Quick as can be...

I have not time but I feel like it has been so long since I last posted. I am back from my trip and had a wonderful time. I have a great story to tell but it will have to wait for another time. We are back into the swing of life at home. School starts on Tuesday and things are pretty busy until then. It is really hot here and so we are trying to be creative and stay cool. I am on my way to a friends house to make soap tonight and I am really excited about it. It should be good fun. So, I am off to make some soap, visit with a couple of friends and enjoy a little breather.

I will leave you with this picture of my beautiful baby...


I put a little thing on my sidebar that says what I am going to call my kids from now on in my blog.

My Friend

Tomorrow I leave on an airplane to Colorado Springs where I will get picked up by my really good friend who is moving to Vermont to go to school. I will drive with her from Colorado to Minnesota. Then I will fly from Minnesota to Boise, Idaho where I will meet up with my husband and kids at my sister in-laws house. Have I confused you yet? It is going to be a bit crazy but a very fun last vacation before school starts and summer is officially over.

I want to tell you about this great friend of mine. We met each other in fourth grade. We had been introduced during the summer, so when school started and we both saw a familiar face we migrated to each other and pretty much have been very close friends ever since. We went all the way through high school together. That means that we were friends through, all those junior high crazy days,high school crushes and heart breaks, going away to college, me getting married, her traveling the world, me having kids, to her living in Sacramento and working with my husband for three years. That is the longest that she has stayed in any one place since graduating from high school. When she moved here I thought it would be short. I tried not to get my hopes up but then it kept stretching out longer and longer. Then I got really used to having her close by. I could just stop by and see her, go out to breakfast with her, go on bike rides, she got to see my kids grow up some. My kids love her. She was with us every step of the way through the adoption. She has been a part of my family and now she will be gone. On the other side of the country.

I will miss her deeply. I am also very happy for her. I know that this is what God has for her and I am excited to see all that is going to happen in her life. On the other hand, there is going to be a very big hole in our lives. My son came to me in tears after hearing that she was leaving soon. He said that everyone was moving and he did not like it. My daughter has her own special name for her and does not like anyone else to call her by that name.

I am looking forward to spending two uninterrupted days on the road with my friend. I know that we will talk, laugh, eat good food, swim, and just enjoy the time we have together. We were told that we would most likely not be friends after high school. That most people lose touch. At that moment we decided that would not happen to us. Ten years later, is hasn't. And I know that it never will. One day we will be old ladies, sitting and talking about all the crazy things we have done together.

Tomorrow I leave to meet my friend. The next day my husband gets in that car for a nine hour drive with three kids all on his own. Pray that they make it safe, that the kids are good for him, and that they have a lot of fun.

Last weekend some good friends came to visit. They stayed with us for two nights and we all had a great time. The kids had so much fun playing and we all enjoyed the company. I am always so inspired when I spend time with these friends. They will be moving out of the country soon and so we were blessed to get to spend some time with them before they leave.

Their little girl is very close in age to my girl and they are like two peas in a pod. We were amazed at how similar they are. They spent most of the days in dress up princess dresses. They have stong emotions that go up and down quickly. They both suck their two middle fingers. They are the middle children in their families. And they got along really well. On the last day, just before they left they were cuddled up in a bed together laughing and giggling. I hope that they can remain friends for a long time. It seems that they have a special bond. Kind of how I feel about my friend. There are just some people that you feel a connection to right away. It is a special kind of friendship. One that I belive can stand the test of time, and of moving far away.

Sick girls

The baby has been sleeping through the night for awhile now so we decided to move her crib into the girls room that they will be sharing. I had mixed feelings about it. My room looks so empty and sad but at the same time it is nice not to share it with a child. The girl was very excited about sharing with the baby and seemed so grown up all of a sudden.

The girl woke up when I checked on her before I went to bed with a fever. I took her temperature and then went to bed. A little while later I checked on her again and she wanted to come to my room. So I made her a little bed on the floor next to me and we went to sleep. She woke me up a couple of times and was so pitiful. I hate it when my kids are sick. I feel so helpless to make them better. The sickness just kind of has to run its course. She was sad that she missed out on her first night with the baby but she is really to sick to care to much. She has watched tv for hours on end. She has hardly moved at all. She still has a temperature and I feel so sad for her.

The baby had shots yesterday and is running a low fever also and spitting up over and over. I hate shots. It just seems so wrong to take a perfectly healthy baby and make them sick but I know it will pass soon. She is 21 lbs and 11 oz. A big girl for sure. The doctor said she looks really healthy and is meeting all the milestones that she should be. I am so thankful for this.

So, today is the day that I stay at home with two sick kids. It is hard because I feel bad for them but am I a bad mom if I admit that one day with my daughter not going full force is kind of a nice break?

My Friday Moment by Moment

7:15AM Wake up and bring baby into bed with me.

7:20AM Daughter joins us and moves me aside so she can play with the baby

7:25AM Realize we have a lot to do this morning and get us all up and out of bed

7:30AM Help son make 10 english muffins with jelly and butter to bring to his class. Everyone eats breakfast, I make coffee

8:00AM Sip some coffee, help son get dressed with minor melt down about the choice of clothes

8:15AM Get self dressed, make-up, hair, all in record time.
Another sip of coffee

8:30AM Feed the baby a bottle while directing the rest of the family about where their snacks are, the sunscreen ect...

8:45AM The baby spits up all over, clean it up, worry about why she is spitting up so much lately. Get knots out of babies hair while fielding daughters questions

8:55AM Husband and son are out the door, put Curious George on for daughter, put baby in bouncy toy, heat up coffee that is now cold, make my breakfast and read some of the paper while eating

9:30AM Curious George is over, get ready to go to the mall, can't find daughters other shoe, run back into the house three times for forgotten items.

10:00AM Get to the mall, strap baby in front carrier, put daughter in stroller

10:10AM Look for shoes for daughter

10:30AM Ride merry go round

10:40AM Continue looking for shoes. Find very nice sales lady who helps her try on 10 pairs of shoes. Daughter is feeling very proud and big. Decide on the pink, sparkly, light up ones.

10:50AM Thank sales lady profusely for making my daughters day

11:00AM Get in car and drive to store to buy double stroller after carrying 20lb baby around the mall all morning.

11:15AM Take care of daughters melt down

11:30AM Try out lots of strollers

11:45AM Wait for them to check the stock for the color I want

12:00PM Still waiting and holding 20lb baby. Remember why the double stroller is a must.

12:20PM Finally buying stroller

12:30PM Thankfully the nice man is helping us to the car. I am hot, hungry, and my arms are aching

1:00PM Home and put on a show for daughter when I realize naps will not be happening today. Friend brings lunch over. Eat and chat. A nice break to my kid filled day

2:00PM Clean up house, hold cranky baby, change laundry

2:20PM Make a snack for daughter, change baby for third time due to lots of spit up

2:30PM leave to pick up son from last day of summer camp

2:45PM Pick up son who is having so much fun he is not very happy to see me

3:00PM Get home and put daughter down for a rest, son in his room for some quiet time and me and the baby hanging out catching up on blogs and email

3:30PM Daughter is not going to rest, baby spits up all over me and I am ready for my husband to get home.

4:000PM Call husband, he is about an hour away, not to bad. Very thankful that it is Friday.

4:30PM Finally get the baby to sleep and break up a sibling squabble.

5:00PM My husband is finally home. He helps me put together the new stroller and takes the kids off my hands so I can sit and read and eat a snack.

6:00PM Go downstairs and make crepes for dinner. I felt like making something special and it takes a little longer than I expected but they are good.

7:00PM Finish dinner, my husband starts getting the girls ready for bed and I read the Emerald City of Oz (the fifth or sixth book in the series of Oz books) out loud to my son as he finishes dinner. Then he gets ready for bed.

8:30PM The kids are finally asleep, even the baby, I lay in bed not able to move after a long week. Read for a little while get ready for bed.

9:30PM Go downstairs and check the house. Close up for the night. Take son to the bathroom.

10:00PM Read some more to fall asleep

10:30PM Go to sleep

Ground breaking

For those who do not know my husband is the owner of LJ Urban and they are working to build eco-urban houses. A couple of days ago they broke ground for the first time. It is very exciting for them and I am so proud of him. They set up these sit here signs on all of their project sites to get people thinking, dreaming, and excited about what is coming to their neighborhood. I think there are about 6 of them. We went last night to see them and the kids thought it was very cool. They really stand out and I think it is a great idea. The one picture is from the front and then the second is the back of it that you see sitting on the rock. The last picture is where the first phase of houses is going. It does not look like much right now but you can see where each house will go and get an idea of how it will look. I just thought I would share what my husband does and show you all how amazing he is. I am very proud of him.

My baby is six months old

Can this sweet girl really be six months old already? It does not seem possible. This girl. She is amazing. She is the sunshine in my day. The baby that I finally feel like I might have a handle on this parenting thing and I am enjoying babyhood. She is sitting up now, eating food, and trying to say da da. My husband is very proud. That has been all of our kids first word and it looks like it will be hers to. I am alright with it because now the other two say mama about 3,562 times a day and I can wait a little longer for another one to start saying it.

She is a true gift to us. I feel like I did not do anything to deserve such a great baby. It was like she was just handed to me out of nowhere just like a gift from a great friend. She adores her sister and brother and they adore her. They are eager to tell people that this is their sister with a great big grin on their faces.

They can make her giggle and laugh. They play with her and she is so happy. She is eating food with no problems. Whatever you give her, she eats. Sweet potatoes, great, peas, no problem, bananas, bring it on. She loves it all.

We get stopped in stores and restaurants all the time with people telling us how beautiful she is and happy. It is like the whole world knows that she is a very special girl. And she is.

Her hair is getting longer and I am having to learn how to do it and take care of it. It is a process of trial and error but I am getting the hang of it. Sometimes. I am not used to having to do anything with a babies hair but it is so curly and long. I might have to search out some wisdom from some women that know the tricks.

She is such a trouper. She just goes along with whatever we are doing and always with a smile on her face. She naps when she is tired, eats when she is hungry and is sleeping through the night almost every night now.

She is our little bird. When she was really little she made these little noises that sounded like a bird, so we call her our little bird. She is what we all revolve our lives around right now and it is good. She is a common bond that we all have. She is going to grow up knowing that her brother and sister think that world revolves around her and she will smile at them and their hearts will melt.

Our lives are so much better with our new addition. Our gift from God.

Links I am liking

this is a good one for movie ideas and things to do that go along with the movie

this one for fun kid things

This one for more ideas

And this one for finding out if a movie will be good for your kids

August

It is August and summer is in full swing around here. We have been very busy in a good way, doing fun summer things. Summer has always been a favorite time of mine. As a kid it was a time without school, playing with friends all day long, and swimming. Now it is a time when we do not have as much of a schedule and we can spend our days doing all those summer things. I love to swim. It is one of my favorite things to do. Now watching my kids love it to is so much fun. They love the water. My son learned to swim last summer but this summer he is so much stronger and more confident. My daughter has no fear. She cannot swim yet but she is not afraid to get her face in the water, jump in off the side of the pool or go down a water slide. It is really nice to be able to share that love with my kids.

We are at lake Tahoe for our summer vacation and there is a lot of swimming going on here. We went to the lake on Tuesday, the pool yesterday and today we plan on doing a small hike that will take us to a swimming hole. My husband is leaving with the kids tomorrow and I am staying here while some girlfriends join me for the weekend. I am really looking forward to that. It should be some crazy fun with six moms and no kids.

My son starts school in a month. I have very mixed feelings about that. He is so excited and I know he will love it but I am going to miss him. I am used to having him around all the time and it will take some getting used to. When school starts we will have much more of a routine and that will be good but for now we are living it up. Soaking in every last drop of summer and swimming as much as possible