cootiful

Emily and Dallas often play these pretend games together.  I am always amazed as toddlers are supposed to play independently or have parallel play, but they do interact a lot.  They play shopping or what I call museum almost every day.  This involves special footwear.  One is usually wearing the Cinderella high heels, the other in sparkley flip flops, although today it was ballet shoes.  They each have a purse, a baby or stuffed animal, and sometimes a shopping basket.  Emily and Dallas then walk around the house and point out stuff to each other. 

Emily "oh look at that, did you see that"
Dallas " Ohhhhhhh that's coo-tiful"
Emily "yes, I thought you would like that, did you see these beads"
Dallas "Ohhhhhhhhhhhh THAT's coooo-tiful"

Dallas has made the perfect new word by combining cool and beautiful, who has time to say both?

Dreading Friday

Normally I can't wait for Friday, but this is going to be a tough one. 

Rob is leaving with Greg and the Chevelle. And that is what I am worried about.  We will survive without Rob/dad.  I seem to fill the days and find fun things for us to do to take our minds off missing him.  I am concerned about the Chevelle leaving.  It has been in our garage five days so far and Dallas has begged me to lift him up to the window to see "daddy's Chevelle" hundreds of times.  Fits insue if I don't indulge him.   The conversations coming and going from the house revolve around the "white Chevlle, say goodbye to the Chevelle, that's daddy's Chevelle, and a little mommy's van" thrown in to even things out.  I think this kid might fall apart.  The guys are thinking of leaving pretty early, early enough that Dallas won't be up to see them off.  The car might be loaded on the trailer Thursday night, so we will see what he thinks about that.  If he was older, and had the stamina, I would suggest that he go with them.  But 12 plus hours a day strapped into a 5pt harness is probably not the best vacation for a 2 year old. 

While you can follow TMCP and facebook for the journey to New Mexico.  Stay tuned here for a screaming 2 year old, missing his friend.

Update:
The separation went well.  Dallas was up at the crack of dawn, so he had time to say good morning to Uncle Greg, and see the Chevelle on the trailer, hooked up to Greg's truck.  There was also snow, good think Rob decided not to load it the night before.  We spent a little time at the window saying goodbye, and the guys went to the end of the block to turn around and drive back by so we would have one last look.  I have shown Dallas a couple of pictures of the car along the way that Rob has sent me.  Now when we leave and come back to the house and the garage goes up he talks about daddy's truck, and the Chevelle getting fixed. 

Yesterday we ran out to Target to get some diapers for the little girl.  Our Target has just been remodeled, everything it turned around inside, so we had a good look-see at everything.  Last night was a rough night.  Dallas was up several times, I think he was on the verge of having a croupy cough.  He is running a little fever today.  Noelle is back to sleeping poorly.  I had almost a week of niceness, putting her down at 6:00 pm, feeding her at 10:30 and 3:00 am or just 1:00 am.  The last two nights have been down at 6:00, cry at 8:00, cry at 11:00, cry at 1:30, sleep until 5:00 am.  Last night I let her cry for 40 minutes until 2:10am.  I am tired!  I actually got a coffee on our donut run this morning.  I asked for decaf, as even that effects me with the little caffeine it contains, I think they forgot and gave me regular, because I currently don't feel tired.  After our donut run we headed out to Theisen's to check out the baby chicks and ducks!  Emily and I think that the sandbox might be a good place for a duck, we just need to add some water.

March through the years

 March 2011

 March 2010

 March 2009

 March 2008

 March 2007

March 2006

Enjoy random picks from previous March's, trying to redeem my latest several posts that were picture free!

Spring Cleaning, 8

I am done, at least I am stopping.  The living room, is lived in all the time, so there is only so much I can manage.  Of course by now the bathrooms need regular cleaning again....  I can return to bloggy blogging more fun stuff.

food prices

Has anyone else had sticker shock the last couple trips to the store? 
My usual pack of Romain Hearts have been $5.99 (usually 1.99), and fresh spinach is 4.99!  Even regular iceburg lettuce is $1.99.  Did I miss some weird weather or freeze in CA? At least chx was on sale...

Spring Cleaning, 7

Dining Room, check
Kids Room, check
My room, check

This leaves the nursery, living room, and kitchen....
The kitchen only needs to have the lazy suzans wiped out.  I am requesting someone clean and organize a little sewing station for me in the basement.  It would make a great birthday present!

Spring Cleaning, 6

I have been cleaning all morning, but nothing to check off my list.  I have gotten the ADD cleaning bug and am fluttering from room to room without any system. 

I did get the windows, baseboards and blinds wiped down in the kids, living room and dining room.  I tried decluttering and organizing as well as I could in the kids br, but it turned into playtime with everything thing I moved.  I think I can cross that room off the list as soon as I vacuum it and wipe down the ceiling fan, same goes for the dining room. 

I am going to go try to wash one of my curtains that says Dry Clean only in my washer.  It is already ruined since my dog decided to put his teeth marks in it a year ago.  And yes it was still hanging.  I obviously need new curtains, or somehow need to fix this one.  I thought of sewing a coordinating fabric along the bottom edge.  Thoughts?

Still here cleaning

I know you are all wondering how I am living in my half clean house!  I was having Spring Break fever or envy, and convince Rob mid-week that we should take advantage of his status as self employed.  I booked a night at Adventureland Inn, and he took Thursday morning off to play with us!  If anyone is looking for a get away, it was pretty reasonable for one night, plus they have $30 of coupons on the website.  We left Wednesday afternoon around 4:45 and headed for DSM.  We ate at the restaurant connected to the Bass Pro Shop, nothing fancy, but lots to look at.  I would recommend the Hot Donut Holes for dessert, it came with raspberry dipping sauce.   After dinner we went to check into our room and get suited up.  Adventureland Inn has three indoor pools and two hot tubs, one pool has zero depth entry, a kiddie slide, and a couple of fountains.  After we swam it was time to try bedtime.  We have been pretty lucky in our recent hotel stays to always have a suite, meaning we can shut the door to the kids and not have to go to bed at 7:00 ourselves.  This was our first stay in one room as a family of five.  It was interesting, we managed, I don't know if we all got quality sleep.  We were able to tuck Noelle's crib near the bathroom in this little half walled area, she couldn't see the kids, and went right to sleep.  We put Dallas and Emily each in one of the queen beds.  Most rooms at this hotel come with a private balcony.  This was the fun part.  We had a redbox movie, a laptop, two headphones, a jack splitter, and some red vines!  There was a sliding glass door from our room to the balcony that over looked the pool.  We headed out with our movie, with the kids tucked inside sleeping!  We swam more in the morning, and we were back in Ames and routine by 11:30.  Fun times.
I did clean my closet and the van before we left on Wednesday.  Thursday afternoon we recouped and then met friends to play outside in the wonderful weather.
Friday we took Grandma too the library and out to lunch, but I did not clean.  Saturday Rob took the kids for donuts, and cleaned out the garage.  We went to get the Chevelle and bring it home.  The Chevelle, Rob, Greg, and Greg's truck are readying for a trip to New Mexico this week!

Emily lost tooth #2

You guessed it.  Instead of taking a much needed nap today, she laid on the bed with me and wiggled her tooth.  At one point she showed me how it could go all the way back!  A couple minutes later, she came around the corner holding it in her hand!  Good thing the Tooth Fairy knows where we live.  The empty space left by her first lost tooth is no longer empty.  Noelle and Emily are apparently having a tooth growing face, the adult tooth is already coming in!

Spring Cleaning, 5

Oven check
Fridge check

Iowa Quilt 5th Grade Webster Elem

In my 5th grade class in Elementary school we studied Iowa history.  Mrs. De Cook and Mr. Hamilton, assigned us each a part or thing about Iowa, we drew it, and I assumed it was ironed onto fabric.  This quilt was made by the class.  It hung in the class throughout the year, and they said it would be saved and given to one of us upon graduation.  Little did I know they drew my name out of the hat, and Mr. Hamilton who I invited to my graduation party (ex track coach, and all around inspiring guy) showed up with this gem.  Now I have been moving it around for the last 15 years.  What do I do with it?  Keep storing it in the linen closet?  Maybe I should re gift it!

Spring Cleaning, 4

I am getting bogged down by finding "stuff" I have to filter through, or takes me down memory lane. 

-Linen closet cleaned out, made a big stack for donate/garage sale, refolded most everything and arranged into the neatest looking piles I could.  How many cyclone tailgate blankets does one need? 

-Guest room mostly done, as soon as a haul my donate/garage sale/relocated else-where in the house pile out, and vacuum the other side (don't want to wake the kids)

I think I will do Noelle's room next, she will have less to say about stuff I remove from her room.  She will need a clothe switch over soon, many of her 6 mo outfits are getting snug! 

Spring Cleaning, 3

Changed course.  Too nice to be inside. 
Swept van -side of garage and de-pooped the backyard.  Finally removed all melted snow water from cover of sandbox!  Is it Spring yet?

Spring Cleaning, 2

Two more bathrooms scrubbed down, and crossed off the list.  I threw away a ton of stuff, anyone need Dayquill that expired in 2002?

Spring Cleaning

It needs to be done.  Rob thinks I am crazy, maybe I am... I feel the need to wipe down the baseboards and the wall behind Dallas's seat at the table.  I don't know if I will clean the windows, that has backfired on me in the past, as there are some windows I can't get open or get to the pane, which then makes them look really dirty in comparison to the windows I was able to clean. 
I have decided to go room by room.  I also want to touch up some paint.  With all the car ramming that has taken place around the house the last two years, the white woodwork and some of the corners of the walls need a face lift.  The paint I am planning for the end, and will happen by paint color not by room. 

I already have the downstairs bath polished up.  I think I will move upstairs.  No point in tackling the downstairs while we are dog sitting and the kids are up.  Eight rooms to go!  Shall I get really go hung-ho and declutter and make a garage sale pile at the same time? 

I think I know....

Hoping the reason for the bottle strike on Sunday is due to the fact that I feel two TEETH in her mouth. My little 6 month baby has her two bottom teeth coming in. I have not been able to get her mouth pried open in a way so I could actually look to see if they are visible. I feel them clearly, and can tell there is two of them.

Lets hope she is not suffering much, and will try the bottle again later. Like I said, I like to go see a movie and have dinner out now and again. Love spending time with Robert! I don't want to have to butter up our "Aunties" to much.

being weekend foodies

The kids first Shamrock Shakes. Think they like them?

They are a lot bigger and prettier in 2011, they come with whipped topping and a cherry. We clearly over ordered. Rob and I remembered them as kids being about 6 oz, no real reason we needed four. They are still in the freezer, each of them a little less full!

Donut Saturday. We have created a little habit of visiting Dutch Oven Bakery Saturday Mornings. It started a couple weeks ago, Rob and I have our cheat day on Sat. and donuts sounded good. Now the kids like to go and help pick them up. Usually it is a dozen holes brought home. We went to eat there this Sat. while Rob was in New Mexico. They both picked a cake sprinkle donut, and I brought cups so they could split a chocolate milk. Best $2.10 I spent on Saturday! We sat and watched the trains and the birds. After the bakery we went to Riemen Gardens to watch ants and butterflies.

And Noelle, she doesn't eat the oatmeal, but she stole the spoon! Guess it is just milk for her.

Six Months Young

My little Noelle is now six months old. We let her nosh on some oatmeal. She opened wide, let us pop in the spoon, she swooshed around the cereal, and then pushed it out with her tongue. I now find it funny when the Dr. says try some cereal it might fill her up and help her sleep longer. Ha Ha, three tiny, baby spoonfuls of oatmeal, that did not get consumed did not help my baby sleep longer. He might have tricked me with my first kid, but not my third.
We go for a well visit on Friday, so I will have her half year stats then.
She doesn't really care to do much physical stuff besides standing, she loves to stand. I bet she has only rolled from her belly to her back 10-15 times total. She has yet to roll from her back to her belly. Noelle does love to stand on my lap and bounce in the jumperoo. She only tolerates laying in the playmat for a short time. We have stopped swaddling her, which means she has stopped sleeping, lets hope this only continues one more day, she'll sleep eventually, is what common sense tells me...
Noelle loves to watch her brother and sister, and dog. She smiles constantly and screaming (happy and sad/mad) is her main form of communication. My only complaint is she went on a bottle strike Sunday for Grandma while we were gone for six hours. I hope it is short lived, because I like going on dates with my sweetest, and it will be hard to keep convincing these relatives to come watch my kids if they don't eat and fuss instead.

dreaming.

I was looking at some friends pictures on the internet today of their recent trip sans kids to St. Lucia. It looked wonderful, they looked wonderful. I can't wait to look well rested again! I don't know if Rob has, but I have been giving some thought of a vacation. We have the big 10 yr anniversary coming up, and I would like to get the heck out of dodge, and leave responsibility in Iowa! Realistically though it would be easier on me (the one who would have to pump on vacation) and on the little one who gets her meals from me, to not go in May. I guess we will think about something next winter. We will be vacationing with the family in November, so something in the fall would probably be a stretch to our time and wallet.
I have never been somewhere warm in the winter. I am dreaming of wearing sundresses, sandals, pretty toenails, not wiping faces or butts, or making dinner (and cleanup!)

-I feel better, needed to get that out of my system... you as my audience can be thinking of places for me to go, and who wants three little kids