Thanksgiving Surprise!

We are so excited to announce that Michaela has lost her first tooth! On Thanksgiving! She has been struggling with this tooth for over a month now and we were getting frustrated at the lack of progress! We tried to get her to wiggle it regularly, but that was like wrestling a polar bear.....pointless! So, we were wiggling it for her Thanksgiving night after all of the guests had gonce home and when Dad got ahold of it, he just put his fingernail behind it and....Voila! She didn't even cry! What a trooper! She was so excited to put it in her toothfairy pillow and she went to sleep faster than she ever has before in hopes that she would arrive and leave her a treat.

The next morning she woke up and came down to our room early in the morning with the surprise from the Tooth Fairy. It was $3 and a letter thanking her for her first tooth! She was so excited! She proceeded to tell me that she didn't see the Tooth Fairy come into her room because she had wings that you couldn't hear flapping and she was invisible like a ghost! LOL!!! It is amazing how kids rationalize things!

Needless to say, I have her first tooth in a safe location and ready to be put in her scrapbook!

Puttin up the Tree

Watching the girls put the Christmas tree up this year was so much fun! They loved looking back at all of the ornaments and remembering them from last year. We had to talk about whose ornaments were whose and what the signified. Their happy little faces dancing to the Christmas music in the background is something that will stick in my mind for the rest of my life. I just love the holidays and everything that comes along with it!

Mmmm...Spaghetti!!!

Rebecca had spaghetti for the first time the other night and she had a blast eating it! I put it on her high chair and she went to town! There was not a dropped noodle to be found. She had so much of it on her face and she was just shoveling it in. I couldn't help but laugh at her and of course get the evidence to use against her when she is older. But even with sauce all over her face, she is still so darn cute!!!!

Alaina'a Date night with Daddy

Alaina and Daddy had their date night on Monday night after he got home from work. Alaina asked about her date all afternoon long and she was so excited when he walked through the door. Alaina got to choose the restaurant she wanted to eat and and I am sure that most people can guess where that was......McDonald's!! LOL!!!
So, they had a good dinner and then they went shopping for a while. Alaina must have her daddy wrapped around her little finger because she came home with a little electronic drumset. Spoiled little booger!!!
Well, she ended up having a great time and loving every minute of it! I can't wait to do it all again!

Put down the scissors!!!

Well, for the fourth time in her short little life, Michaela has cut hair. Only this time it wasn't her own!!! She decided to play Barber on her little sister! They started out by sneaking the school box upstairs without me seeing it. Apparently it was all a request by Alaina, but who really knows....I am sure that no one will ever know the "real" story!

A few hours go by and Alaina and I are playing on the couch and I notice that she now has bangs. Now wait a minute....she has NEVER had bangs before!!!! OMG!!! So, I hold her head still to take a peek at the damage all while trying not to teach my children new words and I tell them that if they EVER cut hair again, they will both be in HUGE trouble! So, furious and frustrated, I put them both in the corner for some thinking time and decide to just let it go from there.

But wait....there's more!!!! The next day I am sitting and talking to Alaina and I notice that her beautiful, dark, long eyelashes don't look right. Hmmm....what could be wrong??? OMG, she cut her eyelashes off, too!!! Can you believe it?! Not only is her hair two inches shorter, but her eyelashes are almost non-existent! At this point, I am about to have a heart attack and drop over dead! But, what am I gonna do about it now, it is done and over with. So, needless to say, they no longer have access to scissors.

Our Date Night

Michaela and I had our first date night this afternoon. It was sooooo much fun! We went to Alliance to see Madagascar 2. We shared a bag of popcorn and a rootbeer. Then we walked around the mall that it is attached to. She picked out a glittery lip gloss for herself and was so excited to put it on! We then went to Handel's and got a little dish of ice cream. She got Mint Chocolate Chip(a girl after my own heart) and I got Coffee Chocolate Chip! Yummo!!! We are now at Gramma and Grampa's house to spend a little time there without the little kids running around and ruining all of the fun.

She is so excited just to have a big kid day to herself and I am truly blessed to get to spend it with her. She is such a great little girl and I am so proud to be her momma. I thank God everyday for her!

Alaina chose to have her date day with Daddy, so they will be going somewhere out to eat tomorrow night. I am sure that they will have a great time and I cannot wait to blog about it!

Coupon Shopping Success!!

Darn it! I wish that I had a camera right now to show you the amount of stuff I got during my shopping trip yesterday afternoon! I would consider the day a great success!! Here is what I got:

Walgreen's:
Colgate Toothpaste~$2.49-$1.00Wag's Q-$1.00 Mfg Q=$.49
5 Bic Soleil Shimmer Razors~$6.99-$3.00Wag's Q-$3.00 Mfg Q=$.99/piece
3 Bic Soleil 4ct. Cartridges~$6.99-$3.00Wag's Q-$3.00 Mfg Q=$.99/piece
Tax~$3.50
Total OOP~$11.91

Rite Aid:
4 Puffs 108ct Facial Tissue~$.99 on sale-$.25 Mfg Q=$.74/piece
Crest Whitening Toothpaste~$2.69-$.75 Mfg Q=$1.94
Tax~$.40
Total OOP~$5.30
Single Check Rebate for toothpaste~$2.69
Total after Rebate~$2.61

Giant Eagle:
4 Boxes Progresso Chicken Broth~2/$4-(2)$1.00 Mfg Q's=2/$2
2 Boxes Betty Crocker Potatoes~1/$1(sale)-$.35 Mfg Q's(doubled)=$.30/piece
1 Box Betty Crocker Potatoes~1/$1(sale)-$.40 Mfg Q(doubled)=$.20
15 Boxes Hamburger Helper~10/$10(sale)-(3)$.75 Mfg Q's(doubled)-(2)$.80 Mfg Q's(extra $.20 off)=$8.50
I also used a $2 Register Coupon from my last trip!
Total OOP~11.30

My Total OOP for the day was..........$28.51!!!!!

And She's Off!!!!

Even though Rebecca has been trying to walk for a while and taking a few steps here and there, she wasn't officially walking around until two days ago!!! Yeah!!!

We were at my friend's house and all of a sudden she was just walking around for stuff. I think she was just showing off for her friend, but that's okay! So, then she comes home and for the last few days, she has been following her sisters around! I am so excited! I was getting so frustrated watching her crawl when I knew she could stand up and walk, so I finally feel better.

Watch out world.....here comes Rebecca!

Her first official word!!!

Rebecca has been babbling for a while and of course she is saying mamamama and dadadada, but there haven't been any "real" words......until now!!! She is now saying "Hi!" It is too cute! She waves her fat little hands in the air and looks at you with her cute little smile and welcomes you better than most adults ever will!!! Even the smallest of things can make a mother's heart gleam with joy and this is one of those tiny little things that you just remember forever!

Now if I could just get her to eat without smearing it in her hair........

The Girls' Clothes

I am one child short today, so I decided to go ahead and tackle something that I didn't ever wanted to do before......cleaning the girls' drawers out! What a feat!! I bought new hangers the other nite and I hung up all of their dresses, shirts, and jackets; folded all of their pants; and put all of their summer clothes in storage. Wow, was it ever time consuming!!! It took me over an hour just to finish the two oldest girls' drawers.

But, the room looks good and the drawers aren't overflowing anymore! Now I am going to go and take a nap, LOL!!!

MOPS

Unless you are young mom with preschoolers, you may not even know what MOPS is! I didn't know until my friend from CA introduced me to it. MOPS stands for Mothers Of PreSchoolers. It is a group of moms with kids under kindergarten age that get together twice a month and just have an overall great time for two hours while our kids are being babysat safely in the next room with qualified volunteers keeping them happy and busy! This is a group that has started in my hometown in September and I am so excited to be a part of it! I am a part of the Steering Team Leaders and it feels great to have such a great feeling of accomplishment and to finally have someone depending on me again besides my children. Although I love being a SAHM, and I wouldn't trade this opportunity for the world, it is so nice to feel needed again! The other moms in the group are just awesome and I have made some good friends in the process.

We get to have motivational speakers who come and talk about this season of motherhood, we have crafts, great homemade food, and a great time just socializing. It is a Christian-based group, but not in a threatening or pushy manor. We get to share Christ with all types of women and show them how great it is to have Him in our lives. I feel truly blessed to have this opportunity and I wanted to urge other young mothers to look for a local MOPS group because it may just change your life!!

Neutra Air Deals from last week!

Well, last week there was a deal on the Neutra Air Freshmatic Starter kits. They were $5.99 at Walgreen's! Normally, they are $13.xx so I couldn't pass it up. I also had a $5/1 Mfg Q so I got online to my couponing forums and I traded coupons with another woman and ended up getting four of the Kits for $5!!! I also have a raincheck for another one since every Walgreen's around me was sold out of them. Yeah for awesome deals!

PS. I would've taken a picture of my deals, but I don't have access to my camera right now!

One Month of Stockpiling...

What a difference one month of stockpiling can make! I have saved a TON of money OOP and have over $100 of rebates coming to me! I am so glad that I have decided to start couponing and I can't believe that I didn't do it sooner! Hopefully those savings can start going into the girls' savings accounts!!

I love Walgreens!

This has been such a great month for me with all of the Easysaver Rewards! Anyone who doesn't shop Walgreen's should because their deals are great! Here is my breakdown:
Windex: $3.79-$1 Rebate-$1.50 MFG Q=$1.29
Fantastik: $3.79-$1 Rebate-$2 MFG Q=$.79
Pampers Wipes(Not the best deal, but I needed them): $2.50-$.50 MFG Q=$2.00
Bic Razors: $3.99-$1 IVC-$2 MFG Q=$.99
Glade Glass Scents: $3.29-$1 Rebate-BOGO Sale=$.64
Total OOP w/tax: $27.94
Total after Rebates: $16.20
Full Price: $45.10
Total Savings: $28.90

Great Shopping trip!!!

Well, I would consider today's shopping trip a success!!! I got all of this stuff for $3.97!!! What a steal! Here is the breakdown:

6 bottles of pert: $15.00 - $2.50 WAG Q(per bottle) -$1.00 MFG Q(1 Q for every two bottles)=FREE!!!

2 tubes of crest: $3.98 - $2.00 WAG Q - $1.00 MFG Q = $.98

Febreze Noticeables: $7.99 -$5.00 MFG Q = $2.99

Total with Tax: $5.77

Yeah for Couponing!!!

Passing time with small children

I have been looking for a long time for a small project to help pass the time with small children while cooped up at home on a rainy or cold day. Well, I got the perfect idea and I wanted to share it with you because of course....it works for me!

EASY PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
1 cup Peanut Butter
1 Cup Sugar
1 Egg

Mix together, roll into a ball, roll in sugar, fork and bake at 375 until done.

This is super easy and not a big mess. Kids LOVE to roll the cookie dough in sugar and make the pretty little fork marks in the top!

Giving this a try!

Thank you, Jenna for having this site in your blog! It has made me realize that I can do one thing a week and feel like I accomplished something!! No more massive home overhauls in one stressful day!!!

Today I decided to tackle my husband's desk in the office. I have always vowed to stay away from his stuff, but I just couldn't take the mess anymore!!! It made me stressed out every time I sat down to the computer in the afternoon!



It wasn't a difficult job, just one that was long overdue! It took me about 10 minutes to finish, but the outcome is GREAT! I think I like this cleaning stuff!! I can't wait until next Tuesday!

Another Milestone!

Well, it is crazy and I can hardly believe it, but I just found out today that Michaela is getting her first adult tooth in!!! She was telling us this morning that she could feel a little tooth coming in, but we just thought she was being silly. Well, we were sitting at the table this morning doing our schoolwork and I saw the little tooth coming through when she was talking! I also felt to see if her baby tooth is loose, and it is! We get to play tooth fairy soon! I can't wait!

She did it!!!

My baby girl has finally started to say "mama"!!! I was so excited to hear her call for me this morning!!! The best part was, she did it more than once today! I was so proud and so excited and so choked up all at the same time! Her little smiling face just warmed my heart and to know that she can verbalize my "name" just made me feel like I was on cloud nine!

Now I am looking forward to the milestone where she can give hugs and kisses upon request! Those are always great moments for a mommy!

You want to see the rock wall you say?!

HAHAHAHA!!!! I have never laughed so hard in all of my life and I truly mean that!!!! Marvin was nervous from the second he bought the ticket! The boys decided that they would race to the top of the wall....scary!! So, it wasn't too bad to begin with...they were pretty close together, but then our friend Brad took off and left Marvin in the dust. But you have to give Marvin some credit....he didn't give up!! He just kept on truckin' until he made it to the top and pressed the button!



Uh oh....now it's time to come back down!!! Not so good for someone with a phobia of heights! Marvin thought that the rope wasn't going to hold him and he started clawing for the rock wall for dear life!!! It was like a cat trying to escape water!! He nearly killed himself! Of course by this time we are all laughing until we can't breathe and all of the onlookers are quietly giggling in the background, but nonetheless, Marvin still has to get down from the top of that wall!!! They slowly let him down and he practically collapses on the ground because his knees are so weak from the adrenaline rush that is finall wearing off!!



When he finally gets unstrapped and comes out to see us, he is bleeding from a previous wound that he has reopened and he is breathing like he just ran a 5K!!!! I don't think that he will be climbing any more rock walls in the near future!

Bath Time!

Rebecca just loves to take a bath in our sink! She loves the bubbles and just splashes and splashes. Sometimes it is really cute because she tries to pick up the bubbles between her fingers and gets frustrated when she doesn't succeed!
She is just like a slippery little water baby and getting her all washed up can be a challenge sometimes. It's like trying to hold down a wet noodle! Her beautiful baby skin is so smooth tha the water makes it slick, yet so touchably wonderful. I just can't get enough of bath time!
Don't mind her black eye in these pictures. She had an accident and she fell into the radiator when she was playing one day. She was trying to be a big girl but didn't quite make it back down to the safety of the floor before smacking into the heater. Poor baby!!
Then it is time to get dried off!!! YEAH RIGHT!!! She would rather crawl around naked than sit still long enough to get dried off like a normal human being. It doesn't matter if the air conditioning is on.....let her run free!!! I love seeing those little baby butt cheeks crawling all over the living room floor!
All finished!!! Dried off....smelling fresh and in a super cute cloth diaper! What a little cutie pie! Hmmmm....maybe I should look into child modeling!! LOL!!!

Geneva on the Lake

What a great time we had at Geneva! I can't wait to go again next year! The weather was perfect, the sun was shining and my husband made a total fool out of himself! I was a complete evening for us!

Our first stop was the lake and it was gorgeous! The sun was low in the sky and the boats were out on the water. Just a perfect picture. The girls took off their sandals and played in the edge of the water. I took lots of pictures so that I could remember how happy they were just playing and laughing and having a good time exploring.

Our next stop was to the family fun park where my husband decided to make a total fool out of himself by trying to climb the rock wall. Does anyone who is afraid of heights really think they can climb a rock wall?! NO!! But of course, Marvin had to try it and in the process freaked out at the top thinking the cord wasn't holding him up so he clawed for the wall, reopened a cut and looked really strange in front of the lovely group of gawkers who were lined up to see the two "old men" trying to climb the rock wall.

Then we went and found an AWESOME place that makes authentic gyros and we chowed down on an great meal. Of course no meal is complete w/o dessert, so we stopped at the local donut shop that has people lined up outside of the store all day long and we waited for fresh homemade creamsticks to come out of the fryer!!!! Can I just say....yummo!!!!!! They were awesome and I wish that I could have had more!! I can't wait until next summer to head up there just for the donuts!

Kindergarten already?!

Can it be true?! Is it time for kindergarten already?! I swear that I was just over at my mom's house telling her that I was having a baby and now it is six years later and my baby is starting school!!!

Well, the beginning of the schoolyear is truly going wonderfully! She is learning a lot every day and truly seems to enjoy soaking up all of the knowledge. We are learning how to write our numbers and letters and putting word families together. Soon she will be reading beginner's books and I will truly be in trouble because Marvin and I spell things out when we don't want the kids to know what we are talking about!!! So much for that!

She is so proud that she is now big enough to get her shower all by herself in the morning and that I am giving her more privileges than her little sisters have. Although I do have to remind her from time to time not to rub it in Alaina's face that she no longer takes naps and Alaina still has to! Otherwise, it is all good.

It is such a miracle to see her growing and flourishing every single day. I am amazed that God has put such a wonderful little person in my life. He has truly blessed me and I am thankful everyday for her. It just goes to show that God works in mysterious ways because back when I found out I was having a baby I sure didn't think that He had all of these wonderful things in store for Marvin and I!

A Little Treat!!!

That's right!!! We finally decided to get her ears pierced! After we took her for her nine month check-up and everything went great, I took her over to the mall and got her ears pierced and I am so glad that I did it! She looks adorable! I can't believe how cute it turned out!!!

Her stats were great at the visit. She is 19lbs and 9oz and 28 inches long. He said that she is tall and think just like her big sis! She is growing like a weed and the pediatrician was so happy for her!

Happy Nine Months my beautiful baby girl!

I can hardly believe that my precious baby girl is already nine months old! She is just so beautiful and smart and clever that I am sure to never have a dull moment. So much has happened since the six month mark that I don't really know where to begin!

She finally got her top two front teeth in, so she doesn't look lopsided anymore. She is also standing up unassisted and walking all along the furniture and anything else she can get her sticky little fingers on. She is eating a lot of different table foods, but I think that melon is her favorite so far! She has started saying "ba-ba" and "da-da", but still no "mama"! How unfair is that! I carry her around for nine months, give birth to her, nourish her from my own body, take care of her every day and the first thing she says is "da-da"!! It is like a cruel joke that she is playing on me! But that's okay because she comes to me when she is tired or hurt or snuggly and I just soak up every little moment that I can!

We are starting to prepare for her first birthday which should be a great time! I have already rented the church where I am going to have it and I am getting the invites and theme picked out soon, too. There are so many to choose from, that it has become a much harder decision than I originally anticipated!! Buuuut....since this is the last first birthday I get to throw, it is gonna be a good one!!!

We are going to have her pictures taken soon by a professional photographer, so I am hoping that she cooperates and we get some good frames! Wish us luck!

Where has the time gone?!

Where is the time going?! I cannot believe that 2008 is half over and my girls are getting so darn big! Rebecca has been crawling all over the place for at least a month now and she is also standing up and walking along the furniture! She has taught herself the wonderful new trick of fake coughing for attention and she is just learning how to wave. I cannot believe what a smart little bugger she is. Soon she will be upstairs playing with the other girls and I won't have my little baby anymore!
Michaela is swimming around without her floaty almost all of the time now and Alaina can go under the water like a little professional. They love to dive for the water rings and it is a huge accomplishment every time they come up with one.
I am really hoping to get Michaela a bike before the end of summer so that she can learn to ride a two-wheeler. I really think that she can do it!
Less than a month before school starts and my baby will be starting kindergarten! I don't know if I am ready for that yet. It seems like it was just yesterday I saw those two little lines on that HPT telling me that she was entering our lives. What a miracle she is and we just love her so so much!
Alaina got the cutest little haircut and her hair is as blonde as ever this summer. She is the "poster child for summer" like my cousin put it and everyone comments on how darn cute she is! She seems to get smarter by the minute and just loves her little sister to death. Too much at times because she is always trying to pick her up and play with her even though Rebecca doesn't want anything to do with it!
We will see what the rest of 2008 brings us!

The first six months

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Holding her bottle!

Can you believe it?! She is holding her own bottle now!!! Of course, she still drops it when things catch her eye because she is so darn nosy, but that's okay, she'll get better at it.Her favorite thing to stare at while she is eating is the dog. He loves to walk by and lick off all of the "extra" formula. She can't seem to get enough of him! Soon she will be holding that bottle while sitting up! Great job Rebecca!

Sweet Potatoes Anyone?!

Watching a baby eat from a spoon for the first time is amusing to almost anyone I know! Seeing Rebecca attempt sweet potatoes was no exception! It was a hoot! She ended up with most of it on her face, but she sure did enjoy it! She just kept trying to lean her head to the spoon instead of letting the spoon come to her. She also kept pushing the food back out with her tongue when she was trying to swallow it.
I can't wait to try all of the great fruits and veggies I have in the freezer for her!