Siblings!

I love the matching outfits!

A Visit from "Home"

Papa and Mimi came for a weekend visit and we enjoyed some relaxing days close by while Sassy continues to recover from her concussion. She is doing much better but seems to tire very easily...luckily there is one more day in the weekend before Mommy has to head back to work and leave her baby!

Today we went for a short walk on a nearby beach. The weather was perfect...like one last taste of fall before the reality of winter settles in! Papa and I "shared" (aka "fought over") my new camera and had fun snapping shots of the kids!

Yesterday we spent some time outside enjoying the fall leaves and the cool weather before Bruiser got on the bus.

We are so happy to see her smile back!

One Year Ago...

One year ago (actually yesterday!), we baptised our little one! Miss Wiggles joined our church family! Aren't they cute!

A Touch of Spring!

In spite of nasty head colds and crazy work schedules, we've been trying to take advantage of this rare taste of spring we've had the past few days. I was home from work today with a nasty sore throat and the sitter was home sick, too. So, to entertain the troops, we spent some time outside. This morning before lunch and school for Bruiser, we walked the block. Then the girls and I spent some time outside waiting for Bruiser's bus this afternoon...and expressing ourselves creatively with sidewalk chalk!

Tater's version of Bruiser's bus.

"A Tomato Sun"

Our neighbor's house.

Running off some energy...minus our coats!

Miss Wiggles giggling that she's climbing the steps by herself!

Drawing with chalk...

...and pausing for a chalk snack! Yuck!

Weekend Randomness

This has not been our typical weekend...although with our usual level of drama and stress, maybe it's not too far off!

Friday, Miss Wiggles and I headed to do our weekly shopping at Trader Joe's and to have lunch with our fabulous neighbors...a bit of a luxury before the weekend began! Then, since we were early to pick up Tater from preschool and I didn't want to go home and take the Wiggler out of her car seat for a mere ten minutes, we sat in the parking lot at preschool and finally figured out how to use my new camera. It only took me two months to find the time! Now let's see how long it takes me to figure out my newest investment...mt teeny, tiny iPod Shuffle...maybe by the time Miss Wiggles starts preschool!

Saturday dawned bright and early with Daddy heading off to work and Mommy getting three children ready for Tumble Tots. We made it there on time, Tater had a good time, Bruiser participated a bit, and Miss Wiggles had fun playing with me on the bleachers. It was a long 90 minutes, but it did burn a good part of the morning minus Daddy!

Daddy was home by 2:00 and Tater and I headed to her little friend's birthday party. She had fun playing and I had a nice time chatting with Mommy friends! They planted seeds and painted pots at the party...and how cute are the aprons!

Tater next to her friend, L, and the birthday girl, T.

Our smiley friend, M!

Posing for the camera!

Painting with pretty colors...but by the time she was done, the pot was completely pink!

What a creative mind!

After the party, we headed home to pick up Daddy and the other two so we could make our first trip to Secret Beach. The weather was amazing and we needed to run off some energy (and sugar!). Miss Wiggles was beyond excited because this was the first time we let her walk on the beach...and only because we forgot the backpack!

Too cute!

Look how tiny!

Tater's searching for shells...just like her great-grandmother.

And a family shot...so rare!

So, today I'm on my own again. Daddy headed out to work before 8:00 (and that's am!) and the kids were up REALLY early...like 7:00! We've had breakfast, watch some Disney shows, played a bit of doll house, and said a little prayer that I don't lose my voice before the day is over. Oh, yes, because we don't just have a weekend that Daddy is working, but we have a weekend that Daddy is working AND all of us have a nasty cold with stuffy noses, goop-y eyes, bad coughs, and sore throats. Lovely!

But the weather is supposed to be nice and I plan to spend sometime outside...maybe enjoying my new iPod...if I can get some music on it!

Last night I pulled out the bin of my Barbie dolls, so later I'm going to share them with Tater. She's going to love the handmade furniture and clothes (by my grandfather and Nana). Maybe she'll play while I relax with my Redbox movie, the re-make of Ice Castles - pure girl-y!

But first, there is laundry to do, kids to dress, clothing to swap out for a certain little girl who just can't fit in 6-12 month clothing anymore (and for no other reason than her legs are too long - she's such a peanut!), a shower for Mommy, beds to make and few sheets to be changed. And, of course, there is always food to be made, diapers to be changed, and things to be cleaned!

And, shame on me, but we decided to skip church because I'm not the crazy woman who tried to take her three children to church by herself...when no one feels good! Note to self - make time for a Bible story today!

On that final random note, I'm going to go clean up the kitchen island where my children were using medicine dropper to squirt milk into the empty wine bottle I left there last night instead of opening the door and tossing it into the recycling. Oh, and I'm going to take a look at that iPod...maybe!

Happy Sunday!

Supporting Even On The Losing Days!

So they lost...go ahead and rub it in, Papa and Uncle J! This was just a warm up for next week! Besides, look how cute these two little fans are! It the words of Bruiser - "We wear our bird shirts? Go down, Cowboys! Yee Haw!"

...And Mary Hatched Baby Jesus!

Miss Wiggles has a bit of a tummy bug and has been feeling a bit under the weather. After she woke up from her three hour nap, she was wobbling around and tumbled - eye first! - into the coffee table and now is sporting a beautiful shiner! So to make her feel a bit better, Tater was reading her Christmas stories. As she was reading her the story of Baby Jesus being born, this is the version we heard:

"Mary and Joseph looked for a hotel to stay in. Then they looked for a nice stable. The man told there was no room. So Mary found a nice place to hatch Baby Jesus."

Didn't you all know that's how babies are born? They hatch!

Photo Proof!

They do get along...sometimes!

It's 7:00 and Where Are Your Children?

...because mine are in bed! That's right, in bed!!!

This weekend was a bit crazy (ha!). Bruiser had school Saturday morning, Tater had her dance recital practice Friday night and then the recital Saturday afternoon, I had a church obligation early this morning, Christmas preparations have been on-going, wine had to be drunk, and...of course, there are never-ending sick children that seem to reside in this house!

Oh, yes, you read correctly! They are sick again! Tater had a cough and fever when returned from Thanksgiving with the relatives and missed several days of school. The diagnosis...after hauling 3 children to the doctor's office? A virus! A stupid virus! She still has the cough but seems much better...at least good enough to socialize, go to school, and be in a dance recital.

Then the cough spread to the other two. Miss Wiggles started yesterday with a juicy, delicious cough and a fever of 101. She and I spent most of the night awake and cuddled in my bed. Then since I had to be out of the house by 7:30 this morning, I treated myself to a two hour nap! Now tonight the Motrin wasn't bringing the fever down. Can you guess where we'll be going tomorrow? And, while I'm at it, I'll bring Bruiser along to check out his barky, croupy cough that has been developing since Friday. Might as well make it a two-for-one deal!

In spite of all that, the crazy ones had enough energy to wreak the house while I was away and Daddy was in "control." Then after two hours of asking them to clean up, I set the timer and told them that any toys left out would be put away when the timer went off (mind you, this was second timer I set!). So the timer went off, the toys weren't away and I filled my laundry basket and sent it to the basement. Tater's response? "That's okay...I still have my favorite castle toy." Highly effective, huh?

And so the week begins! I'm off with sick children tomorrow, out to a meeting tomorrow night, have a sitter coming so Daddy can take Tater to dance class and the sick ones don't have to be out, faculty meeting on Wednesday, a holiday party here on Friday, presents to wrap, books to be read, a house to clean, delicious yummies to make, kids to cuddle, and...of course, some wine to be consumed! With a crazy week like this, I'm already exhausted. And now I'm off to wash, dry, fold, and put away 10 loads of laundry...yawn!

A Bit of Indian Summer in November!

We spent the warm afternoon outside "getting ready for winter" as Tater likes to say. Kind of makes us feel like squirrels collecting out acorns!

Sibling Love!

Goofy!

Wheeeee!

Time to Carve the Jack'O'Lantern!

We continued our autumn traditions by carving our Jack'O'Lantern tonight. While Daddy cut the pumpkin open and scooped out the "glue" (Tater's word for the slimy, gooey stuff!), Tater and Bruiser "designed" our pumpkin's face. Tater wanted a happy face and Bruiser wanted a sad, Bruiser "pumpin".

Tater's Work!

Mommy's drawing from Bruiser's directions

Watching Daddy cut into the pumpkin

As Daddy was finishing up the carving, Miss Wiggles had a bit of a tumble - just in time for all those first birthday party pictures! It swelled and bruised immediately...just lovely!

So sad!

Daddy finished the pumpkin alone! Bruiser ended up on time out ... in the high chair because I couldn't think of another spot where he'd stay put!..., Tater was playing kitchen, and Miss Wiggles was cuddling with me and recovering from her bump.

Bruiser needed an up closer and personal look at the "pumpin"!

Eyes closed!

I think Tater's look was for the pumpkin but it looks like she really loves her brother, doesn't it!