So, I Have This Thing Called a Blog...

I'm here everyone. I really am. It's just been a crappy few weeks for me out here. Really crappy. I'll post again soon. I promise.

What's In a Name?

E hates Swiss cheese.

Hates it.

H-A-T-E-S it.

To the moon and back.

You know that children's book, Guess How Much I Love You? In our house it's Guess How Much I Hate Swiss Cheese!

You know what she does like, though?

Jarlsberg.

Go figure.

You Know Mommy Takes Too Many Pictures When...

...this is what you get

over,

and over,

and over again.

Oh, my!

Oh! Almost.

Even closer!

Ah! There we go! There are those baby blues!

October

For the month of October, my blog is going pink for a friend.

A friend who is currently fighting and beating breast cancer.

I am overwhelmed with hope and thankfulness for her.

I am completely in awe of her strength and decisiveness.

I am humbled by her experiences and attitude.

I am eternally thankful to call her my friend.

I praise the Almighty for bringing her into my life.

And I pray daily that she will continue to win the battle she is so gallantly fighting.

I love you, Holli.

Aloha Friday

Tell the truth now: Have thoughts of Christmas invaded your head yet?

They have mine.

*sigh*

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For more Aloha Friday, visit An Island Life.

The Princess and the Peas

Raising two self-proclaimed princesses brings all sorts of fairy tales back to me daily. My girls are obsessed with princesses! Even at two years of age, C can identify and name each and every Disney princess.

But lately, it's been the Princess and the Pea that runs through my mind most often.

I always enjoyed the story of the Princess and the Pea as a child. It was a little fantastical for me, but the idea that a true princess could feel a tiny pea under all those mattresses? THAT is the stuff that fantasies are made of!

Since E's started school, C has really begun to come into her own. It's been fascinating, and a bit frustrating, to watch her little personality grow and expand when her big sister isn't around.

And C? She must have a bit of real princess in her.

Why? Because every morning while M is taking a nap, C asks for a snack. And do you know what she asks for?

Frozen peas.

?!?

Seriously; the kid asks for frozen peas. And she'll eat two bowls full. Every morning.

Sometimes it's nice having a princess (or two) in house!

But, no, I'm still not the queen.

Wordless Wednesday--For the Love of the Game

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For more Wordless Wednesday, visit 5 Minutes for Mom.

My Girl

My poor little Goose! My darling little 2 year-old C! I suppose it was inevitable.

She's so cute, so sweet. She's been forced to grow up so quickly because of M being only 18 months younger than she is.

I suppose, given her age, it was bound to happen.

I suppose it happens to all children eventually.

My careful girl,

my curious girl,

my wants-so-badly-to-be-a-big-girl girl,

fell out of bed the other night.

I'm not exactly sure how she managed it. Between the small bookcase acting as a guard by the head, and the bunk bed ladder acting as a guard by the foot, there's only a two-foot space leading directly to the ground. Apparently, she found it.

While asleep.

My talented girl!

Lip-Smackin' Good

Just some lip-smackin' cuteness for your Friday.

Enjoy!

THAT Family

Amidst all the turmoil and trauma of me missing my sister's wedding, a highly significant, life-changing event took place in the Einstein household earlier this month.

(No, I'm not pregnant again. It's not possible for Mr. Einstein and me to have another baby together. Trust me.)

What I mean is, the first day of the rest of E's life began: she started kindergarten.

She was just a wee bit excited about it.

Of course, Mr. Einstein started school, too.

He wasn't nearly as excited about it as E was, though.

With this new beginning came homework, of course.

Now, homework isn't new to E; the preschool she was at last year had weekly homework packets, so she was well-trained as to what to expect homework-wise.

The only difference this year is that her sister, C, is older. And has a longer reach. And is more interested.

Mr. Einstein, being an elementary school teacher, has dealt with...well, you name it, he's dealt with it.

One of his biggest pet peeves? THAT Family. One of the things he really can't figure out: How in the world do the kids of THAT Family manage to get food all over their homework? Some days it's so bad, he can actually figure out what THAT Family had for dinner.

Disgusting, right? Absurd, right? Careless, right?

Well, guess what: we now have personal insight into THAT Family.

We have become THAT Family.

Sadly, it's true.

Tuesday night Mr. Einstein was going over E's Read Well magazine packet with her, reviewing what's she's been learning. He got up to get seconds, and left it on the table.

Within reach of C.

Who had been eating refried beans.

With her hands.

Of course she reached out to grab the packet. Of course her hand was covered with beans. And of course she smeared the beans all over one of the pages.

She is only 2 years-old, after all.

Mr. Einstein emailed E's teacher to apologize, and her teacher just laughed.

Yes, we have become THAT Family.

Acting My Age

I am determined to act my age today.

I will not be petty.

It's giving me a headache, but I'm determined.

I will not wallow.

I want no feelings other than excitement and joy to flow through me and out of me today.

Tonight, my sister is getting married in Hawaii. I am still at home.

She is going to have the wedding of her dreams, and for that, I am thankful.

Two Weeks

I can't believe summer is almost over!

In two weeks, school starts.

In two weeks, Mr. Einstein will officially be a classroom teacher again.

In two weeks, E starts kindergarten.

Freak.Out.

Seriously.

I have been so excited for her to start school. She has been more than ready for school for ages. But now? Now I'm starting to freak out a little bit.

Her clothes are ready, her shoes are purchased, her backpack is loaded, the school is almost finished.

In two weeks? My baby will be all grown up.

August 5, 2000

On August 5, 2000, I married my best friend.

We were so young!

I wore this gorgeous satin dress that I had bought in January.
For an August wedding.
Yeah, I know. Great planning on my part.

But you know what?

It doesn't matter.
Because nine years later?
We're still together.

Happy Anniversary, darling!

I love you very much.

Dirty Talk

Whoever told me that changing a boy's dirty diaper is easier than changing a girl's dirty diaper had either a) never changed a boy, or b) never changed a girl.

After 8 months of changing a boy's diapers, and 8 months of changing both a boy's and a girl's diapers simultaneously, let me tell you:

The boy's? Much more difficult. Much.

Sure, a girl has more crevices. But a girl's? Much more accessible.
A boy's? His are deeper and require moving things around.

A girl's? Takes a few swipes over a large area.
A boy's? Takes several swipes in the same small area. And a moving of things.

A girl's? So easy to tell when clean.
A boy's? Not so much.

Whoever said that to me? Liar!

I'll give you this much: they both equally stink.

Busy Body

In the last three weeks, M has...

...learned to sleep by himself in his crib in the nursery.

...learned to say gaa, goo, a-goo, gung, and mamamama.

...learned to like baby food (especially meat) and yogurt.

...learned to drink through a straw.

...learned to eat Cheerios without choking.

...learned to crawl.

...learned to pull himself up to stand.

...learned to clap.

...cut another tooth (finally!).

It's been busy around here lately, to say the least.