Breathe In…

…Breathe Out.

I finally feel like I am getting a handle on everything around here. And J. is coming home. Tonight. In a mere 2 hours! (He has been traveling this week, again.) Life is good.

My God-sent sitter, Denise, has totally come through for us again this week. She pitched in an extra day this week AND she is sitting for the girls on Saturday night so we get another date night. For anyone keeping track at home, that is two Saturdays in a row. I know. Right?

So I have managed to get five of my six projects finished while J. was away this week. I’m not saying that it is difficult to work when J. is home, but…let’s just say, I don’t get much done when he is here. I feel guilty. Plus, our time together is so very scarce, I can’t take it up with work. Although we have been known to work the evening away many nights. Sitting at separate ends of the sofa, tapping away on our laptops. Sometimes we even IM each other. Yeah, we are geeks like that.

I am expecting, no make that – counting on, having a relaxing, Daddy-filled weekend. And I know the girls are looking forward to it, too. I found gorgeous holiday dresses for the girls, so I am hoping to work on a Christmas card photo this weekend. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll get a free moment to sketch down some of the scrapbook ideas floating around in my head. Maybe this week I’ll actually have something for Crafty Tuesday. Well, a girl can dream, can’t she?

Thankful ~ Day 14

My friend Kim is doing a countdown, of sorts, all the way until Thanksgiving. Each day you post one thing you are thankful for. Frivolous, silly, serious – just one thing that you are “feeling the love” for. She is actually doing 15 days, but since I’m a day late (and yes, a dollar short…) I will jump in today. I think it is a very fun idea, and since she so graciously plays along with Crafty Tuesdays (yes, I realized I totally spaced this week, I’ll post a lengthy list of excuses later tonight!), I thought I’d play along, too. Plus I have so much in my life to be thankful for – narrowing it down to only 14 will be the hard part.

So today, Thursday, I would just like to say how thankful I am for Must-See TV on Thursday nights. Pretty much every show that I love, airs on Thursday night. (Except for Amazing Race – but we have to have another good TV night, too!). I am praying the writer’s strike will not affect Grey’s Anatomy, The Office, 30 Rock. And Survivor, too. Man, I am also thankful for Kim’s “thankful” today, or I’d be missing many of these shows! Today is a dreary, chilly day. So tonight I am going to make a fire, grab a cup of hot cocoa and just settle in. Favorite night.

Now I really have to go finish working so I don’t need to tonight.

What are you thankful for today?

God Loves High School Musical

I may have mentioned the High School Musical Mania in our house, although the girls call it “High School Music-school.” But if you have not witnessed Addie’s rendition of “Breakin’ Free,” especially the beginning that starts –

We’re soarin’, flyin’
There’s not a star in heaven
That we can’t reach

-well, then! You are in for a Thursday treat.

J. caught the girls goofing around on video on his laptop the other night. It isn’t Addie’s best performance, but it is still pretty funny. I especially love the part where Emma tries to tell Addie how it is supposed to go and Ad gets fed up and tries to squirm away.

Good times.

While we are on the subject of High School Music-school and the obsession, today while we were in the car they asked for a HSM song…

A: Mama, turn up High School Music-school?
M: Sorry Ad., Mama’s iPod isn’t charged up.
E: But it is the Radio Disney, right Mama?
M: Yes, it is. But you can’t control what song they play when you are listening to the radio, Em.
E: Maybe God can play “Fabulous” for us.
A: Or “Na-na-na-na”
(Music in Me, for anyone who knows/cares what song A. was talking about.)
M: I think God probably is worried about other things, not what song the Radio Disney is playing.

And then, I kid you not, the next song was “Music in Me.” (Na-na-na-na.) It wasn’t too surprising since they pretty much rotate Hannah Montana, High School Musical, and the Cheetah Girls. So every third song is usually a HSM song. But such timing!

A: (shrieks) It is Na-na-na-na, Mama, it is!
E: See, Mama?! God likes High School Music-school, too.

Can’t argue with that, I guess.

Perfeck and Creem, of course.

Before you read the following funny conversation you should probably know that –
1. We have been accident-free for well over a week now, A. is doing great with the potty! (Still use a pull-up at night, though.)

2. We have a heating vent right next to the toilet in the bathroom downstairs. It is really nice on chilly mornings.

3. Yes, it has been chilly enough for a heater (at least in the mornings) this week, even in California.

Oh, and also, if a toddler who just stripped all of her pjs and pull-up off and says “have to go potteeee” while running to the bathroom, you should stop reading your email and follow her in there. Pronto.

A: Mommy. I need hep (help). Pleeease. Need hep.
M: Okay, A. I’m coming.

(As I’m walking through the playroom, is that water I can hear? Think to myself, “maybe she used the stool and got up on the toilet by herself.” See as I come into bathroom, that is not the case. She is standing right next to the toilet looking horrified as she pees down her leg, on the floor. Quickly put her up on the toilet.)

M: I’m so sorry, honey. It’s okay, that is Mommy’s fault for not getting in here faster.
A: Is okay, Mommy. Don’t worry.

(I must say this to them all the time, it is our mantra around here, “It’s okay. Don’t worry.)

A: Mommy, you clean up my pee-pee?
M: Yes, I am. Hold on just a second and I’ll clean you up, too.
A: Is okay, Mommy. I dry my own foot. Yook
(Look)! Is all nice an dry and creem (clean)! That’s perfeck (perfect)!

She had her foot in front of the heater and was “drying” it off.

A perfeckly creem foot. It’s okay. Don’t worry.

Michigan Bound

I made the mistake of telling Em that we are going to Michigan to visit her cousins, aunts and uncles, and grandparents.

Every morning all I hear is “MomhowmanymoredaystilIgettoseeLexerandMadeyPapaandNanaand LaurenhowmanydaysMom?CanyoushowmeonthecalendarhuhMom?!”

She is ready. And…Aunt Meesh?

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Could you please order up some snow? Your niece is hoping for some chilly sled rides like our last trip. And lots of hot cocoa and marshmallows. (Oh wait, that is my request.)

Although, your other niece…

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…would rather NOT have to wear a coat. So if it is California-like weather, well, that would be just fine with her.

Either way you win. And the prize? All of us disrupting your house for five days. You might be rethinking that invitation in a few weeks, but we can’t wait to see all of you!

Sleep, my pretty.

I put A. down for a nap as soon as we got home from dropping Em at preschool. I could hear her up there singing and playing. A few “shout outs” to “Maaamaaa!” – but clearly nothing I was going up to investigate.

So I’m just sitting here working away and about 15 minutes ago I realize that she is finally quiet. Yes. Sweet blessed sleep.

Then I realize she fell asleep at 3:15. And I have to wake her up in about 5 minutes (3:35) to go pick up Em from school.

What is worse than no nap? A 20-minute nap.

Figures.

Everyday Is An Adventure ~ Best Shot Monday

Everyday is an adventure around here. And dressing up? It’s not just for Halloween – it is an everyday occurrence in our household. This was the outfit of choice for A. yesterday and my Best Shot Monday.

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I was also trying to get a shot of the chin gash. It is healing really well and doesn’t seem to be bothering her at all.

A few other photos from our photo shoot. It is very hard to choose just one when you get a few dozen sweet shots. I’m sure I’ll use some of the others this week, so you may get a little tired of seeing our Snow White starlet.

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Make sure to stop over to see some other adventures over at Tracey’s this week.

Our “gift” of an extra hour?

Usually you’ll find me complaining that I need a few more hours every single day to get everything done, or at least a couple of hours added to the week.

So today we were handed the lovely “gift” of an extra hour and yet, if I might, I still need want to complain for a wee moment here.

It was never-ending. The longest freaking day, e-v-e-r. I’m ready for bed and it is only 7:45pm.

J. and I got to go out to see some live music last night (Matt Nathanson at the Troubadour – very, very cool show!) but by the time we got back, cut the babysitter loose, and just sat to unwind for a few minutes it was very nearly 1am. Which, with the time change is only midnight, and that, albeit a little late for us old folks, is a fairly decent time to get to bed. But then little Miss Emma was up at 6am. I know, I know – it was 7am to her body, her normal rise-and-shine time, but ah…man. It just felt so early.

And then both girls were just all off-kilter today. And then there was “le nap resistance!” (You have to say it with a furious-sounding, French accent – for it to really be effective.) Two hours of fierce resisting any sort of nap. And when we finally gave in and got them up – it was only 3 o’clock. Three more hours until we could even conceivably think of trying to put them back to bed.

We ran to the park, and I let them play for awhile, hoping that would wear them out, but it only made Addie completely slap-happy. J. got some really funny video of her, at least. I’ll get it from him and put it up later this week.

Anyhow – the girls are soundly sleeping. Now I need to go get ready for the week and recover from the “extra hour” trauma.

Where are all the lows?

Our life is usually a little, gently sloping rollercoaster, some highs, some lows. Apparently we are heading for one doozy of a hill because we have been on nothing but a high, all week long.

To start the week off the girls and I were on a “Daddy high” when he safely arrived back home from his week + of travels. It was a serious love-fest around here Monday night and has been the rest of the week, when Daddy is not passed out from sheer exhaustion. It is so nice to have him home and I have returned Emma to her own bed and J’s cricket bat back to his closet. (A few crazy noises one of the nights while he was gone, had given it a premier spot within arms reach of my side of the bed.)

The middle of the week sent the girls into a serious “sugar high” with all of the Halloween festivities and candy. Candy. Oh my word – do we have candy. We got all dressed up. Mommy and Daddy, too. Emma was insistent on me having a costume, so while we were in Target the other day (and their costumes were all on sale!) I told her she could pick one out for me. Her first attempt was a bar wench costume, with the shirt cut down to here, and the skirt cut up to here. She said, “it is like a girl pirate, Mama!”

I told her they didn’t have my size (thankfully they didn’t) and she tried again. The second time around she picked out a queen costume. Nice long skirt, super cheap. Ding, ding, ding. We had a winner.

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It was fun to get dressed up with them and yes, that is glitter that you see on every inch of each of us. Apparently queens, princesses and fairies all are very glittery. I was not aware, as I’m sure you were not. But now we all know. And we also know to put the glitter up, far, far out of the reach of little 2-year olds. Yeah. She still has glitter in her ears, and I still have about an inch of glitter covering my house. At any rate, we had a good time and Em and Ad got a little prize at one of our neighbors’ for being the “best dressed.” Very cute.

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And Daddy was a pirate, of course. We trick-o-treated around the block and the girls came away with quite a load of candy. They have each had maybe 2 pieces of it. I just threw our Easter basket candy away, so I’m guessing that this batch will last us til next Easter, at least.

Addie totally caught on to the whole routine and even had her “Trick Or Treats” “Thank Yous” and “Happy Halloweens” at all the appropriate moments. It was so sweet. But their favorite part of the whole night was when we got back to the house and they got to hand out candy. They loved that part and both wanted to give away handfuls to all the kids. I had to keep telling them “only 2 pieces for each kid.” And then Emma would say, “or three, right Mama?” It is hard to say no to them being so happy to give to others.

So no naps, and a late night led to a little bit of an off-kilter morning yesterday and then the chin-splitting incident. Which all just pushed everyone into a little bit of an “adrenaline high.” We went to the gym, lunch and were on our way to Trader Joe’s for some groceries and Addie had those “sparkly” shoes on from Halloween. She had already tripped two or three times before we even got to the store, I am not sure what the problem with them is. She was sitting on the bottom shelf of the basket while I was picking out some groceries and she tried to get up, tripped over her shoe and face-planted right on her chin.

At first it didn’t even bleed. She cried for a few minutes and then I realized it was bleeding, and then gushing. So I got it to let up, put a band-aid on it (first-aid kit in the car, so handy yet again!), and we finished shopping. She was smiling, all seemed ok. When we got back to the car with the groceries, I peeled the band-aid off just to see how it was doing and it started bleeding again and I realized, it was a bit of a gaping hole. So I decided to take her in just to make sure she didn’t need stitches, or get them if she did.

Luckily Michelle was with us and took our groceries and Em back to the house to stay with Denise, and Ad and I trekked to the ER. Like I said, 3 hours later, they basically super-glued her chin together and she was/is as good as new. She was fantastic at the ER, though. I really can’t believe that kid sometimes. She hung out, got stickers from all the nurses and was completely cooperative. One male nurse came in and was checking her chin (and her puppy’s chin, he got a band-aid and boo-boo, too!) and she just looked at me and said, “I’m gonna be ok, right Mama?” I don’t know if she was trying to convince herself of it or trying to tell the nurse she didn’t really need to be looked at. She was not as fond of the doctor since he was a formidable fellow and a little gruff. But she still did great. I’ll have to try to take a pic of our first trip to the ER for Addie. I had forgotten that it isn’t our first ER trip, Kim reminded me of Emma’s first flesh wound incident when was attacked by a bird at the Playboy Mansion. (Yes, it truly is as bizarre a story as it sounds!) She was only 18 months old and that was our first official trip. Ha!

You know when it seems like the week is going by in slow motion, but then you look back on it and it seems to have gone so fast and you did so much? That is kind of what this week has been like. So I’m really hoping for a low-key weekend. We really need it. A little recuperation, rest and hopefully a good showing from our football team tomorrow. That would be the perfect ending to our week of highs.