Just Call Her Alberta Einstein

Maddie has started saying (or rather repeating, I guess) two word phrases. Today, I told her to sit down, and she said it back to me. After she sat, I said "thank you", and she repeated that. Granted, if I had not just said those two phrases, the words would not have been recognizable. But I had, and they were.
As if that's not enough milestone conquering in one day, my 12 month old told me she needed her diaper changed. You read that correctly folks. She walked into the living room and said, clear as day, "diaper". Then she led me into the bedroom and stopped in front of my bed (where I usually change her diaper). There were two diapers on the floor, pulled off of the bedside table where I keep them. This is not the first time she has said "diaper", she actually added that word to her repertoire several weeks ago. It was the first time she used the word in a request to have her hiney cleaned though!
Seriously people? At 12 months of age? So much for my little baby...

What did Grandma put in her Thanksgiving day cranberry sauce??

Thankful

This post is a day late, maybe a dollar short, but necessary none the less. This year, I am thankful for just about my whole life. But to stop there feels like a cop-out, so I will make this list, mainly for myself so that I can look back on it on a future rough day. You know, remind myself why I am so amazingly blessed when I feel gloomy.

*I am thankful for a man who loves me, holds me, nurtures me, takes care of me despite my bountiful flaws.
*I am thankful for 4 healthy, happy children who came to me easily, when I know that so many women out there struggle just to build their families.
*I am thankful that I can stay home with my girls, instead of paying somebody else to mother them throughout the day.
*I am thankful for a mom who loves me and never abandons me, despite what I have put her through over the years.
*I am thankful for a father who I can no longer hug, but who is in my heart still. I am surely blessed to have had this man teach me responsibility, respectability, honor, and forgiveness--traits I am finding in my own husband.
*I am thankful my husband still has a job in this crazy economy, and that while things are quite tight, we are in no danger of losing the roof over our heads or going without.

Happy Holidays!

Visitor!

Wonderful, delightful Aunt Kylie (Corey's younger sister) is here for a visit, and we are having a grand time!

Both girls love her, and she is super awesome with them! The only problem is that Taylor keeps calling her "grandma". Ahem. I do correct her, every time she says it, "honey, it's Aunt Kylie". Now she also calls her "grandma aunt". Luckily for us, Aunt Kylie just laughs and doesn't take it personally. We love her!

It's A Beautiful Morning

These girls are, without a doubt, morning people. Maddie especially, since she wakes up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed every. single. day. This is the genetic influence of their father. I do not like to wake up, and tend to be quite grumpy in the morning. But it never lasts, because as soon as I open this girl's door, and see this smiling face on this exhuberant little person, I can't help but smile too.

I envy children this. They wake up each day, excited about the new day, thinking only of the new things they get to do and learn. They are not plagued with fear and doubts, with worries about yesterday and tomorrow. They know only of today.

Maddie had her 12 month well check this past week, and the doctor said she is above the curve in both motor skills and intellectual development. I knew she was smart, but wow is it fantastic to have that rather biased opinion collaborated by a medical professional!! We also went ahead and gave her the H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccinations. I know there is some disagreement out there about the swine flu vaccine, but I have always been strongly in favor of vaccines. Protect them where we can, I say, since there are so many things we can't protect them from (heartbreak, teasing..."metal mouth", anyone??).

Have a great weekend!!

I wanted to tell you...

that the flowers around Maddie's birthday cake were real, from my grandmother's garden. The best part? The colors exactly matched the flowers on the back of the highchair she was using, the same highchair I used to sit in when I was her age!! How cool is that?

So this is weird...

I have sent out resumes for at least 15 positions. No response. On any of them. In the past, I have had no trouble whatsoever trying to land a job. My experience is varied, my skills are sharp, and I hate to toot my own horn, but I give a kick a** interview. I wonder if employers are not digging the empty space on my resume for the past 1 1/2 years that I have been home? Because I have 2 other intervals of time where I have also stayed home with two of my other children. Do I seem irresponsible? Or noncommitted? Flighty, maybe? I mean, because of my extended maternity leaves, spaced only a couple of years apart, I do not have long work histories with any of the companies I have been employed with. One thing is different this time though, I have shied away from the customer service positions that I used to jump on. We have only one vehicle that can accomodate two carseats, plus I'm not desperate to find a job, so I can't/won't apply for those types of positions that usually have odd hours. Or, maybe my uncertainty and indecision is coming across somehow. I vacillate between wanting to work and, well, not wanting to work yet. I'd say that I need to, for financial reasons, but when I pull out my trusty calculator, with two young children in daycare (plus gas, clothes, etc etc), we are not really coming out ahead.
Hmmm...what a conundrum.

Birthday Pictures

Happy 1st Birthday sweet baby girl!

Welcome Home To Us!

We would like to thank Great Grandpa/Grandma G, BJ, and Great Grandpa/Grandma S for having us, feeding us, and loving on us this past week. We also give thanks for Nana M, for joining us in beautiful MO. We had a wonderful vacation.

Daddy's favorite part was fishing, fishing, and more fishing.

Maddie's and Taylor's favorite part was fish, fish, and more fish!

I was truly shocked (and maybe a little bit appalled??) at both girls' desire to touch and pet the fish their Daddy and I caught. Maddie was even putting her fingers into their mouths (they were large mouth bass). Many thanks to Great Grandpa S for butchering and cleaning them (the fish, not the girls! hehe), we will have a feast later this week!

More pics to come, as Maddie turned 1 this past week and we had much to celebrate!

Good News and Goodbye

The puppy is now back at his home, with his family. Great news!

Also, I will be away from my computer for about a week. So goodbye for now!

Visitor

Today, we had have, as he's still here, a visitor. Our backyard fence is partly comprised of barbed wire, open to the field behind us. A puppy has invaded our lives, and he thinks he has found his new home. Currently, he is in Dezi's new doghouse (see pics!), sleeping on his blanket. Poor Dezi refuses to go in there with him, thus has been sleeping on the chair on the back porch. Dezi loves loves loves his doghouse, and he is quite offended to have been usurped.

Good grief, I don't need another little body to take care of. I'm putting this in writing...he is not moving in with me!

Bed Head is the New 'Do

Cutest case of bed head I've ever seen!

Attention Fellow Mommies

I'm selling my secret recipe for mashed potatoes.

Guaranteed to put your sweeties to sleep, giving you some blessed quiet!

If you are not too young to sweep,

then you are not too young to rot your 5 teeth with Halloween candy!