An Early Birthday Party

Tonight we had an early birthday celebration for Lyla. She turns two in a week, but since Mark just got home and leaves again before next weekend, we decided to celebrate early so he could be there. Lyla doesn't like crowds, so we did what we thought she would like best - a family party with Mousey and Poppy, Uncle Bo, Uncle Mike, and the Williams crew. Lyla loves bears, so it was a bear themed party. She had a great time until the very end when everyone was leaving then she had a massive meltdown. However, we had a great night celebrating our little Lyla. It's hard to believe she's already almost two!

An Inspiring Story

If you're looking for a uplifting quick read, this story about hope and healing in the form of a young mother's group is really inspiring. Even though their children were a product of abuse, these young moms have found ways to see the good and the positive in their situation. I admire that...

Cool Kids

Nina and Lyla were ready to talk to Mark on the webcam just after waking up. They decided to wear their sunglasses and give Daddy a laugh when he signed on and saw them.

One Creepy Snowman

Just insert the "EEE EEE EEE" sound of the Psycho shower scene, and you've got a certifiably creepy snowman. I am going to dream about this thing with a knife in it's falling off hands, creeping into my room at night. Thanks to Nina, this now resides in our house. Let me take you back to how it started...at Christmas, my mom had the "great" idea of setting up all of my sister and I's old stuffed animals, and letting our girls fill a bag of the ones they wanted to take home. I have no idea why, but Nina wanted to bring this home. He creeped me out, so I sneakily took it out of her bag and buckled it into the passenger seat of my mom's car, so she'd have a lovely passenger on her next outing. Since it creeps her out also, she found a way to sneak it back to me. I found another way to sneak it back to her - you get the picture - until, finally, she was having too many bizzarre dreams with the snoman in the house, so she set him out in the garage. Fast forward to last night when the girls and I went to visit my parents, and as Poppy is carrying Nina out to the car for us to leave, Nina sees the snowman and aks Poppy to get it for her - OF COURSE he is all too happy to send her home with it. She actually slept with it last night. As for the fate of the snowman, I'm just waiting for Mark to get home. He has vowed to strap it to an M80 if it comes back to our house. See Ya Frosty!!!

A Crazy Morning

There are a handfull of things I secretly swore to myself that I would never do if I had kids. I would never wear jumpers, I wouldn't wear holiday sweaters or earrings, I wouldn't drive a mini-van (sorry to all my cool mini-van driving friends - you are fantastic in your vans, but I couldn't pull it off), and I wouldn't succomb to listening to kids' music. There is one of those that I've caved on. The girls love kids' music, so we split the air time with kids' music played for part of the day and my music played for the other part of the day. Today we decided to meet up with one of Nina's buddies at Jammin' Java for a Rocknocerous show. Nina was given one of their CDs and loves it. We ended up having a great time at the show, but to hear about our crazy trip there, read the story below the pictures.

On our way to Jammin' Java, the girls were eating a snack in the car while I was trying to navigate us through some traffic, when Lyla started coughing really hard. I think she had a goldfish that had gone down the wrong pipe or something. Anyway, she was coughing really hard and all of a sudden threw up all over everything (which happened to her one other time with a big coughing spell). She had thrown up all in her shirt, her coat, the car seat, her pants, etc. It was awful. She was covered in throw up and the car smelled awful. I'm trying to find a place to pull over, but it's freezing outside, and we're on the toll road in traffic with no good place to stop off, so Lyla just had to hang tight. Once we got off the toll road, I looked for the nearest place to stop. We found a shopping center with a Marshalls in it, so I peeled all of Lyla's wet and smelly clothes off her, wiped her and the car seat down with baby wipes as best I could, and since I don't think ahead to pack back-up outfits, I put her in Nina's jacket with just her diaper and shoes on, and we ran into Marshalls to try to find an outfit. We found an outfit, and I was dressing Lyla in the check-out line while the cashier was scanning the tags then cutting them off to hand to me to dress Lyla. We left with Lyla dressed in a new outfit, a plastic bag to contain all the gross clothes, and we made it on time to Rocknocerous just before the first song started. Once we made it back home, there was a very extensive clean-up effort directed at the car seat, clothes, etc., but at least we made it to the show because the girls really had a good time!

What's Wrong With This Picture?

I was in the middle of getting Lyla dressed (which meant that basically I had her diaper and her pants on) when Nina needed immediate help with something. I left Lyla to help Nina, and returned to find her downstairs like this. She decided to take off her diaper and pants and get her pacifier out of her crib (which she is only allowed to have while sleeping) and do some work on a puzzle. Makes total sense I guess.

Passing the Time

So, with most of the snow hopefully behind us (I say most because we are forecasted to get another couple inches tomorrow or Monday), we are finally shovelled out of our house again and rejoining the world of interacting with people. Trust me, even running errands yesterday in the crowded stores was an exciting change of pace. However, while we were house-bound again we baked cookies together... made some Valentines...and then went over to Mousey and Poppy's house today for the cousin Valentine party. As usual, they had a great time together.Here is Nina singing Jingle Bells. She decided on her own outfit and made her microphone, and when she doesn't know the words to the song, she just pretends to be singing. I don't think there is any recording artist in her future, but she enjoys giving a performance. Pardon my video camera issue. I was holding the camera vertically not realizing that the video would still be displayed horizontally.

There's a Big Lizard Out There

Is anyone else getting tired of seeing snow pictures? I am. Maybe if I stop taking snow pictures, the snow will go away. Anyway, I thought I'd post a funny quote instead. Nina was on the phone with Mark this morning (who is now in FL), and he was asking her about all the new snow we've gotten since yesterday. She said, "Daddy, we can't go outside because there's a big lizard out there." After she got off the phone I made sure she understood that it was a big blizzard and not a big lizard that was keeping us inside. Funny though.

40 Days Till Spring

Thankfully it's stopped snowing...for now. Only 40 days till spring. What are the chances all this melts before then? It's hard to believe that another big snow storm is forecasted to hit tomorrow. I'm ready to start the "no more snow" chant to make it stop. During this past storm, Mark tried to stay on top of the shovelling as the snow was falling. Eventually, the snow just took over, and the hours of digging and shovelling continued. We didn't get outside to play on Saturday. There was just too much snow falling. So, the girls spent the day inside playing, running around, and bouncing on the little trampoline.

When Sunday came around, everyone started to make tracks in the sidewalks and finish clearing out what they could of the driveways. There is just so much snow that there is no where to put it all. Thankfully, today front end loaders came in with dump trucks to load some of the snow up that was piled on the road and drive it off somewhere so they could clear more than one lane on the road.

Nina and Lyla had fun playing in the snow yesterday. It was all shovelling business for Mark yesterday, so no fun snow hill in the back yard or trips to the sledding hill (like last time), Nina especially just loves climbing the huge mounds of snow. She stayed out for a long time just climbing and tunnelling around in the snow.

After they were tired of the snow, it was time to play princess again. And if you're wondering if Nina is actually glowing, yes, her face is covered with Aquaphor. The cold and snow really does a number on her cheeks, so they are very red and shiny.

I had to include these pictures of Princess Lyla because they were so cute. She really wanted her picture taken like Nina. Here's her best attempt at a big smile.

When she does try to smile normally for the camera, she most often has this off-set smile which is very cute also.

As of Early This Afternoon...

And it's STILL snowing! While I am not happy to be in another massive winter snow storm, here are a couple things I am happy about: Mark hasn't left for preseason yet, we haven't lost power at our house yet, when I went to the store yesterday they actually still had food on the shelves, and so far no one is getting easily irritated with being house bound yet.

Jump Jump!

Since we have a record snow storm predicted to hit again today, I took the girls yesterday to Sport Bounce to jump, slide, and bounce their hearts out since we'll probably be house-bound for the next couple days. They had a blast! Before they left, they were dressed up as Cinderella's step sisters. Nina does the full role play scenario from the Cinderella story and basically just tells Lyla where and when to fun and follow her. However, she plays along because she loves being included in big girl stuff!

Snow Shmo

The snow definitely is pretty when it's falling, but I have to admit I'm a little sick of seeing it fall at the moment. We've gotten more snow than I can remember us having in a couple years. I used to love it when it would snow (back in the day when Mark and I had the freedom to hit the slopes), but if I can't get out and enjoy the snow for sport, I'm ready for spring not long after winter has begun. I was hoping that Punxsutawney Phil would come out of his hole today and say that spring was on its way, but it looks like we won't be getting any help from the groundhog.

In this picture, Lyla was doing some watercolor "painting" and decided to paint herself a one-sided mustache instead.

It All Comes Flushing Back to Me Now

My friend, Mary, sent me this email. Women everywhere will identify. I did identify, but it brought back such memories of my rather unbelievable trip a couple of years ago to visit girlfriends, P and Kristin, up in NJ. Read on for my rendition of how it all went horribly wrong...


When you have to visit a public bathroom, you usually find a line of women, so you smile politely and take your place. Once it's your turn, you check for feet under the stall doors. Every stall is occupied.
Finally, a door opens and you dash in, nearly knocking down the woman leaving the stall. You get in to find the door won't latch. It doesn't matter, the wait has been so long you are about to wet your pants! The dispenser for the modern 'seat covers' (invented by someone's Mom, no doubt) is handy, but empty. You would hang your purse on the door hook, if there was one, but there isn't - so you carefully, but quickly drape it around your neck, (Mom would turn over in her grave if you put it on the FLOOR!), then yank down your pants, and assume 'The Stance.'
In this position your aging , toneless thigh muscles begin to shake. You'd love to sit down, but you certainly hadn't taken time to wipe the seat or lay toilet paper on it, so you hold 'The Stance.'
To take your mind off your trembling thighs, you reach for what you discover to be the empty toilet paper dispenser. In your mind, you can hear your mother's voice saying, 'Honey, if you had tried to clean the seat, you would have KNOWN there was no toilet paper!' Your thighs shake more.
You remember the tiny tissue that you blew your nose on yesterday - the one that's still in your purse (Oh yeah, the purse around your neck, that now you have to hold up trying not to strangle yourself at the same time). That would have to do. You crumple it in the puffiest way possible. It's still smaller than your thumbnail.
Someone pushes your door open because the latch doesn't work. The door hits your purse, which is hanging around your neck in front of your chest, and you and your purse topple backward against the tank of the toilet. 'Occupied!' you scream, as you reach for the door, dropping your precious, tiny, crumpled tissue in a puddle on the floor; then you lose your footing all together, and slide down directly onto the TOILET SEAT. It is wet of course. You bolt up, knowing all too well that it's too late. Your bare bottom has made contact with every imaginable germ and life form on the uncovered seat because YOU never laid down toilet paper - not that there was any, even if you had taken time to try. You know that your mother would be utterly appalled if she knew, because you're certain her bare bottom never touched a public toilet seat, because, frankly, dear, 'You just don't KNOW what kind of diseases you could get.'
By this time, the automatic sensor on the back of the toilet is so confused that it flushes, propelling a stream of water like a fire hose against the inside of the bowl that sprays a fine mist of water that covers your butt and runs down your legs and into your shoes. The flush somehow sucks everything down with such force that you grab onto the empty toilet paper dispenser for fear of being dragged in too.
At this point, you give up. You're soaked by the spewing water and the wet toilet seat. You're exhausted. You try to wipe with a gum wrapper you found in your pocket and then slink out inconspicuously to the sinks.
You can't figure out how to operate the faucets with the automatic sensors, so you wipe your hands with spit and a dry paper towel and walk past the line of women still waiting.
You are no longer able to smile politely to them. A kind soul at the very end of the line points out a piece of toilet paper trailing from your shoe (Where was that when you NEEDED it?). You yank the paper from your shoe, plunk it in the woman's hand and tell her warmly, 'Here, you just might need this.'
As you exit, you spot your hubby, who has long since entered, used, and left the men's restroom. Annoyed, he asks, 'What took you so long, and why is your purse hanging around your neck?'
This is dedicated to women everywhere who deal with a public restrooms (rest??? you've GOT to be kidding!!).

If I were writing this, it would include all of this plus that tragic moment when the ultra sucking flush function starts the minute your car keys slip from your hand above the toilet, watching in slow motion as your keys fall directly into the toilet bowl, therefore sucking your keys away. It would include a loud scream of , "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO" and a thrusting of the full forearm into the afore mentioned ultra sucking flushing disgusting public toilet. Then, the realization of the fact that you're 90 miles from home, pregnant, and lacking the help of a husband (who happens to be in sunny CA) hits and you go rushing out of the stall commanding that no one uses that toilet. Then the real dread hits when you run out of the bathroom practically frantic at the lady working the snack and newspaper stand at the Maryland House rest stop trying to explain how you flushed your keys down the toilet, and then the look of extreme confusion and annoyance leaves her face and she actually calls the janitor, only for him to come into the stall with you and deliver the final blow that, "Maam, your keys are forever lost in the Maryland septic system. I hope you have a spare set." Then all the memories come flooding back of how your dad would find crafty and secret ways to hide a spare key under your car somewhere because he probably knew that you were somehow prone to things like this happening to you, but you realize that you aren't driving the car Mom and Dad got you anymore. You're driving the car you were so proud of to buy all by yourself, but you never hid a spare key secretly and craftily under the car. However, you were smart enough to not bring your coat into the Maryland House. Who needs that when you're just running in for a super quick pee because your pregnant belly keeps pushing on your bladder. Oh, by the way, it's also winter. Smart. Very smart. It's also an early weekend morning, and nothing is open. Hmmm, what does one do now??

If you're wondering if this story is true, YES, unfortunately every bit of it is true. If you ever want to hear the rest of the story, let me know. Since I'm here typing about it, I obviously survived!

Parachute Fun

When it's cold and/or rainy or snowy for months, we easily run out of things to do indoors. We did, however, discover some fun with a parachute in the basement. Nina loved it!

Sleepover Success

Last night was the big cousin sleepover at Mousey and Poppy's house. They had volunteered to watch our girls so Mark and I could go out for our anniversary, and Shenley and Garland's girls so they could go to a friend's birthday party, so all the cousins went over for a sleepover. We weren't sure how Nina would do since the last time she tried to sleepover, we got the call late to come and pick her up. She just couldn't relax enough to fall asleep. However, this time she was very excited to try again, and she was looking forward to spending time with her cousins and Mousey and Poppy.

Lyla held her bear pretty tightly when we first got there, but she warmed up quickly, and my parents said she only asked about us once and had a great time!

They got things started by playing the Wii dancing game.It was after this point that Mark and I scooted out, but all reports this morning indicated that they had a really good time. Everyone stayed the night, and we picked everyone up this morning. After trying to put their house back together, I'm guessing maybe Mousey and Poppy had a little sleep time of their own this afternoon!

Is it George Michael or Uncle Sparkles?

Mark and I had over our good friends, the Clarkes, last night for dinner and fun. Since Mike and Meg have been around the girls so much since they were born, they're known in our house as Uncle Mike and Auntie Meg. That is, at least most of the time. One Saturday afternoon after Mark and Mike had come home from fishing, they were unpacking the canoe and fishing gear while the girls and I were outside playing. Mark most often refers to Mike as "Sparky" (you'd have to have seen the National Lampoon's movies to make the connection, but Chevy Chase, a.k.a. Clark Griswald, is always referred to as Sparky by his wife - hence the nickname for Mike). Anyway, Nina heard Mark call him that and developed the name Uncle Sparkles. With is new beard and princess jewlrey, we didn't know if he looked more like an Uncle Sparkles or George Michael...either way, we think it's a great look for him!

Cinderella Date Night

Tonight is Nina and Mark's date night. Nina's evening started off pretty well when her date brought her home flowers. Their date night consisted of dinner at the town center then over to the high school to see the drama department's production of Cinderella. I've been getting text updates that they got great seats, and Nina is really enjoying the performance, but she's asking why they're singing so much! :) (of course, little sister had to get in the picture too)

**I did this post last night while Mark and Nina were at the Cinderella performance. When they got home, they told me that Nina got to meet Cinderella and the stepsisters after the play. She stayed attentive the whole time and really enjoyed herself but came home exhausted!

Pass the Calamine Lotion

In other words, Mark and I just celebrated our 8th anniversary yesterday. If you can make the connection between the title of the post and the previous statement, you get a gold star for the day. If you're stuck, here's the rationale. People say that, by rule, we tire of something after seven years. It starts to get a little mundane, a little familiar, a little old, whatever, so out of that came the concept of the seven-year-itch. I know kids get vaccinated for the chicken pox now, but back in the day, when we got the chicken pox, our mothers just covered us in Calamine lotion and commanded us not to itch - all the while threatening that if we do itch, we'll scar ourselves permanently. Great. Thanks.

So, this all goes to say that I think I'll just plan on life with a little Calamine lotion. I can honestly say that I enjoy and appreciate our marriage more today than I did when we first got married. However, I know it's not easy to stay married for the long haul, but I look at those who have and realize that, sure, they probably felt at times a bit itchy, but instead of scratching, they reached for the Calamine lotion. Good for them. No life-long scars. The song lyrics that pop into my head when I think of a good relationship description go something like this..."It's not always rainbows and butterflies, it's compromise that moves us along. My heart is full and my door's always open. You come anytime you want." Sounds like a good plan...

So, happy 8th anniversary, Mark. I love you! Since we aren't going out to celebrate our anniversary until Saturday, we celebrated the evening at home with an amazing dinner, a great bottle of wine, and we waited until the kids went to bed to eat, so we really got to enjoy it. Nina really understood the anniversary concept this year. While Mark was at work, she asked if I would put on my wedding dress and show Daddy when he got home. I told her I would. She also wanted to try on my wedding veil and wear some high heels. Lyla picked her own look, and I thought it was the perfect dichotomy of every female out there. Part of us just wants to wear the baseball cap while the other part of us loves the heels!

It's Pretty Simple

Preschool Sunday school keeps their messages pretty simple. Some things just don't need over-complicating! Nina was particularly proud of this craft because her Sunday school teacher gave her lots of praise on her coloring job (the heart and the children on the left). I wanted to take a picture of Nina with her craft, but Lyla really wanted to be in the picture. She started crying when I wouldn't let her (hence the big tear on her cheek - I know, mean Mom), but we found a way to make her a part too.

Just Cute

Some pictures from yesterday...Reading with Poppy (who came over to watch the girls so I could go to an appointment)

Playing Peek-a-boo in the big blanket together

Not All Fun and Games

(this old school picture of Mark is probably the only fun part about this post)

Anyone who reads this blog probably knows that soccer is a big part of our family. It's sometimes only by trade and not by choice, but most of the time it's because it's part of life that comes with the job and part of life that comes with a true enjoyment of the game. With that being said, it was especially sad for me to read this article in Time Magazine. We love the World Cup, are looking forward to watching the games being played in South Africa, and it truely never dawned on me that it would be an "opportunity" to accelerate and profit heavily from child sex trafficking.

January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, and today is actually Human Trafficking Awareness Day, so if you have a few minutes, read the article in Time Magazine and visit one of my favorite blogs about trafficking. The author of this blog gives some links for great ways to do something big or something small to help prevent and bring awareness to the issue of human trafficking.

Dinner Dollars to Make a Difference 2

Tonight was the second installment of Dinner Dollars to Make a Difference. After hosting our first dinner a couple months ago, my hope was that other friends who came would host a dinner at their house, choose an organization that was close to their heart, invite friends, and share with us something they cared about. This evening, my friend, Katie, hosted a dinner to benefit a small, grassroots organization called the Zion Project. You can read about the vision of the Zion Project here. I got to socializing and neglected to take any pictures with people in them, but it was great to see the dinner concept carried out again in a friend's home, and I'm also excited that another girlfriend is planning one at her house for next month. I'll be sure to document the next one with better pictures!

So Happy Together

"...me and you, and you and me. No matter how they toss the dice, it's meant to be. The only one for me is you, and you is me. So happy together..." (the picture above is chocolate faces, runny noses and all - the second picture is the cleaned up version)
You'll have to forgive me for a bit of sarcasm in the title of this post. In the pictures, they do look happy together, right? At the time, I think they were very happy together, but chocolate was involved, so that changes things. In observation of today, Lyla spent most of her time at the table tapping her own hand and saying, "No, Lyla" after throwing her food (yes, she's copying our attempts to reprimand her), then at one point while I was trying to make dinner, I hear yelling in the basement stairwell and Nina is trying to put Lyla in time out on the basement stair for who knows what offense, and I heard way too much "Mine" back and forth between them.

However, there really was a sweet moment that really stuck with me. Both girls are under the weather, and after a rough weekend, both had to visit the doctor this morning. Lyla really dislikes the doctor, and Nina was especially nurturing and encouraging to her (holding her hand and patting her back) while making the dreaded walk down to the examination rooms. She volunteered to get checked by the doctor first so Lyla could see her "be brave" then when Lyla was getting checked by the doctor, Nina stood in front of her holding her two little hands telling her not to be scared. So cute and so sweet...it's definitely not like that all the time, so I'll use my selective memory and keep that as my memory today.

Oldies but Goodies

Pictured here on Nina, was one of my favorite shirts as a kid. I know there is probably a picture of me wearing it (which I looked for but couldn't find) because I wore this shirt all the time. Anyway, Nina dug it out of a bag of my old stuffed animals that my mom just gave me, and now she likes to wear it. Definitely an oldie but a goodie.I'm not going to refer to us here as oldies, so let's just say we're old friends but definitely good friends. Last week we had the chance to get together with some friends from JMU. I actually knew Meg (to my left) from high school and JMU, but we became good friends several years ago. Mary and P I've known since freshman year at JMU. Paula and I played soccer with Mary (far left) on the JMU club team, and since it's impossible not to be friends with Mary, we've been friends ever since. P and I were randomly put together as freshman year roomates at JMU and have been best friends ever since. Nearly all of my funnest, funniest, and best moments at JMU included P in them, and still today she is just like a member of my family.