PS Intervention Update

I think we're going to dress as Fred and Daphne from Scooby Doo for Halloween.

And I have 40 Christmas cards done. Yay me :) Just had to let everyone know, so you can start panicing!

School Days

I know I won't be able to keep all of Ellie's school papers forever, but they are just so darn cute and I can't help laughing at them. Please note how poorly my daughter handles scissors! She got a lot better as she went farther down the page. I drew in the lines so you could see where the cuts are. I'd say we should practice more, but I'm not letting her near scissors if I can help it. And look at how hard she tried to trace the lines. She did a pretty good job with the straight ones!

Just a proud mama showing off all of Ellie's cute cute things! I wish there were school today. She's driving me CRAZY!

Stay cool!

OK, what is up with the weather around here these days? It's gorgeous for August. I'm absolutely loving it. In the morning it's cool enough to run errands without melting to death and the afternoons are hot enough for a dip in the pool. And of course by sunset, you can still take a stroll or sit outside and talk. If only I had grass in my yard it would be so much more pleasane.

Today was the first official "no parent" day at school, so I was freeeeeeeee for a whole 2 hours. Well, as free as I could be toting along a 25 pound 9 month old. But honestly, a baby is soooo much easier than a demanding 3 year old. Not once at the grocery store did Nate ask if he could have candy. Or if we were going to leave anytime soon. Or who my favorite pincess was. I just cruised the aisles enjoying the silence.

On a side note, I went back to the gym this week after a month long "vacation." I'm reaaaaalllllly out of shape again.

Speaking of mouths . . .

So while I'm on here, posting photos of my son's mouth. . . thought I'd post these too. What is up with my son's tongue when he smiles???

We have a tooth!

It's true! At almost ten months, Nate is one step closer to being able to actually chew food. I'm not a big fan of the drool and the crankiness that come along with teething, but I love that Nate is one step closer to table food.

When Ellie was a baby, I didn't get all the hype over moving onto solids. I was plenty happy just feeding her a bottle. If only I had known the FREEDOM! I cannot wait to go out to eat and order Nate something off of the menu. No more smushed veggies being shoveled into his mouth. . .

Here's hoping that another tooth will show up soon! Although, I'm not holdiing my breath. I don't see anything remotely close to a tooth or a red bump while zooming in on this picture. I do see drool though. Hopefully that isn't grossing anyone out. When it's your own child, you find it endearing.

Later taters!

Ellie's first day of school

YEAY! Ellie started school today. I didn't cry at all (of course I did cry about it 2 weeks ago, so I think I'm all cried out). I have to keep telling myself that's only preschool.

She found her desk all by herself (she can read! she can read!) and managed to stay on task for a whole 2 minutes. But whatever, not my problem anymore :). Then her teacher read "The Kissing Hand" and we traced their hands and kissed the inside. So sweet. When it was time to go, Ellie didn't want to leave. That's a good feeling. Hopefully she'll like this whole "school thing."

Ellie's teacher, Miss Becky 

Ellie's seat 

Ellie already bored and off task 

Elie's kissing hand 

Ellie gets off task AGAIN 

Say Cheeeeeeeeeeese!

This morning, Ellie got a hold of the camera and decided to wander around taking pictures. These are just a sampling of the wonderful images she captured. I'm not sure she's got the "eye" for photo journalism. Luckily, I delted all the pictures she got of me before anyone got to see them.

 

 

 

Ellie's attempts at photo-journalism 

I need an intervention

Yes, there are more things wrong with me than just my love of Arrowroot cookies (easy to chew and swallow). I have serious holiday issues. This week officially started my holiday season when I made my first Christmas card. Not just one Christmas card, but I've already made 5. Isn't it still July????

And I already have my kid's Halloween costumes. Speaking of which, if you have any ideas for costumes for me and Dustin, let me know! I'm not 9 months pregnant this year, so I can actually go as something fun! Yes, I still have 3 months, but I need to get planning!!!!

I'm also planning my Christmas party. I've decided that we're not going anywhere for Christmas this year, so I'm going to do all the things real families do this year. We're getting a tree, we're taking little gifts around to neighbors (I already bought the ornaments to tie with the ribobn on the gifts), we're sending out home made Christmas cards (did that last year too), and we're having a party. I'm not sure what we'll be doing at the Christmas party, but I know what the invitations are going to look like, I know who's invited and I know Dustin will be cooking (I think he knows that too, but I'd better double check).

I've already bought a few Christmas present as well. I've got my entire list made up and I'm checking it twice!!!

Lowest of the Low

I need sugar and none can be found in this darn house! I've gone through the entire place and the best I could come up with was some freaking peppermint sticks.

And so I'm sunken so low that I am eating Nat'es Gerber Arrowroot Cookies. And I like them too.

I hate lunch time

Can I just tell you all how much I miss eating lunch by myself? Slowly putting the food into my mouth, carefully chewing each bite, actually getting a sip of water here or there. . . Lunch time now consists of me BEGGING Ellie to eat what I've prepared and shoving food as fast as I can into Nate's ever open mouth, all the while standing up to run and get Ellie something else or clean up a mess one of them has made.

Today at about 11, Ellie comes to tell me she is hungry. I told her we'd eat as soon as Nate woke up and to go clean her room up so we'd be all set. Now before anyone feels sorry for Ellie, this is her MO -- she SAYS she's hungry and then refuses to eat what is set before her. So as the next hour passes, Ellie comes in every 15 minutes to tell me she's hungry. I then remind her to clean her room. She leaves and comes back 15 minutes later. . . So finally I tell her we're not eating lunch until her room is clean.

Nate woke up, ate a bottle, got his diaper changed. . . her arms were "broken" so she couldn't clean her room. Nate played, we made some calls, unloaded the dishwasher. . . her head hurt so she couldn't clean her room. I'm feeding Nate cheerioes to keep him happy until we can all sit down together. Finally it is 2 pm and nap time is sneaking up on us. Ellie is still sitting in the middle of her room doing NOTHING at all excpet every once in awhile her tummy "speaks" and says: I'm hungry. Well tummy! CLEAN YOUR ROOM! I finally gave in and fed Nate. Did the dishes, cleaned up the mess all over the floor under Nate's chair. . . Ellie has her hands over her eyes -- she can't see so she can't clean her room. Nate and I play around with his toys in the living room when I notice it is eerily quiet. No shouts of, "I'm hungry," or "I can't do it." Just silence.

Ellie has crawled up on the crib mattress under her bed (she has a loft bed) and has fallen asleep. I go and get cracker and toss it under there with her. She wakes up for a split second and says, "Mom, I'm just resting. I'm too tired to clean my room. Maybe when I wake up."

So Ellie's room is still a disaster and she hasn't eaten anything since breakfast. Should I make her clean it before dinner or just give in?

PS

All my pictures from this weekend stink. Will everyone share theirs with me? Just send them to my gmail address (samenamehereasmyhotmailaddress@gmail.com) , pretty please!!!!!!! it doesn't matter if they have my kids in them or not, I just want to see them.