Just a bit of this and that....

While John is up north working for the summer, my goal is to take at least one picture each day to keep Daddy connected and in the loop on the home front happenings.....Carter loves to wear her "Reindeer hat" just like Dad...(it's actually a pink and camouflage hat that has a cute little doe on it wearing high heels but hey, that's practically a reindeer right?!) And Owen of course hates feeling left out of the hat party, so Sis decided that he should wear Daddy's hat!!!

 Of course he thinks that he's SUPER HOT STUFF, and the FUNNIEST DUDE EVER!!! (this is pretty much his 24/7 attitude, except for when he's just being an angry little man!)

 When I'm in single mom mode I must craft to keep my sanity...today's project of choice....sewing a sturdy library bag for Carter (who by the way picked out the very cute popsicle  fabric, too bad the picture makes the straps look so off color...boo...oh well! It still needs some embellishments, but it holds our 50lbs worth of library books and movies like a champ!!!

 The monogram wreath is from a while ago, but every time I look at it I get a giddy smile...I don't know why but the simplicity and colors just make me happy!!!

Today Carter got to have some fun playing with her two fave BF'sF...she came home for a short break demanding that she get her "princess pack pack" what I gather from her jumbled 3 yr old excitement is that she and the two boys were playing that they were going to school....at random "bad guys" would jump out to  get them and then the kids would collectively apprehend the villains by using various martial arts moves.....let me tell you this three year old has got some serious MOVES! She practices daily on her brother yelling "HI-YAH" and fake karate chopping his head, leg, arm or any other body part that's available....I just have to laugh, I love to see the tom boy in her come out, all while she prances with her princess back pack and sleeping beauty ring on (of which she sleeps with nightly!) 

 She really wanted me to take her picture with her back pack on outside....these photos just about break my heart, she looks like she's headed out for her first day of school...NNNNNOOOOOOOOO!!!! I can't even bring myself to sign her up for preschool this year because I just want her home with me...which is where at least for this year I feel like she needs to be (she has two preschool years before kindergarten so maybe next year.......maybe....maybe not) 

On a funny note....today after briefly seeing the above mentioned friends (before getting to play with them) Carter hounded me for HOURS saying that she doesn't like me (I know she knows this makes me sad even though I understand she's just three....but boy does she like to push that button!) So she says "I don't like you mom....I just love my Dad John, Bekah and Twabis (that's Bekah and Travis our friends AKA the parents of her friends)....I just need to go to Twabis's house mom!) ....I told her that it makes me sad when she says that and that it's not kind....I said "It breaks Mommy's heart"....she immediately looks down at her chest and says "My heart's not broken....see, it's right here!" HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Later, while drying her off after a bath, I must have scrubbed the towel on her too hard, she got all pouty faced, clutched her chest and said "Mom you just broke my heart, see...it really hurts me right here"....HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! TOO CUTE...except that a traditional female melt down with excessive water works followed.....some days I feel like she's thirteen instead of three....who knew the female and her mysterious hormonal swings started this young? Probably anyone who's ever raised a daughter!!!

While mother is sleeping.....

Sleep for me is rare these days, my allergies and asthma are in full attack mode..so usually by midnight I'm on the couch trying to spare my family from the persistent coughing and wheezing....my 3 year old likes to rise nice and early-usually she marches strait into our room and snuggles in bed between us...the mornings I'm not there...she comes searching....."Good morning mom" Is what I hear as she struts down the hall... "I have a gooooooddd rest mom" is the next phrase ALWAYS uttered....and I'm thinking to myself....I wish I had a good rest, and no it's not going to be a good morning...and why can't you be small enough to still cage in a crib like your brother (who I can hear in his room jumping in the crib and babbling to himself)....if I ignore him early in the morning, he usually goes back to sleep...Carter on the other hand is ready to start her day...so I turn on a movie, doze a little and try to keep an ear to her wandering about the house....

Well, the other morning, my ears head a soft clink clink....the sound of only ONE thing....Carter feeding Fish the fish of course....He must have looked REALLY hungry because she decided to dump the very FULL container of food ALL into the bowl (yay for mom who'd just changed the water the day before!)

 I felt like I was suffocating just watching Fish try to swim around in the murky water....it was SOOOO stanky and just SOOO ick!!! We learned a few lessons.....

1: Mom needs caffeine stocked in the pantry for mornings as such

2: Perhaps the fish food should be kept out of the 3 yr olds reach

3: We shall never use a live fish as incentive to potty train again (this fish just won't die!)

 On a more pleasant note, Owen is crawling like crazy, and learning to climb like a champ...I know you're questioning why this is pleasant...well at least he is finding something to do other than follow me around the house whining and crying and screaming like an angry little man!!!

He's ALL boy and loves to be rough and tumble, climbing is his favorite thing, he's now mastered getting up on the ottoman and the kids chairs....he's also mastered falling head first off of my bed and the couch....I knew that big hard head of his would come in handy someday!!! The only thing that will ruin his play is BIG SIS thinking she's the boss!

 The pterodactyl like screeching from Owen, after having to give up his spot on the changing table shelf while sister had a turn was deafening....he definitely has a voice and will let you know EXACTLY how he's feeling....quite often he and Carter get in tug of war matches over toys...the screech always comes first, followed by faint sounds of a bald head or face being slapped, followed by Carter's fake crying and screaming "No bud NO" as Owen has a death grip on her hair and a malicious glint in his eye like he's saying "Finally i'm big enough to get you back...buwahahaha!"

 He's finally starting to grow into that big head of his....he just gets more and more handsome!

 At least they do know how to play nice together..........SOMETIMES....for a few minutes at a time at least.....Carter decided they both needed their hoods on, they looked so nice playing together...that is until Sis pushed all of the magnets WAY up above Owen's head so he couldn't touch them and play too.....OH it's only the beginning...MANY years to go, and more children to add eventually to the chaos of sibling fun..er...uh.......sibling rivalry might be more like it!