Relief!

I've been without my computer for about a week now and I finally got it back Monday. Yippie!!!! I'm so happy. I've felt so out of touch. I don't know what's been going on anywhere. It's truly amazing to me how dependent we get on these little things. I had a really nasty virus attack my computer and since I actually know very little about computers in general, I had to find someone who could fix it for me. Luckily, the local High School computer teacher took a shot at it. He had to take everything off, clean it down to the basics and now I have to put everything back on it. Yikes. A learning experience for sure.



So, what have I been up to this week? Well, my husband took all 3 girls to the beach to see his parents. And my girls couldn't have been more excited. The love, love, love their Grandparents. As an added bonus, they got to see their Aunt Marti too. The didn't get back until Sunday afternoon...and I have to say, that was just a little bit too long for me to be away from them. I really missed them. However, I took the opportunity to do nothing. And lay things down and come back to them. Whatever I put away, stayed put away. Nice.



I also took myself to downtown Atlanta to the High Museum of Art to see China's Terracotta Army. Very cool. I don't go down to Atlanta very often because I don't know my way around and I don't like that. It wasn't so bad when I was by myself though, because I could concentrate on what I was doing. Plus, I didn't have to be anywhere at anytime, so no pressure. The exhibit was really cool. I'm glad I went. I actually wish I would have spend a little more time there.

This summer, I plan to take the girls down there for some different things...the aquarium, the zoo...that kind of thing.

But now it's back to the daily grindstone!

Rockin' the spending freeze

The girls were in preschool for only 2 hours yesterday and I had alot of errands to run. And no money to spend. My panic induced spending freeze really paid off yesterday.

First, I dropped the girls off at preschool and headed to the bank where I cashed in rolled change. $80.00.

Next, I headed to Hallmark to get a card for hubby's birthday next week. I had a $4.00 gift rebate and the card cost $4.27. Whoo hoo.

Next, I headed to Belk. I had about $11.00 on a very old gift card and Rena really needs some spring clothes. I bought her 2 mix and match outfits. Original price - $77.00. On sale for 30% off. Opened a Belks credit card for 20% and 15% more off (note to salesclerk: a 20% discount then a 15% discount does not add up to a 35% discount. That's not the way it works) Final cost to me - $23.00. Whoo hoo!

Passed by the county 'free' woodchips pile. (I don't know why they put quotes around free. They really are free.) Fresh pile! I go hook up my trailor, discover that my garden fork broke the last time I got mulch. Stop by Home Depot and use my 'free' gift card to purchase new garden fork. Load trailor with free mulch. Whooooo hooooo!

So, I got a birthday card, a pair of cropped pants, a skirt, 2 shirts, a garden fork (and it wasn't cheap) and a trailor for of mulch all for $23.27. Whoooo hooooo!

Oh, oh! And the tax accountant called and says she thinks we'll be getting a refund!

The recession can kiss my ass!

Never Ending

It's been raining here for day, as it has been in much of the south. While I really am happy that we are getting rain, and Lake Lanier is filling up, I'm really hating my backyard in a big way.

Believe it or not, this is the sodded part of the backyard. Our builder told us we don't have a drainage problem. asshole.

Here's the problem. My backyard is divided into 2 parts: kids' yard, dogs' yard. The kids yard is sodded, the dogs yard is not. As you may have noticed, I hate my builder and blame most things on him. The fact that we have NO grass in the dogs yard is his fault. If it weren't for the sod, we wouldn't have grass in the kids yard either. Now, at the height of the drought, this didn't cause any problems. But because I don't want wet muddy dogs in the house, I let the dogs go into the kids yard when it rains. And they poop there. Alot. And the only real way for that to get 'cleaned up' is to pick up the poop and let the rain wash away the rest. But when it's raining, the dogs are in that yard...pooping. See the vicious cycle? This time around the dogs have access to the whole yard. So they are sopping wet and muddy. And when they come in, they come into the kitchen, which is now sopping wet and muddy. There's no other place for them to go. And I hate it.

The dogs are already on my shit-list. At least Jake is. Here's that story. Sunday, I went upstairs to do some laundry (never ending). When I headed down the hall to put clothes away for Rena, I discovered a big pile of poop. Great. I hadn't noticed it earlier because Rena doesn't actually sleep in her bedroom. Her bed got moved to the twins room, so the only reason to go to her room is for clothes. When I walked into her room, I discovered another pile of poop! CRAP! That pile had been there since Saturday. Gross! So, as I'm finishing the laundry, Rena comes and asks me why I'm not cleaning it up! Well, 'cause I'm finishing the laundry! Then I drag the vacuum cleaner upstairs and go back for my new friend the carpet steam clean, which has already paid for itself! I clean up just the spot in the hall since I'd already cleaned the whole hall last week. Then I picked up all the toys in Rena's room, vacuumed and steam clean that whole room. As I'm backing out of that room, Rena comes and tells me that Jake just peed under the dining room table. WHAT! Damn dog! At least the steam cleaner was still plugged in. So I drag it back downstairs and clean up the dining room. So it feels like all I did was clean up pee and poop all day Sunday. That and pick up those infernal beads.

Then on Monday, just when I might just get a step ahead, Riley helped me unload groceries. She dropped a glass jar of salsa in the driveway, which broke into a million piece IN a puddle of water. (God forbid the builder know how to make water drain away from a house) Do you know how impossible it is to see shards of glass in a puddle of water? Well, it is.

It's been kinda tense around here. I'm in serious need of a vacation. A little 'me' time that isn't interrupted by anyone or anythings bathroom habits. Some quiet, still time.

Mommy, don't you argue me!

That is what Rachel has been telling me lately. In her best Mommy voice. And no, I didn't accidently leave a word out. That's how she says it. Just like Riley asks for a peanut butter and sandwich. God, they crack me up.

This morning on the way to preschool, Rena was trying to get her sisters to say her name the right way. I know it was rather cruel to give my children names that start with R and they can't really be expected to pronounce it correctly until they're about 6, but what's a mother to do? Rachel pronounces it 'Wena' and Riley say either 'Glena or Lena'. So the conversation on Rena's part went something like this. "Wiley, say Wena, not Lena. With an Awwr. Wena. Twy again. Wena." Oh, how I wish I had a recording of that.

This day got off to a rough start. It's a good thing I'm adaptable. And that I showered last night after tennis practice. First off, I'd like you to meet my new best friend.

That's right. My new carpet steam cleaner. He's getting lots of use already. Yesterday, as I mentioned, while the girls were in school I cleaned my bedroom and the hall. Last night, one of the dogs threw up in the hall. For no apparent reason. Then, this morning, poor Max didn't make it, again. Started peeing in the bedroom, down the steps, well, you get the idea. Poor guy. Luckily, Stanley the Steam cleaner was still plugged in! Problem solved.

Of course, I'd like to wake up a little slower than that. My eyes weren't even really open as I cleaned the floor. Next task was to get Rena bathed before my neighbor came to pick her up for school. While Rena was in the tub, my neighbor called and said her son was sick and they weren't going to school. Crap. It's only a half day today, which in preschool, means a 2 hour day. Since it takes me almost half an hour to get to school, there no sense in coming home. So, I had 45 minutes to get not 1 but 3 kids ready and out the door. Kinda stressful. I must say a big Thank You to my hubby who made coffee for me!

I dropped Rena off, took the little girls to IHOP for breakfast. They played. I ate. Way too expensive. Off to Home Depot, no, not here, Lowe's to find a hanging clothes weekly organizer. Hopefully this will quell some of the clothing battles I've been having with Riley. The outfit will have to be approved and stored the day before, so come morning time we can just get dressed in our PRETTY outfit with our PRETTY shoes. This kid's killing me.!

Back to pick up Rena and home. Then they wanted to finger paint. It was almost 12:30 before things settled down. I'm sure I don't even want to see the aftermath of the painting. It might be time to go back to bed and try to start over on a smoother day!

March!

Where did that come from?!? February seemed to be over in a flash. A slow, monotonous flash. We have been inside wayyyyy to long and I can't wait for Spring to really get here so that we can go outside and play! It has been a cold, warm, wet, dry winter! Make up your mind already. One day, I had the girls play in the closet...we were under a tornado warning and we've had some serious wind around these parts. One storm moved through at 45mph. Then one came through at 75mph. That is a seriously fast moving storm. Luckily, we managed to make it through with no damage.

Other than that, it's just been the same old, same old.

I did get Rena registered for Kindergarten. I have seriously mixed emotions about the whole thing. I'm excited for her that she's getting ready to start this journey. I'm sad for me that my oldest is starting school. Real school... that will dictate our lives and schedules for the next 13 years. I don't know much about public school and what I do know I don't necessarily agree with. I think schools are too big and classes are too big, and teachers' don't have enough power over how children behave. I worry that someone will tarnish the world my sweet innocent child lives in. And she is. Sweet and innocent. There's always one kid that is wize beyond their years that spoils it for the group. And I wonder why that child's parent's didn't help them hold on to their innocence for just a little while longer. Once it's gone, it's gone. So I worry. And mourn. And I'll miss her. Im not ready to be away from her for that long.

However, she's ready. And I'm sure she's going to love it. She thrives on the whole social scene. She's smart, and articulate and happy. So, come August, I will have to let her go just a little bit more.

The battles with Riley have subsided just a little. She still insists on being pretty all the time. Did I tell ya'll she sleeps in a headband - everynight! Gosh, she cracks me up.

Rachel continues to march to the beat of her own drum. Such a cool kid. She's been so sweet singing the theme song to Sleeping Beauty. She's watched it a million time.

I've been sick. A stubborn head cold that finally put me in bed for a day and a half. Not an easy task to accomplish. I finally called Blair to see if he could come home early Friday. He made it here about 11:30 and I spent the rest of the day in bed. Which put me seriously behind.

Today I've been playing a little bit of catch up. A couple of weeks ago, I bought a steam cleaner...an executive decision I made after our geriatric dog, with an incontinent bladder and a pendulus penis walked down the step, through the entry, through the living room and through the kitchen. There was no way to clean that up! I'm so happy I got it, though. But I'm completely disgusted by how much dirt was on my floors. I think this things going to get a work out in this house. I did the living room last week, Blair did the dining room, I did the affected stairs, the hallway and my bedroom today. Much better!

Well, that's it for now. I'm rambling anyway. Have a good day!

fishing buddies

We love hanging out outside. Playing in the sand box.



Fishing in the neighbors yard.


Gratuitous picture of the damn dog, Jake. In a rare moment, he was caught with something dog proof in his mouth.

Randomosity

No pictures this time, so if that's all you're here for, move along.

Riley has been driving me crazy. For sometime now. And I imagine well into the future. This week in particular she has been a whiney little thing. And demanding. The clothing battles continue to rage on. In fact, I think it was last week, maybe the week before, I dropped her off at school with her dress on backwards and no shoes on. ..both days. Luckily, the preschool is prepared for these kind of days. And she's much more compliant with them. Interestingly enough, Rachel is being the perfect angel. I say 'get dressed' and she gets dressed. Even donning socks and shoes without being asked. As long as the ying/yang of that relationship continues, I just might be able to survive. Rena is moving right along. I know I'm prejudiced, but she is turning out to be a delightful little girls. All of them, really, but Rena has developed self-awareness that the twins haven't necessarily found yet.

It's not all battles. Yesterday, for example, Riley sat down and read the entire Green Eggs and Ham book to herself. Now, she wasn't actually reading the words, but the pictures. She was reading outloud and it was adorable. She was totally engrossed in what she was doing. I got video tape of her. Unfortuantely, it's not digital.

Rachel has always been good at entertaining herself. She's a little obsessive about watching TV. I'm well aware that I shouldn't let her watch so much. She walks around quoting whole scenes from Nemo and Sleeping Beauty. Interesting kid. I love watching her grow. She's got a great imagination too. Probably better than both her sisters.

Rena is definitely growing more independant. I love it. And not just because it has some benefit to me. I love seeing the sense of accomplishment she gets when she gets herself a bowl of cereal or makes a snack for herself and her sisters. She made lunch for them all last week. Peanutbutter and jelly sandwiches. How cool is she?

I may have said this before, but when the twins were born, I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't make Rena the 'little mother' that sometimes happens with older siblings. Rachel and Riley were not her responsibility. I didn't ask her to get me diapers or wipes or bottles or a million other things that she could have done to help me. So, I find it interesting that she still seems to be exhibiting those 'oldest child' traits of being a caretaker. Like I said before, she's a neat kid.

Of course, there's more to my life than the girls. Ok, not really. I was talking to a friend of mine yesterday that also has a 5 year old and we seem to be on the same page...boring. I think since it was rainy all day yesterday and we were stuck inside all day, it just made things feel worse. I used to have a sense of accomplishment. I had a job. I got up and went to work everyday, accomplished things, talked to other adults, came home tired. Now I get up and (aside from the undeniable joys of being a mother) do the same things over and over. Laundry, dished, picking things up off the floor, vacuuming, making and/or cleaning up from some meal. At the end of the day, there is no sense of accomplishment. And it's frustrating.

It's also frustrating that actually trying to do something for myself is almost not worth the effort. One of the things I do for myself (really the only thing) is play tennis. I love it. I love the girls, I love the game, I love the physical and mental challenge. The problem is I have to rely on someone else to be able to go play. Blair's never here, so it's a babysitter. And they can be unreliable. This week is a perfect example. I've started using a 15 year old neighbor (Carly)to babysit. The girls love her. They are usually playing some sort of dressup whenever I get home...a big hit with Riley. I haven't played in weeks, but 'my' team just started their spring season practices tuesday night. We've added some new people and I was looking forward to seeing all my old friends and meeting the new ladies. So I had called Carly monday and asked if she could be here at 6:15. Sure! So 6:15 comes and goes. At 6:20, still no sign of her (and I can see up the street, almost to her house) so I call her. busy. call the cell number. no answer. call again. busy. Now it's 6:25. Practice starts in 5 minutes. I'm dressed and ready and in the middle of preparing dinner. So I call one of my 'grandma' neighbors. She's already in bed, sick. Then I see 'the guys' from across the street. So I call out to the mother (who hasn't talked to me in about a year and a half) and ask if Sabra can babysit for an hour and a half. Now, she's only 12, but, really, she's very mature and better than most teenagers at manipulating small children. She really does have the knack! She can! Send her over. I run back inside to check on dinner. 6:30 there's a knock on the door. It's Carly. She thought she was supposed to be there at 6:30. Then Sabra showed up. I decided to let both of them stay and now I am frantically trying to get to my tennis lesson which has already started.

So even when I try to do something for myself, it takes so much effort and planning and drama, it's almost not worth it. Then to add even more frustration to my situation, at the end of my lesson, the team I played with this winter (a much higher level team) called me over and wanted me to practice with them. I couldn't, because I had babysitters at my house. So frustrating.

Alright, back to a positive note. Once I pick the girls up from preschool, I'm off to register Rena for kindergarten. I can hardly believe it. So, I'd better run for now, there's vacuuming and laundry to be done!

raffle house

You know what sucks? There's a house that's being raffled off about 3 miles from my house for $5 a ticket. The house is valued at over 400,000 dollars. I was just taking a virtual tour of this house and it would be perfect for us. Master on the main with a guest room on the main. Large mudroom. Deck and covered porch. 2 bedroom/bonus rooms upstairs that would be perfect for the girls bedrooms and playroom. Secluded lot. And that's where the problem comes in. As great as that sounds, my girls (and me, for that matter) wouldn't be happy there. Forget about me. They love to go visit their neighbors and play with the other kids in the neighborhood. When it's not cold, we spend alot of time outside and alot of that time is spent visiting with our neighbors. Rena's best friends lives directly across the street. And even though she's only 5, she has a bond with those children. Yes, I know if we were to move away tomorrow, she probably wouldn't even really remember those kids. But now, they are her best friends. My girls ride their bikes in the streets and run up and down the sidewalks blowing bubbles and playing with their friends. What would they do secluded in the woods?

Now, I'm acting like we've won this house. We haven't and chances are pretty slim that we would. But if we did, we would have to make a decision. And a tough one. I don't know why I grow so attached to the places I live, but I do. As much as I hate this house....and I do...it would be hard to move away because I love my neighbors. People say you can't stay because of your neighbors, but I'm not entirely sure that's true. Would you trade a really good 'known' for an unsure 'unknown'?

Either way, I'm stuck here. For better (and there has been some better here) or worse(which seems to be mostly over). It may not be my 'dream' house, but it's where my children will spend their childhood and grow their memories.

Well, well. January shaped up to be a really busy month. I have continued putting the girls to sleep in their room and I love it. Because Rena and Riley have pretty much given up napping, they are usually asleep by 8:00. This, to me, is miraculous. If Rachel doesn't nap, she's asleep then too, but she's much more likely to nap in the afternoons still. That's ok, though. She's getting a little one on one time at night that she had been missing out on with 2 more aggressive sisters. All in all this has made for a much calmer, more relaxed bedtime routine. Once all of the girls are in bed, I've been reading to them. I love this part! I started reading the Tales of Desperaux but it was starting to get a little gory and dark...I'm sure Disney fixed that in their movie. So, I switched over to the Ramona stories by Beverly Cleary. When I was teaching Kindergarten, my assistant and friend Brenda would read these stories at naptime and I fell in love with them. Life is simpler, family is important, kids are safer and the world is an exciting place to be. I'm thrilled to be reading these stories to my girls and I'm really looking forward to all the wonderful stories out there that I can share with them.

We've been getting lots of rain this month too, which is really good. We are still WAY behind on the whole rain thing. The lake is beginning to fill up again. Can I get a big 'YEA!' We've been in a drought the whole time we've lived here...to the point I feel like a criminal if I waste any water. And the poor girls are constantly being told to turn the water off. If it keeps up, hopefully we will be able to water outside again. Our landscaping could certainly use some attention.

One of the bad things about the rain is that there's no where for our dogs to go when it rains. Oh, yes, they have a dog house, but why use that when you can come in sopping wet. Our backyard is divided into the 'kids' yard' and the 'dogs' yard'. We sodded the kids yard awhile back, but we haven't done anything to the dogs' yard. And despite being here for 3 years, there is NO grass growing in the dogs' yard (I'd like to thank the shitty builder and the drought for that.). It's all red clay. And when it rains, it's all red muddy clay. Yuck. Which then gets tracked into the house. Yuck. Which I then have to clean up. Yuck, yuck, yuck. So, I'm actually having a love/hate relationship with the rain right now. We are going to have to find a way to solve this problem, but of course, short of getting rid of the dogs all together (not gonna happen) it's going to cost money.

this is Max and Nixie

How sweet is this picture.

That brings me to another thing that has been keeping me busy this January. At Christmastime, I had a major freak out over money. Seriously stressed. The poor economy has had it's effect on my family too and unfortunately, the last 5 years, I've had my head buried in diapers, wipes and sippy cups. Financial planning really wasn't even on the radar. But then I had my little freak out and put our family on a spending freeze, as my brother calls it. No presents for anyone but the kids, no cards, no cutesy decorations. If we didn't NEED it, we weren't getting it. I just said NO. And I've gotta tell you, it was liberating. All of a sudden, the very grey matter of spending began to divide into black and white. Saving money and/or not spending money became a game. How little could I spend. Where WAS it all going. I was back in control. And it felt good.

I was doing great on my spending freeze. Blair even called me and told me that he was getting an unexpected end of the year bonus and he thought we should replace our washing machine since it was starting to go. I decided that that money should be used elsewhere and the washing machine would have to wait. After all, it still mostly worked. I just had to re-adjust the load twice during every cycle. And that odd noise that it had started to make, well, it wasn't effecting the actual washing. THEN, 3 hours after I started what would be it's last load, I heard an odd, high pitched awful scream of death. I went to investigate and the laundry room was filled with SMOKE! And an awful stench of burning rubber. So, guess where the bonus money ended up going? That's right. A new washer. And since we're at it, a new matching dryer. Because I really have no self control. And the pair was on sale with rebates and all. My rational is that I do ALOT of laundry...and my largest laundry days are still ahead of me. So, I need a workhorse of a washer and dryer. Plus, I got $240.00 of free Tide. Whooo-hooo. It's actually quite startling to realize that I am excited to be getting a new washer and dryer. Not a gold necklace, a diamond ring, a trip to the Bahamas, but a front load, large capacity, quiet running washer and dryer. I'm so old.

So, in the week, yes week, between the death of my old washer and the arrival and installation of my new one, the laundry really piled up.

Add to that the fact that Riley and Rena both threw up in the middle of the night and Max peed on the floor in the girls room during that week, I had some really serious laundry issues. Lucky for me, the new washer and dryer came with a sanitizing cycle. The down side... it takes 2 hours!! BUT the laundry came out clean and springtime fresh! Oh yes it did. And we continue to test the capabilities of the machines in ways only toddlers, puppies and geriatric dogs can do.

Speaking of testing, Riley has really been testing my patience. God love this child, she is one of those kids that is deceptively strong-willed. It's been interesting to watch and I've commented on it before, but she always manages to get her way...but you can't really figure out why. One example is the 'middle' seat in the car. This doesn't actually mean the one in the middle, but the specific car seat that was occupying that space. (I didn't realize that until I moved the 'middle' seat to a diffent spot, but they still fought over the middle seat.) At first, everyone wanted to sit in the middle seat, so, we rotated who got to sit there. But eventually, it was just Riley and the other two stopped fighting her on it. The same thing happens with certain toys. If I buy something for all the girls and Riley decides she wants it, it ends up being just hers. I'm not even sure that Rachel and Rena realize they are giving in to her. Fascinating. Anyway, this child has decided she MUST be pretty. At all times. I'm beginning to think that she really thinks she's a princess. She wears 'the' princess dress all the time. She even sleeps in it. She has started rotating it with a Snow White dress that one of my neighbors made for her. She knows she can't wear it to preschool, but she always wants to be pretty. So, this past Thursday, when it wasn't going to be out of the 30's, I picked out 3, weather appropriate outfits for the twins to choose from. They weren't pretty enough for Riley and the battle began. Well, I'm not a morning person to begin with, so if you plan to argue with me....and win....might I suggest a later time in the day. Rena chose her outfit and so did Rachel. Riley was down to 2 choices. But she wanted to wear this cute little sundress.

Um, no. Now I was officially in a power struggle with my 3 year old. Now I have to say, I'm really good about giving the girls choices. I know it's all about power and personal control. But here's the bottom line: I'm the Mama and you'll do what I say. So after many failed attempts at rationalizing with this child, she displayed flat out defiance. She threw a brand new(spring) outfit on the kitchen floor and when I told her to pick it up, she kicked it. Jeez a lou. What are the teen years going to be like with this one. Well, Mama had to pull the trump card...and a spanking followed by an ultimatum. So this is how Riley went off to school Thursday morning.

The other 2 were uneffected by their outfit choices OR their sisters distress about being dressed like a commoner.

Of course, it's not all battles and broken machines around here. We've spent alot of time inside this winter because it's either been warm and rainy or cold and sunny. I can't get the girls to go outside anymore! So, we've danced and cuddled and bonded.

9:01, January 5, 2009

Oh, yeah, mark that date on the calendar. All 3 girls went to sleep in their own bed without crying or fighting it. Now, I know it might just be a fluke, but that's ok. I'll take it! I decided that Jan 1 was going to be the day. The day I moved the girls out of my bed and into theirs. I have to admit I have mixed emotions about it. I really love cuddling with my girls, but I'm not really happy about being run out of my bed time and time again. So, into their own beds they went. Rena has been great about it. She was definitely ready. And she's done the best. Rachel is all about sleep, so it hasn't been a great stretch for her. She goes and puts herself down for naps as it it. Riley's had a much more difficult time. She is VERY attached to me. But tonight, she went to sleep in her bed without a fight. And she was even still awake when I left the room! I don't know what I did to deserve this, but it's great!

Christmas

For everyone, it seems Christmas has been a busy time this year. Rachel started us out with her cute self in a Santa hat. That is our Christmas tree in the background. Poor thing barely got decorated. The girls hung lots of beaded bells around the bottom. Then they'd take them off again. What they didn't take off got knocked off by either them or the dogs.

Somehow in all the craziness, we ended up in two different church productions. We don't really go to either church! How did that happen. The pastor's wife at a 'start-up' church close to our home asked if Rena could be an Angel in their Christmas musical. We'd been to this church a couple of times and the pastor and his wife are super nice. How could I say no. They wanted the twins to be in the musical too, but that just didn't happen.

Rena looked beautiful and she did a fantastic job, despite only being able to attend one rehersal. Little did I know when I said yes that she was THE angel. Ah, the pressure!

Rachel and Riley hung out in the audience with me. They enjoyed a little snack before things settled down. It had been a busy afternoon with no time for dinner. Rena and I had to go to a birthday party and I had to hire a babysitter to watch Ray and Riley because Blair had to fly to Chicago. We got back from the party, changed clothes, woke the girls up and headed to church.

The weekend before we had to be at the church where we go to preschool. The 4 year olds were playing the handbell in the service. It was great! (That's Rena on the far left) I also really liked the church.

Then Rena's class and the twins class had their Christmas parties. Rena's class put on a little play. Rena got to be the Innkeeper. I LOVE their preschool. She was very excited about me coming. I was excited too, because I didn't have to divided my time between her class and Rachel and Riley's class. Unfortunately, I forgot I would actually have the twins with me. And then, my wonderful neighbor Cheryl stepped up and offered to watch the twins and bring them to school with her when she came for her son's party and hour later. It worked out perfectly for me and I owe her bigtime!

Once school got out we had to find ways to entertain ourselves. Rachel was the only one up and she was playing and I was on the computer. She came up to me looking like this. God this kid cracks me up. She has a great sense of humor and she's sooooo full of life. She's going to be the one that keeps me on my toes.

Riley has dug this princess dress out of the dirty clothes more than once. This dress, that was Rena's Halloween costume when she was 2, is Riley's favorite. I'm sure in her eyes, it is the most beautiful dress in the world. In reality, this dress is well past its prime. The seams are splitting, the tulle has shrunk and the hem is frayed. But you know what, I think she's beautiful in it. Most times. In the picture below, she's kinda sporting the bag-lady look. The dress, of course is on. Then there's a blue jacket....you can kinda see the hood. Then her winter coat. There is a blue and red scarf poking out the back. The hat is quite fetching, especially the way she has it pulled down almost over her eyes. The pink striped mittens are a nice addition. And no outfit would be complete in our house without inappropriate footware. I made her wear socks since it was so cold and then let her chose shoes. Yes, those are purple flipflops. I thought I had put all of those shoes away. Guess not. I think what gives it the whole baglady feel, though, is the umbrella stroller and the need to be wheeled around the neighborhood.

No one will ever be able to say I didn't give my children creative freedom.

What blogpost would be complete without a DAMN DOG update. This was a bag of trash I had hanging off the cabinets where I had been preparing dinner. Jake decided to explore just what was in the bag.

As the mother of so many dependant children, it's necessary sometimes for me to call in reinforcements. Thank goodness I've made some good friends here in podunk Georgia. My friend Betsy offered to watch the girls at the Mall, no less, while I ran to pick up a present I'd forgotten. What a saint she is. and she even managed to capture this image of all three girls in the same frame and all looking happy. Not an easy feat.

We pulled Christmas off without a hitch, really. Here's the aftermath.

Riley got a Cinderella barbie.

Rachel got the bike she wanted!

Rena finally got the fingernail kit she'd been asking for.

The flower fairies watched it all from the tree.

Rachel, sporting her new sunglasses.

Riley, dressed as a fairy princess, complete with wings and tierra.

Merry Christmas!

Thanksgiving and beyond

This Thanksgiving, we stayed home. Usually we go to Biltmore and I really missed going this year. Nobody came to be with us either. So, we celebrated Thankgiving with just our family. It kinda took all the fun out of it, but it also took ALL the pressure off. I still cooked a big meal and we ate in the formal dining room, which completely baffled the girls.

I dyed some pasta and had the girls make Native American necklaces.

They had a great time and it turns out that Blair is pretty good at it too! He and Rena had some bonding time over their beading.

The day after Thanksgiving we did head to the mountains of North Carolina to cut a Christmas tree.

It was a brief, overnight trip to Dillsboro and then cut our tree in Waynesville.

It was nice to get away, if only for the night. And it was beautiful! The girls had fun running from tree to tree trying to decide which one would be ours.

After we finally decided, we got to watch them cut it for us.

How exciting.

This place was really beautiful and next year, I'll know that I should have the girls ready for a Christmas picture.

This year, well, I'm just behind.

After that, my Father and Brother came to visit. I was really excited to have them here. My brother only came when we moved in 3 years ago. My father's been here a couple of times. We had a great time together and their visit was over too soon. The first night, my brother and I stayed up well past midnight drinking wine and talking and laughing. I'm still behind because of it! My brother spent most of his time in my kitchen. It was great! However, cleaning in this house is futile.

My dad and I got to spend some time together too. It's always so easy being with them.

And fun. My family is just funny. My Dad and brother were both confused by the Pampered Chef can opener. After I showed them how to open a can with it, my father was determined to figure out HOW it worked. I'd like to know that too.

The girls had fun too.

Grandaddy read to them...

and they helped him put together a play kitchen for the playhouse outside.

I loved hearing him telling them how to build it. Rena and Riley were interested.

Rachel just wanted to watch tv. All the excitement was too much for Rena and even though she didn't want to go to bed, the Sandman found her anyway, right in mid-sentence.

Now, the downhill to Christmas!