Why Little Sisters Annoy Big Sisters......

So I was in the girls' room cleaning their closet this morning and I hear this...........

Maddelyn: (pushing Emma out the bedroom door) "Say Knock Knock Emma."

Emma: "Knock Knock"

Maddelyn: "No say Knock Knock can I come in?"

Emma: "Knock Knock can I come in?"

Maddelyn: "Say Happy birthday Maddelyn."

Emma: "Happy Birthday Maddelyn."

Maddelyn: "Would you like some cake?"

Emma: "Yep"

Maddelyn: "No say yes I'd like a bite."

Emma: "I'd like a bite."

Emma: "I want fries."

Maddelyn: "No we only have cake." "Say that's ok."

Emma: "That's ok."


So why again does Maddelyn need a playmate??? I think she can handle a two sided converstation pretty well on her own? And we wonder why Emma pester's Maddelyn? Hmm??? Or...why Emma is a slow at starting to talk? Well she never has to! Maddelyn tells her exactly what to say all the time! Being a younger sister myself I feel Emma's pain!!!

I will have to update on the girls' first Ballet class today with pics and explain why Emma is now moving on the gymnastics! LOL! Could have seen that coming! Grace? What Grace? She might have it for a middle name but she's a bit to rough to learn position one or how to keep her heels together and bend at the knee! My little ruffian! Enough for now! TWIN SALE in the morning! Woo-hoo!

Obsessive Complusive, Engine Belts, and a Baby!

ETA: Just wanted to add from the title WE ARE NOT PREGNANT!! Since everyone was wondering! See I knew what you were thinking!

Days like yesterday are the kind where you lay in bed at night and still can't understand what all went on and where the day went. The morning started out just fine and we did Maddelyn's school work just fine. The internet went out which normallly would not have been a big deal except I had to get an address off ebay to mail out an auction. So I fooled around with it for a while and then decided it would have to wait for Nathan to arrive since you know I'm oh so technically savy? So during nap time I decided to pull out the still-in-the-box photoshop to give it a wing. I was dying to get the program in MARCH and now in September. I finally decide to make myself sit still more than 5 minutes and give it a whirl. It all was going great, easy to figure out how to upload and store pics and even how to edit them. Well then I started to try to figure out how to used the "layers" to create cards (the reason I wanted it.) I thought I could figue it out in time to do Emma's b-day invites. Well, lets just say after lots of frustrations, nap time was over and I was more stressed after naptime than before the kids had gone to bed??? That didn't work. So I decided to destress a bit and hand mop the kitchen floors. I know...I know! Hubby said I was clinically insane for doing this, not beacuse I was hand mopping them, but because I did it to de-stress. This is why I self-diagnosed myself with OCPD...Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder. For all close family and friends read below the qualifications for the disorder. You'll be like...wow...that's Mandi! Nathan said he's going to find a dissorder on the web for him as well to make excuses for his wierdness! My friend said it's not a dissorder, it's just being a mom! Ok...here's the test

Rate each statement below on a scale of 1 to 4 as follows:
1 None or a little of the time
2 Some of the time
3 Good part of the time
4 Most or all of the time

1. I prefer things to be done my way. LOL? Is that even a question? YES!
2. I am critical of people who don't live up to my standards or expectations. sadly yes
3. I stick to my principles, no matter what. pretty much so
4. I am upset by changes in the environment or the behavior of people. I say traditions...Nathan says ruts!
5. I am meticulous and fussy about my possessions. yeah, kinda too much
6. I get upset if I don't finish a task. yep - why we're always late!
7. I insist on full value for everything I purchase. of course!
8. I like everything I do to be perfect. uhhh yeah
9. I follow an exact routine for everyday tasks. Brush Teeth, Take vitamins, Go Potty, Take contacts out, PJ's, set alarm, make the bed to get in it. (Nathan by this time has messed up the covers just getting into bed!)
10. I do things precisely to the last detail. yep
11. I get tense when my day's schedule is upset. Definitely
12. I plan my time so that I won't be late. Ok, this one is NOT me! Hate to admit that we're a late family but only beaucse I am running tryint ot use every last minute to get stuff done and can't put it away unfinished to get out the door in time.
13. It bothers me when my surroundings are not clean and tidy. For sure
14. I make lists for my activities. Yep, usually on my bathroom mirror
15. I think that I worry about minor aches and pains. Not really?
16. I like to be prepared for any emergency. (Aunt Donna this one made me think of you! Girl Scout??
17. I am strict about fulfilling every one of my obligations. yeppie yep
18. I think that I expect worthy moral standards in others. yep
19. I am badly shaken when someone takes advantage of me. yep
20. I get upset when people do not replace things exactly as I left them. LOL! Yeah!
21. I keep used or old things because they might still be useful. This would be more Nathan, if we don't use it pitch it! There's not space for it!
22. I think that I am sexually inhibited. odd question???
23. I find myself working rather than relaxing. Do I EVER relax??
24. I prefer being a private person. kinda
25. I like to budget myself carefully and live on a cash and carry basis. (can we say Dave Ramsey's cash-only-budget?)

I got an 81.......
25-45. Not compulsive or uptight.
46-55. Mildly O-C. Your compulsiveness is working for you, and you are successfully adaptive.
56-70. Moderately O-C. You are adaptive but uptightness has crept into your personality function, and you experience uncomfortable days of high tension.
71-100. Severely O-C. You are adaptive but quite uptight, insecure and driving hard.
The closer you are to the rating of 100, the nearer you come to playing brinkmanship at the ragged edge that borders on exhaustion of your adaptive reserve and a slump into depression.

So enough of my bunny trail...I say all that to say yep...OCPD for me! LOL!

So while mopping the floor, Nathan calls and says that his car has broken down AGAIN! Short story on this is that he bought a small car a few weeks ago to drive back and forth to work. Well a belt snapped last week so he had be towed to the shop to be fixed. They said it was a belt and we were on our way. But, it was still squeeling so he took it back. They said it was old rubber from the previous belt and it would wear off soon. Fine. Well, yesterday it "wore off" the old rubber and the new belt! So back to the shop, after 90 min wait on a tow and then the mechanic was at lunch so finally he says he'll replace the belt but there was no paper trail of the last repairs so we were liable! Uhh! Well at least until we take it back to the orignial shop. So 4 hours later he gets on the road home!

Since he was taking so long I had to have my mom pull the adress of the web for me so we could go to the post office, chiropractor's and then Sam's. For some reason Sam's took forever so it ended up being the kinda night were the kids got to pick their dinner from the freezer section at Sam's Club. (bad bad mom!) We finally get home and Nathan shortly after and then it's time for bed! Where did the day go? Oh, and by the way the internet problem that was over my head? Yeah the cable modem just had to be reset! Uhh!

I'll leave you with this.......
I saw this 3-D ultrasound pic on my sister-in-laws blog of my new niece (arriving mid January)
How anazing is this. It makes you take a whole new look at how God sees us in the womb before we're born! What a miracle as He hand stitches us together! Definitely makes you say How Great is Our God!! By the way, she's 23 weeks gestation so technically she's not viable outside the womb or at least would have a good fight if she were to arrive today. Amazing how perfect she is for 23 weeks! This verse came to mind.........

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalm 139:13-15

Are Fish Smooth or Soft?

This is the mini album that I promised I'd upload today. This one is currently on ebay, but I made one almost exactly like it for a friend (Dr. Megan) this week who is just about ready to pop! I think I have a couple more to make yet though! I love thse circle chipboard albums by Maya Roads!

I will save you all 16 pics of the album but if you want so see more of this pregnancy journal you can check out my auctions at http://tinyurl.com/yumrxe

So I think we have some sickies here tonight! Uhh! Flu season has begun! Rumbly bellies, runny noses and a small miracle? I actually told Maddelyn that I could not hear her and to speak louder (she is losing her voice.) Ok, not a miracle but definitely a oddity in our home!

Speaking of ODD things in our home......... phrases I cought myself saying today:

-Don't lick your sister!

- Quit pulling your hair out!

- Maddelyn I can't hear you.

- Glue sticks are NOT for painting.

- Emma is that your 4th outfit today?

Odd Questions I was asked today....

- Mom, when you get old will you have ugly stuff on your face and then you can buy special stuff for it to make it nice? WHAT????? I guess the babysitter was explaining cover up to her this weekend!

- Mom, when we get a new house, can we get a clean garage to go with it and we can put our car in it? (just wanted to add we were watching a HGTV's home buying show and they were touring a potential house's garage.)

-Can we stay up until the show is over...please?(Ok this one is funny because it was again while watching HGTV's Design to Sell show. Lately she has been all into home remodeling/decorating) :D

-Are fish smooth or soft?

Yep, life is NEVER boring in a home with pre-schoolers!

Why Can't Spider's be Like Koala Bears?

Our girls just LOVE the Nature Center on Wed mornings. This past Wed Daddy got to come with us on his way to his 1/2 day at work. He couldn't have picked a better week to go with us since the theme was spiders. Now don't get me wrong, I love the beauty in God's greation of fly catchers, but why did he have to create such a creepy thing to do that job? Couldn't he have made something more like a horse or a koala bear, something cute and non-freaky to do that job? Nope...he had to make a spider. So on this moring to honor and learn all about the spider....Daddy helped out alot! :D The hands-on part of the day was catching spider webs by spraying them with spray paint and then sticking them on black paper. Great! But to do that you had to shew the spider off her web. These aren't tiny little daddy long legs. No! They are half dollar sized freaky spiders! So my brave little girls were right by daddy's side as he shewed the spiders away and captured their webs. Yep, I'm a proud momma, but that proud momma stayed on the path. Nathan said the only reason I even came out for it was that I was too ashamed to have the other 3 and 4 year olds show me up! I can handle it I think? Well maybe until snake day? I think on that day mommy will have a sudden headace come on that will result in having to rest in the van? LOL!

Maddelyn's web that Daddy helped her spraypaint and then put on paper. She was so proud!

The guy is feeding a spider here. Yes, he actually threw a worm into the spider's web and the kids stood there and watched her spin it up and eat it! Yep...see how FAR back the picture was taken from the spider that was being fed? There was a reason for the distance on this shot!

Caroline in her Maya Wrap

I just loved this picture and how is shows that our older two are totally Daddy's girls. Thank goodness I'm still nursing Caroline so she's a Momma's girl, but when we wean...instant Daddy's girl! Uhh!

We were able to go to Malabar Farms' Heritage Days this weekend with the girls. They got a kick out of the horse rides and wagon rides, but were pretty leary of the musket loaders practicing thier shots. I got this adorable dried flowers hanging for my front door and now everytime you come in the house you can smell Fall! DEFINITELY worth $5 just to constantly smell Fall!

Maddelyn on her long awaited wagon ride.

The girls on their horse rides. For some reason I don't have a picture of Maddelyn close up like Emma? Maybe it's still on the camera?
Of course we had to take a few Fall pics with such a beautiful backdrop! I LOVE Fall pics before it gets cold enough to have to bundle everyone up! Ohio' cold weather Fall layers kinda hides the cute kids!

Sorry for the long post but I have even more pics to share of a new project but I'll post that later since this post has drug on enough!

This Made My Week...

Ok, so I am NOT alone in this world of .....how-am-I-going-to-keep-them-alive-until-they're-18? There are other moms out there just like me! I got this link off of one of the Gymboree loops and seriously see myself in about 5 more years!!! It was VERY scary but hilarious at the same time because I have done, said, felt almost everything she said. I wonder if Maddelyn and Emma were used in the making of this story. I guess not since it was a real mom and her real life experince shopping with 6 kids.

Ok, short story is while shopping with her 6 young kids one snuck a pack of cards in the cart and she ended up buying them. So, in return she sold them on ebay and told the story. I laughed and laughed. You MUST READ this one!!!!!! If you have any mommy friends pass it on! LOL!!!!!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130144061675#description

Here's her blog... http://www.mom2my6pack.blogspot.com Seriously this lady makes me feel normal! She needs to write a book!

ETA: Okay I checked out her blog and she IS writting a book and was even interview by a TV show after the auction. Her blog is just as hilarious and she updates it frequestly. I will definitely be adding it to my favorites just to give myself a daily reminder that I'm not alone!!!!

What a Home with Preschoolers Looks Like.....

When I was first pregnant with Maddleyn I never would have imagined what a glimpse into our home 4 1/2 years later would look like. It's one of those things they don't tell you in the instruction manual you get with a new baby (haha!)

What a home with Preschooler's looks like.....
1. Having to move a basket's worth of toys out of the bathtub before you can get a shower.
2. The dinner attire for lunch is leotards and tu-tu's.
3. Our home goes through more peanut butter and jelly than most homes do laundry detergent.
4. I am ready to buy stock in Tide.
5. The front glass door grows magical fingerprints 5 minutes after each cleaning.
6. Going to bed is now a "routine"?
7. One of the most popular topics for the past several YEARS has been: do you have to go potty, did you go potty yet, and all other things related to the topic.
8. The words "I don't want to play with you anymore!" Can cause a river of tears and then always leads to fighting.
9. We can tell you just what cleaner works best to get crayon/grape juice/playdough off just about any surface.
10. I know more of the story line on Disney, Nick Jr., and PBS than I do prime time TV.
11. The Social event of the week is playgroup.
12. I can't tell you the last time I did something that wasn't for kids, about kids, or with mom's of other kids?
13. We never make it past the children's section of most stores.
14. You get Hannah Montana songs stuck in your head.
15. It's a toss up between a new morgage and a years worth of digital print processing (haha!)
16. You now know that one can get a pair of kid scissors stuck in your hair without snipping a single stand (Emma was praising God I'm sure!)
17. There are arguments over who get's to say the blessing over dinner.
18. You wash more clothes in one week than the total amount of clothes you owned in high school!
19. There are toys in EVERY room of your home (yes even laundry room and our bed room??)
20. There is NEVER a dull moment in your home, but in the same token you've NEVER laughed so hard in your life!

8 months already!

I can't believe it was already time to take Caroline's 8 months pictures! She was aweful trying to get pictures this month! As soon as I would set her down and back up to take the shot she would be on her knees, crawling out of my viewfinder! The shots I did get of her, she wasn't looking! Huh! So frustrating! I guess next time I need back-up entertainers to keep her attention for at least 3 seconds! Just when I finally got Emma to the age that she'll take pictures at Sears...now Caroline is in that wiggle stage! Huh! So basically I'm going to have problems with pictures until they are at least 16? LOL!

I have a few pictures from our weekend away as well....

I just love this outift on her! So cute in red and that hat! LOL! Daddy has a little tradition with his girlies that he lets them ride on the luggage cart. Well since she can't hold on by herself yet...he did it with the Bumbo. We got lot's of smilies wheeling her down the hotel hallways.

My Best Friend Alicia's Mom sent Miss Caroline this gift and I promised I post pics of her in it it.....so there ya go Miss Joye! :D Isn't she a doll in it! THANKS!!!!

Here are a few from the Yankee Peddler Festival.....what fun!!

Keeping Busy

This past weekend Nathan and I got to take a night away (with Caroline of course!) We spent the night in Akron...gotta love those Hilton Honors points, and then headed over to the Yankee Peddler Festival Saturday morning. http://www.yankeepeddlerfestival.com/ Definitely and AWESOME time! The basic gist is that it's acres and acres of people in period (18th century) costumes, period craft booths, re-enactors, and craft demonstrations. VERY COOL! Nathan even had fun...so you know it's not just a craft show! Afterwards we stopped by the outlet malls and checked out the sales. I'm always amazed at how cheap The Children's Place Outlet is! I got a huge bag of winter clothes for the girls and nothing was over $3.50! Can you tell by my recent posts that I have kinda a weekness/habit with kids clothes? LOL!

Nathan left this morning for a couple of days. He is in DC for the Vet's for Freedom rally in DC. http://vetsforfreedom.org/ The summary of the event is Nathan, along with tons of other OIF and OEF vets (Iraq and Afganistan) are metting up on the Hill in DC to not only meet their congressmen, but to rally support for our troops and for a PROPER resolve in Iraq. This meeting was timed to coincide with Gen. Petraeus' speech last week on how the surge in Iraq was going. The Vets have now gone to tell their congressman their point of view on what things are really like over there and how crucial it is to finish what we started.

Of course Nathan was like a little kid getting ready to go last night. He called today and said that he will be able to sit in on a classified briefing in the White House this week! Yep, made his day! He'll return Tuesday night and then off to work Wednesday morning. The girls and I are going to have a normal week with homeschool, errands, and of course lots to do around here. With three little ones, a day's work is never done!

First Fall Pic in Long Sleeves!

Yep, Fall is here! The past few days it's been a high of like 65! So needless to say we've been switching out closets all week. It's so fun pulling out all the clothes I picked up on clearance last year and putting them in their closets! I took some cute kido pics last night in the yard. They had on one of the FEW matching outfits that they own, so I had to take a picture! I found out that Carter's stocks 3mo -6x in the same items! Woo-hoo! We can still match. Ok, I know they might think it's dunb soon, but for now I just love having all three girls match. Corny I know! He are a few pics. Yes, that's me in the reflection of the front door! LOL! I didn't see it until I posted it here. The last picture is of the front of our home. Maddelyn needed a picture of it for her school work, so I thought I would post it on here for all of my out-of-state friends!

Busy Bees!

Well that's been us all week! Busy lil' Bees! We started school with Maddelyn as I mentioned the other day, and it's going better than it had. She now wants to do it and not just look longinly at Emma playing in the floor beside us. This week we studied about Creation and the Sun and Moon. I kinda chuckled when her curriclum said to go over how the moon revolves around the earth and the earth around the sun. I was thinking there was no way she'd get it. Well she did! She told Grandma later that day that the moon goes away sometimes because the people on the other side of the Earth see it! WOW! She's 4! LOL!

We also started Caroline on juice and she loves it! Who wouldn't right after having only smashed green beans and squash! LOL! So as of now she's getting babyfood at lunch with juice and then at bedtime she gets babyfood and cereal mixed and of course still nursing. Maybe the extra will help her chunck up a bit? Doubt it!

I also went on a wee bit of a shopping spree at Gymboree! I know you're thinking I spent a ton. Well actually the prices were cheaper than going into Walmart or Target to buy fall clothes! I'm just so tickled I had to share a few of my favorites! Oh, the sale still going on inthe stores and at Gymboree.com plus there is another 20% off of that!

$7.99

$7.99

Both Shirts were $5.49

That's enough for now. I should be working on the cleaning that got behind this week. Nathan is at guard this weend so that gives me plenty of time today...if I get off of here!

Oh, funny story, when I went to get the girls us this morning, Emma had pushed Maddelyn's toddler bed to the other side of the room and used it to get on top of their chest of drawers and then reached a shelf on the wall. She then was able to get all the Strawberry Shortcake decorations off the shelf (my shoulder height) and bring them down to play with! UH!!! What am I going to do with this monkey?

Still Here!

Yeah, I know....I've been slacking! But, with Summer coming to an end and starting homeschooling Maddelyn's preschool this week.....blogging has kinda been put on a back shelf. I also have been listing lots of children's clothing on ebay as well. Some they have outgrown and some new things. Just trying ot get ready for all of the Fall and winter clothing that we'll have to buy! LOL! It's amazing how much fuller a 7 month old's closet is than mine? I honestly think she has more shoes than me! LOL! I think that has something to do with my love for baby shoes?

I also finished my Design Team stuff for 2 Sassy Scrappers this week (another reason I have been MIA.) So I thought I'd share those with you. This month was a bit of a stretch because it was with Creative Imaginations and Bazzill's new Pazzazzill paper. I used the black and white line for this month's kit and tried to show several different ways to use it. This paper line is meant to be a step up from regular cardstock and is to be used with all your different patterned papers. So here are my projects from this month's kit.........

We spent the Holiday Weekend camping with my parents, brother, and his three children. The girls had a blast spening cousin time. They don't get to do that too often which is sad since we are only about 50 minutes away. With being married to a politician in the making, this might be the closest we ever live to them!

Gotta love the "I Love Mom" shirt! Can's tell who bought that for her???

Just when you thought she was all sweet and such....the TRUE Emma comes out! LOL!

My Dad's newest toy for himself....I mean the grandkids! A wagon with an additon. Yep, and he even has it rigged up with a flag inthe back and to hold umbrellas for the sun! I know only one kid in the wagon in this pic, but with a majorly pampered 9 year old dog...she needs a ride on long walks sometimes too!

LOVE this picture showing her two new teeth! Did I tell you she's crawling now? Yep, she's mobile and in that "human vaccum cleaner" stage! She can find invisible things on the carpet!