Just Say "No!" to the Veruca Salts of the World

We're going with a whack-a-doodle Christmas Card this year. It is ridiculously hard to get us all gussied, get great lighting and do the self-timer on our camera while we are in our forced "natural" poses. :) Look forward to getting it! It will probably go in the back of your Christmas card tree. Ha! However, I fear I didn't order enough. I'm probably going to have to pay shipping twice. Ugh! I hate it when I get click-happy!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends! Such a nice relaxing time. I really enjoy having help with the girls. Even Brent is able to be more engaged because he's on vacation. The ride there and back was suprisingly easy--crowded with all three in the backseat but minimal chaos. Although it will be different, it's nice to know that we are staying put for Christmas (and I already "ruined" Christmas when I was very pregnant with Birdie so it's easier the second time).

Brent and I wheeled into town very much in need of a date night. His parents watched the girls while we stepped out in Norman; nothing like revisiting your old stomping ground. We had some awesome gyros at The Greek House on Campus Corner and then tried Michaelangelo's Coffee and Chocolate on Main. We ended the night Seran Wrapping my sister's jeep in her driveway. It was awesome to retool our priorities, revisit goals and laugh together.

Beatle, since she was about a year old, has slept in the middle of my parents in their king size bed. This trip, Birdie joined them one night; I think it cramped Beatle's style because she told me expressively the next day, "Do you know this bed is made for three people and last night we had FOUR!"

I think Jasmine knew I was trying to be good at Thanksgiving because she waited until I had just started eating to dirty her diaper in a big, big way. I returned to my plate totally unappetized. But that didn't last long. I started muscleing through, you know, to be polite. And then she did it again right as I was getting seconds! It was over at that point.

We went Black Friday shopping. I don't know if I'll go again. When I was in Toys R Us, I couldn't believe my eyes. It was the most un-Christmasy thing I have ever seen. It looked like the beginning of the Grinch. I could just imagine all of those spoiled brats dictating what their parents get them like Veruca Salt from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Best Buy was better. We might save up and go get a TV next year on Black Friday but then, I think I'll just stay home and go online.

Pics-y

I'm using some recent pictures from my phone to jump start my thoughts on recent family happenings. Sometimes when I sit down to blog, I only have a few precious minutes and I just kind of blank. How do you recap some of this random craziness?



Uhhh...Scaryville! This was taken while I was probably blogging or doing a Scentsy order. I was at my computer and Birdie took it upon herself to bring in the stepstool from the bathroom and try to escape--right out the front door! Thank goodness I keep the storm door locked all the time but it's only a matter of time before she tries to figure out how to undo that!



Rooty, Toot, Toot! I'm tooting my own horn here. I received the award for Volunteer of the Month at Beatle's school. I have to say, I was more excited to get it than I thought I would be. It was perfect because my sister went with me to Park last week and when would I ever have a photographer and not too many passer-by-ers? So, I got proof that my name is in lights. :)



So, most of you have probably had this happen to one of yours in a highchair or something but I think it's so hilarious when kids fall asleep sitting up.

And, I'm giving you this one...on a silver platter. I LOVE my pixie haircut but I continue going to Wal-Mart for my trims. The cut is solid but the styling is out of control! I was cringing while she round-brushed and blow-dried my hair. The lady who took my money did a double take. I payed and prayed that no one would see me until I made it back to the mirror section to try my hand at undoing what she just did. Drumroll...this is Wal-Mart's definition of a pixie cut:

Like a Sausage in Its Casing

So, Christmas came early for me. I asked my mom that, if it was all the same to her, I could put some workout clothes on the ol' family credit card since that's my new stay-at-home uniform these days. With me teaching some classes now and having a few races on the horizon, I really needed those things now instead of waiting till Christmas. (I mean, I have one pair of pants that sort of work and one sports bra and I work out 5 days a week...and I do laundry 1 day a week. Nuff said!) :) She thought it was a great idea until we both realized that my card had expired so she went shopping and brought me some things when they came to visit. She wanted me to do a fashion show like I was 12 again and we had just done back-to-school shopping. I was pretty embarrassed but I thought I could at least humor the little lady. I saw that she had gotten me a top that was a size smaller than I asked for but figured, what the heck, I'd give it a try. It was SO tight--showed everything I had and wished I didn't have! I peeked out around the corner and told her that there would be one we'd have to take back. I retreated quickly to the bedroom and peeled it off, feeling like my fashion show was started off on a bad foot and would end with me spiraling into self-loathing by the time my big finish came to Ke$ha's "Blow". When everything was back on the hangers and I had jumped back into my roomy lounge wear, I showed mom the top that definitely had to go back and she exclaimed that the top was for Beatle! That 12-14 was in KIDS SIZES! I felt so relieved!

Birdie has been so much more affectionate lately--Thank you, God! She's actually been a little sweet and cuddly...unless your name is Brent. I know she loves him but she really doesn't go out of her way to show him that. I feel bad for him because he wants to hold her or help me sometimes but she'll totally freak. I guess it's all this staying-at-home with her business. She'll come around. Her language skills are improving a lot. It's fun to know what she wants and to communicate with her more.

We had a great time at the cabin this weekend! After Birdie pooped in the hot tub, my sister was done with it but that didn't slow Brent and I down from having some date time in the hot, bubbly, poop juice. Haha!!!! Without family here or much money for sitters, we'll suffer through about anything to talk uninterrupted with each other!

Jasmine's been great; it was tricky having her at the cabin just because I didn't want her to disturb anyone's sleep. She sleeps great when we're home and not sharing a room with her. We've really enjoyed having her; it hasn't been a stressful as before. I've put her in daycare just to give me a chance to continue doing all of the things I have on my plate during the day but to also distance myself a little and give myself a chance to be excited to see her at the end of a day. The last two, Nadya and JJ, I had them at home with me all the time for the first month and doing that again, I'm afraid, would cause some burn-out issues I experienced both times. Plus, it sounds kind of cruel but right now, she's not my child and I don't want to throw myself in 100% and go through all the emotional ups and downs I've experienced before when the parents get involved. She's the cutest and sweetest thing ever! She's got a bad little tummy though but she should outgrow her reflux and she's going to be seen tomorrow about a hernia she has.

Young Ladies and Younger Babies

Two nights ago, Brent was holding Beatle in his lap and had a tender moment. He swept her hair out of her face and said, "Beatle, you are becoming a beautiful, young lady." She reached up and held his face and said, "And you are becoming my old daddy." hahaha!!! Trust me, the timing was perfect!



Last night, we got a new baby! Her name is Jasmine and she's 4 months old. I believe that everything happens for a reason and a few months ago, we upped our age to 3-10. Since then, we have gotten only phone calls from friends asking us to watch their foster kids when they were away. We found it odd that our friends were getting babies left and right and although we upped our age, we figured we'd have at least a few desperate calls to keep a baby overnight or something. We kept telling the lady in charge of maintaining the foster homes that we were ready for someone. She said that they have had a rash of babies lately but we were still open and would get a call any day for our new age selection. Yesterday, I got a text from my friend that she asked about us when a caseworker said that Monday they got 7 kids in an hour and several were in our new age group. The caseworker said that our house was marked "full". So, when the lady who maintains it looked at it, it was fine but when the caseworkers trying to place looked, we weren't available. I brought it to their attention and within the hour we got a call about this little baby. They say that she may be adoptable (of course once they give the mom a nice, long shot) but I didn't want to take her for that reason because ANYTHING can happen. In this Sunday's message, a question was posed that asked something to the effect of, "What if we're who we are, where we are, like we are for a reason?" And he talked about Queen Esther and how God would have raised up someone else to rescue Israel, His chosen people, if she chose not to but He put everything into place for her to take that step. Will Baby Jasmine be a part of our permanent family someday? I can't say and want to keep my heart in check during this ride but I do believe that the glitch that kept our home empty for a few months was for a reason--whatever it may be.

Ding-Dong Ditching a Baby

This weekend my family comes to town! We are quite sure this is a record--it's been three months. We're getting a cabin about 30 mins away. It should be a good time; I'm sure it will go too quickly but we'll see them soon at Thanksgiving.

I don't know what has gotten into Birdie! She is just letting loose and peeing her pants like crazy. I had stopped carrying a diaper bag or bringing extra clothes when we went somewhere. She was doing great in panties. But last weekend, we had a few accidents and then this weekend, she's peed in her pants/pull-ups more than she's gone to the potty! Birdie's a bit of a nudist anyways but, this morning, I just let her run around naked because I'm tired of washing so many things when she pees. Elmo was on and she wanted to sit in my lap. A few seconds later, she peed all over me! Craziness! Because of Beatle's history with kidney and urinary infections, I've got my eyes on little Birdie.

At church, we have a Christmas Star Craft Bazaar, where members of the church have booths of their work and donate profits to missions. This year, they had children singing songs while people shopped. We had a friend play the guitar for Beatle and she sang "Away in the Manger". She did good in spite of the fact she didn't have much time to practice because of a music misunderstanding and we are SO thankful for our friend to come in and save the day with his guitar. As soon as she was done, she walked off stage, her face became instantly flushed and she buried her head in my chest. As Beatle grows up, I find myself baffled sometimes that things don't come as easy to her as they did to me when I was a kid. I didn't think much about it when she was small, I guess. I just thought that since she was my kid and acts much like me, we would be very similar. My prayer is that I always cherish her for who she is. Yesterday, there was a pair of sisters who did PHENOMENAL with their songs. These little nerdy girls transformed into superstars when they each started singing. I was blown away and I glanced at the mom to see the pride in her face but all I saw was stern coaching. That's their family and I know the mom has a pageant background so she was probably pushed too but as I'm carving out my parenting style, I realized at that moment that I'd rather do it our way. (Of course, a little more practice would have helped...) :)

I had a Scentsy Sip ~n~ See at my house on Saturday morning. While I was doing that, I asked Brent to take the girls somewhere, anywhere! For the last two weeks, we've been seriously considering a potbelly pig as a pet. It's madness, I know. It could be a very divisive issue; we will either make or lose friends over it, I'm sure. Well, Brent decided to take Beatle to look at the particular pig in question. She found it to be much less cuddly than a fluffy puppy and didn't really want to have anything to do with it. So, that answered some questions! If we get one, it won't be for her sake, I suppose. Why a potbelly, you ask? (As does everyone!) We love the fact that they don't shed, don't need a lot of backyard room, smarter than dogs, their tough skin makes them less likely for fleas and ticks, don't require the vet appts and upkeep dogs do and they're downright interesting! We'll see...we're not in a rush about it especially with Beatle not caring too much.

Beatle and I are doing Secret-Keeper Girl's "8 great dates to have with your daughter". We are nearing the end and one of the dates was to encourage sibling relations so Beatle's "assignment" was to ding-dong ditch someone's house with Birdie, leaving behind a plate of cookies. Brent and I recognized this had the potential to be really cute so, with the extra hour we gained on Saturday, we had the girls (Birdie in her footie pajamas) ding-dong ditch some friends, who are also doing this study. Beatle was getting so excited she "was almost about to pee her pants" (this type of excitement happens a lot for her!) They were so cute holding hands walking up to the house, Beatle sat the goodies down, rang the bell, and RAN FOR HER LIFE, leaving poor little Birdie baffled at the top of the stairs. Brent and I were cracking up. The dad opened the door to see a small, confused child on their porch. HAHA! He gave the girls another shot once he found out what they were trying to do. He rolled with it like a champ. Once the mission was successful and all our children were accounted for, Birdie was babbling on emphatically from her car seat...probably trying to wrap her head around what just happened.

Tweet, tweet. Smell my feet. Give me something good to eat.

I did a kind of bad thing. Brent has been eagerly awaiting his Iphone 2000 or whatever you trendy people are carrying these days. I guess they got all back-ordered or something and it had to be shipped to him. Yesterday, he was coming home soon to pick me up to go somewhere and I was running around getting ready when the FedEx guy rang the doorbell. I signed for the package and laid it on the table. Then, I started thinking that if he saw the Iphone, we would be seriously delayed in our plans and our day would be consumed with talk about it. Blah. So, I hid it under his pillow...and really forgot about it. All midday we were together and I never thought to tell him it was in. He dropped me back off that afternoon and went back to work. I guess he checked on the tracking and saw where I had signed for it that morning. He called me fuming--not the way most people fume, but for Brent, he was fuming. He walked straight in, threw his pillow on the floor, took his phone and walked out saying, "All day and you never told me???" I already hate this Siri woman.

Last night was chaotic. I co-taught my first fitness class. I've been doing a running class/devotional time with a standard group but this was my first time to come up with the lesson plan myself, keep time to the music, wear the headset mic, maintain good form, and lead a class all on the gym floor. It was slightly terrifying. It wasn't at the beginning; sometimes I overestimate myself but when we were in the middle of the exercises and I starting to think that I'm not even sure I can finish them, that's when I started freaking a little. It's that moment when you realize that you could totally choke and no one can rescue you. Brent said the class was "exactly good. no more, no less." :) I like a man who can shoot it straight with me. I felt like it was awful but the take away was, there's always room for improvement! Anyways, right before all of that, I had a pirate and a cow to ready so (yeah, this is real bright) I gave my keys to a 6-year-old. Of course they were lost after my two classes. The night was full of a lot of splitting up, meeting back up, and exchanging keys. Brent, my hero, went back up to the church after trick-or-treating and found my keys! But, I can honestly say that we did have a great time with friends, even if Halloween was on a Monday night filled with already so many obligations. And once, Birdie figured out how the holiday worked, there was no stopping her. She was always anxious to get out of her stroller and to run with Bailey and Beatle to the next house. She'd say, "Tweett, Tweet." Get the candy and say "Ta-too" and run back to Brent and me.




Could this be one of the best days of my life? Possibly! Our neighbors across the street have been moving!!! We had our friends, Craig and Danielle, over Saturday and they were sitting at the table saying, "There go the box springs. There's the mattress. Look, there are chairs on the trailer." I struggle with this because I know I'm suppose to love my neighbors but I truly feel they are wreckless and dangerous. There was a shooting incident on our street last week that had me really worried. I didn't really tell anyone because I didn't want our parents to worry but I'm SO happy they are leaving! What relief! They have been the hub of all turmoil on this street since we moved in 2 1/2 years ago.