Proof

Sometimes I start posts and never finish them, or sometimes I just don't publish them at all. I was looking for something in my older posts and I came across this one that I had titled "the brown-eyed beauty has claws" from about 14 months ago. We always say how Bea is so happy all the time, and that she was always happy. I must have blacked out those times when she made things a little difficult. I guess those times are few and far between in comparison to Olivia. Though, I do have to say that O's attitude has changed A LOT over the last few weeks.

Anyway, here is an excerpt from the blog post that I did not publish. See if you believe it. I don't remember my little happy-go-lucky Bea ever acting out of line, but she did, and reading this I do remember some of it and can distinguishly hear her voice saying some of it:

"Usually I am greeted with a hug and smiles, instead I was ignored. And, she makes it a point to say "Hi, Daddy" when he has already picked her up from daycare and spent some time with her. So, I interject with "Hi Bea!" The response I got made me stop in my tracks. It was "No, I didn't say hi to you. I said hi to daddy!" Oh, lord. And it gets worse...

At dinnertime, I am helping Josh by getting her drink and I kindly ask what she wants - water, milk or juice. She ignores me. I ask her about five times. Finally, I get an "I want lemonade" response. So I get her the lemonade, and as I am putting it in front of her, she says to me, "Mama, you're in my way." Excuse me? This isn't even the end of it...

Around bedtime, she puts a piece of plastic from a plastic bag into her mouth which she knows she shouldn't. I tell her to take it out, as I usually do, and normally she spits it out into my hand or throws it in the garbage. Instead, she runs away from me to her bed. I go after her and put my hand in front of her mouth and ask her to spit it out. What does she do? She pretends she is going to and then all of the sudden I see her chewing and then she does one of those big swallow type motions. Yep, she swallowed it."

She still has these types of moments, but it is short-lived.

Stay tuned for Friday...I'll be posting pics from last night's Halloween Festival at my mother-in-laws school, our pumpkin carvings that will take place this evening, and costumes. There could be multiple costumes for each child. Just a warning in advance...

Upgrades

Our house is finally on the bandwagon to new improvements (well, now that the kids are getting easier to manage, and it helps that they often play together and keep themselves more busy with each other).

Here's our new overhead light in the living room:


Also, due to our keys not exactly working in the front door, we also upgraded the lock and hardware:




Aren't they pretty? In any case, since I am home right now (just temporarily), I'm going to try to keep the momentum on some of this, even if it is that I only paint and do teeny projects. Stay tuned...

These kids aren't so new, but we'll keep grumpy and happy:

Options Open

Life is everchanging, isn't it? This last week presented a life change for me, and while trying to stay positive, it is the uncertainty that gets in the way of feeling okay about it. I've been through this before. Just once, and once is more than plenty. But, with all that has been on my mind lately, it's possible that it is a blessing in disguise. I am now unemployed...

So, what happens now? Well, for starters, I am looking for something new. What it will end up being, I'm not sure, though my feelers have been put out there already. I have to believe that it will be okay. And I say okay only because, well, money is what makes the world go round. As unfortunate as that can be, money is what allows our family to do some of the funner things in life. And maybe it is selfish for me to say, but we really like those fun things, those extra things in life that aren't a must-have, but a nice-to-have.

And while I have "some" time on my hands until something new does come along, well, a lot of my internal projects are being fast-forwarded into motion. That's good, right? I think so, but if you've ever been unemployed then you might tend to feel how I do in these sort of situations. The urgency that I must be looking for something all the time, always being productive in finding something so as not to possibly miss out on an opportunity. Even though times have changed a lot since the last time this happened to me, and job searches are a lot easier, LinkedIn works incredibly for networking, among many other things. I don't want to stress myself out this time, but I think what could end up stressing me out is the fact that last time it took a year and a half for me to find something. I'm thinking positive that something will come along very, very soon.

As for projects during this time, it's writing mostly. And this other idea that my friend D put into my head. I just don't know how to get started with that, though. In the end, I want to do what I love, and maybe in a few years I'll be there. Until then...I guess I'm kind of stuck.

On a last note, I cannot thank my family and friends enough for listening to me and saying kind words over the last few days. When you suddenly feel helpless for the situation you have been put in, it means more than any words that my family and friends are the most important part of my life and I'm so happy to have each and every one of you...

Some Photos, If You Will

Not much to write, but more to show because it's been a while since I've posted photos.

First of all, change. I got a new vehicle, but we still have the minivan, as you can see here. The car on the right, it's mine for the most part. Sorry for just the little snippet of it, but I haven't taken a real photo yet. It's "Mommy's Big Truck" (aka FORD EXPEDITION complete with DVD player for long car rides):


Second, we got our first adult piece of furniture, you know, the kind that is delivered already put together and is real wood? It's an entertainment center. But first, we had to clear out the old. Can you say clutter? Yuck (but I do think that little smiley kid in the second picture is cute):



And now we have this little jewel (yeah, the TV is pretty brand new, too, and so are the painted walls):


A couple of weeks ago we also went to the pumpkin patch...I don't want you to think we replaced our stroller with a wheelbarrow:


Making sure her new friend "Moonica" takes her for a nice little ride:


Let's hear it for "Riblet" and its passengers hamming up the smiles:


Covering every inch of the pumpkin patch is Livey:


Mommy made her do it:


Someone was in a horrible mood, but you can't see it much here as we get ready to ride the train:


Cuteness:


More cuteness:


And just a little more, ok:


And in other news, here's one of Bea in the fort that never seems to die:


Yes, we put on our toy thinking caps every now and then:


Bea: Oh, crap! The paparazzi is at it again!
Livey: STOP! STOP! You cannot take a picture of us in the BATHTUB!

**This Image Has Been Removed Due to Google Images Activity.

And just because some kids in our house love to wear their bathing suits over their clothes because it is "so cool":


And that is all I have...

Neglect

Someone just told me that it has been WEEKS since I have done a post. And, yes, it is true. I didn't do it on purpose, I promise. And I honestly haven't forgot about this blog. In fact, at the end of every single day I think about writing, but I am preoccupied with life and not spending even more time on the computer at the end of my day.

So, what happened during the last, oh, month? I was sick. Twice. Bea was sick. Twice. Olivia was sick. Twice. Josh was sick. Once. I was on antibiotics for ten days. Bea has been on antibiotics for 20+ days now. Olivia has been on antibiotics for 18 days now (she'll be done at 20). We've had ear infections, sinus infections, colds, and croup. Let's not forget fevers. So, yeah, we've been real healthy around here.

In addition to all of that, because believe me, that is PLENTY for us to deal with, we've had a number of changes in our household. That was going to be the basis of my next post, so maybe you can wait? The hint is that it involves a new vehicle and adult furniture. Well, I spoiled it, but I will share pictures in my next post.

Olivia's putting words together (Hi, Dada! All done. Get down.) while Bea is questioning anything and everything (Why? How come? What's that?) and has said the following phrase that I am guessing she learned at daycare: Shake your booty!

Halloween costumes HAVE NOT come together. I have one on standby for Bea, but she's not overwhelmed with it. Shoot, if anyone knows where I can get a PONY costume (yeah, that is what Olivia was for Halloween last year) in a size 3T or 4T, I need to know, because that is what she is telling everyone she is for Halloween. And secondly, I NEED an Orphan Annie RED DRESS in size 18M for you know who. I spoiled the surprise, but people, help me out a little here!

And We Have Lift Off!

She's walking! Well, she took her first few steps a couple of weeks ago, but here's some video of this evening. The word on the streets is that she is walking more than crawling now at daycare. We have to encourage her a lot, and now she is much more motivated than before. Instead of giving you the long, drawn-out clips of pretty much nothing and a little bit of walking, I give you the blast off, quick and short version:



Go Livey!

I want to thank everyone for their comments on my last post - I received many - by phone and email, too. It's nice to know I'm not alone. Everything that everyone said touched my heart and meant something to me. However, I don't have any sort of conclusion as of yet and have continued to think a lot about it. I hope it happens one day, and maybe that time will come when the kids are in school and we don't have the additional daycare cost, or maybe I will resort to something else. Or maybe I volunteer some of my free time now to see what it would be like. I want to touch many more lives than just the people I know and my own family. But for now, I am just continuing to plug along.

Where to Begin?

It's been a long time again...and just plain busy. Not sure where to start, though I know I am late on both Bea's and O's letters this month. For Bea, I am doing a big letter for next month as she will be 2 1/2, so I am bypassing this month. No excuses for O's, though.

My parents are in town, and have been since early in the month. They are now full time RVers and are currently staying about 20 minutes from our home. It's been nice having them around, and the girls have certainly loved getting to know them more. They'll be here until after the 4th of July, so it will probably remain busy for us until around that time.

In other news, is it true that everything happens in three's? Within a period of one week, I have heard of three deaths. One family member and two people I have met only briefly. The first two came as a shock, as those happened just two days apart. The third only came to me yesterday, but the death happened a few days prior. I have to be honest that when I heard about the first two, I was holding my breath for a third and hoped that nothing would happen and prayed for everyone to be safe. Then I heard about the third. It's saddening yes, but also relieving. Death isn't something I like to talk about and I am scared of it, but I was relieved there was a third (and somehow knew it was coming). Scary.

So what have we been doing over the last month besides the girls keeping us busy?
**We've been spending a lot of time with my parents
**Josh went wheeling on the Rubicon
**Josh and I went to Maine for a wedding (we ate a lot of lobster!)
**The usual daily weekday routine
**Working too much

Oh, and I think Josh had a good father's day this year. At least, I hope. I surprised him with his first ever professional massage. He was a bit apprehensive and said it was ok, but he said this was the first time in a long time that his back no longer hurts, and it's now been a week...Hmmmm.

I don't have a lot of time today as everyone is napping right now, but I did want to post a few recent shots that my parents have taken of the girls. Can you believe how big they are getting?

Mother's Day and the Countdown to 1

I hope that all the mother’s reading this had a great mother’s day. And hugs to my friend K who celebrated her very first mother’s day this year. This is my third. I can’t even believe that. I was awoken by Bea yelling “Happy Mother’s Day” over and over, while Olivia crawled up to my face and poked me saying “Mama”. I then got a sweet card, roses, coffee, a paper, and breakfast. And a family that made me smile all morning long. It really was great, and I really feel that there is no better feeling than being a mom (well, most of the time anyway).

So, my anniversary is coming up, or rather my blogiversary. I can’t believe I have been doing this almost a year now, though not as consistent in recent months. Anyway, there are quite a few posts that are near and dear to me, though I don’t know the exact number offhand. I’ll be starting the countdown at 8 and hope that it will match up. So, at number 8 comes a post that I wrote my first month in doing this blog. And because I don’t think she ever saw it and therefore want to her to see it, it is sort of a tribute to my friend M. And some of the things I wish I would have done and realized a long time ago. And, oh my gosh, I SO understand now.

Number 8: This Last Weekend

I'm Outta Here

I'm packing it up, folks. No, not the blog, though I will be changing my URL pretty soon. I have a work event and I will be gone until Wednesday evening. I'm leaving tomorrow morning. The good news? Well, I won't be too far from home, only about 60 miles away. But the work that my job entails will make me stay there through Wednesday evening so I will be shacked up in a luxury hotel. Though not as luxurious as it seems as I will be working my tail off the entire time.

Anyway, even though I KNOW he doesn't need it, please send Josh good thoughts as he will be managing two little terrors, er...the sweetest little girls on the planet, up until then. And the only reason I think it will be hard is because there have been a number of sleep issues lately. We have just gotten through two weeks of sickness in our house. One had a stomach bug and one had a cold, and then they did an exchange. Did you know that Costco sells Airborne now? We are already on our second pack from Costco...and have been dropping the liquid vitamin every 4 hours to try to keep away from these bugs. In any case, I know he will be fine, but I know that one adult for two children is very exhausting. And I will miss all three of them like crazy.

I won't be around for a few days on this blog, not that that's any big deal because I have been rather spotty lately anyway. Once I get through this week, it should hopefully go somewhat back to normal. Don't count on it though, as our six year anniversary is next Saturday and May holds oh so many get-a-ways.

So, here's something you might want to take a look at. Just a few videos. From the park. When viewing the last video, it is possible that you might think:

A) Quite possibly another candidate for America's Funniest Home Videos

B) I would NEVER let them babysit my kids

C) Is that really Olivia, or some mechanical puppet. I mean, c'mon look how quickly she makes a break for it.

D) They are living on the edge with those parenting skills, but at least they are letting their kids have fun.

Whatever your answer, you must know this. We are always very cautious. You want to know why? See what I wrote after the videos.







This one time. At the park. We let Olivia go down the big slide - the one you see Bea going down on her own. There was too much going on. We didn't have 100% attention. Olivia took off down the big slide. Yes, on her own. Have you ever watched the Olympics and the luge event? Well, picture that and someone wiping out. You know how they hit the sides of the run as they are wiping out? That was Olivia. At each curve she kind of got knocked up a little bit. She was ok. Totally ok. In fact, she went right down again with assistance. I did not videotape that.

Do Ya Think She's a Future Wheeler?

I haven't a doubt in my mind that that kid won't love the Hollister Hills or the Rubicon with her dad (and sometimes, me)!

What's the health story with Bea? Well, the results of her x-ray came back, and yes, she has either another sinus infection, or the one that caused us so much heartache and made us ask so many questions never went away. Her bloodwork, fortunately, was fine. So, now it's off to the allergist who will hopefully be able to determine the cause of all this. The thought keeps crossing my mind that she might be allergic to the cats, which in that case, I am not sure what we will do. We adopted those cats from the humane society before we were even married and they are like family. Anyway, I've heard horror stories about taking children to the allergist, and the types of things they do. If anyone has any good stories, I'd love to hear them.

Olivia had her one year check up at the docs (yep, we were about a month late on that one) and found out that we have a tall but skinny child on our hands. She's a string bean, for sure, so we've been given instructions on how to fatten her up. Sheesh, what a problem any adult would love to have! Oh, and I must mention that we are DONE with formula. That's an extra 40 - 80 bucks a month we will now save. WOO HOO!

I'll be doing more of a happy dance when we at least have one child out of diapers.

All Good Things Must Come to an End

Vacation: Over.

One week: Went by too fast.

The List I made: Nothing, and I mean nothing, got done.

What I did do: Relax.

So today was my first day back at work, at the new workplace. It felt odd going to a new place, a little farther than what I am used to. However, so far so good. I almost wish I would have opted for two weeks off, but I am glad to be back into a routine again.

I've not much to report other than we had a nice weekend with the girls. St. Paddy's Day was spent at Josh's parents with the corn beef works. We took lots of walks and went on many park trips, and it was relaxing for the most part. And, hey look! They're both facing forward in the car now...it's been pretty entertaining with them bantering back and forth to each other.

You Say You Want Updates?

Today is my last day at my current workplace, and I’ll be taking all of next week off for a much needed break. And since it is my last day, that pretty much means I’m not doing much work which is unexpected because I have been slammed all week. So, I guess I’m doing a blog entry instead…and only because I am a little perturbed that my exit interview is scheduled for 4:30, which means I have to stay the WHOLE DAY!

Is it updates you want? Probably not. But you’re going to get them anyway.

Dare I say it, but Bea has been doing much better these days. I can’t remember if I had mentioned it, but we found out that she had a major sinus blockage, and they weren’t sure how long it had been there. She wouldn’t take the medicine, and believe me, we tried everything in the book…so, 2 different name brand prescriptions and $175 later, the doctor gave her 2 rounds of shots to get rid of it. Let’s just say that my toddler is the happiest I have ever seen her these days. It kills me to think that she was still a happy child when she certainly didn’t feel her best for a very long time. Unfortunately, we need to do some blood work just to make sure everything is really ok. It was an unsuccessful attempt yesterday as they didn’t get enough from a very screaming Bea, so she has to go back in next week. Since I will be home, I will be taking her. I’m thinking about taking some candy to help distract her. If anyone has any tips on lengthy blood drawings and how to make it easy with a toddler (these ain’t no quicky zippity shots!), then I would love to hear them.

And what is going on with Miss Olivia? Well, all I can say is that girl is really on the move these days. She speed crawls around the house, grunting the whole entire time. There’s also something new she’s doing, which is standing on her own without assistance. She kind of just stands there, stunned, and spends the whole time concentrating on staying upright. Josh and I both think she will just be standing there one day and just start walking, right out of the blue. I guess we’ll have to see. I’m not ready for that yet, oh no. Additionally, she is saying words, which I know I mentioned before. It almost feels like suddenly she is not my little bitty baby anymore.

So, what else is new? Not much. Just doing the family thing for the most part. Oh, and Josh and I, well we are taking our first REAL LIVE VACATION IN JUNE. We have not had a “real” vacation since our honeymoon, which was – let me count – almost 6 years ago!

Have a good weekend, no matter what you do. Since the weather is supposed to be a lovely 75 degrees or more here, we will be heading to the zoo and attempting some other fun outdoor activities. I can’t say how much we are looking forward to spring. And the time change? Can you even believe it is this weekend…I love longer days (I’m just not looking forward to the actual time change and dealing with bedtime issues with you know whos).

What a Weekend

So many happenings this weekend, and I apologize for no new updates and lack of postings. Life has been busy and crazy, and my time has been so limited. A couple of highlights:

I got a new job.
We got rid of some of our baby items.

Shocked? Well, that job that I interviewed for and wrote about did offer me a tremendous opportunity that I couldn't pass up. So, I'm taking it. That’s all I can say.

Additionally, we had some new friends over Saturday evening who are having a baby soon. New friends? Yes, I hope…they are such nice people. Hopefully, we did not scare them too much with our highly spirited children. But, I don’t think so. We had dinner with them and gave them some of the baby items that you quickly outgrow after the first year and are no longer needed. If you're wondering if Josh and I have decided not to have a third child, we still don't have an answer for that one. The conclusion of that particular discussion is yet to be determined, but it is something that we still do talk about. Let's just say that we aren't ready to make a final decision on that yet. Additionally, I parted with some of the girls clothes. Yes, it was hard, and I kept only the items that had meaning (well, to me anyway). A lot of those clothes didn't get much use, so I am happy to give them to someone else who can use them. And the ones that got stained and looked ratty after making their way through not one, but two little girls? A separate pile altogether. I’m not even sure if goodwill should get those.

Other than that, I saw the biggest tantrum I have ever seen yet coming from Miss Bea. We went over to our neighbor's house in the afternoon. Bea played her heart out with those kids and ran around forever. When it was time to come home, she wasn't having it. So we heard screaming for a VERY long time. It wasn't pretty.

Olivia is starting to say words and knowing what they mean. It is all the usual suspects: mama, dada, ba (balloon), baba (bottle).

Life Goes On...

I know I haven't posted in a while. Not much has changed. I've got stories, yes. But, right now I am in the middle of so many projects that I have been spending a lot of my spare time on those after the girls go to bed at night. So, I'm sorry. The stories (which are hopefully entertaining) will return after Olivia's birthday next month. And until then, the boring update posts will be here to, oh I don't know...bore you?

Anyway, I have crossed one item off my to-do list, and that was item #1. Only to find out the next day that that wedding has been postponed until the summer of 2008 for understandable reasons (I love you, L!). I did try on the dress and got more excited about the Mexico wedding thing. At least I have something to look forward to well in advance.

I am determined to cross things off my list. I mean, we are almost to February already! It just felt like Christmas. And now we're headed into Valentine's Day. This is all happening way too fast.

So, it sounds to me like everyone in this house (including Josh) is asleep, so I will leave you with this:

Today Beatrice received a birthday card in the mail from her Uncle T (Thanks, T!). You don't have to give that girl a wrapped present...I have found that cards act the same way as a big boxed present for a two year old. I handed her the card and said "your Uncle T sent you this present for your birthday," and her eyes lit up as she saw the pink enveloped card in her lap. She immediately started to open it, and ripped the envelope in about 10 pieces getting to the card. She looked at it and said "Princess, Mama!" as that is what it was on the front of the card. Then she opened the card and a check fell out.

Without a beat, the kid picked up the check and promptly passed it to her father (who was sitting right next to her). No interest in money (coins, yes...bills, yes...checks, hasn't a clue what they are). She continued looking at the card and I read it to her...she forgot about that thing that fell out of the card. The next time she sees something she wants, it will be from Uncle T, and we will be sure to tell her. For it is the month of Beatrice...she has been celebrating her birthday all month long. How do I know? She sings the birthday song every single day.

Weekend Update

Bottles Be-Gone Attempt #1: Failed

We came. We tried. We lost the battle (this time, at least):

About 10am on Saturday, Bea says she wants her bottle.

Josh goes to the kitchen and fills a sippy cup with milk. He comes back and hands it to her.

She takes it and then hurls it across the room. And then she cries.

Five minutes go by. She’s still crying. Josh says, “Do you want to get her a bottle?” I say, “Sure, but I am putting water in it.”

I go to the kitchen and proceed. I hand Bea the water-filled bottle. She stops crying for about 10 seconds to examine the bottle and notices that it is a clear liquid instead of a white liquid. She takes it and hurls it across the room. She goes back to crying.

The crying is temper-tantrum like – laying on the floor on her stomach, hands in her arms, and kicking her legs. She cries for about another five minutes.

I couldn’t take it and because she hasn’t been feeling well, give in.

I go back to the kitchen. She follows me. Still crying, she watches what I am doing. I empty the bottle and fill it with milk. I go to hand it to her and she runs away crying. I try to tell her that it is her “buh-buh” but she won’t have anything to do with me. Then, she finally takes it. She looks at me through her tears, and well, it was very hard to make it out, but she said two words. The second being “you”. The first being either “hate” or “thank”. I believe it was “thank” because she doesn’t know the word hate, at least as far as I know. I wanted to cry right there on the spot.

She doesn’t drink that much of it.

Believe me, I wanted to try again. But that same night, she somehow starting saying “please”. So, when she was in her bed that night, she said “buh-buh” and I just looked at her thinking I was going to get her the cup, and she said, “Mama – pwease?” I was shocked. “Pwease, mama...Pwease. Pwease.”

How could I not give her what she wanted?

***************************************************

Olivia started clapping this weekend! And she is standing up (with help), but is enjoying her ability to be tall and do something new.

Odds and Ends

Olivia update: She is feeling much better after starting antibiotics. However, she wanted to stay up and party with me late last night (maybe 10 PM is not late to some, but it is to this tired mom). She did end up sleeping the whole night after that.

Bea update: Still hugging. Still kissing. Still happy. She's started saying names of her playmates at daycare. "Ashlee" is my favorite.

Jenna update: A hectic evening yesterday. After Olivia's stay at Josh's parents yesterday, I picked up Bea at daycare, came home for awhile, then headed out with Bea to his parents. All was fine until the trek home. I made four, yep four, stops:

1) After driving two blocks, the "door open" light comes on. I stop and open and close all doors. Meanwhile, Bea asks for her buh-buh which I realize is empty. Crap.

2) After driving another few blocks and going around quite a few corners, I turn around to give Bea something and notice that Olivia's car seat is COMPLETELY on its side. She's riding vertical, but she's screeching in happiness. Clearly unsafe, I stop and fix. Bea starts yelling for buh-buh. And then starts crying when I tell her I don't have any for her.

3) Crying is getting pretty crazy, so I stop at a gas station that is on the way in an effort to buy some milk. They only have chocolate or strawberry, plus every other drink imaginable. No plain milk. I hop back in the car and decide to stop for some food. Bea is screaming for buh-buh.

4) Last stop and the drive-thru is miles long. There's no way I am going inside and bringing the cranky one and the happy one in. Way too much for me at this point. I wait in the drive-thru and pray they have milk. They do. When getting the food at the window, the lady was like "my, you've got a hungry one there." Uh, yeah, I do...Fork over that milk, please. She gets her buh-buh and is now happy. We head home.

Josh update: He's under the weather and not feeling well. Hopefully, this will make him feel better: