Lindsey Helping

Lindsey got her little chair and decided she was going to help her Mommy with the dishes. Emily used to do this all the time when she was about her age. It makes them feel big, I am less bored while doing the dishes because they are there and they learn something too. I HATE doing dishes by hand I have to say. I have been doing it for 4 years now because we have no room in our tiny shoe box to fit a dishwasher. And that is one of many things I am excited to someday have when we finally find the house we will move to. An extra bathroom, bedroom, dryer AND dishwasher. Bliss comes in interesting packages.

But for now I will enjoy the help of a sweet 2 year old who wants to spend time with her busy Mommy.

Snowy Day

While Lindsey napped, Emily and I got bundled up and headed out to explore the snow dump we got the day before. And sled down the hill behind our house.


Emily also wanted to try taking a picture of me. I think she did a pretty good job at it too.

It was VERY cold and wet, but the snow is so pretty when it sticks to every tree. Its even prettier when you don't have to drive in it.


Sledding was fun and tiring. Walking up that hill just about kills me. We did it about 20 times and then we were done. Emily went pretty fast in the dish.

Another good picture taken by Emily.

Soon after this we hurried inside and drank some hot chocolate. It was a lot of fun, but I think Emily's rosy cheeks and nose say it all- time to go in!

Gluten Free Take OUT!

With celiac disease there are very few places I can eat out, especially places that are cheap. And maybe to all of you who get to eat out a lot and have many different choices, this isn't that big of a deal, but to me finding food that tastes good and is gluten-free is SO refreshing!


I am in LOVE with Pei Wei's sweet and sour chicken gluten-free style. I am going to be keeping this on my emergency-pregnant-hate-all-foods-need-it-now speed dial the next time I am expecting. I ate the first half for lunch and saved the rest for dinner tonight and I think I could eat that for the next 5 nights or so. Oh, joy. So here is to all of the wonderful restaurants that have been so great about adding gluten free menus to their list. They are bringing in one happy and hungry customer!

Happy Birthday Lindsey!

Our baby Lindsey isn't a baby so much anymore. She turned 2 yesterday on the 23 of January. I decided that with Christmas that she didn't need that many toys so instead I took Emily and Lindsey to our Children's Museum. They had a blast! They didn't even want to stop for lunch until it was apparent they were starving. We came back after we ate and played for another 2 hours. I was worn dead by the end and they were exhausted. I took lots of pictures and it was tons of fun being with my cute girls.

Here Lindsey is in the "bird house" sitting on the Lindsey sized chair.



Emily wearing the cape so she wouldn't get wet when she played in the water.


Lindsey horded all of the little ping pong balls and got very frustrated when the other kids had her "mine" balls in their hands.



Lindsey playing the little cashier and not ringing up customers. She just liked to push the buttons like a computer and got angry if Emily or another kid would not "share Lindsey".

Emily went back and forth "shopping" or working in the store. And at this point Lindsey took off and I told Emily I was going over to get her and would be in the place with the blocks. Apparently she didn't hear me because not long after I see a crying Emily run to me with a worker. She cuddled in my lap and sobbed saying she was lost and didn't know where I was. Poor thing!
Emily and Lindsey had a lot of fun with the police cars. They even "parked" them behind the farming truck. Pretty good imagination. I would have never thought of the farm truck as being a parking space, but they did.


Hi cowgirl Emily!
The little house was great. It had a child sized kitchen complete with small table and chairs, dishes, food and a small living room with child sized couch. Very fun. Lindsey could have spent all day "cooking" in there and she sat me down with a plate and a waffle and told me "eat it".
Emily and Lindsey in the "living room" playing with blocks.
They really liked this fan that would blow their papers out the top of the glass and clear to the ceiling and then send them floating back down.


The life flight donated an actual helicopter to the museum that sits outside for the kids to play in. It was pretty cool because you can push a button and it sounds like what it would really be like to ride in one with the motor on. Lindsey was terrified and clung to me the whole time it was on.


The end of a long day of playing.


Happy Birthday Lindsey!Waiting for cake with the those fingers that are always in her mouth. How do you break that habit?


Lindsey got a few toys. Little pet shop kitties, color wonder coloring set, bows and binoculars- so she could be like her sister. And her Grammy sent her a package in the mail. Lindsey was very happy with the "so cute" baby.
Here she is saying "Be still baby, let's change a diaper." Then as I helped her put her lids on her markers she said "No, MINE. Bad baby!" OKAY.... I have NO idea where she got this. I have never said that before to her, but for some reason when she is mad at someone or even herself, that is what she comes up with. Looks like the terrible twos start I guess.

What To Do?

This child of mine, what to do with her? She has learned to take off her clothing. She takes off her pants, her shirts, shoes and her pj's. Those she takes off at LEAST 4 times a night. Tonight she took them off AND her stinky diaper. Thanks to her sister I caught it just in time. YUCK! I finally had an epiphany. She has a pair of thin pj's that snap. So I turned them backwards and put another layer on. We will just see if that little girl can get out of that one. She is getting all set and prepared to potty train and I am scared out of my mind. I think I will try next week and see how it goes. She is a cute little smarty pants and does things so different from Emily. I was really spoiled with the first child who never really caused too much mischief, course she was horrible at potty training. Little Lindsey, you make your mommy and daddy work so hard to keep you alive and healthy. Always snatching her right before she runs out into the street, forcing her to sit so we can *gasp* keep her locked up in her car seat, dressing her to make sure she doesn't freeze and she doesn't understand any of it. Oh, to be almost 2- only 2 more days to go!

Part Time Job

I think I have definitely become this woman. I have so many different things in my life and I am adding another one. I am really excited about it though. I think it is perfect for me and the company is awesome, as are the people I am working with who are my friends. The great part is a majority of the work will be what I do at home. Which helps me to still be with my kids.

Now I just have to juggle one of the many things I do. Some of those things include:

I am a taxi driver. From the store, to singing class, to cousin's houses to play, to play dates, field trips, etc. I drive my children to and from and back again. There have been days where I swear I didn't leave the car. How that is possible usually means someone missed their nap and I missed lunch. Oh, there is always tomorrow for lunch and a nap right??



I am a cook. I am not the BEST cook, but I am decent. I cook a lot, on my diet, I have to. But I also believe in good nutrition. I like to pretend I am the hot mom who cooks and I like to think I dispense happiness in my own way. That and I often don't have many choices with my foods.




I am a nurse. I kiss the hurts, I dispense medicine in many different forms. I rock sick kids, I check temperatures, put on creams, I thankfully don't use needles. I get the fun jobs. I also get the kisses and hugs back. This one has its ups and downs. The downs being the gross stuff that gets puked on you, the ups being the smile that finds a way back after that sick week.



I am an artist. Someday I want to devote even more time to this. I do as much as I can now, but it is not near enough. When I see my work being sold in galleries, that will be a dream come true. For now I settle with the happiness I get from creating what I love. Drawing pictures of my children, painting what I love, attending art classes with the greatest art teacher I have found. Honestly there is a great sadness when I haven't found the time for my great love.




This doesn't seem worth mentioning, but primary pianist. I am not the best musician, but I feel I have improved in my calling. It is another thing I juggle, but I really enjoy it. I love hearing the kids sing and I really love spending my Sunday hours playing. Amazingly enough the reason I am no proficient at this is because of the lack of time and the many other things that pull in different directions. It is the excuse I get to be able to play. I never knew this calling would be quite so fun. I love it!



I am a teacher and a student. With homeschooling I love being able to be both. I love learning with my children and finding a million books to catch our interest. I love to read and read to my children. It is a tremendous responsibility to be the educator and mentor of my children, but it is a top priority and I will drop what gets in the way of this if it becomes too much. Emily has shown me so many awesome things about learning how to learn with her and Lindsey also. We have had great field trips, great opportunities and so many new ways of learning things. I am learning every day and I know they are too.


I am a maid. I never get treated like one, but I sure do work like one sometimes. My children and my husband appreciate AND help out. Some days I feel that is all I did was pick up after one mess and then another. Emily is a lot like me and is pretty clean, even at some tender young ages. Lindsey, not so much. Cleaning is actually a strong point of mine. I detest laundry, but I love order and cleanliness. I can't think or function in too much mess and disorder. If it hits a point I must clean it to get myself back on track.



I am a wife and mother. These are the best roles. My favorite of them all. I juggle the relationships with the other tasks, but I never feel I get enough of my kids. Their smiles and hugs, their 'I love you mommies' or the love of my wonderful husband. I never get enough of it. I have the best and most supportive family. Who could ask for anything else? Of the many things that I juggle I handle this one with care, because the time with them is precious and the most valuable.

Yay, Books!

Come check out the fun books I found!

Books!