Anything...

...to fill our days.

The Winter Olympics at our House

And yes, that is an (unused) pantyliner the tiny dog is snowboarding on....

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

Uhhh, yikes?!

Snow!!!

I have been looking at pictures of snow on my favorite blogs to read for weeks now. I know this is nothing compared to what people in northern states have been getting this new year, but for us it is exciting!

All day long, Taylor talked about making a snowman. So, when her Daddy came home, he obliged. I present, "Texas Snowman".

Learning Time

After all that hard work, it's time to relax!

Crazy Metabolism

Yesterday, Maddie had her 15 month well check. (Yes, Taylor received a kiddie digital camera for her birthday and Maddie received 3 shots. Talk about life not being fair). I was utterly shocked to learn she had only gained 2 pounds in the last 3 months. Seriously? As you all well know, she eats all.the.time. Massive amounts of food at each sitting. She looks much bigger to me, especially her belly fit to play Santa Claus at the local mall. Hmmm. She is exactly 50th percentile in height, weight and head circumference. I'll read that to mean she's perfectly even!
Maddie has never been sick (knock on wood), at least nothing more serious than a snotty nose a few times and a low-grade fever twice, I think from teething. I do a lot of things wrong as a parent. I yell, I curse in front of my kids, I lose my patience over minor things, I yell, I give sweets too often, did I mention that I yell? Maybe it's all dumb luck, but I like to think I am doing a good job on the health front. I like to think that she (or Taylor for that matter) is never sick because I nursed her for 13 months, because of the wide selection of fresh fruits and veggies I feed her, because I stay home with her instead of putting her in daycare. Again, maybe we are just lucky because she hasn't been exposed, but I hope she is so healthy because I am doing a few things right.

Birthday Pre-Party

Taylor's actual party is going to be held on Saturday, but of course we had to have a mini-celebration tonight! Corey is working really late tonight (when you need the overtime to cover your bills, you take it when you can get it), and the girls and I ate pizza and cupcakes.

For some reason, the cupcakes at the grocery store had red, green, and white frosting. I sure hope they weren't leftover from Christmas!

Happy Birthday Taylor!

Happy 4th Birthday to my sweet girl! You are smart, energetic, loving and beautiful. I'm so proud of how far you have come in the past year.

One of the presents she received this morning was a box puzzle. It has 24 pieces, and more complex than any of her wooden puzzles. When I opened it and dumped the pieces out, I thought she would not be able to do it yet. Oh me of little faith! She methodically worked it, piece by piece, with patience and concentration, and she completed it in less than 10 minutes. As I'm typing this, she just finished the second one, also with 24 pieces. Wow!

Ole!

Taylor's 4th birthday is tomorrow, but last Thursday we went to a mexican restaurant, and asked them to do the birthday song for her. It was pretty funny, though Taylor was a little upset that she didn't get to keep the sombrero!

Happy Valentine's Day

Hold on to your hats, cause this is sure to blow your socks off! My husband wrote this poem for me, on this 6th Valentine's Day we have celebrated together.

My Valentine
To whom do I owe
this life I do love.
Where do I turn to when
push comes to shove.

There is one I depend on
to travel through life.
She's the companion
my partner my wife.

A beacon of hope
like an angel you shine.
My beauty, my constant
My Valentine

and he signed it "For you Elizabeth because I love you every day"

*sigh*

How lucky am I? My husband is truly talented. I actually had to ask him, just to make sure, if he wrote it himself. Somebody call Hallmark, cause this man has got it. Don't you wish your husband was this romantic? And just for the record, he's like this all the time. Not just on this commercialized, greeting card holiday. Is it any wonder that I am still in love with this man after 4 years of marriage and two kids?

Don't Ever Wake Me Up Again Mom

Fighting EB

I have been following Jonah's blog since he was born almost one year ago, and I've seen/read what a horrible disease EB is. I am committed to help in any way I can, and since I don't have the money to help in a financial way, I can at least urge you guys to! There will be an auction this month with the proceeds donated to Debra to find a cure for EB. Head on over to the auction website for more information, and when the time comes bid on something cool!

I Knew There Was A Reason I Had Kids

***I'm sure I don't need to say this, but better safe than sorry: please take the title of this post in the spirit with which it was intented. Fun, humor. Every time I unload the dishwasher, she would take the silverware and throw it on the floor. Well, today I had had enough of that and I told her to put in in the drawer if she wanted to help!

I'm Jealous

Although I'm ashamed to admit it, I am jealous of my sister-in-law. As I was sitting in her hospital room on Monday, holding her 24 hour-old son, I was jealous. It seemed not to matter that I have been blessed to experience the most amazing moments of my life giving birth to my children not one, not two, but four times. It seemed not to matter that I intentionally and permanently made it impossible for me to have more children. It seemed not to matter that I am stressed, busy, frustrated, and often times overwhelmed every day of my life caring for the children I already have. All of that faded away as I held and instantly loved that tiny, tiny boy. (sidenote: I find it amazing that now matter how many children you have, you forget how truly small they are when they are first born). I am jealous that she is, right now at this very moment, experiencing the first week of a new child, nursing him and getting to know him. And I feel sad that I will never be pregnant again, never be in the hospital again with my newborn, never get to bring a new baby home for the first time. I know, I know for a fact that I do not want to have any more children. I would not have taken drastic and final measures to prevent future pregnancies if I wasn't sure. But I still feel the loss.


On a lighter note, here is Maddie eating refried black beans. Looking back, it seems like a disproportionately large number of posts have been about Maddie eating something. Look, folks, that's what she does all.day.long. So if she is pictured here, or talked about here, she's going to be eating!