My Colorful World

Christmas Card Itch

2010-11-21T21:24:00.007-05:00

Oh how I've been dying to get my Christmas cards done. Honestly it's more because I just want to KNOW that they're done; that I got a picture/pictures of my kids that are decent enough to send to family and friends.

Last year's were pretty awesome. But I kinda lucked into them. Granted, I did dress them in the super adorable handmade dresses my sister-in-love brought back from Africa. And I did pick a perfect fall day for picture taking. And I was fortunate enough to borrow an amazing Nikon camera from my friend. But actually getting the photograph of both of my children looking the same direction with pleasant expressions on their faces.... I had nothing to do with that.

So now I've got to follow that up. (no pressure) And I've been really, really, really wanting to take pictures of the girls at Longwood Gardens for our Christmas card this year because we've had SO much fun and made such great memories there this year. Longwood's Christmas displays opened on the 26th, so now all that's left for me to do is get my kids and myself out there and snap away.

Once the photo taking chaos is behind me, I'll be moseying on over to Shutterfly.com and adding pictures of my oh-so-beautiful (yet hard to get to sit still for pictures) girls to one of these cards featured on their website for 2010:

Aren't they all so cute?! I don't think I can pick the perfect one until I have the pictures of my girls downloaded so I can see what photos I have to work with. I'm hoping I'll get enough cute shots to use one of the multi-picture cards. :)

I've ordered countless photo books from Shutterfly over the past few years to document my girls' lives, but this year I'm excited to get my Christmas cards from them as well! (The photo books make excellent Christmas gifts too.)

Did you know: Bloggers get 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly http://bit.ly/sfly2010

Ohhhhhh Myyyyyyyyyy.....

2010-10-16T21:30:00.011-04:00

*Alright people. This post will be on the disgusting side. I'm just sayin'..... read at your own risk.*

Early this evening we arrived at Highland Orchards for a birthday party for two adorable little friends of ours. The kids were SO excited to be at a pumpkin patch for a birthday party.

We had only been there for maybe fifteen minutes and the kids had just began to explore the hay maze when Kyra told my hubby that she needed to go potty. Being in the maze and not having a direct lock on my location, he grabbed Kylie and hustled Kyra to the outdoor portable bathroom trailer. It was the kind that was one "room" with 3 partitioned stalls and a couple of sinks. There were two sides, one for men and one for women. Jim, noticing that the women's side was empty, took both of the girls and went inside to help Kyra use the potty. Other than the fact that Jim was in the women's bathroom, everything was fine.

Fastforward through a pizza party and cake to the moments just before the hayride. I was putting gloves on Kylie when Kyra again announced that she needed to potty, so I had Jim take her once again. Everyone began to make their way to the tractor for the hayride, but Kyra and Jim were still at the bathroom so I went to check on them. As I approached I saw Jim standing outside the trailer. He explained to me that Kyra had run to this side since that's where he had taken her before only this time there were other women inside, so he couldn't go in to help her. As I was about to go in to check on her, she emerged.... with poop on her hands.

I handed Kylie off to Jim and took Kyra to an outdoor sink to wash up. The sink didn't work, so we quickly ran back to the picnic tables where I "washed" her hands with antibacterial wipes. It got the poop off her hands, but I knew she was probably far from clean. Not wanting to hold up the hayride and not wanting Kyra to have to miss it either, we went ahead and ran to the tractor to join the rest of our group. Kyra was in perfect spirits and immensely enjoyed the sunset hayride. I, on the other hand, was getting wafts of an aroma that I kept hoping was fresh manure on the fields around us.

After the hayride, we followed the kids back toward the picnic area, but after only a minute or so, Kyra again had to use the bathroom. This time I took her.

As we were running toward the bathroom trailer, I realized that it was now dark outside and rationalized that surely the trailer would have a light on inside. It did not. It was nearly pitch black inside, despite the fact that one woman was holding the door open in an attempt to let some light in for her own child. By feel I got Kyra's pants down and sat her on the toilet. I then remembered that I had my camera in my pocket and the little digital screen could at least provide some light. I pulled it out, turned it on, and held it up close to Kyra. Oh how I wish I hadn't......

She was covered in poop. Diarrhea to be exact. Her panties and jeans were loaded. Her bottom and legs were coated. I had nothing with me but a camera. So I put the camera strap in my mouth and went to work. I removed her shoes, jeans, and panties and began to unravel wads of toilet paper to clean her up.

That's when I realized it wasn't all fresh. Some of it was caked on and was most likely what was providing the pleasant aroma for our hayride. I began pulling handfuls of paper towels (thank GOD they didn't have air hand dryers instead) off the wall and wetting them in the sinks. I did my best to clean her off with the cheap paper towels in the dim light of my camera screen, but I soon realized it was in vain. Even if I got her totally spotless, I'd still have to put the crap-caked jeans back on her. So I wrapped her panties in a wad of paper towels, shoved them to the bottom of the trash can, put her jeans and shoes back on, and called it a night.

In a stupor I plainly stated to Jim that we needed to leave and began dragging Kyra toward the car. It wasn't the fun ending I would've expected for the night and I felt like a mean mom for making her leave the party (even though I think everyone else was headed out too), but it was necessary. Jim took her straight to the bathtub when we got home and I threw her clothes (and some of mine, just in case) in the wash where I finally saw in bright light exactly what I'd been up against in that tiny, dark bathroom. Ugh. I'll just say it was as gross as it smelled.

So as not to leave you with the unpleasant mental pictures of a kid covered in poop, here are some not-so-crappy pictures of our evening at Highland Orchards:

Snuggle Buddy Graduation

2010-10-08T21:23:00.009-04:00

For the first two weeks of preschool, Kyra was allowed to bring her favorite stuffed animal "Big Bear" to class with her. The teacher would have the kids "teach" their "snuggle buddies" all about preschool. How to sit during circle time, where to put their trash after snack, etc. Then at the end of the two weeks, the class had a Snuggle Buddy Graduation, complete with handmade mortar boards and diplomas for the stuffed friends. The graduation signified that the snuggle buddies had learned all they could about preschool and now were to stay at home so the children could now do more "big kid" things. For children who are super attached to their stuffed friends, this is a great way to ease them into going to school.

In my opinion, for Kyra, (who once was EXTREMELY attached to her bears) this wasn't really necessary. Before she started preschool she had become very accustomed to leaving her bears at home or in the car when we would go places, but I still thought this would be fun for her to actually be allowed to have Big Bear at school. Never though did I think that this would cause her to regress and suddenly really want to have her bear with her at school.

The day after the graduation, Kyra was almost in tears as she begged to bring her bears to school with her. I tried explaining that "Big Bear graduated, so he can't go to school anymore", but that meant nothing to her. My heart was breaking for her as I saw the confusion on her face, so in a moment of enlightenment I asked her if I could take her bears to the grocery store with me while she was at school. She lit up. "You'll take Big Bear and Little Bear to the grocery store with YOU?!" she said. "Sure!" I replied thinking that tomorrow she'd forget all about it.

She did not forget. In fact, it was quite the opposite. As she was getting dressed for school she stated, "I'm going to go to preschool and Big Bear and Little Bear are going to the grocery store with you mom." "Yes, that's right!" I said. And then she proceeded to remind me that her bears were going to the store with me for the next hour until I dropped her off at school, including one final time as she got out of the car. She turned to her bears and told them, "I have to go to preschool, but you're going grocery shopping!" Oh man.....

I had a feeling she was going to ask me about her bears trip to the grocery store later. And I seriously considered just making some stuff up because I never really intended to take the bears with me INTO the grocery store when I offered that suggestion the previous day. She's 3 1/2. She'd never know the difference if I told her a little white lie....

But I would know. And I felt ill just thinking about lying to my super adorable, extremely sweet little girl. Especially because she was just so. stinkin. excited. about her bears going to the grocery store. So, as I pulled into the Wal-Mart (I shop here for convenience, not because I like to) parking lot, I determined that the bears were coming in. Even in spite of the fact that it was currently POURING rain.

I stuffed them into the diaper bag as best I could to keep them dry and then ran/walked into the store with Kylie on my hip and the diaper bag on my back. We got a cart and instead of putting Kylie in the seat in the front like I normally do, I put her in the actual cart basket. I then proceeded to pull out two well-loved little stuffed bears, seat them in the child seat, and do my shopping. I even snapped a few pictures to show Kyra later, because I knew she'd ask about the grocery store.

And I was right. Before we even made it out to the car she asked about the grocery shopping trip and immediately I whipped out my phone and showed her the pictures. She grinned and giggled at the sight of her bears in the cart. And in that moment I was so happy I didn't just leave them in the car.

I must say though that I have not volunteered to take her bears on any other outings while she has been at school since this, but at least it seemed to put an end to her wanting to take them to school with her.

"Meet the Teacher"

2010-09-14T13:42:00.006-04:00

Kyra's friends have all been in school for a while now. Some started a few weeks ago, others a few days, but both have had me itching to get Kyra to her first day of school. I've seen all the super cute first day of school pictures on Facebook from all my friends and have been eager to post my own in response. I mean, afterall, this is Kyra's first day of school EVER. Not to mention my first time having a child in school. It's a big deal for us both. So like every good parent, I've been planning it out weeks in advance: what she'll wear, which camera to bring, what to pack in her backpack, what I'll do afterwards, etc.

This morning I took Kyra to her Pre-school for what was posted on the school calendar as a time to "meet the teacher". It was only to be an hour long, so I figured it'd be just like an open house type thing where you get familiar with the school, the classroom, meet the teacher, ask questions, and leave fully prepared for what to expect on the first day of school.

Apparently I was the ONLY PARENT who was under this disillusion.

As we arrived I slowly began to notice how all the other children had their backpacks and "snuggle buddies". (We received a letter saying that Kyra was supposed to bring her favorite stuffed animal with her for the first two weeks of school.) And all their parents, cameras in hand, seemed to know exactly what was going on. I, on the other hand, felt nauseous. And the churning feeling in my stomach only got worse as the hour progressed and this so called "meet the teacher" day actually took the exact shape of a scaled down version of a typical school day.

I couldn't wrap my head around it. How in the world was I the only parent who didn't get it?! With all my anticipation, all my mental planning, how in the world was my view of today so off from everyone else's?! I spent the first half of the class trying to answer that very question as I watched the other parents snapping proud pictures of their children at school.

Pictures?!?!

I wanted to faint at the realization that I didn't have a camera. That is until the class was almost over and I realized HELLLLLLOOOOOOOOO! I have an iPhone. It takes pictures. duh. Oh thank Jesus for technology that compensates for unsuspecting, unprepared parents on the first day of school!

Once I snapped a few pictures on my phone, I began to breathe a little easier. I also thankfully had allowed Kyra to bring her "Big Bear" in the car this morning, so I was able to run out and grab it just in time for Circle Time with the snuggle buddies. So, by the end of the class, I didn't look like the totally clueless parent that I actually was.

I'm still baffled at the preparedness of every. other. parent. Though it may have something to do with the fact that I was unable to be at the parent meeting last week. Then again, it may not. Either way, Kyra had her first day of Pre-school. Though as to not let all my weeks of planning for this day go to waste, I will be treating Thursday as if it were her first day of school. It will at least be the first time she will go without me. ................sigh..............

Kylie got her first taste of Preschool today too. Literally. :)

Kylie's Birthday Party

2010-07-18T22:03:00.007-04:00

Yesterday we celebrated Kylie's 2nd birthday with a fun Abby Cadabby and Elmo themed party. It was a slightly hot day but at least most of the kids stayed cool playing in the kiddie pools, running through the sprinkler, and jumping in the bouncy castle. Here are some pictures from the day:

Kyra was such a good helper getting ready for the party.

Kylie decided "Baa" needed to join her for a swim.

Kylie wondered if cousin Emeline would jump with her

Kylie tried twice to sneak inside and open her presents.

Birthday hugs from Kyra.

Yes, I made the cake. It only took 5 hours.

Seeing Kylie shove it down made it all worthwhile.

Kylie wearing her Abby headband.

Kylie's Birth Story

2010-07-15T22:43:00.000-04:00

Since I only started blogging a little over a year and a half ago, I don't have a written account of Kylie's birth story. I decided I'd like to have it written down before the details get fuzzy and so that I have something to refer back to when she's older and wants to know how it all happened.

Two years ago today I woke up, dropped Kyra off at Pop Pop and Mom Mom's house and went to my OB/GYN's office. They told me I was really close to having my baby girl. In fact her exact words were, "If I broke your water right now, you'd have this baby today." And I remember thinking, "Well, okay then, break my water!" But she didn't. And I felt kinda sad.

July 15th was my due date and as Jim was getting ready for work that morning we talked as if I were going to have a c-section that day because we spoke as if we were absolutely certain we'd meet our baby later in the day. I called him after my appointment and told him I'd keep him posted if anything happened. I then went to my in-laws to pick up Kyra and as I sat on their patio, I could feel mild contractions every so often. I ignored them and took Kyra home so I could finish painting the mural in her "big girl" room.

As Kyra took her nap, I hauled my 9 month pregnant belly up a ladder in an attempt to add the final butterflies to the mural. After an hour I found myself hunched over on the ladder, breathing through an intense contraction and I remember thinking, "Okay, Keshet, you have to stop painting now." I put away my paint brushes and laid down on the couch. The contractions didn't ease up, so I called Jim at work and told him we would need to be heading to the hospital soon.

He came home and immediately began his husbandly duties of timing my contractions as I tried to get last minute things together for our stay at the hospital and for my sister to take care of Kyra. After a while he informed me that my contractions were actually coming much closer together (every 3-5 minutes) than I had assumed they were, so we took off for the hospital.

He dropped me off at the door and I sat in the lobby as I waited for him to park the car and join me. As we walked together toward the maternity ward, we ran into someone who knew Jim. She began chatting us up and I did my best to seem pleasant despite the intense pain shooting through my abdomen. I remember thinking, "Hello people! I'm sort of in labor here!"

Finally we made it to the desk in the maternity ward and I signed in. The ladies at the desk sent me to triage and assumed I wouldn't be admitted as they had a hard time believing I was actually in labor. After about an hour in triage, the L & D nurse admitted me and escorted me to my room...right past the ladies at the front desk. They all stared as I walked past and finally one of them caught up to us to ask what time I had come in. They failed to fill out their records as they assumed I wouldn't be staying. (You know what happens when you assume.)

My OB came to the room to check on me and then decided she'd just hang out with us because she figured it wouldn't be too long before I was ready to push. Around an hour later she checked me and said matter of factly, "You're a ten. Let's get ready to push." When my L&D nurse wheeled in the delivery cart she told me that the ladies at the desk asked her, "Is that for the lady that just came in 3 hours ago?!" She said she grinned as she told them that it was.

Everyone got prepped quickly and now the time had come for me to push. It felt so casual in the room. We were having pleasant conversation between pushes. Nothing about the scene made me feel like I wasdelivering a baby. But after only ten minutes of pushing, she was here. The L&D nurse said she looked like she would be a red head. I was baffled at how she could tell through all the "gunk" covering her, but I completely hoped she was right.

I was so happy to hold her, my little Kylie Joy. I loved her so much from that very first moment. I remember wondering what she would be like. How she'd differ from her sister, how she'd be the same. There is something about holding your child for the first time and knowing that their entire life is yet to be written and it is full of amazing possibilities.

As I reflect on that incredible day two years ago, I realize again that I could not have asked for a better experience. The whole day, the entire extent of labor, the delivery process... it all went so smoothly. If I could perfectly design my future birthing experiences, this is how I would want them all to be.

Happy 2nd Birthday Kylie!

2010-07-15T07:07:00.000-04:00

Today is a celebration of you, Kylie Joy.

You are my super bouncy, fun loving little girl. You jump everywhere, on everything, and off everything.

You LOVE your Baa, especially rubbing her fraying tail on your nose.

You hum/sing (because you don't know all the words yet) Jesus Loves Me, the ABC's, and the theme to Elmo's World.

You drag me by the hand, skirt, shirt, whatever you can get ahold of to show me what you want or where you want me to go.

You love to climb. Most likely so you can jump off whatever it is you're climbing.

You want to keep up with your big sister and get frustrated when you can't do all the things she can. Like climb the rock wall at the park or go in the Toddler class at church.

You give the sweetest kisses and you're very generous in giving them.

You have the cutest little sing-song voice. Daddy and I especially love hearing you say "I don't know" and we often ask you questions we know you can't answer just to hear you say it.

You are fearless. You jump in the pool, even if no one is there to catch you. You love to dive and tumble and get tossed around. I pray your guardian angel has reinforcements!

You love Elmo, Abby Cadabby, Mickey (and friends), Pooh, Bob and Larry, and many more fictional characters. You can spot them from a mile away.

You are talking SO GOOD. You even say full sentences sometimes and blow me away.

You get really excited and love to point out things you recognize like balloons or the moon.

You always stop to smell the flowers. Even if its just a picture.

You are unique, precious, fun, energetic, and exactly who God created you to be. But most of all you are LOVED!

Things That Make Me Say, "Ew"

2010-07-07T15:27:00.005-04:00

I'm a mom.

I clean snotty noses, change diaper blowouts, and handle getting puked on with poise. I kill spiders that sneak into my house, remove dried worms that have baked on the driveway, and dispose of flies that have fallen victim to the cunning stalking skills of my Schnoodle. The sight of blood doesn't make me queasy. My stomach stays perfectly fine when I see food dried on the faces of my children. I've scrubbed poop out of underwear and off bedroom walls with no more than a scrunched nose. But ask me to stick my nose in a milk carton after it's turned and you're guaranteed to see me gag.

There aren't a lot of things that truly gross me out, but milk, and some milk products, is definitely one of them. If the gallon in the fridge is approaching its expiration date, I make my husband smell it first. If the kids sippy cups of milk end up sitting on the table for an hour after lunch, I have to dump them out just because the thought of them possibly having gone bad gives me the chills.

I recently discovered one of the kid's milk cups had been left in our (hot-ish) van overnight. I brought it inside and opened it in the sink to clean it. As soon as I saw the warm curdled milk stuck to the edges of the cup I began to gag. I did my best to clean it whilst holding my breath and trying to avoid actually looking at it, but despite my best efforts, I continued to gag as I cleaned it out. Even after washing it by hand AND running it through the dishwasher, I still felt like I could smell the spoiled milk in the cup.

Other milk products that turn my stomach if they go bad or even get too close to their expiration date include sour cream, yogurt, ricotta cheese, and cottage cheese.

Next on my list would have to be eggs. Not all eggs, just ones that aren't cooked properly. If I were to order eggs "over easy" at a restaurant and they were still raw around the yolk, I'd definitely gag. Which causes a dilemma for me every time I order breakfast out. I'd like to order my eggs scrambled when I'm dining out because there is less chance of undercooking them, however, a lot of places make their scrambled eggs from a powdered box mix these days, which I also don't prefer. Hence the dilemma.

Also, two nights ago my husband was making fried eggs for sandwiches and one of the eggs he opened had blood in it. I was semi-freaking out as I asked him to dump it out and start over. Blood in an egg just can't be good, right?

Finally, the last major item on my list is closely related to the egg. In fact it's raw chicken. I love eating cooked chicken. And I cook chicken a lot, but handling it when raw really messes with my head. I get so grossed out at the thought of the possibility of salmonella bacteria infecting my kitchen as I prepare the meat. I wash my hands at LEAST a dozen times during the process and in the winter all it takes is one night of making a chicken dish to completely dry my hands out to the point of cracking. I have lysol or clorox wipes conveniently under my sink and whip them out to wipe down every vertical surface and my sink after the food prep is done. I even change out my kitchen hand towels afterwards too, just in case I hadn't killed all the bacteria when I washed my hands and it got onto the towels when I dried them. Crazy, I know, but it just grosses me out that much!

Years ago, I was having lunch at a restaurant where I had ordered a chicken sandwich. When I bit into the sandwich, the inside of the chicken was STILL RAW. That experience made me so crazy I didn't eat at that restaurant (including any of it's other chain locations) for about 5 years.

So if you ever invite me over for dinner, you can serve me your great grandmother's spinach casserole and I'll be fine, but add a a glass of warm milk or undercooked chicken on the side and be prepared for the repercussions!

S is for Sesame Place

2010-06-20T13:20:00.013-04:00

Yesterday we took a little mini family "vacation" to Sesame Place. The fun started the moment we left the house as we picked up breakfast at Chick-fil-a and grooved to music in the car. We were having so much fun on our drive that we failed to grab a ticket as we got on the Turnpike and ended up having to pay the maximum toll amount ($24.50) when we got off not even 30 miles later. But that wasn't about to ruin our mood.

We arrived at the park before it opened and had plenty of time to get covered in sunscreen and stand in line at the gate for a bit. As we waited to enter, Kylie amused us by pointing out the fact that she could see Elmo and "Big Tweet" every 5 seconds. The day was already worth it's weight in gold, just hearing her enthusiasm.

Once in the park we decided to do the "dry" rides and activities first. We hit up the carousel, Big Bird's Balloon Race, and Ernie's Bed Bounce before heading indoors to catch the Elmo's World Live show. The show was exactly like the segment on Sesame Street, complete with Dorothy and Mr. Noodle. The show was fun, but I found myself watching my girls more than the show itself because their faces were priceless as they watched Elmo move about the stage.

After the show we went to the "Nets and Climbs" area where Jim braved the mazes of climbing nets with both Kyra and Kylie. We should've known Kyra would be right at home here, but in the moment we underestimated Kyra's climbing skills and temporarily lost her as she got ahead of Jim (who was moving at "Kylie pace"). Fortunately, just before I reached the "panic because my daughter has been missing for 5 minutes" stage, she came out of nowhere and met up with Jim and Kylie. We decided at that moment that it was time to move on to something else. Jim suffered some cuts and pulled muscles as he tried to maneuver out of the netting with Kylie sitting on his lap, but he took it like a man.

Jim took the girls to the Peek-a-Bug ride as I held a spot in the long line for Elmo's Flying Fish ride. After they finished their bug ride, Kylie began to let us know it was getting close to lunch time by melting down as we waited in line for the next ride. We managed to survive the long line and revived our smiles as we "flew" in fun Elmo fish.

We headed to Elmo's Eatery and were lucky enough to find a table at which to scarf down some chicken fingers and pizza on super cute reusable Elmo plates. After lunch we changed into our swimwear and headed out into the heat to enjoy some of the water attractions. We started out at Ernie's Waterworks, but Kylie made it clear that she needed some water to splash around in, not to run through, so we headed for the Count's Splash Castle. It had a bunch of fun slides and water spraying EVERY which way, but for Kylie the best part was the fact that the whole thing was a giant wading pool about 6 inches deep. Kyra and daddy did one of the water slides and then mommy took a turn with Kyra.

As we waited in line for the slide, I thought about just making sure Kyra got on okay and then walking back down the stairs to the bottom. When we made it to the top, it was so crowded that I realized going on the slide myself would be the faster, easier route down. I sent Kyra down and then it was my turn. In the few seconds I sat at the top I felt awkward. I hadn't been on any water slides or roller coasters or rides that go upside down (or even faster than 5 mph) in around 4 years. Not because I don't like rides, but just because being pregnant or toting babies around hadn't really afforded me the chance to do any of that stuff in a while. Halfway down the slide I suddenly remembered just how much I enjoyed rides like this one. And it occurred to me that I had missed them. I was so elated to be going down a water slide at that moment!

After we'd had all the chlorine we could handle, we dried off and Jim and I were discussing whether or not it was time to head home. Suddenly, Kyra blurted out, "But I didn't see Big Bird yet!" So with that, we headed to Main Street and made it just in time to catch the parade and see ALL the Sesame Street gang. With the girls perched on each of our shoulders, we came within arms reach of most of our favorite muppets. Again, it was fun to watch the girls as they sat mesmerized by everything.

Finally, the parade ended, we grabbed a few frozen treats, and headed for home. It had been a very eventful day and we were all exhausted, but it was a good exhaustion. The kind that only comes from having fun and making memories with your family.

Pet Peeves

2010-06-13T20:35:00.005-04:00

We all have them. Things that bother us. Things that may bother no one else but us. Especially when it comes to a family member, or more precisely, your spouse.

I am no different. I have my short list of pet peeves on my husband. Listening to AM radio stations when they're nothing but static, for example. However, this post is not about that.

I'm actually about to tell on myself here. There is one thing (well, more than one, but let's not go crazy here) that I do that really drives Jim NUTS. You ready for this?

I very seldom finish a can of soda.

This fact has my husband climbing up the walls of our house. It frustrates him. He just doesn't understand it. And every time he asks me about it, there is really no logical explanation for it.

Not only do I not finish drinking the can, I also tend to leave it sitting on the kitchen counter for hours, maybe days sometimes. I'll go to throw it out, but at the last minute decide to leave it sitting there JUST IN CASE I want to finish it later. And then I never do. So a lot of the time Jim is the one who ends up dumping a half can of warm soda down the sink.

This has been an ongoing issue since we got married almost 8 years ago. Jim has questioned it, challenged it, tried to figure it out, but above all he has kindly tolerated it for all that time. A couple of weeks ago, however, Jim actually did something to try to fix the "problem".

He and Kyra made a quick run into the grocery store to pick up a few things for Memorial Day. When they came back, Jim had Kyra proudly display the special soda they had bought for Mommy. It was an 8 pack of 7.5 oz cans of Coke Zero. According to Jim's calculations, these were the perfect "Kesh size" cans. It sort of felt like a practical joke, only it really was practical.

Jim warned me that he better not find any of these miniature cans half full sitting around or he would go crazy. I was VERY tempted over the next several days to leave one out just to see what would transpire. At one point I even thought about drinking the entire can and then filling it with water to just give the appearance of the wasted soda, however, I resisted both of these temptations.

I did manage to finish every one of the 8 mini cans only to return to the normal 12 oz size and once again fail at finishing them. I have no rhyme or reason why this happens. The best I can figure is that I don't have time to chug a 12 oz can in one sitting and by the time I return to it it's warm and no longer refreshing, so I leave it. Why I can't seem to dump it down the sink, knowing that I won't finish it later, is an even bigger mystery.

So there you have it. My little tattle-tale on myself. It's quirky, I know. But it's the quirky things that make life interesting, right?

Providence

2010-06-06T21:50:00.012-04:00

Our pastor is always talking about how he doesn't like the question, "Where do you go to church?", because church isn't a place. WE, as followers of Christ, are the church. However, we do have a place, a building, we go to to worship and fellowship with others who are also part of the church. This post is about that place.

For the past 4ish years, our weekly gatherings were in a building that belonged to someone else. We shared the space peacefully during that time, but God apparently had somewhere else He wanted us to be. In 2008 the executive team at Providence (our "church") made a list of things they wanted in a building if we were going to move to a new location. In the borough of West Chester (where God called our pastors to reach out to the community) only one building met every requirement. The asking price: $3 million. This wasn't an amount we could afford. So, our leadership team trusted God and waited.

The price went down to $2.7 million. Still, it was out of budget. Over the next 18 months the price continued to drop. $2.4 million. Then $1.8 million. Next down to $1.4 million. We ended up closing on the building for one million dollars, one-third of the original asking price. The owner said he would not have sold it to anyone else for such a low price. He wanted us to have this building. More importantly, God wanted us to have this building.

The top level of the building had been used for banquets and weddings and was absolutely gorgeous. It would need some electrical work done, a sound booth, a stage and a few other things to convert it into a "sanctuary", but it was definitely doable. The second floor, however, had been home to the Italian Social Club and had a bar larger than my family room smack in the middle of the great room. This was where our Children's Ministry was destined to be located.

It became a running joke, the huge bar in our church. We'd joke about putting the babies behind the bar to play or serving drinks to the kids for snack time. But in reality, those of us responsible for the Children's Ministry had to figure out a way to make it feel less like a dingy bar (without removing the actual bar) and more like an exciting place to learn about Jesus.

We did walk-thrus and talk-thrus. We made and changed plans. Finally we came to a decision and had our tasks laid out before us to begin the transformation.

Part one: cleaning, repairing, replacing, altering, building, painting, carpeting. We had a work day planned. We planned on having only 6 of us there to do all the massive amounts of work on our list. But God's plans are bigger and better. We had so many people show up with willing attitudes and happy hearts. And things got done!

Part two: decorating, packing, moving, supplying, unpacking. It was in this stage we realized how little toys/games/materials we actually had of our own. Rooms looked empty. Walls looked bare. Thankfully God gives everyone different talents and we are blessed to have organizers along with creative minds involved in our Children's Ministry. Rooms and walls did not stay empty for long.

Part three: just add kids. Tonight, we had our first meeting in our new building. It was awesome. Seeing the faces of the parents and children as they looked around and discovered all the fun, new things. Their new classrooms. In OUR new building. That God provided. Having the kids there tonight in their respective classrooms for the first service, a special celebration service, was the final touch.

We are where God has destined us to be. We are in His Providence.

Memorial Day

2010-05-31T15:38:00.008-04:00

I love this country. The United States of America. It's a name that's associated with words like "freedom", "justice", "opportunity", "equality". But those titles come at a price.

Growing up, our church would do a special patriotic service over 4th of July weekend every year. I always loved that program. The songs, the fireworks, all the red, white, and blue. But as I got older, I started to become overwhelmed with emotion each year as the service men and women would come parading onto the stage in their uniforms. I had an eerie sense of awareness of the price so many have paid to build our great nation.

I have seen photographs from wars past and present. The faces of those who fight and have fought to defend our freedom. And I think what gets me so choked up is that they're people, Americans, just like me or my neighbor, or my best friend. They don't have a special genetic code that predetermines they'll be the one to fight for this country. They're not part of a robot army built in an underground bunker. They have families, dreams, goals, problems, feelings, love... just like all of us do. Only they've chosen to put themselves aside for something that is so much bigger than any one of us. And in doing so, many have made the ultimate sacrifice.

This morning I put two small American flags in my garden. Afterwards, Kyra asked me why I'd done that. I began to explain to her the reason for Memorial Day in "3 year old terms". It's amazing how striping things down to their simplest form for the sake of a child can impact a grown up. My husband and I both fought back tears as I explained the sacrifice many have made so that Kyra can go to church or wear shorts or eat at Chick-fil-a. I know she didn't fully grasp all that I was saying, but I did.

I wish I could personally hug and thank each and every person and all the family members of those who are serving or have served in our military. But since I can't, I'll just do the things I can, like never taking my freedom for granted and celebrating Memorial Day in their honor.

On that note, here are a few pictures from our Memorial Day weekend:

Happy Mother's Day to MEEEEE!

2010-05-29T22:05:00.006-04:00

This year all I wanted for Mother's Day was to get my hair done. Okay, that's not entirely true. I wanted flowers and to be allowed to sleep in and to have someone else make my meals all day long. But I MOSTLY wanted to get my hair done.

I have beautiful, thick hair. I get complimented on it all the time. Every hair stylist I've ever had raves about it and some even claim to envy it. But that's before they realize that it takes almost a full 3 hours to foil, wash, cut, and dry it. (he he) Which is one of the reasons I wanted to have my hair done for my "Mother's Day" present. Getting my hair highlighted and cut equals a few hours of me sitting in a chair being pampered. It's oh. so. nice.

My very observant husband had a gift card to a local salon sitting on the tray when he and my girls served me breakfast in bed on Mother's Day and today I got to cash it in. I decided not to do anything too drastic with the cut, just added some long bangs and a few layers, and then I had some subtle highlights put in. As soon as I got home, Jim commented on how refreshed (and totally hot) I looked. And I felt both. I think I might ask to get my hair done again for my Columbus Day present. :)

Before:

After:

Just Another Day

2010-05-27T20:46:00.006-04:00

I haven't blogged in months. And as much as I don't want to taint my return to the blogging world with overwhelming amounts of insanity, it just so happens that insanity is the particular phase of life I'm living in right now.

Not following? Don't worry, you'll get it. Just read on....

I spent the last 3 days writing out the various moments of craziness on our trip home from Tulsa only to wake up this morning to maneuver through another round of insanity.

The moment I wake up this morning I realize that for the 14,598th day in a row (ok, I'm slightly exaggerating) my allergies are going berserk. Nose running, countless sneezes, itchy throat, you get the picture. I make my way to the medicine cabinet to find I am down to one. single. Benadryl. With my allergies, that will only get me through breakfast.

N.B.D. (Mom, that means no big deal - I know how you are with abbreviations.)

I'm planning to take the girls to see Jim for lunch today, per our standard Thursday arrangement, so I'll just hop over to Walmart and pick some up while I'm out.

I get the girls fed and dressed before they go play in Kyra's room. I'm bustling about throwing in laundry, yada, yada, when I notice the girls are sitting so cute reading their Beginner's Bible. As I come in the room, Kylie looks up at me with her big blue eyes and chipmunk cheeks. Those cheeks (seen very frequently around here) mean that Kylie has once again put something in her mouth that she shouldn't have. By the looks of the half missing page out of the Bible, I can tell what it is even before I fish hook it out of her mouth. Silly Kylie. I guess we haven't gotten to the scripture that explains the appropriate place to hide God's Word is your heart, not your stomach.

I soon discover that despite the fact that I'm in a sundress, I'm profusely sweating from doing the dishes. Hmmm... that's not normal. I check the thermostat.

It reads 79.5 degrees.
Inside my house.
At 10:00 in the morning.
Not.
Good.

I head down to the basement and check all the "right places" to make sure everything is the way it should be. I see nothing out of the ordinary which means the problem must be something out of the ordinary. Super.

I make a call to the company that we've used in the past for service in hopes that a little annual maintenance will cause things to cool down a bit. They tell me they can come out between noon and five, so I cancel our weekly lunch with daddy and sit around our steamy house to wait.

I can tell the heat is starting to get to us because we're all irritable and whiny (yes, me too). Kylie decides she want's to color and I decide, for some crazy reason, that I'm going to hang some pictures on the wall that have been patiently waiting to be hung since January. I can see Kylie out of the corner of my eye sitting at her table coloring away. I get the first picture up and reach for the second. When I turn back around, Kylie is gone. I have this sneaky feeling she's coloring on something she shouldn't be, so I race to find her. The first thing I see when I spot her? Chipmunk cheeks. With orange drool coming out the corners of her mouth. Ugh.

I scoop her up and take her to the kitchen sink where I swab out an entire orange crayon that has been very thoroughly chewed. The crowns of her teeth all have huge chunks of the crayon stuck in them, so I end up having to use a toothbrush to scrub it all out of her teeth. She's eaten crayons before (wow, I sound like a super observant parent), but this was the worst incident to date. Had my husband seen it, he probably would've thrown up in his mouth a little bit. (He has "issues" with messy kids.)

Kylie is a wreck from the intense teeth brushing session, so I put her down for a nap. About 45 minutes later, the HVAC maintenance man shows up and starts checking everything out. Two HOURS later.... he says to me, "It's not good. You're going to need a new compressor or you might want to just replace the whole unit. Not what you want to hear, I know."

No, Mr. Maintenance Man, it's not at all what I wanted to hear.

He says he did a very temporary fix, but it won't get the house nearly cool enough to be comfortable. The only thing he can do now (besides take my credit card) is schedule a time for one of their sales guys to come out and quote us on the compressor or new unit. I ask him for a ballpark figure, but he says he can't give me one. He does, however, give me a coupon for $500.00 off a new unit. My IQ isn't at genius level, but I'm pretty sure anything that can afford a $500.00 discount isn't cheap. Oh joy.

As soon as he leaves, I gather up the kids and head out the door. If the house isn't going to get much cooler than 82.5 degrees downstairs (upstairs was even warmer), I'm going to at least enjoy the fully functioning A/C in my van as I run around.

We stop at Jim's office so he can say a quick "hello" to the girls and so I can record the store closing message for Memorial Day. We then head to Wal-mart so I can pick up my now seriously needed allergy medicine. I end up buying 2 boxes of popsicles and 2 cartons of ice cream. That's how I temporarily fix a broken A/C.

We stop at my sis-in-loves to pick up some pots and then head back to the house strictly so I can put the frozen treats in the freezer. I don't even get the girls out of the oh-so-heavenly cool van. The way I see it if we can stay out until bedtime it will make the rest of our afternoon much more tolerable.

Our next stop is Becker's, a teacher's store. I realize as soon as we get there that my stroller is sitting in my garage, so I'm going to have to carry Kylie around. Just as I suspected, Kylie does NOT want to be carried. The second we set foot in the store she start's flailing and screaming to be put down. Kyra quickly finds her way to a little play area in the store and I convince myself that Kylie will be fine if I put her down in the play zone.

Not so much.

She SPRINTS around the entire perimeter of the store before going through the employee break room into the private "employee only" bathroom. The two employees behind the counter just stare in silence as I emerge carrying a screaming Kylie. I didn't buy anything. I didn't even look for what I came to look for. I was totally stressed out.

But there was still too much daylight left for us to head home. So I hit up Old Navy (since I KNOW they have shopping carts I could use to restrain my child) and both girls were fairly well behaved while we were there. It gave me a false sense of confidence that we could handle stopping for dinner on the way home.

Normally I'd just swing through the drive thru at Chick-fil-a, but seeing that I didn't want to eat at home (or in the car) and that I would have to go in somewhere to eat, I decided to go to a sit down restaurant. It would take longer than fast food, so according to my calculations, it could be our last stop and we'd make it home just in time for bed. This was a major lapse in logic.

We get seated and meet our server who announces that it's his first night training and to "go easy on him". As he's asking for our drink order, Kylie dives head first over the back of our booth into the vacant one behind us. I hop up to swing her back around to our side and as I sit back down in our booth one of the straps on my sundress breaks. I quickly put my hand over the top of my dress (afterall, I'm not wearing a bra because it was just too darn hot for that) and spit out "bring us 2 chocolate milks and a coke zero". He backs away, embarrassed, and I scoop up both girls and the diaper bag and make a beeline for the restroom. It's only 15 feet away, but it felt like it were 15 miles.

I lock us in the handicapped stall and survey the damage to my strap. I realize it broke in a way that I could tie the two parts back together just so it would keep my dress up while we ate our dinner. Despite Kylie climbing all over me in the booth, I hardly moved for fear the knot I had tied would slip and I'd repeat the embarrassing moment all over again. A little over an hour later, we emerged from the restaurant, knot still in tact.

When we got home the house had cooled down to a lovely 78 degrees, so I bathed the girls (who were super sticky and stinky), put them to bed, and settled in to record this crazy day here on my blog. As I write this, storm clouds have moved in and the temperature outside and inside has dropped dramatically. For the first time today I'm comfortable sitting in my house. So now I'm gonna go ruin it and go for a run. That's insane, you say? Well, like I said, insane is all I know right now. And I'm getting pretty good at it.

The Longest Day of My Life

2010-05-24T17:16:00.011-04:00

One month ago today I had the longest. day. of. my. life.

I had just spent an AMAZING week in Tulsa with my family, but the time had come to pack up my girls and return home. They've both been traveling by plane since they were a couple months old and had been SO great on our trip down. Despite having to say goodbye to my family, I was in good spirits and very optimistic for our return trip home.

Before we even checked in at the airport, we ran into our first bump in the road. I had borrowed a portable DVD player from a friend in PA and had forgotten to charge it the night before. We had stopped at my sister's house so that my kids could burn off some energy before being stuck on a plane for several hours. I took this opportunity to charge the DVD player while we were there because, on the plane movies are what keep us from climbing up the walls (or all over random strangers seated near us). After an hour of playing, we said goodbye to my sister and went to the airport. As SOON as we arrived I realized the the DVD player was still sitting on my sister's counter. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! I tried calling to see if she could bring it to me, but there was no answer. My dad, quickly dropped us off and then headed back to my sister's house to get it. I was nervous. I needed that DVD player. I was staking the entire outcome of my travel day on it. My dad arrived in the nick of time DVD player in hand. I was saved. My day would turn out great after all. Or so I thought.

We made it through security and to our gate just a couple minutes before they began boarding. We jumped on the plane, found our seats and were ready for take off. Only... due to inclement weather, Chicago wasn't ready for us. So we sat on the tarmac for 45 minutes and I did my best to entertain the girls. Once we finally took off, things started going our way. Kylie fell asleep for half the flight and Kyra was perfectly content to color and watch movies. We landed in Chicago and I instantly planned out every minute of our scheduled hour and a half layover. When you're traveling alone with 2 toddlers, you've got to have a plan.

Stop #1 - The bathroom. Where I asked Kyra 57 times if she needed to go potty to which she replied "NO!" every time. So... we moved on.
Stop #2 - Food. I got the girls some pizza, found a table and got us all situated. Both girls were out of the stroller. I had cut and served them each a slice and was about to sit down myself when Kyra announced, "Mommy, I have to go pee pee".

SERIOUSLY?!?!

I threw both girls back in the stroller, loaded up all our carry on luggage on my back and scooped up the pizza in one hand. I ran like a crazy person in the most logical direction for a restroom and got lucky my instincts had been correct. I pulled up in front of a stall, got Kyra out, pants down, and on the potty just barely in time. Whew.

Stop #4 - Back to the food court. Where I ate (choked down) the WORST sandwich ever. When we finished Kylie started chanting "bink, bink". I began searching all our belongings for her little pink pacifier that I KNOW had been at the table with us the FIRST time we sat down to eat. It was gone. I had a very vivid mental image of it sitting on our first lunch table which was now occupied by a couple of pilots. But the bink was not there. I retraced my crazy trail back to the bathrooms, but alas, it was nowhere to be found. Fortunately, I always travel with an extra bink, just. in. case. Way to go Kesh. Way to be prepared.

Stop #5 - Our gate. All was well. We had survived the airport layover and were boarding our flight to Philadelphia.

The last passenger boarded and I began to breathe easier and prep for the flight home. But then all of a sudden.... "I'm sorry ladies and gentlemen, but this flight to Philadelphia has been cancelled. Please gather all your belongings and deplane. You can visit the rebooking centers located in this terminal to find another flight."

WHAAAAAA..............?

I had been holding it together all day, so in the chaos of the moment a few tears finally were able to push their way through my solid demeanor and down my cheeks. I had to quickly gather everything back together and then convince Kyra to get off the plane. She didn't understand what was happening and she just kept repeating, "I don't want to get off the plane. I want to go home and see daddy and Chay Chay!" It broke my heart. It was so tough trying to explain to her what was happening and than another airplane would take us to daddy.

Kyra finally relented and we got off the plane and set out to find one of the dreaded rebooking stations. We found it fairly quickly thanks to the noticeably long line of stranded passengers in front of it. I got in line and gave the girls lollipops as a bribe to keep them in the stroller. After standing in the line for a few minutes it hit me like a ton of bricks that there was a HUGE banner over top with an 800 number to call for rebooking. I didn't need to stand in line to use one of these "special red rebooking phones". I could call the number from my handy dandy cell phone. Duh. Why this hadn't occurred to the mass of people in front of me I do not know, but I wasn't going to hang around to find out.

I got through immediately and began the process of finding another flight home. It wasn't easy. The next available flight on American wasn't for another 26 hours. Yeah.... that wasn't going to cut it AT ALL. So we tried other airlines. Nothing. So we tried the next closest airport in NJ. Nada. So I asked what the NEXT next closest airport was after that and she said Harrisburg. "OK", I said, "check that." There was a flight scheduled to depart at 7:35 pm with available seats. That was only 4 hours from now, so I told her to book it. Four. more. hours. I could do this.

I immediately went back into planning mode to ensure that the next 4 hours would pass by quickly. We found an information booth and got directions to the kid's play area in another terminal. On our long walk to the play area, I asked Kyra another 34 times if she needed to use the potty. And again she said no every time. So I let both girls loose in the fenced in kid's zone. Five minutes later......."MOMMY I NEED TO GO POTTY!" Of course she did.

I could see the bathroom from where we were, but what I couldn't see was Kylie. I quickly maneuvered my way through the tunnels and snatched her up so we could race to the bathroom. We made it. We looked like a crazy parade, but we made it.

We played until dinner time and then made our way to a different food court. We grabbed food, found a table, and began to eat. Kyra immediately spilled her entire jug of milk all over the floor and the shoes of the couple sitting next to us. But there's no use crying over spilled milk, so we got on with our evening.

It was now about 45 minutes before our flight was scheduled to take off so we headed to our gate. I made sure Kylie had her bink in her mouth as we left the food court, but somehow as soon as we pulled in to our gate, it was no longer there. It was close to the girls bedtime and they'd had a very eventful day, so Kylie was especially whiny. I turned us around and carefully retraced our exact route back to the food court. Twice. But my super clever back up bink was now also gone.

I bought a two pack of pacifiers at the nearest news stand. But they weren't the same shape or texture Kylie is used to, so she kept spitting them out and then immediately would scream "want bink!". It was frustrating. But not nearly as frustrating as the fact that in the time I'd been on my bink hunt, our flight time had gotten bumped back a half hour.

And then they changed our gate.

And then when we got to that gate they pushed our flight time back another hour.

So we returned to the kid's play zone. And we did the whole "Kyra do you need to potty?" questioning routine again. But this time it ended differently. A few minutes into our playing time she came up to me and said, "mommy, I peed in my panties." O.K.

We went back to the bathroom and changed her clothes. Then back to the play area. Then a few minutes later, Kylie pooped in her diaper, so we were once again back in our bathroom. And then back to the play area. There I realized my phone battery was getting very low. It was after 9:00 at night. Our flight to Harrisburg was the ONLY possible way we would make it home. And it kept getting delayed. I had already accepted the fact that there was a good chance we weren't going to get out of Chicago that night. And we'd have to spend the night without any luggage, or my phone charger, and repeat this day all over again tomorrow. It was so disheartening. I was exhausted and there wasn't a clear end in sight.

But I put on my happy face and loaded the girls once again into the stroller and headed back to our terminal. Our gate had changed again. And so had the flight time. So we grabbed a snack and waited.

Our gate changed one more time. And the flight time got bumped back another 20 minutes. So with the help of a stranger, I found a place to sit and put a movie on the trusty DVD player for the girls as we continued to wait. The gentlemen who had helped us to our little waiting area offered to let me use his iPhone charger so I could charge my phone just in case. His small kind gestures gave me hope that we would still make it home that night. And moments later, our flight began to board.

Halle-freaking-lujah!

We were at the bulkhead on this flight, so at least I knew we'd be the first ones off when we landed. As soon as the flight attendant closed the door, Kyra said those 6 dreaded words, "mommy, I have to go potty." "Can you hold it?", I asked. "No." So I flagged down the flight attendant and asked her if we could use the bathroom REALLY FAST. She called the captain to tell him we needed to potty and then said, "ok, go!" Holding Kylie in front of me and dragging Kyra behind me, we sprinted down the center aisle to the bathroom. The light wouldn't come on, so I had the door barely cracked but was mostly helping Kyra by feel in the dark. She finished. I grabbed a handi-wipe and we ran back to our seats.

Then Kylie started chanting, "bink, bink!" It had been in her mouth during our sprint back to the bathroom, so I guess it had to at least be somewhere on the plane. We were already taxiing to the runway, so I called the flight attendant (again) and asked if she could look for it. She returned a few minutes later with the bink and a handful of alcohol wipes. "It was on the floor in front of the toilet. You may want to use these", she said. "Thanks."

As we turned onto the runway for take off, both girls fell asleep, one on each arm. Ten minutes into the flight my arms were aching. But I didn't care. We were on our way HOME! Finally. I even managed to drift off for a while myself until I felt the plane begin to descend. Yessssssssssssss. We were almost there.

All of a sudden both girls woke up in a screaming and crying stupor. Their ears were popping and they were completely delusional as to their whereabouts. We had only just begun our descent so I did my absolute best to do EVERYTHING I could to calm them down so the hundred other sleeping passengers on the flight wouldn't hate me. But it was no use. There was NO calming them down. They were just too EX.HAUST.ED. and confused. (It was around 1:00 am now.) So for the next 20 minutes, through the rest of the descent, landing, and taxiing to the gate, I held my two hysterical little girls on my lap.

The millisecond the seat belt sign was off, I was up and frantically grabbing all our carryon bags while still trying to hold both kids. In the midst of it all I realized I was the only one standing on the entire plane. Not even the guy on the very last row was about to get up until my girls and I were successfully off the plane. I could feel every eye sizing up our chaos and I assumed they were all judging me. Until a man behind me jumped up and said very simply,

"Can I carry something for you?"

Those 6 words oozed with compassion. And as soon as I heard them I burst into tears. I was sobbing uncontrollably as I replied, "yes. could you carry these bags?" Then all of a sudden, as if my tears had set a storm in motion, people began popping up out of their seats left and right and rushing to my aid. Another gentleman offered to wait at the bottom of the jet bridge for my stroller so I could take the girls up to the gate. Women were offering to carry my kids. People were pouring out comments of compassion. One lady was emptying her purse trying to find something that would entertain my still hysterically crying children.

It was a sight. I mean a real neck breaking train wreck. But just knowing that these strangers felt sorry for us rather than annoyed at us made me feel a little bit better and I began to calm down. Long enough to realize that my being calm was causing the girls to calm down. So even though I knew there were more tears that needed to be shed, I forced them back for my girls sake.

My husband was waiting for us in the van and I sent him in to get our luggage. We loaded the girls and all our stuff and as we began to drive away Jim said, "It's okay. You can cry now."

So I did.

I cried harder than I have in years, maybe ever. In fact, I cried so hard it caused Jim to cry. So for a while we just cried as we drove toward home in the rain. And as strange as it may sound, it was a very special moment between us.

We finally made it home and got the girls in their beds just before 2:30 am. It had been a long day. The longest day of my life. And writing it all down in this blog made me realize just how long it really was. It took me 3 days to write it all out. So I hope it didn't take you more than 2 days to read it.

How come the totally amazing fun days aren't the ones that drag on forever?

Thursday Thoughts

2010-03-25T20:48:00.003-04:00

So here we are a week later. Another Thursday night. Another evening of me allowing myself to be selfish and just R.E.L.A.X.
There are dishes sitting in the sink. There are things not yet crossed off my "to do" list for the week. The checkbook register needs to be updated with the last week's purchases. There is trash to be taken out. And I could do something about it. And being that it's only 9:00pm, I just might get around to a few of those things yet this evening.

Maybe. But for now, I think I'll keep writing this blog.

I'm not loving this regression in the weather. It took me all of 5.28 seconds to adjust to the sunny days and warmer temperatures. I was handling days packed with walks, park outings, bubbles, and sidewalk chalk very well. Those days were flying by. These rainy, mostly cool days that have kept us trapped inside have been nothing short of a bummer. And I can't seem to fill the minutes indoors with enough activities to make the day go by faster than at a snail's pace. Seriously praying for the warmer, sunnier days to return.

Kyra has recently discovered that she can tackle Kylie. All day, every day you can hear my voice squeaking, "Kyra! Get off your sister!" Fortunately, Kyra hasn't really hurt her. In fact, most of the time Kylie just giggles and giggles. Which only makes Kyra think that it's okay for her to do it again. And again.

During the few moments of the day that Kylie is sleeping and Kyra is in her room for "quiet time", I've recently started listening to Pandora Radio. I created a Jon McLaughlin channel and as a result have been enjoying nothing but fantastic music. I'm getting Matt Wertz, Coldplay, Michael Buble, Matt Nathanson, John Mayer, Dashboard Confessional and Sara Bareilles to name a few.

I bought the girls Easter dresses a LONG time ago. In fact I'm pretty sure it was snowing on the day i bought them. Yesterday I purchased their shoes and ruffle socks to complete their adorable little ensemble. I am so excited to get them all dressed up and follow them around with my new camera like the paparazzi.

I am so excited for Easter. Period.

My sis-in-love, Susan, emailed me today with our confirmation for our Philadelphia chocolate tour on April 10th! She got us tickets as a Christmas gift to me. Not only does it involve me eating lots of delicious chocolate confections, but she also bought me guaranteed time away from my kids. Seriously one of the best things you could give a mother of two toddlers.

Speaking of time away from our kids.... My husband has a lot of that coming up. I feel like every time I turn around, we're ticking more days off the calendar this spring/summer that he will be away. I know he travelled a lot last year, but I just feel like my life is so much busier this year and I feel like I could just collapse under the thought of all the days/nights I'm going to play "single mom" in the coming months. I'm not gonna lie, I've totally been having a pity party for myself in my head today because of it. And I feel guilty about it. I know there are people in the world dealing with a lot worse and I just need to trust God to be my strength and my sanity. But right at this particular moment, that is easier said than done.

I think the warmer weather last week, (in combination with our friends all freshening up their own homes), has given me the itch to finally get some projects started/finished on our home. I want to paint. I want to finish the play room. I want to buy new curtains. I wand to clean places that nobody ever sees. I want to purge things we seldom or never use. Now I just need to come up with a brilliant plan on how to do all these things with Kyra wrapped around my right leg and Kylie on my left.

And on that note... I can't help but go get some things done in the couple hours I have left tonight.

Have a great (hopefully warm and sunny) weekend!

Thursday Thoughts

2010-03-18T20:35:00.017-04:00

Two weeks ago Jim started classes with the Elijah House School for Prayer Ministry. This means that every Thursday night for the next 12 weeks I will be home alone with my girls. At first, this was a little overwhelming to take in. That's 14 total nights (or two full weeks) of feeding the girls dinner, bathing them, and putting them to bed all by myself. And it may not sound like much, but after I've been with them by myself ALL DAY LONG, trying to keep up with their average pace of 6900 miles per minute, I can just barely muster up the energy to go the extra 2ish hours alone.

However, I've discovered over the last two weeks that once the girls are in bed, I have this rare opportunity for something called "me time". I have vague memories of a past life where this concept existed, but recently Thursday nights seem to be getting us reacquainted.

I've been able to actually reply to emails that have spent days sitting in my inbox, run a couple of miles, play online games, read magazines (thanks Susan for my subscription to Real Simple!!!), and well, blog.

All week long there have been little things here and there that have made me smile or brought me to the verge of insanity, so tonight, I thought I'd sit down and put some of these random things on paper, er, the internet.

Here goes....
My baby brother, Ethan, left on the 14th for a couple of months in the Dominican Republic/Haiti. We've lived in different states for 7 years now and I've missed a good part of his life, but for some reason just knowing he isn't in the US of A makes me miss him. It also makes me realize that even though I haven't been there for it, he grew up and God is shaping him into a man after His own heart.

Let me just tell you how proud I am of my "home-improvement challenged" husband for taking apart, cleaning, and putting back together our mold ridden shower in the master bath (including caulking the entire thing). I know this was a big project for him and I was impressed that he was even willing to take it on. AND he did a GREAT job. No mold, no leaks = success!

Kyra has been playing dress up a LOT lately. And I love it. I just can't get over how cute she is in the skirts and gloves and heels and tiaras. Today she even asked me to paint her fingernails and toenails. Let me just say I think she's awesome.
Hello SPRING! I have been ecstatic over the sunshine and warmer weather we've been getting this week. We've gone to the park twice, taken several walks around the block, done chalk drawings on the driveway, blown hundreds of bubbles, and played with a water table Kylie got for Christmas (yay for finally being able to use it!!).
Kylie learned how to blow bubbles (like the kind with the wand you dip in the soap). I couldn't believe it and it's just so gosh darn cute.

With the warmer weather/opportunities to play outside we have also expanded the number of ways we can injure ourselves. This week alone Kylie has busted her lip open twice, Kyra scrapped up her hand, and the girls legs are multiplying with bruises as if they were somehow contagious.

I've discovered Kylie prefers to go down a slide by any means other than the way it is intended: on her back, head first, and our recent favorite, just plain walking down them, which leads to tumbling head over heels down them, which leads to busted lips.
Yesterday we made popsicles. The EXACT SAME KIND my mom used to make when I was little. They're made with Minute Maid Berry Punch with strawberries and blueberries in them. The only difference is my mom used to make them in Dixie cups with wooden popsicle sticks and I've gone the more "green" route and am using plastic molds. They still taste the same to me though and I'm so happy I remembered that part of my childhood.

On Saturday I had the opportunity to go SHOPPING by MYSELF. I was able to browse every rack in every store, try on as many clothes as I felt like, and remind myself that I actually really enjoy shopping.

On my shopping trip I bought a dress and hat for the Little Light House garden party. I am SOOOOOOOOO excited to be going to it this year!!! I get sad every year I see the picture of my mom and sisters, knowing that I'm missing out. Not this year though!!

There are many more random thoughts from the week floating around in my brain right now, but lots of them are about some of the less interesting or more disgusting moments, so I think I'll just end it here.

Have a great weekend!

My Little Lunch Adventure

2010-03-09T15:16:00.006-05:00

I've always been a fan of Chick-fil-a. From their menu to their business plan to their faith-based origins to their playground for kids, I love it all. And much to my husband's jealousy, I somehow manage to eat there at least once per week. Usually I dine-in with my girls so they get a chance to burn off some energy in the play area after we eat, but this morning we spent a while at an open gym day at a local church and the girls had done plenty of running and energy burning so I decided to just drive through on the way home.

We pulled in just after noon, so it was crazy busy. The line for the drive-thru moved surprisingly fast and when I pulled up to the window to pay and get my food I was impressed by the way the employees were working together to move things along quickly and effectively. I got my food and pulled away. Typically when I drive thru, I pull into an empty parking space and get the girls all situated with their food before I begin the drive home, but today (and being Chick-fil-a at lunch time) there weren't any empty spots. I did my best to stay focused on the road as I handed Kyra and Kylie their chicken nuggets, but then I realized that the girls drinks had rolled onto the floor, so about 5 minutes down the road I pulled into a gas station to pick them up and get us all situated. That's when I decided to check the bag with my food. Only when I opened it, it wasn't my food.

I had ordered chicken nuggets and some of those addicting waffle fries, but instead found a side salad and fruit cup in the bag. Talk about a bummer! Had it been a chicken sandwich and fries or even a chicken wrap and fries, I would've just kept on heading home, but alas, no fries so I turned us around and headed back to the busy Chick-fil-a.

I locked my girls in the car (they were in a pseudo trance watching Veggie Tales anyway) and ran in with the bag of healthy food to exchange for my higher calorie meal. I began to explain and right away they announced that they had already realized the error and were expecting me. They gave me a 12 piece nuggets (instead of the 8 piece I paid for) and the fries and told me to keep the salad and fruit too. I was very pleased with the fact that not only did they make things right (in less than 60 seconds from the time I entered the store), but they made an effort to compensate me for the error. As if I needed another reason to heart Chick-fil-a.

When I finally got home and was eating my delicious 12 pieces of chicken, I actually found a bone in one. It sort of weirded me out, but then I thought to myself, "well, at least I know it's legit chicken!" I'm not gonna say this makes onto the "reasons I love Chick-fil-a" list, but it didn't deter me either.

So that was my little lunch adventure today. Who knew driving-thru for fast food could be such an experience?!

Whoooo Wants Cake?!

2010-03-08T14:26:00.014-05:00

On Saturday we celebrated with my sister-in-love, Katie, as she and Declan prepare to welcome their first baby in May. The baby shower was exquisite with beautiful flowers and home made decorations adorning the restaurant. All the creativity and time put in by Katie's sister (and my other wonderful sister-in-love), Susan, seemed to pay off as I looked around the room and realized it was the cutest yet classiest baby shower you could imagine. I was honored and excited to make the cake for the event. And this post is about just that.

I've been making cakes as a hobby now for ten years. While I was working as a personal assistant for a lady in her home during my college years, I learned all the basics: how to make frosting (from her mom's bakery's recipe), how to properly bake and freeze (yes freeze) a cake, how to frost the frozen cake, and some basic decorating techniques. She even gave me some of her decorating supplies to get me started on my own. And ever since then I've wanted to learn more. But being as it wasn't my actual career, I never ended up getting any additional training (though I've promised myself I'll take a class this year).

When the opportunity to do Katie's shower cake came along, I decided that training or not, I wanted to try some new things (new to me anyway) with this cake. First, I decided that I wanted to work with fondant. Despite it's unpleasant taste, I have to admit that some of the cutest cakes I've ever seen are done in fondant, so I figured it was time for me to give it a shot. Second, I decided to attempt my first two tier cake. It seemed simple enough in theory. But theory and reality sometimes live a long, long way from each other.

I baked the cakes in shifts throughout the week and had them waiting in the freezer. Then on the Thursday night before the shower I practiced playing with and carving the fondant. Everything went superb that night with the trial run, so I was really pumped for the actual decorating the next night. The second my kids were in bed on Friday, I went to work. I made the frosting for the cake in record time and it was the best I've ever made. I pulled the first two cakes out of the freezer, leveled them and frosted them perfectly. I was beaming with delight. It was the smoothest icing job I'd ever done.

Now came the first tricky part for me. I don't have multiple size cake pans, so I was going to have to hand carve the next two cakes that would form the top tier. I had my cardboard guide and began carving just like I've seen the pros do on Food Network. It was easier to carve than I expected and I was mostly happy with how this top tier was going so far. Then I started frosting it...

Oh the frosting! And the crumbs! And the crumbs in the frosting! My perfectly pink frosting was quickly overtaken with dark chocolate cake crumbs the moment I began putting it on the cake. Because of the carving, the edges of the cake were much looser than I'm accustomed to and the crumbs stuck to the frosting like flies to flypaper. I was horrified. But I took a deep breath and began brainstorming the situation. I've heard of bakers doing "crumb coats" of frosting on a cake before the final layer of frosting, so I decided that even though I knew nothing about crumb coats, that I would try to make this first layer of frosting just that.

I got the cake covered in crumby pink frosting and let it set for a bit. Then I did a top coat of frosting and it actually seemed to be working quite nicely. But after I had finished I noticed the frosting seemed to be sliding down the sides of the cake so that it was way thicker at the bottom than the top. Several times I scraped the frosting from the bottom to again even out the sides of the cake, but the more I did that, the more the crumby frosting underneath began to show. My husband finally advised me to just leave it alone before I made it any worse, so I did. I had already put the dowels (hand cut by my hubby) in the bottom tier to support the top tier, so all I needed to do was put the two together and decorate.

As I was getting ready to place the top tier on the bottom tier, that little voice in my head kept repeating, "Don't do it! You'll be much happier with a one level cake that looks nice than a two tier cake that looks bad." But alas I ignored it. (I seem to be doing that a lot lately and regret it every time! When will I learn!) And as soon as I got the top tier placed it became painfully obvious that it was completely uneven.

At this point (as I'm kicking myself for not listening to myself), I decided to take it back off and scrap it. My husband, who named himself my sexy assistant for the evening, decided the best way to remove it would be for him to lift it off with his hands. It was not. The whole top layer began to come apart all over the perfectly salvageable bottom tier, but we somehow managed to scoop it off in mostly one piece.

I used the little frosting I had left to re-ice the now top of the cake and it came out fine, but not nearly as perfect as it had been just moments before. Now I was FINALLY ready to decorate it. But as I pulled out the fondant it hit me that I had used every last bit of powdered sugar to make the frosting and held nothing back for working with the fondant. (When working with fondant you use confectioners sugar the same way you would use flour to keep dough from sticking.)

So I thought to myself, maybe the fondant won't stick. Wrong.

So then I thought, maybe I could just use flour instead. It can't be that different. Wrong.

So then I just decided to work as fast as I could to get everything cut and on the cake. And that worked.

Was everything as clean and perfect as I had planned and hoped it would be? No. Was it still a really cute and absolutely delicious cake (if I do say so myself)? Yes. Did I learn from this cake decorating experience? Yes. And despite my lack of powdered sugar I still found an affinity for working with fondant and am now even more determined to get myself to some cake decorating classes.

Here are some pictures* of the process and the finished product:

I failed to mention my "sexy assistant" made AND frosted some chocolate cupcakes to make up for the missing top cake tier:

Oh and as for the crumby top tier.... let's just say I had a few eager volunteers to put it away for me:

*Cake pictures at the shower were taken by my friend Lyryn.

Love for my Little Girls

2010-02-15T20:50:00.005-05:00

Thanks to Aunt Susie, Aunt Katie, Pop Pop and Mom Mom Witmer and GP and Grammy Winfrey for showering my little girls with love this Valentine's Day. Kyra and Kylie thoroughly enjoyed the cookies, cupcakes and cinnamon rolls from their super sweet aunts and the cards, stickers, and candy from their thoughtful grandparents.

Daddy's Birthday

2010-02-12T20:52:00.007-05:00

I know I already blogged about the wonderful weekend Jim and I had alone for his birthday, but Jim's birthday really wouldn't have been complete without love from his girls.

This year, we got a little crafty and not only made some of daddy's presents, but we made a card and wrapping paper too. Here are some pictures of the wrapping paper project and daddy opening his gifts. The girls each painted a picture mat which I used to frame a picture of them for Jim to hang in his office at work. Kyra and Kylie both enjoyed painting and I wish I had some pictures from that, but alas, I opted to keep both eyes and hands on Kylie at all times as she wielded her paintbrush.

(Kyra glued all the letters on by herself. I love the way this turned out.)

Birthday Blizzard

2010-02-08T20:24:00.006-05:00

This past Saturday was my husband's birthday. Last year he turned 30 and we did a huge surprise party shin-dig with lots of friends and family. This year Jim wanted to do something a lot different.

When I asked him in the weeks leading up to his birthday what he wanted, he told me several times he just wanted a day alone with me. That sounded like it would be as much of a gift to me as it would be to him and so at first I didn't really pursue making it happen. However, it began to weigh on me as I thought about it. This year Jim made my birthday the most special one I've had since we've been married and I realized that if a day with me was truly what he wanted, he completely deserved it.

Knowing that a full blown noreaster was scheduled to hit our area on Friday night, my amazing in-laws agreed to take our girls in spite of the weather. Jim and I dropped them off around 6 and headed to dinner as the snow was gently falling down. After dinner we naively decided to catch a movie at the theater (in an attempt to take full advantage of our time sans kids). It was less than two hours long, but when we emerged from the theater we discovered that several inches had accumulated on our car and the roads during that time. Fortunately my husband has mad driving skills (that are totally different than my mad driving skills) and got us home safely.

The next morning (Jim's birthday) we awoke at the crack of 9 am and were giddy over the fact that we "slept in". We took our time making eggs and bacon for breakfast and then enjoyed watching the snow falling down as we ate it. Afterward we got some ribs going in the crockpot for Jim's birthday dinner later on and then baked Jim's birthday cake together. The day moved at a much slower pace than usual and it what a nice pace it was. We were able to just enjoy being with each other and talk about nothing and everything. We wondered out loud why we didn't appreciate our time alone together more before we had kids and concluded that to a certain extent, it's the having the kids that really makes you appreciate the time alone with each other.

As the afternoon rolled around we began to prepare for going to pick the girls up. Jim shoveled the driveway and I vacuumed and cleaned the house. I called my mother-in-law to arrange the kid exchange, but instead she dropped a huge blessing on us by volunteering to keep the girls for ONE. MORE. NIGHT! I couldn't believe it. Never in my life had I gone an entire day without seeing my kids. Not because I'm a crazy obsessed mom or anything, but just because I'd never had an opportunity to get away over a weekend or anything like that before. But this was even better than a weekend getaway! I was snowed in at home with my husband on his birthday and without any kids for a WHOLE DAY. 24+ hours. This was a big deal to me. A priceless gift.

To round out the day we enjoyed a gourmet dinner at home by candlelight and just let the minutes pass by. Not because we wanted to waste them, but because we could afford to. There would be no getting up a dozen times in the middle of the night to find a bear or a binky. (At least not at our house - my in laws graciously dealt with that though). Every second was ours to do with as we saw fit. And it was so relaxing.

As we went to bed Saturday night Jim declared that he had a great birthday. I really think he had the best 31st birthday he could've asked for. A million thanks to my mother, father, and sister-in-law for making it all possible.

HELP! I Just. Can't. Take it. Anymore.

2010-01-26T14:51:00.007-05:00

I know its been a while. And I have a lot of good excuses for not blogging, but in reality, it all boils down to the fact that I just haven't felt like it.

Until now.

I'm so fired up, ticked off, freaking out, at the end of my rope, that I couldn't stop myself from running to the computer and getting on here to vent all the frustration. So, I'm sorry my first post in a while isn't based on something cute or happy, but I need to get this off my chest and out into cyber space before I explode into a million pieces all over my house (because I'll end up having to clean it up).

It's Kyra.

Yes, my cute little 3 year old daughter is the one who has me so upset I can't even think straight.

She won't stop peeing in her pants. And I've been really struggling lately with feeling that she is doing it to spite me. I don't let her have a piece of candy.... she pees in her pants. I take away a toy because she won't share... she pees in her pants. I spank her for disobeying me.... she pees in her pants. I don't know what to do anymore.

I've tried forcing her to sit on the potty when it's been hours since she's gone last, but most of the time she fights me the whole way. Even if she does actually go, she sits there yelling and crying "I don't have to go pee pee!" as she's going in the toilet. Other times she holds it and pees in her pants 5 minutes after she gets up off the potty.

I've tried asking her every 10 minutes all day long, "Kyra, do you need to go potty?". To which she replies, "No. I can't go potty." 99.9% of the time. And lately within a couple minutes of me asking her and her saying she doesn't need to go, she goes. In her pants.

I've been told you aren't supposed to punish a child for potty accidents. So I've been doing the best that I can to stay calm and tell her, "It's okay. Next time you really need to tell mommy that you need to go potty so we don't wet our panties." But I am having trouble keeping my cool any longer. The instant I feel or see the pee in her pants I feel my blood start to boil. I have to fight the urge to throw her over my knees and spank her soaking wet bottom. But it just keeps getting worse.

Allow me to paint you a picture of what I've been dealing with. In the last 10 days she has peed in her pants an average of 4 times per day, but often as many as 6 times. At the end of each day I have a pile of pee soaked panties, pants and sometimes shirts and socks on the floor of my laundry room. I have to laundry every single day now. Kyra peed in her pants at the American Eagle store at the mall after I took her to the bathroom twice right beforehand and she insisted she couldn't go. This morning as I was meeting with a Mary Kay rep, Kyra climbed up on my lap and peed all over me. And just a few moments ago during her "quiet time" Kyra peed in her pants, so I had her sit on the potty where she protested that she didn't need to go pee pee anymore and she wanted to take a nap. I allowed her back into her room after only a couple minutes on the potty and when I went to check on her 5 minutes later, she had soaked the new panties and pants I had just put on her and even got a good bit on her sheets.

I stripped her down, put her in a diaper, and ran to my computer. I'm seriously at my wit's end. I need prayer. I need help. I need someone who has been down this road before to tell me what's going on here and how to fix it. Because this is sucking the life out of me. It's consuming my time, my energy, my sanity and I hate it. But I love Kyra. SO much. And I need to figure this thing out ASAP so I don't end up doing something in a moment of frustration that I'll regret for a lifetime.

The crazy thing is she has these moments during the day where she'll take herself to the bathroom, lock the door and go pee in the potty all by herself. Granted, she ends up unrolling 1/4 the roll of toilet paper onto the floor, but still. She knows what she's doing. She CAN use the potty when she wants to. Which is I think what makes the pants peeing all the more frustrating.

Anyway.... not the astounding post I'm sure you were hoping for, but that's where I'm at. So...... now "quiet time" is over and I've got to go scrounge up a clean pair of underwear for Kyra to put on. So she can pee in it later. Awesome.

Counting Down to Christmas

2009-12-06T13:26:00.004-05:00

Our lives have been a whirlwind the last couple of weeks. We celebrated Thanksgiving with Jim's family, had Kyra's 3rd birthday party, and decorated the house for Christmas. I can't believe we're almost a full week into December already and I know this month is just going to pick up speed as we near the 25th.

Its so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle and let December fly right on by. Before you know it, its Christmas morning and you find yourself trying to remember how you got there and what you did all month. This year, thanks to my amazingly crafty sister-in-love, Susan, we're taking a moment every day this month to slow down and remember what Christmas is all about.

Susan made Kyra (& Kylie, though she won't really appreciate it until next year) an Advent Calendar to help her count down the days until Christmas. Every morning we go into the front living room and get down the calendar and open another day. Inside each container is a little treat (usually candy, which is Kyra's favorite) and I tell her the number on the container means we're one day closer to Christmas. I also explain to her that Christmas is Jesus' birthday. And all the decorations and treats and presents are for Jesus' birthday party which is also called Christmas. I'm not sure how much of what I tell her is actually sinking in, but I enjoy talking to her about it anyway.

I have been documenting each day with my camera and have an album on facebook that gets updated daily with the latest pictures. To see the pictures and follow along with our countdown to Christmas, click on the following link: Countdown to Christmas.

Thankful Thursday

2009-11-26T08:00:00.001-05:00

My sister-in-love does something (almost) every Thursday on her blog. She writes out a list of things she's especially thankful for that week. It reminds her and the rest of us that life really isn't as bad as it seems when we can appreciate the big AND small things that are good in our lives. I wish that I took that time every week to acknowledge those things too as I'm sure it would help me find the refuge in the storm that is Motherhood. But even if I don't find the time to do it the other 51 weeks of the year, this week, today, I must. Here is my Thankful Thursday.

I am thankful for the unyielding love of God. I am thankful that I have walked in his grace and know that it is real. I am thankful that he forgives and gives us the strength to forgive others.

I am thankful that I live in the United States of America. I am thankful for the pilgrims who were bold enough to journey to a strange and far away land in search of spiritual freedom. I am thankful for the founding fathers who understood that as one nation under God, America would prosper. I am SO thankful for all who have fought and still fight to protect this country.

I am thankful for my little family. I am thankful for a husband who works hard to provide so I can stay home with our girls. I am thankful for Kyra's spunky personality and her incredible spirit of encouragement. I am thankful for Kylie's smile and the way she entertains me with her song and dance. I am thankful that my home echoes with laughter throughout the day and that there is peace throughout the night.

I am thankful for Elmo, Mickey Mouse, The Imagination Movers, Strawberry Shortcake, and Bob and Larry. Without whom I might never be able to make dinner or regain my sanity.

I am thankful for my parents and the way they love and support me. I am thankful for my sister Krystal and the beautiful mom she has become. I am thankful for my sister Lindsay and the grace God has given her both in her own life and to pour out to others. I am thankful for my brother Ethan and his awesome sense of humor.

I am thankful for my in-laws. I am thankful for the countless hours they've spent helping me out with the girls and just hanging out. I am thankful for the way that Susan and Katie have become more than just sister-in-laws but have truly become my friends.

I am thankful for reality tv. I get to live vicariously as an aspiring model, America's favorite dancer, a fashion designer, a Survivor, and an American Idol through it. I am thankful that Chuck is coming back and wasn't cancelled after all. I am thankful for television shows with twisted plot lines that give my husband and me countless hours of conspiracy theory discussions.

I am thankful for my friends. Especially those who are in the same "season" of life and allow me a shoulder to cry on or Godly advice when I need it. I am thankful that I have been able to reconnect with some of my "old" friends this year and that they have welcomed me back into their lives.

I am thankful for my dog, Chase. He is SO SO SO great with my girls. He also is a loyal companion (regardless of the mood I'm in) and a first class snuggler.

I am thankful for nap time. Especially on the rare occasion I am able to get Kyra and Kylie down at the exact.same.time.

I am thankful for the life of my childhood pastor Billy Joe Daugherty. I am thankful for his vision, his faith, and his ministry and the way he empowered all those he came in contact with to have the same intensity in their own lives. I know that his life helped make my life what it is today in more ways than I'll ever even know. I am thankful that he is now in heaven receiving his great reward.

I am thankful for every breath, every laugh, every sunset, every kiss.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Picture my Week

2009-11-20T16:17:00.007-05:00

This week has been full of little moments that I happened to capture on film (is it still considered film if you use a digital camera?) Here are some of my favorites: Kyra using her new highchair to feed one of her baby dolls.
Kylie trying to be just like Kyra. As of right now Kylie wants to be Kyra when she grows up.
Look at that technique!
Kyra wearing her very own "wobble goggles". If you don't know what that means, clearly you need to watch more Imagination Movers on Disney.

Kylie chilling in the baby doll pack-n-play.

I went into Kyra's room thinking she wasn't taking a nap and this is what I found. "Pay no attention to the girl behind the curtain!"

All I hear is "Look mommy! I ride Chase!" and this is what I turn to see.
She even put a necklace around him as "reigns". "C'mon Chase lets go!"

Happy 3rd Birthday Kyra!!!!!

2009-11-15T22:14:00.013-05:00

Wow. I can't believe it's been three years. Three years since our lives were changed forever. Three years since I became a mom. Three years since we fell in love with a beautiful little girl named Kyra Jean. Each year seems to pass quicker than the last. And each birthday gets more exciting.

This year daddy was in California (well, technically he has been traveling home from CA most of the day), so I wanted to make today as fun and special as I could. Helping to make this possible were my wonderful Sisters-in-law, Susan and Katie, and Katie's husband Declan (whom Kyra calls "Dunclan"). Not knowing that the weather today was going to be 68 degrees and beautiful, I made plans to spend the day at the crazy huge mall in King of Prussia.

Our first stop was the Build-a-Bear Workshop. It was both Kyra and my first experience there and Kyra was a little overwhelmed. For the most part she gave us the benefit of the doubt and went along with everything. It was obvious she much preferred interacting with the stuffed animals than the employees though. We slowly worked our way along the wall of animals and at the end of the row, Kyra picked a pink unicorn to be her new special friend. I loved how she picked the absolute girliest stuffed animal they had by far. We declined the sound effects, picked a heart, and then watched as the unicorn (that Kyra kept calling a horsey) got filled with stuffing. After the unicorn was all stitched up, we gave her a (brief) bath and then accessorized her with a pair of shiny pink wings. Finally, Kyra named her Cupcake (despite my recommendation for the name Starlight) and we made her a birth certificate. As we left the Workshop, Kyra insisted on carrying Cupcake's box herself. She ended up dragging the box half the way to the car, but she was not about to let her new friend out of her grasp.

Next we headed to The Cheesecake Factory for lunch. Well, actually for dessert, but since we were there, we ate lunch first. As we waited for our food, Kyra got to open some birthday presents from her Aunt Susie. She got a wooden cake set and a sidewalk chalk "paintbrush". They will provide many hours of enjoyment I'm certain. After our meal, the waitstaff sang Happy Birthday to Kyra and brought her chocolate truffle cake with a candle, whip cream, sprinkles, and Happy Birthday To You spelled out in chocolate syrup on the plate. Kyra and Kylie both enjoyed digging into the sugar mountain!

Next we did a little walking around and shopping. We passed the mall's giant Christmas tree adorned with huge moving toys. We admired it for a while and then suddenly Kyra burst into tears. The reason for those tears? She wanted to take one of the drum playing teddy bears on the tree home with her and of course she could not. There is no stuffed creature that Kyra does not love yet above them all, she LOVES teddy bears. We carried her away from the tree and eventually made our way to the Disney Store. This was a BIG DEAL for Kyra. She is hooked on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and has recently showed an affinity for the Princesses as well. She immediately found some rolling sleepover duffles and toted them around the store with her the entire time. One was Mickey Mouse, the other, Disney Princess themed. Naturally. Thankfully, Kyra has a really cool aunt with a Disney Rewards credit card who was willing to secretly buy one for her for Christmas. (Can't wait to see her open it in 40ish days.) It made me feel slightly less terrible as I pried them out of her fingers so we could leave.

Finally, after a day full of excitement, we headed home. But the fun wasn't over just yet. Kyra got to Skype with her GP and Grammy in Oklahoma and open her birthday presents from them while they watched via webcam. She got a pink cash register, a new doll, and a doll playset that included a stroller, pack-n-play, and baby swing/highchair. Kyra is a good little mommy to her dolls and bears and she loves pretending so she was very excited when she opened all her gifts.

Part of me wishes every day could be Kyra (or Kylie's) birthday because it was so much fun for all of us and the day flew by so quickly. Another part of me though is extremely glad birthdays only happen once per year. By the time I got to sit down at the end of the day I realized how trashed the house was from all the opening presents, playing with every new toy at once, and being stuck in a whirlwind of activity all day. I also realized how much my body ached and how tired and hungry I was (I forgot to eat dinner). But it was a great day. A really happy, exciting, adventurous, great day.

Blast from the Past

2009-11-13T13:48:00.003-05:00

SOOOOOOO......... A guy I've never met before emailed me and asked if I was the Keshet that the Hanson song Hand in Hand was written about. I was COMPLETELY caught off guard. I felt slightly freaked out and slightly flattered, but mostly I was super curious as to HOW in the WORLD he knew THAT. So I emailed him back with my own inquiries.

1. How did he know that about the song?
2. How did he FIND ME?!

He was kinda surprised that I was surprised he knew about it as he told me that Isaac tells the story behind the song on their Underneath acoustic DVD. He said he then found my name on some Hanson fan discussion boards, so he went to Myspace, typed in "Keshet" and viola! my profile popped right up. He took a chance and emailed me as if he knew that I was THAT Keshet and sure enough..... W.O.W.

So he sent me a link to the song on YouTube so I could hear for myself what Isaac says exactly. And after watching it all I have to say is "Lucy, you have some splaining to do!"

Randomness

2009-11-10T21:39:00.013-05:00

I felt the need to blog, but as I sit down to write so many things are popping in and out of my head so this post is going to be a brain explosion.

Going to church on Sunday proved to be a dangerous outing. As Kyra was skipping along the sidewalk on our way into church, she tripped and skinned her knee pretty bad. Daddy had to carry her the rest of the way. I was relieved to find alcohol wipes and bandaids in the first aid kit in the nursery and I was even more relieved that Kyra finally calmed down 10 minutes into her class and was able to stay there. After the service I went to get Jim (who volunteered in Kylie's class) and Kylie from the nursery. I arrived to find Kylie with a bandaid across her forehead and Jim explained that she had tripped (over his feet) and hit her head on one of the wooden chairs in the room. It swelled up and was bleeding, but Kylie handled it like a champ. And, fortunately, Jim already knew where to find the first aid kit.

Monday, Kyra found the pair of fairy wings in the back of the closet. I bought them for her costume for the strawberry festival a year and a half ago and put them away because she was definitely NOT into wearing them at the time. Considering she's worn them for the better part of 2 days now, I think it's safe to say that's not the case any longer. I love watching her float through the world of make believe. And I love when I get to join her even more. She has even let Kylie and me take turns being the fairy princess too. This just makes me so excited for all the pretending yet to come.

Today Jim left for Palm Springs, CA. He has done a lot of traveling this year and its taking its toll on me. I have found myself struggling with loneliness, jealousy, and exhaustion when he is away. There are days when I barely have any contact with another adult and I'm so desperate to just talk to someone older than 3. Last time Jim was away, I was an emotional mess. In an attempt to avoid that this time, I've got a few things scheduled so I know I'll have some "grown up" conversation at some point in the day. I also have made myself a lengthy to do list to keep me busy in the evenings when I would normally be hanging out with Jim.

Since Jim is gone, I bought one of those "meals in a box" in an attempt to make dinner without making dinner. It was gross. I felt guilty forcing Kyra to eat it since I had to choke it down myself. I will NOT be buying any of those again in the near future.

This is the craziest picture of Kylie ever:

Kyra's First Haircut

2009-11-07T15:23:00.006-05:00

For months I've been saying I needed to take Kyra to get a haircut. Other than a teeny trim I did when she was a baby, she's never had one. Her hair actually grew in perfectly and just by looking at her, you'd never know she hadn't ever had it cut. But lately I'd been feeling that she probably needed to get a cut just to keep it healthy.

Yesterday I NEEDED to get OUT of the HOUSE and decided it was the perfect opportunity to finally take Kyra for a haircut. I told her I was taking her to a special place to have her hair cut. We then headed to Exton to the Snip Its salon. It is designed to make a kid's hair cutting experience the most fun imaginable. When we walked in Kyra noticed the fun decor and bright colors and immediately said, "Its a party!" At that reaction I thought to myself, "Oh good, this WILL be fun for her;"

I filled out a form and helped Kyra into the bright pink, perfectly kid's sized salon chair. The stylist pointed Kyra toward the tv, put the smock over her, and started spraying her hair to wet it. Kyra seemed perfectly fine.... for about 45 seconds. Before the scissors ever came out, Kyra began crying huge tears and trying to climb out of the chair. She was crying "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!" over and over. I held her close to me, while keeping her in the chair, and tried to calm her down by talking to her. We even gave Kyra a pink lollipop, but not even that was enough to stop the waterworks.

The stylist was fantastic. She didn't seem the least bit phased by Kyra's meltdown. She was even able to cut her hair through it all. She took a couple inches off the length and angled her hair in the front to frame her face since I've been letting Kyra's bangs grow out. As the stylist finished up the last few snips, Kyra suddenly stopped crying. We asked Kyra if she wanted her hair dried with the blow dryer, but she said "no", so we ended it there. We got out of the chair, picked up a piece of Kyra's hair and put it in a special machine that spit out a prize in exchange for her hair. I graciously tipped the gal for the haircut and we headed for the car. We were in and out of Snip Its in approximately 10 minutes or less.

We made a quick stop at a store and while we were in the parking lot, Kyra suddenly began to tell me all about her haircut. "Kyra got my haircut. And got sucker and watched T.B. (tv). And Kyra is so happy!" I was stunned. She so quickly forgot all the tears and fear and "Mommy, Mommy!" and seemed to only remember the positives about her haircut. And every time she has talked about it since then, she sounds happy. She has said several times that she likes her haircut or that it is pretty and I must say I completely agree. I was very impressed with the quality of the haircut considering the circumstances. And I can't even tell you how relieved and thrilled I am to know I didn't scar her for life with that experience!

Happy Ween!

2009-11-04T15:50:00.005-05:00

Despite the sporadic rain, my sister-in-law Susan and I took Kyra (and Chase) around our neighborhood Halloween night on her first trick-or-treat outing. She wore a Sleeping Beauty princess dress and had a princess bucket (thanks to Aunt Susie) to match. She started off a little skeptical and shy. I'm sure she was thinking something along the lines of "Usually I have to do something special like eat all my dinner or go pee pee in the potty to get candy. Why are all these crazy people giving it to me just for walking up to their house?" But she got over it by the 5th house and began reciting "trick or treat" on every porch we stopped at. She engaged in conversation with several of our neighbors and even told one of them "Happy Ween!" We were only out for 45 minutes and probably only covered 1/6th of the neighborhood, but Kyra's bucket was full to the top! Most people were giving handfuls of candy due to their excitement for the World Series game 3 that would start as soon as trick-or-treating ended. (I think I earned Kyra some extra candy by wearing my Chase Utley jersey as I took her around.) Kyra was so excited by the whole experience and it was exciting for me to see her interact with our neighbors. Kylie on the other hand was quite the opposite. In fact, she was so unexcited, she fell asleep at 5:30 in her highchair and missed out on the evening's festivities all together.

(My other sister-in-law, Katie, and I took Kyra and Kylie to the local mall's trick-or-treat night on the Thursday before Halloween. Some of the pictures below are from that night too.)

I Went to the World Series

2009-11-03T19:21:00.015-05:00

I still can't believe it. Yesterday morning started like any other Monday. I was slowly getting things put back in order from the weekend. I had to go to the grocery store. I was making dinner for friends who just had a baby. And in the midst of it all, I got a text message from my husband. It read, "Do you want to go to the World Series tonight?" I was thinking, sure I do, but I don't want to pay $500.00 for a standing room only ticket. But Jim quickly explained that ticket prices had plummeted since the Yankees had gone up 3-1 in the series. Most were about 1/4 of the price they had been the previous day.

I was stunned. In the back of my mind I kept thinking the possibility of going was too good to be true. There seemed to be tons of tickets available, so for me the road block was finding someone to watch the girls so last minute. But my mother-in-love came through big time for us and agreed to take the girls for the long evening. As soon as I heard she would watch the kids it hit me that this was actually going to happen.

I was so excited. I got ready for the game hours ahead of time. I had the girls packed and ready to go long before Jim even got home from work. The minutes couldn't pass quick enough. It was a good thing it all happened on a whim because I can't even imagine how tortured I would've been waiting for days to go to the game!

Finally it was time. Jim's dad, my sister-in-love Susan, Jim, and I were on our way to Citizens Bank Park for game 5 of the World Series. We made incredible time getting to the ball park, found parking fairly easy, and made it inside in time to watch the Yankees take batting practice. Sue and I leisurely strolled around the entire ball park, just soaking it all in. From our seats (12 rows up, along the 3rd baseline) we watched the Phanatic harass a poor, freezing security guard. It was the closest I'd ever been to him and I just think he is the coolest mascot ever.

Before we knew it, it was game time. Alanis Morissette sang the National Anthem. Robin Roberts and Jim Bunning threw out the ceremonial first pitch. And then the Phillies took the field while tens of thousands of fans swirled white rally towels. As I swung my towel along with the masses, that's when I knew I wasn't dreaming. I was actually at the World Series.
The game was super exciting and incredibly intense in the end. The stadium lit up with fireworks 4 times during the game in celebration of home runs hit by the Phils. But the best display was after the last out of the 9th inning as they declared that the Phillies had won the game. It was one of the most exciting experiences of my life and definitely a day I will never forget. Special super duper thanks to my father-in-law for covering half our ticket cost so we could splurge for our incredible seats.
When I woke up Monday morning, I had no idea that I'd be at the World Series that night. Wow.... life is crazy and God is good!

Blog Make-over

2009-11-01T20:52:00.004-05:00

So.... It has taken me forever to figure out how to revamp the look of my blog, but after reading a bunch of tips online and searching countless websites for free backgounds, I FINALLY have done it! I'm so excited to have a fresh new look for my blog and I'm hoping it will get me inspired enough to start blogging "regularly" again. Also, I'd like to give a shout-out to my bro-in-law, Wit, for adding the super adorable picture of my girls to my blog header.

Cooking and Baking

2009-10-26T13:03:00.000-04:00

I don't know if it's the weather, my cinnamon scented room spray, or some other unseen forces, but something recently sparked a cooking/baking frenzy here at our house. And it's not just me. My husband, Jim, has had the itching to be in the kitchen as well.

In the last 10 days we've made 2 pans of apple crumble, 4 pans of cinnamon buns, and chicken noodle soup all from scratch. It all started 2 weekends ago when Jim wanted us to put to good use the box of apples Kyra had picked on a recent trip to Linvilla Orchards. I too had been thinking of ways to deliciously utilize our overflow of apples and had found a recipe for apple crumble. I just so happened to have all the ingredients on hand, so Jim and I went to work peeling, coring, and slicing apples. The crumble turned out so delicious that we decided to make another one immediately after polishing off the first one.
No sooner had I made the 2nd apple crumble when I had a conversation with my close friend, Emily, about some cinnamon rolls she had just made. She said she had eaten 5 in a 3 hour period, which said a LOT about how scrumptious the rolls must have been because Em is a Dietician by profession. As soon as we hung up the phone I found myself on the computer downloading the recipe for the cinnamon rolls from thepioneerwoman.com. Jim was equally excited about making the rolls and even did all the grocery shopping to get everything we needed. So Saturday night we went to work making the dough. It turned out to be hardly any work at all though. Sunday morning I rolled out the dough, added all the sugary, buttery, cinnamon-y filling, and baked them up. We halved the recipe and still ended up with 4 pans of 8 cinnamon rolls! I found a recipe on another website for cream cheese icing and made sure to lay it on thick when the warm rolls came out of the oven.
Somewhere in the midst of all the baking I became inspired to make chicken noodle soup. I'd never made it myself before, but Tyler Florence's recipe on foodnetwork.com just seemed so simple and flavorful, so I took it on. The aromas that filled my kitchen while it simmered were amazing. And then as we were eating it Jim declared it was probably my best homemade soup ever. (I've made other various potato soups, etc.) And it was even better the next day reheated since the flavors had more time to meld together as it sat in the fridge overnight.
Kyra's first soup!

I wish you all could have been here to taste everything, but hopefully the pictures will entice you enough to make the recipes yourself!

Christmas Card Photo Shoot

2009-10-23T14:27:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, we had an abnormally warm day here in Southeastern PA so I decided it might be my one and only chance to get pictures of the girls outdoors sans heavy winter coats for our Christmas cards. I called up my gal pal, Angie, and got her, her boys, and her SUPER NICE Nikon camera to join us at Springton Manor Farm.

It couldn't have been a more perfect fall setting. The trees and grass were adorned with all kinds of multi-colored leaves and I knew I had a good chance of getting THE perfect picture/s. Ang turned over her camera to me and gave me a few quick pointers and then it was time to start shooting. I've always enjoyed taking pictures, but the moment I looked through the viewfinder on her camera, I was in love! That camera was designed to make you want to take pictures. It was super addicting and I now have the itch to get a really nice camera just like it.

I did bust out my little handheld Canon Elph a few times while Ang was shooting, and unfortunately for you, those are the pictures I'm putting in this post. I'm keeping the good pictures hidden for now, but here are several pictures that didn't make the cut for the Christmas card this year. Also, the dresses the girls are wearing were handmade in Africa and brought back by Aunt Susie on her trip earlier this year.

Driving Me Crazy

2009-10-20T14:54:00.000-04:00

I've never thought of myself as a "bad" driver. I've never been pulled over for speeding nor have I ever been in an accident with another driver. However, I can't say that my driving record is perfect either.

For example, last night I hit my husband's (company owned) truck. Yep. I was pulling into our driveway and didn't gage my turn correctly and all of a sudden.... "What in the world was that crazy noise?! No! Did I really just...? How could I have...? Oh crap. I did." I snagged the back left corner of his truck and pretty much scraped up the entire right side of my *new* van. And that folks is what you call an "Epic Fail".

After mourning the injury inflicted on my beautiful van and a fatherly lecture from my husband about "driving being such a huge responsibility" and how "I shouldn't take it for granted", I began to reflect on my driving history. And thats when it occurred to me that with the exception of one major run in with a curb in a strip mall, all my accidents have been in my own driveway.

Accident numero uno was when I was still learning how to drive. I was 15 or 16 and driving a bunch of my sister's friends to our house from school with my mom in the front passenger seat. I eased our minivan into the driveway and to a stop behind my dad's work van at which point I should've put it in park. Instead, I took my foot off the brake BEFORE putting the van in P and we rammed the back of my dad's van nice and hard. (But hey, I was still a rookie driver, so its excusable, right?)

Accident number two was also with my dad's work vehicle (though not the same one as before). This time I was 21ish and living with my parents to save money for my wedding. It was around dinner time and I was in a hurry to meet some friends. I jumped in the car, threw it into reverse and floored it backwards, right into the side of my dad's van. I didn't even stop. I was too embarrassed because I knew my entire family had witnessed what had happened from their seats around the dining room table. Instead I called them on the phone and asked about the damage to dad's van. His van was basically fine. My little Toyota Tercel however, wore a dent on the right of it's trunk until the day I sold it.

And I already told you about accident number three from last night. Hopefully that will be my LAST accident now that my driveway accident trifecta is complete.

People joke about watching out for crazy female drivers on the road, but in my case the roads are perfectly safe. Just don't park in my driveway.

Laps for Little Ones

2009-10-08T16:31:00.000-04:00

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16

There is a place in Tulsa, Oklahoma where lights shine bright, good works are a way of business, and God is glorified every day. That place is The Little Light House, a Christian Developmental Center that has been providing highly specialized educational and therapeutic services to children with special needs since 1972.

For those of you who know my family, you are aware of how much The Little Light House has always been a part of our lives. My mom began working there as the grants and fundraising coordinator before I was born. In fact, that is where she met my dad while he was doing some carpentry work on the building. A few years later, my parents were introduced to a little boy named Daniel, a student at The Little Light House, who became my brother when my parents took a step of faith and adopted him. As kids, we spent a lot of summers hanging out at The Little Light House and when I was old enough, I even got the chance to volunteer in the various special needs classes. While in college, I worked in the administrative offices and even got engaged during the time I worked there.

I have so many wonderful memories from The Little Light House that span over the course of my entire life. Some of the best memories though are from an annual fundraising event called Laps for Little Ones. It is basically a one hour jog-a-thon where runners raise support for The Little Light House. I have run around that track probably a couple hundred times over the years and spent countless hours cheering other runners on from the sidelines during the years I didn't run. I have vivid memories of jogging around the track as the hour came to an end and thinking "I just can't go any further". But then I'd go around the turn where many of the Light House students would be cheering on the runners from their wheelchairs or from behind a walker and would get an extra burst of energy to get in that one last lap to earn every last dollar I could for those kids.

Since I moved to Pennsylvania 6 years ago, I haven't been able to participate as a runner or cheerleader at this amazing event. For me, it is like missing a family holiday like Thanksgiving or Easter. But though I can't be there in person, I am still able to take part in Laps by sponsoring one of my siblings as they run in the event. On October 24, 2009 my brother, Ethan, my sister Krystal and her husband, Sean, and my sister Lindsay will all be participating as runners. Lindsay, who is now on staff as a classroom associate, is running for one of her students, Josiah.

This year, The Little Light House has made a leap into the 21st century and set up websites to help each runner to raise their support. Below are links to each of my sibling's support pages. I would greatly appreciate it if you would take the time to check out The Little Light House website and if you are touched at all by their ministry, please consider supporting my family as they support the wonderful kids of The Little Light House.

For more information on The Little Light House click here.

The O'Nan Family support page (Sean & Krystal)

Ethan's support page

Lindsay's support page

Me with Co-founder Marcia Mitchell. I think I was a Freshman in high school here.
My mom and I. Here I was a sophomore at ORU.

Kyra vs. The Potty: Round 2

2009-09-18T19:57:00.000-04:00

A long, long time ago....
I can still remember
How that potty did not make Kyra smile.
And I knew if she had a second chance
She could do that pee pee dance
And make mommy happy for a while.

But February made her shiver
And no pee pee did she deliver
Bad news in the diaper
I couldn't get too hyper.

I can't remember if I cried
When Kyra would go off and hide
To poo poo without me by her side
The day the potty training died.

So we said bye-bye to potty time
Put the pull-ups in the closet
To keep them dry.
And them good ol' diapers were back on her backside
Singing "Oh well, we gave it a try. We will do better next time."

Today marked the beginning of the "next time". After months of half-hearted attempts to get Kyra potty trained, I had finally had enough. Jim and I agreed that it was going to take team work and 100% dedication on our part to give Kyra a fair shot at learning to use the potty, so he took the day off work today and we began our "P90-X" version of potty training.

Earlier this week, I took Kyra to Wal-Mart (ah, Wal-Mart) and let her pick out her "big girl" panties. She chose a 3 pack of Minnie Mouse and a 7 pack of Sesame Street themed underwear. First thing this morning, I put her on the toilet (Kyra has declared she'd rather use the "big potty" than the "little potty") and then into her first pair of panties. She chose a very chic Minnie Mouse glitter pair to get us started with a bang.

After breakfast, we once again sat on the potty, but after 20 minutes still had yet to put any pee pee in the toilet. Knowing it would drive us both insane to keep her on the potty for eternity, I opted to let her play for 10 minutes and then try again. Of course less than 10 minutes later she peed all over the play room floor and even managed to get the front side of the couch. I rushed her to the bathroom and put her back on the toilet to make sure she was finished while Jim cleaned up the mess. We then put on panty #2. And next I filled her juice cup.

Part of our strategy for the day was to keep her filled with fluids to give her the maximum number of opportunities to get familiar with using the toilet and that "gotta go" feeling. The first 4 hours of the day were measured by trial and error. We underestimated how quickly the juice would work it's way through her system and panty #2 didn't stand a chance. Neither did my entire outfit for that matter as I scooped her up onto my hip and raced her to the bathroom as soon as she began to pee.

By lunch time we had cleaned the floor three times and changed panties five. Panty #6, a simple little Elmo pair, actually lasted several hours. After Kyra's first 3 major accidents, she began to alert us right as she was about to start peeing and we were able to make it to the potty before anything besides her underwear got soiled. We had one more major accident toward the end of the evening, but Kyra managed to end the day in panty #8. Which means I didn't need to reuse the 5 pairs I frantically washed at noon "just in case".

All in all I would say today was a success. Kyra definitely is taking steps in the right direction and I'm hoping tomorrow she'll begin to give us enough warning to keep her cute little panties dry.

*Thanks goes out to Aunt Katie for encouraging me by recommending some blogs on potty training.

Craftiness

2009-08-27T21:53:00.000-04:00

I am extremely blessed to be a stay-at-home-mom. But recently I found myself stuck in a rut. And this particular rut was the "lack of creativity when it comes to activities with my kids" rut. I was bored. They were bored. It was getting old fast. So, nearly a month ago, in a desperate attempt to claw my way out of the rut, I grabbed a flyer at the local mall promoting free kids art classes. And when we got home, it nearly ended up in the trash, but was saved by the nagging reminder of boredom in the back of my brain.

So now I had a way out of the boredom. I just had to get myself on the right path to reach my destination. In an attempt to chain myself to the train going that direction, I called my sis-in-love, Katie (who also conveniently is an elementary art teacher) and asked her if she would join us for Kyra's first "art class". She agreed and unknowingly locked the chain around me and threw away the key. We were getting out of our rut. We were trying something new. We were going to "Mommy and Me Sea Turtles" art class.

And it was a success. Despite the craziness that was Kylie without a nap. Despite the fact that the "teacher" nearly gave my twenty-something-year-old sister-in-love a stroke because she didn't really have a clue how to teach kids under age 5. Despite the fact that I carried two "turtles" made out of egg cartons around the mall for an hour so they could dry. It was awesome. We did something new and interesting and FREE.

And since that first introduction to the quaint little art class at the mall the experience has gotten better and better. Better because we have gone the last two weeks with our friends Foster and Rowan. Better because we discovered story time at Borders is right after the art class. Better because the Chick-fil-a cow visits story time and gives out goodies like balloons and crayons and FREE KIDS MEALS. Better because we immediately enjoy our free kids meals and then exchange the toy for free ice cream. Better because this week the free ice cream was 4 times the size it is supposed to be. Better because we're out of the rut. We may be getting into a new one, but at least this one involves crayons, paint, friends, cows, chicken nuggets, and ice cream.

Big Sis + Lil Sis = Love

2009-08-13T20:56:00.000-04:00

One of the reasons I was secretly hoping our second child was a girl:

Lucky Number 7

2009-08-11T21:13:00.000-04:00

June 27th, 2009 marked 7 years of marital bliss for Jim and I. But the anniversary celebration was a little delayed this year due to our amazing vacation to the Outer Banks with all our friends. Our anniversary fell on our last day in NC and we decided we wanted to spend as much time as possible with our friends, so we agreed to do something at a later date. That later date ended up being July 25th - 26th when we escaped to historic Georgetown in Washington DC for an overnight getaway. It was WELL worth the month long wait.

Jim had been in Baltimore, MD for work most of the week, so I drove down and picked him up as soon as he was done tearing down their booth on the last day of the trade show. We plugged our destination address into his iPhone and hit the open road. We made good time getting into DC and to the hotel. Even considering we drove past it once because the tiny placard that marked the hotel's location was a little unassuming from the main street. What hotel would have such a "marquee"? How about a classy little joint called the Ritz Carlton. We were able to book a 750 sq foot suite at the Ritz for our getaway. And, thanks to a huge amount of "points" Jim had been accumulating on his eBay credit card, it cost us next to nothing.

The room was what you'd expect of a suite at the Ritz: a long entry hallway leading into a lounge area with a couch, entertainment center, and desk; then french doors opening up into the bedroom with a king bed and the softest, plushest bedding imaginable; and finally, the luxurious and incredibly spacious bathroom. The bathroom was my favorite. If I could've taken the entire thing home with me, I would have.

After getting settled in our room and changing clothes, we headed out on foot (and me in Italian leather high heels) to find someplace to eat dinner. It was already after 7:00 and we quickly realized that the clouds looming overhead were likely to burst open at any moment. We had talked about doing Italian and after walking up and down a few streets, we felt pressured by the weather to settle on one called Paper Moon. We got a table and began looking over the menu. After a few minutes of silence Jim had the insight to ask me if anything even looked appetizing, because nothing was striking him on the menu and the atmosphere just wasn't what we had in mind when we set out in search of food. I was feeling more like I was about to have my palm read than eat a meal, so (for the first time in my life), we got up and left.

We stood outside the restaurant, as the clouds got darker overhead, and plugged some info into the Urban Spoon Application on Jim's iPhone. We said we wanted a steakhouse (Italian no longer seemed appetizing) in Georgetown. Ironically, the first restaurant to pop up was called Sea Catch and it was DIRECTLY across the street. We walked over and as we stood under the restaurant's awning to look at the menu, the heavens opened up and decided Sea Catch was where we would be eating dinner. it was not a steakhouse, but rather offered seafood and a raw bar, as it's name suggests. But that didn't matter. The atmosphere was inviting and comfortable. And the menu was full of mouthwatering dishes. And as soon as we sat down in a cozy booth in the corner, we were both instantly happy and knew we were where we wanted to be.

Dinner was fabulous and I even tried escargot for the first time. In fact it was such a great dinner that when we walked outside into the pouring rain to head back to our hotel, I simply slipped off my heels and we trotted hand in hand without caring about the rain at all. When we arrived back in our room the maid had already turned down the bed and left chocolates for us. That has to be one of my favorite things about staying in a nice hotel, the fact that they leave chocolate for you, giving you permission to indulge yourself right before bed.

The next morning, we took advantage of our childless situation as well as the hotel's noon checkout time, and slept in until 10:00. We then packed up and had the hotel hold our bags so we could walk around Georgetown, without getting drenched. We ate lunch at Johnny Rockets and then hit up a few stores, but the day passed all too quickly. We soon found ourselves taking the scenic route out of DC. From the hotel, I didn't realize how CLOSE we actually were to EVERYTHING. The Mall, the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Smithsonians, etc. Our drive out was like being on a sightseeing tour. Then we were suddenly on the Parkway headed back home. And stuck in traffic. But even the traffic couldn't really ruin our amazing getaway.

The Ritz was fantastic. Dinner was perfect. But the best part of the trip was that I was there with my best friend. And even after 7 years of marriage, we're still having "firsts".

*Sorry, I didn't get pictures of the room before we settled into it, so I just didn't take any at all.

**A HUMONGOUS THANKS to Susan for taking care of our girls while we were gone.

A Wii Bit of Help

2009-08-03T10:59:00.000-04:00

Clint and Ang Weldon are two of our closest friends. My blog is strewn with pictures of our kids playing with their kids. Which is what this post is about: their kids.

They have 2 boys, Foster and Rowan, whom they love more than life. But they have another child that they love just as much, whom they've never even met. For a while now their hearts have longed to adopt a little girl from China (where they lived for a while and have visited many other times). But despite their desires, this dream has yet to become a reality because of one major roadblock: money. Adoption, especially from a foreign country, isn't cheap.

If the Weldon's could pay in love, they would have enough to get their little girl a billion times over, but unfortunately the government uses a different currency. And it would be a shame to let something as trivial as money prevent a family from being complete. Soooooo.... some of us encouraged Ang to go out on a limb and do a fundraiser to raise the first portion of finances to start the adoption process. In response the Weldons have set up a raffle on their blog to do just that.

For a mere $5.00, you can buy an entry into their raffle to win a Nintendo Wii gaming system. Don't need one yourself? Christmas is only 4 short months away! Surely you know someone, who knows someone who would like one for Christmas. :) Or, feel free just to make a donation to help bring this little girl into the family God has for her.

For more information or to enter the raffle, click here.

To read Ang's heart regarding the daughter she has yet to meet, click here.

"Ishies"

2009-07-29T15:33:00.000-04:00

Kyra doesn't pronounce the letter "f", so all week long as we anticipated going to the National Aquarium in Baltimore, Kyra would talk about going to see the "ishies". On Saturday, the girls and I made the long, short drive (if you get my drift) to Baltimore where we met up with my sister-in-law, "Aunt Susie". To help with traffic flow, the aquarium doesn't allow strollers in the building, so we traded the wheels for a stylish back carrier and started the tour.

The first thing you see is the impressive tank of sting rays. The NAIB has a bunch of them and a few are rather large. When we pointed out one of the largest ones to Kyra, she informed us that it was a daddy sting ray. I just adore her logic.

We hit up nearly all of the exhibits, including the tropical rainforest, the sharks, and the jellyfish. We also splurged and paid the extra $3.00 to attend the dolphin show. I must admit that every time I see those amazing creatures in action I find myself wishing I would've chosen a career path that allowed me to work with them. I mean who wouldn't want to work with someone who always looked like they were smiling (and didn't mind being paid in fish).

One of my favorite little moments of the day was when Kyra pointed at the huge blue whale skeleton hanging from the ceiling and said "dinosaur". Obviously, it wasn't, but I think she assumed it was because of our trip to the Museum of Natural History in DC several months ago where every large bone structure was in fact a dinosaur. I found it cute how she made the connection. It's little things like that that make me realize she is growing up.

By the time we reached the end and traded the now 1000 lb back carrier in for the stroller, the girls were beat (and by girls I mean Susan and I too). So much so that Kylie fell asleep within minutes after we put her back in the comfy stroller. Although, she did seem to really enjoy her special bird's-eye-view of all the exhibits and creatures. All in all it was a very fun, very memorable day.

Vicky's Rainbow

2009-07-21T21:11:00.000-04:00

Two Sunday's ago I met a woman at our church named Jo Ann. As does so often happen, she immediately asked me about my name and I told her the Cliff's Notes version: a beam of light, reflecting off of glass, caused a rainbow to appear on my mom's stomach and God spoke to my parents regarding His promise of children for them. I am the first born and my name, Keshet, means rainbow in Hebrew.

She reacted as pretty much everyone does, with comments of "Oh wow! That is so neat!" or "How beautiful!" But then she went into her own story....

Jo Ann and her sister became believers in their late teens. They had a cousin, Vicky, who was right between the two of them in age and she thought their "religion" was crazy. However, as they got older, they invited Vicky to a Christian women's retreat held on a beautiful bay. The weekend offered different classes or sessions and Jo Ann and her sister, both having kids, were going to be attending one on parenting. Vicky, not so interested in that particular class, needed something to do while her cousins were occupied. So Jo Ann and her sister gave her a Bible and told her to go find a place and just read it.

Like with any book, Vicky started at the beginning, in Genesis. Later that day, a storm came off the ocean out of nowhere and as quickly as it arrived, it moved out. But as it cleared, a rainbow appeared over the bay. Vicky said to her cousins, "That's my rainbow." They asked her how that was so and she replied, "Today I read about Noah and how God gave him a rainbow as a promise. I asked God if He was real, why couldn't he give me my own rainbow too."

Three weeks later, Vicky was killed in a car accident.

Tears are streaming down Jo Ann's face (and mine) as she says to me, "I believe God is a relentless pursuer of our souls right up until the very end. He knew Vicky's time was almost up and he gave her just what she needed to believe in Him." She then pauses and says, "You know, I had forgotten all about that story until you told me about your name."

For over a week now, I haven't been able to get Vicky's testimony out of my head. It is one of the most beautiful stories I've ever heard of God romancing someone into His arms. Since Vicky isn't around to tell it, I felt that I needed to share it. I was so encouraged by its reminder that God does pursue us, no matter where we are. He is the one waiting at the end of your rainbow. He is the one who made it for you.

And Finally.... The PARTY!

2009-07-19T22:00:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we celebrated Kylie's birthday with an "under the sea" themed party at Pop Pop and Mom Mom Witmer's house. The day couldn't have gone any better. We had beautiful weather, delicious food, fabulous decorations (thanks to Aunt Susie and Aunt Katie), amazing family and friends, and tons of fun. The kids stayed busy for hours playing on the swing set, jumping in the bouncy castle, and splashing in the kiddy pool. Even the "grown ups" were able to enjoy some rounds of washer toss while the kids played.

The birthday girl, though most likely oblivious to the fact that we were all there to celebrate her, had as much fun as anyone. It took her no time at all to dig into her birthday cake. And when she had had her fill, she enjoyed painting her tray with what was left. Unfortunately, she did have a minor allergic reaction moments later due to the eggs in the icing and cake mix. But after a little dose of Benadryl, she was fine so we started opening her gifts. She was a good sport as I held her on my lap shoving tissue paper and clothes and toys in her face as she was fighting the urge to sleep brought on by the Benadryl.

Most of the guests went home just after 2:00 and Kylie got to take her nap, but the party didn't end. We hung around with Jim's family and chatted and played and even got take out from my father-in-law's fire company's chicken barbecue for dinner. We would've hung out all night if we could have, but we had a very tired Kyra and Kylie that needed to be tucked into their beds. So after much partying we called it a day.

First Birthday Photo Shoot

2009-07-16T14:35:00.000-04:00

Happy 1st Birthday Kylie!

2009-07-14T22:21:00.000-04:00

A year flew by and suddenly you're one.
You have been a blessing from the day you were born.
Never crying, always sleeping, good eater, smile wearer.
Today you have 8 teeth in that beautiful smile.
Crawling at lightning speed, even up the stairs.
You have amazing balance, yet that first step alludes us. For now.
Soon though, very soon, you will walk. Then run.
You will keep up with Kyra. You already adore her.
You point to things you want. Usually food.
Cheese curls, peas, carrots, grapes, bread.
But not eggs. No, not them. Someday though.
Chase makes you giggle. He loves to give you kisses.
And so do mommy and daddy.
You're just so kissable, huggable, lovable.
Happy birthday Punkin, Punkin!

Memories of a year

2009-07-14T21:43:00.000-04:00

It's hard to believe that it has been an entire year since Kylie came into this world. The last 365 days have flown by, but have also been filled with joy, love, tears, laughs, and firsts. On this special day which celebrates Kylie, I can't help but reflect on some special memories of her.

I remember after we had our 20 week ultra sound and learned she was a girl Jim said to me, "You're carrying Kyra's best friend in your belly."

I remember the annoyance of the women at the check-in desk at the hospital after I was admitted when I didn't look like I was "laboring" at all. And further, their shock when 3 hours later Kylie had arrived.

I remember the delivery nurse saying Kylie would be a red-head and wondering how she could even tell through all the "gunk" that was covering her. I also remember getting excited and hoping she was right.

I remember having her in a bassinet next to our bed and waking up one morning and realizing she had outgrown it and needed to move into the nursery.

I remember how she used to sit/sleep in her baby carrier in the corner of my preschool class on Wednesday mornings.

I remember her wiggling. Her super silly, hair removing, giggly wiggling.

I remember being super emotional the first day she was totally weaned. I loved having that special bond with her.

I remember how impressed I was with her ability to sit up so well at 5 months.

I remember how much she loved jumping.

I remember her playing with her tongue all the time. She loves her tongue.

I remember that her motivation to finally crawl was the laser light on my dad's tape measure.

I remember trips to the zoo, the park, Tulsa, shopping, friends homes, church, and Wal-Mart.

I remember joy, Kylie Joy. And I look forward to the memories yet to be made.

Longwood Gardens: Round 2

2009-07-13T20:42:00.001-04:00

Last Thursday the girls and I had the pleasure of taking another trip to Longwood Gardens with our season pass holder friends. Here are some of my favorite pictures from the day:

My Honey Did

2009-07-09T16:03:00.000-04:00

When I went to Tulsa for 2 weeks back in May/June, I left Jim with his first ever "Honey-Do List". When I returned home, I was in awe at how much he had done. Not only had he nearly completed the list I left for him, but he went above and beyond, doing extras that he saw needed to be done. I felt as if I had come home to an entirely new house, all thanks to Jim's improvements here and there. I was so proud of him and blessed by all his hard work that I documented everything in photographs so I'd never forget. Here is a photoscape of Jim's completed honey-do list and then some:

He had my carpets cleaned

Installed a new digital thermostat

Got weights and worked on his new body (yes I consider this something he did for me) :)

Ordered a new dual compartment trash can so I no longer have to collect recyclable items on the counter top

Hung wedding pictures over our bed

Hung a mirror in my closet

Cleaned out the garage

He even painted the floor in the garage to make it extra nice

Refinished our front porch

Mulched my gardens

Put a border along the edge of my gardens

Surprised me with beautiful hanging plants

Purchased (and attempted to install) a storm door

AND..... last but DEFINITELY NOT LEAST...... He bought me a van!!!!!!!!

That's right folks, he surprised me with a beautiful Nissan Quest Luxury Edition van. Complete with leather seats, DVD player, and remote control doors. I am the most blessed woman ever! Thanks Baby for my cool new ride and for all the things you did to make our house more of a home. LOVE YOU!!

My poor forsaken blog

2009-07-08T20:22:00.001-04:00

I never had a chance to finish blogging about my trip to Tulsa back in early June. As soon as I returned to PA, I immediately had to get myself, and my house, in gear for our vacation to the OBX. Not to mention that Jim was on a business trip to Boston the week before we left, so I was in "single parent" mode too.

On Father's Day we drove down to Nags Head where we stayed for a week, sharing a house with some of our dearest friends in the world. I had packed my computer with the lofty hopes of blogging whilst catching some rays by the pool. However, the wireless internet at the rental house didn't work, so..... I was forced to go an entire week without any connection to the grand ol' www.

Returning home after a glorious and exhausting week at the beach, I came down with the post-vacation blues. It took every bit of energy I had just to catch up on laundry, go to the grocery store, play with the girls, and fix a few meals. I missed my friends and my friends' kids and I sort of basked in my discontent with no longer being at the beach.

This week I finally began forcing myself to get over it and rejoin day to day life as it is. And I realized getting reacquainted with my blog is part of that. Then I got overwhelmed with all the things I could and should post about.... Tulsa, Vacation, etc. so I decided to give myself a break and just write random thoughts about my day today as I make my way back into my blogging world.

I realize that on days that I get out of bed and actually get dressed, as opposed to throwing on whatever I find just so I can get the girls up, my days get off to a better start.

That better start this morning motivated me to make my Aunt Kay's recipe for banana bread with chocolate chips and walnuts.

Making the banana bread motivated me to cook the 10 lb pork shoulder I bought on a whim this week after watching Food Network last weekend.

Trying and failing to shove the 10lb pork shoulder in my tiny slow cooker made me realize, I need a bigger Crock Pot.

Thank God for Mother-in-laws with bigger Crock Pots and for Sister-in-laws willing to deliver them.

I can now say I have successfully slow cooked my own pork shoulder. Tonight we feasted on pulled pork tacos and later this week I'll make bbq pulled pork sandwiches out of the leftovers. Divine.

I love lunches out with my sisters-in-law. I am growing less and less fond of lunches out with 2 1/2 year old Kyra.

I actually told Kyra the pizza place we went to for lunch didn't have pizza so she would eat chicken tenders instead.

I wish I had more time to read books. I am very proud of myself for the little bit of time I have found to allow myself to read lately.

Slumdog Millionaire was, in my opinion, a good movie, but watching it made me sick to my stomach and overwhelmed me with sadness. I wish I hadn't watched it by myself.

I love So You Think You Can Dance. I get so happy watching it that I sometimes laugh out loud.

And on that note, I'm going to wrap this blog up so I can give the show my undivided attention and fully revel in the happiness.

11 Months Old

2009-06-15T21:39:00.000-04:00

Kylie is 11 months old today! She has changed so much in the last month and has been very busy. She took a plane ride to Tulsa and spent 2 action packed weeks with GP and Grammy. During our time in Oklahoma Kylie got her two top front teeth and now looks like a cute little chipmunk. She also started crawling when GP began shining a laser light on the carpet in front of her and she became determined to catch it. If only I owned a laser light Kylie probably would've been crawling months ago. Who knew that would be the motivation she needed?! Now that she is mobile she is pulling herself up on everything and she even lets go occasionally and stands on her own for a few seconds.

I realized today that I'm entering the "No No Kylie" phase. I also realize that she is going to turn a year old one month from today and I wonder how that's even possible. She has been such a wonderful baby and blessing to our family that the time has just flown by.
As always, here is a dose of her cuteness:

Kylie's Egg-cellent trip to the ER

2009-06-12T16:35:00.000-04:00

Yes, ER. As in Emergency Room. Here's what happened....
(Disclaimer: this tale includes detailed references to vomiting. Read at your stomach's discretion.)

Kylie is not my first child. And though in certain situations, I can't help but dote and obsess over my children, I usually consider myself to be a fairly laid back mom. So despite knowing that doctors recommend you don't feed your child eggs until they are over 12 months old, I went ahead and let Kylie have a taste of my breakfast yesterday. She was squawking away in her highchair after finishing off her cheerios, so I figured I'd give her a little taste of scrambled eggs since she is only 1 month shy of being a year old.

She ate the dime sized piece of egg and without any further thought I cleaned everything up and took her into the family room to play because Kyra, who had just awoke, was now hollering for me from the top of the steps. As I walked away from Kylie I heard her start to gag and cough and my maternal instincts told me to hold out my hands in front of her because she was about to vomit. (Why on earth do we moms try to catch puke in our hands?! It's so bizarre.) She threw up straight mucus into my open hands. I stared at it in disbelief, noticing a tennis ball sized mucus bubble afloat on top of the rest of the mess. As soon as I could tell Kylie was okay, I ran to the sink and washed my hands. I then raced back to Kylie and carried her up to her room to change her out of her slightly mucus spattered clothes.

It was while I was changing her attire that I noticed she had a rash around her mouth and another on the inside of her right arm. Again, my motherly instincts kicked into high gear and I raced Kylie downstairs to dose her with Benadryl. I felt a little more relaxed now, knowing that she had some meds in her system and that's when I remembered Kyra needed a diaper change and breakfast. I managed to get Kyra changed and into her booster seat. I peeled a banana while holding Kylie on my hip and served it to the ever-so-patient Kyra. Not 3 seconds later, Kylie again began gagging and coughing. I turned her away from my body and let her vomit on the kitchen floor. It's linoleum so I knew clean up wouldn't be terrible. What I hadn't factored into the equation was Chase and his curious tongue. Gross. But then again, he eats rabbit poop, so I guess I'm not really surprised.

I set Kylie down on the kitchen floor, away from the vomit, and dialed my nurse friend, Abby, as I cleaned up the mucus splattered across the floor. It was unreal how much mucus had come out of that tiny little 19ish pound girl. While I was getting Abby's advice on the situation, Kylie had pulled herself up on the leg of our kitchen table. She lost her grip and went face first into the table leg. The hysterical crying from the pain caused by the collision induced another bout of mucus vomitting. I hung up on Abby and dialed the doctor.

I got straight through to a nurse and began telling her what had happened. She was calmly listening to my story and then I mentioned I had given her eggs. As soon as the word came out of my mouth she cut my off by saying, "You need to take her to the Emergency Room."
Me: "Oh, really?"
Nurse: "Yes. In fact, you should call 9-1-1."
Me: "Uhhhh"
Nurse: "Where do you live?"
Me: *gave location*
Nurse: "So you can get to Brandywine Hospital pretty quick?"
Me: "Yes."
Nurse: "Okay. You need to take her to the Emergency Room there. I don't want to cause you to panic, but egg allergies can be very severe. There could be swelling in her throat or otherwise that could restrict her breathing. You need to have her tested to make sure there isn't anything going on inside that you can't see."
Me: "Okay. I will. Thank you. Bye."

Or something along those lines.... I don't exactly remember because I was quite distracted. My brain never quite made it passed the point in our conversation where she said I should call 911.

Amidst all the puking and clean up and Chase and Kyra, I had stayed pretty calm. But after hanging up the phone, I couldn't put my thoughts together. I managed to call my neighbor to see if she could watch Kyra for a bit until I could get a hold of someone else to come over. I knew having Kyra AND Kylie by myself at the ER would not be fun or productive. When she didn't answer, I called Jim at work. I must've scared him out of his mind because as soon as he answered I just blurted out, "I have to take Kylie to the Emergency Room. I need you to come home and take care of Kyra."

He didn't go into 20 questions, probably knowing he'd get the whole story later, and must have left work immediately because he made it home in good time. I, of course, was going crazy waiting on him to arrive and when he pulled in I had Kylie in the car and ready to go. I took off and called him on my way to the hospital to tell him the details.

When I arrived at the hospital, I could feel the sympathy from everyone who saw me carrying little Kylie into the ER. I gave them the basic info and within a couple of minutes was called into triage. The nurse checked Kylie's vitals, including her oxygen levels, and left us to wait for the doctor. Despite the last 2 rounds of puking, the Benadryl must have made its way into Kylie's system because she fell asleep in my arms as we were waiting on the doctor.

I don't know how long we waited, or didn't wait, but when the PA saw her she reported that Kylie was perfectly normal. Even the rashes on her mouth and arm were gone and so the Benadryl must have been enough to do the trick. I got a brief lecture for feeding her eggs before age one and the one instruction on the discharge papers stated I was to avoid giving her eggs until her pediatrician approved. Seriously. Ya think?

So, less than 2 hours and a $100.00 co-pay later, we were back home and Kylie was perfectly fine. And I know this post was really long, but I had to at least get something for my money.

Graduation Day

2009-05-27T09:47:00.000-04:00

On Saturday, May 23rd, my (not-so-little) little brother graduated from high school. The same high school from which I graduated 10 years ago. But being back there for his big day, I realized that almost nothing was the same. The short list of things that remained after 10 years was limited to the color/style of the caps and gowns, the school's superintendent, the founding pastor and his wife, and the covers for the diplomas. Everything else, everyone else was different.

Despite the differences, I still found myself reminiscing about my high school days. I remembered activities such as Spirit Days, pep rallies, basketball games (to which I always had a front row seat), prom (or more appropriately Jr./Sr. Banquet since we didn't dance), homecoming, chapel, and the Senior mission trip. I tried to recall who was on the student council, in the national honor society, on my cheer squad. And I found myself remembering how complicated and challenging high school seemed 10 years ago. Relationships, tests, papers, homework, extracurricular activities, peer pressure, breakups, it was all so overwhelming. But it's fascinating how as soon as you toss your cap in the air at graduation, things suddenly begin to change. You begin to change.

High school is its own world. And graduation is when everyone moves to new planets all at once. Suddenly those people who were with you every day, who you allowed to define your world, your person, are gone. Your new world is larger, full of new people. And it doesn't take long for you to see the bigger picture and wonder why you were so intimidated in high school. College work makes you laugh at yourself for thinking 3 page book reports in high school were hard. While working your first "real" 9-5 job, you find the confidence you never seemed to have in high school that would've allowed you to talk to people outside of your "social circle".

As I sat and watched Ethan and his peers walk across the stage one by one to receive their (fake) diplomas, I wished for a few moments that I could go back and relive high school with the knowledge and confidence I have now. I thought about the things I'd do differently and the things I would've kept exactly the same. Cheerleading, for instance. I wouldn't change a thing. I loved it. I learned more than just jumps and motions and dances and stunts. I learned discipline and dedication and camaraderie and sportsmanship. Things I still carry with me and will attempt to instill in my children.

The ceremony winded down and I watched as the graduates hugged each other and took pictures together. I remembered doing the same thing 10 years earlier. But then a feeling of sadness overcame me as I realized that I now no longer have a relationship with the people in those photographs that sit in a box in my basement. I said a prayer for the graduates on Saturday that they wouldn't find themselves in that place in 10 years.

As I write this, I can't believe that my brother is a high school graduate. Even more unbelievable is that it has been 10 years since I graduated. Ten years doesn't seem like that much time until you step back and realize how much has changed in that time. Then once you take all that into account, it seems like it could've been 20 years.

And in 10 more years, it will have been.

Tulsa: Getting Here

2009-05-25T10:31:00.000-04:00

On Friday I boldly began my journey to Tulsa by myself with Kyra and Kylie. We had only minor drama getting through security which passed once Kyra got her Bear back after he rode the conveyor belt through the x-ray machine. I arrived at our gate with enough time to feed Kyra some pretzels and Kylie a bottle and then we boarded our flight to St. Louis.

As soon as I could, I put a movie on and the girls were both behaving good. I was beginning to relax a little as I fed Kylie some squash while she was seated on my lap. I was feeling confident about our flight, so I went ahead and had the flight attendant pour me a coke. Kyra immediately began harassing me for a drink of the coke and in my attempt to keep her away, I failed to notice that Kylie had moved within reaching distance. In 1.69 seconds the coke was all over my lap and the ice had conveniently fallen into my open backpack on the floor below. Then, in my effort to get the ice out of the backpack before it could melt, I again failed to note Kylie's reach. Before I could even get one ice cube out, the container of baby food was on my lap.

The flight attendant had been seated right across the aisle from me the entire time and never even flinched. I leaned across the aisle and, using all my restraint to keep from sounding too annoyed that he hadn't offered any help, I asked for some towels. Without uttering a word or even getting up from his seat, he reached behind me and pulled a wad of paper towels from a cabinet. He handed them to me with a sigh and then turned his body away from me and stared out the window. I got up, set Kylie in my seat, and cleaned the coke and squash off myself, the backpack, the seat, and the floor as best as I could with dry paper towels. When I finished the flight attendant left his seat and proceeded to collect garbage from the passengers, coming to me last as I patiently sat with a wad of gross paper towels in my hand. I figured the worst was over since all I needed to do now was just sit with Kylie on my lap and keep the girls entertained for the rest of the flight. But about 30 minutes before landing I realized Kylie had emptied her bladder and my skirt had somehow managed to soak up what her diaper didn't.

We made it to St. Louis where I quickly changed diapers and fed the girls another snack. We weren't there more than 20 minutes when I realized our flight to Tulsa had already boarded, so we quickly gathered our stuff and joined the rest of the passengers on board. I fed Kylie her bottle on the plane just before takeoff and with a full stomach, she fell fast asleep as we made our way down the runway. After we had been airborne a few minutes, Kylie began heaving. I sat her up and pulled her pacifier out of her mouth and without ever opening her eyes, she threw up all over the two of us. She then laid back and continued her nap as I began to try to clean her and myself with a burp cloth. I finally just gave up knowing that my parents wouldn't care what we looked or smelled like, they would just be happy to see us. Kylie slept most of the flight and wiith my one free hand, I did my best to keep Kyra entertained with coloring and stickers and looking out the window.

Finally, and 20 minutes ahead of schedule, we landed in Tulsa. We claimed our bags and waited for GP and Grammy to pick us up (they hadn't expected us to be so early). I was covered in coke, squash, pee, and vomit, but we made it. And even if Kylie couldn't keep her bodily functions in check, the girls still both behaved so great all day. All in all, I'd say we actually had a good trip.

Eating snacks as the airport in St. Louis:

10 Months Old

2009-05-15T15:50:00.000-04:00

Kylie is 10 months old today. Not much has changed in the last month. She is still smiling and laughing all the time. She still babbles dada and mama and other random sounds. She has started growling from time to time, so I guess thats new. She gets down on her tummy and kicks her legs and pushes herself up on her arms, but still hasn't figured out the whole crawling thing yet. (But that's okay, Kylie, it's complicated, I know.) She still has only her two bottom teeth, but I can feel the top two ready to break through any day now. She still has her beautiful red hair and I'm hoping that won't ever change. She still adores her big sister and her puppy and her mommy and daddy. And one of my favorite things about her is that she still loves posing for the camera (because heaven knows I love taking pictures of her)!

"Holy Hot Engine Robin!"

2009-05-14T14:23:00.000-04:00

So a little over a week ago my neighbor across the street tells me that as she was backing out of her driveway a dead rat suddenly fell out of her engine. Apparently rats like the warmth of a car engine and typically enjoy chewing any miscellaneous wires they find in there as well. I remember feeling totally baffled and grossed out as she told me her story and I hoped that was a once in a lifetime deal.

On Tuesday evening this week I made my ritualistic trip to Wal-Mart for groceries, etc. I came home, unloaded the car, and closed the garage. It just so happened that I had bought a first aid kit to keep in my car for the summer (it seemed like a good idea since Kyra is so adventurous and fearless) and decided to just go ahead and put it in the car rather than leaving it out on my dining room table for who knows how long. As I was putting it in the back seat, I could hear shuffling sounds in the garage and I assumed Chase had followed me. I went back into the house and called for Chase to come in but was startled when he came running from the kitchen instead of the garage. I stuck my head into the garage and listened intently. Definitely scuffling. Definitely coming from inside my car engine. "JIM!!!" I hollered out in a panic. "There's a rat in my car engine!"

Bewildered he came downstairs and I rattled off my neighbor's recent rat encounter. He bravely headed out to the garage to listen for himself. From the other side of the closed garage door I could hear him say "Oh my gosh! It sounds huge!" We talked for 15 seconds about a game plan to get it out and trap/kill it. Jim decides he has to back the car out of the garage and I announce that I'm calling our neighbor as I'm dialing the phone. Her husband answers and I'm like "Hi Matt. It's Kesh from across the street. I think I have a rat in my car engine. Any ideas on how to get it out?" He tells me he'll come over in a minute to help out and I hang up the phone. I then hear Jim say, "I saw it! It stuck it's head out!" Then the creature stuck it's head through the large holes in my grill a second time and Jim announced, "It's a BIRD."

First thought, "Oh thank God it's not a rat." Followed immediately by, "How on earth did I get a BIRD in my CAR ENGINE?!" As Matt approached Jim informed him it was a bird. Still skeptical, I stood in the house with the door cracked a half inch as they attempted to free the bird. It took both of them to figure out how to pop the hood of my car, but as soon as they did. a frightened, over-heated robin shot out of the engine and took a perch on the light in our garage. The guys used a rake to try and guide the bird out of the garage and after a couple failed attempts (mostly because the poor bird seemed delusional) the bird was out of the garage. It landed in our front yard where it stayed for a while, so exhausted from it's near death experience that it didn't even attempt to move when Jim hovered over it to get some pictures. I never saw it fly away, but I'm assuming it recovered because I cautiously scanned the yard yesterday and never found it.

Apparently rats aren't the only ones who like to get a little cozy in a car engine.

Mom

2009-05-10T07:36:00.000-04:00

Mom. It was her first name. And as a kid I thought I knew what it meant. She was the one who fixed dinner and did laundry. She was the one who's permission I sought for outings and slumber parties. She was the one I informed when I had a class field trip and the one I called when I had forgotten something I needed for school.

Then I got a little older. And she became the one who gave me sound advice, whether I thought I needed it or not. She was my shopping partner for homecomings and proms, altering dresses to fit school guidelines just so I could have the exact ones I wanted. She was my personal cheerleader and life coach. She pointed me in all the right directions and trusted me enough to follow the right paths.

And then I got married and moved away. I know it crushed her as we drove away in the U-Haul. But since the day I'd been born she had been making me the most beautiful pair of wings and I couldn't help but show them off and soar. But once I was gone, she was my reason for coming back every now and then. She was my model for a Godly wife. She was 1200 miles away and yet the closest she'd ever been.

And then I became a mom. And that's when I began to learn what it really meant. Being a mom is like being a stagehand for an elaborate play. No one really sees or understands what they do, unless they are one themselves. The sleepless nights, the redundant feedings, the diapers changed, the personal time forsaken, the endless cleaning, the tears shed, the love given. As I raise my own girls, I have begun to see my relationship with her, how it must have been from her perspective. I have never appreciated her more, but as my kids grow, I'm sure that will too. Not only do I now see behind the scenes of all the things she has done for me, but she is my support as I learn to do them for my children. She is my "anything and everything kid-related" hotline.

But my favorite thing is that she is my friend. I talk to her like I talk to my close girlfriends. I tell her the same things and sometimes even more. We're connected at the heart. And to me, that's an even stronger connection than being attached by an umbilical cord.

Mom, thank you for everything. I wish I could wrap my arms around you today, but since I can't, I hope this blog at least hugs your heart. I love you! Happy Mother's Day!

The Sisterhood of the Blankets

2009-05-07T21:15:00.000-04:00

I left Kyra and Kylie in our family room alone for a few moments today and when I returned I caught a glimpse into their secret world of sisterhood. Kyra had put a blanket over their heads and secluded them from the rest of the world. Kyra was chattering to Kylie and Kylie was responding with her own delightful noises and giggles as if she knew this was some sort of early form of sisterly bonding. I grabbed my camera and began shooting pictures as fast as the technology would allow for fear this priceless moment would end before I had properly documented it. Kyra actually invited me into their little world under the blanket and I felt giddy on the inside like I was 6 years old and asked to join a secret "no boys allowed" club.

And Chase helped play into my inner childlike notions. Feeling excluded he began grabbing at the corners of the blanket and tried to pull it off of us with relentless force. We fought him off for a while but then Kyra took matters into her own hands and decided to retaliate. If he wanted a blanket, she was going to give him a blanket. She pulled several different blankets out of our storage ottoman and began to wrap him up as tight as she could. Even Kylie seemed to understand what was going on and I sat mesmerized as she too helped pull blankets over Chase, although somewhere along the lines getting a little buried herself by her big sister.

Here is the story in pictures:

8

2009-05-06T20:15:00.000-04:00

Katie tagged me on her blog, so here goes...

8 Things I look forward to:
1. Going to Tulsa in 2 weeks
2. Seeing Emily for the first time in 2 years!
3. Vacation in NC with our Bible Study group (seeing Paul & Jaclyn)
4. Summer outings with my girls
5. Getting my garden done
6. Future date nights with Jim
7. Kylie turning one
8. Completing my family

8 Things I did yesterday:
1. Went to the Bank
2. Went to Target (I heart Target)
3. Went to lunch with Jim, Wit, Ruth, and Jim
4. Read part of a book
5. Made soft tacos with homemade salsa for dinner
6. Chatted on FB with Emily and Lindsay at the same time
7. Fed Kylie 3 bottles
8. Went to bed at 11:00

8 things I wish I could do:
1. Go on a mission trip with Jim
2. Read more books
3. Step out of my comfort zone
4. Make more friends and get to know the ones I already have even better
5. Take an exotic vacation
6. Travel to Europe
7. Go to the LLH Garden Party
8. Volunteer somewhere

8 shows I watch:
1. Chuck
2. American Idol
3. So You Think You Can Dance
4. Fringe
5. Scrubs
6. Survivor
7. Sesame Street
8. Random stuff on Food Network

"Thank you mommy, er... Susie!"

2009-04-29T14:50:00.000-04:00

Last week Jim was in Indianapolis for his first (working) trade show of the year. As an awesome surprise, he had arranged for my sister-in-law, Susan, to live with me while he was gone. She not only helped me out tremendously with the girls, but also was a great companion for me so I didn't lose my mind from not having anyone to talk to for a week! Plus we got the added bonus of my in-laws Yorkie, Daisy, staying with us.

We had a fun-filled week with Aunt Susie. Every morning Kyra would announce "I see Daisy" as we walked downstairs to have breakfast and then ask "Where's Susie?". Kyra totally loved having Susie around all week to play with and climb on and talk to. After having Sue around for a few days Kyra started calling her mommy and me Susie from time to time. She would say "Thank you mommy" to Susan and then correct herself and say "Thank you Susie".

A couple highlights of the week include playing at the park with Susan, Katie, and Mac; dinner at On The Border; and going to Springton Manor. The dinner out at OTB was actually quite crazy. As soon as we got to our table Kylie pulled an entire stack of 4 plates off the table and they shattered all over the floor. It was SO loud and it scared her so she started crying. Within minutes a manager was at our table asking us and the surrounding tables if we were all okay as a busboy quickly swept up the broken pieces. Then Kyra spilled her milk on the floor which also resulted in the return of the busboy to clean up the mess. I ended up practically force-feeding Kyra her dinner so I could justify allowing her to eat the free ice cream sundae that came with her meal. She was quite a sight with chocolate syrup all over her shirt and face as she enjoyed her treat. Susan and I also treated ourselves to dessert. It was our reward for still having our sanity after all the chaos that had ensued.

Saturday the weather was beautiful so we decided to get ourselves outdoors by going to Springton Manor. We ate a picnic lunch by the pond and then visited the animals in the barn. Kyra got to see horses, including one getting a manicure, a momma pig and her babies, a couple of donkeys, baby chicks, a furry cow (it was very peculiar, but very cute) and her baby, and a couple of goats. Kyra even got to pet the goats as they ate some hay. After that we had the chance to watch a sheep getting his wool removed since we happened to be there on "Sheep Shearing Day". It was so crazy how fast they shave them! And surprising how well the sheep would cooperate. They seemed very happy to be shedding their coats now that warmer weather has arrived here in PA. We then took a scenic tractor-pulled wagon ride around the Springton Manor grounds and then called it a day. Being out in the sun for those few hours really sucked the life out of the girls and they were definitely ready for some naps afterwards.

Chase enjoyed having Daisy around all week too. He is a very social dog, but only rarely gets the chance to be around other dogs so he loved having a live-in friend. The two of them acted like brother and sister in the respect that he would sneak up behind her and swat her with his paw and then she would yell at him for it. He even sat on her head a couple of times, but she got back at him by peeing in his bed. I think she failed to consider that he wouldn't be the one cleaning it up. They would steal each other's treats and get jealous when the other one was getting loving from Susan or me. It was almost like having 2 more kids. Prior to last week I had been seriously contemplating getting another puppy and having Daisy around for a week gave me the reality check I needed. It was fun to see Chase with Daisy, but having 2 dogs is definitely more work than having one. Ergo, I won't be getting another puppy anytime soon. (Can you hear Jim's sigh of relief?)

Having Susan's help and company definitely made the week without Jim more fun and made it go by quickly. I'm sure she was exhausted by Sunday when she finally moved back home, but we couldn't have survived the week without her! Thank you Aunt Susie for staying with us!

More Words

2009-04-23T14:10:00.000-04:00

Back in December I wrote a post about Kyra's verbal communication skills. I expressed how she and I were both struggling with her inability to put her needs, thoughts, wants, etc. into words. The feelings of frustration over the issue still resonate in my mind, but I am blessed to say that God has been answering my prayers over the last 4 months.

We've had some major breakthroughs over the past week in particular. On Monday night Kyra woke up crying with a fever of 101.5 and for the first time ever, she told me that her head hurt. I can't even begin to count the number of times over the last 6 months I have tried to get Kyra to tell me if something hurt or where she hurt and didn't even get a yes or no to confirm if I was guessing correctly. As difficult as it was to see her that sick, I found myself rejoicing in this small verbal victory. Other little victories this week include listening to Kyra name off all her friends, hearing her interact with her buddy Cory while they were playing, having her start to parrot things that I say (which can also means I've got to be on my best behavior! :P ), and improved pronunciation of words she's known.

The pronunciation thing is huge because it eliminates confusion over what she's telling me. For instance she was pronouncing the word bubble with the z sound "buzzle" so I kept thinking she wanted a puzzle instead of bubbles. Last night while taking a bath it all of a sudden clicked and she began properly saying bubbles!

One of my favorite things this week though was on Monday when Kyra carried her toddler Bible to her Aunt Susan and said "Susie want Jesus?" It was seriously one of the best moments ever and one of those things I know I'll never forget.

God, in His perfect timing, answers prayer!

Family Saturday

2009-04-19T15:20:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I was blessed to have some fun quality time with my husband and girls. It was the first time in a while we've gotten out of the house and just enjoyed our little family.

We started the afternoon at the park where Kylie got to swing for the first time. It was so cute to see the girls side by side on the swings having so much fun. Kyra particularly enjoyed daddy flinging himself backwards after she would pretend to kick him. Kyra also made her rounds on the slides, dinosaurs, fire truck, and climbing walls. I think we need a climbing wall in our house. Kyra LOVES climbing. I've already looked into getting her lessons at the local rock climbing gym as soon as she turns 3 (thats the age they start). Until then, she continues to attempt to scale any and all furniture, including her play kitchen she got for Christmas. ANYWAY, while daddy chased after Kyra, Kylie swung on the swings, bounced on a purple dinosaur, slid down a couple slides (sort of), hung out in the shade, and followed Kyra around.

After we had expended as much energy as we could spare, we headed to Chick-fil-a to recharge. The girls were both SO well behaved and did such a great job sitting still and eating. That is a HUGE deal. Usually outings to CFA involve me practically tying Kyra to her seat and force feeding her because she is solely focused on getting to the indoor playground. Which daddy did take her to as soon as she finished eating. You can't ever get enough climbing and sliding.

We then popped into Best Buy for a bit to pick up a few CD's we had been wanting. Jim got the newest U2 album and I scored the latest Rascal Flatts and Keith Urban. Although I was bummed they didn't have Julianne Hough's CD. I would really like to check her stuff out since I have fallen in love with her on DWTS. She's just cute as can be and makes dancing look easier than walking.

Finally, we rounded out the day with a quick stop at Rita's. We opened the trunk of the Murano and Jim and I sat in the back with the girls in front of us in the stroller. The four of us shared a root beer gelati. Kylie didn't get any of the root beer part, but she LOVED the vanilla custard. She would smile at the spoon as soon as it started toward her. It was so funny to watch.

It was such a perfect afternoon. I wish every day could be just like it. But I guess that's what makes days like this one so special.

P.S. Here are some pictures from the park:

Longwood Gardens

2009-04-17T16:27:00.000-04:00

It's good to have friends who are season pass holders. We get to experience all of this for free:

9 Months Old

2009-04-15T21:31:00.000-04:00

You giggle at anything or nothing.
You are beginning to tolerate being on your tummy.
I think you know you're supposed to crawl soon.
You just haven't figured it out yet.

You're getting more curious every day.
So you try to get your hands on everything.
Kyra does a good job sharing with you.
But there are some things that are just off limits.

You recently decided you don't mind a bottle.
In fact you get very relaxed as you drink it.
And you let out the cutest little sighs.
I just adore you.

Can't wait to see what's next.

Easter 2009

2009-04-13T15:03:00.000-04:00

This Easter was by far my favorite to date. It was the first year Kyra could really appreciate the little things that somehow become traditions over time.

As usual, I made my egg-shaped Easter cakes, but this year I let Kyra decorate one of them. The decorative frosting turned out about as I imagined it would, but what I didn't anticipate was Kyra's vigor for sprinkles. She shook the sprinkle shaker so hard that she couldn't stop the shaker from pounding into the cake each time she did. There were sprinkles all over the chair, table, floor, and still a mound of them made it onto the cake. But her cake turned out so cute and I was very proud of her. She also managed to take full advantage of licking the lid to the chocolate frosting can, which of course is the best part about helping mom in the kitchen.

In the afternoon we headed to Jim's parent's house where we had an A.MA.ZING. greek feast. Jim asked his uncle if he could make greek Easter 4 times per year rather than just on Easter. We had lamb and pork and yogurt with cucumber and eggplant and stuffed zucchini and salad and homemade pita bread. It was all so delicious. Before we ate however, both Kyra and Kylie were showered with awesome gifts from my in-laws including some adorable spring clothes. Then before the high of the presents had even worn off, we headed out to the back yard for Kyra's first ever egg hunt.

We showed her the first egg and put it in her basket. She immediately put the egg back in the flower box we had just taken it from. So we put it back in her basket and showed her the second egg. When she saw egg #2 she took the egg out of her basket and placed it next to egg #2 in the flower box. We laughed and put both eggs in her basket and then pointed her in the direction of egg #3. And then it clicked. And from that point on, she had no trouble finding and gathering all the eggs strewn throughout the backyard. I was part of the paparazzi that followed her every move snapping pictures as fast as my camera would allow. It was so much fun to feel that excitement of an Easter egg hunt, even if it was vicariously through Kyra. I can hardly WAIT for next year when Kylie will join in on the excitement.

Marry Her, CHECK!

2009-04-12T22:24:00.000-04:00

While we were walking in Philadelphia on our way to the concert, an older man hollered at Jim, "You better marry that girl!" Jim promptly replied, "I already did." :)