Happy Birthday to me

Today is my 35th birthday.  It didn't start out that great.  Larissa was wide awake most of the night, which means I was up with her trying to keep her from waking up the rest of the house.  I don't know what was up.  She is on a new medicine to finally get rid of this cold virus she's had for over 6 weeks.  The doctor said the medicine could alter her personality, her appetite, make her hyper, all sorts of lovely side effects.  Apparently it altered her sleeping habits.  She's usually a great sleeper.  Last night from about midnight until 4am she was wired.  i had only gone to bed about an hour before this all started, and then after 4am when I thought I might be able to get some sleep, she was up again at 5:30, 6 and then 6:30.  That's when i just gave up and got in the shower.  It was a rough day, but at least day care wise, it was an easy day.  I only had the twins.  After I dropped Skylar and Larissa off at school, I fed the twins their breakfast and then they went down for morning naps.  I was able to clean a bit, go through our luggage again, and sit down to relax for a bit before going to get the girls.  After lunch, we played with the babies for an hour, then they went down for afternoon naps.  Skylar and Larissa were pretty happy just playing and I tried to stay awake.  There was about an hour where Larissa was super crabby, but I couldnt blame her.  She's got to be really tired too.  i just tried hard to keep my calm.  i managed to get through the whole day without yelling once.  That's hard when I'm also very tired and cranky. 

On John's way home he stopped and bought me a birthday cake and some diet coke.  I drank more than I should have today because I was trying to stay awake.  Here is my cake. 

Don't mind my hair.  I didn't have a chance to blow it dry this morning so it's kind of flat. 

Skylar enjoying my cake.

Decorations

We put up our christmas decorations this past weekend.  i finally got my village up.  I haven't put it up since we moved here because I didn't know where to set it up.  At our ould house we had an entertainment center and it went on top of that.  When we moved here we bought a new tv and no longer have an entertainment center.  The first year here we just didn't put it up.  Last year we weren't around most of December and we weren't going to be here for Christmas (we went back to Chicago) so we only put up the tree in the front room with no ornaments.  This year we will be gone all next week, but we are spending Christmas here, so we went all out.  John brought home a long folding table and I just put a nice table cloth over it with the village on top.  I like the way it turned out. 

Up until this year, Larissa only had a basic red stocking.  We let Skylar pick out her own stocking when she was 3, so this year Rissy got to go pick out her own this year.  She picked Tinkerbell.  (Skylar has a Disney Princess one)  The girls also got to pick out stocking holders.  Larissa picked Mickey Mouse.  Skylar picked Cindarella. 

While unpacking the decorations I noticed our tree skirt was missing.  Again, it was just a basic red skirt with a white trim.  When Rissy picked out her stocking, John picked out a new skirt.  I like this one much better. 

and some random decorations

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.  What are we thankful for?

I am thankful for my husband and my 2 beautiful children. They are the light of my life and I couldn't imagine life with out them.

I am thankful for my family.  Without their love and support I wouldnt be the woman I am today. 

I am thankful for my husbands job.  In this economy we are lucky he has a good steady job.

I am thankful for my friends, both in real life and online.  Without them I wouldn't make it through most days.  (especially some of my online friends, you know who you are!!) 

Here are my little turkeys in their thanksgiving hats from school.

doll house

My parents went by a garage sale one day and saw this doll house for sale.  It's a well made, wodden doll house, complete with all the furniture and 3 dolls.  I am not sure if they are kids or adults, and then a baby.  It came with furniture for the baby's room, bedroom, living room, bathroom, kitchen and even an outdoor play area.  It also came with a piano that really plays music.  My parents came to visit for Thanksgiving, and decided to give it to the girls now (it is part of their christmas present)  After they got here I sent the girls to their room and set it up in the living room.  They came out and their jaws dropped.  They really like it.  Rissy kept saying, I just love the doll house.  Skylar must have thanked them 20 times.  They played with it all afternoon, and then first thing this morning they asked to play with it also.  Skylar likes to rearrange the furniture.  They were fighting over the dolls, so I found some other dolls they can use.  They now use the Scooby Doo characters, and some small Barbies they got from McDonalds happy meals a few months back. 

the playground

Kitchen 

bathroom

baby's room 

bedroom 

living room 

and the girls enjoying it 

movie night

tonight after dinner we decided to rent a movie off the tv.  We decided on Cars 2.  We have never seen it, but the girls liked the original Cars.  The girls got their pillows and blankets and settled in. 

such a pretty girl

We got some hand me down clothes from a friend.  Her clothes are so cute and we love recieving them.  (saves on my pocketbook!!)  In this last batch, she got a lot of long skirts.  Skylar is such a girly girl, she loves dresses and skirts.  This is one of the skirts we got.  The shirt is one she got for her birthday, and then I put a long sleeve white shirt under it.  Skylar thought she was so pretty, and she said her teachers complimented her outfit too.  Thanks Julia for sharing your pretty clothes with Skylar. 

haircuts all around

I got sick of my hair being so blah.  it was stringy, long and just blah.  I got it all chopped off, then John helped me color it.  here is my new hair.

the girls got hair cuts also 

super heros

the other day Skylar came up to me and struck a pose, saying she was a super hero and that was how super heros posed. 

Rissy had to try also

Later on Larissa and Skylar set up their animals to watch their super hero show. 

winter time

When the girls saw snow flakes yesterday, they immediately went to the closet to find their winter gear.  They love to play in the snow.  too bad nothing stuck.  The flakes were melting before they ever got near the ground.  Still the girls rush to get their hat and gloves in the mornings now.  Today they had them on a good half hour before we had to leave for school. 

Larissa, the little mommy

So Skylar is signed up for another swimming session, but I couldn't get Larissa into her class.  The only class I could get her into this session was on the weekends and would run into our vacation.  She would miss 2 of the 6 sessions, so we decided to keep her out this time.  Skylar goes every Tuesday and Thursday at 7pm.  Since John has been working in Rockford, Illinois almost every week, Larissa has had to come with us.  She brings her baby doll with us (in a car seat) and tends to the baby while Skylar has her lesson.  It's really quite cute.  She hasn't complained about not being in lessons.  The first week she was sick so she didn't mind at all.  Now this week she's had her baby to tend to. 

watching Skylar

making sure baby is ok

time to go

baby got hungry

you have to burp baby

then buckle her back in her seat

baby also has to be buckled in the car.  She's cery careful to make sure baby is safe. 

it was a tad bit windy

The other day we had a ton of wind.  Unfortunately our poor trees got a little bent out of shape.