Where oh where could my diaper be?

The kids were happily playing in the play room, so I took the opportunity to run down to the kitchen to start dinner. A few minutes later, I hear Grady start to cry. Ok, so he realized I was gone. It wasn't the cry that something had happened, but the I-want-mama-cry, so I didn't rush back up. I finish what I was doing and headed back up the stairs only to be greeted by a naked little boy. (I love that he knew something was wrong and was trying to get my attention, I only wish he'd start talking because that would be much easier on the ears.) Ok...so, where's the diaper??? He just recently figured out how to get the tabs undone, but that usually on the changing table after I put a new diaper on. Well, I grabbed him and headed for his room, so we could get his uncontrolled fire hose covered up before we had an accident. Then I went on the hunt for the diaper. Not in his room, not in the bathroom, not in the girls room. There are only so many places a 1 yo kiddo can hide a diaper. Not in the playroom, not in the baskets in the playroom, not in the hallway. Did he throw it threw the banister rails into the foyer (one of his latest games)? No, not there. In my office, no the baby gate is up. Ok..girls??? Where is Grady's diaper, better yet...when you saw him walking around naked, why didn't you say something. "I don't know mama." Let me make one sweep back through the upstairs. No where to be found! Walking back down the hallway in front of my office door, what's that? Something wet under my bare foot? Look down, yup...drip, drip, drop, ewe, yuk! Grab towel, wipe foot, clean carpet, clean baby gate, pull gate down to get the other side...oh...there's the diaper. Dropped over the gate in the corner of my office. That'll teach me to keep him out.

August pictures

Puke city

Ok, so maybe the title is a bit much, but if that's the case...stop reading right now. We had a rough week here at our house. Grady's cake incident...well, that was just the beginning. First Grady on Friday and Saturday, then Molly on Sunday, then Ellery Monday morning...puke, puke puke. I thought...hmm...I made it through...I feel...ok...no...wait a minute...not so ok...oh great...here goes...yup. I got it. I got the bug too. I got it BAD. After my third call to Joe begging him to come home from work because I was no longer able to take care of the kids (which is an absolutely horrible feeling) I realized I was REALLY sick. I couldn't even nurse my sick kiddos back to health. Heck, I couldn't even feed them....not that they were really hungry...but still. Thankfully Joe came home from work and took all three kids. I slept, and slept, and slept. I slept so long my body hurt. Not the good kind of deep sleep, but the kind that you wake up, roll over, go back to sleep for another hour or two, wake up, roll over, go back to sleep. I was down for about 14 hours. Two good things came of this little bug. One: I lost 6 pounds and two: I finally kicked my diet Pepsi addiction!

End note: Joe did get it a few days later. He quickly apologized for not coming home after the first call. =)

Not the favorite mommy anymore

Yesterday, Ellery says to me (amidst a conversation about dinner), "You're not my favorite mommy anymore." "Oh really," I replied, "why is that?" She answers, "because you make us eat yucky food." So be it cuz your not getting mac-n-cheese for dinner every night, kiddo!

This is what happens when Molly goes to school

Off and on throughout the day, Ellery will disappear. We will be finishing up lunch, or putting away laundry, or playing and she'll disappear. I came down the hall and heard her having this grand conversation with someone. I was curious, so peaked around the corner into the playroom. This is what I found. She has all of Molly's current favorite toys (My Little Pony's) lined up with the little pony house and they were play-acting out something. Too cute! What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Molly will never know that we do little else but wait for her return and no, I have no idea how that toy broke!

Grady's Birthday

We finally had a little something for him...a month late. Well, we had cake for him. Our neighbors came over and the kids all swam in the pool, then we had snacks and cake. Grady had no idea what was going on, his main concern was to get ALL of the frosting off of his highchair tray and into his mouth. We had to put him in the shower afterwards and hose him down. There was just no other way to clean it all up!

End note: At 2:45 in the morning, I heard through the monitor "wimper, wimper, cough, cough".....silence. I bolted out of bed (because I knew it wasn't good) and ran upstairs to Grady's room. I opened the door to smell....cake. It was EVERYWHERE. All over Grady, his jammies, the sheets, his blanket, the crib...everywhere. Too much sugar, I guess!?! His little belly couldn't take it.

Ellery's first day of Preschool

My #2 has started preschool this year. She did the mom's day out program last year, which we called preschool, because she sooo wants to do everything Molly does. So, heading off to preschool wasn't much of a change for her. The only difference is that she's there twice a week. She really wanted to wear Molly's school shirt from last year, which is WAY too big...it actually fits better as a dress. The picture isn't the greatest but she's in the I-can't-remember-how-to-smile-for-a-picture phase. She kept squinting her eyes and bunching up her nose and asking, "is this how, mama?" I gave up and this is the best of the bunch!

Kindergarten update

Ok, so reading yesterday's post, I would have thought I'd be in near tears today. Well, pretty much a non-event. Ellery and I walked Molly into her classroom, she sat down at her table and began to color. I barley even got a kiss goodbye. Ellery and I spent some time together running errands, while Goggy (Grandpa Pat) stayed home with Grady. Luckily, to me, this seemed like any other preschool day, so no tears. When we got home, Ellery ran straight upstairs and I didn't see her for an hour. Turns out she had so much fun playing with all of Molly's toys, she even forgot about the pool. And...I found out that its NOT Molly who makes all the messes around here, but sweet little Ellery.
When I picked Miss Molly up after school, I was so anxious to hear about her day. Her response to my asking, "Mom, I really don't want to talk about this with you right now." Wait...did I say she was in Kindergarten? Hnhh...sounds more like high school to me....

Kindergarten

So tomorrow is the first day of school for Miss Molly...*sigh* My first baby is going off to Kindergarten. Here in OK, its an all day event. No breaking them (or us) in with half days. I'm still not sure how I feel about this, but will let you know tomorrow after I get home from dropping her off and drying my eyes. We had her open house last night and she had a lot of fun checking things out. Luckily her best friend from preschool will be going with her, so I have a feeling she'll hit the ground running. As I'm emotionally getting ready for this momentous occasion, I'm reminded of what my mom told me about my first day of school. She drove up to the school expecting a big deal, and I jumped out of the car and ran to the front door with barely a glance backwards. I'm not sure I'm ready to let go like that. I've had her here with me at my heels every second for the last 5 years. Will it be sad that my baby is growing up? Will it be freeing to have a little more time? (Well, with 2 other little ones here, I won't have much time...probably less because Ellery is losing her playmate! =) So...check back tomorrow. I'll let you know how we did...

Can you believe it????

After 5 LONG months....we are finally filling the pool with water. And its pouring rain outside. Hopefully tomorrow, I'll be posting pictures of the girls playing happily in the new pool.

End note: I wrote this the day we were filling the pool with water, which was 5 months after the digging began. It is now 10 months after the digging began...its still not finished.

Font junkie

I admit it. I'm a font junkie. I LOVE fonts. All types. I have stumbled upon (somehow during one of my late night web surfing sessions) a great site for scrapbooking fonts (scrap-n-fonts). Well, right now, all their fonts, doodlebats, and other digital stuff is on sale for ONLY $1 per font! Woo-hoo! (Mom...do not click on the link unless you want to spend some money!) =)

What happens at our house after the kids go to bed

No...its not THAT kind of post. Apparantly we have a lot of fun around here after the kids go to bed...or at least that's what Molly thinks. For the last few nights, she's been telling me that she wants to stay up with us until we go to bed. Here's the shortened version of our nightly conversation:

Molly: Mommy, I want to stay up with you.
Me: Sweet pea, it's time for you to go to bed.
Molly: But can I stay up like you?
Me: Honey, believe me, you don't want to.
Molly: Why not?
Me: Well, because after you go to bed, Mommy goes around the house cleaning and picking up. No fun huh?
Molly: But I will help you.
Me: It's really not that fun to clean, fold laundry, and do the dishes.
Molly: But I want to help.
Me: Oh really...let's start in the play room.

Usually this is enought to send her running to bed. Not tonight. Nope...no sleeping for her. She's going to help clean. Ok. Ellery...you want to stay up and clean to, I ask??? Sure! So we all went into the playroom to clean. Ellery lasted about 10 minutes before she announced she was tired and going to bed. Molly...well, its 10:30 now, 2 1/2 hours past her bedtime, and she is still in the playroom cleaning. Sorting all the cards actually. And telling Goggy (Grandpa Pat) what to pick up. How long will I let her clean, you ask? Well, after the playroom is clean, we have some laundry to do, then some paperwork in my office...Hhmmm...tomorrow night maybe we should start on the bathrooms?

July Pictures