An Unfortunate Story Where I Must Unfortunately Show Myself IN ALL MY GLORY

Below is a picture of my bangs.  One week out.  Which means they were worse a week before this picture.  Just so you know. 

It is also a picture of me wearing a Grandma's Nightgown, with a Blue Robe that is Too Long, and Black Slippers with PomPom Balls on them.

Oh, yes.

Without make-up on (which I don't really know how to put on anyway, when I am trying.)

It is also a picture of M wearing Orange Pants, a Pink Shirt, a Yellow Sweater, and Pink Socks.

Which I must say is actually quite normal, but still....

Yes, indeed, why don't you check that out again:

After all we wouldn't want to forget the 10 month pregnant belly, would we????????

Now, why did I post this online????? 

Oh, yes.  Because on Friday I decided to take the library books back to the library drop-box.  This drop-box is located at a Bank ATM, which means that no one will see you when you go there.  It's very safe.  So, off I went after dropping E off at school. 

I also told M that she could bring her "Thank You" cards to mail.  She has been waiting FOR DAYS.  She colored them, wrote her name on them, put the stamps on them, and was sooooo happy it was time to put them in the mailbox.

But when we arrived at the little post office box for M to mail her letters I discovered two things:

1.  M had forgotten in her great excitement that she should probably put on shoes if she wanted to mail her letters.

2.  The post office box had been built on a stand....  WHY?... which made it impossible for M to reach the mailbox by herself.

Which meant:

I got to get out of the car IN ALL MY GLORY and pick up my 4 year old daughter so she could mail her letters. 

And if they got to see it, shouldn't you?

(I am currently having mice pully on my bangs at night to make them grow faster.)

Okay, so I do all my posts on Sunday and publish them through the week, which means that it totally doesn't seem like I had a baby today...

... but I did.

Two weeks early, and nameless, but since there is no family nearby we promised pictures today.

He is 6 lbs 15.5 oz, I don't know how long, and very healthy.  He was born at 12:03... he's the only child I haven't labored in the night with and it feels entirely different having a whole night of sleep in front of me.  (Plus 3 days of napping because I had a massive migraine).  He hasn't had a bath yet, so his hair is dirty, but the longest of all my kids so far.  We are all doing well, and will see more of you all later!

And, yes, the random posts will probably keep updating :)

We got a new camera...

We got a new camera recently.  Because it is January and it is boorrriiinnnggg, nothing has happened to take a picture of recently.  (Justin's nephew was born... and that was interesting, but since we live in Iowa and he does not, we didn't get to take a picture of him.)  So, this is the most exciting picture we have taken with our camera:

It is supposed to be fuzzy and grainy, though I am not particularly sure why.  Still, that look on M's face is pretty classic.  Besides, this photo was way better than the other kids eating their cereal the morning after we got the camera.

This is me being pregnant, after I cut my bangs.... which means last weekend.  So, I am a week beyond that now.  But, this is also a picture without my bangs... a great accomplishment.  That's in case the baby is born before my mother arrives, which means she would forever have to wonder how fat I actually got.  My mirror was dirty when I took that picture.  Horrible, horrible, horrible.

Homesick Nostalgia

At our house we use unfragranced sensitive skin detergent and dryer sheets because Justin's skin can get extra itchy with smells and such. On Monday my girls received a clothes shipment from my sister. They love moments like this. Today they were both dressed in "Annie outfits." At different points in the day they both remarked that they smelled like Annie's house. I noticed too, and it made me miss home. Funny how strong smells are in memory.

*****

I was going to take a picture of my current belly and post it. Then, this weekend, I decided to cut my bangs. Definitely one of my least stellar jobs. So, no pictures because I look a little more than slightly freaky. I would totally fit into the 50's though - with their ultrashort bangs.

*****

Someday I will actually be able to go to the bathroom again. At least this is what I tell myself.

A Program!

For Christmas E received a new CD player - complete with microphone.  Can you even imagine how much she loves this!!!  We have a hard time convincing her that it does not need to be at full-blast-out volume for us to be able to hear her.  Recently, she decided she wanted to do a show.  Justin and I were fairly busy, so it took us awhile to get downstairs.  Imagine our surprise when the program consisted of her making a very short announcement and M dancing for almost 15 minutes.  As long as she is in charge, our E is happy.

And M loved dancing around the room!!!!

Movie Night

Last semester when Justin was often gone late into the night Tuesday through Thursday, I would be pretty much done by Friday.  So, we started Friday night, movie night.  The kids have not forgotten and still bring it up, even though Dad has not disappeared yet this semester.

This is the kids with their beds... all set up for "Winnie the Pooh."  We have been reading "Winnie the Pooh" at night with E.  I love those books.  They have short and sweet chapters that make very little sense at all - while being extremely insightful.  What would it be like to write something like that?????

Sunday Night Funnies:

Tonight M wanted to sleep with the little rope that goes around the robe she got for Christmas.  I informed her the cord was not safe for bedtime and that it could choke her.  Then, I took it away.

She screamed for 15 minutes.

Justin went upstairs and gave her a hug. She stopped crying for 5 minutes.

She screamed again, and then said in really loud and clear words: 

"IF YOU DO NOT BRING ME MY ROBE STRING RIGHT NOW I WILL SCREAM REALLY LOUD AAAAAALLLLLLLL NIIIIGGGGHHHHTTTT LLLLLLOOOOOOOONNNNNNGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!"

She is now giggling with GQ.

(During her 15 minute cryfest, GQ - like a good brother - yelled through the door that we should bring M her robe string because she wanted it!!!!  He loves her so much.)

*****

As we do each night, we went downstairs and got E settled for bed.  We set up her blankets, gave her hugs, turned on her monitor, and said goodnight.  At the time, she was reading "The Secret Garden."  She is allowed to stay up reading until 8:00.

Around 8:11, E came upstairs:

"Mom, Dad... you never came to give me a hug tonight."

This is definitely my daughter.  So engrossed in her books that she was completely unaware that we were in her room saying goodnight for about 15 minutes :)

This winter...

... we are growing flowers.

It is fun to see how much they change overnight.  Now, if only I can keep M from squeezing the tips together whenever she gets the chance.

Winter?

We finally got some snow!  I am a little bit of a whiner about Iowa snow.  First of all, it is never fluffy.  It is just round pellets of ice that hit you in the face at high speeds in the wind.  Second of all, you can't even tell if it is "still snowing" or if the wind is just flinging about snow that already fell.  And third of all, it immediately turns to ice that I HATE driving on... and I have driven on snow my whole life. 

With that said, the kids were ecstatic.

So, I diligently geared them up to head outside.  Last year I was lucky and GQ started sobbing within 5 minutes and we "had" to come inside (since we don't have a fenced yard and the girls don't play outside without me).  This year, GQ loved it as much as them, and I eventually had to brave a mutiny by calling them inside because my own fingers were falling off after I took my gloves off to take pictures.

They didn't seem to mind the wind or plummeting temperatures.  I am just a wimp, I guess.

Be Like Daddy

GQ found an old mouse in the play area and brought it up so he could do his work like Dad.  He also likes to knock on the office door and demand some "football" or "basketball" viewing.

Closed for the Season?

Last week we decided to get some ice cream and meet Daddy for a mid-day date at school.  Down we headed to Sonic, because you can get $1 ice creams there for the kiddoes.  And what did we find?  A sign that said "Closed for the Season."  Closed for the Season????????  Like we live in Alaska or Yellowstone or something?  It's not like Sonic doesn't sell hamburgers and fries, you know.  And it's not like a college town doesn't have lots of college students living there during the Winter.  I don't get this "Closed for the Season" business.  And since we have so few restaurants worth stopping at anyway... I found this to be particularly pathetic.

So, we went to Dairy Queen.  Their sign said "Open Today".  Does that mean that somedays it's not open, and that they just announce it each morning????? Crazy people!

But the kids did enjoy the date with Daddy.  (E came because she had thrown up within the last 24 hours and while she was better, she wasn't at school.)

Oh the cleverness of me!

This last week I had a great moment. It was one of those triumphant multi-tasking days when so many items are masterfully checked off your list. Unlike those "other" days where you're not quite sure what - if anything - was done during the day. It was time to go get E at school. I got M and GQ in the car, and decided to get the mail on the way. Wouldn't want to do one thing when two were an option, you know?

And it was at this moment:

when I needed to pick E up within 15 minutes...
when I needed to teach another ballet class within the hour...

that I locked myself out of the car...

... at the mailbox, in the middle of the road, with no phone, and two children buckled securely in their car seats.

TALENT!!

First, I tried to coach M on how to break out of her car seat. Trouble maker, yes. Escape artist, no. Then, I had to go off in search of a phone from a random neighbor while my kids sat in the middle of the road. That's a safe one. With limited phone numbers available to me I called a friend who needed to get to the airport herself, and got E picked up. Meanwhile Justin's office mate got the lucky job of leaving school and driving him to our rescue.

So, yes, oh the cleverness of me.

Up to no good...

Being tickled by Daddy:

Triumphant with his toothbrush:

(The girls got electric toothbrushes in their stockings, GQ did not.  The girls wouldn't use theirs because they were scared, GQ was traumatized he didn't have one.  So, at WalMart we picked up a $5 train brush.  It is now on the fridge because he won't leave it in the drawer and he takes it around the house brushing his teeth, the carpet, his teeth, the wall, his teeth, the garbage can lid.  Oh, but he loves it!)

Watching Daddy play a racing game on the iPad:

Birthday Party

The kids in their "princess" outfits before the "princess party."  We're glad GQ has transitioned to Buzz, yes, with a bat.

The party girls:  (Unfortunately, late that night M and GQ threw up in their beds, so I'm pretty sure we infected everyone.  Thanks for coming to the party!  We thought we'd send you home with a little something!)

Making crowns:

Eating cupcakes:

I have no pinata pictures, becuase I was on video camera duty.  Eventually Justin just had to break it because we weren't getting very far with these little girlies (and little boy).  Although that Ella does have a mean swing!  You can tell her brother's been working with her on it.

Finished Crowns:

Thanks for coming everyone!  Sorry we made people sick!

Candyland... not a game for the weary....

Usually, I am not ready for my babies to come out.

I am just not one of those people impatiently counting the days down.  I am excited.  I like to imagine the baby.  I am ready to meet the baby, and hug it, and smell it.

But I am okay with it taking a few weeks longer.  I am okay with it not being quite time.

Because babies are harder when they come out.  They need to eat, they need to be changed, they cry and whine and moan.  They throw-up and poop and cause all sorts of awkward situations.

Besides, they have to - you know - actually come out.  And that is not all fun and sport either.

Nor is the exhaustion, hunger, and hormone delirium that comes with it.  (I don't like other people after 7:00 pm for about a month after I've had a baby.  Except maybe Justin.  On a good day.)

So, usually, I am just fine waiting for baby to come.  10 months... as I prefer to see it... is good with me.

This time, however, I am ready for baby to come out.

I have pretty much been pregnant with this little tyke for 15 months now.  With a brief "Candyland" hiatus in the middle where I got sent back to the beginning of the board game.

Seriously???? Does anyone like "Candyland"?  And isn't it for that very reason???  That game can last FOREVER.

FOR - EV - ER.

And February?  February seems very far away.

So, now I understand all those mommies who get sick of being pregnant at the end.  Still a month and a half to go.

Of course, they are cute when they come out:

Birthday Girl

This year I think we actually pulled off a real birthday for M.  Not only did she get real presents (not leftover Christmas ones), she also got a real cake (not an ugly blue cake I made from a box), and a real birthday party.  Holy Canasta!  Well, it was her golden birthday: 4 on the 4th, so I'm glad we pulled off something.

M wanted a "Strawberry Cake."  Rather than buy the box mix, I made a real strawberry cake.  Justin liked it a lot.  M was very happy watching me make it, was very happy it existed, took two bites and said she was full. (She did like the box mix cupcakes we had later in the week for her birthday party).

Opening grandparent gifts and cards.  Thanks for all your love!

Blowing out candles on the birthday cake:

All M ever asked for was a "Princess Computer."  And she was very specific that she wanted it for her birthday, NOT for Christmas.  So, she was very happy to see that it showed up.  Here is Daddy helping her figure it out:

Letting GQ have a turn:

We love our 4 year old so much!  I can't believe she's already that old.

Look, we had Christmas

Christmas Eve:

I always tell my kids that I get veto power over clothing choices on holidays and Sundays.  So, we actually matched for our Christmas Eve dinner.  Earlier that day we went to a movie together - thanks to Aunt Bekah and Uncle Mark.  It was so unnaturally warm that our sweaters made us sweat.

Christmas morning:

I am lucky that my kids don't wake up early on Christmas yet.  Of course, they always wake up at 6:00, so maybe that doesn't count as lucky.  But, they know they can't wake us up until 7:00... so we still did pretty good.

For some reason I had a mental breakdown and lots of "music" items made it to our house this Christmas: recorders, piano players, CD players, trains that are never turned off.

Church on Sunday:

Grandma Kathleen sent the pretty new dresses.

You'll notice who ruined this almost perfect picture???? The stinker.  Maybe we should photoshop his head out?

After Church, enjoying presents:

E gets to dress up the same as her doll, thanks to Grandma Christensen, and Grandma and Grandpa Wood.

GQ has a few extra trains to sleep with at night.  He's actually good at keeping them off at night.  They have to "go to sleep" or we take them away.  He also loves his new Buzz blanket.  Thanks to all those grandparents!

Sleeping in their sleeping bags from Grandma Paula and Grandpa Wood.  The girls are excited to go camping this summer since we - sniff - don't get to go to the beach this year.