Sleep Over

Addison has finally corraled all her words together and is using them all consistently now. Mama, Dada, Up, Uh-Oh and Hi are the more clear and common ones. Then today Caelen was yelling NO! because apparently Addison was moving dangerously close to the enterance to Caelen's bedroom. Anyway Addison responded in kind, "Wa-AH!" The delivery of it sounded just like Caelen's NO! Same emphasis etc. So that's solved the mystery of another common Addison word.

This weekend Thomas and I attended the Love & Respect conference at church and Thomas surprised me with dinner out and a stay at the Doubletree while the girls spent the night at Grandma & Grandpas. Lest anyones tempted to be jealous of my parents, my mom informed me over text after I asked her how it was going that, "addie has insomnia and Caelen woke up screaming hysterically for mom & dad." Awesome. Apparently they're not ready for mom and dad to leave them for a week or so. Well, Addison is maybe but not Caelen who was unable to handle life by the time we got there. Addison on the other hand ran right back over to Grandma to be picked up.

Anyone else feeling like the summer can arrive now?

Caelen Speaks Out (As Usual)

Me: Caelen you need to have a sweater if you're going to wear a short-sleeved dress. (The biggest argument in our house)
Caelen: Why?
Me: Because it's cold and I said so.
Caelen: Well.... I don't think so.
Me: Are you the mommy who knows best, honey?
Caelen: ::pause:: (cautiously) Kind of?

Caelen came out of her room needing her dress unzipped and said, "Mooooomm!! I wanna take my dress off and give it to a poor kid who don't have any dress."

On a car ride to church, just the two of us, Caelen reminds me that when she grows up she's going to be a ballet dancer. I said, "Good for you baby!" Caelen: You will have to come see me Mom. Me: I will honey, I'll come to all your shows. Caelen: I'm gonna be on stage mommy. Before I have babies.
Reminded me of someone I used to know :)

This morning Caelen woke up and called me into her room. "My brain hurts." Me: Your brain hurts? Caelen: Yeah, because of my pull-up. Me: (tyring not to laugh) Your brain hurts? Up here? (Touching her noggin) Caelen: Yeah, my pull-up goes all the way up to my brain and it hurts.

Sun & One

All I need is a little sun, a little warmth and all is well again. I have enjoyed the rain we've been having, I'm thankful I won't have to feel guilty this summer when the kids dump the hose out of the kiddie pool and it fills a puddle in the middle of my lawn before I see it and replace it. Thomas won't be breathing down my neck to stop filling the girls' bath because he wants to be able to water his garden.
But when that sun peeks out and I feel it's warmth, though not as intensely as I know I soon will, I get so excited. I feel refreshed, clean, awake and energized. I open the windows in all the rooms and then the kids and I pour ourselves out into the backyard as fast as we can!

The thing most present on my mind, besides the challenging books I've been reading, (Pilgrim's Progress and Pursuit of God anyone?) is Addison's 1st birthday coming up this Friday. My baby, and not my first baby either, is going to be one. I thought I was still getting used to having two babies. But I suppose that's not really true. Life without Addison wouldn't be life, and I don't know when that happened. When your babies are about 4 months or so, you can still imagine life before them, back when things were "normal". Somewhere between then and now, that child becomes your "normal" and life just wouldn't be life without them in it. I love that.

The Princess & the Firestation

There's been a rather formal feeling around the house lately. Not only do we have a resident princess, but she's also taken to calling us "Mother" and "Father". While in the complete princess garb (which is as you see here) she instructed me to call her "Princess", I agreed to which she replied, "Thank you Queen." I apparently forgot the rules on Sunday morning when she was needing a reminder to eat her breakfast. "Caelen, you need to be eating your breakfast," I said. She looked at me with a very serious face and said, "You can call me Princess."
Unfortunately, the reign came to an end after a series of a couple sad events where we lost the tiara and a Cinderella glass slipper to some serious breakage. Even Gorilla glue couldn't fix the royal wardrobe.

Miss Addie may finally be feeling some teeth. She is 1 year next Friday and still not a sign of a tooth, until today. I like to tell myself her crankiness and constant whining must be due to teething and I'm also trying to believe that I feel a tooth under one of her little gums. What an angel, but I think she's gonna be trouble!

Can we talk about the Baby Trend Sit 'N Stand stroller? Because I've had it 5 days and already feel it has changed my life. I seriously don't know how I went a year without it. It's the only stroller I will ever need (check your local Craig's List soon for multiple stroller postings!) You can do two baby carriers, two normal stroller seats or turn the back into a bench seat so the older child can sit or stand or just hop off at their convenience. (Or any combination thereof.) If you have two children, or are planning on two children, may I suggest this be the first thing you purchase. It's super lightweight also! Only 16 lbs and fits in my Camry's trunk. It doesn't get much better than this.

So we took our Super Stroller and headed to the church's local firestation for a Mom Group playdate. The Gold Ridge Firestation offered to give our playgroup a tour. I wasn't going to miss an opportunity to show Caelen that firefighters were nice, were there to help you, and so therefor were NOT the ones who crashed into our house after Christmas. (Yes, we're still working on this.) Caelen was very timid and enjoyed the security of her bench seat. A couple times she ventured off but never to go very far or for very long.


The firefighters gave the kids hats and a bag with a coloring book, crayons, stickers etc. which Caelen was so excited about. Not the hat though, she refused to put that stupid piece of plastic on, I mean honestly, where are the tiaras?

The brought the truck out with lights and sirens. They even let the kids take turns spraying the hose. Caelen passed on that, but she did get into the drivers seat long enough for me to get a picture.

We were just so excited to have sweet Austin and his mommy and brother there. After the awful weekend Austin had had, what a blessing he got to join us, and looking so well I might add!