February Fun

 

Lily went to a precious birthday party yesterday - the theme was Ladybugs. They had beer and wine in a tub labeled "adult nectar." 

She is really into playing her toy violin as a guitar these days. She has always been into music ... she and Imogene could sing and dance all day. We had a little "Taylor Swift dance party" Friday while I was putting the laundry away (please try and not be jealous) and she said "watch how I play it like this mom!"

Fun to find them playing together!

Imogene had a birthday party this month that was just little girls. One of the activities was decorating a cupcake, and then they got a cute chinese take-out box to bring it home in. Driving home I realize that she had reached the box and taken the cupcake out and was eating it! In Bill's NEW car! Very, very proud of herself.

And finally, my attempt at getting a picture of my three loves on Valentine's Day.

Outside!

It's been almost pleasant outside here this weekend. We took advantage and played in the back yesterday and today, and got the new trees we had planted some needed water! For those of you that may remember, a large tree fell back in May and took out the "fence" of bushes we had between us and the building next door. We are  so happy with our new side yard. It has completely changed the face of our house!
I also finally got some pictures taken of the girls (well mostly Imogene) outside today. It gave me a chance to try out two new lenses I got for Christmas.

 

Look at her go! Wish this had come out clearer!

 

I know I'm biased, but gosh she's cute.

 

Lily and will decided to practice for soccer. 

 

The new trees (this is to the left of our house for those of you that have been here!)

 

My roses that were in the front have been moved to line the driveway. I cannot wait to see them with color, especially when the crepe myrtle blooms!

 

The trees and the liriope (it was there already, they just split it up) line a nice little path! One day we'll make it stone so it won't be mud :)

 

She was so tickled by Bill throwing the ball up in the air. 

 

Look at all that hair!

Laughing at Rusty.

We Wished Her Well

Bill's sweet grandmother, Gladys, passed away on Friday. She was 99 years young! We went to Maryland today for her funeral. We were really nervous to talk to Lily about today. Our neighbor's dog died the day before Imogene was born, and I'm still not 100% sure that she understands what happened. So we talked to Miss Pam a little bit, and decided to tell her that Grandma Sigler lived for a very, very long time, but it was time for to go live with God. We told her that we were going to Maryland to tell Grandpa Roy & Carol how sorry we were, because we will all miss her, and that we will wish Grandma Sigler well, and Grandpa Roy and Carol well too. She asked virtually no questions - just curious as to who was going to live in "her office." (Grandma Sigler lived in a nursing home, and so that must have looked like an office to Lily.) We went to the funeral home, but I took the girls out and about during the service and burial. I just wasn't ready for all that and Lily! She was very sweet to everyone, and she told both Bill and I that she planned to have her class "wish Grandma Sigler well" at school tomorrow. I think that would have made sweet Gladys very tickled!

A Good Tired

We are exhausted - but for good reason! Bill and I spent the weekend in Charleston with my oldest and dearest friends from high school. It was so much fun, but we stayed up WAY too late both nights hanging out and catching up. One of the best parts - my friend Libby made a mix on her iPod of all the songs we loved in high school. Brought back so many memories and was so fun. All the songs had to have a release date of August 1994 or earlier. I was shocked that some of the songs that in my head were just on the radio are over 20 years old!

Meanwhile, the girls were having the best weekend too! Naney and Susan took wonderful care of them in Columbia. They went to the zoo and the Children's museum in ONE day! They also took a trip to Wingate to see Uncle Ryan at a basketball game. They were both so happy to see us when we got back, but I can tell from all that Lily told us that they LOVED being spoiled with so much fun and love. Thank you so much Aunt Susan and Naney!!!

Randomness

So if I were on Twitter (which I am, but I don't 'tweet') here are some of the things you might have heard from me.

Lily to me: "mom, are you happy with your two kids?"
Me: "Yes of course Lily - do I not seem happy?"
Lily: "I was just thinking you might be happy with three kids, because I really want a baby brother."

One day I hope to go to the bathroom and have no one follow me into the room.

I do not feel at all badly that two people sent my children McDonald's gift cards for Valentine's. I take that as a very nice gesture that Grunny & Aunt Jill know the girls love happy meals, and that mommy loves not having to make, serve or clean-up after lunch. Or Daddy after dinner, as it so happened last week - when they had McD's for both meals. (Did I share that story already?)

It also does not make me feel at all guilty that Imogene saw the Chick Fil A logo and said "lemmomomade" and can say "Lay" when we arrive at CFA. I am very proud of her brand-recognition at such an early age.

What was I thinking teaching Imogene "No" and "Mine."

What in the world is this "Bubble Guppies" show supposed to teach?

Will I ever get to watch TV ever again?

When Imogene can really carry on a conversation, I do so hope she will explain what she has against sleeping.

That's all that I would have this week I think if I were a tweeter.

Whenever we pull up to therapy Imogene starts saying "Ahmay" or "Dudan" ... if it's Monday, she says "diddyahmay" or if it's Wednesday she says "my ahmay" ... today we were getting out of the car and she said ahmay, and i said, yes we are going to play with Amy. She said "ca" ... and them "ahm" and I said, "yes, Imogene we are going to wear your cast on your arm." Her immediate response: "poppop" - her favorite thing about therapy now - the lollipop at the end!

We started with a new babysitter, a lovely woman named Alice, who wants both girls to like her very much. Neither of them are being very nice to Alice. Especially not Imogene, who cries hysterically with her, unless they are outside. Not exactly what I had in mind when I hired her so I could get work done in my new office while they played in the basement. Lily is just being Lily to her, and won't let her do anything that she would rather I did for her. You know, things only a mom can do, like ZIPPING HER COAT. I mean for real.

Congratulations to the Moss Family! They welcomed baby Hunter to their family yesterday in Atlanta. He is doing great, and mom is recovering slowly, but well. XOXO to you Friends!

How does it go that I sit down to post on the blog and realize that it's been a week since my last post? Things have been crazy here, but I swear every week I think they are going to be less crazy. We spent last Sunday working to get our new office set up in the house.
Let me back up. We've realized lately that this place is just one giant mess. My Stella & Dot business was all over the house. And let me tell you that's no way to run a house or a business. So my sweet, wonderful husband came up with a way to turn our TV room into 1/2 tv room and 1/2 office. We've spent the last week and a half ordering furniture and picking it up and cleaning ... we are A LONG way from finished, but it appears that we will actually have all things 'business' - family papers and the like, plus my work stuff, all in our office in our TV room, with the arrival of a new couch for the TV room in April to look forward to.  Our plan is to have that project done this month, so that next month we can move on to our next project - the basement and the 1,000,000 toys that our children never play with, because well, they have 1,000,000 toys all over the place. That's the project for March - all toys gone through and organized or donated to someone who actually needs them, and all closets in the basement cleaned up, and the bathroom too. (I am partly writing this to hold myself accountable.) And then April I am attacking our kitchen. The cabinets are always out of whack, the pantry (that's my fancy word for the cabinet that houses our dry food) is always overflowing, the fridge is always a mess, and well frankly, it could just work better. And then May I'm attacking the attic and our storage shed (okay I'm going to have Bill do the shed - I just don't like that thing for some reason) and we'll both have to do the attic. My goal is to have our entire house organized and the way we'd actually like to live by the time Lily is out of school in June. Lord only knows if we can get it all done, and we can actually stick to it, but I really, really want to be a more organized mother, and business woman! I believe in my heart that if my life were organized, my brain would stay in one place. And by that I mean that if it didn't take me 15 minutes to do something it should take me 5, then maybe I'd be more of a mom when I should be mom, and more business when I should be business. I am just such a mess right now. And I hate it. So I'm working on it. And may I, for the 1,000 time, thank my sweet husband for helping me get things in a better place. I had no idea you'd be such an amazing husband and father and just all around teammate ... I mean I must have had some idea - but my wildest dreams really did come true :) (and really, who would have known to dream to have a husband who helped you get your entire house back in order 12 years after you met him? ;)) ... but I digress.

We had two birthday parties today for Imogene. This morning was just 6 little girls, and then this afternoon was mostly boys and their parents ... it struck me this morning how delayed Imogene seemed, especially in speech, but also motor skills. Then this afternoon she definitely seemed behind in motor, but not so much in speech. Perhaps that is just the way boys and girls develop! She's such a little thing!

Lily remains quite a challenge, but I'm hoping with Miss Pam and Miss Carey, and Amy's help, and Dr. Baldrate too, we can get her in a good place by the time school starts in September (really August, since she has two weeks of "kindergarten camp" then).) Yes, we're thinking about school already. The open house for kindergarten is March 25!!!

Ride 'Em Cowgirl!

Lily went to a cowgirl birthday party today.
Bill got a picture of Lily riding the pony that was there -hoping the mom got pictures of Imogene!!!! who also rode the pony today... she kept saying "neigh" when I was putting her to bed.

Check out the smile on Lily's face.

We had a family dance and sing party tonight to Glee Kereoke. Lily singing "true colors" and her little voice was just so dear.

Chatter Box

So not much of it makes sense, but Imogene is talking up a storm these days. Here are the words she says, or at least says a 'sound' for (and I am partly doing this for my own records, especially since i kept a list like this for Lily)- mommy, daddy, lily (diddy), lola (her best, clearest word), juice (shoosh), kaka (cracker), dodo, lemonade (the best! lemomomomade), ahhdun (alldone), Hado (hot dog), Gee, nighnigh, elmo, abby, kikky, hat, coat, school (skoo), bah (ball),  Ahmay (Amy, her OT), She is trying to say a lot more, and will repeat a sound similar to what you say - she says "help" and "peese" ... really trying to say more names.
I just asked Bill to help me with the list and he said "mommydobed" ... which is what imogene says at bedtime. she also says "ba" for bath ... and just recently has created a sound for potty. She is very interested in the potty and has gotten the child seat out of the cabinet a few times, and will sit up there, and then try and flush the toilet and wash her hands. Tonight she even went to the bathroom! (Sorry Imogene when you read this in 10 years.) The only way I got this to happen was that I know her - and she likes to go the minute you take her diaper off to get in the bath!
She was slightly impressed with herself, and raised her hands above her head. She absolutely loves to sing and sing and sing. Loudly, with this little hitch-step dance move.

We did an evaluation for OT today. She is so proficient with that left hand that we had to use a test that would take into account things that require 2 hands!

And, my biggest treat of the week - and yes, it's vain - we found some new shoes. No more white chunky lace-ups.   A cute little pink t-strap. This time the nice lady at the different Stride Rite sold me two pairs, but gave me 25%-off. The brace is just so wide in the back. We go see Dr. Morozova in 2 weeks and I definitely want to know if we are always going to be in something that makes shoes so hard.