Welcome Back Rain!

The rain is back...and the temps are up! Yay! Never thought I'd be happy to see rain...but I'd rather be warm and wet, then freezing my 'buns' off...and dry. I took the dog for a long walk this afternoon with Steven and Miss "VaVa". Something we've been doing everyday for a while before we got slammed with the Ice Age. Even though it was raining, we were able to be out with just light rain jackets. Bailey was thrilled to be out of the house...and "VaVa" was nice and dry in her MacLaren and fancy rain cover. Kayla, on the other hand, is not as enthused as we are that the precipitation has returned. Here's a shot of her coming in the door from a short walk home from a friends house. Doesn't she look HAPPY?!

Ribbons, Barretts, and Bows...Oh My!

Well as much as I hate to admit it, I have finally faced reality...My baby has a Fro!! So much for nine months of wishful thinking while she was in my stomach, and forget about the "It's curly..but not THAT curly..." line of denial I've been feeding myself and everyone else. It's official....I'm in for another child with Afro puffs! Although it's very cute to have a little princess running around smiling with curly little pig tails....I can't help but wonder what will happen when she turns 10?? Will I be cursed with another round of "I hate my hair. Straighten my hair. Fix my hair....Just shave my hair off!!" complaints?? And another decade of money being flushed down the drain on relaxers, expensive straightening irons, and fancy brushes?? And by then, at forty years old...will I have any patience left from Kayla's hair saga for another round? Oh well...what are u gonna do? With Steve's fro, and my 'not so straight' hair myself, I guess my kids were doomed. I wonder if Steven has straight hair?? You think? Who knows...the kid's hair has never been more than 1/4 inch!! But..I would guess probably NOT:)

Anyway...here's a preview of what's to come...It's the best I can do for now, until it gets long enough for the 'puffs'. At least she seems to like 'salon' time!

"No Fair!"

Poor princess "VaVa" is officially locked in and baby-proofed! Much to her dismay, (and Bailey's, who's one and only fear is....GATES!!) I spent the afternoon drilling brackets into our walls. Yes...the walls of our 'rented' house. But it had to be done. 'Dora the Explorer' has taken after her brother in listening to Mama skills, and the little devil cannot be trusted. Too bad I'll have to do it all again, when we MOVE!! (Soon....hopefully:))

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

Check out these cute 'Mouse' hats the kids found tonight while rummaging through our old Disney world souvenir collection. Aren't they cute? Where were those Minnie Mouse ears on Halloween? They're a lot cuter than the ones that came with her costume!

Ho, Ho, Ho...

This morning we took the kiddos to the mall to see the 'Big Guy.' We rose bright and early to beat the crowd, which is not an easy thing to do on a gloomy, gray Saturday morning. But with only one weekend left before the big day (and not wanting to miss out on all those wonderful childhood memories:)) We dragged ourselves up..and out. And good thing we did! We arrived at the scene a whole 1/2 hour before Santa's debut, to find the line already formed. (why are there so many darn people in the world?!) Anyway, the wait wasn't too long and painful. Except for Steven trying to make a snowman out of the cotton snow, and Miss "VaVa" smashing cookie all over her pretty x-mas shirt. But the look on Steven's face when it was their turn was worth all the drama. He was amazed and star struck to see Santa in the flesh. Ava on the other hand...NOT so much! She didn't find the large jolly man amusing (surprise, surprise). By the way....is Santa on the 'Special K' diet too?? He looked a little on the 'thin' side. Oh well, I guess it's for the best. Nobody wants a Santa who can't fit in the chimney!

Is Steven a vampire??

Why is it that weird noises are heard outside of my room at 3am?? Why am I periodically woken up by a flash of light outside my door?? And can someone please tell me why in the world, I found my kid brushing his teeth in the bathroom at 3am, wearing nothing but Spongebob slippers, underpants, and winter gloves??? Anyone?? Didn't think so....

But seriously, at almost five years old I'm beginning to wonder...when is it going to end? Yes, I don't have to get up and warm a bottle for him, or change a diaper...but I still find myself sleeping with one eye open, wondering if he will overflow the bathroom sink at 2am, or try to cook popcorn in the dryer (you'd be surprised at the things he comes up with!) Not to mention the fact that I have to literally roll him up in his blanket like a tortilla, and flip him off his bed to wake him up in the morning. Anyway...the only thing I can come up with is...he must be a vampire. After all, the bats are his favorite thing at the zoo!

Is This Really My Family???

My mom, aunt, and Grandmother spent today Xmas shopping at the mall. What's a day at the mall without a photo shoot with the 'Big" guy? What?? Doesn't every one's holiday family picture include attempted murder?! What can I say...it's x-mas 'Jersey' style!!