o12HIh0IS0w

OMG No kids...what do we do now??

I cannot believe I am saying this, but we are CHILDLESS for the next 12 hours!!! It feels really weird. In fact, on the way home from dinner, Mike said, "Is it strange that other people have our kids?" I swiftly replied..."heck, no." Besides, we didn't pawn them off...they were solicited by both sets of grandparents. My Mama and Daddy have been chomping at the bit to keep LG, and Dee asked to keep Pressley overnight (I am still not sure why because we warned her repeatedly that she probably would not sleep). Anyway, we took advantage of the situation like two completely lame, no longer cool, thirtysomethings...we went to Chili's and then grocery shopping at Wal Mart. All we were missing was the minivan...

I did have a really kickin' meal of Mushroom Jack Fajitas and like the best dessert I have every eaten...it was a chocolate chip brownie with walnuts, drizzled in caramel, chocolate syrup, and nuts, with a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream on top...it was like every good thing all in one...warm, cold, gooey, chewey, cakey, DIVINE!!! I started Weight Watchers two weeks ago, and I had to save almost all of my daily points and my weekly flex points, but it was totally worth it.

On a side note...we decided to make a conscious effort to take more pictures with us and Pressley, since we are falling behind on second child duty...see attached :)

Happy Birthday - Round Two

Lilly Grace had her second round of birthday presents today! I swear she thinks she has a birthday every week...she even asked for candles and a cake today. She got a present from Grandmother today because we were out of town when we had her party, and when we got back Grandmother was sick and could not come over for a while. Anyway, she got a really cool water/sand table, which she proceeded to splash around in while I was in class. Mike said she asked (more than once) for her shoes to be washed out...imagine that. What is it with that child and her feet???

She also got a new kitchen from us as a belated birthday present. I kept trying to get her one after we came home from the beach, but Toys R' Us was always sold out of them. Who knew kitchens were such a hot item? She had fun "making brownies," which is what she always says she is cooking when we ask. Apparently, she decided to out her milk in the play fridge because we just found it. Good thing we did or it would have been STINKY!

Black Friday

First of all, let me just say that Lilly Grace is particular about things (that's putting it mildly). Anyway, she apparently woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning because she was not digging the fashion selection for the day. I always pick out her clothes and lay them beside her in the mornings while she watches TV. This morning, I decided she would wear the oh so adorable outfit that her Nana bought her, which she was fine with. The problem is that she was not happy with the shoe selection. The thing is...she only wears Crocs (just one of her many quirks). She owns a pink pair, a green pair, and a UGA pair...none of which match the oh so adorable outfit. Nana, being the great Nana that she is, bought her a black pair to match. After a few weeks of trying to get her to wear them, I finally made her this morning...MELTDOWN!!! She pitched a major fit, but ended up wearing them anyway. Who knew a two-year-old could be so picky about shoes. You would think I had just strapped dynamite to her toes. Anyway...exhibit A...black shoes.

Well, that's not the only black thing she got herself into today. I was cooking dinner, and she was playing on the computer when I heard her say, "I'm gonna color." A few seconds later I turned around and she had a BLACK PERMANENT SHARPIE in her hand, which is like every parent's worst nightmare. The good thing is that I caught her before she did too much damage...exhibit B...body art. Oh my!

My Budding Photographer

Okay, so every time I take out the camera to capture every possible "Kodak Moment," Lilly Grace insists on taking pictures herself. I thought I would share some of her recent work...okay, I helped her aim a little bit, but she's got pushing the button down pat.

The girls are doing good...Pressley is as unpredictable as ever. I think God gave this child to me in order to teach me a lesson about what an obsessive planner I am. It all started with her not being ready for induction (like I planned), and it has not stopped. She refuses to get on a schedule, despite the fact that I am working WAY TOO HARD to get her on one. Although Mike finds this hilarious (he loves watching me squirm when my plans are foiled), I am getting a bit frustrated. Maybe I just need to chill...

My Little Couch Potato

I sometimes wonder if letting Lilly Grace watch TV all the time is going to make her turn out like the kids today...tuned in to technology and tuned out of life (pretend, imagination, etc.). The thing is, she is way smarter than I was when I was playing Swiss Family Robinson in the back yard and staying outside (being active) until the sun went down. The television today is so educational...hello...we were watching Scooby Doo and Looney Toons. The only thing we were learning was how to solve a mystery (albeit an obvious one) and how to outsmart a wily animal. In her two years, Lilly Grace has learned words from three languages, her shapes, all of the colors, how to count to twenty, and various songs and dances. Now I am not saying that our excellent parenting skills or superb genes have not played a part in her intelligence (haha), but we weren't all that smart, were we?

Case in point, she is watching "Ni Hao, Kai Lan" right now. She is yelling "shee-ya," which is Chinese for "snow." Not that this particular word will benefit her here in Georgia, but the point is that she looks at us sometimes and says things in different languages, and we cannot understand her. I guess we're the stupid ones:) Oh well..."she-a she-a" (thats "thank you" for those of you with kids that are not allowed to watch TV).

Nothing Sweeter than a Sleeping Baby

EXCEPT A SLEEPING MAMA! Pressley kept me up all night long crying her little eyes out. Fortunately for her, she didn't have too much going on today, so she is currently snoozing. That means she'll probably be up again tonight...the vicious baby cycle. You know, everyone always says "sleep when they sleep," and that is a good idea, in theory. The problem is that when I was telling myself (at 3 a.m.), "oh, I'll just sleep whenever she sleeps tomorrow," I was having the delusion that I didn't have another child who would be up at 6:30 a.m. Then I thought (this morning at 6:30 a.m.), "oh, I'll just sleep when I get back home from dropping off Lilly Grace at the babysitter." That would have been fine except for the 32 oz. cup of coffee that I had to drink in order to be able to stay within the yellow lines on the road to Janet's house to drop her off. So here I am...wide awake while Pressley is in dream land.

BTW, I have been working diligently on Lilly Grace's digital album, and I am about to start a beach album. http://www.shutterfly.com/ is the busy mom's answer to scrapbooking!

Happy Birthday Lilly Grace!

It is hard to believe that it has been two years since Lilly Grace joined our family! Her birthday was fun...we celebrated at the beach with a Dora party. The entire week before she kept singing "Happy Birthday" to herself. The day after the party, she said "I want Dora happy birthday Lilly Grace." She has mentioned it a couple of times since.

We had a great time in Florida, thanks to Nana and Papa Chuck. We ate ridiculously expensive food (Seaside is WAY overrated). We about choked on our shrimp when we saw a $380 teeny bikini at an outdoor shop next to Bud & Alleys. I guess when everyone is rich they feel pretty safe leaving an expensive (did I mention it was $380!!!) bathing suit out on an unsupervised rack. I obviously did not belong...

Lilly Grace was not a big fan of the beach, much to our chagrin. She refused to put her feet in the sand (I am not exaggerating), and we had carry her like a monkey hanging from a tree with her feet dangling in the air from the boardwalk to the towel. Then she would pitch a fit if a grain of sand got in her shoe...she would say "take it off...it's stuck." Finally, we gave up and stayed at the pool, or as Lilly Grace put it...the "swimming cool." Pressley, on the other hand, is definitely a beach bum. We set up a tent for her and she sacked out immediately upon laying her down...hmm, maybe I should set her sound machine to "ocean."

We finally got home after an interesting ride. I believe I heard Mike say "welcome to hell, Jennifer" at least twice. I am so glad to be home in my bed. Mike was happy not to have to sleep on pillows that "felt like they were stuffed with wadded up shirts." Oh, the simple pleasures we take for granted!