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April 25, 2006

Picts from the last week

I just spent almost the last hour writing a post and uploading pictures and I lost it. So now I'm mad and am not even going to write some witty creative title (not that my titles are usually witty or creative). It's my way of sticking it back to my computer- that makes no sense but there's a need to lash out at something.

Lizzie at the Atlanta zoo last week.

Lizzie and Uncle Mike contemplating the meaning of life.

Mike and I had to make complete fools of ourselves, hooting and bird calling in this nest before Lizzie would agree to climb in.

My Aunt and Uncle from WA who were in Atlanta for a banquet and awards ceremony where she received the Distinguished Teacher for the northwest region.

Gina and I after she got her award.

And finally the girls' finished easter dresses. Things have been crazy busy lately so I never even posted a finished picture. Man, I'm still bummed I lost my previous post. I had written about Lizzie's new imaginary dogs (they don't have flees, I love that about them!) and her imaginery friend Seeya had a baby with her/him today- AHHH they are multiplying!!

Posted by JennR at 10:16 PM | TrackBack

April 12, 2006

"Can I go flip flopping"

It is all about flip flops lately with Lizzie. She just got some new ones and talks about them all the time. She manages to work them into almost every conversation and will go up to strangers at the park and ask if they've seen her flip flops, and she's not even wearing them!

The other day we were watching Sesame Street and she saw a little girl playing soccer and I said "maybe you can play soccer when you're bigger" and she said "yeah, I can wear my flip flops when I play."

She is currently laying on the couch with the stomach flu. That's right, we have it again!!! Julia was sick last Fri night and on into the weekend and Lizzie started getting sick last night and was up every 2 hours dry heaving. It has been so pitiful. Luckily this is like old hat for us. I am very experienced in making a slip for my couch out of towels, we have popsicles in freezer and pedialyte in the frig. This is the second time each girl has had the stomach flu, not to mention the other mysterious fevers we've had over the past few months. I am seriously ready to do some research on how to boost our immune systems through diet. We go to a bible study on Wed morning and the girls are in sunday school classes playing and I think its possible we pick stuff up there, especially since we are usually sick on Fri. Two day incubation period sounds about right for a stomach flu.

My house is completely falling apart, and I still am trying to make their Easter dresses. I did promise myself that it wouldn't be a stresser and have resolved to have Julia possibly wear a dress she already has. Either that or her smocking just won't have as much detail, which will be fine as well. I can only do what I can do.

Gracie and Karen, thanks for the feed back on nap time. I do think that the time change has something to do with it. We have been using the sticker chart and she seems to be really excited about it. My latest stradegy is to have her play hard in the morning in order to be tired enough to take a good nap. My girls need to be out more and we're going to try to frequent parks this summer and I think that will make a big difference. Thanks for the encouragement, I love feed back from fellow moms. Any ideas on how to boost immune systems, HA HA!

Conversation with Lizzie the other day:
"Mommy, I went on an airplaine today."
"Where did you go?"
"Ummm, it was a long drive."
"Where did you go?"
"Heaven."
"Really, who was there?"
"God and Jesus."
"Who went with you?"
"Ummm, Elmo went with me. And we go home after Heaven cause Elmo was sick. And then we got him to bed."
"Did he feel better?"
"Umm, a lil bit."

Posted by JennR at 10:34 AM | Comments (8) | TrackBack

April 7, 2006

Nap time spectacle

OH man, help is desperately needed here.
I am currently on the floor in my hall with the girls door cracked as a "visual reminder" to Lizzie that nap time is for resting and she is to keep her eyes closed and be still. Her legs are up in the air, she's whining at me, she's waking her sister and driving me completely INSANE!
Could my two and a half year old be giving up her nap? Should I shift the time of their nap to 3? What in the world will work. I believe she could get up right now and run a marathon. Oh, now she's yawning.
This one really has us stumped. I really think kids this age still need the rest.
I've done almost everything I can think of including buying some stickers and making a chart and telling her she'll get to pick one out for the chart if she obeys and is quiet in her bed. Ummm, she ain't getting the sticker today! Poor Julia, this is the down side to sharing a room, which is probably why this is even more complicated.
That's also a reason why I don't think giving her a book to look at would be good, she is so loud and would talk to all her "friends" and I honestly want my kids to learn that laying in their bed is for a rest time. She can't rest quietly in her bed looking at a book, I know I couldn't and she is cut from the same cloth.
I guess all I can do is keep sitting here and pray for wisdom, patience and perseverence and hope that this too passes. Which I know it will.
Please let it be soon!!
She is now smearing her face on the mesh guard rail of her bed. This almost seems like a battle to see who will be more stubborn, "Baby, you watch out cause you are up against the master!"

Posted by JennR at 3:05 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

April 4, 2006

Party Picts

We survived the first b-day party fairly unscathed. It was actually really easy going. A few of our good friends came over, including the Gosey's from Atlanta and my Mom came down from Knoxville.
I bought the cake at Baskin Robbins which is probably what I'll do from here on out. While I like the idea of decorating a cake for my kids and I enjoy being creative, I enjoy even more a stress free day and the ice cream cake leftovers!
Julia got hand me down "Happy 1st Birthday" decorations form her sister's first birthday, but hey, they worked.
I've thought a lot lately about the inevitable neglect of the second child. Maybe neglect isn't the right term. For Julia it began early. My famous story is the one about when we brought her home from the hospital. With Lizzie I think I packed my bag for the hospital based on an extensive list that I found in a pregnancy book and with Julia I threw stuff in before we walked out the door. Well it was colder than I expected when we got discharged and I didn't have a blanket for her. So Julia went home from the hospital in the same pooh pajamas as her sister (I'm not terribly sentimental about what they leave the hospital in) and I tucked my pajama bottoms around her and put my long sleeve UT shirt on top of that. Then she had on one of those ugly hospital caps on with the pom pom on top. It was hysterical. Had it been my first child I might have frantically insisted my husband go to the gift shop and spend $30 for a new baby blanket or run home and get the particular one I wanted. But she wasn't our first. Some of it is that we're more easy going and some is just that life is busier. Her clothes get dirtier and I don't change her as often as I did when it was just Lizzie and her face and nose get crustier. LOL
I hope I haven't just admitted to being a neglectful parent and that someone out there backs me up.
Her birthday was relaxing and fun and it was great having friends visit with us.

Here are some of the captured moments:

She got these maracas from my sister Danielle and played with them the whole time.

This was Lizzie wrapping job and present to Julia. It was a Winnie the Pooh ball which she then opened. . .

Julia double fisted her ice cream cake and cried when it was over and I took her out of her high chair. At Lizzie's first b-day she wouldn't have anything to do with the cake, spit it out and ate cheese instead. Of course that was her first experience with sugar and Julia has been tasting little bits of ice cream for a few months now. Just another way we have slightly lightened up.

Posted by JennR at 1:03 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack