Happy Birthday to me!

Honestly, Scott and I do very low key birthday's for ourselves, especially since having the kids. My mother asked me what we were going to do this year and I had to ask her what day it fell on. Someone also asked me how old I was going to be and I actually had to go back and calculate. Then someone asked me a couple of days later...the same question...again, I had to go back and calculate. It is not that I feel insignificant, it is just that the busyness just tends to take over and, well, my memory isn't all that great to begin with :). HOWEVER, today, I was the birthday princess not because I insisted on it, but because Mary Ella insisted on it. Everything she did was for my birthday. From several spontaneous hugs, kisses, and "happy birthdays" to my birthday present she made for me outside:

Sure, I had baby spit-up all over my black shirt (you should never wear black with snotty, spitty children anyways), smelled like sour milk, and was mopping today, but I was the birthday princess. To her, I was seen as perfect and beautiful. Addy added her renditions of "Happy Birthday" to the mix all day going something like this:

"appy burday to ya, appy burday....."

Truly, it was too cute. Molly expressed her birthday wishes with several sweet smiles and coos and Scott is getting someone to help me with the "deep cleaning" of the house....what a great man he is!!! So here's to being crowned princess for the day. Now the bed is calling my name....maybe I'll get to sleep in tomorrow morning...hee! hee!

Just Ignore

Just ignore the formatting in the post below. I did it over several days and for some reason, it won't fix, no matter how many returns and edits I try to do. The content is there. I guess that is what counts, right???

Christmas (sniffle, sniffle)

Two out of three ready for church

We had a nice, quiet (sort of) Christmas at home....our last down here on the coast. My brother, Robin, joined us and left with our cold. I'm not too sure how many tissues we went through, but it was a lot and at the service Addy filled the quiet sanctuary with many "yeas", "happy birthdays" and "ho ho ho ho ho hoooos". I got up to take her out at one point and a sweet lady behind me said, "don't you dare take her out! That is the most wonderful sound in the world." I just wanted to hug her neck right there. What a sweet thing to say. After the service we came home to prepare the kiddos for bed. Mary Ella was very concerned Santa wouldn't come because Robin was sleeping in the living room next to the chimney, but we assured her he would come. Mary Ella graciously shared her reindeer food with Addy and she prepared the plate of specially made cookies (I hope Santa has a good immune system). We put them out and Mary Ella put a blanket underneath the plate so crumbs wouldn't get on the table...oh yes, she is my child. I guess she assumed he was a messy eater. Mary Ella's carefully thought-out plan required a last minute adjustment when Addy realized these cookies were not for her consumption:















This was not a pretty scene. Plan aborted!

Santa was very good to Mary Ella finally satisfying her desire to be a rock star. She got a guitar and the Island Princess Barbie. Addy enjoyed a Mickey Mouse ride toy with storage in the seat. I think the storage is her favorite part because I keep finding random things stuffed inside. Santa was really smart and brought Molly some diapers. Guess he knows she goes through a lot!

My little rock star. From the time she could, she was making musical instruments out of anything.

Addy insisted on being pushed.

The girls and their uncle "wobin"

Scott enjoying the bath foam during bathtime. He has so much more tolerance of getting messy and wet during bathtime than I do.

One of the sweeter moments. Addy enjoys a good back scratching. She will plop herself in the middle of the floor saying, "scratch, scratch". I heard Mary Ella say, "here Addy I'll do that for you." Too sweet!

Overall, it was a wonderful Christmas. Three nights we piled the girls in the car in their pajamas to go look at Christmas lights and listen to Christmas music. It was so much fun and a nice way to wind down in the evenings.


With Christmas come and gone, the countdown for the big move is on. We are compiling our list of "to dos" in order to have this house on the market in February. This is where all my nesting that took place during the pregnancy has come in handy. Although there is still much to be done, we have already cleaned out so much. The people at Goodwill will know me by name pretty soon, I'm sure. I think the big challenge will be keeping this place picked up while having it on the market. We'll see how successful we are at that!

Christmas Truth

Well, I feel like we have successfully refocused and in an effort to do just that I pulled out a book of poetry that was once my Mimi's. Mimi was an incredibly spiritual woman who as James Dillet Freeman wrote, "had the heart of a poet." When she passed away my junior year in college we found and opened her worn Bible. In it were notes written all over the pages giving us even more insight into her thoughts, her heart, her SPIRIT. I can only hope my Bible looks like that one day. No, Mimi didn't believe Christianity was all about memorizing and quoting scripture....it was an experience...a journey that filled her heart with joy. Her favorite christian poet was the man mentioned above, James Dillet Freeman. I have one of the many books she had collected by him and in it is this poem.

CHRISTMAS TRUTH

What tale is lovelier or stranger

Than that of God's birth in a manger!

Had I on that first Christmas Eve

Been sent to find Him, I believe

I would have sought in the temple or

Gone knocking at the palace door;

To think to look in a stable yard

To find my God would have been hard.

But if God may be found in a stable stall,

I may not be too mean or small

To give Him birth. I may in me

Discover a divinity.

To find God in the least of things-

This is the hope that Christmas brings.

Christ from His manger cries to the lowly

The truth that every man is holy.

So Merry Christmas to all of my family, friends and anyone else who may read this. There is Divinity in each one of you and my prayer is that you will see it and feel it too.

Christmas Preparedness

Tis the season to be.....busy? Wow! Who would have thought I'd have to hire a babysitter as my own Christmas present to get things done around here???? Taking all three out is definitely something I try to avoid like the plague (mainly with the younger two). There are a few places that are off limits such as the post office (I am just now realizing the ease of "click n ship"), any place without a large basket, and places that do not have enough room for double strollers (any shop you can think of). If I go to the grocery store with them, only a few items can go in the basket because Molly's car seat is either taking 95% of the space or Addy gets a hold of all the boxes and begins opening them screaming for a "nack" (snack). And why is it they just have to put all the fun, sugary cereals right at their eye level???? They know us moms will do almost anything not to walk around with a screaming toddler. Whew! The juggle can be challenging and I am definitely becoming more creative in ways to keep everyone on an even keel around here. I have finally gotten all the teacher gifts, family gifts, cards, and so on out of the way. Now my plan is to breath and to start making everything pretty for our Christmas at home. I have found it contradicting to continually remind our oldest daughter what Christmas is really about when I haven't modeled it very well in all my busyness. It is like saying, "Here honey, remember what we celebrate on Christmas, but I need you to entertain yourself for the rest of the day so I can make your Christmas really special, ok????" My goal over these next few days before Christmas is to really focus on our children instead of the preparation.

Mary Ella also had her end of the year programs. They sang at a retirement center and had a performance for the parents. It was so cute. However, during the performance at school I noticed a very stiff look on Mary Ella's face. I thought, "Maybe she's being shy....". After the performance she immediately took off her paper Santa hat. I had her put it back on just to get a snap shot of the cutie. Later that day I discovered cuts above her ears and she told me the Santa hat was hurting her. Poor thing, like a true performer, endured the pain to get through the show. I felt so sorry for her. She had so looked forward to showing me her moves practicing almost nightly, then couldn't go all out. Of course, I thought she did a great job anyways.

Me and my "first" baby. Ugggh, could she really be starting kindergarten next year?

Proudly posing

Addy ended the week with four bruises on her head and sick for the last day of school. The nerve of her getting sick....didn't she know I had too much to do for her to be sick???? As far as the bruises....the kid is a dangerous climber. I put things up further away and she just tries to climb higher. Just this weeks she has:

1. been found in the bathroom sink sucking toothpaste out of the tube

2. brushing her teeth with Mary Ella's toothbrush

3. Marked all over her arms with a marker

4. dumped a water bottle on the couch

5. found and opened a poopy diaper in the trash

6. fallen off the toilet 3 times (once taking the shower curtain with her)

7. started the dishwasher about 10 times

8. hung on the oven door while I was cooking

9. unspooled scotch tape

10. Rubbing her dad's deodorant all over her face...ewwww!

Trust me, there is more. I just don't have time to write all day.

The kiddos also got to see Santa. Mary Ella was the oldest one there and when we left I got lots of questions and comments including:

"Why did Santa leave through the kitchen...that's silly!"

"Why did Santa not have his glasses on???"

"Did you see Santa's BIG FAT belly???"(I thought you'd like that one Ashley!)

Oh yes, I get more questions a day than are in a couple of Jeopardy episodes.

Our attempt at a family picture

Don't you think Santa needs three girls of his own???

Molly is smiling and cooing more and more. Sometimes I forget she's at that age still treating her like a newborn, then she flashes a big smile on her face reminding me she's already growing up. She's also developed her little baby acne. It looks so cute...... when your a baby.

If this doesn't make you smile, I don't know what will.

I've reached a few milestones of my own that are actually funny. This last weekend I bought my first pair of black dress shoes in NINE years. No lie people. I've worn the same black dressy sandals for NINE years. Now I'm stylin a pair of peek toe pumps!' Yes, I'm movin' up in the world. Now, this next one is a milestone I would rather not admit to, but here it goes. I now own foundation. Sure I experimented with it as a teenager, but went to pressed powder only by my senior year. So what sent me to the store???? Everyone telling me how pale and tired I looked. I guess the age is showing, so I did it. I now put on foundation to hold the color in my face and make the ever increasing lines less visible. As my friend Jillian said, "look good, feel good." Life is funny that way.

I'll try to post again before Christmas, but if I don't Merry Christmas!

All is right....

with our little world...

1. Molly Kate has been sleeping 8-9 hours all week...CHA CHING!

2. Molly is smiling and cooing more and more. She reserves most of these moments for her sisters (when she's not getting bonked on the head by a random flying object).

3. The tree is decorated although we do have some blank spots thanks to little hands. I've had to get over my desire for symmetry...I'm just hoping the tree stays standing at this point.

4. Addy is using two word phrases more and more and is beginning to put endings onto words.

5. Mary Ella has been practicing her songs for her Christmas program...hand motions and all. I can't wait to see it. I'm sure my post-partem self will be emotional. Proud tears are the best!

4. Last, but definitely not least (according to Scott), LSU squeezed into the playoffs (It's a Louisiana Christmas miracle!)

Now let me tell you how this LSU thing went down at our house. We run a very tight ship at night around here. I'm not much on routine/schedules, except when it comes to night time. It is very important that I get the kiddos to bed in a timely manner. This could be perceived as selfish, but it takes time to shut this house down at night...a good hour at least (toys picked up, kitchen clean, no wet clothes in the washer...this one sometimes gets overlooked, but you get the point) and I like to get in bed at a decent time. So yes, for me to keep my sanity, the night routine is a "must". Now, on to the story....When LSU lost to Arkansas surrendering any hope of a National Championship, or so we thought, Scott must have said..."I just can't believe they lost that game" a hundred times. Later that weekend, he said, "there still is a chance if Mizzou and West Virginia lose...there's a chance." Usually I'm the one playing the Pollyana role, but this was a little far fetched. I smiled and rolled my eyes saying,"don't hold your breath." Well, the next weekend rolled around, it was 10:15pm. I was trying to settle for sleep and wouldn't you know Scott's scenario began becoming a reality? He was jumping around on the bed like the true LSU fan he is and I was asking him to tone it down like the true tired mommy I am. In the end I was just as excited as he was, well maybe not that excited (sleep was still more important) He must have checked every poll and listened to every commentator that Sunday making sure all believed, as he did, that LSU should be "the one." Bottom line...I have one happy husband.

I told ya

Here comes "trouble"....This is what I found when I finished the post below. This is why I have trouble returning emails and phone calls. I've got a 60 second limit before something like this happens :).


Try picking spaghetti noodles up. They break into about 10 pieces every time you try to gather them up. All on top of laundry fresh from the dryer.
Our living room floor was picked up and free of toys before I sat down at the computer. It seems as though Addy has one philosophy when it comes to toys...dump, spread, and move on to something else.....I call them "Addy bombs" How can you fault a curious kid??? The answer...YOU CAN'T!

Less than productive

Oh yes, there are so many things I need to be doing besides sitting at my computer, yet here I sit in my pajamas...it is 11am. The laundry baskets are overflowing (despite being empty a couple of days ago), Scott is outside doing the house lights (sweating I might add....it is 80 degrees and muggy outside), and Molly is attempting to cry herself to sleep. Again, here I sit blogging and attempting to return emails sent over this last week (I'm getting there).

Here is Addy. She (rather deservingly) acquired the nickname "trouble" over Thanksgiving because she somehow is able to get herself into binds and other situations that defy any reason. Notice the big bruise on her on the left side of her forehead? It was a goose egg the size of a grape last night. I often joke saying..."why would I need boys?" because my two girls wrestle, race and compete with the best of them. She and Mary Ella were doing just that last night when our little accident prone girl once again ran smack into the door frame while trying to beat Mary Ella into the bathroom. They play hard which sometimes creates A LOT of noise around here. Most of the time I'm thankful that I have that noise, but sometimes, I'll admit, I do crave some quiet time. Addy has also shown us that the old "soap in the mouth" discipline won't be useful for her. She has come out of the bathroom several times this week licking the soap off her hands smiling and blowing bubbles at the same time. I laugh when we aren't supposed to be somewhere, but when I find her sitting in the sink with soap pumped all down the front of her just as we are headed out the door for school, well, you can imagine it wasn't that funny (especially since I'm running late all the time these days).



We've been getting the Christmas decorations out all week. The excitement is building for Mary Ella. It is so hard to temper that with perspective at 4 1/2 years old. Everything that is advertised on tv she says she wants. I said, "Mary Ella, you are only going to pick 1-2 things, so what do you want from Santa?" She said, "He can get me anything princessy, ok?" Oh goodness, we are in for it. We are also instating a tradition for her to pick out toys she no longer plays with to give away as well as picking out a couple of new toys before Christmas in an effort to teach her about giving and also to clean out things that are just taking up space.


Molly is responding to us more and more. She's even smiling a little. She looks so much like Mary Ella and is already fitting into the little Christmas nighty that Addy wore at NINE MONTHS. She's hit a healthy 10 pounds! She is getting the nickname "rock star" because the novelty of her presence has surprisingly not worn off. Everytime she wakes up the girls get so excited and run to the door. Addy yells "Moyee Ka, Moyee Ka, Moyee Ka" (Molly Kate) over and over again. Little Molly Kate will never know personal space with all the hugs and kisses she gets from her sisters. The GI doctor saw her this week and wants me to attempt nursing again, so I've been working to get all the dairy out of my system that I acquired from cheating at Thanksgiving and will attempt to return to nursing this week. If it doesn't work out, which I honestly suspect it won't, we will return to the Neocate. Having us all on different diets is time consuming and, let's face it, time management is something I'm still working on since having this third one.