A Third Birthday for Rachel!!

Ok, folks...it's official!  We have another child out of the two's!!  *cue streamers and party horns!!*

Yesterday was Rachel's third birthday and we had a wonderful day celebrating her.  It was also a stellar day for mama, as we got out of the house (with no sickness!!) and off to the Y without a hitch. 

Did I mention what Elizabeth said to me Saturday?  I was bending over and she came up and patted my stomach and said, "Mama, your belly is getting bigger.  Are we going to have another baby?"

Nothing builds your confidence up like a four-year-old. 

So anyway, we went to the Y and got a good sweat on.  Once we came home, we had a wonderful playdate and lunch with friends. 

Seriously, why does my child look like she could be 16 in this picture?!

We took off in the afternoon to pick up the birthday cake from Publix (she picked out a Minnie cake) and also got a couple of balloons.  I can't remember what started the tradition, but we always get the girls balloons on their birthday - one each.  Elizabeth tried telling me that Caleb wanted one, but I blew it off.

Silly mommy...

Haha!  Both balloons are mine!!

My mom always let us pick whatever we wanted to eat for dinner on our birthdays and I love to do the same.  Although I almost lost my teeth when Rachel asked for chicken, green beans and noodles this year.

"Are you sure, honey?  Wouldn't you rather have something else?" I asked.

"No,"  she said.  "I like chicken, green beans and NOODLES!!"

"Do you want mac and cheese noodles?"

"NO!  I JUST WANT BUTTER NOODLES!!"

(Why did that require yelling??  Maybe she thought I couldn't hear her...)

So I fixed grilled BBQ chicken, steamed fresh beans and egg noodles with butter.  

Guess what the new three-year-old ate?  Yup...noodles.  Oh, and the required three bites of chicken and beans in order to get cake.

Brat.

Birthdays...they take it out of you...

A little bit about Rachel as she turns three.  You know, when I was carrying her, it was hard to believe that children who would come from the same parents would have such different personalities...I think that's just an aspect of parenting that you get when you experience it.  And she is drastically different from the other two.  

Rachel is sensitive and shy - she is slow to warm up to people she doesn't know well and many people say they didn't know she could talk until they hear her talk to me.  At that point, she talks my head off.  She is intelligent and has always talked in full sentences and thoughts.  She's also our biggest snuggler.  The other two will wiggle out of a hug pretty fast but Rachel will stay on your lap and be held as long as you let her.  And I think, because she's sensitive, she can also throw some whopper fits. 

She is very imaginative and loves to play Barbies or dolls and has gotten really good at puzzles.  She runs fast and is very athletic...jumping, kicking, and dancing.  

Oh, and she loves cake.

The kid scooped her cake out like she was digging a trench.  Oh, and you know who else liked cake?

You guessed, it...captain icing face.  Oh, and just in case you didn't get enough with that video...

Anybody got a firehose??

Happy birthday, Rachel Lynn!  We love you!

Surviving the Sickos...

I do believe we're on the other side, folks.  

Last Thursday began our descent into the mystery virus that attacked my children's eyes, sinuses and bellies.  Elizabeth got it far worse than anyone else and only started feeling better today.

Which means that we haven't gone anywhere.

For days.  

And days...

But this morning, I think we're on the mend and can venture outside our sick box.  Today's goal is to make it to the UPS Store...and maybe the library...and maybe Target... (And now you know I'm truly crazy if I'm thinking of taking 3 kids to 3 different stops!)

So...what have we been doing while we were home bound?

I'm so glad you asked...

I got a ton of house cleaning done...not that you would know it now that my mini-tornadoes are feeling better.  I got the picture collage wall almost done in the dining room...

I had started it, but needed more frames and I couldn't find any more to match the dark brown ones I had so I had to switch them all to black...and then decided to incorporate the cream...well, it was a process.  But I'm happy with it.  (And also happy that I found those knock-off bloom frames at Hobby Lobby for about $5!!)

I also tried to record Caleb a little more, as I realized doing a photo project that I didn't have a ton of pictures of his milestones.  So here's his first nursing job...

Elizabeth, are you feeling better?  I will grab a toy and hit you in the face with it to make sure.

  And his first fake cry...

Nope!  No tears here!!

And I finally got some steps (and dancing) recorded...enjoy!!

Stay healthy my friends!!

Happy Valentines to Mama

Elizabeth is getting to a really fun age.  She's old enough to have conversations - real ones.  You can see her true personality starting to shine through; she's sweet and loud and sensitive and outgoing all wrapped into one little body.

I'm pretty much head-over-heels with my oldest. 

Self portrait ala ERS

So the girls have been doing this thing after we kiss them goodnight for a while.  "I gotta tell you something!!" They yell from their bed.

Normally, as we are walking to the door, they start.  Lately, it's been Rachel first.

"But Mom!!  I gotta tell you sompin...Can you go downstairs and look on the computer and see if there's a Minnie cash register??"

"A Barbie mermadia doll??"

"A Minnie doll?"

"A Princess and the Popstar guitar??"

And on and on it goes.  At first it was cute but as it went on, they would get more and more hyped up, just as we were trying to get them to go to sleep.  So Scott outlawed it.  No longer were they allowed to shout requests from their beds.

Now instead, they work them in as we give them kisses and hugs.  Which is fine, but it's EVERY TIME we put them to bed.

So tonight, I was tucking Elizabeth in by herself.  Rachel had gone down for the count early and I put her to bed long before her sister and even brother.  Elizabeth and I alone read books and rocked in the chair...something we hadn't done, just the two of us, in such a long time.  

I had just kissed her forehead when she started, "Mom...Can I tell you something?

"What is it, sweetie," I asked, smoothing down the covers.

"Can you go downstairs and look on the computer...and see if there are any earrings...for you?"

I stopped.

"For me?"

"Yeah, you look pretty in earrings.  I think you should get some butterfly ones."

*Five seconds of stunned silence*

"Thank you honey, I will look.  I love you so much."

"I love you, Mom, goodnight."

:)  And just like that, I am blessed beyond measure once again.  Funny how a stressful day can get washed away by just a few words.

Happy Valentines Day, my friends!

Randomness

I'm giving myself one cup of coffee to write this post.  

That's what I tell Elizabeth when she wants to play Barbies while the other two are sleeping.  "I'll play one cup of coffee worth of Barbies, then I've got to get to work."  I should have never let her know that I knew how to play because now she's after me all the time.  And her Barbies have no clothes...who knew that we had all swimsuit Barbies??  It's troubling when your doctor comes into your beach house to check on the mom (who is sick, of course) wearing a bikini.  

But then it IS a beach house, I guess.  

Well, today is day three of survival with my husband out of town and I'm about ready to crack, people.  I would say that my crew is tired of just mama, but then they won't leave me alone.  

Here's how I cooked dinner last night:

Notice that pot on the stove?  It held my spaghetti noodles.  See those adorable children all over the floor in front of said stove??  But I really can't blame them.  I remember hauling all that stuff out too when I was little - especially the old steamer Rachel's playing with.  I always thought that thing was fascinating.  Elizabeth likes to put the pots on top of the vents and tells me she's cooking when the heat kicks on.

Of course, then we had the spaghetti aftermath... I don't think there's any saving that shirt.

Which reminds me, I still have laundry to fold upstairs.

Speaking of laundry, in the saga of picky dressers, Elizabeth actually told me that she'd rather ME pick out her clothes.  That was a couple days ago and we really haven't had any arguments, which is a miracle.  

Now Rachel is a totally different story.

This would be the outfit my two-year-old picked out this morning.  Why yes, those ARE white tights.  And no, she doesn't WANT a skirt.  And yes, that IS a Christmas shirt, since it's the most wonderful time of the year, don't you know.  

Ok, my coffee's gone, Rachel's decided she doesn't NEED a nap and the laundry is now screaming at me from upstairs.  

Have a great Wednesday!

 

If you wanna play in Texas...

Do you listen to Pandora radio?  We are admittedly a little Pandora obsessed in our house.  Normally, in the morning, I have on some sort of praise or kids music during breakfast and then make the trio listen to my favorite 90's country artists while I cook dinner.  Sometimes I'm generous and put on Mickey or a kids station...but most of the time, Trisha and Reba rules.

On Saturday morning, I head to work and Scott has run of the house and the computer.  

Which means Country Boy Can Survive Radio.

The girls cry and moan but he tells them it's educational and goes about cooking eggs while singing with Hank and Willie.

I'm setting you up...stay with me...

So today, we were leaving the Y and I was telling the girls about how Daddy had to go to Texas for a trip.  "Texas??"  Elizabeth said.  "I know a song about Texas!"

She proceeds to hammer out the most adorable rendition of Alabama's, "If you want to play in Texas" I've ever heard and my jaw almost hit the ground.

When we got home, I asked for it again and she not only came through but also gave me an encore of her own Valentine's song.  Enjoy, my friends...and also look out for Rachel video-bombing in the back. 

Preschool Prayers

Just when I have complete doubts regarding my parenting, I hear my kids pray with such heart-felt openness that it knocks me to my knees.  Today is crazy for us, with our to-do list way longer than my coffee stash and so let me just tell you this one real quick.  This was our prayer for dinner last night (by Elizabeth):

Dear God,

We love you every time, God!!

Thank you so much for protecting us.

Thank you for protecting us from bugs and also from bees.

Thank you for Mama, Daddy, Rachel, Caleb and Me.

We love you, Jesus.  I would give you a big hug if you would just come here.

In your name, Amen

Have a great day, my friends.  And I pray that you be protected from bugs and bees and other bad things today.  :)