1.30.2008

Pukes and Sisters and Stuff

Em came in this morning and said "I need some medicine, Daddy." He asked what she needed it for and she said "I just puked in my bed." After some snuggling, I went in to check out the damage and there were just a couple little wet spots on her bed that looked like they could be drool. So I went back in to our room and asked her what happened before she threw up or if she just woke up and it was already there. =P But no she said her tummy hurt like she was going to puke and then she sat up and puked. Poor girl! She didn't want to get up from our bed and she asked me to bring her water, but then she didn't want to sit up to drink it. =( So I got her some in a sippy cup and she drank some. After a while, she asked me to hold her like my toddler and I told her I would snuggle her like my toddler on the bed. So I get her in a good snuggle and then she pukes again all over me, Harp's pants, the bed, and the reading pillow (that I'm throwing away now, lol). I told her to run to the potty and she did and finished there. Then Lainey walked up to the potty and pretended to puke in it too, lol.

I just gave Em some crackers and Gatorade for breakfast and Lainey didn't want to eat her breakfast because Em had crackers. So Lainey had crackers, too.

Now we're gonna warm up under some blankets and watch Milo and Otis. The girls already are. =)

Oh and my friend Alyssa is pregnant! I'm so excited! Hannah's going to be a great big sister.

And last night I got my hair cut and I actually had the guts to tell the woman when she asked how it looked that it was way longer on one side than the other (she fixed it). I do not at all like getting my hair cut. But this time I don't miss my hair because it was only three inches of yucky ends and my hair was too tangly because it was so long. The woman cutting my hair sat in the chair and had me stand so she could reach the end of my hair. I've never had that happen before, lol. I can't see anything with my glasses off and I didn't know she was going to razor cut my hair after she cut it. I would have said no way, Jose! (my sister went to beauty college and told me not to get razor cuts) but she had already started when I realized what was going on. I didn't say anything because she would have had to recut all of my hair but next time I will say no razor!

1.28.2008

Pressure Canners

Hmm so the one at Walmart appears to be a steal even at $60. Eeks! But there is this used one that's bigger and $40-ish... So I don't know what to do.

Things

I don't have my sewing machine and I'm starting to grieve. =P lol I left it in Colorado to be serviced because it's free at the store where my parents bought it for me. But the store was closed from Christmas to New Year's, which was the whole time we were there. Yeah, I do have my old sewing machine, but it's just not the same. And it doesn't embroider. I keep having all these fun embroidery ideas. Not to mention a quilt to make (that has embroidered squares).

So in the latest issue of Craft: magazine there is a thing at the back about what to do with old records. There are some cute ideas and one was to use the album covers to make CD cases. Just sew some CD holders (the kind with the hole punch on the side like you get at OfficeMax) into it and the cover is the case (if you want directions I can give you more details - it's not as junky as it sounds they way I described it) but I thought it would be fun to do with felt and embroider on the spine what is in the CD's. We have the most disorganized stacks of CD's so if we want to install a program or find a backup or something it's kind of an ordeal. How cool would that be to have them all organized AND cute?

Anyway I'm thinking about my sewing machine because I'm working on emptying this big bag of sewing stuff that I took to Colorado. Bonus: I found some of Harp's mom's homemade hand cream that I forgot I had. And I need it big-time, too! My hands are cracking.

Oh today (I had caffeine - this is all so random) I had to cook some black beans for our dinner (Rachael Ray's menu thing again and it's spud nachos, mmm!) and when I was shopping I decided to just go wild with the beans and try canning some. I don't have a pressure canner so this morning I called Walmart before I poured out my 3 bags of black beans... And asked if they had one. They said yeah, for $10. I thought WHOA that is a steal! But we got a fryer there for less than that, I think, when it was on clearance so maybe it was for real. But then I thought and thought and thought about how that is so unlikely and I don't want to get there and be there for nothing... So I called back after soaking 3 bags of beans and they said oh I thought you said a can crusher. What? lol I'm glad I called back. It was $60. Harp thinks I can find one cheaper online so I guess I should look. At least beans are cheap if I have to dump all my beans, lol.

This morning, I vacuumed, majorly cleaned the kitchen (still have to mop but I am going to scrub it with the kids with baking soda and vinegar - they love it), and cleaned the upstairs bathrooms. Whew!

I took the girls to a Cookie Bookie at 11:15. It was really fun! They have them at the elementary schools - different schools every week - and they do story time and give you activities to do with your kids at home that relate to the story. And then activities: crafts, play-dough, coloring worksheets that go with the topic (rhyming and learning colors in Spanish today), and cookies to ice and put sprinkles on. Lainey is actually still covered in icing and cookie matter. Too cute (only to me, I know - even Harp thinks their messy faces are gross). So at the Cookie Bookie we met a really fun lady named Silvia. I don't know how old she is so it's funny that I just said lady like she's way older than me or something. Anyway she is very sweet, from Guatemala, and her daughter Erika (I love that name and spelling) will be three in February. She has a baby due in April so she has a super-cute belly. =P I might be jealous of that belly if I wasn't dreading varicose veins. =P Pregnant bellies are just the cutest things ever. Well they tie with babies and cute kids... =) Anyway we exchanged phone numbers and we are going to go to the same Cookie Bookie next week (some weeks there are a few, but they are all the same book/lesson, just at different schools). Oh and at every Cookie Bookie, they give you free books! We got Knuffle Bunny (which Em loves) and If You Give A Moose A Muffin. I skipped a page in that because I don't want to try to explain Halloween and there is something about being a ghost for Halloween in it. I'm not opposed to dressing up or even occasional masses of candy (hey those teeth fall out, right?) but I just don't like the creepy costumes and skeletons and yucky guys that pull their heads off in Walmart. =P I like If You Give A Mouse A Cookie better anyway. =P

Emily was kind of quiet and shy at the Cookie Bookie. It's funny because she is generally outgoing. I think if we keep going she will warm up and participate more. There are lots of things with motions and she loves motions, but just wasn't into it with a crowd (okay only 3 other kids and their moms) she didn't know. Maybe seeing Erika at the next one will help. And maybe Alyssa will bring Hannah if I tell her about it. That would be super-fun.

Okay so I can't find a needle and I need to fix Emily's princess dress that has a too-low neckline. I can't find a needle though and I need to sew some sequins on some fabric to stick in the neck. So blogging isn't helping me find that OR find a pressure canner (and if there isn't a cheap one I will be going to Walmart and not wasting my beans). So I'm gonna go look before the girls wake up. Later! =)

1.27.2008

Girl Pics

Today it was SO nice out after church! We had our potluck today, which I forgot about until we were already there, so I ran out during the annual business meeting and grabbed a Papa Murphy's pizza. I actually didn't miss much of it. =) Anyway we got home and put the girls down at 2. I took a quick nap and then scrapbooked while Harp did some online shoppin'. Then Harp met Scott at the church with some nerd gear and they figured out everything that was wrong with our sound system. What things needed to be replaced, etc. The girls and I went out and took pictures when they woke up until Harp came home. Then dinner, then dancing in the dark with glow sticks (one of our favorite things to do), and then some Big Brain Academy. We let the girls stay up way late because they took late naps. Emily is actually pretty good at some of the things on Big Brain. She's just kinda slow with the remote. But she got a medal on her own doing the facial recognition one. And I am delighted to know that she is awesome at recognizing shapes. In the analyze category, there is this one where there is a 3x3 cube with parts missing out of it and it's rotating one direction, while 4 possible matches rotate the opposite direction. That girl got it right - and quickly - almost every single time! I think she only missed one. She stops with the pointer on the right one but it takes her a second to click the button, so maybe she'll figure that out soon and start whooping us at Big Brain. =P So here are some pics from today:











And a random funny: Lainey doesn't like toothpaste. Never has. We just brush her teeth with water. She has recently started spitting into the sink (nothing comes out, but she makes a spitting sound) after we brush her teeth. It is SO cute! =P

1.26.2008

Class & Funnies

So the scrapbook class was okay. I only made $19-something and I was there for over four hours today (the women were so slow and then one shopped for 45 mintues and I had to stay because Calvin wanted to pay me afterward). So even if you don't count the hours I spent making the album, the ink I wasted printing pictures I wouldn't have ever scrapbooked myself, and the time it took to write the directions... I really got paid very little for the work. But three of my kits sold so I got $15 for that, so I came home with a $34 check.

I told Karen I will make kits instead of teaching classes and I will do layouts for the store. She doesn't have anyone else to teach classes, but I'm sure she'll find someone. There have to be plenty of people that want to do that. She's still glad I want to do kits and layouts and that's better for me anyway because I can do it whenever I want and the layouts will be pictures I actually want to scrapbook and it will be free product.

Thursday night, Em choked on some water and Harp told her to put her arms up. So then later she went to drink some water and decided to just squat (it was on the coffee table) and sip out of the straw with her arms already in the air, lol. =P It was too cute.

Lainey says "belly button" - it's "buh-buh buh-buh" with the intonation of "belly button." Hehe! I need to video her. We were looking at old videos a few days ago and it's so fun to watch them. I haven't taken many since I got my good camera. I'll have to keep both out so I take videos. =)

Tonight we had Scott and Alyssa over for fondue and it was a blast. We did meat in oil and bread in cheese fondue. Then we played Settlers of Catan while Lainey slept and Em and Hannah played in the living room together. It was an hour-long game AND past the girls' bedtime and we had NO issues! I was thoroughly impressed with those girls.

Gonna play some Big Brain with my man. Later!

1.25.2008

Scrappin'

Hey! So I just wrote up directions for my class tomorrow and now I'm going to throw together some kits. I'm having them cut up all their own stuff so really it's going to be super-fast to put the kits together. Like less than 5 min. Only two people are signed up but one is a big shopper so maybe I'll make some extra off her. I was going to cancel it if it was only one person (actually I was going to cancel for two even but then found out she is a big shopper) because I didn't want to go do it for like 7 bucks. But anyway yeah now I'm doing it, but I told Karen it's going to be my last class. I will still do layouts and make kits for the store because I can do those things whenever I want. And then her husband won't make me go to any meetings without my kids...

That was the confirmation that I should just quit the classes. I don't even know what they could possibly tell me that they haven't already told me but they want to update me on whatever they talked about at a teacher's meeting they had when I couldn't go (and they didn't tell me about it because they knew I couldn't go) and Calvin doesn't want the kids there. I didn't want to go even with my kids but I especially don't want to be away from them for a dumb meeting however often he wants to do that.

I also didn't like having to cut out extra kits at the last minute the day of my first class or maybe it was the day before... I had to ditch my kids (they were with me but still) to do it. So yeah anyway...

I don't really like the class I'm teaching tomorrow because I think the album is silly and I never would have made it myself. But when it's over, I'm done and that's good. I'll endure it. =P

Gonna go scrapbook a bit while the girlies are still down.

Funny Exchange

Emmy and I have this thing that we say almost every day. She asks "Mommy, would you hold me like your toddler?" (that means in front of me or on my hip) I say "But you're not my toddler anymore!" And she says "Oh, but you could hold me like your toddler!"

The first time after she turned three that she asked me to hold her like my toddler, I said "But you're not my toddler anymore!" And she said "Oh!" and was perfectly happy to have me not hold her. =P But then I said "Hey wait! But I can still hold you like my toddler!"

She was telling Nancy the other night that she isn't a toddler anymore - now she's a "kid." =) I told her that when she turned three. =P

1.24.2008

Hey

Hey! Laundry day. Bible study day. Last night was girls' group and we had a great study and then made birthday cards for soldiers to send to their kids (the organization that sends them was in my most recent scrapbook magazine). Em went with me and she was so good! Just like one of the big girls. Actually, better, last night. There were some issues between the girls while we made cards but I missed a lot of it.

Stamp sets are 1/2 off at Hobby Lobby this week and I got four of them with birthday money. =) I'm excited to scrapbook but it probably won't happen today. I still have lots of laundry and small group to get ready for. Hmm but it still might happen because the girls are worn out. I bet they will nap a loooong time.

Lainey says so much it's crazy. Yesterday she looked at my scrapbook table and pointed to a smudge of adhesive (that was dirty) and said "uh-oh! dirty!" ("uh-oh! doo-ee!") Hehe. Her diaper is a "bah-pee," help me is now "ehp-EE." Another (UH-nu-NUH) is still her favorite word. Now she also uses it to say she wants something to eat that she hasn't already had one of. She'll point and say UH-nu-NUH! =P She really wants chewable vitamins every morning and stands as high as she can on her toes on the bathroom scale, pointing at them and asking for them. I break off little pieces for her. =P Lainey really doesn't like apple sauce or grape juice (or any juice, really). I think it's funny how she doesn't like fruit! Just berries. And I think cherries.

Oh, a week or so ago, we noticed that Lainey has three more teeth. You know you're a second child when your parents don't notice until you have three new teeth. I don't know how long they were there before we saw them. Not too long, but you'd think we'd notice... =P Yes, we do brush her teeth and gums. =)

Emily is pregnant like 25+ times a day - no joke. Harp said it's starting to get old, lol. I don't think she's going to stop any time soon. She likes to ask me to be the doctor or midwife. If I'm the doctor, I have to drive her to the hospital so if I am doing the dishes or something I tell her I'm a midwife and it's going to be a homebirth, lol. =P

I don't remember what started the conversation the other day but Em and I were talking about hell and what it is going to be like for people that aren't forgiven. We talked about how we all deserve to be punished like that because we have all broken God's rules (we've been talking a lot about lying and stealing and coveting lately - not to mention obey your parents =P). She was really thinking about it and like that doesn't sound good. Then I told her that that's why Jesus came and died, to be a sacrifice for our sin (like the boy in her book that pushed his friend out from in front of a car but got hit himself) and he took our punishment if we understand that we are sinners and need forgiveness and ask for it. And then God will let us go to heaven because Jesus took our punishment. And how then Jesus comes into your heart and changes your life. She was all happy to be talking about Jesus and I said "Isn't that good news?" She said "Yeah!!! And you know what else is good news? I have a rocking lion (wocking yiyon)!!" lol WAY too funny.

So I think my laundry is ready to be rotated. I just got a call from Karen and I have to go to the store to listen to something to catch me up on their "teacher's meeting" that I never heard about... Probably 30 minutes of them telling me things they have told me before... That's a bummer because the girls are going to be sleeping late and then we won't have any time together before Harp gets home. Then there's small group tonight. Maybe nobody will come anyway because Scott and Alyssa are sick and Guy and Diana aren't coming anymore (they live way far away and things just came up for them that were more important) and I don't know if Heath and Bethany are coming or not...

1.22.2008

Why Lainey Doesn't Get to Stamp with Us


Snowy Day


Whew!

Okay I just posted pics from up until Jan 6. It's the 22nd! I know I have taken more pics, but not many. I'll have to get my camera and put them on the computer. Dana's recent post made me want to watch The Sound of Music (and find out if my kids would like it) so that's what we're doing now. =)

Playground Pics






Dry Ice





Aunt Laurin (my sister) sent us Omaha steaks. Thank you again, Laurin!! =)

We played with the dry ice for a long time. =P

Some CO Pics




We stopped by Garden of the Gods on the way up to Greeley.




Pics from my Aunt Mary Ann and Uncle Larry's house. Lainey just wanted to brush Mary Ann's hair. =)

I woke Emmy up sneaking to get a picture of her asleep.

Emmy loved to walk Ben with my dad. =)


Lainey kept doing this with her spoon while we were eating ice cream. It made us laugh so she kept doing it. =)

Kansas Christmas Pics



I wish I had a good picture of Lainey in all this. She was wearing the tutu and Mexican skirt I made her and this rainbow play silk from Harp's aunt and her little bunny slippers were poking out from underneath her skirt as she walked. Too cute. =P As soon as she opened her tutu and we put it on her, she started spinning around and around. =)


Emily was SO excited about this stamp that I got her. She loves to stamp with me. =)

Em looks at these every time we go to the scrapbook store. When she opened them, she was thrilled but still a little confused. She asked if they were for me. I said nope, I bought them for you! She was SO excited. I'm glad to have a little scrapbooker. =)


Harp got Lainey this book and she loves it. It's Are You Ticklish?




Em got Lainey this frog bath thing and she did NOT like it. It made her cry. =( It was pretty funny and hard to not laugh. She gets scared of things that never scared Em. I can't think of anything that ever scared Em. Lainey doesn't like the rooster from Baby Einstein, she cried when Remy went down the waterfall part of the pipe in Ratatouille, she doesn't like that picture of the orangutan. I haven't showed it to her in a while. I wonder if it's still scary to her. Anyway...