Birthday Party

Yesterday was Emily's Birthday party. We had several friends over with their kids too cook out, eat cake, and open presents. The kids all seemed to have fun, poor little Emily had fun but she was so tired by the end of the day as you can see in the top picture. She slept well last night though and is upstairs sleeping right now. Don't worry better pictures are coming. Angela brought her camera so I really didn't feel the need to worry so much about catching everything. Chrissey probably got some great pictures as well but little Alex was overwhelmed by the experience. We had as follows 3 five year olds, 2 three year olds, 2 two year olds, 1 one year old, and 1 baby plus 11 adults who will not be broken down by age.

Ok and bc I'm watching the view can I just say that I can not stand the stupid blonde girl from surviver. I've known who I was voteing for since before the primaries were over but really what exactly makes her an experert on anything and why do I have to wear a flag pin to be supporting our troups. I will grant you that Obama should just do it since apparently some people think you have to put a lapel pin on to support the armed forces (apparently not wanting them in harms way isn't supportive?) but I don't see why he or anyone should have to. Its not like we are all pledges so we should not have to wear pins we don't feel like wearing. On that same not I really think stupid blonde wants his small children to serve in Iraque I mean I'm sorry that he is the only candidate who doesn't have a child serving abroad but he is also the only candidate who doesn't have a child over 18. Who knows what great or horrid things the Obama girls will do in their lives but I really don't think we should let them enlist till they're 18 and that we shouldn't hold their lock of military experience against their father. Grrrrrrr I can't wait for the election to be over don't even get me started on political adds. Why oh why can't adults act like adults?

Finished the Christmas dress

I finished Emily's Christmas dress. It was my first time stacking cables so all my candy canes aren't exactly the same but I think it came out well. It was also my first bishop dress so I had to learn the pattern. There are a few things I will do differently next time but all and all I think it came out very well. She is not modeling bc she hates to be wrestled into clothes so I won't be posting those till she wears it for an extended period of time.

Cute pictures of the sleepless wounder and her sidekick

Ugh Why won't you just sleep.

I should begin by saying that I love to sleep. When I worked at camp I had a friend who would sometimes exclaim "I love bed." when she laid down at night a habit I have picked up and use from time to time to this day. I especially love bed since we got our nice new memory foam mattress that makes a welcoming dent to any part of my body that touches it. So the point is I like to sleep and truly don't get my daughters current aversion to it. I mean really honey you're a year old and Mommy wants a restful nights sleep and to not spend her days with an angry tired cranky baby that may take a 1.5 hour nap if she passes out from exhaustion but would prefer to fight it till the cows come home. Right now the little mess of angry exhaustion is up in her crib caring on about how much she isn't tired and doesn't need a nap. When I go up there she will be standing in the corner closest to the door. She was also up screaming for a good hour last night bc I don't feel that a 1yo need to be fed or rocked at 2am when she just ate at 10:30. Truth be told I'd like to drop the 10:30 as well. Oh and if your out there in cybre space thinking "well I have a much littler baby who sleeps so much better what a good parent am I" let me just tell you Emily slept great from 6weeks to about 8.5 months. Then she hit the dreaded 9 month sleep regression better known as learning to pull up and has been a little terror ever since. Oh and if your thinking "well gosh why doesn't she just rock, feed, or take that poor baby to bed with her?" its bc it doesn't help. I feed her and she's back to screaming within 20min (not enough time for mommy to fall asleep anyways), I rock her and she cuddles in but screams the moment I lean over the crib, I bring her to bed with us and she pulls up on our headboard and tries to take nose dives off the side of the bed. I don't find this conducive to sleep. Oh and she used to sleep till 8:30 (she'd wake up to eat but who cares if you get to sleep in) now its and event if she sleeps to 7:00. A rare event to boot. Ok I'm done complaining I love her very much and we are working hard on this but man Elijah was awful to start but we ferberized once at 9 months and that was that. Emily seems to need to be reminded constantly that babies lay down and go back to sleep if they wake up in the middle of the night and they don't need their mommies to do that.

Shameless brag about my kids.

Ok if your still reading you've been warned so no complaining. Both my kids had really good days though. Emily's didn't start out super well since she had to go to her 12month check up (19lbslloz 29.5in) but she figured out light switches today. Thankfully she can't reach them and has to really focus to do it but she figured at that I was using that little switch to turn the lights off and on and had to try it herself. Elijah got moved up a reading group and the principal gave him a special good behavior card in the cafeteria entitling him to a prize on Monday. Oh and then he and I went to Chocolate Bean to celebrate that and his getting a flu shot without throwing a fit (a big victory in its own right) and he was so well behaved and fun to be around. It was nice to get out with just him. Ok I'm done now. My kids ROCK!

Happy Happy Birthday Baby

That's right Emily is one today. We had a good day though she mostly seemed confused. I'll probably write about it later but thought you would enjoy the pictures.

Farmers Market

Since Friday was a teacher work day we went to the Farmers market to pick out a pumpkin. We met Mitch and Donna there and the boys could hardly contain themselves. We got the stuff we needed though plus some extras. I bought too many apples and some peaches so I just had to make cobbler and apple butter. Boy was my family sad. Then we ate and went to the park. While we had a good time at the end of the day we decided that next time we needed to start somewhere where the boys could express themselves without taking out any bystanders.

Lots of Titles

I know I haven't actually blogged in a while I keep coming up with great titles for little bits of my life but not writing and then I come up with other things that go with different titles and well you get the idea. Anyways I figured I'd just do some little bits tonight. Neil hasn't uploaded pictures in a while so none of those tonight.

Great He Has Type: Yes I mean Elijah my 5yo. Apparently he has a thing for short girls with long curly redish hair. His best little friend in school Julie looks like she could be sisters with his best little mygym girl Delanie. Truth be told though he also just has a thing for girls. We are not sure where he gets it from but think he may be channeling Sam.

I Can Think of a Word that Ryhmes With Truck: Yeah they do ryhming words in Kindergarden leaving me to quiver when he tells me he's come up with certain pairs. Fortunatly so far as blue as its gotten is bed and dead. He also came out on Johonny Appleseed day wearing a paper pot on his head. Me, "Elijah whats on your head", Elijah "Its a pot", Me laughing and not saying "Oh so your a pothead then."

Going over to the Stinky Side: I've actually been meaning to do this one for a while since many of you thought I'd fallen all the way off my rocker while growing a second head when we started washing our own diapes. If your woudnering we actually wash our own wipes as well. That said its hasn't been without some bumps in the road but it really isn't too bad. Used cloth diapers smell way better then used sposies bc they don't have all the chemical and fragrences plus we have something to spray the poop into the toilet so we don't have a poop filled diaper geny sitting around. Washing took some figureing but again not really too bad. I also think it helps that I've already potty trained a child bc you just have to get comfortable with poop doing that. I think we are definatly saving money too. I've gotten some nicer diapers and they really are worth the extra money but even still I nearly passed out when I bought the last pack of sposies (we use them a night) at BJs.

Well I had one other in mind but I think I'll do it another time. Emily is also doing well and waves at everyone when we pick up her big B at school. I'm also well. Generally I feel so much stronger since I had Emily not sure quite what happened there I think I'm just pushing myself more but I'll debate that later as well.
Stephanie