Had to do it...

get S's haircut, that is.

I had to. It was becoming a safety issue. Went to this little place called Snipits (it's a chain) and WOW what a great job they did with her hair. The gal knew exactly what to do with her mop. see?

One happy customer!! Complete with bangs, trimmed around her face, bows, spray mousse, and silver glitter spray!

Last night S told me: "When you get your hair cut, you sit in a pink chair and get sparkles."

(my first slideshow attempt...poor quality, I know)

Talk about some AWESOME friends!!

So last Tuesday my wonderful friends (Dhana and Katie) took my two wonderful kids to the Jasmine Moran Children's Museum last Tuesday. I stayed home and got several things done around the house (library, sewing, coffee sipping, music listening, cooking). That HAD to be the best gift ever. I was giddy the night before! You know, these kids are STILL talking about the museum! Everyday they wake up mentioning something about it. It seems like quite a place!

Today we managed to get out of the house with minor misbehavior. It seems that when I take my children out in public these days, thye TOTALLY misbehave and one of them ends up hurt and/or melting down (we're talking, major meltdowns- like you have to leave the store). So when we left Homeland with N only knocking some fish food off the shelf, I felt it was a success.

During S's nap, N and I made three dinners worth of chicken enchiladas for the freezer and peanut butter cheesecake brownies for Father's Day. I spent yesterday resting with pretty good contractions- every 5 minutes for about 5 hours and then they quit. Obviously, no baby. But it gave Shawn and I the wake up call we needed. We started focusing on the baby name list. We packed bags for the kids. I have a stack of stuff on my bedroom floor that I want for the hospital. (I should have *known* this would happen with this pregnancy, too!) So bottom line...we are ready. Except I don't want to have the baby until after next Friday. Then I will be 38 weeks.

Here are some pictures from our trip back to WV:
My sister, the lawyer!!!

Feeding friendly goats:

Petting horses:

My cousins (who played with N and S ALL day!)
(N spent much of the party terrorizing family members)
(Note, S's handbag!)

Making Progress- 3 1/2 weeks to go

Well, we are going to see the hospital today. It would be nice to know where the building is and parking. However, I hear it is valet parking- whew.

#1- in progress
#2- almost done
#3- complete
#4- in progress
#5- complete

-Have several names written down. You all got us really thinking and discussing names- THANKS. I even checked out two baby name books from the library. I am ready to narrow "the list" and it seems Shawn keeps adding names to it...or at least trying to.
-Have a plan for N and S. (thanks!!!)
-Tripled my first dinner recipe last night- one for now, two for the freezer. Still accepting recipes...

-Clearing off the sewing table. Just finished a bridesmaid dress for my friend Dhana. I think it turned out pretty good. I will have to post a picture. Just finished 3 more yoga bags and 6 eye pillows. There are 5 more fabrics sitting here that need to become yoga bags and eye pillows. Also have a custom order for two more bags. Oh, and I have a few baby gifts that I need to start working on- before we all have our babies!!

At my appointment yesterday, the midwife told me the baby has a hard head. great.

Here's a couple videos of the kids hitting the t-ball in the backyard. These were taken about 3 weeks ago.

New Baby "To Do" List

Since I am now 5 1/2 weeks from D-Day I think it is about time I make a "To Do" list to accomplish before the baby arrives. And since we are getting down to the wire here, this list is going to have to contain ONLY the essentials.

#1. Baby name- need boy and girl names
#2. Find hospital entrance and parking lot. (My appointments are not in the same place I will deliver.)
#3. Plan for Nicholas and Stella- where they will go when we go to the hospital
#4. Cook plenty of frozen meals and stock chest freezer in the garage.
#5. Get infant car seat out of attic and clean it.

I think that is about it. We will start next week when we get back from Wheeling/Pittsburgh. You know, when I will be four weeks from the due date.
Did I miss anything critical? Sure, I know we will need clean infant clothes and newborn diapers, but if needed, that can be done after the baby is born. Besides, I don't want to *overwhelm* (ha!) myself right now. I should be resting (ha ha!).

Taking suggestions for names btw. Don't want first name that starts with "B" and no invented names.
Also, graciously accepting recipes for frozen meals.

Love Is...

Guitar Hero World Tour!! The awesomest songs for GH yet!! I bet nobody else got THAT for their six year anniversary before!! Thanks, Shawn. I love it!!


Kids playing after church today:

Down in the hole

SO, I guess we did need that tornado shelter after all. We actually had to use it last night- though by 10:00pm we were convinced the storms were not even headed in our direction. But out of nowhere sirens went off and we scrambled! I guess I thought that I would remain totally calm in a tornado situation, but when those sirens went off I could do nothing but run. I tore the kids out of bed. Ordered them into the garage to get them into the shelter. Shawn got them inside while I grabbed a bag and started throwing shoes, wallets, cell phones, etc. inside. I even grabbed a container of cereal. Then I ran back in for the weather radio (which I can't follow) and batteries. Shawn ran next door to get our neighbor and her little girl. Then we all just sat in the "hole" and waited. For. almost. an. hour. The sirens went off several times. Luckily a tornado never developed. But we watched the heavy clouds lower from our open hatch. There was just lowering and circulation, but nothing touched down here. Whew. I did gain confidence in our ability to take cover. With the shelter in our own garage, I bet the kids were inside within 45 seconds. If they had been awake it would have been even quicker. Feel better?

Today was the retirement ceremony of a very dear friend of mine. I am SO sad to have missed it. I should have been there, but I just couldn't. But my girls called me (while at work) and cracked me up. They are so loud : ) Ok, I am so loud whenever I talk to them on the phone- which unfortunately is not that often. We were once lieutenants together. Now we are old. And wise.

This evening was a special program at Nicholas' school. The pre-K classes sang songs for the parents. The teachers gave out an "award" to each of their students. Nicholas, to our surprise, got the "Best Manners" award. Really?! The pictures we took turned out terrible. So here is a movie.

Busy, busy, busy

So I have been working (everyday) last week and this one. Just when I thought I had a routine figured out it changes. Then next week it will change back. And then we are done!

But amid the busyness, I was approached by a yoga studio in Denver to do a wholesale order on my yoga mat bags. Wholesale! I hadn't planned for wholesale- BUT that is one opportunity I am not going to pass up. So we negotiated a deal for 8 bags. WOW. Like I have free time right now, but I have been working hard to get the order filled and see how this deal goes. I am working toward the re-order. And this gal doesn't know it yet, but I am going to send her a *complimentary* lavender and flaxseed eye pillow. I will also let her know what my wholesale price is/will be on those : ) Pretty exciting stuff.

So since I am working all week, Shawn and I shuffle kids and car seats daily. It is two kids in two different cars going two different directions to two different schools- two days a week. The other three days, they go to the same place. whew. My work is asking me to work more next year. I think three days a week sounds great...except I just ran the cost for three children in daycare...and it just plain does not add up. Hmph.

And this picture I took a few weekends back. Good enough for a small chuckle.