Houdini reincarnate...

is living at my house as a 21 month old baby girl! She has completed feats of amazing agility and precision, all with one main purpose in mind---to remove all articles of clothing, including her diaper, everytime I put her in her crib. We have been battling it out for the last couple of weeks, each coming back with a new strategy, and I'm afraid she's ahead right now. But never fear, she may have won a few battles, but I am bound and determined to win the war.

Round 1: I discovered her without clothes on for the first time one day during naptime, when I went to check on them about 10 minutes after putting them down. She didn't look guilty at that point, just really pleased with herself. I gently told her "no", and simply explained that we need to keep our clothes on. She smiled, looked cute, and I walked away. I never even considered she may move on to the diaper!

Round 2: Making the decision to be proactive, I checked on her sooner this time, thinking that I would catch her before she made any attempt. I was too late. Off were her clothes, including her diaper. We lucked out though, and everything was still clean. I talked to her again, put all her clothes on, and thought I would give her another chance. Critical error.

Round 3: Hmmmmmmm. Strategy not paying off. This time the diaper wasn't so clean---and neither was the crib, sheets, or herself. Time to get down to business. I used a cloth diaper pin to pin her zipper to her pajamas. I had triumphed...I just knew it. There was NO way she could get that off. What a smart mom I am.

Round 4: I entered the room, and what do I find? A little girl with nothing on, along with a diaper pin on the floor, o.p.e.n. Must have been a fluke, right?

Round 5: I tried the pin again. It's like I was having deja vu---the same clothes-less girl, the same open diaper pin on the floor. Now it's REALLY time to get down to business. I put her pajamas on backwards!! YAY for me!!!

Round 6: So the pajamas on backwards are fine and all for when she's actually wearing the pajamas---but what about when she's wearing clothes? I'll let you guess. Even bootcut jeans with a snap and zipper are no match for her.

Round 7: Today was round 7, and what I thought would be the final battle. I pulled out the packing tape. I wanted duct tape, but realized we were out, and thought to myself how the United States Post Office manages just fine with packing tape...millions of packages are mailed each year, travel millions of miles, and still manage to get to where they're going, arriving safe and secure, still clothed. Well. I went in a little while later when I heard voices, still completely confident in my taping. What do I find? Miss Emma, no diaper, tape on the floor, and the biggest grin I've ever seen. NOW it's serious. Duct tape, here I come.


You may be asking where Kate is during all of this? She points at Emma as soon as I walk in the room, looking completely innocent...and pants-less.

House update and checklist-

I can't believe we only have 3 months left! We first spoke with our builder last summer, and after a myriad of meetings, paper-signings, and appraisals, we broke ground on October 20, 2007. Our target move-in date is May 3, 2008, and I am seriously counting down. Drywall is going up as we speak, and I am frantically trying to get everything chosen within the next few weeks. It's funny--even though it takes 6 months to build, most of the decision making is done within a short 6-8 week period of time. I did have a good idea of what I wanted, and I love decorating, but when it really comes down to making a set-in-stone decision, it can be stressful. Add two toddlers to the mix, and whoa! I took them with me to one of the places I'm looking at counter tops, and out of the 1 1/2 hours I was there, I think I really only looked at the sample for about 15 minutes!

I have a timeline I'm working on, and this Friday is the deadline for granite and cabinets. Next Friday I need to be sure on tile, hardwood, and carpet, followed by paint and lighting. It can become overwhelming, but I started out with an initial color scheme and style and have been working around that. It has made it much easier to choose not only the bigger things, but smaller things like hinges, doorknobs, light switches that I never even thought of! I like clean, simple lines, and that's one of the main reasons I decided on a Shaker style throughout the house. The basic color palette will be reds, browns, creams, with accents of black, with the trim work white. Here are the things I know for sure:

Faucets: I decided on an oil-rubbed bronze for all the faucet fixtures, plus doorknobs and hinges. I really like this particular style, and I think it will go well in the kitchen and baths.

Cabinets: I chose a Maple cabinet, with a slightly darker finish. I really loved some other woods, like cherry, hickory, and alder, but the budget wouldn't quite make it! I'm really happy with these though, and I love the Shaker style doors. I couldn't get a good picture to show here, but here is a link so you can see them. It's the Sundance color, Concord style. We initially went over on our budget (it's so easy to do, especially with cabinets!), so we needed to start trimming costs. I wanted to leave the kitchen and master bath, so we made some changes to the upstairs bath and laundry, and went to white cabinets, but same style doors. Since the half bath will have a pedestal sink, we didn't have to make any changes there at all.

Appliances: We totally lucked out on appliances! Home Depot ended up having a pretty big sale a few weekends ago, and even though it was a little early to order them, they said they could delay shipping until we needed them. We had decided on stainless steel, but wasn't sure of the brand, and we wanted to stay within a certain budget. We ended up choosing LG, and I love the industrial, professional look of them. Rick really wanted the French door style refrigerator, and although I had initially wanted a ice/water combo in the door, I ended up liking the one we chose better. And just think--I won't have to be as worried about having kids in the water on my wood floors!

My next big decision is the granite for the counter tops, and this is seriously the hardest decision I've had to make yet. I have a vision for the kitchen, but I'm just not finding something I really love. I'm heading down the the warehouse this week to look at slabs, and hopefully that will help. It's so fun though--I can't complain.

I will be so happy to finally be in a house! :) We have waited such a long time, and we are really ready. We were in school for 7 years (married very young! :)), then we moved to our current town. We thought we would only be here for a year, maybe two, and since we only had one child, we thought we would rent. Well, we ended up being here longer, and once we decided to buy, I got pregnant with the girls. We decided to wait until after they were born to go forward, and I'm glad we did. I ended up on bed rest for weeks, and there is no way we could have managed it, at least not very well. Once they turned 1, we started making serious efforts towards looking for a home, and finally decided to build. It's been a long road, but really, I can't imagine it any other way. This is the right time for us. YAY!

My Dad

Today is my dad's birthday. In about 91 minutes, all of my family will be together celebrating the beginning of his 66th year. I can't be there, but I also want to celebrate my dad, and I hope to do that through my words here.
I was quite the child to raise--in fact, I'm surprised my dad made it this long! I have duly begun to receive my penance, raising two very lively girls, and I can finally understand just a little bit of what I may have been like as a daughter. I have always really liked to argue, and I put my poor father through an endless amount of "discussion". Maybe he never knew how much I loved, admired, and respected him through all of those moments--but I can tell him today.
I have so many memories and thoughts to share, and here are a few I would like to highlight:

1. He is an incredibly innate athletic ability, and has always been extremely strong. Add in a competitive spirit, and you've got quite the guy to beat! That was, actually, my goal. To just beat him ONCE, in ANY sport. I finally did, but only after he turned 60 and was injured. :)

2. I have so many memories of my dad in the kitchen. He is a really good cook, and has made many meals for me over the years. My son Ryan caught on quickly to his talent as well--and one of his very favorite things is when Poppy makes him pancakes.

3. I always knew that my dad would make sure I was safe. I didn't always appreciate that as a teenager, especially when he combed through the streets of the town I grew up in looking for me, but deep down I would never want it to be any different. To this day, my sister and I still can't figure out how he found us! He always looked the same--jeans, brown Sunday loafers (quickest to put on), a gray zip-up hoodie, and his hair sticking straight up!

4. Whenever, wherever, however I needed help, my dad has always dropped everything to be there for me. Believe me, I provided many such opportunities for him, especially through my teen/early college years. Can I tell you how many rocks/curbs/sharp things I ran over, how many tires I went through, or how many crises I had? Poor guy. Now it's a different kind of help, but appreciated just as much. My parents have traveled many times to our home that is almost 2000 miles away from their to give assistance. Moves, babies, a baptism, graduations, and other events have all been priorities for both of them. I am so lucky--and so grateful.

5. I love my dad's laugh. All four of us would gang up on him (we couldn't hold him down for long) and tickle him. He is SO ticklish!

6. I have a really special dad. He loves babies and children, and they love him right back. Whenever I was babysitting, and couldn't get a child to sleep, I would call him. Within 5 minutes, they would be fast asleep. After I had the girls, my parents came to stay with us for a couple of weeks. A few nights went by without me even waking up, and I wondered why they were sleeping so well at such a young age. I found out that they weren't---my dad was sleeping in the hallway so he could hear them first, and so I could sleep through the night.

7. This is a continuation of number 6, and I could probably keep going for awhile! Before Rick and I got married, he came over to my house to talk to my dad. They were on our study for 2 hours, and do you want to know what my dad talked about for the majority of the time? Yes, that's right. Grandchildren.

8. He's a wonderful grandfather. He was Ryan's first babysitter at 4 weeks old, and has always had a special relationship with him. One of my favorite memories occurred while we were visiting my parents' home soon after we moved away. My mom and I were out shopping, and Ryan stayed with Poppy. When we got home, they were side-by-side in the garage, Ryan stripped down to his diaper, and painting away on a project. Whether it's painting, cooking, playing outside, or building Legos, my dad makes him feel like he is the only one in the world.

9. My dad is very strong in the gospel, and has always provided me with an excellent example to follow. I am grateful for that, and I know how much my life has been bettered because of it.

10. He loves my mom. I love to find the little notes that he leaves her, and he loves to tease her. We love it too! :)

I love you Dad, and I miss you. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

P.S. I wish I had some pictures to post, but they are all in storage and I couldn't get to them right now if I tried!

Wordless Wednesday

Bye-bye baby...

The time has come. At 20 months old, my girls can hardly be called babies, although admittedly I have stubbornly held on to the notion that because they weren't 2 yet, they could still be considered so. However, they are full-blown, chair-climbing, bookcase-scaling, ABC-singing, new-words-everyday-talking, messy-eating, adorably-funny toddlers.
I love toddlerhood. It is a new adventure everyday, and a pure delight to watch as they discover life in its entirety. The old becomes new, the routine becomes exciting, and all those things we've taken for granted are renewed once again. One of my favorite parts? Hearing their voices, and listening to what's on their mind--all that wondering while they were a baby as to what they were thinking is now there for discovery.
Now, don't get me wrong. Every moment is not pure bliss, and I'm certainly not rejoicing while mopping underneath the highchairs for what seems to be the 50th time that day. Nor am I jumping for joy about their excitement in taking off all their clothes and diapers when left to their own devices at nap time, or when their body goes into rigor mortis while trying to put them in the carseat (and always in front of other people, of course). Yet these things are quickly forgotten when a tiny hand brushes your cheek, sweet lips give you a kiss, little arms reach up to you, or when you hear a tiny voice call out "Mama".
So, while I wistfully pack away each size that no longer fits, and fondly look at pictures of babyhood gone by, I am reminded of all the wonderful things in store, and how lucky I am to be a part of their world. Bye-bye baby...I'm ready to let go.

At birth:


2 months:


4 months:





6 months:





8 months:




10 months:




12 months:





15 months:




18 months:

What a look!

Remember that blog I referenced last week, with such great ideas for girls' hair? Looks like I'll be using it sooner than I thought!

At least she comes by it honestly!

The other day when we got home after running some errands, I took Kate to the backdoor to set her down before going back to get Emma. I didn't get get too far though, because before I could leave the steps, I heard "uh-oh"! I turned around to see what the matter was, and there was Kate, staring down at a little mud puddle on the floor. We had to clean it up right away. :)

I want in on the secret!

Well, I tried my best. On Sunday I really wanted to take a few pictures of the kids in their nice clothes, but I'll tell you, it was quite the event! My girls were everywhere! They aren't really in to sitting or standing or doing anything at all in one place for longer than about 5 seconds, and that can really complicate things. Don't get me wrong, I love candid shots--in fact, they are my favorite--but even that wasn't working out for me. I want in on the secret--how do moms get those fabulous shots? Luck? Persuasion? Bribes? Talent? Lots and lots of practice? Patience? (if that's it I'm in big trouble :) ) If you know, please tell me, because I want in on the secret!

Emma, with her very fun balloon:



peek-a-boo



I tried and tried to get Kate to keep her skirt down!


two pretty girls!


A very handsome boy and his sister


All in all, they are adorable no matter what!

'Tis the season...

for sledding that is! We were lucky enough to have plenty of snow over the holidays, and it lasted long enough for Rick to be off work and home to enjoy it with us.

Our first adventure was taking the kids cross-country skiing. Rick and I have been many times before, but this was our first attempt to take them with us. Ryan was ready for the adventure, but it was the the girls we were worried about! We prepared well--and off we went to our nearby city forest. It offers a variety of snow activities--a great sledding hill (as good as you get in Michigan I suppose!), toboggan run, and cross-country skiing trails. All of these things are free, and they do have equipment for rent if necessary.

We decided to pull the girls behind us in their little red sleds, which proved to be very successful. Emma even fell asleep and took a nice little nap through the forest. Kate dragged her hand through the snow, and sang little songs. Ryan did SO well. We got him on his skis, then turned around to get the girls situation. We hadn't given him any directions, but when we turned around, he was already off and getting the hang of it. In the end, he was racing me to the finish! We did about a 4 mile loop, and can't wait until we can go again. So, so fun!





New Year's Eve was the perfect opportunity to go sledding, and it turned out to be such a great day to do it. The girls loved being pulled around on their sled, and even more so loved going down the hill with mom or dad. Ryan was up and down that hill like an old pro, and it was so fun to watch him try new ways to go down. Rick and I took turns going with the kids, and even managed to go down together! Afterwards we had hot chocolate by the fire, and warmed up before he heading home. What a wonderful day!

{books}

Reading has been a passion of mine since I was a very small child, and I LOVE books. One of my goals for 2011 is to read 75 books--a little more than 6 per month. You'll find my running list for the year, plus lists of my all-time favorite books.

2011

• The Forgotten Garden, Kate Morton
• The Telling, Beverly Lewis
• Promise Me, Richard Paul Evans
• The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls
• The Judgement, Beverly Lewis
• The Thorn, Beverly Lewis
• Over Sea, Under Stone, Susan Cooper
• The Dark is Rising, Susan Cooper
• Greenwitch, Susan Cooper
• The Grey King, Susan Cooper
• Silver on the Tree, Susan Cooper
• A Crooked Kind of Perfect, Linda Urban
• Treason at Lisson Grove, Anne Perry
• The Lost Hero, Rick Riordan
• The Throne of Fire, Rick Riordan
• The Confession, John Grisham
• I'll Walk Alone, Mary Higgins Clark
• Food Rules, Michael Pollan
• In Defense of Food, Michael Pollan
• The King of Torts, John Grisham
• Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
• Winter's Awakening, Shelley Shephard Gray
• What Angels Fear, C.S. Harris
•  Peter and the Star Catcher, Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson
• Peter and the Shadow Thieves, Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson
• Peter and the Sword of Mercy, Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson
• Fablehaven, Brandon Mull

{favorites}

{projects}

Working on projects and crafting is one of my favorite ways to relax. I also love being able to decorate on a budget, and create things for my home--just the way I like them!

Come on over to my craft blog, and say hello!

{recipes}

For all of our favorite family recipes, head on over to Sweetpea Recipes!

{about me}

I am the lucky mom of 5 kids...including two sets of twins.
Ryan is 12, Kate & Emma are 4, and Jack & Henry are 18 months. I'm married to a great guy, and together we all live in the Midwest--enjoying life to the fullest.

My favorite things:

• books/reading
• sports--especially volleyball & soccer
• running
• decorating/crafts/projects
• organization
• music---playing the piano
• baking
  
• Red Vines
• really good chocolate
• anything lemon-y
• caramels--the really good candy shop kind
• English Toffee
• Cafe Rio--I MISS it!
  

.....

Welcome!