It is a good thing we have to waiting room to ourselves ~ Our Story

Every week Rosie and I have a about 45 minutes to kill while Sissy is in her ballet class.  All the other moms go home and come back but it is too far for us to do that.  It is a good thing we have to waiting room to ourselves because we usually spend that time doing embarrassing things.  You know things like me catnapping on the surprisingly comfy catch while Rose tears up the room and then when she gets bored and wakes me up having an improptu iphone photo shoot.  What a sweet little waiting room buddy she is!

And they LOVE, LOVE, LOVE their Daddy!

What is the best thing about having a birthday the day after Halloween?  Halloween candy on your birthday cake, of course!  My girls come up with some pretty amazing ideas.

And they LOVE, LOVE, LOVE their Daddy!

As if it were your very first time. ~ Our Story

This year was our first year to take the girls trick or treating.  What took us so long?  Mostly the fact that they were too little to know what it was and I never felt like going to the trouble of getting them costumes when they didn't even care about it yet anyway.  I remember one year my mom asked me what they were going to be for Halloween and the conversation went on like this,

"Nothing."

"Oh, do you not believe in celebrating Halloween?"  

"Nope, I believe in it.  I am just a little cheap and a little lazy and a lot busy."

I have had moments of feeling bad that my little ones were missing out on fun even if they didn't realize it.  I mean it is my responsibility to make sure they know about all the fun there is to have in the world, no?  Most of my friends dress their kids up for Halloween as soon as they can. Baby elephants and lady bugs and pumpkins galore!  Though, now that I think about it, none of those friends were already several weeks pregnant again by the time their oldest child reach its first Halloween, but I digress...

Anyway, we knew this was the year to get the Halloween party started.  All the girls were old enough to really enjoy it now and make some special childhood memories.  Our discussion of what they would be began in early fall was continued pretty much everyday from that moment on.  They came up with some pretty crazy ideas like a birthday cake, and a lot of fun but more traditional ideas like a pirate, or a cowgirl, or a ballerina. 

One night while we were eating dinner on our back deck Afton asked me what Rose should be for Halloween.  I looked over at her. She was wearing just a diaper and had her dinner spread all over her body and throughout her unruly, one-year-old girl hair and said immediately, 

"A mad scientist, of course!"

This would be the last year that I got to pick out what she would be and also because of my slackerish momness the first time I got to dress a defenseless little baby up as whatever I wanted.  Rose's hair was in that crazy place between baby and little girl hair - perfect for a mad scientist!  I told Ron that night that I was as excited about Rose's halloween costume as I had ever been about any of my own as a child.

She pulled it off perfectly!  Her "what exactly is going on here" expression adds so much to the overall look.  What a cutie!  Afton's take on it was "Rose doesn't look pretty, but she looks awesome!"  

You did look awesome, pretty Rose!  Thanks for humoring me!  Next year you can pick out whatever pretty little costume you want!

As for my other little girls, after a month of discussing costume options they settled on being....PRINCESSES!  Yes, princesses.  They same thing they dress up as EVERY SINGLE DAY.  At first I thought it was crazy that they were passing up their chance to be something fun and new but I finally I agreed.  They dress up as princesses everyday because that is what they love to pretend to be.  When I thought about it that way I realized there couldn't have been a funner costume for them.

We fancied up their everyday princess dresses a bit.  They got to put on some of Mommy's make up.  I even agreed to straighten Afton's hair for the occasion (something she had been asking me to do for a long time).  They were feeling and looking extra beautiful when we had our little pre-game photo shoot.

Two of the prettiest little treasures God has ever given me!

 "Belle"

 "Sleeping Beauty"

The trick or treating itself was a blast.  Watching them run from house to house, their eyes wide with amazement that people were just giving them more candy than they had ever seen in their lives, as trite as it may sound, made me feel young again.  One of the best things about having kids is the chance they give you to experience the wonderful, beautiful things of life once again as if it were your very first time.

Has There Ever Been A Sweeter Travel Buddy?

Ponder and I went on a trip to visit Nana in Oklahoma last month.  Both of the other girls had been on trips with just Mommy but this was Sissy's first time.  She was very excited and feeling very big with her plane bag ready to go.  She packed it herself.

Has there ever been a sweet travel buddy?

She had lots of fun on the plane mostly playing letter games on my iPad or "thing that looks like a phone but it's not called a phone and it is big."

Nana had her special baggy of toys ready and waiting when we got there.

Sissy even got to try rollers in her hair for the first time while Nana and Mommy watched the OU game.

Lots of other fun things happened like some garage sale shopping,  a little Kohl's time,  a yummy Mexican lunch out by Nana's request, some Muffin and Pizza time (the people not the foods)  and the Cardinals winning the World Series!  But sadly none of those moments were captured.

Ponder is fun to travel with and I hope this was just the first of many more Mommy and Sissy trips!

Meet Restaurant Rose ~ Our Story.

Last month we had the very fun opportunity of visiting Great Wolf Lodge in Charlotte, NC.   My Dad (or Grandpa as the little people around here call him) was there on a business trip so one day after school we drove up to see him.  Great Wolf Lodge is a wonderful hotel with a full size indoor water park right on the premises.  I am plotting a way to get back there again on a family vacay because in our one afternoon I don't think we took advantage of even half of the fun that that place has to offer.  Plus fancy hotels are my weakness.  I am a sucker for those joints!

After our little water park time Grandpa took us out to dinner at Texas Roadhouse.  I worked at Texas Roadhouse throughout college. ("My belly's achin' my belt's too tight my booty's shakin from left to right say Texas Roadhouse"....wow.)  Anyway, one of my biggest complaints, among many, about my customers through those years was  how so many people would claim they "needed" more bread.  I can't tell you how many times a night I was flagged down and told "Hey, we need more bread."  or worse told "He's needs more bread." and directed to a child who clearly needed anything but more bread.  I mean, sure, the bread at Texas Roadhouse is delicious.  It is also free.  You can have as much of it as you want.   All I am asking is please don't say you need it.  Just say "May I have some more bread?" or "I'd like some more bread."  Because comfortable Americans chilling at Texas Roadhouse on Friday night may need a lot of things - a bit more exercise, some time away, a little peace and quiet, a check up from the neck up.  One thing they don't need is MORE bread.  You get four pieces the moment you come in the door for goodness sake!  Texas Roadhouse bread is impossible to need.  Or so I thought until that night.

Meet Restaurant Rose.

Restaurant Rose is nothing like the little angel baby we call Rosie Posie who lives with us and fills all of our hearts with joy and love.  Rosie Posie is sweet and gentle and happy and loves giving hugs and kisses and smiles.  She is nothing at all like Restaurant Rose.  No, Restaurant Rose has been described as a psychopath, a maniac, a terrorist, a torture device.  And that was just by her parents.  There is no telling what she has been called by other  restaurant goers unfortunate enough to have dined at an establishment at the same time as Restaurant Rose.  Restaurant Rose regularly engages in activities including but not limited to scream-crying at the top of her lungs, writhing as if she is in unbearable pain, wretching her body around as if she is having a seizure, slapping people who try to give her food, gagging as if all food she is given has been poisoned (even when the food is something she eats all the time at home and EVEN if the food itself has been brought from home),  trying to throw herself from the high chair as if it were a burning building, and throwing everything that is within her reach (on the night in question she threw a fork at another guest who no doubt needed more bread).

We don't get to see my dad often so I was hoping Restaurant Rose would not make an appearance that night.  It was moments after we were seated that we both realized that Restaurant Rose was already with us.  The only thing keeping her at bay were the yummy, and yes, legendary Texas Roadhouse Rolls.  As she was finishing up the last one on our table (the moment pictured above) I looked at Ron and said much to my shame "I am about five seconds away from knowing what it feels like to NEED more bread!"

One of the ways God keeps me humble is the "Judge 'em Join 'em" policy He seems to have with me.  It repeatedly happens that I find myself in the shoes of people I used to enjoy looking down on.  So it turned out that a piece of humble pie was on the menu that night at my old stomping grounds with my good friend Restaurant Rose.  A night to remember indeed.

Look, eleven blocks! ~ Our Story

Okay, so I am far behind again and since the last post we have had some serious events like a Mommy and Sissy trip to Oklahoma, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and actually lots of other crazy stuff too.  There is no possible way I can do a catch up post.  So, I am going to do a bunch of catch up posts.  All my pics are off of my phone and ready to be posted.  I will do one story a day until I am caught up.  Here goes:

Sissy built this while Afton was at school one day and asked me to take a picture of it so she could show Afton.  She misses Afton a lot during school.  We do a little homeschool together on Tuesdays and she loves it!  She wants to save the papers that she does each day to show Afton when she gets home.  It has been so fascinating seeing the way her mind works.  She thinks very differently then I do.  Her mind is drawn to numbers.  If she's a picture of something her first instinct is to count how many there are.  I think she may have a brilliant little science and math mind in there.

I look at this picture and think what an adorable little girl.  Sissy would probably say, "Look, eleven blocks!"  It is so beautiful how God makes everything so different even our individuals minds.

Sissy is a special little gift to our family and we ALL love her dearly!

Even The Kittens Look Like They Are In College ~ Our Story

Well, I have fallen behind again so here we go with another whirlwind catch up!

New kittens were born beside my bed.

A new phone was delivered to my door.

Nothing new here.  Just a couple of old friends.

The kittens are getting bigger everyday.

It's looking more and more like fall everyday too.

Had some birthday party fun!

Then some Chipotle picnic fun.  That's a combo we should have come up with a long time ago!

My daughters are huge.  They look like they are in college.  What is going on here?

We Fell For Greenville.  How could we help ourselves?

See, they look like they are a million years old!

A Grand TV Room Ball!

Fun with Maw Maw!

Looks like Rose had a little too much fun!

Sunday snuggles!

Outside snuggles.

Even the kittens look like they are in college!

Afton and Ponder have a new ride.  Rose is still content with the old one that no longer actually moves.

Daddy ran his race and now he is home.  Afton wants to be bike racer like Daddy.  Daddy is a popular guy around here!

Maw Maw and these new princesses are also quite popular!

Pretty little snackers on a pretty fall day!

Princess Rose-a-Pose.  She reigns supreme around here.  At least she tries to as best she can.

I Think You Can See Why ~ Our Story

How cute are all these See Ya At the Polers?  Even cuter is that that morning Afton woke up early and was so excited to tell me, "Mommy, today we are all meeting at the North Pole!" (She's the third one from the left on the front row.)

I love these little feet!

Sweet little friends!

We must have a car nap shot every week because sleeping babies are so adorable they must be photographed.

Such a pretty big girl!

Afton and Ponder in their secret garden.

Muffin and Pizza came for a visit and put on quite the ballet show on the deck!

The Cozy Coupe has never been this fun.  Thanks Pizza!

Sissy loves going to the doctor.  What a silly billy!  I love her happy face here.

Heart melting.

Even Cheerios can't stop Rose from car napping.  Just means her tummy is nice and full for her little siesta!

I am dressing Rose as a Mad Scientist for Halloween.  I think you can see why.  With that kind of raw material I think it would be wrong not to!