Thank you, Doc

Disney's latest crack-for-kids tv show is Doc McStuffins.  I actually really like the message and think the lessons it teaches are much better than the old boy-rescues-girl, girl-becomes-princes b.s. that Disney used to pump out.  

So, Shelby ADORES Doc McStuffins.  The character is a little girl that fixes broken toys and sings cute little songs along the way.  I was shocked the other day to hear Shelby singing one of the songs out of the blue and even more shocked she knew all the words.  Maybe we watch a little too much t.v. around here...or, maybe Shelby has the memory of a steel trap...or, Disney has figured out how to program kids' minds

Check out the soon-to-be viral video of her singing!

Traveling at the speed of lemon

 I really want to look back on this silly little blog in 10 years and get a laugh out of the memories.  And, I know in 10 years, I will NOT remember all the silly little things the girls have said.  So, here are some recent favorites:

• Instead of "speed limit", the girls like to say I am driving "lemon speed".  I have them convinced the windows won't roll down when we are going lemon speed (little do they know I have a convenient window lock button at my disposal!)
• While spending the day in the backyard on Father's Day, the girls were swimming and Bryon was resting on the edge of the pool.  Shelby swam up to him and said, "Dad, it is a PERFECT Summer day."  Her little expression made the day even more perfect for him.

A perfect summer day

• At bedtime, the girls and I will tell each other, "I love you to the moon/stars/sun/outerspace/plantets/etc. and back."  Haley told me the other night she loved me "to France and back."  I asked her where she learned about France, and she told me "at Target."  Um...okay?!?
• Shelby said, "You have to put fertilizer on your hands before you hold a baby."  That would be sanitizer, not fertilizer!

Good thing she put on her hand fertilizer

• "Mom Meters" are used to check temperatures, according to Haley.  

I just love their little expressions.  Keep cracking me up, Girls!

Pop goes the party!

For Shelby's 4th birthday party, she wanted "the whole house full of balloons!"  My girl really knows how to time things, since there is a major helium shortage.  Who knew?  I laughed at the poor Party City employee when she told me that, thinking she was just trying to get me to spend more money.  After being told the same thing at Tom Thumb and Kroger, I decided it must be true.

The birthday girl with dad

So, I decided on an "All things POP" party since a house full of balloons was going to cost us as much as her first car.   Lollipops, popcorn, bubbles, balloons, popsicles, and pop rocks were all on the to-do list for the party.

My cousin's wife, Julianne, suggested I do a dum-dum sucker centerpiece like this from pinterest:

Source: meetthedubiens.blogspot.com via Monica on Pinterest

I decided to go a little bigger with a topiary.  The best part was filling a pot with expanding foam.  Just look at what happened 24 hours after I filled it 2/3 full:

The brain exploded!

And, here is the final product, all 360 dumdum's!

Every dentist's nightmare!

Next were the snacks.  Popcorn, POPchips, and snap, crackle, pop treats all had their own signs thanks to my awesome pharmacy tech/graphic design expert, Emily!

If you look closely, you can see "PFAFF" in my new side table...

We covered the front porch with bubble wrap and added a sign saying, "No need to know, just POP on in!"

Red carpet made of bubble wrap

I also used bubble wrap as a table runner.

All set to go!

Each guest got an animal balloon to walk in the "pet" parade.

Our own helium menagerie

Andie walking her dog

And we shot party poppers from the balcony onto the kids.  We will be cleaning up confetti until Shelby turns 5...

After it was over, Shelby told me it was the best party EVER.  I'm glad she had fun, because it might be the last party we have at our house EVER.  Chuck E. Cheese, here we come!

Is there a pill for that?

Mommy guilt has been eating me alive these days.  Between working and leaving the girls with a variety of strangers, they seem to just fight for my attention when I am around.  I end up losing my patience at them more than appreciating the moment.  I blame all of the following:

• This pinterest post.  It's not enough for me to raise kids that don't run in the street and that say "please" and "thank you"?  I now have to raise kids that are missionaries and cure cancer?  Thanks pinterest for reminding me that I need to do more, and more, and more...

Source: toddlerapproved.com via How Does on Pinterest

• Shelby's wish on the first star she saw last night.  It went something like this, "First star, first star, I wish, I wish, I REALLY wish my mommy didn't have to work EVER again."  When I told her that her wish might not come true, she said, "No, it will Mommy.  Last week I wished the same thing, and you got the day off just for me."    We were out on the boat watching fireworks, and I thought it was a perfect evening.  Instead, I ended up complacent for the rest of the night considering what I could do to convince her my work was a good thing.

Haley and Bryon, watching fireworks from the lake

Shelby, trying to wish on her star and watch fireworks at the same time.

• Not wanting to figure out a way to make Shelby's wish come true.  I confess that I like going to work.  It makes me feel useful and allows me to shop without kids.  I enjoy being around adults, both my co-workers and customers.  So, I feel guilty at work for not feeling guilty about being at work.  Make sense?

• This post from my mom's cousin's son,  (my second cousin once removed?) Bryan.  His 11-year-old son, David, passed away this week.  It was a HUGE reminder that I need to cherish each and every moment I have with my precious girls, as it could all be gone in an instant.  Bryan's writing is inspiring and moving.  Please read it and show him some love when you have 10 minutes.  After reading it and watching the slide show, I paused to give thanks for my healthy, vivacious, and intriguing girls.   

So, does anyone have a pill that takes away the mommy guilt?  If so, I need a double dose, STAT!  

Adventures in Babysitting

Our nanny, Gloria, the woman that has helped keep me sane for the past three years, has been on maternity leave since mid-May.  She has cooked, cleaned, and washed clothes, all the while making sure my kids don't run out in the street.  I really cringed at the thought of letting her take some time off, but how do you tell a woman that just gave birth to a TEN POUND SIX OUNCE baby boy no?  Yep, you read that right.  "Little" baby Joel was huge!

That hair has to weigh about 2 pounds!

Anyway, I've had to piece together alternate care for about two weeks now, and it has been an adventure.  I stumbled upon Kiddin' Around (Replacement Sitter #1), a pay-by-the-hour daycare, and had my kids convinced it was the best thing since Barbie.  It worked the first time I dropped them off for about 4 hours.  I thought everything was awesome until I went to drop them off the next time.  Both girls clung to me like I was being hauled off to prison, screaming and crying.

Replacement Sitter #2 (RS2) was going to be perfect.  I just knew one of the assistants from Shelby's pre-school would be the answer to our needs.  She wanted something part-time, was great at keeping kids in line, and lived close to us.  Keeping my story short, I'll just say after the first day I came home to Bryon saying, "No more RS2!" and my kids saying, "RS2 made us use an infant spoon to eat our hotdogs!"

On to replacement sitter #3 (RS3).  We met her at the park one day, and she seemed to be normal enough.  She keeps kids in her house, which is 4 doors down from one of my good friends.  Yippee!  I could have my friend spy and fill me in later.  When I dropped the kids off, everything seemed okay.  The girls were excited RS3 had a cat and was going to take them swimming.

I should have known it was too good to be true.  After work, I went to pick the girls up.  RS3 had a whole lesson plan for the day, based on rainbows.  She had a long list of projects for them to do.  Shelby wasn't through with the "rainbow bottle" they were working on, so I sat on the couch and watched them play.  It made me very sad.  I wanted to be the one doing projects all day based on a theme.  I wanted to be the one handing out tickets for good behavior that could be used to "purchase" a prize at the end of the day.  I wanted to be the one with more energy and patience than my girls.

Roy G. Biv, or "The King of Numbers", according to my child that watches too much Umi Zoomi

RS3's days seem to be numbered now.  All she did was quadruple my mommy guilt. I went home feeling completely inadequate.  I'm much better at pinning projects than actually doing them with my kids.  But, then, I realized I don't like glitter all over the floor.  I don't like finding spots to display the projects then have to secretly throw them away.  I don't like getting mad at Haley for not following directions and then getting paint all over the walls/floors/dogs/herself.

Seriously?  RS3 got Haley to do 7 hand prints?  

Luckily, our dear teenaged babysitter is now done with school and will start next week.  She can do all the projects she wants, as long as it doesn't involve glitter or paint.  She understands that pre-schoolers can use normal forks and spoons.  She can follow simple instructions such as  "pull clothes out of the washer and put them in the dryer." (apparently a hard concept for RS2 to follow)

And, in four short weeks, Ms. Gloria will be back, keeping me sane and somewhat guilt-free!