The Guillot Family

Enough Already!

2012-01-24T19:22:00.004-06:00

My family keeps bugging me to blog, and although I have no real "material" to blog about, I will try to put together some funny Allie tidbits to entertain the masses (of like 5 people that read my blog).

Allie changes her clothes at least 4 times a day and it drives me batty. Everyday after nap she tries to put on an outfit that she puts together herself. Basically if it is all pink it matches, all blue it matches, etc. SO here is day pink.

This day she did not take a nap and was a major grump the rest of the day. She put her Christmas dress on backwards over her nightgown and then added a huge bow in her hair.

Allie is obsessed with the Grinch and has sticker chart going right now with the promise of the Grinch DVD as soon as she earns it. We have also been trying out a new church and on our first day there she told me she wanted to wear her Grinch t-shirt so she could scare all her new friends and make them cry. I persuaded her to wait until later on so we could make a slightly more appropriate first impression. And as a sidenote both my kids just super hate going to church so that has been really rewarding as well!

This is Allie's best impersonation of the Grinch:

Allie told me this afternoon when she gets older she wants to marry her daddy which I thought was so sweet. Then she told me she really wants to be a daddy and not a mommy when she gets bigger because daddies get to take showers instead of baths, wear cool clothes and are sillier than mommies.

Allie has her MobiGo in her room and is allowed to play it after she wakes up in the morning until we let her out of her room. The other night Kyle and I were sucked into watched Moneyball (awesome movie) and finally noticed sometime after 10 pm that she was up playing it in her bed. I went upstairs and told her to put it up and she immediately broke into an exhausted crying fit and wailed "but mom I have been playing for SO long!"

Allie has requested over and over that we please take her to get her hair cut just like Emmy's. Could you imagine!!??

And to end this on a very sweet note, I got to take Allie to the movies for the first time this weekend. We went to see Beauty and the Beast and she wanted to wear her Belle dress. She held my hand the entire time and sat in my lap when the beast first came on. Then when Belle dances with Beast in her pretty yellow dress, Allie asked me politely if it was ok for her to spin like Belle. It was an absolutely precious memory.

2011 Survey

2012-01-13T14:07:00.005-06:00

I am copying this idea from another much bigger and widely read blog....

1. What did you do in 2011 that you had never done before?

Ate a vegan diet for a month just because I felt like it. I learned I love cheese and eggs and being a vegan is not easy for me but I could easily be a vegetarian.

2. Did you keep your New Years Resolution and will you make more?

My very silly resolution last year was to accessorize more just because I had just had a baby and was trying to keep myself out of sweatpants for the remainder of the year.

Resolutions this year are to find a church home that we all really enjoy going to each week and to have more fun and special moments with my girls.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

My girlfriend and neighbor Tina had her second little one.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

My great grandfather passed away earlier this year.

5. What countries did you visit?

I think counties would have been a more appropriate question for me. So NOWHERE SPECIAL!

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?

A vacation!!

7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched in your memory and why?

January 5th was when Emmy was released from Texas Children's Hospital and December 10th was their big birthday party that they loved so much.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

For this first time in my life, I think I have really made exercise an important part of my routine. I look forward to waking up at the crack of dawn and have that time just for me.

Also I would say potty training Allie was a great feeling too!

9. What was your biggest failure?

Hmmmm. I think there were times that I could have been a much better wife and mom. I had a hard time coming out of the postpartum funk this time.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

No it was a lucky year health wise.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

I got an new Acadia this year with a DVD player in it and it has been LIFE CHANGING! Seriously! No more crying fits in the car. I love it! Also I did not buy them but I got a pair of cycling shoes that I love for Christmas from Kyle and a juicer that I use everyday from my mom.

12. Where did most of your money go?

Texas Children's and the NICU. Ha! But I have healthy kids and it is paid for so who cares?

13. What did you get really excited for?

Kyle and I made a quick trip to Atlanta and that was exciting. Kyle also started a new job at his company which he really enjoys. I am so proud of him!

14. What song will remind you of 2011?

I don't ever get to listen to the radio since we now have the car DVD player so I don't really have a current song to name here.

15. Compared to this time last year are you

Happier or sadder?

Much happier!

Thinner or fatter?

Thinner but just because I had a just had Emmy last year.

Richer or poorer?

Same? Kind of a weird question to answer on the internet?

16. What do you wish you had done more of?

Played with my girls.

17. What do you wish you had done less of?

Complained about my girls? And fretted over everything. I am a world class fretter.

18. What did you do at Christmas?

Spent the holiday with Kyle's family in San Antonio.

19. What was your favorite TV program?

Oh Lord do I watch way too much TV. Probably Parenthood is my favorite.

20. Favorite books of the year?

I had lots of favorites this year. My absolute favorite that I recommend to everyone is The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan. It was fantastic! Honorable Mention goes to Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer and then Blood, Bones and Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton and then Bossypants by Tina Fey.

21. Favorite music?

What ever got my fat butt up and working out at the gym. And my favorite Pandora stations at home.

22. Favorite films of the year?

I only saw Bridesmaids and The Help and I liked them both a lot.

23. What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?

I turned 31 and celebrated with a shrimp boil at my parents house with my family and the Raskas.

24. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Wow. I can't really say I feel like I missed out on having anything. I think I am overall really content with what I have in my life.

25. How would you describe your personal fashion concept of 2011?

Ha! I would sound so stupid answering this question. Basically I try to copy my sister in a more age appropriate (for me) way.

26. What kept you sane?

I think you are assuming I was sane. I will say Kyle though. He is a good person to talk to when I am upset. He talks me out of my emotional freak outs and always has a cool head about things.

27. Tell us a valuable lesson you learned in 2011?

I learned it in 2010 and then again in 2011, having your health is everything. Take care of yourself and others you love, because you never realize how devastating it can be to have an ill loved one until it smacks you upside the head. Also, I always talk about the money stuff with the hospital bills and maybe we could have done a lot more this year had we not had all those to deal with, but stuff is just stuff and really does not make me all that happy.

Rise and Shine

2012-01-12T08:30:00.004-06:00

Today will be a good day. I have much to be thankful for already.

Everyone woke up on the right side of the bed! Including me! Allie has provided some excellent conversation over breakfast today. This kid cracks me up. Bedhead and all!

I have two happy and healthy girls with full bellies.

I have the perfect cup of coffee in my favorite mug.

Two lazy, hairy dogs waiting to clean up the floor for me.

Life is good. Rise and Shine!

Christmas 2011

2012-01-06T12:37:00.006-06:00

The Guillot family spent Christmas in San Antonio this year with Kyle's family. Even though Kyle and I have had 10 Christmases as a married couple, we had yet to spend one in San Antonio. I think it was a a great year to visit too because Allie was just so excited.

First off it is imporant to note that my girls have a completly warped sense of gift giving in the month of December. Between 2 birthdays and Christmas and lots of other random get togethers in between, it turned into a massive gift opening frenzy. We are thankful that so many wanted to share in the gift giving spirit, and I will tell you Allie LOVES you for it, but when we stepped back into our house from being out of town, Allie ran up to the tree and whispered with a blank stare, Daddy I want to open somethin'. December was a month of near fatal spoiling for these girls.

This was one Allie's favorite gifts she got all month. A bag full of bandaids and, not 1 but 2, loud singing Christmas characters! Thanks Aunt Linda! And we are about halfway through the bandaids.

Also, not to get off track but Allie got an email from Santa that she really enjoyed alot. There are two options, either your child is naughty or nice. I wish there was an option C that says something like, Allie your an awesome kid but your really not living up to your potential this holiday season.

Here is the loot. Allie got a lovely plastic vanity complete with a set of fine plastic hair tools from Mimi. Her stocking had all sorts of makeup and princess tattoos and she got some very high end velour princess slippers. I am a real believer in teaching your daughters its what's on the inside that counts you know?? And then she got a VTech MobiGo which is a fun little handheld game for kids her age with a few games and accessories to go along with it. Don't call it a MobiGo though because she calls it her iPad. No need to ruin that for us ok?

Emmy got tons of fun toys from Lakeshore. It is hard to think of things for her because we already have TONS of early toddler toys but I think we did well. She got a set of sensory blocks and magnet maze and some neat puzzles and fine motor games. Basically Allie would claim all these as her own thought too so MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALLIE!

Allie coming around the corner.

Emmy and Kyle.

Emmy stole the leftover Santa cookies while I was not watching.

Shot I took of the whole family opening gifts.

Allie LOVES her MobiGo, I mean iPad, so much. She played on it all day and still uses it daily. I think it will come in handy on car trips and dr visits and things like that.

Emmy LOVES this empty box we kept stuffing bits of wrapping paper in. Who needs toys when you have trash?

Allie sat and brushed her teeth at her new vanity.

We watched alot of Grinch that day. Allie also loves that Grinch.

Papa really wanted a picture of all the grandkids together for his office. That went well.

Allie was really happy to cheese it up for the camera after her daddy took her upstairs for an "attitude adjustment".

Allie really got in the holiday spirit later that night while we watched The REAL Grinch on tv.

Emmy as well.

Kyle and his dad.

And finally, one good shot for Papa!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Dirty Bunny

2012-01-04T12:52:00.006-06:00

My kids both have soft animal toys that they love to death and they could not live without. Allie has Oo-oo-ah-ah, her monkey, and Emmy was what we have always referred to as Bun Buns, which is a little soft pink bunny named after my cousin Courtney's childhood rabbit that used to scratch the tar out of us when we held her. Bun Buns #1 was not so nice but Bun Buns #2 is much more docile.

Emmy does not take a pacifier nor does she suck her thumb. Instead she chews on Bun Buns ears. This has led Bun Buns to become yellow, dirty and usually moist and a bit stinky. Most people refuse to even pick Bun Buns off the floor for me if she drops it, and Allie is down right afraid of it and won't even sit next to it. Sometimes if someone is irritating me I will throw Bun Buns at them as a warning because he is gross and you will likely stop.

Allie has started calling Bun Buns Dirty Bunny which does seem to be more fitting of a name. And before you think we are just super gross and dirty, please note that Dirty Bunny is washed frequently in the hot water cycle when I can sneak him away, but he still remains mighty dirty looking.

Anyway we had a near catastrophe at HEB yesterday when, after buckling Emmy into her carseat to go home, I realized that we had not come out of the store with Bun Buns. I said OH NO really loudly and one of the cart guys came over to make sure we were ok. I understand most would not understand the gravity of losing Dirty Bunny, but I was fairly certain I would never sleep again if he was not recovered.

This wonderful guy went all throughout the store with me, up and down every aisle, looking for the bunny. We were nearing the end of our search and I had a lump in my throat thinking I just lost my baby's most favorite thing in the world. Low and behold just as soon as I was about to give up, we found him placed up on a display. Some poor soul picked up this bunny, perhaps wondering if someone was missing some one very special to them, and then probably threw it on the nearest shelf while recoiled back in disgust. Emily squealed with delight and started chomping on those ears.

Hallelujah Dirty Bunny is back!

And I sent HEB an email telling them how great that kid was that helped me out. I hope he gets a new car or employee of the century because he saved my tail big time.

Mems at 1 year!

2012-01-01T20:01:00.004-06:00

On this day 1 year ago, Kyle and I woke up in a teeny tiny room at Texas Childrens Hospital. We were thankful that we were given one of the last rooms available, although it was a handicap accessible room and did not have a sofa to sleep on. We slept sitting up in chairs and my 3 weeks post c-section body was uncomfortable to say the least. I don't think we would have slept much anyway though because we anxiously watch over our sweet, tiny baby Emmy who was very, very sick.

I know I have told this story a 100 times but it is important to write it down, even though it was not the best of times, to remind Emmy what a tough kid she is later in life. Emmy was sick for a few days and then on a mommy instinct inkling, I called the pediatrician just to see her one last day before the holiday. We were seen, Emmy was observed, and then our fantastic pediatrician sat with Kyle and I and, with tears in her eyes because I was way deep into an ugly cry, she explained to us that we needed to take Emmy immediately to TCH.

We quickly drove there and were seen right away due to the fact our doctor had called ahead and also because Emmy was very ill. Looking back I really never realized the danger she could have been in without treatment. RSV is after all just a cold, but very dangerous for babies. As our doctor at TCH later explained to us, a babies lungs are a tiny muscle and can give out like any other muscle after extreme use and Emmy's lungs were definitely working overtime. Her chest rose and fell quickly and and in an overly exaggerated way that let us know she was not getting the oxygen her little body needed.

As we were seen in the small room before being admitted, there were about 5 to 6 doctors with us the entire time. I wept to the point I was not able to answer any questions, and would just look at Kyle every time as his cue to answer them for me. How long had her lips been blue they asked? I really didn't even know. I was a complete mess and was smacked upside the head with how serious it really was. Maybe it was my postpartum fog or maybe it was just denial that she could really be sick but it was a painful realization that left me sick with guilt.

Of course the good new was no pneumonia and that after getting over the virus she would breath better, be better. All she needed was oxygen, but they can't send that home with us and she needed to be monitored so we would remain there until she was better.

So we stayed there for 5 days until you were strong enough to breathe on your own. We took turns going home to shower and sleep and were moved to a more comfortable room with a sofa I could sleep on. We lived amongst many other parents with sick children. Walking the halls there would bring me to tears. Seeing really sick kids being transported around in wagons, watching the moms with NICU babies show up every morning with a bag packed to spend the days with their babies, talking to other parents on our floor, it was just really damn depressing at times. I would just cry at the drop of a hat. I missed Allie and just wanted a normal family day at home with all of us together. I felt like everything was wrong and nothing was in my control. It was a crappy feeling.

But there were good things too. They tried so hard to make your stay there comfortable. The nurses were amazing! I always felt that they really cared about us and wanted to make us feel comfortable. I had the same nurses almost each day and they knew all about us. I felt like they were really invested in us. They knew we had a 2 year old little girl and one of them brought me a necklace and bracelet set for Allie from a cart of toys and kids knicknacks that would make the rounds each day. They would sit and talk to me and always wanted to know my opinion about how things were going. Did I see Emmy improving? Was I clear on everything going on?Was I happy with her treatment? I feel very indebted to TCH and so very grateful for everything they did for Emily. It is an amazing place where miracles happen everyday. They are phenomenal at what they do.

When you were finally healthy enough to go home we felt like we were on cloud nine. It was late in the evening and we were thinking we would be there for at least another night, when you seemed to suddenly be doing so much better on your own. I was so happy to take you back home that night.

This was in the holding area before we were admitted to our own room. You turned a beautiful shade of pink when they got you hooked up to the oxygen and you were immediately more peaceful and fell asleep.

And here you were in your room on the first night. We kept you swaddled tightly and brought blankets from home to make your bed more cozy. You slept so well there. Also because you were very sick though. I had to wake you to feed you because you had so little appetite. I would say you slept for 95% of the time we were there.

And here is my most recent picture I have of you right now taken on Christmas day. You are a beautiful, healthy, happy, active, smart and funny little girl. You are simply amazing. You are a miracle that your daddy and I prayed to have. You are the baby we sat vigil over night after night. It was a hard time but my dear you are worth all that and then some. You changed me for the good in many many ways.

I love you to the moon and back sweet Emily Claire. Now can you pretty please quit biting your sister?

The Christmas Funk

2011-12-21T18:55:00.005-06:00

I must admit, I am having a case of the Christmas funk. It starts with having super high expectations of how everything will be fantastically magical, sparkly and perfect, and ends when things start turning a bit sour. Nothing is horrible, I am just in a funk. The last few years have been crumby Christmases, so I think maybe it is just part of getting older maybe? Seems like I know several adults in the Christmas funk and we enjoy lamenting together.

Anyway so both of our dogs are not doing so hot. Sarge (our youngest golden) has started having seizures. He has always been an easily excitable dog and so I am hoping they are just coming from him getting super amped up, but he is a bit old to be diagnosed with epilepsy so the vet has put him on medicine to treat him but also is having us look out for signs of a brain tumor. Having an 80 pound dog going into a seizure can be a bit hectic, dangerous and terrifying for toddlers so we are hoping this ends soon. For his sake and the kids. Anyway we started medicine yesterday so here is hoping he gets better!

Then Macy (our older golden) got sick with what I thought was a urinary tract infection. Tests have led us to believe that she may be having early signs of kidney disease. So we started medicine to help her out too. Blah, blah, blah. On a good note however, I do believe I have a fantastic vet and he even gave me his cell phone number in the event I needed him when they were closed. I am really thankful to have someone that is so helpful with our situation. I would just like everyone I like to be healthy and happy for the rest of my life so is that too much to ask?

Hope I did not damper your holiday cheer but I needed a break from all things merry and bright so today Court and I took a break and just took the kids to the park. I really enjoyed the few hours away from the big plans and whatnot, and just enjoyed hanging with the kids. Courtney may also be experiencing symptoms of the funk but a trip to Chick-Fil-A really lifted her spirits. She was a little bit overly excited about the free biscuit they gave her but I will forgive her for that embarrassment.

I had heard how great this park was but had never actually been there. Well I thought it was awesome. It is huge and had tons of things for the kids to do. It had a train theme to it and Allie loved that. She kept asking the other kids for their tickets to get on and then would shout, "all aboard!"

Is there anything cuter than a hoodie with animal ears? I just don't think so!

Allie gave me a super smile!

Court and Noley.

These kids were loving the swings.

You know how I know this is my kid? She is always trying to pull off her shoes and socks. I refused to wear shoes and socks for my first few years of life. It became quite a problem in kindergarten.

This kiddo was running everywhere.

There were these cool bells that sounded like a train. Allie and Mems thought they were so cool. They shared for about 10 seconds.

Out of my way sis!

There was a little boy who kept telling Allie he was 4 and three quarters years old who could climb up on this contraption and easily pedal his arms and legs so of course Allie wanted to too.

And she tried.....

and finally got there... sort of?

No matter how knee deep I get in the Christmas funk I get, this smile can quickly lead me back out!

Christmas Pics

2011-12-17T20:42:00.004-06:00

Now that the birthdays are over we are in mega Christmas mode. Here are some pictures from some Christmas-y things we have been doing lately.

First off, Kyle hauled out my magnificent, fake, prelit tree and set it up for us. It weighs about 100 lbs but is one of my most favorite Christmas items. Our first year in California, we did not go home for Christmas for some reason. We were a little bummed about that but Kyle went out and surprised me with this big, beautiful tree all set up in our little apartment when I got home from work one day. Every time I look at it I think of that :)

Allie helped me decorate the tree that evening while I fired up my Christmas playlist on iTunes. It was such a fun evening. She was so excited to help me decorate! My Grammie gives us Christmas ornaments ever year as gifts and it is really fun to look back on all of them. I have my ornament from the year I was born all the way up til Emmy's first Christmas. Some of them make noise and play music so those are Allie's favorite. It was a really special mommy daughter evening since Kyle has never particularly enjoyed decking the halls with me.

Emmy is in her walker in these pics, but believe me, this kid is RACING around the house. She stands up, gets her balance, and then immediately takes off, usually leaning waaaaaaay forward and then just drops when it gets too dangerous. She has a big bruise on her forehead right now from a pesky wall that got in her way.

Then I took our Christmas card pictures of the girls. I took these a night and they looked a little meh...

so I googled how to take pictures of my kids in front of the Christmas tree and I ended up with much better pics!

Sidenote: Emmy would sit in a chair all day long and let me take pictures of her while she smiled. Allie drove me CRAZY! I had to make up silly words while I took her pictures because her "cheeeeeeese" smile is anything but natural looking.

Then last night we went on a hayride through my old 'hood with our neighbors the Raska's.

It was so much fun! Allie and Nolan were super happy to find a house that had the Chipmunk's out front. Allie has never watched the Chipmunks, but because Nolan likes them, she LOVES them! She is funny like that. She will only wear the Cars pull-ups at night because those are her No-nans favorite. We also found a house in our neighborhood that has an inflatable Grinch and Allie about lost her mind she was so happy. She LOVES the bad guys in movies. I just don't get it!

Christmas Parties

2011-12-15T20:23:00.005-06:00

We have attended 2 Christmas parties this year.

First one was for Kyle's work. His company is in Atlanta so it makes for an interesting commute. Fortunately, he does not work there all the time and they have been great to let us stay here for the time being. I was excited to get to go to Atlanta because a) I am a huge fan of their Real Housewives franchise, b) it was nice to see where Kyle spends a lot of time and c) Allie and Emmy stayed in Texas.

We had so much fun. The party was great and as one of the wives said, "it was like reading the book and then seeing the movie." We had a great dinner with his colleagues and then had the entire next day to cruise around town, eat out with out our kids and enjoy SEC life. Listen ladies, now that the Ags are in the SEC we really need to step up our game in the clothing department. Maroon Out shirts will not cut it. These ladies are put together and the SEC championship was in ATL while we were there and the theme of the weekend was riding boots and skinny jeans. I caved in to peer pressure and bought a new pair of boots while I was there.

Here are the few pics I took. View of downtown from our beautiful hotel. I can accept that Kyle will spend many nights in a hotel when I always have a fantastic cheese plate and bottle of wine waiting for me in my room when I arrive. Thanks Marriott!

This is Buckhead which is where we stayed. Lots action going on here. It kept us very busy.

I really wanted to go to Richard Blais' (of Top Chef) restaurant, Flip Burger Bistro. Sweet potato tatertots with marshmallow foam? Yes please! Loved it. Wish we had saved room for a liquid nitrogen Nutella milkshake.

I really loved visiting Atlanta. It was a fun getaway for Kyle and I.

Then there was Allie's school Christmas party.

I missed Allie's Christmas party and program last year because it fell on the same day that I came home from the hospital with Emmy. There was just no way I could make it so I was so happy to go this year. She loves music and preforming so I knew she would be so excited to have us come visit her at school. Aunt Linda came too and cheered her on. It was really special!

Nolan and Allie had the same program. It was so fun to see them both!

Emmy just crawled all over the place. 90% of my day, this is what I see!

Here is a video of Allie and Nolan singing away in a manger. My video camera card filled up quickly so I did not get the whole program. I was so happy I got to see Allie sing her most requested song "Jesus in Belly Button" and I finally figured out her favorite song she listed in her interview which is a Wiggles song "Bear is Now Sleep."

Untitled from Katie Guillot on Vimeo.

My Happy Birthday Girls!

2011-12-11T18:36:00.006-06:00

Well the big birthday has come and gone. It was fairly simple but don't for a second think that made me not fret over the whole event. I just can't pull my act together when it comes to stuff like this. I always have great intentions but as time wore on, I got super overwhelmed/lazy. But then, just before the party, as I was about to burn the bounce house place down because they showed up 10 SECONDS BEFORE THE PARTY, Zach told me that this party was just like one of those Real Housewives of whatever parties because I had matching plates AND napkins. So I breathed a sign of relief! It was all going to be just fine and the girls would love it. And they did!

Excuse the blurry pics. I had the camera settings set to do Christmas tree pics and never changed them. I do this way too often!

The cake. I promised Allie a Lion King cake. Nobody makes a Lion King cake. I bought a bunch of toys at WalMart and asked the cake lady to make it look like Africa. TA-DA! Pride Rock is made entirely out of frosting. And nobody would eat it either.

Allie played outside most of the morning. She chose the tutu at the last moment and I think it really worked!

Allie sat outside and watched the bounce house inflate. She quietly whispered, "oh... my... gosh."

The dads were great at helping out with the the bounce house. The moms sat on the patio furniture and ate and drank.

Ems was doted on by all 3 grandmas.

Then we opened gifts.

We were so lucky to have so many of our friends and family join us!

Hey Guillots! Close your eyes and say Cheese!

Take 2!

Allie nearly set herself on fire while blowing out the candles.

Crisis averted.

Everyone nom-nom-nomed on cake.

Cousin Christian.

Mems was near comatose by the end of the shindig.

Best bud Nolan. Allie said, "My No-nans a handsome boy" when she saw this.

If you came to the party, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU A MILLION TIMES THANK YOU!!!! We had a great time and Allie told us when we put her down for a nap, "I would like to have more parties please." It was so much fun and everyone that came is so special to us! I did not get pics of everyone because taking pictures at your kids party is mega hard but we are so thankful to have such a great family and group of friends that can share in days like today. You guys are the best!

Birthday Girl!

2011-12-08T19:00:00.003-06:00

So on December 1st my first born turned the big 3!

I have a sappy wubby dubby post I have been working on but for tonight I shall post an idea I saw on Pintrest. I sat down Allie and interviewed her. Some serious journalism as I was a journalism minor in college.

What is your favorite food? Ice cream sandwiches

What is your favorite veggie? Yogurt

What is your favorite toy? Jessie

What is your favorite game? Hide and seek with Daddy

What is your favorite book? Pig Get a Party (If You Give a Pig a Party)

What is your favorite animal? Monkey

What is your favorite song? Bear is Quiet (I have no idea what this song is and I have never heard her sing it)

What do you want for your birthday? iPad or Nook (someone may be a bit disappointed at the party)

If you could change your name, what would it be? Captain Hook

What do you want to be when you grow up? When I eat dinner I get so big and you can't find me

Who are your friends? Nolan, Olivia and Mady

What do you like to do with Mommy? Tickle me

What do you like to do with Daddy? Smell him

What do you like to do with Emmy? Play in the bathtub like mermaids

Where would you like to go on a trip? To see Muppets with Mommy

What is your favorite TV show? Snow White with lots of bad guys

So there you have it. I have a little villain lovin', ice cream sandwich eatin', iPad wishin' kid!

Allison Grace you are seriously the cutest 3 year old I know. You make me laugh at times and make me crazy at times, but no matter what, I will always ALWAYS love you more than anything in the entire world and I am so thankful that God chose me to be your Mommy!

Allie helped me bake her a cake since her birthday party is over a week after her actually birthday. Allie LOVES to cook and is a really good helper. She CAN be a good listener and patient when she wants to :)

Allie Grace I love you more than all the stars in the sky, the fish in the sea and the sand at the beach. I will forever be thankful for the day you came around and rocked our world!

Elf on Our Shelf

2011-11-26T20:46:00.003-06:00

The Christmas Spirit is alive and well in our home. We decorated the tree and got things rolling the day after Thanksgiving.

This year we started a new family tradition on having an Elf on the Shelf.

I spent a lot of time researching the Elf and have gotten really excited about all the possibilities. I mean, I can force my children to mind me because they are intimidated by the Elf and his magical powers and the threat of not receiving Christmas gifts!?!?!? SIGN ME UP!

The Elf sang the doorbell and arrived promptly after Thanksgiving dinner. He was given the name "Cap'n Hook" by Allie. She really loves those bad guys...

Day 1.

Allie has a monumental breakdown. I like to compare it to the Nordstrom Rack meltdown of '11 where I had to drag her out to the car kicking and screaming and I was near tears.

Cap'n left a nice little reminder to Allie.

And when you ask her what the note said she will say, "the tree looks gooood!" Thats all. No other mentions on improving behavior or anything.

The good news is that today was a much better day. Allie was fun! Hallelujah! But look what she has to find that sneaky Elf doing tomorrow....

Pink mulk-a-mulk.

Gobble Gobble

2011-11-25T22:29:00.009-06:00

Grab some leftovers and settle in. Lots of pics!

Turkey Day was celebrated at my folks house this year. We ate well and laughed lots. Until the football game that is.

Pre holiday shot of Allie.

La's culinary contribution for the day.

Ro and Em. Em had a nasty virus last week that left her with a horrible rash on her face and legs. It is clearing up nicely but you will notice she still has some bumps on her face.

Gram and Pap sat and went through my dad's scrapbook from when he was little. My grandma kept asking me if I was scrapbooking for the girls and I reminded her that I was throwing random items that seem sort of important into a box in the closet. At least I did that for the first year of Allie's life so same thing right?

Gram and I.

Emmy has a bit of a shy personality and when she is surrounded by lots of people she feels safest being held close and putting her head on your chest. It is about the sweetest thing ever.

So my Dad said that he watched some youtube videos to see how to really carve a turkey. According to him this is just how Bobby Flay does it. Interesting thing was I never saw him use a knife. He just teared that meat right off with his hands. JUST like Bobby Flay.

Kyle was skeptical.

Zach, La, Linda.

Ems getting her first taste of fried turkey.

Loved it!

We discovered that Allie loves green beans. Or at least on this one day she did. She is a bit fickle.

Allie sang the prayer and did a great job. I thought she would chicken out in front of everyone but I was really proud. You can see my Dad clapping at the end. Then my Pap said a really sweet prayer that had some of us in tears. Very sweet indeed.

Chris really worked overtime to win Allie over. He ended up victorious.

Emmy was quite pleased with the days feast and even found room for an ice cream sandwich in the end,

Allie selected who would sit at the kids table with her and Emmy. She ended up with me, Jen and Ro.

After dinner we sat around and chatted and had more wine.

Grammie always drinks her red wine on ice!

Doug and Ro no longer do all the lights outside. Instead they buy a new inflatable to add to the lawn each year. It is a pretty big hit with the kids. Allie finally got up the courage this year to get close to the hoho.

She really loved the "two widdle Mickeys".

This is how Chris won over Allie. Lots and lots of chasing!

We also started the newest Guillot tradition which is our "Elf on the Shelf". We are off to a slow start but I am hoping Allie gets more into it in the next few days. More on that soon.

Happy Turkey Day all!

Halloween Pics!

2011-11-14T11:06:00.003-06:00

Only 2 weeks late!!!!

We had such a fun Halloween! I thought my girls looked adorable too. Allie picked out both the girls Halloween costumes and they were just precious!

Also I have to say Halloween made me so thankful for our home and our neighborhood. We moved onto a street with 2 little girls Allie's age and 2 little girls born within a month of Emmy. Plus we have Nolan across the street too. It is such a great place to live and I have some really good girlfriends just a few doors down that I really enjoy spending time with.

Best pic of the evening!

Alvin and Belle pre trick or treating.

Poor Emmy goes to bed around 6 or so, so I actually laid her down for a short time and then had to wake her up to go trick or treating. She was sort of out of it but was happy to be carried around all evening.

I let Allie wear a bit of blush and lip gloss and she LOVED it. Then she broke into my makeup and broke one of my mac pots and now has been banished from makeup until she is in college.

Allie and her two best girlfriends!

After trick or treating, Nolan came over to eat a bunch of junk with Allie and take a bath. They even wear matching pullups. Allie will only wear the boys pullups because they have Cars on them and she says "Nonans LOVES Cars!"

It's My Party.....

2011-11-04T14:15:00.004-05:00

And I will boss you around like the first born alpha child if I want to!!!

We are entering into the craziest of times in our house... the months of November and December. I have 2 kid birthdays and 2 big holidays and it totally stresses me out. But THIS YEAR I am NOT going it let it get to me. It will be fun! We will make good memories! Noone will end up in the hospital! Moving on...

Allie is OBSESSED with her birthday. She talks about it all the time. Since everyone has been asking me what the "theme" is I will let you in on a little secret. The "theme" is... birthday party. Womp Womp. But totally easy to plan!

So anyway back to my post. Allie talks about her birthday all the time, and what we will do, and who we are inviting, and will there be ice cream sandwiches and cake tweese mommy tweese?

Anyway, under no circumstances can you break the rules of Allie's birthday parties. These are the ones she throws herself upstairs in the playroom. Punishment is torment by tantrum. And if you are her little sister, you risk bodily injury.

You will receive a handwritten invitation. Do not come until Allie tells you to though.

She is busy preparing for the festivities and there is a method to her madness so don't touch anything.

You sit in the seat she tells you to sit in. Emmy must be restrained in a parents lap. You may think this looks like a hug, but it was Allie trying to throw Emmy to the ground.

Specifically for Emmy: Do not touch anything.

Do not eat until Allie sings a prayer.

Cupcakes are to be eaten last. And Emmy stop touching things!

No you cannot be excused. Ever.

ARE WE HAVING FUN YET!?!??!!

Pumpkin Carving

2011-11-02T10:20:00.008-05:00

Allie is in school and Emmy is babbling herself to sleep in her crib for nap so time to blog!

A few weekends ago we all got together to do our second annual family pumpkin carving competition. My parents provide all the food, beverages and supplies and we all carve our best pumpkin ideas in hopes of being voted best pumpkin. We also vote for the worst because we are mean like that. Kyle won best pumpkin and Roro won worst! Again.

This was our method to check out our pumpkins. This was La's.

From left to right: Kyles (winner), Chris, Doug, La, Zach, Mine, Ro, Jen, Al's. Mine was Ariel which looked way cooler lit up.

Allie just loves Jen.

She is so sweet to my girls.

My parents picked up dinner from Swinging Door BBQ. Emmy had her first ribs and she was hooked.

The girls know that if they eat dinner at Dodo and Roro's they get ice cream sandwiches for dessert. Allie loves them! And when I asked her what type of cake she wanted for her upcoming birthday party she just said she wanted ice cream sandwiches instead.

Emmy gets half of one. But she would probably eat an entire box if I let her. This kid can eat!

Em's and Dodo.

I took this picture the next day of Emmy with Macy. She looks like such a big girl!

And here is a picture of Allie and Emmy in their Halloween jam-jams. Allie loves that they glow in the dark and calls them her spoooooooooooky jam-jams.

Guess What?

2011-10-26T19:36:00.001-05:00

Someone took their very first steps today.

Who me?

Scary huh?

Celebrate Your Princess

2011-10-24T11:23:00.004-05:00

This weekend my mom, Allie and I all participated in a really fun family event called Celebrate Your Princess. It's a fundraiser for breast cancer and they have a 1 mile family walk and all kinds of neat activities for your "princesses". Allie got her hand painted (instead of face painting), her nails done, played in the petting zoo, bounced up a storm, and hugged all her favorite Disney princess. SOme of our neighbors were there too and Allie loved running around with their daughters. It was a really fun day and I can't wait to go back next year with both the girls!

Allie, Roro and the princesses. These were kids from the local high school theatre group.

My Mom's friend Rachel had a booth in the Pink Market. ALlie was upset and wante dto go bounce some more.

We got there so early she had the whole bounce house to herself.

Me, Allie and Ro.

We walked to celebrate my Aunt Carol!

They did a neat balloon release before the walk began. They recognized some women that were currently undergoing treatment and who had beat cancer. It was really special!

Allie celebrated with some treats.

Zoo Boo

2011-10-18T20:25:00.005-05:00

Sunday we loaded up the girlies and headed to the Houston Zoo for a little good old fashioned family Halloween fun. Allie was dressed in her Princess Belle finest and I kept Emmy in her skeleton jammies she wore the night before because I wanted to keep her comfy and happy. She will be Snow White on Halloween though. And a cute one at that!

Allie has been all about the Lion King this past week so she was very excited and knew exactly what she wanted to see. Our first stop was the elephants and when she saw one she shouted, "Daddy, Daddy look what I found!!!" She loved to lean into the wagon and explain to Emmy everything she saw. It was really sweet.

Zoo Boo has all kinds of fun stuff set up but the best part is getting to dress up. There were lots of Disney Princesses and lots of ninjas out there. Allie loved getting compliments on her dress. Here she is with her Zoo Boo tattoo.

Allie was really excited to see the tigers. Alle the animals were out and about because it was such a nice cool day. She was leaning in yelling at the tiger to go take his bath. (We had just come from the elephants taking their bathes)

And wouldn't you know it that tiger jumped in the water and started swimming around. Just what Allie needed. Another thing to boss around.

Allie giving her best Roar!

Our last stop of the day to the carousel. She went on one of the animals for the first time. She usually just wants to sit on the benches on the ride. Anyway she was super excited to get to ride on "Raffiki" from Lion King. She loved to wave to Emmy and I.

And if you know Emmy, you know she LOVES waving to people. She got such a kick out of seeing her sis go round and round, She would snort and clap her hands every time she saw her! It was really sweet!

Oh Allie!

2011-10-11T14:16:00.004-05:00

Allie has really just grown up into a kid lately. She cracks me up with all her little Allie-isms.

Here are some of the weird things she says and does that I want to remember.

*When I get on her for doing something and say "don't do that" she ALWAYS says "but I do DO dat". Like she is arguing with me over it ever occurring.

*When I tell her to stop doing something she will cut me off really quickly with a hug and say, "I love you too mommy."

*She pushed her baby sis (while in her walker) into the dark laundry room and shut the door. When I told her that was scary for Emmy she said, "but Jesus in there mommy."

*She likes to draw pictures for Kyle when he is out of town and stack them on his side of the bed on the floor. Last night I went into my bedroom to find some pictures of my own waiting on my side. Mostly these are her tracing her hands and feet which she is obsessed with doing now! She also has a pad of paper and a pen and will "write" grocery lists for me throughout the day. She goes and checks the fridge and pantry for certain items that we use everyday and will add them to her list and then takes it to the grocery store. Mostly she just remembers we need mulk-a-mulk (milk), lemonade for daddy, juice boxes and fruit snacks.

* Allie wears a minimum of 2 Band-Aids a day. Never really needed but she is always asking for them. And she asks me to paint her nails probably 3 or 4 times a day.

* She loves to build forts on the sofa and they are either a pirate ship and she is Captain Hook or they are a puppy house and she is a puppy named Sassy who demands lots of "treats".

* Allie got The Lion King last week and it has been on heavy rotation in our house and in the car. Allie will sing every song even though she does not know the words. And when she sings Hakuna Matata she says "I runnin, I ty-terd (tired)."

* Allie and I were looking at Halloween costumes on Etsy and she told me she wanted to be Snow White for Halloween because Snow White has boobies. I was at a total loss as to what to say to that one. I really wanted to laugh but I was certain I did not hear her right. So anyway Allie will not be dressing as Snow White for Halloween.

Thats all I can think of now but I need to add lists like this more often so I don't forget how goofy toddlers can be!

Dewberry Farms

2011-10-04T20:45:00.004-05:00

Last weekend we made our annual trip to Dewberry Farms in Brookshire. We had a blast as usual. We have gone the past 3 years and have always enjoyed the trip. First year we saw a witch, second year we learned the ropes and this year was a total success. And each year I have gotten a comment from Farmer Dewberry himself, so lets see if it happens again! We love it because it is a cheap and nearby family excursion and they have SO much to do there. Although it may seem crowded when you first get there, we never waited in line to do anything. We look forward to many more fun fall trips there with the girls! This year we invited Allie's buddy Olivia and family to come along with us.

We had our Juice in the City coupons printed out and ready to go so we zipped right through the line. First up we visited the petting zoo area. Lots of cute little animals for the girls to check out. We spent a good chunk of time in there.

Allie and Olivia checking out the baby chicks.

Daddy and Allie checking out the rabbits.

Kyle and Emmy.

Kyle was Super Daddy this trip. He was so great with the girls and did all the super fun activities that I would never do.

Now let me just say I have been trying really hard to use my DSLR in the manual settings. I took a ton of pics in the barn and was so happy with how they all turned out. Then I NEVER FREAKING CHANGED THE SETTINGS and I think the rest are such a mess. Oh wells. Live and learn. I tried to touch them up in iPhoto but it can only do so much so, ugh, just bear with me!

Allie and Olivia cruising the farm.

They had a big old tractor for the kids to crawl on. Both girls loved this.

This picture would have been so cute if I had changed the settings but it was totally washed out and you would not be able to see Emmy if I did not change it to black and white. Trust me.... cute moment!

Kyle took Allie down this huge slide and I thought she would not like it and she freaking loved it. It was huge and fast and scared me to death but she would have gone all day if we had let her.

I even did it once. But I was scared! See me trying to slow us down by holding onto the side? I am such a wuss.

Then the girls jumped on these big inflatable trampoline things. They loved it and jumped forever!

And so how do you bribe your toddler to leave such a fun place? Why sugar of course!

Thanks Farmer Dewberry! See you next year! Or maybe for Christmas?

The Icky Sickies

2011-10-04T19:51:00.004-05:00

Poor Emily. She has come down with a case of the icky sickies.

I called the pediatrician on Monday and asked to speak with the nurse because I thought something was up. Emmy seemed to be out of sorts. I thought she:

a) had a mysterious sunburn

b) was teething

c) was dropping her morning nap at 9 months

Turns out I was wrong. She has Hand Foot and Mouth Disease which is just gross sounding. She is hungry, over tired, fevery, and very irritable and I felt awful I did not connect the dots to figure this one out.

So now we have a few more days of being trapped at home and feeling like lepers. And Emmy can only eat oatmeal which is making her very unhappy.

Baby is very displeased with oatmeal selection yet again this evening

I shall eat cardboard book instead.

Note to mommy- Toss cardboard book asap.

Ouch

2011-09-25T18:09:00.003-05:00

We made it 2 years 9 months and some odd days and then we finally did it. We broke a bone. Or at least we are pretty sure we did.

The results from the xray were inconclusive. The Dr. was pretty sure something was fractured although I guess with little kids, their teeny tiny foot bones are not totally calcified so you don't know for sure. Either way little baby feets heal quickly and this sure has not slowed Allie down. The boot keeps her from bending at the ball of her foot so it can heal. Just look out for those IKEA stools. Apparently they can really do some damage when you drop them on your foot.

Ouch. I will spare you from the sans boot pic. That bruise is icky.

Daddy's Dream Come True!

2011-09-22T14:13:00.004-05:00

Kyle talks alot about doing 2 things with his girls. He says that I get to do all the fun firsts with them so awhile back he told me her really wanted to take Allie to the movies. The first time he took her to see "Rio" and she wanted to leave after 15 minutes and threw up M&Ms all over my car. So that was an interesting first. Then Allie saw the ad for Lion King 3D and really wanted her daddy to take her and of course he was happy to.

These two look so much alike when they smile.

I thought she looked so cute in these 3D glasses. She wore them whenever she watched tv the rest of the day.

Crashed out on the way home. And no barfing!

Kyle's other dream is to play golf with his girls one day. He likes to chip the ball around the backyard when it is nice out and I let Allie sit outside and eat dinner last night and watch him since it was so pretty. Soon she thought she had the hang of things and joined in.

Allie was yelling "move it ball, move" while she tried to hit it. Kyle said he says the same thing too on the course sometimes.

Lining up her shot.

I had to go around the corner to make sure the gate was locked because I am forever worrying about my children or dogs escaping and so I told Allie to wait for me but here she was trying to sneak up behind me. She is not very good at sneaking.

What lucky little girls to have such a fun dad!

Mems at 9 Months

2011-09-21T13:22:00.002-05:00

Man does time fly! Little Emmy you are practically all grown up now. Ready to crawl off and discover the world.

Dr's appointment was rather uneventful this visit. Dr. D comment as she always does, about how strong and healthy you seem after getting such a rough start at first. So here are your stats according to mommy. The important things I will need to remember.

You are indeed a little copper top. And kind of growing in a mohawk.

You maybe a vampire. You have sprouted fangs.

You have the biggest, sweetest smile. And unless you are acknowledged by a strange man at the grocery store, this is how you greet everyone.

You are a belly crawlin' fool. Dr. D wants to see you crawling on all fours soon, but this time around I won't sweat these milestones. All in due time my dear.

And I think you are just the cutest ever! You're fun, easygoing and happy. You like to be talked to and included in on the conversation. You are a sweet, sweet little girl and I love you dearly!

Some Random Pics

2011-09-14T19:19:00.003-05:00

First off - Shout out to Kyle who is the luckiest guy in the world because he has been married to me for the last 9 years! Best dad, best husband, best friend , and all around awesome individual. We agreed on no gifts this year, but he got me an ipod player that I have been wanting anyway. So I celebrated with a mini dance party with Allie in the kitchen while I fed Mems and made tacos. Extravagant dinners are overrated. Family time is awesome!

So here are a few pics I stole from Kyle's phone.

Allie with Papa at his ranch feeding the deer. Allie had an interesting story about one of the baby deers nursing the mama deer that made us all scratch our heads. She has some interesting stories I tell you.

Riding on the gator with Christian at Papa and Gigi's house.

Walking Allie in on her first day of school.

I took Allie to a birthday party last weekend that was so much fun! It was a little cottage where they threw princess parties. All the little girls dressed up and put on jewelry and got their nails painted. Allie got to pic her own dress and jewelry out. She loved it!!

They had a tea party and decorated cupcakes and did a fashion show, but her favorite part was spinning in the mirror.

The Rapunzel stopped by! She did magic tricks and made balloon animals and handed out jewelry. Allie was smitten. Then Allie threw a fit and it got a wee bit embarrassing and then Rapunzel told her that she should be nice to her mommy. I nearly died of embarrassment but Rapunzel's wise words were not lost on Allie. She shaped up for 'Punzel!

This is a pic from last week after school. Allie just crashes. She can't handle these long days just yet!

We went to the zoo last weekend with Karyn and Court and kids. The girls rode in the wagon together and they looked so cute! That was one heavy wagon to drag all over though!

Labor Day Getaway

2011-09-13T13:24:00.006-05:00

For Labor Day weekend, Kyle had made plans to go hunting with his best friend Brian and their Dads to celebrate Brian's birthday. At first I was just going to stay home with the girls by myself but at the last minute we decided to go up there and I would stay with his family while they were going hunting so Gigi could spend time with the girls. Also I planned a side trip to Marble Falls to visit family which worked out so well.

The girls were GREAT in the car! We had really low expectations but they did not melt down until the last 15 minutes or so of the trip! VICTORY!

Kyle's Dad and Missy had just moved into their new home in the Hill Country and it was beautiful. Lots of space for all of us and the kids had such a fun time. Their neighborhood has TONS of deer that just hang out all day long. It was so peaceful. Their neighborhood pool also serves margaritas pool side too so I think I am moving there soon. I would sit out on the patio during naptime and read and I was in heaven. This was my view.

They have huge windows throughout the home which I loved. This is out their great room.

Gigi set up this little camping chair for Allie and she would sit back in that thing with her legs crossed with her drink holder and relax and watch tv. Or as she calls it "teebees".

Christian stayed the weekend too so Allie was so happy. They just ran all over the place together and they play together so well. He is really sweet with her and looks out for her. Gigi helped them make pancakes our first morning.

I think the rest of the pictures here are on Kyle's phone so I will have to get them and post them later.

So one day we woke up bright and early and drove to Marble Falls. Again, I had low expectations but I am pretty sure my kids were the best they have ever been. They napped in the car and were happy, funny and excited to see everyone. Emmy went down for a nap no problem and then they both slept again the whole way home. It was awesome!

Emmy and my Grammie.

My Papaw had a stroke a year ago which is always scary. It was such a treat to see him play with the girls. He got on the floor and crawled around with Emmy. It is always so touching to me to see people loving my little girls.

Everyone kept calling Allie on Court's cellphone and she thought they were all Roro. It was pretty funny.

My Aunt came bearing gifts for the girls. The reason for our visit was for her to get to see the kids. She had never met Emmy and she was so happy to get to see them. Not to share too much of her personal life, but she is ill and fighting a battle that no woman wants to. It is rough and long road ahead of her, but she has alot of people who care very much for her and are cheering her on. Praying the treatment heals her and that she stays strong, she is strong!

Also she brought Allie a really cool art set that she has played with for hours since we have gotten home! Allie loves playing with my cousin Courtney. She is really just a big kid and they made beautiful artworks together.

Aunt Carsie and Allie.

When Allie gets mad at me she slaps her arms across her chest and says "Humph". Where does she get this from?? She is only 2?

We are usually quick to reconcile.

Emmy was such a trooper and a cutie pie.

I just decided to let Allie skip her nap that day thinking it would be no big deal. Well about 4 that afternoon she asked to sleep in the pack in play. We were all going to a yogurt shop and she said she did not want to go which meant she was really tired. Gram stayed home with her and she crashed on the sofa.

Here are some pics from Kyle's hunt. They had a great time and it was a good hunt. We ate well when they got home! Here they are with there dads. I believe there were 50 or so people there along with them.

Kyle and Brian. Finally a successful trip! They have had some not so exciting fishing/hunting trips together so they deserved a good one!

First Day Info

2011-09-08T06:33:00.002-05:00

It is 6:15 am and I am just home from barbell class at the gym. I love my early mornings. I have my coffee so lets blog!

Well Allie's first day went really well. When I picked her up from school she told me all about her day. "I eat, I nap, I play, it was a good day!" I asked her lots of questions that she tried to answer and it was really cute. She told me there were 2 kids in her class and I asked their names and she told me her teachers names. And then she told me, "the boy spanked her on the playground." (Allie was recently smacked be a little boy at ChickFilA whose mother was NO WHERE TO BE FOUND! It ended in me throwing a mild tantrum so now she talks about the boy who spanked her all the time.)

She sang me a song about washing her hands that she had learned and when I asked if she made any new friends she said, "Yes! My Nonans!" Anyway I was happy she had such a good time. It is really nice when you find a school that just makes your kids feel at home!

We ran into CC and Nonans in the parking lot and CC got some good pics.

Allie was so excited when she spotted them. She wanted out, out, OUT of the car to see her Nonans.

They walked in holding hands. It was too cute.

Court had the super cute idea to celebrate the first day of school with an ice cream cake!

Emmy was also present for the first day, just not really photographed. Today she was wearing this cute romper that has purple flowers embroidered on it and purple shoes and a big white bow on the side of her head and a lady came up to me at Hobby Lobby and said "Oh My! He is all boy isn't he?" Weird. I don't get offended when people say my girls are boys because it is not like they are calling them stupid or ugly, just a boy. But it seems so odd when they are clearly wearing a freaking bow in their hair. Then I correct them and it gets all weird. Anyway Emmy you are indeed a girl. End of discussion.

We left Court's around 4:30 to take Emmy home for dinner. She fussed and fussed and then I just finally changed her into jammies and put her to bed at 5! She was so tired she went to sleep right away. While I was feeding Emmy in the kitchen, Allie snuck off and crawled into bed with her hair bow on and he shoes still on. She was sound asleep by 5 pm too! School really takes a toll on my kids!

All I wanted was the perfect 1st day of school picture...

2011-09-07T09:48:00.003-05:00

... and this is what I got.

Why are 2 year olds so difficult sometimes?

Is it that hard to stand still and let your mother take 1 decent picture?

Is the sun in your eyes that bad? (I was a horrible photographer and yes it was bad)

At least she smiled with sis!

Flashback from last year. My how she has grown!

She was so excited to go this year and I was not anywhere near as worried as I was last year. We are pros now and I love Allie's school so much that I felt great about dropping her off. She marched right in and started talking to her teacher about the food in the play kitchen. I had to stop her just to get a kiss and she said, "Bye, I have a dream."

Sidenote: If you talk to Allie on the phone she will close all conversations with, "Bye, I have a dream" which is the song from Tangled although I like to think she will indeed be a civil rights champion in her own time.

I went next door to check on Nolan and Court and when I went back by, she was on the floor with her teacher sorting the food. I think she will have a super day!

Now I am at home with a napping Mems and will do some laundry and watch my stories.

Chef Allie

2011-08-26T13:52:00.002-05:00

Allie loves to "cook". She helps me make everything from my morning coffee to pb&j to Emmy's baby food. She listens really well and likes to taste everything along the way like a good chef. Today we made "ants on a log" for the first time and she loved it. I asked her if she liked it and she said, "it taste so sticky". She also told me to call her Ming Ming from the Wonderpets since they eat celery too.

I actually made a video of Allie making pb&j the other day and and asked her a bunch of questions while she was making it. In the end I asked what her favorite thing to cook was and she said margaritas! Kyle lets her push the buttons on the blender so I think that is fun for her.

Mems enjoyed some goldfish and chopped up grapes.

Girlie Girls and Playdough

2011-08-24T13:37:00.002-05:00

2 things.

My girlie girl loves to put on makeup and to fix my hair lately. She is allowed one brush and UNOPENED makeup pot while I am fixing my face in the mornings.

This morning we were getting ready to go to the Galleria to do a little back to school shopping and Allie looked particularly adorable.

And she totally knew it.

Side note- This kid is just so lucky her Roro came along to shop with us. Besides the pile of clothes and shoes she picked out, she scored a bag of princess attire from the Disney store.

We have been hanging out a lot at home lately as we get ready for school to begin and wait for this hellacious summer heat to subside. On this day we pulled out a big bag of playdough stuff I had sitting in the pantry. Allie loved it and practiced cutting it up with her scissors.

Emmy liked chewing the stamps. There were some major tears over trying to eat the playdough.

She was trying so hard to open these things up for a little snack and would get so mad and just throw them down and flail her arms around.

And not to brag but I became quite the playdough artist while teaching kindergarten. I think this craft should qualify me for my own reality show on TLC.

And Emmy finds my flowers to not only be beautiful but DELICIOUS!

Nearly Mobile!

2011-08-23T10:30:00.002-05:00

Please excuse the messy playroom. Some days it is just completely out of control. This is Emmy on the first day she started army crawling around. I thought the interaction between the girls was really sweet. I am trying to resist the urge to get it all Allie's hair chopped off because I am trying to grow out her bangs.

Untitled from Katie Guillot on Vimeo.

The Singing Guillots!

2011-08-23T09:11:00.002-05:00

This is an exercise I learned while Allie was in ECI. We use this little microphone thing I found at Target and I get Emmy to imitate sounds that I make. Eventually we move on to initial sounds and then short words. So anyway just ignore my dorky singy voice. Also I am trying out a new way of loading videos. Hope it works!

Untitled from Katie Guillot on Vimeo.

'Nastics

2011-08-17T19:08:00.003-05:00

I know I promised to blog everyday but then I started Pintrest and I just can't stop. I would really love to try all the kids crafts and recipes I have pinned but I can't be bothered with cooking or playing because what if I miss something on PINTREST?!?!?! CAN'T STOP, TOTALLY ADDICTED!!!

I can take a break for a moment to tell you that Allie has loved her 'nastics class this summer. I signed her up for all sorts of stuff because I thought we were going to be all sorts of bored without school and turns out gymnastics was the only class she really liked and paid attention in. She is in the class with her buddy Olivia and Allie loves to wave at Emmy and I as we sit upstairs to watch her. The place she is taking gymnastics is a really great gym and her coach is sweet and patient with the kids. I think we will for sure try this again next summer.

He favorite activity by far is the trampoline. Her coach draws all sorts of things in chalk on the floors and builds lots of 4-5 step obstacle course type things. I was proud of her for taking turns with Olivia (seated next to her). Sometimes Allie is not so great at that :)

Her she is with the teacher trying the trapeze thing. They dropped in a foam pit just beyond the red mat.

When Allie started she could not figure out how to do this thing but she is really good now and can go all the way across really fast.

She walks across the balance beam with her arms over her head. So cute :)

They take breaks and go into the big kids gym too. These older kids are so stinking good. Here you can see Allie chasing a hula hoop. She LOVES chasing hula hoops!

Birthday Weekend

2011-08-15T14:21:00.004-05:00

I had a whole weekend to celebrate my birthday and it was a great treat.

Saturday Kyle and I took the girls shopping and out to lunch. Allie begged to ride the train in the mall the entire time we were there. She even wanted me to take her which was sweet. Usually Dad gets requested to do all the "fun" stuff and I get to sit on the sidelines and hold the baby. Anyway after that we headed home for naps and Kyle took Allie swimming when she woke up. We were trying to wear her out because we had our date night that night. I along with 2 other girlfriends, trade off once a month so we each get a night out. The only rules are the kids have to be asleep when we get there and there must be wine provided. It works out great!

So anyway we decided to go with Lauren and Zach to Feast for my birthday dinner. Feast is a really interesting restaurant that has received all sorts of accolades from critics from Houston and beyond. They are best know for serving an adventurous menu and using only the best local meat products available. I won't even pretend that I am some sort of foodie and spit out some contrived review, but I will say that I loved this place. The service was outstanding and food was unique and I tried all sorts of things that I have never touched in my life and I loved every bite of it! Kyle and I can't wait to go back.

Beef tongue anyone?

How 'bout some pork cheeks?

I think we would have licked our plates clean had that been appropriate.

Then on Sunday Allie and I went grocery shopping together as we do ever Sunday. I like having just even a small amount of time just the two of us. She is a great kid and sometimes I get so busy with Emmy it is nice to have an hour or so just enjoying her company.

Then after naps we headed over to my parents house and had a shrimp boil. Chris and Jen came as well as Lauren and Zach. The Raska's and the Nussle's too. We had lots of shrimp and some really tasty pomegranate martinis yum!

Allie begged Zach to swim until he finally gave in.

Allie and La.

Chris and Jen made those super yummy jalapeno cream cheese bacon things. So good but we were all coughing while they prepared them.

Me and Ro and Em.

Miss Ne, Ro and Allie.

We tortured the children by making them eat dinner right in front of the cake. They were so happy when we finally sang and they got a piece.

Sp there you go. I am a year older, wiser and now the proud owner of a keurig coffee maker. Life is good.

Mems Says Welcome Back to the Blog!

2011-08-14T09:39:00.003-05:00

Hello Blog! Long time no see! My group of loyal blogging readers consists of about 7 people, most of which are related to me in some way, and they have demanded more pictures of the childrens. I will make it up to you all by posting at least once a day for a week.

The other day we had to go up to my dad's office to do a few office-y type things and then we went out to lunch. I dressed the girls up in matching outfits and they looked so darn cute. I am all about individuality and letting my kids express themselves, but for now outfits (most days) are mommy's choice.

Emmy took a 12 minute nap that day since we had an air conditioner repair guy up in the attic. I took it as an opportunity to get some cute pictures of her.

This one cracks me up because she looks like she is really posing. She is copying her sis already.

Is this not the pinkest baby ever? I think I inhaled too many pink paint fumes from her room while pregs.

Love my sweet baby.

And today is my 31st birthday! I will post about all that tomorrow. If you would like to send a contribution to my Happy Birthday a/c bill fund please do so! All in all, our repairs this month totaled up to a ridiculous amount that included A COMMA. And that is with a warranty. That seems totally normal for a 3 year old house huh? The joys of homeownership, they just never end :)

These Days...

2011-07-29T10:22:00.003-05:00

Mems is a Cheerios addict. Hooray for having an activity she enjoys other than being held!

Allie is reeeeallly wanting to wear her boots. Alas, these are way to small and it is JULY!! I told her I would get her a new pair when school starts and she wants ones with frogs on them?

Over Accessorizing

2011-07-26T21:06:00.004-05:00

Tim Gunn on Project Runway always reminds contestants each challenge to be thoughtful when choosing accessories. Allie's method of accessorizing includes throwing the same pile of stuff on every time we leave the house. Even to walk across the street to play at Nolan's!

We must have

-Tinkerbell watch

-bracelet with an A on it

-Ariel sunglasses (we lost these once and had to replaced them with the exact same sunglasses)

-Tinkerbell keys

-Little purse stuffed with 1 kleenex and about 15 business cards my mom gave her.

When we get home from going out she stacks everything right by my purse, keys and sunglasses.

What a little lady.

10 on Tuesdays

2011-07-26T20:34:00.004-05:00

I did this awhile ago and am going to try it again.

1. What colour are your toenails painted?
Pinkish Redish something. I love bright!

2. What colour are your fingernails painted?
I hate painted fingernails. I think I have ugly hands so I don't like to draw attention to them. I like short, buffed nails.

3. What is your favourite brand of nail polish?
OPI...but I don't real know why.

4. As the norm, do you DIY your nails or get mani/pedis?
I treat myself to a pedi about twice a month. I found a fabulous new salon by my housethat serves wine! Score! Every one in awhile I throw in a manicure if I feel like I really need to indulge.

5. Have you ever had a gel mani? Do you recommend it?
No not interested.

6. What is the last movie you watched on television? (TV, Netflix, Redbox, etc.)
Too Big to Fail. I liked it a lot. Kyle had read the book and we both really enjoyed it.

7. What is the last movie you watched in the cinema?
Bridesmaids and I LOVE IT!! I am madly in love with Kristen Wiig!!

8. Is there a movie that everyone talks about as if it is a classic but you haven’t seen?
Probably lots and lots.

9. What is your favourite movie soundtrack?
Lost in Translation. It happens to also be my most favorite movie in the entire universe.

10. Have you ever seen a movie and thought it was better than the book it was based on?
I will say the Twilight series. I just can't imagine spending time reading those books when I can just watch to movie in a little over an hour.

For those of you who played along and read through the entire post, you are rewarded with a pic of Emmy cruising around in her walker! She loves it but can only go backwards for now.

Sisters, There Were Never Such Devoted Sisters

2011-07-18T13:29:00.005-05:00

(Name that fabulous Christmas musical tune)

I think that Allie and Emmy are just now starting to kind of "play" together. It is really special for me to get to witness their relationship develop. Allie loves to entertain her sister and make her laugh. Emmy always perks up and is in a better mood when Allie is around.

Allie is also getting very protective of her things and will snatch a toy away from Emmy and hand her a sock or something equally boring to play. I have to keep an eye on her. She will hide toys and switch things from Emmy's toy box to her toy box. So these are the first steps into having a lifetime play buddy and also sibling rivalry I suppose.

Mems is 7 Months!

2011-07-15T20:55:00.004-05:00

Actually 7 months and 5 days!

But I swear these were taken sometime in and around the 10th :)

My Emmy is really turning into a feisty little one.

Or hopefully it is just her teeth coming in.

She loves to talk and shriek to get your attention.

And she is so strong!

Allie was the total opposite. I remember taking the straps out of my high chair wondering why the heck would anyone ever need to force their kid to sit in the seat. Well those straps were made for babies like Emmy!

She is forever reaching, grabbing, grunting, arching and struggling to get to something or someone.

Love you to pieces my sweet baby girl!

Fun on the 4th!

2011-07-11T21:00:00.004-05:00

I should have posted these ages ago! Here are some pics from our fun fourth celebrations with our super fun neighbors! We are so lucky to live by some really fun families.

Mems was sitting the the shade just relaxing.

Allie loved splashing in the water.

Fun ladies!

These kids ate their weight in popsicles.

The most patriotic toddler I know!

A Day in the Life

2011-07-01T22:12:00.007-05:00

One of my favorite blogs had this idea that you put down all that you do in one day, so one day, when the girls are too cool for me, I can look back and remember how I was a slave to their schedules.

It is 10:11pm so lets get down to business.

My alarm goes off at 4:30 am. AM!! But I am already up because I have been unable to sleep through the night since I was pregnant with Allison so I am dressed and ready to go to SPINNING CLASS!! I love my 5 am spinning class. I try to go as often as I can. I like to go work out while everyone is still in bed so I don't have the hassle of dropping off at childcare. I L-O-V-E spinning. It is a rough 1 hour workout and they play videos on the big screen during the workout of these killer European cycling events and I think to myself I can totally do that.

Done at 6 am. Head to my local Starbucks for a grande nonfat cappuccino because I did wake up at 4 am after all.

Get home around 6:20. Mems is up playing in her bed but not fussing so I jump in the shower really quick and get dressed for the day. The first thing I must always ALWAYS do when I get up is open up all the blinds and curtains in the house to let in the sunshine. Then I have to dry mop my floors because that sunshine shows all the nasties on the floors! Then my morning can really begin!

I make a bottle. Make a milk sippy cup. Go get the girls out of their rooms.

Wake Emmy up because she has fallen back asleep.

Downstairs to have a little breakfast. Oatmeal and applesauce for Emmy and pancakes and blueberries for Al.

We play for awhile and then Em goes down for another nap at 9 am SHARP! Allie and I work on the puzzle she has been obsessed with for the past few months.

I set Allie up to watch Snow White on the VHS player upstairs in the playroom and them start on my list. My inlaws are coming in tonight and my house is a complete pig stye. Her is the list. It totally sucked.

I get Allie dressed in time for Em to wake up, feed Em another bottle, and then we head to HEB to spend $167 on groceries. Here the girls are all cute in the outfits Uncle Chris bought them in Hilton Head.

In my mind that is way too much to spend on food. But we were out of overnight pullups, regular diapers, formula and I needed major cleaning supplies so hello $167! When Kyle and I first got married I would like you to know my weekly grocery budget was $40 so I always think of that when I shop now. Oh and Allie found a super Tinkerbell watch so that had to go in the cart you know!?

We get home and I turn on a little Calliou and put Emmy in the bumbo with a Mum Mum so I can get lunch ready. While I feed everyone else and put away groceries, I eat my california roll from HEB. Pretty high class dining experience.

Then it is time for naps around 1. I get back into the groove of cleaning and finish the list. The list - it totally sucked!

My inlaws arrive in the early afternoon. Thank goodness Kyle took off of work early to cook for everyone. We have a super fun evening and Allie and Em are doted on a great deal.

And then I take the cutest picture of Emmy ever. The end. To be continued tomorrow. The funny thing about my days is they are pretty much the same thing over and over with just the slightest of variations between morning and afternoon naps. A little like that movie Groundhogs Day.

See you tomorrow. Cue creep Twilight Zone music...

Giggly Mems

2011-06-26T21:43:00.004-05:00

Lordy Lordy. Allison had the fit to end all fits this evening at bedtime. She is at that stage where she will do anything to avoid bedtimes and she lost her ever loving mind this evening. Then she woke up Emmy and that made me lose my ever loving mind. Allis quiet now though thank goodness. We hope to nip this in the bud asap!

One of the blogs I read regularly is recording her daily schedule with her girls this week so that one day she can look back and read what it was like in the good old days. I think I am going to try that this week. Check back for all that exciting info!

And now I leave you with a sweet video of Mems laughing. She has the funniest laugh and she finds me HYSTERICAL! Note the drool spot on her shirt and her chewing her tougue. We now have two chompers on the bottom!!

My Daughter the Yogini

2011-06-23T09:46:00.006-05:00

So I have rediscovered my love of yoga and have been trying to go to a few classes a couple times a week because sometimes Momma just needs a few moments of Zen. It clears my head and makes me happy. Allie also likes to pull out the yoga mat and do a few moves of her own.

Falling from Downward Dog. By far her best move!

Childs Pose

Gaze

Baby Cobra

Savasana

Namaste

Mems is so straight up zen she fell asleep at breakfast this morning. Master Yogini!

Babies First Mum Mum!

2011-06-21T14:37:00.003-05:00

I am pooped, pooped, POOPED! We went to the Childrens' Museum with our neighbor Olivia and had a really good time. It was loud and crowded but Allie can old her own a bit more than she could last year so it was not so bad. I don't worry so much about her being around big kids and she had a really good time. I just carried Emmy around in a Bjorn style carrier thing I have and that worked out well.

The last station we visited at the museum was an area where the kids could face paint. There were lots of kids sticking these crayon things in their ears, eyes and mouths so I thought, sure Allie why don't you just rub this all over your face okay!! She found a hot pink face paint crayon and went to town. Most of the moms were doing their own kids face paint but what is the fun in that? So Allie worked for awhile and turned around to me and Emmy and said, "Look Mems, I a puppy!"

This pic was after we got home but it look way sillier there. Then we went to lunch at Freebirds. We even had a good time. Other moms kept laughing at Allie and I realized it was because they probably thought she had taken a Sharpie to her face. But they would not have been laughing if they had not been there themselves at one point in time right?

Anyway on to the Mum Mum. My kids love them! Allie loves Magic Pop now which is like Mum Mums for big kids. Emmy tried her first Mum Mum and she was loving it!

Somewhat interested....

....went straight to the mouth....

...completely disgusted....

...but totally was hooked!

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T19:32:00.002-05:00

Allie and Emmy sure are lucky to have such a great daddy! He loves them and dotes on them and always remembers to bring surprises home when he goes on business trips! The funny thing is, you don't really know what kind of daddy your husband is going to end up being when you first get married, but I think Kyle has slipped easily into that role and does a great job everyday.

This weekend we spent some time looking at big girl beds for Allie. She has requested a pink Tinkerbell bed so we have that to work with. I have had my heart set on a white daybed but I guess they are a bit more difficult than you would think to find. We had a fun date night just the two of us on Friday night. Then Kyle went to a cajun meat market on Saturday and made us a yummy dinner of chicken stuffed with crawfish. It was mighty tasty. I got him a pretty cool cookbook call Eat Like A Man and he made twice baked potatoes out of it and they were fantastic. I married a pretty great cook too! Oh and he made white sangria which was awesome - the perfect summer drink!

Today we went and worked out all together this morning and then Allie and I went to finish up some Father's Day shopping. I took these pictures of the girls and we framed them in a collage frame. I think it turned out really cute and Allie is so excited for Daddy to take it to work to show all of his friends.

The rest of the day was spent napping, eating yummy steak dinner at my mom's and watching golf and Aggie baseball at my folks. Pretty solid Father's Day activities!

Thanks Kyle for being such a fantastic daddy to our girls! They love you to pieces and so do I!

Happy Half Birthday Emmy!

2011-06-10T20:44:00.005-05:00

Today is Mems 6 month birthday! We celebrated by going to the pediatrician for shots! What a party that was!

Emmy weighs 16 lbs and that put her at 50th% for height and for weight. She was diagnosed with eczema just like Allie was at this age. We are going to try to wean her off the Allimentum and move on to soy based formula so fingers crossed that works.

More 6 month fun facts!

~ She sleeps from about 7 pm to 6 am but I usually don't go get her out of bed until 7 am unless she starts to cry.

~ She has about 4 8 oz bottles a day and 3 servings of solids a day. Prunes made her break out so I am thinking she may be allergic.

~ She is the most easy going baby ever. She is so happy to be held and talked to. She seems super social and just loves interacting with people. Allie used to cry when strangers would look at her but not this girl!

~ She love love LOVES her sis. Allie will just sing and dance for her and try to make her laugh all day long. They just adore each other. At dinner tonight Allie kept saying, "Hey Mems, I wubs you!"

~ She is already attached to her lovey and it helps her stay calm in the car.

~ She has a serious bald spot on her head from sleeping on her back. Not much of a tummy sleeper.

~ She loves her jumper and exersaucer.

Here are some pictures I took during dinner.

This kid seriously looks JUST like me!

Not too messy of an eater...

But man her sister sure was at this age!

Allie was so excited she got to have pizza for lunch AND dinner today. She talks about pizza all the time. If I ask her what she wants for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks it is always pizza. She loves it! Dougie and Roro took Allie to soccer today since Emmy had the dr appointment. Then they went to Target to buy toys and then went out for pizza. It was probably Allie's dream date. I told her I would take her next week and she said, "No momma I want Dodo."

After dinner we went outside to enjoy the nice evening. I spread a blanket for Mems and I in the shade and Allie squirted my car for about an hour with a squirt bottle.

I love how pretty her hair is. I the mornings I am trying to blow dry it because it can get really wavy on one side and then straight on the other. I always tell her she has crazy hair and today when my dad told her her hair looked pretty, she said, "I know my hairs is so crazy!"

Kisses for Sisses

2011-06-02T12:28:00.004-05:00

Not sure how you spell sisses, but you know, like sisters.

Today I had the brilliant idea for us to meet up with Court, Court and the boys and go to a splash pad and then to lunch. It was not nearly as fun as I had hoped it would be. Allie behaved like a 2 year old and Emmy behaved like a 5 month old and I behaved like a 4 year old. I was bossy and impatient and lost my cool. And then there were these two old ladies that kept giving me the side eye and it was embarrassing. I just know what they were thinking too! Cool it lady! Enjoy your kids! Look at us! We are total olds and one day you will be too and you will wish for those days back!

And then we went to lunch and it was crowded and I continued to be a 4 year old. Sometimes I think I am borderline agoraphobic because I get so flustered in crowds! We shared a table with 3 ladies whose children were grown, that were kind enough to invite our crew of toddlers to sit with them even though we were crazy. And they reminded me that this time is fleeting as well. So during nap I will put my happy face on and will start the day over! And I will enjoy my kids. No more temper tantrums.

Here is my inspiration to change my attitude.

Lazy Days of Summer

2011-05-31T20:21:00.005-05:00

Not quite! Our summer break has been anything but lazy!!

Allie is doing swim lessons, soccer and will be starting gymnastics soon. Emmy is a baby who demands a quiet, comfortable nap in her crib AT LEAST 3 times a day. I joined the gym and am trying to go 4 times a week. I still have to do like a bazillion things around the house each day just to keep everyone living here fed, clothed, clean and happy. I feel like we are just running non stop some days. When will summer get lazy?!?!?!?!

First up SWIMMING!! We love swim lessons, playing in Nolan's inflatable pool and swimming at Roro's.

I have no idea where this started but Allie likes to pose now. Not just pose, but stick her hand on her hip, lean her hip out and click her tongue. It is funny and cute but then a little to early Miley Cyrus for me. And we will not be having that in this household.

Next up SOCCER!!

So we are taking a soccer class with Nolan and the gym we joined. I like our gym a lot and have been really happy so far with the childcare there. That freaked me out a bit at first, but Allie seems to really love it and Emmy just kind of sits for an hour or so. But anyway they offer this soccer class so we thought we should give it a try. It is 50 minutes long which is about 20 minutes longer than Allie would prefer. She is enjoying it but I think we might try something else for awhile after this is done. Here are some pics from last week. They actually do very little soccer and lots of other large motor "games".

Allie was super excited because Kyle was able to go to this class. They run lots of races.

They followed directions and built these little structures and then kicked them over.

They chased each other. Really Allison's favorite activity is being chased so if we could find her a chasing class we would be set!

Poor kids pants fell down all class. We were the victims of a very nasty stomach virus and now even her 24 months shorts are slipping down!

Obstacle course.

Now some MEMS!!! Mems continues to be the sweetest baby ever. She only cries when she is hungry (which is often) and when she is tired (which is often). At least I know it is one of those two things though! I think because we run around so much and she really never gets to take the two solid naps she needs right when she wants them, we are still stuck with 3 naps a day which just seems nuts for a 5 1/2 month old. We are working on that though!

Still irresistibly cute!!!

Last Day of School :(

2011-05-19T12:00:00.005-05:00

Major sads. Last day of school :(

This year has just flown by! I can't believe how much has changed since September. Allie was just starting to really talk, she was still in diapers and I was a very plump and crabby pregnant woman. I am just amazed at how much Allie has learned this year. Each day she surprises us with something new. Last night she was counting for everyone and singing her ABC's and saying all sorts of funny little remarks and just being a fantastic entertainer. So if anything, Allie has learned how to really make us laugh alot this year. That is money well spent folks! She is available for parties, bar mitzvahs and corporate events!!

I was so nervous last year when she was getting ready for the first day of school.

And just look at her now!

In other exciting Richmond news...

IT RAINED!!!! FOR A WHOLE DAY!!!

And I let Allie run around outside. She decided she needed a hat.

And Allie started Soccer Tots with her BFF Nolan which has been fairly exciting for her. Here she is in her new "soccer shoes". She was so proud of them and loved showing them to everyone.

Mems has really taken to this hanging bouncer thing that we are borrowing from Nolan. She cracks me up in that thing and will just bounce and spin forever in it.

And last but not least, Allie participated in the Junior Dance Team Clinic for my old high school. Lala and I were both on the dance team when we were in high school so it was fun to have her participate in their Spring Show this year. Here she is waiting with her buddy and neighbor Olivia to go on stage.

Allie is definitely not the shy little girl we pegged her as earlier in life. She really hams it up on stage. She was loving the limelight! Dodo and Roro came too to watch her preform and cheer her on two. They are her own little fan club!

Thoughts on Mothers Day

2011-05-11T13:49:00.005-05:00

This time last year, I had a crazy little 18 month old and had just found out that I was pregnant. We were so thrilled with the news. It had taken me nearly a year to get pregnant, and I spent 6 months of that time on fertility medication that turned me into a raging, sweaty lunatic with a pretty gross case of acne. Truthfully, I am kind of happy to have that year behind us. I am not sure if I (or Kyle) could handle another round of Clomid or another rough pregnancy or another delivery. I think it is safe to say we will remain a family of 4 from here on out.

Mother's Day this year was really wonderful. I have been wanting to get family pictures taken so that was my gift this year. If you go here you can see a "sneak peek" of the photos of Emmy. I am so excited to see them and we should be getting them anyday now. Kyle grilled steaks and sausage for my whole family and we had a fun dinner all together celebrating Mother's Day for my mom too. I got my first homemade school Mother's Day gift from Allie and I choked up a bit when I opened it up. It was really sweet and Allie was so proud of the picture frame she made me. I loved that she was so excited and kept telling me "Happy Mother's Day" all day long!

I love being a mom to these sweet girls. My heart is completely full. I have so much to be thankful for. I love my husband and the life that we have built together. We have been married nearly 9 years which sounds like such a long time to me. Kyle has really made my job of being a mom easier. I love that he supports me staying home and is understanding when I need to whine about a long day. I am glad we are in this together.

Allie and Emmy, I don't think you will ever be able to know just how proud I am to be your mommy. You make my days chaotic and exciting. Sometime more chaotic than exciting, but that's what makes it fun right? I just know you two will grow up to be the best of friends. You love each other so much and it is fun to see that grow in relationship where one of you can't even speak yet.

I told Kyle the other day when we are old and grey, these will be the days that we look back at and miss. We will miss our days with a silly toddler running around the house and saying such funny off the wall things. We will miss that time of having our snuggly baby girl who is happy to sit in our laps all day and smile. This is just a great time for our family.

Here is to another year of being a mom and a wife. I don't exactly know what I am doing, but I am having a good time figuring it out each day!

Haute Time!

2011-05-08T19:53:00.002-05:00

Last night we went to the Haute Time in Texas concert in Booth. We have been every year we have been back in Texas and always have a great time. This year we had the super duper amazing bonus of not having any kids!! WAHOO!! My parents generously offered to take both the girls for the night which has been a rare treat for us. It seems a little ironic to say the best Mother's Day gift was a night without kids but, whatever I said it!

We went with my brother and his girlfriend and a bunch of his friends. Our new neighbors/old friends the Raska's came too. It was a fun night out. We played washers, ate crawfish, stayed out way too late and laughed A LOT!

It is a shame these guys did not have any fun at all. Kyle will most certainly request I take this picture down soon.

Randy Rogers Band was the headliner of the night and he must have seen where we checked in after the concert on facebook, because look at us and Randy Rogers! I look way overly excited in this pic.

I don't get out much. Ever.

Then we went home for a few short hours of sleep and went to pick up the girls bright and early the next morning. I slept horribly because all night I kept dreaming about having to hurry to go pick up the girls from a birthday party, or school, or a friends house. It was so weird and I kept waking up frantic, thinking I had to go get them right away.

Well turns out the girls were great and had a fun time at the grandparents. Shocking I know. Allie was so excited because she got to have pizza and ice cream. Rumor has it she got ice cream twice that night. When we went to pick them up Allie ran up to Kyle and said, "Daddy, I sleeped here last night!" She was so excited. Later that morning Kyle yawned and said he was tired and Allie said, "when I get tired later, I am going to Roro's!"

Mems Pics

2011-04-28T14:40:00.002-05:00

Aunt Lala has requested some new pictures of Mems.

Mems rolled over yesterday for the first time. I was a little concerned it would take her awhile because tummy time does not agree with babies with relux. They end up covered in barf after a few moments. But she just popped herself over yesterday morning.

My sweet girl!

Just Another Manic Monday

2011-04-25T21:11:00.003-05:00

What is it about Mondays?

It started out so well. We had yummy smoothies for breakfast which is Allie's favorite meal ever. I am gearing up to make baby food again (which I LOVE doing and have found to be slightly addicting) so I brought out my Magic Bullet and whipped up some delicious and nutritious smoothies.

See the yummy-ness?

As Allie would say, "dat so tasty mama", as she wipes it across her forehead.

Then we played some fun sorting games while dinner was cooking. Allie's "report card" said that she had not mastered sorting and matching so we did a few activities at home. I don't want to be the ridiculous mom who questions her two year olds report card, so we are just doing a few supplemental activities at home :) I got the tweezers from Lakeshore and then we are sorting pom poms into Emmy's milk bottle tops. It was a nice 30 minute or so activity.

I was letting Allie's nutritious and delicious (hardly) dinner that we rarely ever have (only like 5 days a week) slow cook (in the microwave) while we worked on this. Then I noticed a funny smell. Then I looked at the microwave and noticed it was glowing. I believe there were sparks. And running.

O personally prefer my mac and cheese well done with holes seared into the bottom of the cup don't you?

Don't forget to add water folks. It can burn your house down otherwise. Don't worry I had like 10 more cups in the pantry.

Easter in San Antonio

2011-04-24T20:06:00.006-05:00

This weekend we headed out to San Antonio to visit with Papa and GiGi for Easter. We love San Antonio so much and always have such a good time every time we go to visit them.

We got in Friday afternoon after a long, tortuous drive. Emmy HATES her carseat and when the car is in motion, she is often in tears. She cried most of the way there until we stopped at Buckee's for a bottle break and snacks for those of us with teeth. The rest of the way there was super easy. My new SUV has a DVD player in it and it made this trip with Allie a total breeze! That evening we got fajitas at Alamo Cafe at Kyle's request and it was delish!

Saturday morning we woke up and brainstormed fun kid ideas in town. We ended up going to Hemisphere Park (I think that was the name of it) in downtown San Antonio. It was such a cool park. Lots of shade and climbing structures and Papa pushed Allie on the swings 90% of the time we were there. It was a beautiful day and Allie was in heaven!

Best family photo to date even though you can only see half of Emmy's face.

The firstborn was over pictures.

Bird hunting.

Me and my mems. She could breath I swear. It was just an inch or so too high still but she seems much happier to be able to look out and see what's going on.

Self portrait on my armpits and Emmy. See she can breathe!!

We headed home for naps and to get ready for the feast that Papa was preparing us all! Look how happy Emmy is. She looks like this every single time I go to get her out of her crib.

That afternoon Allie's cousin, Christian, came over for dinner. Allie and Christian had a blast playing together. He wore a pinstriped suit for the occasion.

Papa and the grands.

Allie loved this motorized car thing. She called it her "race car" was on it most the time outside. Some how this made it back home with us.

Later that evening I got together the Easter baskets. Lots of princess items for Allie and teethers for Em.

Allie thought it was so cool!

This picture captures how excited Allie was for eggs. Everytime she would spot one she would shout EGG EGG and then run as fast as she could to get it. It was so funny to watch.

Toy Story on Ice

2011-04-21T10:46:00.005-05:00

For my mom's birthday she asked my dad for really great tickets to take Allison to see Toy Story on Ice. And my dad delivered. Or actually I delivered after she handed over her AMEX card. My Dad said they could have gone to the final four game for what they paid for those tickets but instead they got to see Disney on Ice!

I was a little worried about how Allie would behave and was slightly scared that she would be a total stinker but what do you know? Disney totally knows what they are doing and can keep a 2 year old completely engaged for a 2 hour+ show!

My mom and Allie had been talking about this show for a week or so leading up to it. Allie was pretty amped when it came to the actual day. Allie loves Jessie from Toy Story so she wore her Jessie tshirt and I put her hair in the cutest piggies and realized she was way overdue for a bang trim. Opps. Well she got all crazy riding around on her new horse she named pink and yelling "Yee-haw" just like Jessie does.

Here she is with the extra pair of panties I packed just in case. Of course she wanted a picture with these?!?!

So then I gave up on the bangs and slapped them to the side with a barrette. Allie smiling "pretty".

So we ended up purchasing VIP tickets to the show. That means you get pizza & french fries. I know totally worth it! Plus she was right on the ice and she got to really see everything up close. But more importantly - PIZZA!!

Allie really lucked out by having the grandparents take her because they also purchased whatever she wanted. My mom said she took her up to the toy kiosk thing and just bought her whatever she wanted! Huh well thats a different shopping experience than we are use to around here. Well she totally needed this hat. And these binoculars. And a Jessie wand that plays music and is frequently sent to time out for not behaving. And a picture with Buzz and Woody.

The show was a hit! Allie loved it and my mom said Allie just stood on her seat the whole time saying, "oh wow"! She talked and talked about the barbies and how Woody flew. I think it was a very fun day for all of them. And a happy birthday for RORO!

These Girls!

2011-04-14T19:27:00.003-05:00

These girls keep me so busy. I feel like being a stay at home mom means I just entertain all day long sometimes "prepping" an idea for an hour that keeps Allie busy for 15 seconds. And then sometimes I let her play with a squirt bottle outside and she is soooooo excited to "water" all the plants for like an hour. Go figure!

We also made some sidewalk paint a few times this week and Allie seems to really like it. After she got bored with painting I let her mix the colors with a little spoon in the muffin tray and she just loved it. It looks really cool when it dries. I am looking forward to having the most brightly decorated concrete in the neighborhood this summer. Allie loves art projects just like I did when I was little and still do today. I hope this will be always something we love to do together.

Those are the things I try to do with Allie while Emmy is napping and then while Allie is napping this is my favorite thing to do with Em. We just hang out on the bed. She is just such a joyful baby girl. I love these sweet moments of playing with her and watching her grin.

I have to relish these moments because if there is anything I have learned from my absolute favorite show Parenthood it is life with teenage girls totally sucks. I am holding out hope for these two though. And I always cry during that show, it really gets to me! Next week I may have a heart attack. Just the previews had me bawling. When the dad was talking about how he missed the days of eating pb&j's with his daughter and making her laugh because those days were so simple I was like holy crap it gets harder than this??!?!?!

Lets just enjoy these sweet moments today ok?

Allie loves to give baby sis smooches.

So happy.

I love this angle on babies.

This is what Allie does when I tell her no. She just SCREAMS at me as loud as she can. She really prefers to do this in public though. It really draws a crowd. Stinker!

Ten on Tuesdays

2011-04-12T12:34:00.006-05:00

I skipped Ten on Tuesdays last week because I forgot but here are a super random group of questions for this week.

1. If you work, do you drive to work or take public transportation?

I don't work. YES I DO WORK but being a stay at home mom is not a recognized profession and I don't need to be transported there I just wake up in the midst of work every morning and NEVER EVER GET TO LEAVE! Just kidding. I love being a stay at home mom.

2. How often do you get your haircut? Do you go to the same person every time?
I get my hair highlighted ever 3 months and cut every 6 months usually. I really like my new colorist and stylist!

3. Do you read the newspaper? If so, a hardcopy or the online version?
I get all my news from drudgereport, huffington post, npr and gawker.

4. What is the best book you have read this year?
I have not read too much this year but I just started Sarah Vowell's new book Unfamiliar Fishes and love it! She is one of my favorite authors and makes history not so nerdy! Love it!

5. What is the best movie you have seen this year?
Best kid movie? Tangled. Best grown up movie that I did not really understand but still thought it was cool? Inception.

6. Do you tend to crave sweet or salty foods?
Salty baby!

7. Do you eat breakfast every day? If so, what do you have?
Yes I eat Kashi Cinnamon Harvest or 2 scrambled eggs with hot sauce and one piece of toast because Weight Watchers says it is a good breakfast and it is easy to make with the girls..

8. If you celebrate Easter, what Easter treat/candy are you most looking forward to?
I avoid candy since I am so close to my WW goal. I am also a super lame mom and will only give Allie a few M&Ms in her eggs supplemented with really AMAZING stickers because teeth rotting, sugar highs, legacy of healthy eating, high fructose corn syrup freaks me out, etc.

9. How late is “sleeping in” to you?
I would say 8:30ish would be the latest I could sleep in. Sleeping in is not really a big deal for me anymore though.

10. Where are you going on your next vacation?
Kyle and I are planning our 10 year anniversary mega trip for next year and it is looking like Hawaii! We don't really travel much so when we do we go big. We are really looking forward to this and I have about a year to convince my parents that watching both girls will be super fun and way easy!

Say Click! Take a Pic!

2011-04-08T15:14:00.002-05:00

Inspired by my daughters love of Dora's cousin Diego and my inability to operate my expensive DSLR camera in the manual mode, I took a super fun and informative photography class last night!

Court S. and I took copious notes with borrowed pens because we were completely unprepared for like, a real class with a lecturer and everything. We got there and realized we had nothing to write with and my purse was stuffed with very momish items. 12 boxes of raisins, size 2T panties and baby socks, sure! But no pens or paper. And then I was having trouble changing a setting on my camera and the instructor told me to turn on my camera first and I was like huh, and he reached over and turned the switch to on. Amazing huh?

We listened to our fellow classmates ask questions like "If I was going to see Lady Gaga tomorrow night, what ISO rating should I have my camera set to?" and "My friend took a cruise and had no wrinkles in her pictures - what setting was her camera on?"

For serious though, the class was great and the instructor was really easy to work with and I hope to get in another class soon. Also I have decided I need a wide angle lens asap. So there is that too. Here are my AMAZING photos from class.

My preferred subject was my lens cap. The instructor told us to take pictures of each other but I felt weird photographing strangers.

But this girl is no stranger!

I could have a really amazing facebook album of just odd pics of Court S. at the photo class. She would be so happy.

Look I can adjust my white balance!

OHHHH! AHHHHH!

YOU ARE IMPRESSED RIGHT?

Mems Gets the Munchies

2011-04-07T11:41:00.004-05:00

First off I have to share my new favorite recipe. I make this Margarita Chicken Pasta Salad all the time now and love it! I omit the tequila in the recipe and make a bunch of it so we can have it for dinner one night and then for me to munch on for lunch all week. Really yummy!

Allie is in school today so Mems and I went shopping at Target together and she talked me into buying way to much stuff. We headed home and I just decided that today would be the day we tried out some rice cereal!

Mems was so excited! This kid is just the sweetest. She is just so joyful! I hope this never changes. It just makes my heart melt when she smiles.

Well see she is always doing this:

Which makes me think she is hungry. Always has her hand in her mouth, trying to put my hair in her mouth, chewing on my shoulder, always reaching for something to taste. So she is probably just teething but I thought what the hay lets give it a try.

Well it was gross as expected. Emmy has a bad milk allergy so she is on the ungodly expensive Allimentum formula. It is nasty stuff and smells like burnt popcorn. I hate it and think it makes her a little stinky too (sorry Mems). It has not helped her reflux so everything gets barfed on and smells like burnt popcorn. It has to taste disgusting. Hopefully she won't have to have it once she turns 6 months old. Then we will retest her and see if she grew out of the allergy. Anyway I had to mix the rice cereal with the Allimentum so it can't taste very good. One day we will be able to throw some banana in there girlfriend and then I know you will love it!

But she is still such a sweet little thing!

Here is a little sunhat I got for her today for when we go swimming this summer. Fits great!

Here is her other sunhat. Allie and Emmy got matching swimsuits from my mom and dad and these sunhats. So cute. They will be total fashionistas this summer!

Busy Bees

2011-04-01T13:45:00.004-05:00

This has been such a productive week for us thanks to the DVD release of Tangled!! I picked this movie up on Tuesday for Allie because I thought she might enjoy it but that is an understatement. She loves the "neigh princess" movie. Neigh being the funny horse in the movie. This is my new favorite movie too. It is so cute! Allie would watch this on a loop 24 hours a day if I let her. I promise I don't but it does help me to get a few things done around here while Emmy is sleeping.

Anyway look what we did!

I just decided one day I was going to start painting our house again so I started with the master bath. Love it! It is a really pretty grey color. When my mom came over she said it was a "lovely sea-foam green." Barf. It is way cuter than that. It is a fabulous grey! Now imagine there is a dark bamboo shade over the window and lots of white fluffy towels and that inflatable cruise ship toy is not sitting out in the tub and now you have the spa like feel I was going for.

I made this fun do-dad to hold all my earrings. One of my New Years resolutions this year was to wear earrings everyday. You see I am really trying to push myself to become a better person. Just kidding. I am totally deep like that. But my resolution had to do with the fact that I just had Emmy and was feeling frumpy and jealous of moms that are so put together all the time. So I am starting little with earrings. I probably only wear them twice a week. My other resolution was to join Weight Watchers and drop the baby weight asap! Emmy is nearly 4 months old and I only have a few more pounds to go! Losing weight is just brutal for me but in the end is so worth it!

We spruced up the yard! I had to take a picture because I know good and well this is the best our yard will look all year. Kyle mulched, yard guy weeded and did his magic, I planted pretty flowers and our azaleas are in full bloom. I love the way they look this time of year.

I painted the water table. It's a little more "limey" than I was going for but still looks cute.

Court took this picture of me and Mems while they were visiting last week. It is an adorable picture of course but it made me think I need to get an appointment to get my hair done so I will be doing that this weekend while Kyle goes to the Houston Open. Then I will need a nap after being so productive!

Visiting Friends

2011-03-30T19:57:00.005-05:00

Our good friends, the Cummins family, came into visit over Spring Break. We are usually lucky enough to have them come over to visit one evening when they are in town to see their family. Brian is credited with being our matchmaker back in college when he introduced Kyle and I at the old HEB in College Station. That's why HEB will always have a special place in my heart :) Sara got some super cute pictures of the kids and I got some meh pictures to share too.

Allie really loved getting to play with Reid and Grant and talked about them for several days afterwards. Also Reid taught Allie how to make "wings" on her juice boxes and she reminds me everytime she asks for one. (Flip out the little corners at the top of the juicebox and then the kids hold onto the wings. No squeezing the box and making messes... BRILLIANT.)

Sara hold onto Mems. I think she needs a little girl now!

Grant is just the cutest! Usually they come over without kids so that we can be wild and crazy and play a board game that embarrasses Kyle. It was a real treat to see the boys though. I think they all played together so well!

Allie and Grant doing some fancy chalk artwork.

Reid enjoyed sniffing the rice!

Reid loved that rice! Everyone always worries when they come over about the kids knocking the rice out of the tray. Please people, no big deal! I probably won't even bother to color it next time (or at least so many colors) but the kids seem to really love it! I may just get a 20 lbs bag next time I go to Sams.

If you have ever been to our house you know Allie loves to sit outside and wave goodbye to you from the front porch as you drive off. She will also say "Have a good day" and "Be a good girl at school" since I tell her that when I drop her off to preschool. Anyway Reid joined her for a moment and were they not the cutest stinking thing ever! He was just so sweet to Allie.

Come again to play soon Reid and Grant! And Brian and Sara!

Ten on Tuesdays

2011-03-29T12:41:00.003-05:00

Remember when I ranted on my blog about the smoke detector beeping at 3 am? Of course you do it was only like 48 hours ago. Anyway while I was up reading random blogs I found this one that seems really clever. She has 10 questions about yourself every Tuesday and I just LOVE talking about myself so here we go.

1. What is a food that you never thought you would try, but then tried and liked?
I will pretty much try anything. In fact the weirder the better.

2. Do you subscribe to any foodie publications? If so, which ones?
No but my mom does so I look through her foodie magazines when she gets them. Most of my recipes come from friends or the internet. I do however like to read books by famous/interesting chefs. Not really cookbooks but more about their experiences as chefs and what they have learned along the way. The movie Food, Inc really changed the way I look at purchasing food for my family and anything by Micheal Pollan is really interesting.

3. What ingredient do you find yourself reaching for the most when you cook?
Ingredient? I don't know something probably lame like chicken or ground beef because I am a gourmet chef on a budget and I have a super picky toddler to feed.

4. Are there any foods that you hated as a child, but then learned to like as an adult?
Again I just eat anything. Even as a kid I always loved veggies and salad and would order the weirdest thing off the menus at restaurants and it used to drive my parents crazy. Like I would order seafood pasta at a burger place. I was weird like that. I really didn't like meat growing up though and my mom made alot of steaks and fried chicken and I never really cared for that until later on I suppose. Kyle can't have a meal with meat so I don't think our marriage would survive if I didn't eat meat.

5. What do you like to eat that others may consider weird?
I can't think of anything I eat that is odd. Most people I know are more adventurous eaters including my family. I think eating pb and j everyday is weird. SO I guess my kid is totally weird.

6. What is the weirdest ingredient you’ve ever cooked with?
Again I am pretty cheap when it comes to the actual cooking part. Probably something Kyle's dad gave us that he hunted like elk or venison.

7. Do you have any major food allergies?
Nope.

8. Is there an ingredient that you would like to cook with, but are intimidated to try?
I would love to go shop at a Asain market like the ones we had in California but I would be totally intimidated. I just would not know where to begin.

9. Do you bake?
I like to bake but I really don't because then I eat it all. But I think it will be fun to bake more once the girls can join in and help. Also I don't want to steal Kyle's thunder since he has stated that he really wants to be known for his pies! And they are mighty good I must say!

10. If you could go on any “foodie” show to compete, which one would it be, and why?
I don't like to compete at anything. I am too lazy/anxious. I would LOVE to be a P A on a show like Top Chef and come up with different ideas or just tag along on a really exotic episode of No Reservations. Preferably somewhere that I could eat durian. It is my food dream!

Water Table Fun!

2011-03-28T12:58:00.012-05:00

EDIT: I am super annoyed with the fact the spacing is so messed up in this post but I have no clue how to fix it sorry!!

Looking back in my pictures it looks like I have a lot to blog about so let's do this!

I took these pictures of Mems in her exersaucer this morning. She was clearly amazed!!

Here is Allie giving Mems instructions on what to do because that is what this big sis does.

She tells EVERYONE what to do.

Must be a first child thing.

And Allie is the product of two first children so watch out!

Ok now let me share with you guys my new most favorite thing ever!!

With summer arriving I knew I needed some outdoor activities that Allie could do to keep her busy since we are still spending a lot more time around the house with the baby.

I really, really, really wanted a cool water table for the girls and not just one of those plastic little tykes ones.

I wanted a big huge one from Lakeshore Learning like I had when I was a teacher that I could use to dump all sortsof things in.

The problem is that the ones from Lakeshore are like $300 and I am hesitant to spendthat sort of money on a toy for my kids.

So I just googled how to make a water table and came across some really helpful blogs like this one and this one.

I forwarded them on to my dad and asked if he could pretty please make one for the girls and sure enough he did!

It arrived last night and Allie was so excited even though I know she had no idea what it even was!

I plan to paint it tomorrow maybe a pretty apple green but we were too anxious to try it out when Nolan visited today.

Nolan's family is moving across the street from us in just 2 weeks so he came his mommy met with the painters.

We are very excited about our new neighbors!

Before they got there Allie and I went around looking for fun water toys.

We got some cups and spoons, a watering can, foam letters and paintbrushes.

This gives you an idea of the structure to the water table.

It is alot bigger than the ones I found on the blogs which I like.

All in all my dad said it cost around $30.

Allie just loves Nolan. She thinks he is the funniest kid ever.

I LOVE THIS PICTURE!

Nolan would splash Allie and get them both so wet and Allie would retaliate with this dinky 1/2 tsp.

We munched on Magic Pop. I found this stuff at HEB and Allie loves it!

It is like a gigantic BabyMum Mum.

Allie got jealous of all the pictures I took of her so she asked me to give her a turn.

Here is her signature "princess smile".

She has the biggest smile. I just love it!

Allie likes to climb up here and say "I SO TALL!"

I would say the water table was a total success! Thanks Dodo!

We are looking forward to lots of fun outside using this this summer.

By the way to all my mom friends who read this, check out this blog by an art teacher of different projects and ideas she does with her kids.

There are tons of fun ideas!

We knew it was time to go inside when the kids started shivering and Allie's lips were a lovely shade of blue!

They looked so cute wrapped up on the couch!

Crisis Over!

2011-03-26T15:47:00.004-05:00

I now you have all been so worried since I had my blog rant over the smoke detector at 3 am on Friday. Kyle said my blog was a little "eeeeh weird" as he put it but I was a little "eeeeeh bananas" at the time so thats the kind of blog you get.

I finally called my parents and woke them up at 6:30 and they came over to try to change the battery with my dad's 21 foot ladder. It is a beast of a ladder and weighs a ton and still was not tall enough or stable enough to get that high. And yes,we totally sent my father who had a massive brain injury just over a year ago and has been ordered by a neurologist to NEVER EVER EVER go up a ladder again for the rest of his life, up a 21 foot ladder. What a dad! I know he was disappointed and want to show off his ladder climbing/mr fix-it skills. It was a valiant effort.

So I called the local electrician and left a message begging them to come out asap. Allie and Emmy were totally not bothered at all by the noise. I was however going nuts. So FYI this is the ladder you need to change a battery in a 24 foot ceiling. These guys are professionals and got it done in no time.

And when I sent my dad this pic on his phone he muttered with a sigh, "I gotta get that ladder."

Oh and one more thing...I hate you Newmark for putting that thing there in the first place!

Oh Em Gee

2011-03-25T04:34:00.007-05:00

Since moving into our home 3 years ago, Kyle and I would stare at the ceiling in our living room (which is one of those TALL two story living rooms) and think man is is going to super suck when the smoke detector up there starts to beep. Well that day has arrived at about 3:30 am this morning. It is mother freaking loud and you can hear it in the girls rooms too probably because it just echos through the big open room.

My dogs are panting and drooling all over the house because they are scared of the noise and I have a feeling Allie will be scared of it too. Kyle is out of town (but my big strong husband will be home soon so arsonists and robbers beware) and I am unsure what to do until then. I think I will start by blogging and finish by banging my head against the wall. There is no way to escape the beeping. I even tried flipping the breakers. Google has failed me. Anybody have a 30 ft ladder I can borrow right this second?

Here are some pictures I took of Emily. Hopefully her cuteness will help to calm me down.

UPDATE 5:15 am and still beeping. I am slowly going crazy. I think my eyes are turning into crazy pinwheels and I now have my dogs locked in my room with a white noise machine going but I am pretty sure they are trying to dig a hole out of the house.

UPDATE TO THE UPDATE 5:33 am Noone has called to check on me yet and offer a ladder. Don't you people care about me!?@?@!? I am fortunately a mother who has been blessed with 2 good sound sleeping children. Have I mentioned Emmy sleeps through the night already?? Like 12 hours folks. And they are both unaware of the beeping. My dogs are another story. I just gave them Benadryl to try to calm them down. I found Macy hiding under Kyle's clothes in the closet chewing her tail. Poor girl :(

Blackberry Pics

2011-03-23T19:59:00.005-05:00

I was looking through my phone at my pictures I have saved and thought I should share them.

My mom's favorite thing to do with Allison is feed her really messy foods. Blueberry smoothies, chocolate pudding and pictured here, red cupcakes. This must be something that really appeals to grandparents because it really just grosses me out and makes me never want to eat a red cupcake.

Allie playing dress up at her buddy Olivia's house.

Mems being squirmy and cute.

I took Allie on a fun Mommy and Allie playdate last weekend. This is the first time that I have just spent time with just her since Emmy was born and I have to say I really enjoyed it. We went to the mall and we made a Easter bunny at Build A Bear.

I had an exchange to make at Victoria's Secret and Allie insisted on carrying around the bag since it was pink and looked like a purse. I felt a little weird about my toddler daughter carrying around a lingerie bag but whatevs hopefully most shoppers are not as judgey as me. The one thing that REALLY bothers me about that store... why on earth are there so many young teenage girls shopping in that store with boys??!!!? And where are their judgey mothers!??!?! I can't be everyone's judgey mom you know! I have a family of my own to judge!

Allie and her bunny. Which she named... Bunny.

After that we went to Barnes and Nobles and looked through a million books without buying anything. Allison really liked the stage and would sit on it and sing songs from her music class while patting her knees to keep rhythm.

That's all!

Cool Tricks! Cool Tricks!

2011-03-22T20:36:00.005-05:00

My name is Allie and singing like a princess is my cool trick!

I totally sound like a stage mom in this video but I was rushing her through because the memory card was full and I only had like 15 seconds left.