Thursday, March 22, 2012

Pampered Chef anyone?

Well, I hosted my first ever Pampered Chef Party! It was fun!! I invited a bunch of friends, and family, and had a good ol' time just hanging out. I made some yummy beer bread, and some dips, a veggie tray and assorted chips. My consultant showed up about 30 minutes before the party, and set up...and then my friends started arriving...right on time. :)
She did a quick little presentation; and then made a pork tenderloin, in the microwave, in 15 minutes!! She cut it up, and turned it into pulled pork! It was SOOOOOO easy...I mean, seriously, even my husband could cook this. :) I totally got the baker...well, the smaller version of the one she used! Then, she made a chocolate lava cake, in like 10 minutes (again, in the freakin' microwave!)!! It was utterly amazing! And, both tasted quite delicious...but the cake was supreme!!
Then, we spent the rest of the time, eating, gossiping, chatting, and flipping through a catalog. Because I had a decent party, I ended up getting $140 in FREE goodies! WOO HOO! Well, I did have to pay sales tax on the stuff, but $140 of stuff, for only $8.40! Most impressive!!! Two of my friends said they wanted to have a party, so I'll be buying more goodies in the near future. I'm so excited!
Ten years ago, if you would have told me I would be hosting a Pampered Chef party, and that I'd be excited to get all the stuff, I would have called you a liar. It's crazy how as you grow older, things change. :) I LOVE IT! But, I'm still totally a kid at heart, and enjoy all the kid stuff...well, except for SpongeBob! I don't know why kids like watching him on TV! ARGH!!!!! That laugh. *shiver*
Anyhow...a special thank you to my Pampered Chef consultant, Debbie B.! Fabulous job, and I had a great time! Can't wait for the next party. :)

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Spring has sprung!

Ahhhhh! I love, love, love, being able to have the windows open, and fresh air blowing through the house! I also love the $$ it saves, by not having to have our air or heat on! We have flowers blooming and trees budding!
Yesterday, it was 82 (or something like that)! After I picked Charly up from school, the girls and I hung out on the front yard. I watched the girls run around and get some of that energy off them. I held Daphne, and she just enjoyed being outside. I have a sneaking suspicion, she's going to be just like her sisters and always want to be outside. :) Charly and Kenna were dying to pick flowers...they were bringing me dandelions. :) So, I let them get in our flower beds and picks some of the daffodils, hyacinth, and tulips. Then, Charly asked if we could make a bouquet, so after she gathered a few flowers, she took them inside, and made a bouquet for me. :) It's proudly displayed on the kitchen table. :) And, the flowers smell WONDERFUL!
The handmade bouquet! From, Charly and Kenna. :)




Today, no flowers were picked, or bouquets made, but we did get outside again...after dinner. It was like 85 today, and the weather was beautiful! Brian cut the grass (it was like a field in our back yard), while the girls played. I swear they pulled every outside toy outta the garage. We had 2 tricycles, a scooter, a 2 wheeler bike, a slide, and a trampoline in our yard. :)
They were so excited to be outside in the nice weather, at some point they were literally bouncing from one activity to the next (they were on the trampoline...LOL!) Now that Kenna can get air when she jumps, she's loving the trampoline. :) Charly was being a little dare devil, and speeding down our sloped driveway on a little scooter, and then whipping into the grass when she got to the patio. Brian said that thing is so beat up, that one of the times down the hill, it's gonna fall apart. :) It looked like it, with the way she was hitting the bump onto the patio. :) Silly girl!!
We also got to meet our new neighbors. :) They seem like decent people...they are golden after the neighbors we had before them (those neighbors stole our patio furniture!). They have 2 boys, and one boy on the way. :) Kinda funny because we are the house with 3 girls. :)
Anyhow, what a great day! And, tomorrow should be mid-80s again! WOO HOO!!! Fabulousness in all its glory!!

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Wow...time flies when you're having fun!

The last couple weeks have been crazy! Some good, some bad! I'm still sick, with sinus issues. It's been 80 degrees in March (for 4 days!). Sheesh! I'm loving the weather, but hating what it's doing to my sinuses! Anyhow, I promised the Kenna/Charly bean bag story. So...here it is!
As you are well aware, Kenna discovered the zipper on Charly's bean bag chair. I hate that she's discovered it, because now, every time I turn around, she's in the beans! And, they are static-y and blow around with NO breeze.
Anyhow, Charly was home sick, on a Monday, and she was laying in Kenna's bean bag chair, in the toy room, watching television. The next thing I know, some beans are escaping the toy room, and I hear Charly yelling "Kenna!!! No!!!!" OMG! What is going on, if that many beans are in the hall!?!?!?! So, I rush in there to find Kenna dumping out beans! Ugh! Not again! So, I start to help clean them up, and Charly volunteers to help. We get busy scooping and dumping those stupid things back into their home. I told them they would lose the bean bag chairs if beans are going to constantly be dumped out. But, this did not phase the crazy 2 year old! 
The hallway! O No!
An hour later (about an hour before Charly's doctor's appointment), Kenna decides to try it again. This time; she succeeds! She dumped every single bean out of Charly's bean bag chair! EVERY SINGLE ONE! There was a mountain of beans...it looked like an avalanche in the toy room! Well, I didn't catch it right away because the girls were being quiet, playing in it! Then, I hear Charly say "Let's make snow angels!" Hearing that, I'm thinking 'O God! What did they do!?!?!?!' So, I run, no walking, into the toy room! There is an avalanche of beans. I can even see where it started as a mountain, and from them playing in them, it's been turned to an ocean of beans! They have them in their hair, up their legs, on their arms & backs. And, since Charly went to the kitchen and Kenna went into the office, there is a now a trial of beans! THEY ARE EVERYWHERE!! (Two weeks later, and I'm still finding the random, roaming bean!) ARGH!! We have to leave for the doctor's office in about 30 minutes! I get the girls cleaned up, and shut the toy room door. I tell them we'll get them cleaned when we get back. Well...not an easy task, at all!!! By 630p, when hubby gets home, there are still beans EVERYWHERE! I'm so frustrated, I just wanna throw the dang chairs out!
More beans...what in the world is the toy room going to look like!?!
OMG!!!! They are literally everywhere!
This is after some cleanup! I hate beans!
See them in Charly's hair, and up her legs!
Busted!! They were making snow angels!
Uh huh...innocent, huh?! Not go much!
My husband, becomes my Prince Charming. He tells me to sit down and relax, and he'll get them cleaned up. Thank goodness!!!! So, my husband, instantly turns genius! He gets the bright idea to go get the mini shop vac we have, in the basement (I forget about this thing!), and he puts a plastic bag in it, and begins vacuuming up the beans. Then, he takes the bag, and dumps it into the bean bag chair! OMG!!! What a fabulous idea! And, after hours of fighting with the girls to clean them up (because they didn't wanna do it anymore), they are fighting with each other, on who can clean them up (they both wanted to vacuum!) It was amazing, how quickly he got it cleaned up, after hours of dealing with static, and little white beans! Next time, I know what to do. :)

Friday, March 9, 2012

Ugh...

I promise I'll get around to the Charly/Kenna story that again involves the bean bag chair...but I'm sick, and tired. Yeah, I know...I'm still up, and it's late. But, as soon as I'm done here, I'm passing out in my nice, warm bed!
My sweet Daphne also had to get shots this morning, so it was a really ROUGH day, and I suspect a rough night is ahead. One positive, of her having to go to the doctor's appointment, is that I now know how big my sweet baby is. :) She's 13lbs. 9oz. and 26 inches long. Doc said her weight puts her in the 40th percentile, which means that she weighs more than 40% of the babies that are her age. And, her height puts her in the 90th percentile. She's lean and long, and super sweet!

I am happy to report that Kenna did have an accident free day! She wore panties while we went to the doctor, then to lunch with my Mom, then to the store for gas, then Target for waffles, and then a 2 hour nap. :) NO ACCIDENTS! I am very looking forward to potty training being done! She just kept saying "No pee on Minnie". :) GO KENNA!!! As a reward, I even bought her Dora the Explorer socks...she was so excited to get them. I'll buy all the Dora socks I can find if it means no more diapers. Let's hope it's done really soon...please cross your fingers for me! :)


I promise, I'll try to update tomorrow. :)

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Rough couple of days...

I have a couple good updates, but man, I am exhausted, so tonight it's a short and sweet update!

My sweet Daphne is now four months old. She is an amazing sleeper. I usually put her down for bed between 8-9pm. And, she'll sleep all night. If Charly has school, I'll wake her up at 740a, to get her loaded in the car, so Charly can get to school by 8am. Then, she'll fall back asleep in the car, and sleep until 9 or so. If Charly does not have school, Daphne will usually wake up at 6 or 7a, have breakfast, and back to snoozing. She is by far my easiest baby. I think of it as my reward for surviving Kenna as a baby. :) Kenna was often up multiple times during the night, until about 16 months. Charly was another easy baby (sleeping through the night at 5 weeks), but was awake A LOT during the day.
Anyhow, Daphne has started teething, making my sweet angel a grumpy mess. She's constantly drooling, and loves to chew on her fists. :( I've been Orajel-ing her, and giving her the pacifier, but she ends up spitting it out and going back to gnawing on her hands. She's our little baby zombie. :) I see no signs of teeth, so if she's anything like Charly, she'll be like this for another month or so before those teeth actually break through. Wish me luck!

Daphne Elizabeth on her 4 month birthday. :)
Charly lost another tooth. Thank goodness! It was definitely a snaggle tooth! At least now, her teeth are a little more even. :) The teeth losing stage is definitely a goofy stage...but she's still a beautiful girl! HOWEVER...Charly FORGOT to inform her Mother and Father that she plucked the tooth out, when she was supposed to be sleeping, and just put it under her pillow. In the morning, she told me that she lost it, and went looking for the money. Much to everyone's surprise, there was no money, or tooth. So, at this point, she's in tears. How could the tooth fairy just take the tooth, and not pay her for it!?! That's stealing! So, I tell Charly to go downstairs, and Mom will come to the rescue to see if the tooth fairy had to place the money somewhere else! Well, I found the money! PHEW! It was waiting for her on the window sill. :) We came to the conclusion that after the tooth fairy gathered Charly's tooth, Charly must have moved her head, making it impossible for the tooth fairy to get the money under the pillow. And, since she didn't have a pen or paper, she had to put it on the sill and HOPE that Charly found it. Good thing Mom has lost teeth before, and knew where to start looking. ;) So, crisis averted, and Charly was happy to announce that she got 8 quarters! O my!
Charly Reanna...those 2 front teeth are gone,
but the permanent ones are quickly coming in. :)



 Kenna...well, she's Kenna. Her new favorite toy is the beans from Charly's bean bag chair. I have another update on that (that's a long post!), so maybe tomorrow! But, let's just say she's found the zipper about 10 times in the last 48 hours! Oh yeah! She's about to be grounded from the dang chairs! LOL! She's my loveable, crazy, wild child, Kenna. :) Couldn't imagine her any other way!
Kenna Merrin striking a pose. :)


Well, good night! I'll be back tomorrow, to fill you in on the beans. :) Thank goodness my sister and brother in law got me a camera for Christmas, so I have proof of all their craziness. :)

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Charly has a bestie!

Charly is a beautiful, smart and wonderful 7 year old. I love her so much. That said, she sometimes struggles in the friends department. She is a very reserved child, and sometimes has to warm up to people, before she will friend them. But, when she does, she goes all in!
My sweet Charly Reanna!
 Well, at the beginning of February, Charly was invited to a sleep over. She was so excited to get the invitation. When I opened it up, inside, there was a note, from the girl's mother. It basically said "My child is only inviting 4 girls, to attend this sleep over. We would love for your child to stay, but if she can't, please call immediately, so we can invite another child". Charly BEGGED me to let her go. I didn't know if it was a good idea. Not because it's something new, but because I didn't know if Charly would follow through. Earlier in the school year, she was invited to another little girl's birthday party (not a sleepover), and made her self sick at the thought of being dropped off at the party. So, she ended up not going. So, I told Charly "If I call her mother, and tell her you are going, I expect you to go". She promised me that she would. Swore up one side and down the other...she was so excited. So, I decided, what the heck, and I made the phone call to RSVP, yes. Well, the Saturday came, and still she was ecstatic! She couldn't wait to get there. The time finally came that it was time to go. She was packed and ready! Out the door we go. We get there, and Charly runs off with the other little girls, and I stayed a few (to let Charly get comfortable...but really didn't need to) minutes, to talk with the Mom. I let her know that Charly has never had a stayover (besides with my parents), so I didn't know if she'd stay. Well, boy did she prove me wrong. She had the best time ever!
And, since then, Charly has talked about this little girl non-stop. On her papers at home she writes "xxx is my best friend" or "xxx BFF!" I love it! On Monday, the little girl came to our house. They asked if they could do art stuff. Well, I had some finger paints and lots of paper, so I let them have at it, while Kenna was sleeping, and I was taking care of Daphne. Oh my gosh! Did they make a mess! LOL! Paint was everywhere! There was paper on the table, but the paint was so far over it, that half the table was painted purple and green. There was green paint on the floor where it had spilled, and then they walked in it. Most of the footprints were at the table, but then I could see them going to the kitchen sink, and then to the bathroom! LOL! So, I said "Alrighty, girls! You made a huge mess, so let's have a clean up moment, and you can play again, when we're done." They immediately started cleaning up! They did a fabulous job! Though, I really regret not having pictures of the mess! LOL! Charly cleaned the table (since she was the one that got paint on the table), and the little girl took the floor (since she was the one that got the paint on the floor). It was done in no time.
Then, I tell them, they need to clean up their hands. They get all cleaned up and I go into the bathroom! OH MY! There was a paint explosion in the bathroom! I mean, it was everywhere! The sink and mirror were covered, from them trying to wash their hands. Then, where they didn't get all the paint off, it got wiped onto the towel. And, then, from it being on their shoes, it was all over the floor. Charly said "Please tell me we don't have to clean the bathroom too!" hehe! No, I cleaned it. Thankfully the paint is washable, and it was cleaned up, again, in no time! And, really, though it was everywhere, it wasn't a big deal. And, the girls were having fun! But, I really, really should have gotten pictures...it was hysterical!
So, back to Charly having a bestie...they called each other and talked on the phone last night. It was so cute hearing the conversation. They talked about everything, no matter how miniscule the detail, it was made known. :) I love hearing her talk on the phone. And, man, did they giggle like school girls...guess it's a good thing they are! That saying is there for a reason. :)
Then, tonight, Charly went over to her house after school! They had sloppy joes for dinner, and Charly informed me, when she got home, that she really liked them, and hopes we make them some night soon. :) And, she has been invited to stay at their house this weekend. I haven't told her yet, but I think I'm going to say yes. She'll be a VERY happy little Charly. :)
This little girl is a very nice little girl. I'm so happy that Charly is friends with a nice girl, instead of only having 'frienemies', as she puts it (you know friends one day, and not the next). YAY for Charly coming out of her shell, and embracing new things! Gosh, I love her so much!!