Long Weekend Photo Diary

I was looking through my phone this morning and realized I had taken quite the chronicle of our 4 day weekend. That's right - I had Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday with my girlies! 

This was their special popcorn snack one day. Notice Roxy patiently waiting to sneak her snout in the popcorn bowl. 

Lexi was introduced to sock bun curls. When I tried this with my hair, the results were somewhat different (I looked like I had been electrocuted). She has been asking to "be a bunhead" every night because she loves her curly hair. 

 On Sunday, I took the girls to the zoo while Daddy worked on the deck. For the first time, I let Emma walk instead of ride in a stroller. She was so excited that she was running for the first 10-15 minutes. This means I was saying, "Emma! WALK!" on repeat. After she fell down twice, she would repeat, "Emma. Walk." to herself over and over. 

Here is Lexi's sad face because Emma wouldn't take a single picture with her.

This is Lexi's reaction to chocolate cupcakes. She's easy to please. 

For a couple of weeks now, 

Emma's favorite thing to say is "I Love You!"   

Today she started adding "much" as in "I love you so much!"

Sweet, sweet girls!

I love them  . . . much. 

Family Portraits Christmas 2012

 While we were in Columbus over Christmas we had a chance to take family portraits with the Holding family.

This was LONG overdue - Emma has NEVER had studio portraits taken and it's been several years since Lexi has had a photographer other than Momma!

 Just so you know, Emma had been throwing up a couple hours before these were taken so that should explain her glassy-eyed look in some of these. 

Lexi is just a diva, that should explain her little poses.

 More explanations: I am not tall. 

  Paul knew this when he married me.

 I am 5'5" and Paul is 6'6". 

Everyone else in his family is tall. 

There is at least a 3 inch gap between me and anyone else at Holding Family functions. 

I wore 5 inch heels and still only came up to Paul's shoulder. Shortness. 

 But we scrub up nice as a group, huh?

  

 Aren't these babies precious?

 6 grand-kids aged 4 and under.

 And a couple more:

Valentines 2013

Lexi loves Valentine's Day. 

L.O.V.E.S. it - it's her favorite thing. 

She got to be the 'Super Kid' at school on the day of her class Valentine's party and she could barely contain her excitement! 

This year we made treat bags with Teddy Grahams and Gummy Bears. The tag says, "I'm BEAR-y happy we are friends!"

If Pinterest asks, this was my idea first.  

When I was growing up, we always got a little spoiled on Valentine's Day with a special breakfast and a present. I couldn't let that tradition die considering Lexi's love of the holiday of hearts. 

I decorated our kitchen table (hmmm . .. these decorations are starting to look a little familiar) and set out gifts and cards for the girls. I made Blueberry muffins, too! This is incredible considering I normally think that slicing a banana equals cooking breakfast. I am not a morning chef.

 Lexi 's day started very well - direct quote: 
"This is most my favorite thing!"

 Em was pretty excited too, but I think her joy was food related.

 Happy Valentine's Day from the Holding Family!

 Lexi - 4/12 

Emma - 21 months

I Love You

Just in time for Valentine's Day, Emma's new favorite phrase is "I Love You!"

This Just Needs to Stop

Today marks day 8 that the Holding House has been sick. That's right - 8 days of laundry, Tylenol, and temperature taking.

During this time, I have observed noticeable differences in the way my girls handle illness. 

Lexi cries. 
A lot. 
She stands in the middle of the (usually carpeted) room and screams, "I'm going to throw up!" Don't try telling her to run to the bathroom or at least grab the barf bucket (or 'spit pot' as she calls it), because it won't happen. She just stands there announcing the imminent until it arrives. 

It seems that in Lexi's case, the mountain must come to Muhammad. 

For once she has declared barf, Lexi stands her ground. 

Lexi also rests. 

She slept in the middle of the family room yesterday. We offered to take her to bed or at least move her to the couch, but she said she didn't want to move. 

She slept there even with a football game on and Emma's shenanigans occurring around her. 

Emma is a totally different animal. 

She refuses to acknowledge the sickness. 

She had a fever of 101 for three straight days last week and you never would have known it. 

I felt guilty being home from work with her because she was her usual (trouble-making) self, just 3 degrees too warm. 

 

Emma does NOT rest when she is ill. 

Emma refused naps twice. 

She doesn't sleep through the night under normal circumstances, so being sick only makes matters worse. 

Paul and I are zombies. 

 

But because in all dark moments, there is a ray of light, God made our girlies HILARIOUS when sick. We had a hard time keeping a straight face when they were crying with sickness due to the hilarious things they said. 

Here are our favorites: 

Lexi: "Why is this happening to me?"

Lexi: "This just needs to stop!"

Emma: "Oh Man!"

Here's hoping our quarantine is over soon! 

my apologies for the phone photography

Oh the Places You'll Go . . . .

The theme in Pre-K this week must be Transportation. 

Lexi came home with a great drawing of a truck and a car - I was super impressed. 

Then she pulled this little treasure out of her backpack: 

She said it was her "suit-bag" . . . .. Lexi, you mean suitcase but, whatever, what is it?

She said she got to cut out pictures of things she would take with her if she went on a trip. 

She chose: 

cookies

poptarts

"baby snacks"

Kimora Lee Simmons

and

two bottles of what I thought at first glance was shampoo. 

Nope, that's not shampoo. 

She cut out not ONE, but TWO bottles of wine. 

Sauvignon Blanc to be exact. 

Geez, Lex!

In Your Face

 I know I'm partial as their Momma, but I think my kids have pretty cute faces. 

I also know that if they are going to grow up to be models and internationally acclaimed film stars I have to protect their faces. 

Unfortunately I am not doing such a great job of this. 

I blame our fireplace. 

Seriously. 

Our fireplace is all brick, and those bricks are somehow razor sharp. We had a fireplace just like this growing up and my brother cut his face/head open no less than 3 times on the treacherous brick. My dad even bought foam bumper padding to go over the brick on MY fireplace because he didn't want the same thing that happened to my brother to happen to his grand-daughters. 

But my girls kept pulling the padding pieces off and wearing them around the house like skis. 

True Story. 

So the padding wasn't really doing any good on their feet, so we took it away. 

But like I was saying - I haven't protected their faces well enough. Lexi busted her chin open on this brick monster when she was two and last night was Emma's turn. She was siting on the fireplace and tried to roll off and gave her self a fat lip. I was sitting right next to her and didn't think much of it - she hardly touched the bricks! 

When she started crying I looked down and there was blood everywhere! She had cut her lip and scraped her chin and face on those stupid stupid bricks. 

Once I cleaned up the crime scene, I realized that the cut was minor but she must have bumped herself pretty hard because her whole lip is swollen. 

my poor baby girl - you get extra loving and cookies until your face heals, ok?

Let me in

For reals - this is the story of Roxy's life right now.

She is a total winter dog - LOVES the cold weather and snow, but she is also a bit of a princess and likes her warm comfy spots to nap.

I think I have let her out every 10 minutes for the past week.

I saw this on Pinterest and laughed  . . . then cried . . . then sighed . . . because it is SSSOOO my dog.

Fancy Friday

Sparkles

So in life we all have that go-to phrase that we use in certain situations. Those tough times when things don't go your way, or you stub your toe, or you delete over 850 pictures from your blog.

For most people that go-to is a swear word. I appreciate a well-used swear word. Sometimes I even appreciate ones that aren't well used. My favorite college professor once told me they provide emphasis.

Now unfortunately, I live in a house of repeaters (aka children). That pretty much makes swear words, in times in need of emphasis or not, off limits. I'm also a teacher, so yeah . . . I don't get to play those reindeer games.

So when I heard my little Lulu say "darn-it," my eyeballs about popped out of my skull. SHe said she heard a boy at school say it. We had a discussion about better words to use when things don't go your way, and I haven't heard that phrase since.

BUT, I have heard her own little saying - Lexi's go-to is 'Sparkles!'

Isn't that adorable?

"Sparkles! There is a hole in my leggings!"

"Sparkles! Mom, my milk spilled."

"Sparkles! I colored Cinderella's dress pink instead of blue!"