It doesn't get any better!

Home with my little sidekick and a bundle of kittens.

Home for the holidays...

So much fun! The kids had a blast together. I tried snowmobiling for the first time! I was scared to go over 65...maybe next time!

One Week

All of their eyes are open now, but they still do nothing but eat and sleep. We have found homes for all but one.

Panic...

The kittens have been in a box on top of my dresser. After my shower, I went to peek at them and they were gone! Sasha was whining like she didn't know where they were. I ran downstairs to tell Mark and we began searching. My first thought was that Buddy ate them. Pretty soon, I hear Mark yell, "They're down here." In a matter of maybe 8 minutes, Sasha had moved them all downstairs under the bed. I moved them this morning to a plastic container with higher sides and a fresh towel. Apparently she didn't approve. I moved the old box downstairs and pulled the kittens out from under the bed. She quickly grabbed each one by the neck and put them back under there. I guess that's where they will stay!

They're here!

I was lucky to be home when it happened. What an experience for Lucy as well. We kept repeating: "This is amazing!"

The piggies are back!

Her hair is long enough again, and we have a deal with Grandpa not to cut it until summer. "Little girls should have long hair." is what he always says...

We are expecting!

Ha! Not me!! Sasha is going to have kittens. We have no idea when they'll come, but when she sits on me, I can feel them moving in her tummy. It gives me flashbacks of feeling Lucy roll inside of me. It's wild! For what seems like forever, Lucy has named every baby and Barbie "SALLY" so we will most likely keep one and be naming it just that. Anyone want one...

That time of year...

Through our almost 4 year old's eyes...it's magical. She is exploding with excitement. She went to bed saying she was so excited for Christmas in the morning.

Things I need to record so I don't forget them...

1. Can I see if Sponge Bob is on? (Probably asked 5 times a day) The sad thing is, he usually IS ON.
2. I want to leck the puppies out.
3. You are my best mommy.
4. Will you get me a new Plablo? (Back Yardigans)
5. Do you understand that Mommy?
6. I love when she says "actually" and everytime she does, she follows it with "I say actually lot of times."
7. Giving Time (Thanksgiving)
8. That's your problem. That's your deal.
9. Mommy, look at me.
10. Mommy, stop for a second.
11. I'm so esiged! (excited)
12. 1-2-3-4-7-8-9-10-14-16-18 (Her standard counting pattern)
13. Girls Weekend!
14. Blues clues is boring.
15. We got you an abocado! (avocado) Whether they did or not, she always tells me they did. I LOVE avocados.
16. Can I have a maj? (massage)
17. I need some pivacy.
18. Silly Mommy!
19. Zoe Baloney, Mac-aroni, Sasha Washa, Peanut Budder (Silly pet names)
20. And our special, never-fail, nightime conversation:

L: I love you so much to the moon and back.
Me: I love you more.
L: Don't let the bed bugs bite bite you. (The double bite is too cute.)
Me: Don't let the bed bugs bite bite you either.
L: I'll see you in the morning.
Me: I'll see you in the morning too.
L: I'll see you in the night time.
Me: I'll see you in the night time too.
L: I love you.
Me: I love you too.

Still lining up those little people...

Look at them all! Never mind the topless Barbie in the back!! :)

Future Oak Ridge Student?

One of those moments...

Samantha landed a flip tonight. And it was her birthday! All of my skating friends remember good old freestyle 4. It's a big deal. She isn't one of my students, just in a group class. I looked her in the eye and told her how close she was, and that she was going to land that jump on her birthday. And she did. I love coaching. I feel lucky to have that in my life.

Raggedy Ann or the Wendy's Girl?

She loved trick or treating. There was no time for "your welcome" after Lucy's thank you's...it was all about moving on to the next house.

9 days until Halloween!

Lucy is so excited to carve her pumpkins but we're holding off as long as we can so they stay fresh. Last year we had little critters eating holes in them. So far, she has wanted to be a ghost, scary witch, kitty...but she can't decide. She has the scary face down!

I gave her a Tootsie Pop on the way home from daycare and told her that there was a Tootsie Roll inside. A mile later..."Mommy, is there a wrapper on the Tootsie Roll?"

Wedding

Congratulations Jessica and Todd! I think it is every girl's dream to be a flower girl. I never was so it was exciting watching Lucy get to be one. She ended up walking down the aisle with Mark and Jaimie. She took a few spills trying to move around in her dress but by the end of the night she hiked it up whether she was going up stairs or not. She was a little dancing queen until the very last song. The newlyweds are off to Tailand for three weeks!

My Gang

What a great group of kids I have this year! I love them all!

The Big Day!

Well...Lucy woke up with pink eye yesterday. The day of the rehearsal dinner and one day before the wedding!!! The doctor said it was viral so no antibiotics were prescribed. We picked up some over the counter drops and Lucy has been putting them in herself. Thankfully, this morning the redness has decreased a lot. Whether she walks down the aisle today is a mystery to us all. She is being bribed with a special Barbie she picked out. Cross your fingers! What a glorious day for Todd and Jessica!

I'm terrible!

No new pics...life has been kind of upside down lately. Here's one from early September. I do have two stories that made me giggle. Kids are so literal! Today on the way to daycare I noticed a cop parked on the side of the road and said, "That policeman is trying to catch people." Lucy asked if he had a really, really, really (the endless really's are a new stage) big net. Last night she asked me to play the guitar. I started and said I wasn't very good. "Why?" she asked. "Because it isn't tuned." Off she walked with the guitar saying we better get some new batteries.

P.S. Zoe is still here. I took a quick nap last night and she laid on top of me like she used to. Times like that make me want to pray that she'll just go in my arms.

My Girl

Zoe's lump has grown back and is now the size of a baseball. The vet refuses to operate because of her age and the difficulty of stitching her back up in such a bad spot. So now we are faced with a huge decision. I remember the day I brought her home from the Humane Society in Bemidji to the dismay of all my roommates. She has been by my side through so much. Every day I leave for work I kiss her goodbye and make her give me one last "five". I love her so much and I can't imagine her not being here. Please say a prayer to help us out with this decision.

She

is wonderful.

Little Lucy gets a new look!