Fall Festivities

Mattea had her preschool class party today in celebration of Fall/Halloween. It was a bit awkward explaining our Halloween beliefs and why we have chosen as a family not to celebrate. She handled it well though and really didn't seem to mind a bit that she was the only child there who was not in costume. She did get a new dress to wear instead of a costume, so she was more than pleased to show that off to everyone.



The class was able to decorate pumpkin cookies and enjoy some nice snacks.



And of course there was a little parade at the end in which each child could show off their costume to all the parents and then in return receive some candy. Again, Mattea liked looking at all the different costumes but didn't seem to mind in the least that she did not quite fit in.

Ladies Night

As previously written, I was able to enjoy a night out last night with some very fun people from work. There was good food, good company, and a very good chocolate martini involved. Although much of the time was spent talking about work, it was definitely nice to get out and conversate with people over 2 feet high. Thanks ladies for a great time. Can't wait to do it again.

Me & My Girls

I couldn't help but sneak in a picture of the girls and I. Oh how they are becoming such unique individuals. It is so great to see them grow and develop - watch them evolve daily into their own quirky little selves.

Paloma is a follower - she loves toddling after her big sister. Sometimes getting in the way, sometimes being the perfect playmate. But wherever Mattea is, you'll find little sis not too far behind. She has totally taken an interest in baby dolls and mommies them like no other little girl I have ever seen. She takes them to the potty, changes them, feeds them, and places them in the stroller for numerous walks throughout the day. She is an emotional and sensitive little girl - often times getting her feelings hurt simply by a look or the sound of our voice.

These days, Mattea is becoming quite the little grown up. She loves reading, questioning, learning, memorizing, playing grocery store checkout & library, and changing her doll and bear's diaper at least 10 times a day. She won't be caught dead in dirty clothes, therefore picking several new outfits a day - contributing to the endless loads of laundry that pile up around here. She loves school and also thoroughly enjoys playing (actually bossing) her sister around.

They are becoming the best of friends - and we couldn't be more pleased. There is a bit of cat fighting going on - but that is bound to happen in a house full of females. I have caught Mattea telling her sister that she loves her on more that one occasion and it during those times my heart is official melted. Today was an exception though, when out of her mouth she sputtered "I don't love Loma when she is naughty." Oh the comebacks I had ready - BUT I then had to remind her of God's endless love for us despite our imperfections and 'naughty' behavior and my endless love for them despite their raging tempers, ridiculous tantrums, toileting accidents, and countless messes that I clean up throughout the day. Oh the lessons that are learned throughout the day.

I have had a fabulous morning with my babies (who are now fast asleep in their beds) and I intend to have a fabulous night out tonight with the ladies from work. I am so excited to be having a "Ladies Night Out" with several very fun women that I work with at the hospital. Mostly, I am just tickled that I have an excuse to shave my legs, do my hair, and dress up in something other than yoga pants and workout shorts. Yeah! My fabulous husband has offered to watch the kids as I walk away from bath time and story time to enjoy an evening out of grown up talk and good wine. There will definitely be pics to follow. Blessings to all this glorious Fall Season. I have been a bit of a scrooge when it comes to my blog lately - simply because I am drowning in the sea of life - BUT not to worry, I am regaining my organizational skills and will hopefully be getting back on track in no time. Thanks for continuing to follow.

UnHalloween Preparation

It is no big secret that our family chooses not to participate in the traditional Halloween activities. BUT, that doesn't stop us from carving our pumpkins and of course roasting the seeds.









The best part was preparing and roasting them. The girls couldn't wait for the finished product - neither could mommy or daddy.

Pictures By Paloma

Can you all guess who the new photographer is within our family. You guessed it - Paloma. "Me do it, Me do it" is all I here when I pull out the camera these days. It is a great thing the world has evolved from film to digital otherwise we would have an expensive hobby on our hands. I definitely think she has some potential...

Worldess Wednesday

Thankful Thursday

*I am so thankful for the elk that David shot this past weekend. What a huge relief to know that our freezer will be stocked with fresh all natural meat this upcoming year. I have come to detest buying store bought meat, and since running out a few months ago, we have been greatly anticipating this "recent kill."

*I am thankful for the plethora of friends that I have come to know and love since moving here 1.5 years ago. I have gotten to know so many fun people at work - who are sharing the same trials as I being a working mother. It is great to hear other women who are supportive of this challenging role. I have also gotten to know quite a few women at church who I have also come to adore. Basically since moving, I just submerged myself in to the culture here and stepped out of the comfort zone I had been hiding in during our duration in Albuquerque. It has paid off and I have gained some amazing friendships.

*I am thankful for the direction in which God is steering our eldest daughter Mattea's heart. We had a great conversation about Jesus and Heaven, not to mention a brief talk on salvation. After explaining the relationship you can have with Jesus if you simply ask, I was really hoping she would pursue and ask to pray. I didn't force but simply sat back and let Jesus do His thing. I watched her ponder the entire conversation and then say - OK mama. Timing is everything. Although today wasn't the AHA moment, it was the perfect stepping stone for further conversations.

*I am thankful for Miss Paloma who is growing into an absolute sweetheart. She was a stinker today - refusing her nap and throwing tantrum after tantrum because of the lack of sleep, but that little girl is 100% sweet. She has blossomed over the last month and is continuing to dazzle us on a daily basis. Today, instead of napping I videotaped her singing her ABC's, counting to 10 in both English and Spanish, and proclaiming her shapes to her dolly Coco. What an amazing little girl.


How about you? Would anyone like to share any recent praises or prayer requests?

Wordless Wednesday

Not Me Monday

Here goes another round of Not Me Monday....

*I did not host a play date this week with a "pajama party theme" simply because I did not want to get the kids dressed, nor myself for that matter, that early in the morning - Nope, not me.

*I did not find tortillas hiding in the back of my refrigerator marked with an expiration date of July 08 and then seriously consider feeding them to my family for supper - Nope, not me.

*I did not feed my family nachos for supper because I had not one single ingredient available besides my expired tortillas that was on the list for that nights meals - Nope, not me. (FYI, I really tried to load those nachos with as much calcium and fiber as I possibly could)

*I did not walk over a large patch of stickiness on my kitchen floor 1947 times without even bothering to think about cleaning or mopping. If you know me at all, you would know that I would have drug the mop out that very moment and took care of the problem before my children would have the opportunity to track right through it - Nope, not me.

*I did not allow my little Mattea to run around in my Victoria's Secret attire several times last week - even wearing it to bed - because she thought it was a pretty dress. I, of course, would have confiscated it and asked that she wear something a bit more appropriate - or at the very least, closed all the windows and kept her inside so the neighbors wouldn't notice - Nope, not me.

There is a short list of this week's mishaps. Would anybody else like to share their stories. I would love to hear them. Also, if you have stopped over from Mck Mama's blog, I'd love for you to leave a comment and say HI. That way, I can check out your list of Not Me's. Thanks for playing.

About Me - Part 2

So, I am ready to divulge a bit more information about myself in order for y'all to get to know me better. Here is part 2 of "About Me."

1) My previous jobs before becoming a nurse included: working at Burger King, working at Dairy Queen, working as a pharmacy technician, waitressing at North Country Steak Buffet & Outback Steakhouse. I look at the list and chuckle because each one of them has their own special story.
*Burger King - my very first job. I had no idea what I was doing and so that is why they had me stand at the bun machine and feed buns through all night long. It is here that I met my very good friends Jill and Merranda.
*Dairy Queen - oh this was a fun job. Merranda went first and then I followed. It was so fun learning to make Dilly Bars and Buster Bars. At the end of the night we always ate the mistakes. I worked with a great group of people whom I miss dearly. It is also here where I met my first boyfriend Jeff. Watching that long haired juggler make an ice cream cone made my heart melt - of course, I moved on to bigger and better things.
*Outback Steakhouse - this was by far the best and worst job I've ever had. Tips were not that good and management was awful BUT it is the meeting place of my current husband David. Apparently he claims he scouted me out on the first day of orientation. It took me awhile to notice him - he was shy and quiet, never really saying much. Once I did notice him though, oooh he made my heart skip a beat. He was a hard worker who I swore wore baby powder deodorant. I never did get to the bottom of that. We still visit that restaurant every once and awhile for old times sake.

2) I hate needles. Ironic huh? I love starting IV's and actually volunteer at work to do them. It is always such an accomplishment for me to get a really good IV. BUT, let me tell you this - I hate needles. I won't get the flu shot, avoid getting my TB tests done at work, and refused epidurals during my deliveries for that very reason. I literally start to panic when I am approached with a needle. Heaven help me if I ever am diagnosed with diabetes.

3) I am obsessed with vacuuming. I love it. I vacuum a lot throughout the day. If I see any new signs of crumbs or dog hair, I just turn on my vacuum and away I go. I won't disclose how many times a day I vacuum (because I'm thinking that will have to be a contest question at some point) but I will say that I don't even bother putting the vacuum back in the closet - I simply leave it out, plugged in and ready to go.

There would be a couple new facts about me. Would anybody like to share something about themselves?

Bath Time Fun

Have I ever mentioned how much we love bath time around here?

The Big Kill

I just received word about an hour ago that David successfully shot and killed his first elk less than 8 hours into his first hunt since college. We are thrilled that our freezer will be stocked with pounds and pounds of au natural meet that is processed "organically" with absolutely no hormones, preservatives, or fillers.

After pulling poor Bambi out of the woods for about 2 miles, she is now hanging in some guys freezer awaiting butchering. I really can't believe I am being so flippant about this - because I really find the whole process quite disturbing. But, my family will be saving a ton of money, eating really lean meat, and helping control the elk population. Can't really ask much more than that. A huge congratulations to David. Yeah!

Mattea Moment

This evening while the girls and I were driving around, I was quizzing Mattea on things like her address, 911, mom & dad's names, her name, etc... I also used this time as an opportunity to talk to her about stranger danger. After a short spiel, I said

"So Mattea, what do you say if a strange lady walks up to you and offers to give you a ride in her car?"

Mattea's response: "Thank you"

Note to self - must repeat lesson on stranger danger.

Thankful Thursday

UPDATE as of 0100 10/17/08. I got called into work and therefore was not able to finish my post as scheduled - oooops.

Original post:
I am a bit more on the ball this week and will be posting Thankful Thursday as scheduled. Wow - is all I will say to the whirlwind week I have had. After many emotional up's and down's, loads of activities, and a constant headache that has lingered for most of the week, I am ready for this week to close out and for the next one to begin. Though this has not been one of my better weeks, I know that through it all my God is good. He promises to not give me more than I can handle - a hard concept to remember sometimes when you are smack dab in the thick of things. But like all of God's promises, this is no different. He delivers. And it is during these stressful, chaotic, emotional, trying times that God wants us to turn our focus away from the nonsense and onto Him. So with that being said, here is Thankful Thursday.

1) I am oh so thankful for the lowering gas prices that I have seen during the last week. What a huge relief to be saving money at the pump.

2) I am thankful for the job that I have - even though I am a bit frustrated and angered over certain little things, I am thankful to have a flexible job that allows me to both fulfill my positions as a nurse and a mother.

3) I am thankful for my hardworking husband who has gotten up extra early several times this week to head into work so that I am able to rearrange my work schedule making it possible to spend more time with the kids and eliminate daycare. I am also thankful that he is done this without grumbling or complaining.

4) This last praise I now write in the wee hours of the morning after getting done with work. I am upset, frustrated, and a bit angry. Of course, it is simply the politics of the working world, but I am still very upset. As I am driving home contemplating my feelings and emotions, I realize how truly thankful I am for God's grace and mercy and how at the end of such a really long day - not to mention a very long week - I am able to fall back into the arms of my Heavenly Father.

Definitely an abbreviated list - again, I have so many things to be thankful for. I'm truly just too tired to type anymore. Any praises or prayer requests this week?

Pumpkin Patch - Round 2

On this chilly Thursday morning, the girls and I bundled up and once again headed out to the pumpkin patch - this time as a fieldtrip for Mattea's preschool class. This was a different pumpkin patch from the one we had previously attended which was nice. Despite the cold, the girls had a good time. The first couple of pictures are of the girls playing around in a giant pile of corn. Way more fun than a sandbox.



Enjoying a hayride.



Snack time with friends.






Happy Fall!

Hold On To Your Hats

When the tractor driver told us all to "Hold on to your hats" as the hayride was pulling out this morning, Paloma took him very seriously.

First Day Of School

Here are a couple of pictures from Mattea's first day of preschool. She was so excited and was ready that morning with plenty of time to spare - which meant I had time for a photo shoot.



Making her way into the classroom.



Paloma made sure that she was also a part of the big event. Good Luck Mattea - Your growing up way too fast!

Mattea Moment

After informing Mattea that I might have to go into work this afternoon - which would mean I would not be home when she woke up - she thought about it a moment and said..

"Mom, if wort (work) calls and the sick tids(kids) need you, tell them to just tall (call) someone else - OK"

Ok sweetheart - I will. One day she'll understand.

Wordless Wednesday

Update

Oh I am so sad that I am not able to blog today and probably won't be able to tomorrow either. I am currently getting ready for work after a very long and busy morning. The girls were up extremely early and Mattea started preschool today. Of course, I'll blog about it soon but she had a fabulous morning, was very excited to tell me all about it when I picked her up. Paloma walked around all morning going "Tea all done (gone)." Was super sweet.
We have a big play date scheduled for tomorrow morning and then I'm off to work again tomorrow evening. On Thursday, the girls and I will be heading back out to the pumpkin patch for Mattea's first field trip with her class. We have a busy week ahead of us. I promise to update and "picturize" later.
Blessings
Heather

Today's Lesson

The lesson of the day was creativity & fine motor skills.

Since Mattea is older and her fine motor skills are developed - just in need of a "tune up" - I finally decided to break out the beads I had gotten from a friend of mine. Up until this point, I did not believe Mattea had the patience nor skill to do bead work - but she definitely surprised me. She was so excited and did so good - only getting frustrated once. She made a couple of necklaces and bracelets for her sister and friends.



And while she was busy doing that, Paloma was asked to do block work. While she was busy building and stacking, I managed to throw in a brief lesson on "colors" since this kid's world is either red or pink. So not only was she working on sitting still and manipulating the blocks, she was inadvertently also learning her colors.

Potty Training

Yup - still potty training. Even Mr. Bear.

Not Me Monday

Oh - I am so willing to give this a try again. If you have time, jump on over to Mck Mama's blog and check out the origination of Not Me Monday. And then - if you get brave, go ahead and do one of your own. I'd love to read some others. Well, here goes nothing.....

*I did not call George Bush a schmuck in the car while driving with my young impressionable three year old, only to have her then ask "mama, whats a schmuck?" Nope - not me.

*I did not have to call Poison Control on my 21 month old because I found her walking out of the laundry room with laundry detergent falling out of her mouth. I am the type of mother who watches her children diligently and I would never be the one who turns my back for a minute (to check email) and then put my daughter's life at risk. Nope - not me.

*I would never let my youngest run around in a stinky old poopy diaper because she was playing so good with her sister and I was able to finish my Bible Study. I would be the type of mother who would immediately change her knowing that skin breakdown can occur in minutes and that with sensitive skin, she would be a candidate for a diaper rash. Nope - not me.

*I would never be the type of person to fall asleep on my husband during our date night with a glass of wine in my hand only to wake up in the wee hours of the morning with a very wet sweatshirt. Nope - not me.

*I absolutely under no circumstances would ever give my child ice cream for a snack simply because I wanted a bowl myself and she just happened to have gotten up from her nap early. Instead, I would explain the importance of good nutrition during prime developmental years and proceed to cut up an apple or an orange for her. Nope - not me. (For the record, the ice cream would have been really good and good for me since it was double churn / fat free if I would have eaten it...)

*I would never be the type of person to give my dalmatian a spanking after finding him eating the garbage for the 128, 809 times in a day. I would surely know that my children are watching me and everything I do, they do. Miss Mattea would surely not turn around and then give her dog a spanking after she caught him trying to eat her crayons. Nope - not us.

*I would never go to work wearing mismatched socks simply because my 3 year old daughter had curled up next to my husband in bed and I would not want to wake either of them up by turning on the light to find socks that did match. I would most cetainly walk downstairs to grab a flashlight and try to find a pair of socks that did match. AND I would never then try and tell my husband that I did it on purpose when I came home that night to him saying "You didn't really go to work like that?" Nope - not me.

How about you ?

Welcome Amy

Hey everyone,
I HIGHLY encourage you to jump on over to my friend Amy's blog and give her a huge welcome. I'm so excited she has decided to join us in cyberspace. Yeah Amy - Good Luck!

Winter - What??

So I'm thinking my kids were not that far off when a couple weeks ago they pulled out the winter gear and began playing outside. I secretly think they knew something we didn't know - like winter seems to be on its way. Seriously, today is ridiculously cold - marking the first day we turned on our furnace. As we were driving around tonight drinking chai lattes and commenting on this dreadful weather, I glanced down at the car's thermometer and I watched the temperature drop from 39 to 38 to 37. Really. It is way too early for this. Good thing I made a mad dash to the store the other day to pick up some more winter gear.

Weekly Wrap

This week has kind of gotten away from me. It was a NORMAL week - meaning I did not have to single parent. I guess it threw me off because I certainly haven't stayed on top of things like I should have. Oh well, life happens.

I missed Thankful Thursday - but that doesn't mean I did not have many things to be thankful for - just missed the opportunity to blog about on Thursday and blogging about it on Friday would be cheating. There is always next week.

So, I'll just post the down and dirty events of this week and call it a wrap....

*Mattea is officially enrolled in preschool. It is a Christian based preschool and both her and I are excited for Tuesday which will be her first day. I am so super excited to be having 6 hours a week to spend one and one with Paloma. I'll now be able to catch that girl up to all of her smart little counterparts. I just need time. And Mattea, she will be starting in a class with her friend Logan. We couldn't be more pleased with our decision.

*Paloma - well, every day is closer and closer to the dreaded 2 year birthday. I say that because the "terrible two's" strike at our house. I had one dental assistant tell me once she didn't believe in the terrible two's - that it was all simply the parents fault. Well poop on you sweetheart. I am by far the "strictest" parent around and I still get children plagued with the terrible two's. Currently, she runs around the house saying "No, No, NO NOOOO, no, NOOOOOOOOOO, No, no." See the trend. But in the same breath, you simply ask her to come over to put on her jacket and her response "toming." So sweet but in a sneaky defiant kind of way. We are less than two months away - UGH!

*Dave was home from travel for an entire week - gosh darn it, I had another adult to talk to & drink wine with.

*Yesterday was a sad day as both Mattea and I began pulling out the remnants of the garden. We had a small freeze and the summer squash and cucumber plants did not make it over night. We collected what we could and pulled the rest. Only about 10 minutes into it, Mattea exclaims "this is really hard work mama." My response, "yes, but well worth it." And it was. We can't wait for next year.

*I finished up my final week of working my two 12 hour shifts. I begin my new schedule next week. That then meant the children had their final day at daycare on Wed. Bittersweet as I will tell you daycare has not been all that bad. For those of you with strong opinions (please keep to yourselves). But for us, daycare was fine. The one day a week they went they were able to socialize, learn, play, follow instruction from another adult besides mom..... Bottom line, George Bush has destroyed our economy and the daycare bill was just too much. So something had to go. I'll now be working a 12 hour shift on the weekend (when the babysitting is cheap) and an evening shift during the week. Praise God my husband's job is allowing us to do this.

I am sure there is more to add to this but my eldest has woken up from her nap (30 minutes early I may add) and I try not to blog while the kids are awake. So with an abrupt ending, I offer you our weekly wrap.

Wordless Wednesday

Pumpkin Patch

Our family finally was able to get out to the pumpkin patch last night. We look forward to the pumpkin patch every year. It is a cheap, fun, outdoor activity that allows the kids to run around obnoxiously without anyone even batting an eye. This year proved more fun than last.
We ran into a road bump in the very beginning though as we were told that the hayride would not be going out due to a large amount of mud from the recent rains. So we packed up the wheel barrow and headed out to the patch on foot. A little mud didn't stop us.



First stop - the petting zoo. The girls enjoyed visiting with a zebra, a camel, cows, horses, goats, and sheep. We spent the majority of our time there. The girls were able to feed the animals, pet them and enjoy all of the animal noises.



The zebra was a bit testy so we chose not to feed him. But, he was cool to look at close up.



The camel was by far our favorite. Paloma made sure to tell us that last night before bed. He was so friendly and so badly wanted you to feed him. When asked his name, Paloma responded "Zoka." So now when we talk about the petting zoo, we are sure to include a story about "Zoka."



Of course, the goats stormed the girls when they realized they were holding cups of food. The baby goats even jumped up on Paloma - she didn't mind. She just laughed and giggled hysterically. People were even commenting about how funny and comfortable she was around the animals.



I don't think Mattea was as enthused.



Of course, a trip to the petting zoo would not be complete without a pony ride.



Then it was off to find "The Great Pumpkin."



Mattea thought she had it.



When all was said and done, we went home with a wheel barrow full of pumpkins and a whole lot of memories.

Animal Talker

The girls had a blast at the petting zoo which the pumpkin patch hosted this year. Paloma ran around laughing and giggling at all the animals. She said her favorite was the camel - which I did not catch on video but do check out the video of her interaction with the goat. She had all the people at the petting zoo laughing at her.

"I Told You Mom...

I am not insecure!"

Getting To Know Me

How well do you know me?

On the sidebar under my picture I simply wrote "Read through my blog to get to know me"

But, I'm not sure you can reallly get to know me from my blog. Sure, I have been quite open and honest in certain posts, but I bet you'll get to know more about my kids through reading my blog than you'll get to know of me.

So, for those of you who did not know me in my Dairy Queen days (Merranda), or know me when I was six (Kim), I will provide a bit of information about who I am. Tidbits here and there as I become more and more courageous. Some funny, some serious. All information that I am willing to share with those around me.

1) I am a black belt in karate. Bet you never saw that coming. I started karate when I was young (can't exactly remember but I think around 10 or so). I saw a demonstration at a local community event and begged my parents to let me join. A couple classes later, I was enrolled. I stuck with it all the way to the end becoming a black belt when I was 15 or 16. I can remember many of the self-defense techniques but after 2 children and 14 years later, my flexibility and stamina are shot. I still consider one of my greatest failures in life being the day of my black belt test when before family and friends I got up to do some board breaking and on my first shot missed the middle of the board with a side kick and didn't successful do the break. After regrouping, I did come back and break on my second attempt - but it just quite wasn't the same.

2) I can be found singing and dancing all day. When I am alone with the kids, we run around the house singing obnoxiously, making up silly songs in our head, or simply singing Barney songs we remember from our video. Half the time it doesn't even matter, we just sing. The girls and I also love to dance. Mattea began dancing to Shakira when she was just 15 months old. Paloma has followed the trend. Sometimes, we crank up the music and sit in our room and dance. If you know me at all, you will know that I absolutely cannot sing. And I don't typically sing unless it is at church. But when I am with the kids, all bets are off. The book of Matthew tells us to be like children. I look at this as being my way of fulfilling God's command - smile!

3) I suffered from an eating disorder. I am not ready to divulge a whole lot of information about this but to say that when I was in middle school, I suffered from an eating disorder. Almost 17 years later, this horrific "disease" stills plagues me. I still have a dysfunctional relationship with food. I am not cured - simply in remission. I am an overachieving, perfectionist who has the "ideal" personality of an anorexic. Anyone who has known me for any length of time can surely vouch for me there.

So - here is a glimpse into who I am. In some ways, I am an extremely private person - yet in other ways, I'm brutally honest. Let's see how brave I feel next week when I sit down to blog.

Baby Genius

It is of no surprise that I have on occasion joked around about the fact that I think Paloma suffered from a anoxic event at birth. She came shooting down the birth canal and within minutes entered this world with an extremely dazed and confused look on her face. She required oxygen and was taken to the newborn nursery shortly after for grunting and just a bit of nasal flaring. For the record, I did make sure she nursed before having her assessed for respiratory distress!
She has always been a bit slower at development, never missing a milestone, just slower at hitting them than her sister. Her big sis is all I have to compare it with. So I have been know to crack a joke about how I think it all relates back to her birth.

This morning, Paloma completely surprised me. We were sitting on the couch (Mattea was counting to 50 - she counted to 30 this weekend and then just hasn't stopped) when all of a sudden Paloma busts out "1, 2, free, 4, iiive, ix, etc." My mouth dropped open - I asked her to repeat - and she did on command. I began to think she has just been fooling us this whole time - she truly is a baby genius. She is counting much earlier than her sister, she has begun singing songs, and memorizing bible verses. I have underestimated my second born.

AND THEN...




I walk into the room this morning to find her gnawing on a pair of shoes - just an hour after eating breakfast - and now I'm not sure what to think.

Mattea Moment

This is the conversation that occurred this morning as Dave was trying to get out the door for work.
After kissing the girls good bye...

Mattea: Daddy are you takin' the silver car or the red car?

Dave: The red car

Mattea: Ooh, I hope you drive safe

Dave: Thanks honey, good bye, I love you!
Dave then leaves and as the door shut, Mattea continues...

Mattea: Momma, I just don't want him to crash into any udder (other) cars

My thought - "You know what honey, I don't really want him to crash into any other cars either."

Super sweet - BUT why is my 3 year old worrying about this?

Baby Bennett

Isn't my nephew the cutest little thing ever?

Thankful Thursday

Once again, Thankful Thursday....

1) I am thankful to have survived another long and grueling week without my husband. I almost lost it this afternoon - overcome with stress and exhaustion, one of the children began simply begging for her milk and I could feel myself ready to burst. I took a deep breath and just exclaimed I was doing the best I could and then said "I feel like such a bad mom, but I'm really trying. Are you mad at me?" Mattea looks at me and says "No mommy, I'm not mad, your not a bad mom." She made me feel so much better.

2) I am thankful for double churn Rocky Road ice cream - I hate the calories but binging on bowl after bowl this evening is making my stress go away.

3) I am thankful for a dear friend of mine who invited me out to Carls Jr this morning after a pretty long vent session the other day at the gym. Let's just say that Carls Jr is not the most nutritious thing I could serve my kids BUT they have a large play area for the kids. We were there well over an hour - and I felt so much better afterward.

4) I am thankful for my families health - after participating in the Light the Night walk this evening, I once again realized how truly lucky I am.

5) I am thankful for the recent preschool opening that has just opened up. I have been debating about putting Mattea in preschool - I think she is a smart little girl and not really needing to attend preschool this year BUT was definitely wanting some one on one time with Paloma. When I finally made the decision to enroll, all spots around our town were full. I just drove by a sign today that said this particular preschool was once again enrolling and when I called, the openings are at ideal days and times. We are definitely seriously considering placing Mattea in this preschool.

Of course, this is only an abbreviated list - I could go on. God has been good this week and I'm oh so grateful. How about you. Would anybody like to at least share one thing that you are thankful for this week - OR - if you have a prayer request that you would like to share, please do! Have a blessed week

Light The Night

Tonight was the annual Light the Night walk hosted by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The girls and I really debated about attending since the weather took an ugly turn today - but decided to bundle up and brave the elements to benefit a good cause. The girls were just excited to get their light up balloons.



We walked with a couple people from work. As you can see below, the gang was all in good spirits. We had a good time and were glad we went. Both children are sleeping soundly in their beds after such an eventful evening.