Pwe-Kool Rools!

First day of pre-school... oh the memories... seeing as it was almost a week ago and I'm finally putting up a post and pictures...

Well, here she is, the star of the day:


Sporting her new Barbie backpack, complete with pink, pink and more pink, including pink sequins and pink sparkles. Every preschooler needs a backpack larger than their torso to carry all those things back and forth (so far we've had one piece of colored construction paper and one six inch square drawing... so worth the money!)


And let's see how tall you are compared to your little brother who is so sad/jealous/angry/confused as to why he doesn't get to go to school too.


And Ladies & Gentlemen, a miracle - ME! In an actual photo, with my actual kids!


And here we are, Mama & Nola... growing up and going to school...


By the way, she loves school. Loves it loves it loves it.

Pre-Schooler To-Be

Yesterday was Nola's preschool playdate where we went up to the school to meet some other kids. Before we left she was so excited, and Logan was confused as to why he wasn't going to Kool as well... I explained to him that he had to be an older kid, to which he explained to me that he was really big already...which he is (he would have towered over most the kids there). I told him all the kids there would be four and he might not be old enough quite yet... then he says to me, "But I will Karate the bad kids...." Well, okay, good plan, still not going this year.

So we get there and Nola goes into Statue-Mode. She stands and breathes, that's it. The teaches kept trying to get her to participate and interact with the other kids, but she wasn't having it. Just stood near me and kept quiet. Eventually I got her to color a picture for Allyson, her cousin/idol. It worked. She sat at a table with three other little girls and colored. Then they called for the parents to come to another room. And she DIDN'T freak out! I was shocked and proud. I thought for sure she'd melt down into a puddle of tears and grabby hands.... but she just sat and colored. I watched her from the other room across the hall and she did good.

Twenty minutes later we came back in to get the kids and she jumped up from the rug (story time). I thought she might run to me but she quickly realized that other people were watching her and she just did a little jump into the air with a big smile and came over to hold my hand... So cute! We left the room, got our Popsicle, and drove to go pick up Logan. In the car and afterwards she told me that it was really cool. She told me that one kid got a spanking because he was a little boy and he hit another little girl. This was obviously made up. Also a little girl was crying when the grown ups left and a teacher gave her water and she spilled it and cried more and the teacher was really nice and made her feel better. And that she even said hi to a couple of kids, only girls, not boys... Then at bedtime last night she said she even said hi to a boy!

Logan got into the conversation at this point and reminded me that he wanted to go to 'pwe-kool' too! Nola proceeded to explain to him that he was still little and only she could go, he wasn't four and he wasn't even three! and that he just couldn't go! He got a little upset and whined about it until I came over to tuck him in. Then he looks up at me with his sweet angle baby face and says, "But Mama, I still know Karate...." I said, "I know you do Baby, now go to sleep..."

She wouldn't give me a real smile, even though I begged... but here she is, long legged big girl stuff!


Another "pouty-and-I-won't-smile-for-you" face.

April Showers

Wow, I'm really rolling here at one blog post a month! Go me!

So it rained here in the Lou... for a month! It's raining now and probably won't stop until June. Somehow, despite the rain, we managed to put up a new swing set, mow the grass for the first time this year, plant the front flower bed, survive an allergy/asthma attack (nola), gain new employment (me), and slosh through Easter.

Swing set plus all day basking in the pollen equals steroids and nebulizer treatments for the four year old, not to mention a new routine of checking pollen counts, administering Benedryl, lots of changing clothes and after-play showers. Spring has sprung! The only good thing about all this rain is that it washes away the pollen. Maybe it will rain until the flora has stopped blooming and we will be free to roam the yard again without fear of the evil yellow stuff.


Logan helping Uncle Scoot build the Swing Set.



Waiting for a Swing Set to be built is tough....



Unless you end up in a chair with your partner in crime and just giggle till you pee your pants!



So, I have a job. Yep. Me. I'm helping a friend do landscaping. Only two days a week, and only if those two days work for everyone involved... but it's been really fun so far. I get to start and finish a project in the yard, not MY yard, but A yard. Around here outside projects get delayed for potty breaks, settlements of disputes, getting balls from over the fence, getting snacks, drinks, toys, etc... you get it - kids get in the way of yard work. So not only do I get a break from the monkeys but I'm getting to work outside, which I love. And if that wasn't enough for me to do it... I'm actually getting paid!

And today is Easter. We woke up to bunny baskets and then quickly got dressed in our wonderfully handmade by Cayce Easter clothes... (not me, she totally didn't make me an Easter dress this year, but I'm crossing my fingers for next year).



The kids and I went to my mom's for more baskets and an indoor egg hunt (rain!) and some honey baked ham. Yum.



Now we're home and waiting for yet another round of storms. **Oh! By the way... we were SO SO SO close to all the Airport Damaging Tornadoes! And luckily we live in a small pocket that didn't get any severe weather, although the adjoining towns to our west, north, and north east got hit really hard - ie. the airport.**

That is all for April so far. Not much left of this month so no one hold their breath that I will be posting again until May Flowers....

Birds and Bees and Puppies

Nola: Mama...ummmm... how does the baby get INTO your belly?
Me: (Oh shit Oh shit Oh shit!) Well, it grows in there. You don't start with a big baby in there, it starts out teeny tiny and grows...
Nola: How does it grow in there?
Me: It just does.... (please let that work, please let that work...)
*long pause*
Nola: (very concerned look on her face) Uh... Mama! Do I have a baby growing inside my MY BELLY?!
Me: No. Not at all! You have to be a grown up to grow a baby.
Nola: How come?
Me: Because your body isn't big enough to have a baby inside it... You need a grown up body.
Nola: Oh. Okay.

And last night she informed me that one of her stuffed dogs (which was made to be a purse and has a zippered pouch in it's back) was gonna have a baby. She had put a smaller puppy into it's belly pouch and told me that tomorrow the baby was gonna be born. So far today, no birth has occurred.

Just a Few

I still haven't really caught the photo bug yet... but I did take just a few pictures of the kids yesterday playing outside... So here you go:

Week Two of 2011

So the second week of the year is almost over...

I have lost four pounds. That's twice my goal! So I'm on track. Who-da Thunk It?

This morning:
Nola: I need a wipe! Where are the wipes?!
Me (still in bed): I don't know... get a paper towel!
Nola: Noooo.... I need a wipe.
Me (getting up quickly): Why do you need a wipe?
Nola(with hands behind back): For my hands....
Me: Why? Show me your hands. (I got and handed her a wipe)
Nola (running away): thanks....
Me (following her): Show me your hands... What did you eat?
Nola: Nothing
Me: SHOW ME YOUR HANDS!
Nola: I can't....
Me (grabbing her hands and turning her around): What is that?
Nola (with black on the ends of two of her fingers): I don't know...
Me: Fingernail polish! That's my fingernail polish.... Why did you do that?
Nola: I didn't...
Me: Then how did it get there?
Nola: I don't remember....
Me (remembering she had had fingernail polish...) WHERE IS IT NOW?
Nola: I put it back on top of the microwave....
Me (after checking the safety of my polish) So how did that get on your fingers?
Nola: I didn't do it.... When I picked it up it must have just leaked out....
Me: Seriously? Leaked out? No it did not...
Nola: IT DID! It leaked on me so I put it back...
Me: No polish unless you ask first.
Nola: okay....

So they just lie. Is that the deal? For no good reason, they just lie like we're stupider than dirt and won't possibly be able to figure out the truth. Damn kids.... I realize I'm lucky there wasn't black fingernail polish on my new dining room table or all over the walls. (Walls that, by the way, have a lovely painting on them done in fabric paint that the manufacturers apparently decided to make with super glue so as to make it non-removable. Logan completed his masterpiece and then anxiously ran to me telling me he drew me a picture... Gee Thanks!)

Flip-in Out!

Three things to report...

One, I got a Flip. I love it. It's fun and easy and even the kids can record videos. We've spent too much time NOT recording the goofy/cute/silly/brilliant things our kids are doing. So let the Flip-ing begin! I'm sure videos will be coming soon. No idea what I'm talking about? Go Here.

Two, Another Craft Fair. Here's the information if you are so inclined to join:
Saturday, December 11, 2010
St. Charles West High School
3601 Droste
St. Charles, MO 63301
North on Zumbehl off Hwy 70
9am to 4pm

Three, stomach bug. Yuk Yuk Double Yuk. First me, Monday night. Then Tuesday morning Logan threw up but didn't seem to care or be phased by it. Then overnight last night Nola threw up in her bed. There's the Double Yuk. But she seemed perfectly fine afterwords. Now this morning she's slumped on the couch with a just-in-case bowl and saying her tummy hurts. Not sure if she's still 'got it' or just hungry from no nutrients. Either way... this may ruin my chances of actually being at the craft fair. I can't send contaminated kids to a babysitter. But my mom will be there, even if I'm not. Even more reason for you all to go and visit her if I can't...

So there's my story.

FotoFriday - 11.05.10

Can you guess where we went on Wednesday?
The St. Louis Arch! The kids had never really been downtown (outside of the car anyway) and Kirk had never been up in the Arch. So it was a first for them all. I was very proud of the kids and Kirk for going up to the "tippy top."


When we first got there Nola couldn't believe she was that close to the Arch and was a little intimidated to touch it at first. She knew it was metal and was afraid it was going to be hot... cute.



Logan wasn't concerned at all and practically ran up to hug it!



We went in, looked around the museum, tested out the display pod (to make sure the kids were really prepared to get inside the real one before paying for tickets), went up, looked down at the city, and were ready to go back down. By that time Logan was well into his nap time and feeling a little cranky and upset... nothing a little Papa-snuggle couldn't cure.



Afterwards we went back outside and played on the steps a while.



The we started our walk back to the car... Nola takes on St. Louis! She and Logan both had a blast!

FotoFriday - 10.01.10

Sometimes there are moments when all your parenting efforts just pay off.

When I Grow Up

Nola: When I grow up I'm gonna be a Musketeer.
Me: Umm, Okay.
Nola: So I have to watch this movie (Barbie and the Three Musketeers) every day until I grow up so I can know how to be a good Musketeer.
Me: Oh... Okay. (She begged and begged to watch this movie... which we do watch at least once a week.)
Nola: Every day. Cause I have to learn it really good. Okay, let's see... Hummmm... (finger tapping on her temple) Check one: You have to be really cool and wear a pretty dress. Check two: You have to know how to to flip and get on a horse with a really good flip. Check three: You have to know how to use a sword, and wear a mask, and get into a tree in a really cool way. Like flip up on a branch, then you're in a tree.
Me: Yep, I think you got it. So every day, huh?
Nola: Every day.

Five minutes later and about 10 minutes into the movie Nola is gone, in the other room playing with her brother, and I'm watching Barbie and the Three Musketeers by myself. I guess her commitment wasn't as serious as she thought. That's cool though, cause I was hoping more for brilliant doctor, famous author or artist, or President. We'll just have to wait and see how this Musketeer thing pans out I guess.




Just wanted to also include a past conversation (because it was HILARIOUS!)
At bedtime Nola and I discuss things like the digestive tract, all the types of sharks we know, the extinction of the dinosaurs, things like that...
The other night, after going though how the big dirt ball (meteor) came from outer space and made all the dinosaurs sick and not want to have anymore babies, she asked me how people got to earth. I told her there were several major theories - which led to a mini-conversation about what a theory is - and one was the theory of evolution. Which I explained to her was a theory that humans came from monkeys. I did a little more explanation than that, but that was the gist. So she thought on that for a second and asked me if she used to be a monkey. I said no, and tried to explain that once you're born as a person, you are always a person, and if you're born a monkey you're always a monkey...
She seemed to get it and said, 'Yeah, monkeys are really really furry...'
'Yes, they are,' I said.
She thought for a moment and then asked, 'So... Did Papa used to be a monkey?'
HA HA! I laughed and explained it again. The best I could do for a three year old was to say that a long time ago a monkey had a baby that looked a little bit like a person. Then that baby grew up and had a baby that looked a little bit more like a person... until one day there were monkeys that looked like people... and the other monkeys stayed monkeys. She was cool with that answer.

Lame!

Me: Nola, do you want a cereal bar with your breakfast?
Nola: Lame...
Me: What? I asked you if you wanted a cereal bar with your breakfast... What did you say?
Nola: Lame.
Me: LAME? Did you say lame?
Nola: Lame.
Me: Do you even know what that means? (giggles)
Nola: Lame means, No.
Me: Okay... so no cereal bar then?
Nola: I SAID LAME!

Wow. I can only wait with anticipation for the wonderful things that will come out of her mouth when she's four....