Sugar, Sugar and More Sugar

Scott returned to work this morning (boo hoo!) and I have begun to unpack from our trip to Shreveport, Louisiana. Why is it that unpacking seems much more challenging than packing???? Perhaps it is because my organizational skills are lacking (very true!) or maybe it is because we tend to come back with many more things than we took (Nana and Popaw surprises!). Nevertheless, it is challenging.

We had such a great time having Scott around last week. We played, danced, made pancakes, spent time as a family, and through our normal daily routine out the window.

We also took the girls to Moody Gardens where they had a great time and...hold onto your chairs...Mary Ella actually touched the star fish. We have been to the aquarium MANY times and she always declined to touch, but this time she decided to do it. Addy Scott was so cute. She took in all of her surroundings and every time she saw the camera she gave me a big grin (already learning to pose!). That girl is so funny!

We left for Shreveport on Wednesday where Scott's parents were anxiously awaiting a good visit with the girls. Mary Ella had her endless supply of Lucky Charms, Twinkies, marshmallows and ice cream. Oh goodness, how am I ever going to bring her back to reality???? I'll admit it. I love Lucky Charms too, so I was a bit excited about that myself! They also spent some time with their cousins and had a ball!

We had a blast at our nephew's birthday party. Mary Ella loved bowling and singing karaoke. Oh my goodness, she loves the stage!

We also got to spend some time with the Sumlins. They are such precious friends and have wonderful kids. I can't say enough about these people. Kristy is my best friend and one of the strongest people I know. She is one of those friends you wonder how you ever lived without. We laugh together, cry together and, yes, sometimes misbehave together. Being friends with her has made me a better wife, mother, friend and person. The kids played and played. They got out Maggie's dance costumes and danced the night away. Don't worry Sumlins, we won't post all the pictures (wink wink), I'll save those for Kasch later. Aren't they so cute???

We also got to visit with Scott's Granny Rivers. It was such a great visit. She made us laugh with her wit and is doing so well since moving from Zwolle to Shreveport.

So now we are home reinstating the daily routine and normal eating habits. It was a busy, yet fun-filled week. I guess I better continue unpacking and getting back to reality. God Bless to all!

Ahhh...Giggles!

I am sitting here listening to my children giggle and play in Mary Ella's room. Ahhh...sibling harmony, perhaps the sweetest sound on Earth. This has become a new trend as Addy Scott is approaching her first birthday. Mary Ella is realizing she isn't just a baby that mommy takes care of. She is a game play'n, giggl'n fool when it comes to Mary Ella. What a true gift.

Just thought I'd share....

Yeah...vacation!

We are so pumped because Scott's vacation begins tomorrow! He is on-call tonight and will sleep tomorrow, but will be all ours for a whole week. It will be a nice break from his 80-90-100 hour work weeks and it is always a sweet time for our family to reconnect and recenter ourselves. So Yipee...Hooray...Woohoo! We are excited!

Addy has just begun eating wheat-based foods (2 days now) and all seems OK. We have to give it a full week to make sure she doesn't have a reaction, but we are hopeful. Her birthday is March 2nd, so I would love to be able to give her the dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free cake I know how to bake (it's actually pretty tasty!). This will not be possible if she can't tolerate wheat b/c of the flour. Otherwise, she will get a banana with a birthday candle! It'll make for a good story that way. She also has her two top teeth coming in. Boy, she has some choppers and gnaws on everything...including me. I try not to react because I have a feeling she could be a potential biter! I pray not!

Mary Ella has surprised us all by writing her name. She is so proud of this accomplishment and loves to show it off to her daddy. She still needs some cues here and there, but she can do 95% of the task by herself. I knew they had been working on it at school, but didn't realize how close she was until we sat down to play "school" the other day. I'm so proud of that little girl! I must say though, NO ONE prepared me for a 3 year-old girl. We are really struggling with some girly attitude requiring lots of consistency which can be challenging at times. It was a little cute at first, but the persistence of it has begun to wear me a little thin. As I say to myself often, this too shall pass....right?????

FYI- Scott will start sending out his Curriculum Vites beginning in March. Yes, it is time to begin looking for a job and a permanent place to reside. We hope to have the answer by October 2007 and he completes his residency June 2008. We know we will be led somewhere fabulous, so stay-tuned! I'm sure there will be great stories along the way.

Mini-me, Mini-Scott

OK, it is fairly obvious that Mary Ella looks like me and Addy Scott looks just like her father. It is also true in personality. Mary Ella is very much like me and Addy Scott is very much like her father. So I guess the two are named appropriately. As a result of Mary Ella's "Courtney traits" she and I tend to go head to head to see whose stubbornness will actually win out. I am still fairly successful at these attempts to discipline, but realize my day is coming when I might not be able to contain my composure. With that said, I've been meaning to tell this "blogworthy" story for a while and for some reason keep forgetting (again, the "fog of motherhood" excuse).

Mary Ella's excitement and impulsivity had gotten the best of her requiring an apology. I asked her to apologize and she quickly responded with a rather-emphatic/sassy "NO!". It was at that point I told her to go to her "time-out" chair and again, she refused. I then gave her "the choice" of time-out or a spanking (Something I rarely do. Usually by bringing out the spoon, desirable behavior magically reappears). Well, after much thought and pressure to make a choice she responded, "I want a spanking, BUT do it bery, bery gently...OK?" She proceeded to demonstrate just how gently I should do it. I tried not let her see me smile, but how do you respond to that? So I picked her up and put her in time-out where she was finally able to give a sincere apology. Despite how difficult it is at times, I do love the "spark" in her personality that is all her own. There is never a dull moment.

Addy Scott....the patty-cakin, mommy lovin, banana lovin baby that has a "spark" all her own. She does not let her sister overshadow her very often. If she wants something, she demands it. If Mary Ella does injustice (i.e. take a toy away) she lets us know immediately. However, there is NOTHING Addy Scott loves more than giggling at her sister's silly behavior. Mary Ella performs and Addy Scott is very content with being her audience (this is very Scott-like). Scott is a "quiet instigator". This provides for some very entertaining and loud moments around here.

Bananas about bananas

....and CHEERIOS! That is right. Addy Scott has tolerated Cheerios for 6 days without any sign of gut problems! Although oat-based, there is also some wheat in those little o's which means she is able to digest some sort of protein at the ripe age of 10 months! It also gives me something a little less messy to feed her since she likes to have full control of meal-time. That is as far as the independence goes. She still wants me in her sight more often than not and Mary Ella has caught on to this. It seems as though they both would like to be permanently attached to me at this point. It is loveable and sweet, but oh my goodness, there are definitely times I would like to have some of my personal space (I fully realize this is unrealistic at this point!).

Happy New Year...

Resident style!

Scott always volunteers for New Year's Eve call. Needless to say it was not a slow night. This was taken at 5:00pm on New Years Day. He just couldn't stay awake another minute!

We had a "Happy Birthday Jesus" party with our play group a little later than usual. Seems that winter cooties had taken over many of our group members causing a delayed celebration. Many were still not able to attend. They were missed!