Thanksgiving - Friend Style

This was our first Thanksgiving (and will be our first Christmas) without family of some sort. We decided to do Thanksgiving with our friends, Kristi and Mike, and some of Ed's co-workers. It was just right! It was small and personable and the girls were pretty well behaved. Ed got to play games with friends, while I got to cook and socialize. Everyone contributed and we had a bountiful little feast. My turkey turned out pretty good too, which was the only thing I was really worried about. Ed's friend brought over his Rock Band accessories, which the girls wanted to be part of too. I wish I would've gotten more photos, but.... I didn't :-P.

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday as well. 

The following day, we did a nice day of decorating for Christmas and lounging about the house, with a fun trip to the mall as a family to watch:

  

 Two Thumbs up for this one! Very original storyline, which is hard to come by these days, for sure. 

The best judge is if my 3 year old can watch the whole thing without getting into trouble. 

It's been a fun weekend so far :-) 

And it's not over yet!

Shaving Cream

As I mentioned earlier, the girls have been fighting all these nasty bugs lately. On Monday, we just hung around the house. Lexi was kind of out of it, which really threw her out of sorts, so I had to make sure I stayed on top of her using the bathroom since she wasn't processing everything going on. I didn't even bother to get them dressed... I actually let Carissa go "Jay bird" for a while before lunch, baracaded in the dining room to help air out her little bum's redness. So without really saying too much more, the dining room floor was in need of a good  cleaning. So for a Monday night activity, we cleared out the room and emptied a can of shaving cream onto the floor and let the girls go at it. Carissa was a little too fussy to enjoy it (we have another can for another day though ;-P) so she went up to the bath while Lexi had the time of her life!

After they all were bathed and asleep, Ed and I finished cleaning it up (and mopped) and the floor still feels soft... seriously. It's weird. But it makes it less sticky too!

A "Go Go Go!" Sunday

Our Sundays are usually pretty laid back. We sleep in as long as the kids let us, then take our time getting ready for church since it doesn't start until 12:30. Then we get home by 4, whip up some dinner, and wind down for bed.
Last week, we were still dealing with the lack of sleep from the girls waking up throughout the night. But we (which meant Eddie, since I did most of the "dealing" that night) had friends dropping off their kids at 7 AM so they could go to the Laie Temple Re-dedication. So by the time the girls and I came downstairs, the house was bustling with 5 kids instead of 2. I made a batch of rolls for sandwiches at lunch. As it came to 10 AM, the older kids were starting to get rambunctious, so I quickly whipped up a batch of Rice Krispy treats and had everyone make their own creations, using up some other sweets we had as well.

 While we were busy doing that, our friends came back and we enjoyed a simple lunch...
                                            ...while Carissa stole the oldest girls Sunday shoes.

Then we sent our kids to their house while some other friends and us headed off to another session of the re-dedication. (I managed to stay awake for the dedication...whew! Dozed a little through the prelude...) Then we headed on back to our friends' house to get the girls and a nice dinner. Whew! It was a long, but GREAT day! And now we can go back to doing temple work! Yea!!!

Sooo Tired...

Today was another TIRED day... lots of my days these past few weeks have been tired days. I think I attribute it to the fact that something makes it so one or two or even all 4 of us just don't get enough sleep at night. Last night was pretty bad...

Let me take you on a journey first to explain:

         Last August (2009) we went on a little trip to Utah. Quick weekend trip. See my brothers and their families. Family pictures. Ed still in recovery mode from his bike accident. All in all, a good little trip. As we get all buckled in to leave, a large flying ant flies right into Lexi's face from outside. And worse yet, flies right up her nose. Naturally, hysterics galore. After some smooth and calm moves on Eddie's part, Lexi was able to blow him out into a tissue, but none the less, a very traumatic experience for a 2 year old. And you know how sometimes things happen to trigger bad memories?? Well, since that day, my daughter can't have anything in her nose... even snot for a runny nose. She flails and screams like she seriously has ants in her nose each and every time. And she won't blow her nose because the sensation drives her mad... and that just makes it worse.

Lexi got a runny nose yesterday.

There's been some bugs going around. One gave Ed and Carissa some unpleasant bowel issues. Now Carissa has a terrible rash/burn on her tushy that is aggravated every time she has a wet/soiled diaper... more hysterical crying.

Eddie and I didn't get much sleep last night.

This morning was a Toy Story marathon while Mommy and Daddy slept on the recliner in the corner...

We finished all 3 before 11 AM!

And even though I got so little sleep last night, I'm grateful it was a weekend because that meant we could tag team... otherwise it would've been all me last night and I would probably be dead right now. 

I'm still playing catch up on sleep since this past couple of weeks we've had colds, upset tummies, sore throats, etc, etc, etc... mostly meaning, my once good sleepers have been struggling. Eh...it happens...

And I thought living somewhere warmer would reduce the amount of sickness we got, but I guess not.

Here's hoping for some good sleep tonight :-)

Ahhhh.....

I recorded this video because I wanted to get Carissa walking around in my shoes (it was just too cute), but caught this little act of love as well!

It's that Hispanic Blood, I tell ya

These girls definitely don't get their dancing skills from me.

I dance like a white girl.

I admit it.

I like to compare Carissa to Buzz at the end of Toy Story 3

(which coincidentally, is where this music is coming from)

in that as soon as she hears the beat...she dances like she can't control it!

It's really too funny!

Little Miracles

This may not seem like a big deal, but whenever I catch the girls doing this:

and there is no screaming or tears involved,

that's a miracle!

Makes you wonder...

We bought our car from the mission office in Jackson, Mississippi and today, I really vacuumed it out good with our new shop vac. I pulled up the back seats to get the misc. crumbs from our girls that have fallen down in the past 6 months and found these:

Wonder what the sisters did on their P days?

Wrapping up October ...and some ramblings

First, here are some pics of some last minute dresses I made for the girls for Sunday... just so I wasn't all "anti-Halloween"... (which I'm not...just when it falls on Sundays)

I guess next year I'll have to make more of an effort to decorate our house for Halloween. I didn't feel bad this year since I didn't really want to attract any trick or treaters anyway.

Do you ever just stare at your blog and think "I need to do a new post" but there is really nothing much to post about??

I guess that's one of many reasons I started my mommy blog (located on the side bar...it's still getting going, but you should really check it out!) It would give me, and anyone else that was interested, something more to blog about and even help each other. I'm really hoping to get more "seasoned" moms to help out because it feels like I'm one of the few moms (that actually have participated) that can only share but not really ask for much help since Lexi is the same age or older than most of the other kids...

So maybe I can just ask my questions here...in hopes that someone could help.

So I like to post about current events. 

What's exciting right now. 

What fun things we've been doing. 

Preferably with pictures.

Well, currently, I'm dealing with two stubborn, albeit cute, girls who seem to think it's funny to do everything I ask them not to do... and are really trying my patience.

One likes to pull hair, leaving me with undesirable pain and I'm sure, missing chunks of hair, which doesn't really look that good right now anyways. The other thinks she needs my permission to go to the bathroom, like if she goes on her own, a monster will crawl out and eat her. It wouldn't even be so bad if she would just say "yes" when I ask if she has to go....but noooooo, she pretty much has to be told to go to the bathroom. 

I'm bribing her now with two movies she wants (one for #1 and the other for #2), and all she has to do is tell us she has to go to the bathroom. 

It's that easy.

"I have to go potty."

It sounded too easy.

But alas, we're going on day 5 of this, and currently not a sticker up there.

(I took away the two she'd earned because she had an accident after telling me she didn't need to go)

Oh, And they always beat each other up.

They really are sweet. 

They usually do get along too.

But that's only when Mom and Dad are around.

Take them out in public, and the Jekylls come out.

And it makes me look like I don't know how to parent my own children.

Seriously, I dread going out.

But if we stay in, everyone goes bananas and boredom sets in and then they fight and on and on and on...

Help.

On the plus side, it's not all dark clouds and no sunshine. My parents came out for a visit for my birthday, which meant I got to sleep in on my birthday and got breakfast in bed! This never happens because I never sleep in long enough for Eddie to get anything done while juggling the girls. It was very nice. I did a little shopping with my mom and then we all ate at Islands, which I haven't had in way, way too long.

We did a little sightseeing, got to go to the Laie Temple open house (before it is rededicated this month), a little beach time with the grandparents... the good ol' Hawaii stuff.

 Spending time with the Grandparents

 Laie Hawaii Temple

 Playing at the Polynesian Cultural Center

 Grandpa at the Beach

 Dole Pineapple Plantation

USS Arizona Memorial

We've also been meeting new people, slowly but surely. A new couple just moved into the ward that are, in a word: Awesome! Similar interests and personalities... we look forward to getting to know them better while we are here :-)

I'm really trying to find ways to occupy my time, while still keeping the girls happy (and alive). I'm bored. There are not many activities that the girls will sit for (Library story time is just a waste of time). Most people who would be willing to go out and do something with us also have super busy lives. 

I don't even have a calling that keeps me busy (I teach the 5 yr olds)...yet again, INVISIBLE... the same people do everything, and then all the newer people get stuff to do, but somehow... I never get to do anything... 

story of my married life*. 

Here's to another year of being invisible!

 (*My college ward not only felt like a big family, but I had all kinds of opportunities and callings to serve and teach and lead. I think that is because the people took the time to get to know me, especially my bishop. I felt like my talents were appreciated and welcomed. Will I ever be in another ward like that? I don't know. No one has even asked us to speak in the 4 years we've been married. 3 different wards. I spoke 3 times in my last year of college!)

I know things will get better. I know most people are not intentionally rude or think I'm the scum on their shoe, despite how I feel. But sometimes, you just need to get things off your chest. Otherwise, you come home from church crying because you've been holding it all in and your husband has to listen to your frustrations that neither of you have the power to fix. I'm not sure if I would ever move into another ward that is prominently military... too much work status interfering with the "ward family".

So if you've made it this far, thanks for listening. 

Do you ever have moments like me?

Where you just feel powerless?