Looking for the moon. {wordless wednesday}

Elizabeth wanted to see the moon before going to bed.  They went out looking but couldn't find it.  I told her I would fix it and show her in the morning.

Here it is, Ellie:

I like it when things are an easy fix.

Linked up with other Worldess Wednesdays at:

5 Minutes for Mom

A Beautiful Mess

Live and Love Outloud

Proud to be a Theta Mom

 

Happy Blogiversary, Theta Mom!

 
 
 
I'm proud to be a Theta Mom.  I am on the crusade to redefine motherhood one day at a time.  One sippy cup at a time.  One dirty diaper at a time.  You get the idea.
 
I was pregnant for 41 weeks and had a vacuum assisted delivery with an epidural that didn't work.  I was induced at 37 weeks 6 days and had a super easy birth and walked to recovery.  I'm a Theta Mom.
 
I gave up nursing after six weeks and formula fed for the rest of my baby's first year.  I am almost to 10 months of nursing.  I'm a Theta Mom.
 
I've nursed in front of family, friends, neighbors, strangers and boy scouts.  I've nursed in cars, truck stops, restaurant bathrooms, play dates, Mc Donald's, during a pap smear and at the zoo.  I've realized I have more in common with dairy cows than I ever thought possible.  I've lost all sense of modesty but still get a tad uncomfortable walking in on someone else nursing.  I'm a Theta Mom.
 
My daughter that was never going to watch tv knows Spanish.  She learned it from Dora.  You know, the Explorer.  She also knows Mandarin, too.  From her good friend Kai Lan.  I'm a Theta Mom.
 
I've been spit up on, peed and puked on.  Today I delivered a stool sample to the pediatrician while wearing a sundress and sipping my Carmel Macchiato.  Then after the girls went to bed I had a nice big glass of red wine.  I'm a Theta Mom.
 
I love hanging out with my 3 year old and she might be the funniest person I have ever met.  My baby has a smile that makes strangers stop in their tracks.  I'm a Theta Mom.
 
Ellie knows that coffee and wine are for mommy only and can order for herself at Starbucks.  She knows what accessories are and how to match them to her outfit.  The first words out of her mouth in the morning are, "Good morning, guys!  How did you sleep last night?"  I'm a Theta Mom.
 
I'm a mom who was going to do everything 'by the book' when she was pregnant and then threw the book out the window when her first born was a week old.  I'm a mom who does yoga in the family room OnDemand while keeping the Crawl and Cruise Jungle going AND baking cookies in the play kitchen.  I am the Evil Queen and a Fairy Princess.  I'm a chef, a chauffeur, a writer, the doctor on call and the cleaning lady. 
 
I do it all the best I know how.  I'm a Theta Mom.

Snikiddy: Product Review & Giveaway!

Here in Ellie-Town we are always on the hunt for great tasting, healthy snacks.  Snikiddy is our new favorite.  And by our, I mean Ryan, Ellie and me.  We tried the Cheddar Cheese Fries and all loved it.  They were cheesey, chrunchy and totally addicting!

From Snikiddy:

At Snikiddy we insist on only THE BEST all natural ingredients. We take pride in knowing that all of our tasty morsels will pass the real test... your family!

They aren't joking.  But the best thing about Snikiddy is that even though they are gluten and wheat free with no corn syrup, no preservatives, no trans fat, no hydroginated oils, and are low in saturated fat, they don't tast like a 'healthy' snack.  They're just good!  Another bonus for our family is that this is printed on every package:

which {since our house is peanut-free} I love because I don't have to read an entire list of ingridients and look for "made in a plant that also prosesses peanuts" all over the packaging. 

Other Snikiddy flavors include Cheddar Cheese Fries, Classic Ketchup Fries, Original Fries, Parmesan Garlic Fries, Grilled Cheese Puffs, Nacho Cheese Puffs Mac n’ Cheese Puffs and Pizza Puffs.  We can't wait to try them all!

For information on where to purchase Snikiddy Snacks, click here.  OR you can enter to win a free sample!

Snikiddy is sending THREE lucky Ellie-Town Followers their own sample to try for themselves!  Here is how to enter:

First become a Google Follower of Ellie-Town if you aren't already.

Then go to http://www.snikiddy.com/ to check out all of the different flavors.  Come back and comment on which you would like to try first.

For an extra entry you can "like" Snikiddy on Facebook here, please leave a comment afterwards.

If your email address is not linked in your profile, please leave it with your comment so you can be contacted if you are a winner.  

The giveaway will begin at 8:00 am Monday, June 28th and run until Sunday, July 11th.  The THREE randomly chosen winners will be announced on Monday, July 12th.   Happy Snacking!

*Disclosure:  Our family was sent a free sample of Snikiddy Cheddar Cheese Fries to do this product review.

Happy Sunday.

"I dreamt I was a flower but my dream didn't come true.  In my dream I had lots of good dirt to help me grow.  And I got to get watered all the time.  Maybe I was a Black Eyed Susan, my favorite flower.  But I woke up and I was still just a little girl.  Not a beautiful flower."

By Ellie at 7:30 am.

Happy Sunday.

3 Cheers for Poppa!

Cause he came through in a pinch.

It all started with a phone call earlier this week.  We were selected to win a cruise!  Happy day!  The prize was 100% guaranteed, all we had to do was listen to a 90 minute presentation and be part of a focus group. 

No problem.  I will listen to you babble like Madeline for 90 minutes to receive my free cruise, thank you very much!

I had to schedule the 'presentation' for this week and both Ryan and I had to be there.  Without being able to consult anyone about babysitting availability, I took a chance and booked 8 pm on Friday night.  I figured we could at least have one kid to bed by then so whoever the lucky person was who got to stay with the girls would have it a little easier.

Usually Nonna and Poppa come as a set for weekend babysitting but Nonna's back is still a mess and I wasn't sure if Poppa wanted to fly solo.  We haven't been out much  since Madeline has been born {we REALLY need to work on this!}and Ellie tries to talk you into letting her stay up til midnight.  And you almost give in when she gives you a sweet smile and her 'Slinky' curls are in just the right place making her little self extra adorable.

So next on the list was Auntie.  I casually asked her if she had plans for Friday night.  Since she was already coming to help for pictures, maybe she could just hang out all night.  I mean, really, who wouldn't want to spend a night in in the suburbs when you are living in the city with an active social life?  Oh right, no one. Turns out Auntie had a date anyway.  {ooohhhhhh!  ;) }

Then like an angel sent to answer our vacation prayers, Poppa was on our door step running over extra plants for our photo shoot.  I asked him if he minded staying with the girls and he said he would be happy to.

 His confidence might have been a little shaky but I gave him a pat on the back and told him it would be fabulous.  Ryan and I haven't been on a trip without any children in almost two years.  I didn't care if the three of them were cuddled up on the couch watching Nick Jr. when we got home at 10.

Yay!  Bahamas here we come!

Our 'presentation' ran late - we had to get the hard sell after we repeatedly turning down their Travel Agency Discount Club for an hour - and we ended up not getting out of the presentation until 10 and home at almost quarter to 11.

When we walked in the door Poppa said everything was great.  Madeline never made a peep and Ellie ended up going to bed around 8:40.  Not too bad.  He also mentioned something about Ellie wanting him to lasso her and that they read lots of books in bed.

This morning Ellie ran into our room at 6:45 am.  You know, the second her clock turns green.  She was so excited that Poppa read her Cinderella AND Sleeping Beauty from her 'clock book'  and Llama Llama Red Pajama on top of that.  Dude.  That is a lot of reading.  A lot.

Then Ellie told us all about how she wanted to use the jump rope as a lasso and it was so awesome that Poppa could do it.  Seriously, where do three year olds come up with this stuff? 

So Poppa and Ellie had a fun couple of hours together and Ryan and I are going to the Bahamas. 

I wonder what Poppa's schedule is looking like in late September / early October....

;)

Picture Day!

UPDATE:  I think they were a success!  There were flowers and fountains, Adorondack chairs and tea parties.  No one screamed and cried, shouted 'No way!' or ate dirt. {although Madeline did almost take a bite out of a Pansy!}

Horray for pictures!  I'll link over to the sneak peek on Gina's blog when they are posted.  I can't wait!

****************************************************************************

Help me.  Today is picture day.  I have a knot in my stomach just thinking about it. 
We're going to be a few blocks from home by our neighborhood lake and park.  There will be wardrobe changes and props during nap time on a 90 degree day.  The first drool ever fell of of Madeline's chin today. {i.e. the teeth are FINALLY coming!}

Basically I'm screwed.

Auntie is coming to help corral the big sister because the spotlight is on the little sis for her 9 month pics.  There will be some sister together shots, but Madeline is the star of the show.  I'm not sure that Ellie is yet aware of this minor detail.

Our photo location by the lake has no flowers so I ran out to Lowe's and bought two planters with pink, white and blue flowers.  I really don't need the additional $50 worth of flowers so I mentioned to the cashier that they might be 'too big for our space' and she said no problem, feel free to return them with the receipt.  Don't worry, I won't stand too close when the lightening bolt comes from the sky.

We also now own two pink child's size Adirondack chairs.  Ellie is thrilled to have outdoor furniture her size so those won't be going back.

Oh, and did you know that not one shop in a 25 mile radius of our house sells ivory hair bows?  Yeah, neither did I until this afternoon.  A friend's neighbor is hand making me a bow that will be delivered tomorrow morning. 

I guess the part that is stressing me out is that I want these pictures to be perfect.  So in 30 years I will look back at this moment with great memories of beautiful little girls - not how I might have to wrestle them into coordinating crocheted hats while Ellie could be screaming "I'm out of here!" and Madeline possibly eats dirt.

But they're not perfect.  And I'm not perfect {I'll just round it out and say Ryan isn't perfect either ;) } but Gina is damn close so I really have nothing to worry about.  She knows when to 'click' and how to edit like no one I have ever seen. 

Deep breath in.  Deep breath out.  It's going to be OK.  The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, it's all going to be OK.  Even if I am going to be changing little girls into Matilda Jane and Strasburg Children dresses in a Port-a-Potty.

Does the thought of pro pics make your stomach do flip flops?

Breastfeeding while WHAT?!

WARNING:  This post is TMI.  And if it wasn't so funny I wouldn't post it.  But it is funny so here it goes.  If you are male you might want to skip this one.  Especially if you are related to me.  ;)



You were warned!


**********************************************************************

Phew!  We're home.  Finally.  What was supposed to be a quick retest from my annual appointment turned into an hour wait with the girls in the doctor's office.  Which led into lunchtime and nap time.  But it was supposed to be quick.  In and Out.  So not quick.

I'll start at the beginning.  A letter came in the mail with three boxes that could be checked:
1.  Test is normal, repeat in 1 year.
2.  Test is not normal, call to schedule a follow up test.
3.  Call the office to discuss test results.

My paper has box 3 checked.  Immediately my mind goes to cancer.  I've mentioned I'm a bit of a hypochondriac before, right?  Well here it is in full swing.  Not just cancer, but cancer so bad they already know it's cancer and don't even need to retest!

So my heart is racing all the way from the mail box back up to the house.  I call the office and the receptionist pauses.  She tells me to hold while she grabs a nurse to discuss my results.  Again, I'm thinking it's definitely cancer.  Why else would she have paused the way she did?

The nurse comes on the line and says, "Well it's not bad..."  {ok, it's just a little cancer} "but it's not good either.  There weren't enough cells swabbed so we have to repeat the test."  {hooray!  no cancer...WHAT?!}

I schedule the retest for a week later at 11:15am.  Stupid, I know.  Cutting close to naps and lunch but the nurse tells me a nurse practitioner can perform the test and it's "in and out, no big deal."  Fine.  Nonna is still semi-laid up from her back so I'll be going with both girls by myself.  No biggie, moms must do this all the time.

We pull into the parking lot during a torrential down pour and have to park far away.  Now I must have been to this office 20 times in the past year and I have never not gotten a parking spot right in front of the door.  I should have known something was off and just turned around and went home before I got the three of us completely drenched.

But we walk in - all wet - and the receptionist tells me that Dr. M is at the hospital delivering a baby.

Awww!  She's at the hospital helping to bring a life into the world.  At the same hospital where Madeline was born.  Isn't that...wait.  Hold up.  If Dr. M is at the hospital that means she's not here.  I'm 10 minutes early for my 'in and out appointment' with no doctor. 

Then I remember it's ok!  A nurse practitioner can do this, I don't need a doctor!  The receptionist disappears for a quick sec and is back.  There is no nurse practitioner to perform the test.  I must see a doctor.  Here are my choices:
A.  Leave.  Which might sound like a no brainer but I just dragged the girls out in the rain and we are 20 minutes from home and here.
B.  Wait for Dr. M.  While I love Dr. M and think she is amazing, I don't need to wait all day.  I've had two babies and know that those little babes can take a long time to come into this world!
C.  See whoever can squeeze me in first.

I opt for C because this is a quick 'in and out test', no exam needed.  We'll just park it in front of Harry Potter and the blah blah blah of blah playing on the plasma tv and wait our turn.

Here's a tip for all of the parents out there:  Harry Potter is too scary for a 3 year old. 

We move to the other side of the office and sit next to a great grandma waiting for her granddaughter and great granddaughter to be finished with their lactation consult.  Great Grandma ran into a friend and we got to overhear the entire story.  Great Grandma has had three new great grandchildren in the last five weeks!  Crazy!  And the wonderful Great Grandma she is, she had pics of all of the new babies.

Great Grandma kept me entertained from 11:07 until 11:28 and then she left with her granddaughter and great granddaughter.  During this time Ellie had been playing with Madeline and they are both happy as clams. 

Around 11:31 Ellie starts to loose it.  She's bored and I glance over at the tv and Harry Potter is finito so we head over to that area while the credits are rolling.  Usually they pop in the next movie before the lead rolls names' have appeared on the screen.  But today the are too busy.  So Ellie ponders what movie could be coming next.  Snow White?  Maybe Sleeping Beauty.  Hmmm...I know!  The Little Mermaid!

A lady who was waiting for her daughter to finish her appointment hears Ellie and they get into a long discussion about their favorite Disney Princesses {thank you kind lady!} just about the time Madeline looses it.  Madeline looses it and doesn't get it back.  She is trying to bust out of the umbrella stroller, arching her back and then throwing herself forward.  There is no toy that rattles or lights up that is making her happy.

I run up to the reception desk and tell them clearly we are falling apart over here.  It's been 40 minutes, what's my ETA?  The receptionist says we're next and it should only be a few more minutes.  I ask her to be more specific - 2 or 30?  There's a big difference.  She offers to reschedule me but says it should only be about 10 more tops.  I decide, again, to stick it out.

By now we are sitting on a couch all together.  Ellie has been up since the first light of the sun crept into her room so about 5:15 and it's now almost noon.  Ellie puts her head down on a throw pillow and starts to close her eyes.  Madeline is squawking and loosing her patience by the second.  I can tell by the way she is trying to rip off my dress that she is ready to nurse.

Finally my name is called and we head back to the room.  Silly me, I thought we were almost done.  After what seemed like 25 minutes {probably only 5} of Madeline SCREAMING.  I decide to grab the Udder Cover and let her eat.

I know you know what happens next.  We hear a knock. 

Last call!  THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO STOP READING BEFORE TMI!




I can't pull Madeline off, that would just be cruel.  And lead to louder screams.

Dr. C says there is no need to pull her off, as long as I can lay down, she can go ahead and do the test while Madeline is nursing.  I said sure!  Why not?  I've flashed a troop of Boy Scouts, nursed at the zoo, truck stops, pumpkin patches, malls and restaurants.  I've breastfed in front of parents, in-laws, friends, neighbors, etc, etc why not nurse during a pap smear?

So I did. 

I think they got all of the cells this time, too, cause it was far less than comfortable.  Dr. C even let us stay in the room as long as we needed for Madeline to finish eating.

While I was finishing up with Maddie, Ellie walked around to the edge of the table where the doctor was standing and said, "Well, what was the doctor looking at?  Put your feet back up there and let me have a peek!"

I told her that's ok, she didn't need a turn 'taking a peek.' 

So then Ellie wanted me to hop down so she could put her own little feet in 'those thingies.'  I explained she was too little and had to be a grown up.  She answered, "Well, I'm growin' everyday and soon I'll be a grown up.  Then I'll get to go to the grown up doctor and get to put my feet in those little thingies." 

Lordy.  I'm hoping we have 20 years before we need to worry about that!

In the car Ellie realized I didn't get a sticker.  She thinks it is "totally not fair" that grown ups don't get stickers at the doctor's office.  I agree.

So here I am, home at last.  A breastfeeding mama with one more notch on her belt.  Maybe I should call the lactation consultant.  In our breastfeeding class there was a mom who nursed in recovery after having her appendix out.  I think I've got her beat.

Ice Cream Man! {wordless wednesday}

Linked up at

5 Minutes for Mom

Live and Love Outloud

A Beautiful Mess

He's Here!

Remember this?

Well, we are happy to say that he's here!  Baby A was born 06/21/10 and is 6 lbs, 5 oz and 19.5 inches long.

We're also happy that he is still a he because there was a follow up ultrasound where the tech couldn't quite see 'the goods' and there was no other confirmation. 

I can tend to be a tad of a hypochondriac {although I'm not sure if thinking your ultrasound could be wrong totally falls into that category} so no one wanted to entertain my own thoughts of hidden parts. But it can happen. And on the way to the hospital with Ellie I had a boy name picked out.

When I was pregnant with Ellie, I only had a 20 week ultrasound and that was it.  After we were told that we were having a girl, I asked how sure the tech was.  She assured me she was pretty sure.  So I asked, "Are you 'it's safe to paint the nursery pink' sure?" and she said yes so that was good enough for me.

My entire pregnancy with Ellie I just had this fear that I would end up with a pink room and a boy or the other way around.  I guess that's probably why Elizabeth's City Nursery only had one wall with pink stripes and Madeline's Nest is painted cream with a brown tree.  I didn't want to jinx myself!

 And when you're pregnant and about to find out the gender it seems that everyone you meet has a story about their friend who had a friend whose ultrasound was wrong.  A few weeks ago I was at a party and another woman told me her story of how she was pregnant with a baby boy - her daughter will be six in August.

But I'm thrilled to say that was not the case with Baby A.  He's still a he.  Phew!  Oh, and as a little update to the first nephew post, we never did buy anything sports related.  Even though we received this

lovely onesie when Madeline was born {because every new baby girl needs a onesie with the name of a motorcycle gang from an FX tv show!} I even held Ryan back from buying a Led Zeppelin onesie with a creepy guy in a hood similar to, but not as scary as, the Grim Reaper above.  You're welcome, Sister-In-Law A!  ;)

So congrats to the C Family on the birth of Baby A!  We can't wait to meet him and we will visit as soon as you'll have us!

Happy Summer!

Today is the first official day of Summer. 

Summer is dining al fresco and taking self portraits with sunglasses on.

It's toasting our anniversary and celebrating another year as a happy family.

Our family of four is missing a sippy cup in this toast.  We need to working on teaching Madeline how to 'cheers!'  To show how different life is now than it was six years ago, we went out to brunch instead of dinner.  Our Mimosa and Bloody Mary are now joined with a cup of milk with a lid and a straw.

Summer is wearing floppy hats and smocked dresses.

Oh, and Madeline didn't think she was missing out on any of the excitement.  She had her puffs and she was happy.

Summer is sliding down the slides in the shade because the ones in the sun are hot, hot, hot!

It's doing the 'hippy dance' on a bridge in the sun in the middle of the park just because you are so happy you can't contain yourself.

And when you are "out of energy," summer is hopping on the Bugaboo riding board and taking the scenic route back down to our block where they have opened up a branch of the bakery where we bought our wedding cake. 

Ellie picked a chocolate chip cookie big enough to share and then we grabbed a few pastries to eat on Father's Day.

*Photo from Oak Mill Bakery

And though I love Summer - I really, really do  I am looking forward a little bit to the days getting shorter.  Because despite blackout shades in both of the girls' rooms, they seem to be waking up with the sun these days and there is not enough Starbucks Via to sustain me with a 5 am wake up call.

Six years ago today...

Can you guess what happened six years ago today?

You're a smart one! 

Today is our anniversary.  Our sixth anniversary. 

We were little then.  I was 23 and Ryan 24.  We felt like we were grown ups but really we were just playing house.  It was so fun.

Our wedding was the best party I have ever been to.  We had great food, an AMAZING Sweet Table, beautiful centerpieces and a packed dance floor.  What more could you ask for?  And because I probably haven't said it in almost six years, Thanks, Mom & Dad!

My sister gave a perfect toast about how we {my sister and I} were each other's favorite people and while she wasn't ready to give up her title as my favorite person, she was happy and honored to share it with Ryan.  I know, wipe away the tear.  I cried through her entire toast.

Here we are saying goodnight to each other.  Auntie before she was Auntie.  She's barely 21 here.  In fact, we had to wait to have the bachelorette party until Memorial Day Weekend so she could attend!  {another awesome party, by the way!}

We went on our honeymoon to St. Kitts & Nevis.  We had a wonderful time but we were so excited to go home and just be together.  This picture is with our Boat Drinks on the way over to Nevis.

I lived with my parents until the wedding to save money and Ryan had a little apartment in the city. Then we moved to our big{ger} apartment right after we got back from the honeymoon.  We explored the city together trying out new restaurants, going to baseball games and the occasional show in the Theater District.

I loved it.  Just the two of us, ready for whatever life was going to bring us.  To celebrate our anniversary this year we are taking the girls to the city to eat at one of our favorite brunch spots, walk around our old neighborhood, hit up the park and some shops.

And although I look back at the first years and the pictures of just the two of us, we are so much happier now.  As I'm writing this I hear Madeline chatting away in her crib and she just said Mama for the first time.  How amazing is that?

They say "I love you more today than when I married you" and I'm not sure if that is true.  I was CRAZY in love with Ryan the day we got married.  But it's a different love.  A deep love that on our wedding day I just couldn't imagine.

There is one more event that happened almost four years ago - we found out we were having our first baby.  I was five minutes pregnant and couldn't wait to take the test.  I was so excited and so scared all at the same time. 

What an amazing adventure we have had this far, I am so excited to see what happens next.

I love you, Ryan! 

And instead of writing all of this in your card, I'm just going to show you this post, OK?  ;)


P.S.  We had awesome wedding photography but six years ago you didn't get to keep them on a disc and our scanner is currently broken so the above are snapshots from friends that I had saved on the computer.

"My mouth is going on an adventure."

Baby Ellie ate everything we gave her. Every puree {avocado and tofu being the only exceptions} went right down the gullet. I vividly remember thinking wow, this is so easy. We're so lucky that we don't have a picky eater!

Um yeah. Skip ahead two years and we had a child who would not eat a single vegetable grown on earth. The veggie strike lasted at least 9 months, maybe longer. I nervously asked the pediatrician for advice and she nonchalantly said, "as long as she's taking her multivitamin she's fine." Well she's not exactly chewing up her Flintstones either. Is it OK to panic yet?

Around Christmastime last year I had had enough. We were out to dinner with Ryan's family 500 miles from home when Ellie refused to eat the mac and cheese we ordered her because it was white and not yellow. You know, it was made from real cheese instead of powder. How dare us?!

This needed to stop and needed to stop NOW. On our drive home I devised a plan.

When we woke up the next morning in our own beds I informed Ellie that her mouth was going to go on an adventure. She looked at me puzzled. "My mouth is going to go on an adventure?" Yep, Ellie, it is. Not only is your mouth going on an adventure, but your mouth is excited to go on the adventure. I explained the plan: everyday your mouth is going to try one new thing. It doesn't matter if you like it or not, but you are going to put in your mouth, chew and swallow one new food item a day.

Ellie was intrigued. With a little help and encouragement i.e. Ryan and I singing Yo Gabba Gabba's "Try It, You'll Like It" and dancing like fools it worked. Ellie tried her first new food in months. The next day she did it again, and on and on. Everyday at dinner she would proudly announce, "My mouth is ready to go on its adventure!" and then try something new.

Depending on the food she would take one bite, shudder and wash it down with milk or she would keep eating and finish her plate. We honestly didn't care how much of the new thing she ate and we made sure to have a mix of old favorites on her plate as well.  We love these plates from Target to keep it all separate so we can really monitor what she's eaten.

Matching cups are available as well and the designs change with the seasons.  So fun!

Ellie's mouth now loves to go on adventures.  In fact, she even asks to try our food when we get take-out or are eating something new.  She requests peas several times a week.  You can pick your jaw up now.  ;)

Fast forward to today.  Madeline's naps have been messy lately {could she finally be getting a tooth?!} so we didn't have time to make it to the store this morning.  I called up our friendly Jimmy John's Delivery Man - who when we were at a playdate the other day called me by my address and asked what I was doing at this house - and had sandwiches delivered for Ellie and me.  While I was feeding Madeline and not paying close attention to what Ellie was doing with her food, this is what she made:

You can tell she thought she was amazing.  Like who would ever think to mash their food up on their plate and turn it into something new before?  It even had a name.  Something along the lines of Pookie-wacka-lolly-bits.  The ingredients are part of of a Jimmy John's Turkey Slim, Cheerios and peach Yogurt Bites.

Mmmmmmmm!

And then she tried it.  Ellie's mouth opened up and it went down the gullet...

"My mouth did not like that adventure."

This post is linked up with

at a belle, a bean & a chicago dog

Are there other tricks for picky eaters? 

We are going to have our hands full with Madeline.  She has an orange nose because she refuses to eat anything green!

I've got a feeling. Or the parents should be smarter than the baby crib.

All the moms out there will know what I'm talking about.  I had a feeling.  A feeling that Madeline was going to figure out how to pull up in her crib tonight and flip out over the side because it still isn't lowered.

Because of this feeling, I decided that we should lower the crib after dinner.  With 20 minutes til bedtime we take out the mattress and Ryan gets to work.  Since I was hastily induced, my dad raised the crib for us while we were in the hospital.  Therefore, the last time we messed with this crib was about two years ago.  So we have no idea what we're doing.

But it shouldn't be hard to lower a crib, right?  RIGHT? 

Well guess what?  It is.  Bedtime was looming and a cranky nine month hold sitting on the floor isn't making the situation any better either.  Finally there is a wrench...or ratchet, something that speeds up the process of loosening all of the screws around the springs.  We lower it down and........nothing.  Apparently there must be another step. 

When I first got a feeling, I contacted Dutailier's customer service because at some point in the last 3.25 years we misplaced the instructions.  A lovely French Canadian emailed me a PDF file with directions on how to assemble the crib in English and French.  Lovely.  They literally are directions on how to assemble the crib, the directions to lower the crib aren't included.  Fabulous.

I have to note that through every step of this Ellie is laying on the floor on her back right next to Ryan.  She is the assistant and offering to help every step of the way.  Ellie collects screws and bolts putting them in sandwich bags.  She runs tools back and forth and is involved with the entire process.  Ellie also gets to stay up an hour past her bedtime tonight.

Finally I get another feeling.  I feel that really the entire little bracket thingy {the technical term, of course} is supposed to come off leaving the mattress spring directly on the wood frame.  Ryan isn't convinced.  He asks me how, if I have never taken part in assembling or taking down this crib before, I could be so sure that I have the answer. 

But I do.  Because I'm the one always taking out the mattress when the crib sheets need to be changed. 

Four more bolts later Ellie and I throw on the crib skirt, put the mattress back in with fresh clean sheets and tie on the bumpers {after heavily weighing the pros and cons of bumpers, we feel it is more beneficial for Madeline's paci's to stay in the crib and her to not get a concussion with bumpers on versus the alternative}.

At 8:50 pm Madeline finally gets to pass out in her crib.  Only a tad shy of TWO HOURS late.  But my girl hardly fussed at all, she was a total rock star.  Ellie was out by 8:55 forgoing the usually bedtime routine of Lama Lama Red Pajama, prayers and family hugs.

So there you have it.  We {eventually} persevered.

Now I have a feeling that Madeline probably won't figure out how to pull up in her crib for a while because it's a little more tricky now that it's lowered.

But she can stand up holding on!

One Year Ago {Wordless Wednesday}

One year ago Ellie was the flower girl in her uncle's wedding. These pictures are from the ceremony in a beautiful park in California.

I thought she was so grown up and she wasn't even a big sister yet.

This Wordless Wednesday Post is linked up at:

Live and Love…Out Loud

5 Minutes for Mom

7 things you probably don't know about me {Beautiful Blogger Award}

Thank you to Jessica at Mo Shíorghrá for the Beautiful Blogger Award!  I am so honored to receive it.  :)

When you are presented with the Beautiful Blogger Award you must thank the person who gave you the award, then share 7 things about yourself most people wouldn't know.

Thanks again, Jessica!  Be sure to check out Mo Shíorghrá, which means "My Eternal Heart" in Gaelic.  Jessica is a college student that lives in Las Vegas and is planning her wedding.  Lots of fun!

And now 7 things about me.  Hmmmm.  Here we go...

1.  I have two different colored eyes.  But I was not born that way.  A really high fever at 2.5 changed one of my eyes from blue to hazel/brown.  Even more crazy is that under the eyelid of the brown eye is still blue.  Did that completely blow your mind or what?  ;)

2.  I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up.  Other than happy.  I know I want to be happy but as far as an occupation I'm clueless. 

3.  In college I was convinced I was going to end up like Aly McBeal {AWESOME show, by the way} and didn't think there was any chance I would be married before 30.

4.  I'll be 30 in September {married with two kids!} and it will be my Golden Birthday.  Only the peeps born on the 31st have had to wait longer than I have for mine to come around!

5.  We were at a party last weekend and the host and family friend took a picture of our family.  After she looked at it she told Ryan and me, "You are very lucky.  You really have a beautiful family."  I know that she did not mean beautiful in a aesthetic way, though we are all pretty cute if I do say so myself ;) and the words stuck with me.  I thanked her and told her she was right, we really are lucky. 

Even though I try to never take anything we have for granted, life gets in the way and sometimes I do.  But I sincerely try to be thankful for everything we have everyday.

6.  The target audience for most of the tv shows I watch is probably 15.  And I don't care.  :)

7.  I'm a Starbucks addict.  Who am I kidding?  If you know me, you definitely know that already!

Now because this blogger just finished her Bloggiesta and gave her place a makeover, I'm passing the Beautiful Blogger Award on to

Peace, Love & Muesli

Congrats!

Ellie-Town featured on OnStar Connections!

Welcome Connections readers!  I hope you'll take your time and enjoy your trip in Ellie-Town. 

In April I wrote a post about our experience locking the girls and car keys in the car and it is featured today at http://www.onstarconnections.com/ .  Although it was a minor catastrophe in the grand scheme of things, OnStar truly saved the day and I am forever grateful.

The Connections blog shares wonderful stories similar to ours as well as videos and forums.  Stop by and check it out!

Thanks again, OnStar!  :)

Picnik with Puffs

Our neighbors are awesome.  When we moved in next door with our little dog, Ryan was so nervous to take Oxford for a walk.  Yorkies are all over the city but Ryan worried what walking a 7 pound dog would say about his masculinity.

After standing outside for a few minutes, our neighbor walked over and introduced himself.  Mike then asked if Oxford was a Yorkie and Ryan was getting ready to sputter out his "We just moved from a condo in the city..." speech when Mike said, "Yeah, that's cool, we have one, too."  We've all been friends ever since. 

Fast forward two years and we were talking outside and I complimented one of their photos of their baby.  Mike told me they edited it in Picnik.  I had never heard of it before and checked it out first thing the next morning.  I'm in love.

This series of photos was taken when I realized that Madeline was smuggling her Puffs in her little fists from meals and then snacking on them throughout the day.  These were taken like an hour after she ate lunch:

Sepia with Matte

Vignette

Color Focus

1960's

 Holga-ish

Cool, right?  I also did text over all of them. {obviously} 

Picnik has goofy features like word bubbles, cartoon features, you can do collages, etc. etc.  The basic membership is free along with registration.  There is a premium membership also available that unlocks even more fun editing tricks.

A big thanks to Neighbor Mike for showing me this great new site that will feed even more into my computer addiction! 

Food processor..check!

What do you do when you have a baby in the front of the cart and a three year old in the back and they are taking turns squawking {yes, there really is no other word for the sounds they were making!} happily at the top of their lungs in Bed Bath & Beyond?

Thank your lucky stars that the three year old demanded to wear "a beautiful dress with a matching bow" today, buy the first thing on the bridal registry and get the hell out of Dodge, err, BB&B.

The shoppers complimenting me on how cute and well behaved my girls are must not have realized the noise that sounded like a hawk dying a terrible death was my girls.  Because if they did, there is no way on this earth they would have been saying anything pleasant about them.  While we were in kitchen appliances and they were shopping for a new duvet cover, there hands were probably over there ears cursing whatever animal could be making that sound.

Madeline started it all.  She has the ability to produce a noise that can absolutely pierce your ears.  Ellie then laughs and tries to match her pitch.  Which makes Madeline laugh and do it again.  And there you have the vicious cycle that leaves anyone with in range in need of Advil stat.

I somehow managed grab the right Kitchenaid Food Processor and get them together before the check out line.  As soon as we pulled up to the cashier they sat like big sister and little sister angels eating up the praise and attention from strangers - Elizabeth in her summer dress with huge blue bow and Madeline in a tropical bubble.  Looking sweet as pie and fooling everyone.  ;)

RIP Siffy Siff

It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of Siffy Siff.  It's ok to shed a tear.  I shed more than a few myself.

Siffy Siff was a Betta fish that Ellie picked out when she was potty trained.  Basically Siffy Siff was her bribe.  And he worked.  The first week with no accidents we went to the Pet Store and she picked out the only red Betta they had in the shop.  At that moment Ryan and I looked at each other and thought we were totally screwed if this fish bit it because we would never find another one that looked like Siffy Siff.

A pleasant surprise to everyone in our family, Siffy Siff lived past his five day pet store guarantee.  In fact he lived in our home for 11 months.  Which makes it more difficult to say good bye because we were attached.  In fact if you asked Ellie if she had any pets, she would answer, "Yes!  I have Siffy Siff.  Oh, and a dog named Oxford, too."

Our little red Betta was named by Ellie herself.  At a little over two, right after she picked him out Ryan and I asked her what his name was.  She answered Siffy Siff.  Which in two year old Ellie speak was Fishy Fish.  Ellie said Fish wrong until she was three.  Mostly because she likes to be difficult and different.  Last summer we would tell her "Fah-fah-fah FISH" and she would reply "Fah-fah-fah SIFF!" every time.  She would say farm, fan, fort, Frank - any other F word {well, not the F word yet, thank goodness!} except fish.  And every time she said Siff she got a little smirk on her cute face.

So the last few days Siffy Siff had been swimming towards the top.  We knew it wasn't good but what do you do for a fish?  We crossed our fingers at night hoping he would make it because Ellie runs over to say good morning to her little friend each day.

This afternoon I peaked in his fish home and saw his little body laying at the bottom.  A flood of emotions swept over me.  I was grossed out, sad, and nervous.  How do you explain a dead fish to a three year old?

Remembering how traumatized we were as children when our first goldfish died, I immediately called my sister.  Auntie's Betta, Claude {after Monet, of course} lived in a tiny bowl in her office for three years!  I felt like a failure.

After reassuring me that changing the water four days ago did not kill Ellie's favorite pet, she gave me really good advice on how to deal with the situation.  The first thing she told me was this is the part of being a parent that really sucks.  Ain't that the truth!  She also assured me that Ellie can handle the truth - we don't need a replacement fish and we shouldn't hide the tank like he never existed.

Auntie helped me break it down.  Trees live a really long time.  People live a long time.  Dogs live kind of long, but small pets just aren't around a really long time.  And that's ok.  It's ok to be sad and it's ok to miss Siffy Siff.

So that's the talk that is going to happen in the morning.  We flushed him after Ellie went to bed - we all agreed she didn't need to deal with thoughts of a burial at sea yet.  But I'm scared.  I'm bursting a bubble and taking something away from her.  Making her face a reality. 

Wish me luck.  I will update later on how it all went.

And just because I am having a REALLY bad mom day, I searched everywhere but we do not have a picture of Siffy Siff. Sigh.


So here is a pic of a red Betta fish.  Not ours, but one will similar coloring found by searching "red and purple betta fish" in google.

RIP Siffy Siff.

UPDATE:

We talked with Ellie this morning.  She had more than a few questions.

First she asked, "Well, will Siffy Siff be back tomrrow?"

Next it was, "Can I make Siffy Siff a card so he'll feel all better?"

Then, "Where will Siffy Siff live when he is done living in Heaven's house?"

And onto, "But who took Siffy Siff out of his bowl?  Where did he go?"

Finally, "Ok, so if fish don't live as long as trees, can we get another one now?!"

We answered everything as best we could and Ellie seemed satisfied with our answers.  With the exception of the "Can we get another fish?" question.  I told her we would have to think about it because honestly?  I don't want another fish.  Fish totally creep me out.  Apparently they creep Ryan out, too, which I didn't expect. 

So I guess the real answer to can we get another fish would be "when you are old enough to clean out it's bowl and keep it in your own room, sure!" 

I'll probably be posting pictures of Ellie and her new fish next weekend.