Still Learnin'

What I've Learned:

1. I will never be a pretty summertime momma. Emma often wakes up before 6 a.m. and if you think I am getting up before then to shower, fix my hair, and do my makeup you are on drugs. I shower at night (daily - ok?) and let my hair air dry or go to bed with it wet. The result is that the next morning I resemble the bird lady from Mary Poppins. But whatevs - sleep is more important to me. 

2. Emma is kinda spoiled. She cries a lot because she just wants to be held all day and that is just not possible. I must find a way to grow a kangaroo pouch . . . 


3. If I would let Emma nap on me she would sleep for 20 hours a day instead of the meager amount she sleeps now. 


4. If I'm not careful, I'm going to develop a full blown southern accent. Between watching Hatfields & McCoys, Swamp People, True Blood, and Emily Maynard during the Bachelorette . . .  it's inevitable . . . y'all. 


5. Lexi is HILARIOUS. She's had some fantastic Lexi-isms lately: 
 - She told a lady at the grocery store she needed to "come to Jesus" 
 - "Mom, if people can see my tummy, they'll think I'm trash"
 - she refers to Wal-Mart as 'Scary Dillons' - now I do too. 
 - "Mom, Dad put a ring on your finger because he wanted to dance with you"


6. If I put Emma in a room with 6,583 stuffed animals and 1 sharp object she could find the sharp object in 5.4 seconds. She is a magnet for dangerous things . . . and corners . . . and germy surfaces . . . and dog food. 


7. Roxy will eat ANYTHING Emma offers her: Cheerios, fruit, her own dog hair. If it comes from Emma's little fingers the dog is gonna eat it. 


8. Pinterest is a sickness - I'm an addict. I need help. 

9. Target doesn't open until 8 a.m. Rude. We've been up for hours (plural) by then. 

10. Emma + Lexi = <3
These two adore each other. Emma wasn't feeling too well earlier in the week and I kept them separate for a couple of days. Both were miserable and whiny. They love to hug on each other and Lexi is so patient and sweet to Emma - I love to watch them together. 

Summer Lovin'

 

There are so many reasons I love summer. Here are a few of my favorites: 

1. Summer T.V. 

Hands down, summer T.V. is the best. I mean, it's not particularly life-changing, but it sure is fun! Summer T.V. really rocks my world - Real Housewives, Pregnant in Heels, Sister Wives, Design Star, and the Bachelorette. I'm a fool for summer T.V. I'm watching Hatfields and McCoys as I type - because my interests are varied.

2. Booze

If you know me, you are probably thinking "What? Girl you drink during the other 3 seasons of the year!" And you would be correct. BUT during the summer I can have a drink (or two) without the fear of 5 a.m. mini-hangover. 

3. Food

During the school year, I consider making toast cooking. During the summer, I love really trying. Because I CAN cook, I just seldom have the time or energy to do so. Tonight I made baked potato soup. It was amazing. This also explains why I usually gain 7 pounds every summer. 

4. Sickness

What? She loves sickness? I love that if my kids get sick, I can take them to the doctor without calling a sub, calling school, typing lesson plans, and dealing with the post-sub apocalypse that greets me the day I return to school. Emma spiked a fever last night and I was able to simply call the doctor's office this morning, take her in, get a prescription, and bring her home without worrying about how this is going to effect my lesson plans. She's doing ok, too. 

5. Pool Time

In the summer, I like to go to the pool after dinner. I don't have to worry about greasing the babies up like piglets that late in the day. PLUS it wears them out and they go right to sleep after their baths. And it's fun. 

6. The Zoo

Weekends during the school year are insanely busy. I have a hard time getting all of the laundry, grocery shopping, errands, cleaning, etc. done in just 48 hours. I can do all that during the week now, so weekENDS are family time. We took our lil' ladies to the zoo Saturday morning. 

Summer's just begun

 This is going to be a great summer! I (finally) enrolled Lexi in a ballet class and she is so excited!

Baby rabbits were born in our front garden

Lexi an Emma are old enough to both play this year - and they love to play together!

 

 

 For some strange reason, Lexi insisted that this doll sit in the tree and watch us play in the front yard

 

still a Daddy's girl:

ONE-derful!

 

 Happy Birthday Emma! 

One year ago today, this was my baby:

This was my precious girl today

 

Emma did not have the massive 

1st birthday pool party that Lexi got. 

But don't feel sorry for her - she got three small parties 

(one with Paul's family, one with mine, and one with the babysitter) and she preferred it that way. 

Emma doesn't like crowds. 

And poor Emma, due to that pesky peanut allergy she couldn't have a pretty bakery cake (peanut cross contamination risk). 

Mommy attempted making a cute cake. 

 It's safe to say that I will never start a business venture in the cake-baking world:

It's been an emotional past couple of days for me. I am having a hard time letting go of Emma's baby days. Don't get me wrong, I love hearing all of her new words (she says mama, dada, nana, puppy, baby, uh-oh, oh-no, bu-bye, and na-night), watching her mimic her sister, and wobble-walk all over the place. 

But I have LOVED her baby stages. 

LOVED. 

Lexi wasn't a very cuddly baby, and she was pretty fussy. 

Emma is a snuggler and she just wants to be held 

(and fed - she's my chunkster). 

In my mind I've viewed her first birthday as an end point - she's not my baby anymore. 

She's my big girl. 

I'm sad. 

But I'm happy, too - I love each new thing she learns to do or say. 

Even though I am sentimental about where we were a year ago, I am really looking forward to all the things to come.  

I'm an emotional mess.

Paul is just happy - he sees her first birthday as being one step closer to being done with diapers and being awakened in the middle of the night to pop a pacifier back in.

All my mama-drama aside, Emmy Jo had a pretty good little day. I made special Lemon Blueberry Pancakes (that I found on Pinterest - I'm addicted) and Emma ate . . .and ate . . . and ate and ate and ate. 

She's still my pooh bear - short, fat, and proud of that. 

She got to play in her new playhouse from Nana and  Papa. 

It's a hit.

We had my parents over for dinner, cake, and present opening. 

Lexi "helped" Emma open a new book, movie, and toy. 

The cake taste test:

Step 1:

Taste small portion of frosting with finger

 Step 2:

Decide it is sugary deliciousness.

 Step 3:

make a small, but dainty mess, and make silly faces while eating.

Happy Happy 1st birthday, 

Emma Josephine. 

You have brightened our world.

Lexi's Amazing Day

 So you should know that Lexi is really terrible at soccer. 

So terrible that Paul and I slightly dread the games. 

Because she's gotten stuck in the net, 

and started a game of ring-around-the-rosy allowing the other team to score multiple goals, 

and frequently (and loudly) complains that "this is making me sweaty."

She's going to be more of an individual sport gal. 

She's told us "I not so very good at soccer" 

Honey, we know. 

So I was an awesome mom yesterday and told her that if she would STAY WITH THE BALL during the game and AT LEAST TRY TO KICK IT JUST ONCE I would take her anywhere she wanted to go later that day. 

And you know what - bribery works, people!

That little lady got out there and hustled her hunny-buns off trying to keep up with the ball. She kicked it  . . . TWICE! It was the most involved I've ever seen her!

After the game (which they lost 276 - 0), she declared that she wanted to be taken to the Jewelry store. 

You got it sister! 

We have a great costume jewelry store and Lexi and I spent about 45 minutes in there looking for "her one favorite thing" which she would get as a reward for her soccer skills. 

This was her selection: 

 

 Note the outift change - before we could go shopping, she demanded to be dressed like a princess. 

Because you must always dress for occasions. 

 We also found this cutey-cute scarf

And Lexi's Amazing Day continued. 

We went to 5:30 Mass . . . It was Prom Night. 

"MOM! Look! There are PRINCESSES here!"

She about peed her pants with excitement. 

After Mass, she ran up to all of them and told the girls how pretty they were, and asked for high-fives. 

All obliged. 

It probably helped that LuLu addressed them as "Pink Princess" or "Purple Princess" or my favorite: "Sparkle Princess" - I would high five anybody who thought I was a princess.

We Be Jammin'

Happy Matching Pajama day! 

Lexi shares my affinity for matchiness (not a real word, in case you were wondering) - when she woke up Saturday morning and saw that she and Emma had on THE SAME JAMMIES she ran up to Emma and told her "Emma! We match! Aren't you so excited?!?" 

Em was, I'm sure. She demonstrated her elation by continuing to shovel Cheerios into her mouth. She eats like a linebacker, I tell you what.

 Lexi can give attitude in any type of clothing. 

Sister loves.