I would like to know why...

...Maggie will allow Emma to hand-feed her fruit puff snacks, Cheerios, bread, and other objects of interest, but insists on taking the food from my hand with her fingers and putting it in her mouth herself.

Tired

Jeff went to Oakland Friday and Saturday. Actually left Thurs. night. Not fun. Went to my mom's and Bridey didn't sleep, so none of us did. Friday night we came home. Kids slept 15 hours. Then we went back to my mom's until Jeff got home. The kids love grandma. She plays Play Doh with them. (I am a jerk and hate Play Doh and won't let them touch it unless someone else is around to play with them and clean up.) Emma wants to go over there and play Play Doh again some time on her day off.

Last night I made the first crockpot meal for Jeff's work-- lasagna. I'm going with fancier stuff first to "wow" them so everyone will want to participate. ;)

I took the girls out today and we went to the post office to mail a package, then the store to pick up a few things I need for tomorrow's dinner, plus milk and tangerines. Then we went to the park, had our snack, and then came home. Bridey screamed and didn't want a nap but she was exhausted and went out. Some movied I bought from someone on a forum came, and Emma is watching Sleeping Beauty. Maggie is out and I'm resting too.

Not much else going on. Bought a new car seat last week, getting another one next week. They're very awesome and 60% off!

I should be doing dishes or laundry but I'm tired and I'm not.

life happens

So I've not been much in the mood for long blog posts. But I thought I'd do a general update.

-Jeff has started working long hours. The good news is that he doesn't go in until 10 (or doesn't have to anyway.) So if he stays up late because he doesn't get home until after 9 and then Maggie does her not-sleeping routine (which has been happening lately) he has a chance to get at least SOME sleep.

-Bridget has gone to dance class twice now. She likes it, she says, but she needs to work on her listening skills. Or maybe just her following directions skills. ;) A new little girl just joined their class yesterday who is a few weeks younger than her, so she is not just the odd one out being so young.

-I finally gave into Maggie's pathetic face yesterday and let her have some pita bread. I usually don't give wheat until 9 months but she hasn't had a new food in a while and she's almost 9 months, it's only a few days' difference really, so... Yeah. Maggie LIKES bread. I don't give her bread with egg in it of course, or milk, but simple breads like french bread or pita or Arabic bread that are just wheat and/or wheat/barley flour, water, salt, yeast, etc. she can have now.

Other than that, not much else is new. The kids make a mess, they break stuff, they fight; they play nicely, they share, they pray for each other and help with the baby. It's life, what can I say?

New Project

Not doing much with it yet, but you can check it out if you wish. :)

KY Yours + Mine

Ranks right up there with KY Warming Gel.

No adverse reactions, even from super-sensitive me.

Heartily recommended.

That is all.

Know I've been MIA...

...sorry 'bout that.

Lots going on;

Ward Christmas party. Fun. Mostly. Emma was a sheep for the Primary songs. Very cute.

Emma has a UTI. Found out on Tue. right before I was going to finish my Christmas wrapping. Upside: she can now take a capsule.

On the 24th I found out the Baby Center Store is closing and scored a half-price Sunshine Kids Monterey booster for my friend's son (glad I acted fast, they sold out quickly.)

Christmas was fun. Stockings, lots of food, nap, more food... Good times. Pictures, maybe someday. ;) (They're on the camera, just don't know when I'll get them on the 'puter...)

Saturday, went to IKEA, then Carmax to put in an alert on our dream minivan (well mine), and Emma bumped her head, hard. Big goose egg, from the side of the car door she ran into. Had to stop at CVS for an instant cold pack (and another to go in the trunk) and got her calmed somewhat. Then the grocery store for brussels sprouts for the next night, then rented WALL-E (had promised Emma could watch it by that weekend even if it didn't come from Netflix, where we've been in the queue since before it came out. They still have a "very long wait" so we coughed up $6 (!) to rent it for 2 days from Blockbuster. Then returned it and promised she can watch it again when it comes in the mail.

Sunday, went to my aunt's for dinner for our family Christmas with them (my grandma and great aunt Reba were in town too) and Jeff's birthday. Dinner was yummy; prime rib, ham, biscuits, boiled peewee potatoes, broccoli, macaroni and cheese, salad, and the brussels sprouts which I totally made unhealthy. Kids had presents and some granddaughters visiting a neighbor came over and did some Irish step dancing for Ems and Bridey, who loved it. The night went downhill fast from there. Drama with my brother. Happy birthday Jeff. Won't be going anywhere where he is again for a while. *sigh*

Today, called my friend Rayann, whom I haven't spoken to lately with all the craziness in both our lives. Going to try to make it a habit to call once a week or so.

Not much else going on. Looking forward to Jeff having the day off for New Year's and the day after-- another 4 day weekend. But, no big plans. *sigh* I used to have such fun NYE but now even being up at midnight is not a big deal, I'm usually up at midnight tending to a cranky baby. Oh well.

Oh, did I mention my cousin Mark's wife Hope had their second baby a week or 2 ago? Silas James. Very cute, and a name to match. (I love the name Silas!) Healthy and happy, mama too. Big brother doing pretty well with it so far, apparently.

So, like I said, just frantic activity lately but doesn't seem to go anywhere, nothing gets done 'cause we're never home! But soon enough it will be tax season, not really looking forward to that. But I am looking forward to it being over so I guess you can't have one without the other, lol.

Busy busy busy.

It's been a hectic week. Last Sunday Jeff and Emma went to church; I stayed home with Maggie and Bridget because we couldn't risk Bridget getting sick (she keeps catching stuff at church.) It worked, she stayed healthy enough that on Tuesday she finally had her broken tooth extracted (and a bunch of other work done.) She'll get her prosthetic put in on Jan. 9 (they took the mold Tue.)

Friday we were supposed to go to Jeff's work Christmas dinner, had my dad lined up to watch the older 2 and anything. We'd been told that we could bring Maggie-- but on Wed. they changed their minds and said no. Okay. Their loss-- I hear with all the people that weren't able to get sitters not there it was rather dull. WE on the other hand had fun; we went out to dinner at Outback instead. After dinner we browsed the Linens and Things going-out-of-business sale and picked up a heated matress pad for half off ($40 for a dual-control, king-size pad.) Oooh, that's gonna be nice with it so cold. Now, to get the apartment complex to fix Bridget's window, which the landscaping people broke last summer and they STILL haven't fixed...

We finally got all our stuff finished for the Hatrack gift exchange (we were running late this year.) Finally got it all together and boxed up and out on Saturday (only one day late...) Yesterday we took those to the P.O. and also got other stuff ready for Christmas (stocking stuffers at Big Lots, using up the $10 coupon we got the Sat. after Thanksgiving, thrift store for the rest. Emma and Bridget are each getting a nap pillow/blanket set; Maggie is getting some new bath towels since our old ones are rather trashed; each girl gets one new dress-- well, Emma and Bridget are getting jumpers with a blouse/shirt under it, and Maggie is getting a dress-- hers is Land's End, quite a find, Bridget's is pink, her favorite, and Emma's has Tinkerbell, she's on a Disney kick. They're all getting books from us and picked out some to give to each other.)

Today we all made it to church (though Maggie had to go home after Sacrament because she was exhausted and cranky but wouldn't nap with all the distractions.) When they got home somehow Emma's dress got ripped at the waist. It's a brand new dress. (It matches her sisters'.) I am Not Pleased. I will have to figure out how to fix it-- I think I'll have to gather it and then tuck it under and sew it under the seam. *sigh*

We were going to assemble the gingerbread house kit Jeff's mom sent but we all took a nap instead. We'll try to get the foundation together tomorrow so we can decorate when Jeff gets home.

I did get some presents wrapped up this weekend (most but not all.) Emma kept coming in and then saying, "I'll try not to look!" LOL! I had to chase her out by saying, "You don't want to spoil your surprise, do you?" She answered, "No, I will not spoil it!" And finally found something else to do.

We still have to get all the out-of-state presents boxed up and sent (I guess we'll visit the UPS store soon) and there's some more present-wrapping to do-- but first I have to find the other wrapping paper, none of what I have left is big enough! And some cookie baking, I am planning Forgotten Cookies sometime soon. I already made Gumdrop Cookies. Mmmm. I think I need to go eat another one now...

Winter Driving Safety

Carol, a Hatrack friend, wrote a great article on winter driving safety. I encourage you all to check it out.

She did it as part of a contest, and so would appreciate your comments, as that's how the contest is judged. But it's just darned good advice, and cleverly written. So whether you live where there is regular snow or, like me, have never driven in snow and hope not to, check it out, because the more you know, the more prepared you can be for any situation.

Hey Mamas!

(Or soon to be mamas!) Enter to win an Ergo embroidered baby carrier! Very easy entry on this one. I like the black. :)

No, dear, I will NOT cook that for your dinner.

We went to the aquarium on Saturday and learned about all kinds of sea life and food chains and such. I guess some of it sunk in, because today the following conversation took place:

Me: "Bridey, what do you want to eat?"
Bridget: "Barcles."
Me: "What?"
Bridget: "Barcles."
Me: "Sparkles?"
Bridget: "No. Barcles."
Me: "Buckles?"
Bridget: "No! BARCLES!"
Jeff: "What does she want?"
Me: "I have no idea..."
Bridget (bouncing in frustration): "BARCLES! BARCLES!"
Me: "Barcles?"
Bridget: "Yes! Barcles!"
Me (after a long pause to think about it): "...Barnacles?"
Bridget: "Yes! Barcles!"
Me: "Barnacles. You want barnacles."
Bridget (waving her arms around): "Yes! I saarfiss, I eat barcles!" (Translation: "I [am a] starfish! I eat barnacles!")

Ay. You see, they had this "Exploration Center" with dress-up costumes, and she wore the starfish costume for quite a while Saturday and enjoyed it, while we talked about starfish...

We talked her into a quesadilla.

In other news, Maggie (suddenly, this evening) started babbling. She had not babbled at all (I wasn't worried about her verbal development at all; at 6 months she had 4 or 5 signs, so she was communicating, she responds to her name and imitates tone of voice.) Now she has started, though, she won't stop. "Uh ba ba ba ba ba ba!" I think she will soon be saying "na-na" (both other kids' first word), "Mama," "Abba," and possibly "Emma." (Who knows what she'll come up with for Bridget's name. "Buh-buh?")

Big Lots Saturday Deals

Just got a couple of great bargains! We got a Graco Video Monitor (normally $199; got it for $50) and an Apex 65 car seat (normally $130-ish; got it for $65.) And got a $10 off coupon for being there early. :D The car seat is to replace the backup Bridget has grown out of; it will harness to 65 lbs. and has higher top slots. Nice. (Of course now that my kids all have backup seats that fit, I think Jeff thinks I should be getting rid of the backups that don't fit...)

The prices are all day though the coupon offer isn't. Of note the Apex, while a nice seat, is a bit wide (we have a Radian to go next to it so I think it will still work for 3 across in many situations but for most people, not so much) and needs a headrest or very tall seat back behind it since the top is not reinforced; it is outgrown when tips of the ears go over the top of the seat back or headrest, not just the seat. But on the other hand it does make a decent booster (it is a combination seat that harnesses and then is a booster.) Again, must have support behind it. But all around I am quite thrilled with it because for the price it's an excellent seat! I mean, when can you usually get a higher-weight harnessing seat for $65?

Now I have to go check out the date of manufacture and stuff. :D

And right now I am thankful...

...to get out of my clothes and into my nightie and lay down!

We had a great dinner with my mom. The kids actually took to heart my talk in the car about being polite and did it! Even Bridget, who I thought was not listening because she didn't say "Okay" like Emma did, instead asking questions about things we were driving past. She must have been listening because she spent the entire dinner asking people how they were doing, did they like their dinner, and how was their day going? LOL!

We got to see my aunt and uncle, my sister Erin, she brought her friend and her friend's 11 year old son, and my grandma was also there. And of course my mom, since it was at her house. :) And the food was great of course! The girls ate very well, and Maggie had a jar of sweet potatoes and some finely-chopped turkey, as well as some Gerber apple wheel snacks. She was very tired and finally conked out, and I even got her to sleep for a while in the play pen.
I got some pics of the girls in their cute jumpers (they all wore jumpers with white long sleeved blouses this year, a very classic look and allowed them to "coordinate" without matching at all.) And Emma even got one of me! But I do not feel like pulling them off now-- so I will try to post them tomorrow or the next day. My aunt gave them markers (washable of course!) and note pads. They adored them. My sister gave us some Shel Silverstein cds the library was getting rid of. My aunt also gave us a pretty dress for Maggie; it's 24 mos. but I think it will fit in a month or 2 because she is so LONG!

For now I am grateful for a nice evening with my wonderful family, my kids and their wonderful behavior (they made me look good for once ;) ) and the blessings of the bounty of food we have, the shelter we enjoy, and the ability to buy clothes for my kids and even get them new ones for Thanksgiving. I just got a new picture of my sponsored child, with his cleft lip repaired, and it is kind of making me reflect on how much I take for granted in being able to provide for my children. And also, that I can now veg out instead of cleaning up since I didn't host Thanksgiving!

Hope everyone had a good one. Happy Thanksgiving!

Portraits yesterday!

We (finally, now that Maggie is almost 7 months old) got some family portraits done yesterday. We got family portraits done, and I got some of the three girls together, and a few of just Emma and Bridey. (Maggie was not in the mood to cooperate with solo shots, but the photographer pulled some good ones of her from group shots!) It went better than it has before, but we got no really great grins from Bridey. But we got decent shots, so I was satisfied! I had planned to photograph them in their Christmas dresses, but some new dresses came that I got from that Gagas clearance... They were too cute to pass up for Christmas portraits, came with headbands (made doing hair easy) and also, it was easier for Jeff and I to coordinate with! We had a great coupon and got a portrait collage free. We did all our portrait buying for sending with Christmas gifts, etc. We ended up with a lot of portraits! But it was still a great deal because the coupon also gives 20% off. And, they sent me an identical offer that's good through April in the mail. So, we'll be taking them in at the end of December/beginning of January to get those portraits in the Christmas dresses. (Only we won't be in those pictures, and we'll just get 2 sheets of wallets of one pose-- which will be $30 but with the discount, $24, to make it no session fee (regular $15-ish), 2 sheets of wallet size pictures (that's 16 in total), and a portrait collage (regular price $30-ish) for $24. Not bad! Anyway, enough about the great discount and on to what you really want-- the pictures. :D Here you go!
















Now I can change my Blogger image! ;)

Household Tip of the Day

Do not put an unopened (still quality-sealed) plastic-lidded, plastic jar of mayonnaise in the refrigerator. It is shelf-stable until opened and does not require said refrigeration until after you break the seal, and putting it in the fridge before the seal is broken will only cause it to contract and seal even more tightly, making it impossible to open without super-human strength and necessitating running the lid under warm water to warm it up (not the happiest thing to have to do to a jar of mayo) before you can open it for your two year old who is screeching at the top of her lungs, "May-nays! Want may-nays bread kheese!" and getting underfoot as you try to open it to spread it on her bread and make her a cheese sandwich.

(Hear that, Jeff?)

Well, looks like the deal's dead

Don't know if any of you managed to get it! It was sweet while it lasted though! (We're betting someone got fired over that. But they're legally required to honor that price so we'll see what happens!)

Britax Marathon for the price of a Cosco Scenera

If you need a new carseat this is the time!!!

In Granite, $42.99
In Cowmooflage, $59.99

Shipping is free. If you have AAA, go through their website. They have a 10% discount. Don't worry if you don't like the cover. Buy it anyway, covers are available for $70 new or considerably less on eBay or Craigslist. You're not going to get a better price even factoring in the price of a new cover!!! I got 3, one for my niece, two for me (everyone needs extra carseats, right?) I'm going to buy my niece a pink cover. Incredible, incredible deals.

Out of stock but still taking orders. Get them before they change the price!!!

Super Deal Alert!!!

Okay, you all know I'm huge on buying used, not consuming unnecessarily, thrift store shopping, etc.

You also know that that all goes out the window when I find a good deal on matching clothes for my girls. :D

(Okay, let's be honest, I'd buy used if I could and get matching. Sometimes I do, on eBay-- find a Gymboree line a few years old that I like and buy used in all their sizes, for example. But most of the time it's very hard to get what I want in all 3 girls' sizes unless it's new.)

So for those of you who may be interested in dress up clothes (for boys too, not just girls) at incredible prices, check this out: kids' clothing web-rental store Gaga's is going out of business and they have a ton of NEVER WORN dress-up clothes and accessories for boys and girls for sale. You get them to KEEP for less than what their rental price was in most cases, most of the stuff is now 90% off its original retail price. And shipping over $50 is free, no tax; I just got 6 dresses (2 sets of 3 matching/coordinating dresses) plus 3 headbands (to go with one of the sets of dresses) for less than $70 shipped. And these are FANCY dresses. Incredible deal! Go check it out! Be warned that stuff is selling out fast-- I was going to get one more headband, a different kind, for Maggie, and by the time I went to check out it was out of stock. But they still have a ton of beautiful dresses, babies to big girls (and most of them MODEST), as well as adorable suits, tuxes, shirts, etc. for boys! Great time to buy next year's Easter clothes if you're fairly certain of what will fit next Spring, or to buy Christmas clothes if you haven't yet!

(Okay, I know I used too many exclaimation points. But I am SO STOKED about these deals!)

Checkups

Emma had an audiology appointment this morning. All is well, her hearing is perfect. (Now, on to the speech eval...)

Maggie had a well-baby check, too, and shots. We saw a doc we haven't seen before at the clinic. Nice but said things in a weird way. Had to ask her what percentile Maggie was in because she was trying to tell me she's the "weight of a 7 month old" or some such nonsense. (She's six months, so quite obviously, she's the weight of a six month old. She happens to be in the 80th to 95th percentile for weight, that's all. Of course, since she's above the 97th for length, when you look at the weight-for-length chart, she's actually only in the 50th percentile for weight-for-length. She's not really that chubby, just BIG.)

While we were there, I weighed and measured Emma and Bridey too while Maggie was in getting her shots. Measurements are with shoes and clothes so not as accurate as could be but a good estimation.

Here's everyone's stats:

Emma: 41 inches tall, 36 lbs. (That makes her 75th to 90th percentile for height, a little under 50th for weight, according to the CDC. They have her BMI as being in the 25th to 50th percentile. Are they counting kids in third world countries? She's healthy but thin.)

Bridget: 37 inches tall, 34 lbs. (That puts her in the 97th percentile for height, around the 95th for weight, and the CDC claims she's obese based on her BMI. Um, no... She's not as skinny as Ems but not by any means obese. Talked to my mom; she says BMI is spectacularly inaccurate for a highly muscular child, which she definitely is. And both of them go up and down in weight depending on what time it is, when they last ate and how much, when they've had a bowel movement, etc. So I'm not really worried about that; in fact, to the contrary, I take it as a sign all that activity is building some good muscle. When she's charted on the 0-3 weight-for-length chart she's only in the 70th percentile or so, another good sign.)

Maggie: (get ready for this one!) just under 28 inches long, 18 lbs. 13 oz.! BIG girl! And about 14.5 inches of that is in her torso, she is ALL torso. She is already close to outgrowing the Scenera rear-facing by height, which Bridget did not do until, well, around the time she outgrew it by weight! She's almost to the fourth slots on her Radian. I seriously worry about being able to keep her rear-facing until she hits the weight limit! It may not happen!

Anyway, they're all growing well, all tall as they've ever been. I am starting to buy 12 month clothes for Maggie; Emma is a 5T (in tops and dresses at least) or sometimes 6 and Bridey is a 3T, 4T, or sometimes 5T depending on the brand. Wild! I'm taking advantage of them all being in "infant/toddler" sizes at once to dress them in matching clothes if only for a few months, though!

Been busy...

Went trick or treating for Halloween. (May have pics at some point, may not.)

Traded beds with my aunt (her king for our full) and all the attendant cleaning, moving of furniture, and hauling of mattresses to make that happen.

Bridget has a snotty nose and cough; think Maggie may be coming down with it.

Trying to keep the kiddos from going crazy with the candy (which is kept out of reach and rationed out); last night Emma said a prayer before her dinner (they were eating before us) that went, "Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for this day, please bless that I will grow strong and healthy and not eat too much sugar..."

Grumpiness seems to abound anyway. Emma was making upset noises and I asked her what was the matter. She said, "I'm not going to tell you." I asked why not, and she replied, "Because it's JUST MY answer! I'm not going to answer you because it's my answer!" *sigh* Four year olds...

Keep getting annoying political calls. We voted 2 weeks ago (we're permanent absentee voters.) Can't wait for the stupid thing to be done with.

Maggie is crawling (not creeping, up off the ground; crawling, like a Marine.) She also rolls very precisely in the direction she wants to go. This is quite a leap from a few days ago. She seems to enjoy it. Likes to play with anything she can get her hand on, and shred paper like the cats do. Has destroyed 2 books so far ("We READ the books, we don't EAT the books" has become a common refrain.)

Went to the library two or 3 weeks in a row now. Getting to be a tradition now, after dance class on Thursdays. I think I like it. It seems good for me. Just found out that you can now pay your library fines online (for a long time you could view them and pay by phone, but they've added a credit card interface, apparently.) Coolness.

Finally decided what to make for Christmas gifts. Can't wait for Thanksgiving. Jeff is taking time off that week. Not sure if we'll get out of town or not. Hoping so, really want a change of pace.

Feeling very good some days, weepy and frustrated others. Some days I'm upset with myself and disappointed in how little self-control I seem to have, how I sometimes snap too readily at my kids. I think I need to remember that this is a partnership, not just between me and my husband, but between us and Heavenly Father. They're His kids, too, and I can ask Him for help in parenting them the way He wants it done. But it's hard to remember that when you have a migraine and they WON'T stop jumping on you and they're making messes in the room they've been told not to enter and breaking things and life just makes you want to cry and scream in frustration. Other days they are a joy, helpful and kind and loving with each other, and that makes me ashamed I don't treat them all the time the way I want them to treat each other.

I think the election is adding a lot of stress to our household, on top of the rest of it. I'll be REALLY glad when it's over. Did I say that already? Also dealing with multiple insurance companies and agencies trying to get Bridget's tooth covered. We're about ready to pay for it ourselves. Why do we have insurance if we have to pay for it out of pocket or wait eight months to get a potentially life-threatening condition treated? So annoying.

But then the weather is changing and that makes me happy. I try to find happiness in the small things around me that I enjoy. I try to do things that make me happy and help the kids do them too. Bridget likes to be read to and get to sit in a lap. Maggie likes just about any one-on-one playtime. Emma loves to help me cook. I try to let her as much as possible because that is a GOOD habit to develop. Personally, I would love to get away to a little cafe/bookstore, sip a cup of cocoa, eat a yummy sandwich, and read some good secondhand mystery. Very unlikely that will happen, though... Oh, well, at least I can go to the library and snatch a few words here and there from a good old Mary Higgins Clark (whom I have just discovered, after years of rather unintentional avoidance, that I really like.)

Primary Program

Today was the Primary Program. Emma behaved so well! She sang, she spoke when told to (though when her teacher whispered her part to her she said, "No, you have to say it louder!" LOL, guess we stressed that a little too much...) She needed me to sit with her so I sat with the Sunbeams in the first row. They were SO reverent during the Sacrament! I was impressed. They all sat and folded their arms and bowed their heads, took the Sacrament reverently and did not chatter or play, and even the counselor who was conducting noticed and thanked them for their example and reverence.

Toward the end of the program they got a little restless (they were up and down but didn't go up for some of the songs-- including Emma's favorites); the little boys were drawing and one of the girls was on the floor, and when they went up Emma kept leaning forward trying to monopolize the microphone (thanks for teaching her that, Dad! LOL!) But they got through without major misbehavior and the rest of the Primary (almost all of them were there-- about 22 kids in all) were great too. It was very sweet (and of course we made the bishop cry, I love our bishop.)

Anyway, it was Emma's first time in the Primary Program and I was very proud; she's getting better about things like when she's "moved" by the counselor who never seems to remember that she doesn't like to be touched, and speaking or singing on cue (instead of when SHE wants to.)