Toes

While getting ready for work, I overheard Ross helping Molly adjust her new Tinkerbell flip-flops.

 

Ross:  “Wait a minute, I know what’s going on.  Molly, you have an extra toe.  Let me count these.  Mom! I’m pretty sure Molly has 6 toes.” 

 

I love that even if Molly did have 6 toes, Ross’ only concern was that her flip flops wouldn’t fit right. 

 

 

Incase you were wondering, I double checked.  There are only 5 toes on each foot.  You just never know.

 

 

Don't Mess With Her

Yeah, this is Molly.  I've told you before, don't mess with her.  She's a tough cookie.  She'll knock your lights out.  Yeah, she's got a bloody nose. You should see the other guy.

 

Just kidding. It's just a scab she picked. She's fine.  She's innocent.  But don't get me wrong, she's tough.

The Performance

I remember taking gymnastics like it was yesterday.  I can't imagine how the audience managed to keep straight faces as Heather and I demonstrated our double cartwheel, chest rolls and double-straddle-rolls at the year-end performances, but somehow they did. 

Maisie’s end of the year performance was Thursday night, and lets just say, “that girl was on fire!” 

 

I left work early in order to have the kids fed and Maisie's hair done prior to the performance.  However, we managed to lock ourselves out of the house and had to wait for Mike to let us in after work. 

 

Maisie's anxiety built as we waited for the performance to start.  She decided she didn't want to perform and began to wimper.  Mike handed her over to the gymnastics instructor (who was comforting another little girl who came in crying).  Maisie quickly snapped out of it and was able to put on quite a show.

 

As she finished her routine, Molly could be heard hootin' and hollarin' (as could I), "Yeah Maisie!"

 

I'm pretty sure she felt like a million bucks.  

 

 

She's just a girl and she's on fire
Hotter than a fantasy, longer like a highway
She's living in a world and it's on fire
Fill with catastrophe, but she know she can fly away

 

Oh, she got both feet on the ground
And she's burning it down
Oh, she got her head in the clouds
And she's not backing down

 

 

This girl is on fire
This girl is on fire
She's walking on fire
This girl is on fire

 

 

Looks like a girl but she's a flame
So bright she can burn your eyes
Better look the other way
You can try but you'll never forget her name
She's on top of the world
Hottest of the hottest girls say

 

 

Oh, we got our feet on the ground
And we're burning it down
Oh, got our head in the clouds
And we're not coming down

 

 

This girl is on fire
This girl is on fire
She's walking on fire
This girl is on fire

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Her cheering section couldn't have been more proud.

 

 

Advise

I've  reached a fork in the road in regards to my career path and I'm struggling with which road to take.  What's best for my kids might not be what's best for me, and what's best for me might not be what's best for my kids...or maybe it is.  You get the gist.  I'm all twisted up like a braid and driving myself bonkers; which is something I excel at.

 

 

On our way to Fareway, while Ross was excited to pick out a Hungry Man dinner for the first time (he's graduated from the Kid Cuisines) and the girls would get their smiley-face mac and cheese meals, I asked the question out loud to the kids, "What do you guy's think I should do?"

 

 

Ross was the first to pipe up, "That's easy Mom, what makes you the most happy?"

I smiled and told him. 

 

 

He responded, "Well there you go, just don't worry about us Mom.  If your happy, that's pretty much all we need is a happy mom... and a happy dad too."

 

 

Suddenly the view out my new windshield became blurry and I came to the realization that this 7 year old boy was wise beyond his years.  In a world heavy with decisions, paths, regrets and emotion, he made everything so simple. 

 "What makes you happy mom?"

 

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again, when I grow up I want to be like him.

 

 

The Party!

Maisie's guests dive into the Skittles.

 

Molly's hair was cute this day.

 

Rainbow Cupcakes

 

Cousin Laura attacks the piñata.

 

Stand back, GG is about to bust it open.  Yes, we had to use the vacuum attachment as a bat.

 

Rainbow drinks were a hit.

 

Happy Birthday Maisie!

 

 

 

After-party with GG

 

We love Grandma's

 

GG had a case of the giggles

 

 

Life is Good.

 

She's 5!

On the day she was born, I posted to the Babysite, "She's here!".  Today, I can post, "She's 5!"

Maisie, on the morning of her 5th Birthday.  In true Maisie-style, I told her, "Maisie, I'm so happy today is your birthday."  She replied, "Mommy, I'm so happy at your farts."

 

 

Opening presents was very hard on Moo.

 

Ross, presenting Maisie with her new bike.  You can almost see the vein popping out of Molly's neck from the distress this caused.

 

Who would have thought it would be freezing cold on April 19th.  She stashed blue blankie in her bike basket.

 

Her birthday lunch.  Yes, her applesauce was served in a small wine glass with a candle sticking out the top.  We love birthday's.

 

It's been a rough morning for Moo.  She's completely naked in this picture (her request).  I let her have a candle in her applesauce too.  I was careful to keep her hair away from the flame...

 

For this reason.

 

 

 

Meanwhile, we've been busy preparing for Maisie's big bash with her friends tomorrow afternoon.  Stay tuned....

It's Party Time!

The birthday preparations have begun!

My Turn

Mike gets so frustrated with me before house showings.  I admit, I’m a teeny, tiny bit extreme when it comes to prepping the house.  I prefer to go all out; flowers, cookies, hiding the cat food (and cat if possible), then stalk the potential buyers as they arrive.

Before Sunday’s open house, Mike got pretty annoyed with my habits and asked what my deal was.  He had trees to cut and beer to drink. 

 

I explained that if the house looked perfect, it might faster and we can move to the country that much sooner.  Logical, right?  What I didn’t tell him, was that one of the biggest reasons I want this house sold is for him…

 

And her…

 

And her…

 

 

But mostly, for him.

 

 

Through blood, sweat and more cursing than normal, Mike tore the house apart…for us.  I hate to think how much beer it took to get it done, but he did it.  I wasn’t much help as I kept busy keeping the kids from murdering each other, providing clean clothes and food as well as growing/nursing a baby.   They were some tough years… however, I did manage to rip all the carpet out of the house using an Exacto knife on a Friday while Mike was at work, but that’s another story.

So, now I see this as my turn.  I want him to have his dream.  And his dream lies in 20 acres of woods... the same woods he grew up in. 

 

 

 

So to me,  it’s worth every can of Pledge, each baked cookie, wiping skid marks out of the toilet, polishing the stainless steel until it shines, basically whatever it takes to get this place show-worthy before each showing….  I’m a fighter.

 

Don’t mess with me.

Frosties

I believe "Frosties" was mentioned in the Babysite last summer.  Well guess what?  Frosties opened for the season on Friday.

 

 

 

We heard the rumor last week on Facebook that Friday was the big day and while sitting on the porch Sunday night, drinking more wine that necessary, I promised the kids I'd take them to Frosties opening day.  At the time, I didn't realize it would feel like 32 degrees outside and that Maisie would have been running a fever all day. 

 

 

 

But, as Horton (and I) will tell you, "I meant what I said and I said what I meant, a momma is faithful 100 percent".

 

 

 

So yes, if you saw a grey minivan with duck tape peeling off the front fender parked up at Frosties Friday afternoon, that was me.  And yes, I kept my promise and we had Frosties ice cream on opening day. 

 

 

 

 

It's Been a Week

Mike had strep this week.  He was a wreck; fatigue, sore throat, fever… I could go on, but he’s a guy so you get the idea.  Meanwhile, his snoring was atrocious, which is how he wound up sleeping in Molly’s bed a few nights while Molly slept with me.

 

She’s an interesting critter.  She likes to share the same side of the bed, same pillow, same blankets and same square footage as me.  I think her love language is touch. 

 

As I balanced on the edge of the mattress, using my core muscles to keep from falling out, I carefully hoisted her onto her own pillow.  She began wimpering so I explained she needed to scooch over or I was gonna fall out.  She rolled right back over, threw her arm across me and said, “I got ya mom”.

 

In other news, Ross had his first bloody nose last night.  He was trying to do a face-plant onto a couch cushion not realizing the I-pad was lying on the cushion.  It was minor, but he felt it necessary to hold a beach towel across his face and lay on my lap.  Each time he saw a blood spot appear on the towel was a little high for him.  I’m sure he’s already told everyone at school about it today.  Meanwhile, I’m finding blood smears all over the house this morning.  I think he just wanted to preserve the evidence that he really did have a bloody nose.

 

Maisie woke up with a fever, swollen eyes and ichy skin.  This picture of Molly pretty much sums up how our week has gone.

 

TGIF

The Hulk

Ross told me he’s never wearing a sleeveless shirt to school.  It’d be like “The Hulk”, where his muscles were so huge, they ripped his sleeves off and that would be awkward for school.  He’s just planning to wear his sleeveless shirts on the weekends. 

 

I get it.

Girl on Fire

This is my little gymnast.  She's awesome.  Each time I watch her at gymnastics class, the Alicia Keys song, "That Girl is On Fire" gets stuck in my head. Cracks me up each time.  You can listen to it on U-tube for the full effect.

 

 

 

 

Maisie's gymnastics performance is scheduled for April 25.  Stay tuned...

 

Grocery List

Maisie loves to write.  I know one day her handwriting will appear “trendy”.  She’ll end her sentences with smiley faces, and dot her ‘i’s with hearts.  Her words will be written in half-cursive/half-print and everything will look extra loopy and fun. 

 

Eventually her handwriting will become neat, tidy and professional, until the day she doesn’t have time to write ‘pretty’ anymore and her handwriting will look like chicken-scratch (aka; my handwriting these days).

Maisie helped me write a grocery list this week.  As I zoomed down isles at Fareway reading that list, I couldn’t help but admire the effort she put into writing her words and underlining most of mine.  She focused on her pencil grip while each letter was carefully formed with her tiny little fingers. 

I usually toss my grocery list in the trash after I check out at the register.   However, this time I decided to toss the list in my ‘keep forever’ box instead.