Note to self...

I have to hide my camera if I ever dare take a nap. If I don't hide it, when I wake up I will find my entire memory card full of pictures of my dirty laundry, Naomi's bed sheets, Prince Phillip on the TV, toys on the floor, the lights, and occasionally they do take pictures of each other's hair, or eyes so close up I'm sure they see permanent spots. Life through the eyes of a child...sigh.

Red Robin Hood

Dinner with Uncle Norm

Leah chowing

Naomi shoveling

Yaya really excited about her cherry

Just thought I would post a few photos of the girls eating their ice cream sunday's yesterday. They wouldn't put their spoons down to take a picture, so you get action shots.

This is at Red Robin. After we were done eating and were getting ready to leave, Emilia started crying. When I asked her what was wrong she said, "I wanted to go to Robin Hood."

Powder Puff

We went out to eat tonight. The girls did well, and ate well, including every drop of an ice cream sunday each. Their sugar consumption was greatly interfering with our bedtime routine. After stubborn refusals to brush teeth, the repeated "I need a drink", "I need to go to the bathroom" cycle, bouncing on the beds when they were supposed to be relaxing we finally got prayers said and lights off.

Did it stop there? Oh no. Emilia was coming out every four seconds to report that Naomi was breathing too loudly, that she needed help with her blanket, that she needed another drink, that she needed a hug, that she needed a kiss... My responses were getting more clipped and less sympathetic each time her cute little face emerged from the room. (It's really hard to get mad at that kid, she's so cute.)

Then Naomi picked up where Yaya left off with complaints of Emilia making monster sounds, and Emilia telling her there were monsters in the walls, and can I watch you work on your art project... So finally I had to go in and deliver the ultimate threat. "If you come out of your bedroom again you will not be going to your friend's house tomorrow." They both got in bed and promptly calmed down. I walked out of the room but heard Yaya getting out of her bed. So I turned around just in time to see Naomi leap out of her bed and tackle Emilia to the ground, sit on top of her, and warn her, "If you go out there we can't go to our friend's house tomorrow!" Poor Yaya, stood up a bit shaken and started wimpering, "That was scary!" and then crawled back into bed. It's been quiet ever since.

Mildly disturbing

Ever since high school, I have attracted hair in my food. Every time I go out to eat I find a hair, that is not my own, adorning my dish. I have found a hair on the bottom of a biscuit, in a milkshake, underneath my last bite of stir fry, laying neatly across an omelet, around some ice in a glass of water, inside an egg roll, as an additional topping on my pizza, I could go on and on. I suppose one perk of this I that I get a lot of free and discounted meals. On the other hand, it's just nasty. So the other day I went grocery shopping and among other things, bought some celery. After I got home, I thought I would have some celery and peanut butter for a snack. I pulled out the celery and there was a hair in my celery. I tried to convince myself that it was mine because really, how do you get hair in your fresh, pre-packaged celery? But it wasn't long enough, or dark enough to be mine and it was wrapped around the leaves and in between the stalks...how could it be? I was too disgusted to even do anything about it. It's still sitting on my counter, and writing about it still makes me want to vomit. Why can't I attract money like I attract hair? Sick.

I like to move it move it

Little Miss Heidi is on the move. She is not going to wait around while her sisters run past her. She is rolling like crazy because at the moment it is her fastest way to cross a room. She gets up on all fours, but doesn't quite know what to do to move forward. She usually ends up going backwards, but often she will lung forward and belly flop. It looks like a very clumsy inchworm, up on all fours, lunge, plop down on the belly, up on all fours...it works for now!

Heidi is also sitting up. She still hasn't quite figured out how to catch herself from falling over, but she has learned to curl when she's falling so her head isn't the first thing to hit. I wonder if she's teething as well. It would be really early for my kids, but I need some explanation for her persistent foul mood and NEVER sleeping. I'm dying here. The other night she only woke up four times and I was ecstatic. I was just starting to feel "normal" again, after the initial sleep deprivation that accompanies child birth, but now I'm back to not being able to form complete, coherent sentences. Anyone know how to make a baby sleep all night?

I'll take back the terrible twos

I've decided that three years old is more difficult than two, there just isn't a catch phrase for it. Terrible twos, thwarting threes...I just don't see it catching on. But seriously, two is frustrating because the kids are over-confident and stubborn, so they try to do everything on their own and get frustrated easily resulting in throwing a fit because they don't know how to ask or accept help. But three is even MORE frustrating because they are actually fully capable of communicating clearly, and dressing themselves, and going to the bathroom, etc. but they choose not to use or manipulate their newfound skills. Emilia is generally a pleasant little person, but she has picked up some undesireable habbits such as lying directly to your face when you know it. "Did you clear your dinner plate?" "Yes." "Um, no you didn't. I'm looking right at it still sitting on the table." "Yes I did. That's Naomi's." Wrong. Or expresssing her control by refusing to eat for days and begging for candy with her first breath each morning. Love that one. I also love that SHE picks fights with her sisters who tower over her and could easily pound her, but she is the one hitting them and calling them names. She will even make up songs about how mean and stupid they are. Emilia is really my first one to do this.

The trait I enjoy the most is her refusing or"negotiating" everything that comes out of my mouth. Here's a little taste of my day...

S-Yaya, did you wash your hands after you went potty?

Y- I hate washing my hands because that's why I need a drink.

S-OK girls, time to brush teeth.

Y-I hate brushing my teeth. I will when I'm 16.

Y-Can I take a bath?

S-You've already had two today.

Y- Well, I need a bath because my tummy in NOT hot.

Well, I can say it is never dull at my house!

O Danny Boy

I would like to reflect for a moment on my favorite cashier at Ware-Mart, Dan. Dan is Buddy the Elf, without the elf suit. He is SO happy all the time. I always go through his line when I'm in a good mood because I'm sure to be laughing by the time I leave. I will go to any other line, even if it's longer, when I'm in a bad mood because his cheerfulness makes me want to punch him in his glittering white teeth. But really, what is it that makes some people ooze rainbows and daisies. I consider myself a mostly happy person, but I'm not one to run around hugging grandmas and kissing babies. I smile politely and speak kindly to my children, but even in my best of moods, you probably won't hear me chortling at the lame jokes thrown at me in the check out line. I don't know...but I do appreciate Dan. Glad I only know one person like him.

What's for dinner?

Last night I was getting dinner ready. The girls wanted to help make it, of course, so I sent them to the bathroom to wash their hands. Naomi got there first, but Yaya took the stool. I'm not exactly sure what went down in there, but all I heard from the kitchen was Naomi crying and screaming as loud as she could (and mostly likely directly into Yaya's face) "I have to wash my hands! If I don't eat RIGHT NOW I'm going to DIE !!!" And can you guess who didn't eat their dinner last night?

What was I thinking?

Tuesday Heidi had her four month check up (a few weeks late). I had the brilliant idea to bring Emilia in to get caught up on her shots and Naomi in for her kindergarten visit...all at the same time. I was grateful the nurse brought us to a rather large room, so at least we had room to breath (not that anyone was doing that anyway). I had prepared to be there for a while and so the girls pulled out the toys and books I let them bring. They were playing peacefully...and then the doctor walked in. We had three very different responses from the girls. Heidi, of course, had no idea what was going on, so she gave the guy a big cheesy grin. Emilia started cheering, really. Arms up with an enthusiastic "Hooray!" Naomi freaked out! She laid across the chairs, on her back, kicking her legs and screaming "memememememememe" in her amazingly loud, high pitched tone. She kind of looked like a beetle, when they get stuck on their backs and are trying frantically to turn over, except she wasn't trying to turn over, she was fearing for her life.

The doctor checked over all three girls. Heidi has grown 5 inches and weighed in at 15 1/2 pounds. Yaya just hit 30 lbs. with shoes on and Naomi was 43 lbs. They were all healthy, no questions, so on to the main event...shots.

Yaya wanted to go first. She hopped up on the table and put on her brave face. She fared pretty well and as soon as those band aids were on she was fully recovered and begging for her orange tic-tacs...my no fail cure-all.

Naomi was next. The first two times I tried to put her on the table (with one arm and Heidi in the other), she stayed curled up until she was just about on the table and then would plant both of her feet against the side of it and shove herself (and me...and Heidi) backwards. The observant nurse, clearly seeing this was a hazard to all of our lives, went and got some assistance. I decided it would be less traumatic to all if the other nurse held the baby rather than wrestling Naomi to the table. So I hopped up on the table and held Naomi in my lap and gave her a big giant hug while she caused temporary deafness in my ears...and then it was over. The second we got off that table she was giggling. Sometimes I seriously think she is exhibiting bi-polar tendencies. So then I sent the girls out of the room with the nurse to get some stickers while Heidi had her turn.

I don't feel quite so bad because she has such meaty little thighs. But I always do think it's kind of a mean trick because babies have no idea what's coming. Mom is standing over them, smiling, giving them a false sense of security, and then WHAM! out of no where someone is shoving needles into their legs. But I try not to think about that, or rack myself with guilt, and pass all that on to the school system who requires immunizations for enrollment in public school. It's all their fault. (Feeling better.) But Heidi did well and stopped crying the moment I picked her back up again.

I can hardly wait for Monday...Leah's turn.

yeah...

Emilia has had a chronic runny nose since we have moved to Oregon. The other day I said, "Yaya come here so I can wipe your nose." "No," she answered, "I'm just wiping it with my tounge." Sick.