So many things

Friday afternoon my Mom, Soph, Haddie, and I drove to a fun city destination near us for a little overnight adventure.  This particular overnight adventure was originally meant to be an overnight getaway for my Mom, my sister, and me - but, with my sister down to a few weeks till she delivers her second baby, she was not feeling up to going out of town.  Our hotel was non-refundable, so Mom and I just changed up our plans a bit and went anyways!  We really missed Jeni, but we bought her some cute maternity clothes to make up for it.  :)  

 There are SO many things I want to remember from this little 24 hour trip, and they all have to do with this girl - my Sophia Ruth.  When Jeni told us earlier in the week that she indeed would not be going, I told Sophia she was going to get to come.  She was SO excited!  Every day she asked me how many hours till Grammy came to take us on our trip??  When can we pack Mom?  Well, after checking into our cool, downtown hotel, we decided to walk to our restaurant destination instead of driving.  It was a beautiful day so off we went.  Well, it was past our normal dinner time and what was thought to be maybe a 10 minute walk turned into a 25-30 minute walk... Sophia may have complained just a bit.  :)  The funniest comment was, "This?  All this walking?  This is what I waited all week to do?"  Honestly, she said that.  :)  Mom and I cracked up!  She did it though!  She walked all the way to our restaurant, to get ice-cream, then back to the hotel.  We tried praising her with what an accomplishment that was, but she wasn't really buying it.  :)

We enjoyed a yummy, albeit late-for-us dinner.  While waiting for my Mom to use the bathroom, I noticed Sophia's pockets looked bulgy.  I asked her what was in them.  You'll never guess!  Lemon wedges from the water station.  She wanted some for later.  Yep, she is going to be that old lady someday taking home ketchup and butter packets.  

Haddie did so well.  Her dinner was late, we kept her strapped in her stroller for a long time and she got to bed late!  In the midst of all that baby drama, she still gave us faces like this one!  :)

She also gave us faces like this one.  

:)

Back at the hotel Sophia watched two episodes of Little House on the Prairie before finally falling asleep at almost 10!  She's usually out by 8, so this was a special thing!  Our hotel was very comfortable, but no one really slept all that well.  My Mom shared a bed with a wiggly 6 year old, and I shared a bed with a fussy 1 year old who doesn't so much like sleeping in baby beds other than her own...  But, the morning greeted us with smiles and a few more episodes of Little House to watch until Mommy could pry her eyes open.

After checking out we headed to brunch at a yummy restaurant.  After we got our fill we went in search of a place to get our nails done.  After doing some shopping at the mall we were directed towards this adorable salon just for little girls.  For $20 Sophia could get her nails, make-up (can you say glitter?!) and hair done!  Mom and I decided to forgo our manicures and instead spoil our girl.  

OH MY!  The fun!  Jessie, her stylist, did a great job and even sprayed some glitter in Haddie's hair and gave her a heart on her cheek.  Sophia was over the moon and looked so cute in all her glittery goodness!  It was really fun treating her to this experience!  Thanks Mom!

And this is the face of a very sleepy baby that is telling her Mommy, "Enough, let's go home.  I have some beauty rest to catch up on!"  And, so we did.  We drove home and Haddie snoozed the whole way!  During our drive Sophia asked me how to spell thank.  I told her and a few minutes later she handed my Mom a hand-drawn thank you note with a drawing of my Mom as a queen on it.  I was so proud of Sophia for making that gesture of thanks without even being asked.  She is 6 1/2 and I am in awe at the little lady she is becoming!  

Thank you Mom for such a fun little getaway.  And Jeni?  Don't worry, we are totally going to plan another getaway for just the three of us!  Let's go to a grown up salon though, k?  ;)

To the Unknown Police Woman, Thank you

Since my sister moved closer to us last October, we make the hour + trek up to her house semi-frequently.  For some reason, this car ride, more than any other, seems to bring out the less-than-perfect in my son.  Though we have three children, all still in car seats or boosters, we drive a four-door car.  Sophia sits in her booster behind the driver.  Haddie, facing the rear still, sits in her carseat in the middle.  Riley sits in his forward-facing car seat behind the passenger.  They all fit, but the quarters are tight and they can definitely all touch each other.  Whenever we drive up to my sister's or home again, Riley tends to be extra antsy and picks on Haddie more often than at other times.  I have had to pull the car over many times to manage the situation.  It is not unusual to drive this hour + with Riley mad and screaming almost the whole time.  So...

Tonight, I, alone with the three children, were driving home after a day at my sister's.  It was bedtime and Riley was mad as a hornet.  Everything he wanted he refused once it was offered than cried more about wanting it.  At some point he started kicking Haddie in the head and keeping his foot up on her seat.  I spent a good 5-10 minutes driving with my right hand behind me holding down his foot.  No matter what I said he refused to keep his foot off his sister each time I let go.  So, enough was enough.  It was time to pull over.

I pull over, put the car in park, unbuckle and lean over into the back to deal with this.  I look up to see a police officer has pulled off the highway behind me.  I figured he/she wanted to make sure we were okay.  Indeed, the police woman comes to the passenger side, and after I roll down the window, asks if everything is okay.  I tell her I am dealing with my son because he's been picking on his sister.  She sticks her head in the car and looks directly at Riley and asks him if he's being bad.  You should have seen his face!  His eyes were as big as saucers.  I told him that the police woman wanted him to obey Mommy and to be gentle with his sister.  The police officer tells him that is true and wishes me a good evening.

We pull back on the road and I tell Riley that that Police Officer wants him to obey and that she could take him to jail.  I ask him if he wants to go to jail.  "No."  whimper   "Riley, keep your foot off of Haddie."  "Yes, Mommy."  whimper whimper

Then, silence.  He was sitting as straight as an arrow and wasn't making a sound save for the occasional sniff and whimper.  Not long after he was fast asleep.

I really wish I could send that woman a thank you note.

:)

86 degrees and a chance of klutziness

Oh, the day started with me taking a jog, and not even getting half a block before I fell to the ground from rolling/twisting my ankle.  In addition to hurting my ankle, the left knee of my pants ripped and my knee got some good 'ol road burn.  I had to get myself up and limp all the way home, my pride bruised most of all (never mind the car that was behind me and witnessed it all!).  I had hurt this same ankle in November and never had gotten it checked out.  It took months to stop hurting and still bothered me from time to time... so, I figured I ought to have it looked at.  So, my dear friend, Loree, agreed to double the amount of kids in her house so Jamie could take me to the ER without children in tow.  After a couple of hours, some x-rays, and a little nap in the exam room :), I was discharged with a badly hurt ankle, but thankfully no fracture!  I get to sport the lovely black boot until I'm feeling like my ankle is getting better.  The doc said it could take months to get my ankle back to 100%, and I believe it since that was my experience last time I hurt this ankle.  I may be a lot of things, and klutzy is definitely one of them!  Ha!  :)

I have to add how cute the kids were when their Mom returned home from her short-lived jog, injured, and definitely worse for the wear.  I plopped myself down on our picnic table bench and called for Sophia, whom I knew was in the front yard.  I told her to get her Dad.  I hear her screaming as she runs inside, "DAD, Mom broke her leg and she needs you!"  When she returned with Jamie she had a tissue with a couple ice-cubes in it for me to use as an ice pack because she couldn't fine a real one.  When Riley looked at my scraped up knee he said, "Strawberry?"  It did sort of resemble one... ew.  While I was bandaging my knee and icing my ankle Soph brought me a popsicle.  I love my kids.  :)

After the ER trip we picked our kids up and the weather was a fresh 86 degrees, so some water play was definitely in order!  Haddie was looking especially adorable in her swimsuit and sun hat, and Riley stayed busy drinking his weight in water.  Sophia was playing with a friend across the street for most of the time, but joined in at the last moment, just in time to get good and wet and totally covered in the freshly mown grass.  :)  Today felt like a summer day, and I couldn't be more glad, except for maybe the whole ankle thing...

When Mommy Is Busy, Baby Will Play

 Wha'cha lookin' at chump?

 I'm innocent I tell ya, innocent.

 What's that you say?  You caught me red-handed?

 Okay, okay.  I did it.  But baking soda is so fun to play in!  

And, I am awful cute, so, wha'da ya say?  Cut me a break???

I promise I'll keep flashing you these baby blues and gorgeous smile if you let me off easy.

Deal?

Deal!

Cleaning out my phone memory card

This was a couple of weeks ago; taking a walk on a brisk, but sunny day!

Riley is a difficult one to get a good photo of his handsome face.  But, Friday, while out for a walk, not only did I get this shot...

But, I got this one!  There's my sweetie pie's handsome face!

They do bicker, every day.  But, they are also really good friends.  I love watching/hearing them play together!

There are signs of Spring, but to be honest I'd love a break from all the rain!

My sweet Haddie girl in a field of dandelions.

I know they are called weeds, but to me there isn't much more beautiful of a thing than a green field full of dandelions.

Have you seen this product??  I originally saw it on Big Mama's blog, then saw this in the check-out at my local "Stuff-Mart."  You MUST watch the info-mercial.  It is SO hilarious!!!

This was fun to see in the freezer compartment of our grocery store!  This ice-cream is some of the yummiest!

See that coupon on the box of chocolates??

Well, lest you consider stealing the coupon one was duly warned that such behavior would not be tolerated at this shopping establishment.  :)  Seriously though, do you think warnings like this serve to deter those that would do such a thing anyways, or do they serve to encourage them to do it???

A lamp I recently considered purchasing from a local second-hand store...

Ha!  Not quite.  :)  Though I did score another, adorable yellow lamp.

                              

Still nothing quite like a sleeping baby.

Bliss.

And that, folks, concludes the, previously unseen, pictures off my phone's memory card.