Glamour Shots

Grace went to a birthday party last weekend that promised "glamour shots" for each little girl. Oddly enough, they didn't follow through with it but Grace (and Ella) are still fascinated by the idea of glamour shots.

"Mom, what are glamour shots?", they asked.

"They're when you get dressed up really fancy and take pictures.", I answered.

How else do you explain that gaudy 90's phenomenon?

The girls decided to do glamour shots of their own.

Ella asked me yesterday, "Mom, did you blog those pictures of me and Grace yet?"
I answered, "No, do you not want me to put them on the blog?"

"No, we want you to hurry up.",

Ella replied.

So here are our girls dressed up "fancy".

They completely did this themselves.

I wasn't even home when all this fabulousness was going on.

Do you love their "glamour shots"?

Aren't they fancy?

Our girls are completely hilarious and oh so glamorous.

for Cortney

Grace wanted a "real" guitar for Christmas. Though Mr. and Mrs. Claus differed on whether she'd actually like it and play with, Mrs. Claus prevailed and Grace got a "real" guitar for Christmas.

(She's a little proud and excited. Can you tell?)

When Grace saw it Christmas morning, the first thing she said (pointing) was, "just like Aunt Cortney's."
Grace is so proud of her "real" guitar. She likes to dance around strumming and singing, especially in her room in front of the big mirrors. What does she sing? Made-up, I mean, original Grace songs, of course. If only I could catch her doing it. Its so stinkin' cute!

p.s. I'll keep trying!

Glad We Did It

Its done! Grace had her last day of preschool this week and was perfectly fine with it. Hallelujah!
Thankfully, Grace brought home her "school pictures" on her last day of preschool. These are the pictures, paid for by the check, that started it all. See story here.
I feel I must apologize to my sweet Grace for passing on to her my pasty white skin. I fear that for the rest of her life, in the last winter-early spring, people will ask her if she's feeling well and she'll only reply, "Yes, I'm fine." But all the while be cursing them (and me) because she is NOT ill or under the weather, she is just white. Pasty white. Grace will blame me, I blame my mother and she blames hers. It's a viscous blame game.

One more thing, I hate props. This picture is 40% Grace and 60% props. I don't want pictures of props. I wanted pictures of my child. Crazy me!
(I apologize if I just totally offended you b/c you love picture props. Its okay. We can agree to disagree and still be friends.)

Having said ALL that, our Grace is stinkin' cute. She love, love, loves that dress and made sure, days in advance, that it was clean and hanging in her closet for picture day. Grace was so proud of herself for being big enough for "school pictures". Its true. Look how big she is. She's a giant that's all but outgrown her winter clothes. I can hardly believe she was my butterball baby just a few years ago. Grace makes me smile everyday with her hilarious made-up words, lyrics and stories. There is never a dull moment when Grace is home.

I love you my Gracie Anne

Upon Waking This Morning . . .

There are a handful of people who, upon waking this morning said, "I think I'll try my best to annoying Emily out of her mind today." They did an awesome job!

Okay, that was a little dramatic since the people are nearly strangers but that didn't make them any less annoying today.

I'll be giving you the "Reader's Digest" version of these stories so as not to annoy you out of your mind.

Today was picture day at preschool. I made sure the form and check made it safely into a "teacher's" hand this morning. Somewhere between the teachers hand and the photographer's hand the check disappeared. GREAT! that's awesome!

Angie (who I carpool with and drove today) was sweet enough to go back up to the school, talk face to face with the really annoying people, get frustrated and write them another check.

That is annoying enough but in the midst of all this Angie accidentally discovered that the supervising teacher (who is pregnant but not due until April) got put on bed rest THREE MONTHS AGO! They didn't feel it was important to let the parents know that there would be a sub in the school for the rest of the school year. I knew I hadn't seen her in a while but since I only drive once a week and the monthly newsletters kept coming home signed "Summer" I assumed I was just missing her. Nope, no!

I have been toying with the idea of pulling Grace out anyway since the work they were doing has become "non-educational" (like devoting a whole week to fairy tales then spending the week talking about Disney movies). Today was the last nail in the casket for me. I am happy to say that Grace will finish this month (since I already paid for it) and then be done with preschool. That, my friends, will be money well saved!

Next, Ella had a tonsillectomy last week (that post will come tomorrow). She's been remarkably well until today when she started to get some drainage and the pain really kicked it up a few notches. (Isn't she so stinkin' cute?)

About 4 pm I called the doctor's office to ask about the increased pain. I'm asked to leave a message on the nurse's voicemail. Great! I'd love to (please note the sarcasm). Two hours later the PA finally calls back and said there was some mix up with the phone numbers (note - he called me on my phone.) Anyway, after talking to him, him calling some pharmacy then calling me back, he decided to change her pain medication. Great. He was going to call the prescription into the pharmacy and I could go pick it up. Double great. Until I got to the pharmacy 30 minutes later and NOTHING! It hadn't even been called in yet. By this time its 7 pm, my kids are getting cranky since bedtime is upon us and the doctor's office is closed, all calls go straight to voicemail. UGH!

Since I'm not going to/can't wait indefinitely at Walgreen's I put everyone back in the car and head home. I notice I have a voicemail but didn't miss a call which means Adam forwarded the message to me from his phone. It is a nurse at the doctor's office saying she tried to call me four times but it was busy and how it is so much better to talk in person but she guesses she'll just have to leave a message as a last resort. (Really? What cell phone on earth gives a busy signal, it would just roll to voicemail if I missed the call and I did not miss FOUR calls since I was WAITING FOR THE CALL.) My phone number doesn't have a Utah area code but it is a similar area code and is often mis-dialed. Don't be all condescending to me when YOU can't dial correctly, four times. If I didn't write 8 0 1 as the area code it probably means my area code is not 8 0 1!

Okay, I'm done.

Except to say that I just called the pharmacy again out of curiosity and her prescription is ready and waiting. That's wonderful considering Adam's not home and all my kids are asleep so I can't go get it. P E R F E C T!

I guess half an hour is too quick to expect someone to call in a prescription for a six year old in pain.

Silly me!

Okay, now I'm really done.

p.s. I'll be fine tomorrow and happily posting about our first tonsillectomy ever! promise.

Should I Be Worried?

Probably!

Grace goes to preschool at a local high school. I chose this preschool because of the high "teacher" to student ratio. "Teacher" meaning high school students that are learning to teach preschoolers as part of their chosen high school curriculum. I've been very pleased with the program but then Grace brought this home last week.

Three! Three of ten words are spelled correctly. Three! Bananas would make four except it is spelled "Banana's" like the banana is possessing something or its some new-fangled contraction.

I'm leaving Grace in this class since (1) finding a new preschool is impossible this time of year (2) I'm trying not to be a spaz and (3) they aren't teaching Grace to spell.

FOR MY DEAR, SWEET, HILARIOUS HUSBAND

Elementary schools in Tennessee have full day kindergarten. I went to full day kindgarten and children today, in Tennessee, go to full day kindergarten. Adam thought it was so funny (back when Ella started kindergarten in Tennessee) to joke that it must take kids in Tennessee twice at long as other kids to learn the same stuff. Ha. Ha. Maybe Utah should consider switching to full day kindergarten!

Just for the record, having experience both full and half day kindergarten with Ella I, actually, prefer half day. Call me crazy.

Staying Close

I wonder who's been playing with my phone? Hum? Let me see, who could it be?
I keep my phone out on the countertop, easily accessible. My girls know they can call anyone in my favfive. Consequently, my mom, dad, sister, sis-in-law and brothers get called quite a bit. I'm pretty sure they don't mind. It isn't at all unusal to walk into a room in the middle of the day and find Grace on the phone. I ask, "Who are you talking to?" Grace replies, "Pappall" and continues her chatting.

Thank you dad, mom, Audra, Ben and Megg and Sam for talking to my children when they randomly call. I want them to feel close to y'all even though we are so far away. I think its working! All my love to you, my sweet family.

I think its Love!

I love, love, love me a good pediatric dentist office. The girls have been BEGGING to go the dentist so I finally got my tail in motion and found a new dentist, made an appointment, picked Ella up from school early and made it to the office with all three kids just in time to wait for 45 minutes. I was NOT happy!

Anyway, apparently Grace has deep teeth that this dentist suggested we fill up so to avoid inevitable cavities. So a week later we (all three kids and I) venture back and I swear to myself that if we wait more than five minutes I'm going to loose it! The receptionist must have seen the green ticked off aura around me because we waited less than a minute.

This is why I love a good pediatric dentist office. The office was barn themed with tractors and animals that Joe was in love with. There was also a little electric train that traveled around the office near the ceiling. That thing kept Joseph occuppied for a seriously long time. There was a tv in the ceiling on which Grace chose to watch "Enchanted" (note the ear phones). She got a pink nose piece thing through which to smell bubble gum scented "funny gas". And after all was said and done they all three got sugar-free suckers and balloon animals to take home. Grace also got to take home her pink nose thing which, by the way, a week later still smells like bubble gum.

All and all, I would recommend this office if anyone is interested. I'm choosing to believe that our first visit experience was just a fluke. I'm thinking that next time I'll just wear my green aura from the get go.

Here's to no cavities, healthy pink gums and pearly white teeth. Happy flossing to all and to all a good night.

Love those Locks!

The girls have been begging for haircuts. Today was finally the day! A friend of mine does hair in her home and does an awesome job. If you live in the area and are looking for a hair person, let me know. She's great! Thanks Jenny.

And there they are!
Ella has been admiring herself most of the evening. I think she likes the new do. The pic looks uneven but its not.
Miss Grace and I talked about it and she thinks its a good idea to give her hair to little girls who don't have any hair. Locks for Love will be receiving this 12 inch pony of my baby girl's hair.
Grace looks beyond adorable in her new bob. I'm excited to get my hands on both the new haircuts and fix them all cutsy. Check back for more pics in days to come.


Side note for my mom - My mom loves to fix the girls' hair when we visit and she always asks them to share their hair with her. Of course they think that is terribly silly and giggle hysterically. So, last week Grace and I were chatting and I asked her what she wanted to do with her hair. She said she wanted to give it to mammaw for Christmas. There you go mom! I'm sorry to report mom that I then suggested that maybe since mammaw already had hair that Grace could give her hair to someone that didn't have any hair at all. Grace agreed that was probably best. What a sweet girl that Grace is. I sure love her beautiful little smile and her big, funny personality.

p.s. I must admit that I will miss my girls' long hair, especially Grace's. But I will not miss the washing, conditioning, combing, brushing, fixing, refixing, combing brushing, fixing, refixing, combing, brushing, fixing, refixing . . . you get the idea.

My Shining Grace

If you know Grace very well, you know that she is one hilarious little chic. Grace went with me to the Relief Society broadcast on Saturday. While sitting in the chapel waiting for the broadcast to begin she was pointing out all the "burned" lights (one was burnt out, the rest just weren't on). Grace looks at me and says, "Mom, when I grow up I want to be a light bulb. When they work really hard they get hot."

I just smiled and said, "Yes, they do get hot when they are working."

The future for a girl as special and wonderful as Grace is sure to be full of exciting opportunites and limitless fun. I wonder what else she will decided to be when she grows up?

A Little Young

Tonight was the Relief Society broadcast that happens only once a year. Nearly without fail this ends up being my most rotten and yucky feeling day of the whole year. I am perfectly aware of why this is so I make a special effort to go. I may have lost some battles today but I won the war.

Adam picked up an extra shift tonight but thankfully a couple of girls in the ward were watching kids at a friend's house. Ella and Joseph were fine but Grace was curled up in a ball crying huge crocodile tears before I even started goodbyes. New place, several older-ish kids and sitters she'd never met were too much for Grace. So after explaining that mama's meeting was like Sacrament meeting, only longer, she still wanted to go with me.

We rode in Grandma's van to the church (always a treat), shared each others soup at dinner, got a piece of cake with a purple flower on it, a piece of pink gum and got to snuggle with mom as much as she wanted during the broadcast while not having to share the "sacrament meeting" toys with anyone. I just described Grace nirvana. I think she felt very special to get to do this big girl thing with me (and Grandma and Angie).

So the broadcast was wonderful. Elder Uchtdorf's english is getting very good and he's pretty funny. My favorite part, however, was the intermediate hymn. The chapel was packed with sisters all sitting next to each other like we were all best friends. We stood to sing and the sound that came from that group of women was so beautiful. Then off over my right shoulder I hear an older sister singing her heart out in her older sister kind of off key voice. I was instantly transported in my mind to sacrament meetings 20 years ago when my mammaw (Christine) would sing the hymns she loved to much in her off key older sister voice. I instantly missed her and was so thankful for her I cried. I am so thankful for the Gospel that binds us all together in a wonderfully giant family knot. Though I love and appreciate my sweet mom and sis-in-law I was missing my own mom and sister so much I ached. I knew they would be sitting in the stake center at home at that exact moment seeing exactly what I was seeing and missing me too. I am so thankful for the incredible women I have in my life. I have wonderful examples to pattern my life after and to help me on my way. I can only think that the Lord knew I would need help.

Thank you wonderful women in my life, here and gone. I love you all!

The Big First Day

Grace started preschool today. She was terribly excited. Her cousin, Isabelle, will be in her preschool class whish is also terribly exciting. Grace put on her backpack, which is as big as she is, and was off without the slightest reservation.
She is my very grown, yet very little girl still. Grace likes to cuddle in my lap, pets my arm when I read to her and always has lots of hugs and kisses for mama. She tolerates dad but mama has always been her favorite.
Grace will do wonderfully in preschool. She'll loves to play with other children and it'll help to have someone beside me talking about colors, letters, numbers and shapes.

Congratulations my big Gracie girl on your first day of preschool!

Farm Life anyone?

We spent the morning at Thanksgiving Point with aunts and cousins.

Grace love, love, loved the pony ride!

Joseph love, love, loved every farm animal there and is completely fearless.
Isabelle and Grace hanging out at "Miss Kitty's Dance Hall". I suppose they were resting after all that beautiful dancing.
Today's outing was monumental for two reasons.

First, I did the entire outing with no stroller. It went rather well!

Second, I tried out Joe's new monkey backpack/harness friend. Joe got really mad at first when I wouldn't take it off but he got used to it. Later this week I am flying by myself with my three kids and I'm terrified I will loose him in an airport. Joseph is a quick little thing that likes to run amok! I have avoided the complete shutdown of an international airport by putting my child on a leash. No thanks necessary FAA and air travellers everywhere!

First-Aid at its finest!

Yet another of Ella's birthday presents that Grace loves.Ella really wanted, and got, a first aid kit for her birthday. I know, kind of a strange request for a six year old, but who am I to squash her little imagation. Ella has been fixing booboos non-stop. This is Grace's largest booboo that she got at the pool. There was no blood on this booboo but it was red so Ella doctored it for her. First, apply the "cream" then carefully place FOUR Barbie bandages. Grace was in little girl heaven and kept these bandages on for four whole days. Not shown in the picture are the three other bandages scattered on Grace's legs. She was quite a site! And what an excellent big sister Ella is to take such good care of her little sister.

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

Ella got "Mary Poppins" for her birthday earlier this month and my girls are LOVING IT! They watch it about once a week and rewatch the songs over and over and over.

Grace, in typical Grace fashion, learns what a four year old can and fills in the rest with her imagination and Grace-ness. Don't forget to notice Grace's moves while singing.

Priceless!

Brenda and Brenda Jr

My mom came to visit for five days the first week of August. She came for the Boston Family Reunion which is always the first Saturday in August.

Since Ella was in school and Joseph was napping, Mom, Grace and I got to spend two afternoons just the three of us. I think Grace was in heaven having so much alone time with us.

This is a picture taken before lunch on one of our days out. Can you see why Adam calls Grace "BJ"? Grace looks more like my mom's daughter than I do. I guess it skips a generation. Will I get a granddaughter clone?

Both my girls love their mammaw and I'm pretty sure mammaw likes them a little bit too. Thank you for the fun visit mom and for being so helpful and patient. We love you!

One more Grace moment

This video is Grace to a tee! This is a three year old

Grace thoroghly enjoying herself. I love it when she does this.

Grace grows up

Grace was the roundest of my babies. She was constantly drooling therefore her face was always broken out/rashy. It was part of her charm.

Grace's First Birthday
Summer of 2006, just before 2nd birthday.

Notice she still has her baby rolls

Fall of 2007 at a Farmers Market in St. Louis.

What a beauty!

Miss Grace is 4

My little monkey turned four. When Grace was a baby she clung to me ALL THE TIME just like a baby monkey. Grace is my mama's girl.

I can hardly believe how big and grown up Grace is now. Just this summer she seems to have gotten so tall and slender. I'll post some old pics of Grace so y'all can see my butterball child.

Above: I think she likes it. Grace is very into doing workbook pages or something "big" while Ella does her own homework. This workbook will be perfect.
Grace has been asking for a cash register since she got some play money with another toy for Christmas. She actually got two for her birthday. She decided to keep them both which turned out well since you can see that Ella and Joe really like the cash registers too.
For the first time I tried my hand at "creating" a birthday cake. It turned out seriously ugly but Grace thought it was great. I love pictures like this. You can just see Grace's thoughts, "This whole cake is for me. And its purple and pink. And a butterfly with lots of candles. I am so cool."

The cake was pink on the inside, per Grace's request. She asked for a pink cake with purple frosting and sprinkles. Done. She loved it and that's what counts.

Let's Make A Deal

I made a deal with the girls tonight. After bathtime, they could start a movie and I would paint their finger and toe nails if they would then let me exercise in peace. It worked but I wasn't in the living room to see Grace fall asleep during Charlotte's Web. So when bedtime came, guess who wasn't tired?

I heard talking in her room and found her "reading" to herself. It was so cute! I left her in HER bed "reading" and went to shower. I got out of the shower and found her in my bed watching mass, yes mass. I'm guessing she got there by accident but why did she leave it there? By the time I finished getting ready for bed, she was out. And it was only 11:30 pm.
So here is my Grace sleeping in mom and dad's bed, wearing her sisters ruffley nightgown (made by her mammaw last Christmas). Now I could move her into her bed or leave her and let Adam's do it. I think I'll leave her for Adam to move.

Feeling beautiful

As promised, here are a little better pictures of the girls' face paintings. Grace's got smudged, of course, before I could get a really good face shot.
You can't see Isabelle's painting but it is of a red and black spider, totally not shocking for Isabelle. Why get a butterfly or a flower when you can get a spider? Duh!

I did, however, got a great picture of Ella's butterfly.
You could just tell Ella thought she looked beautiful with it on. Every little girl, and big girl too, should feel beautiful as often as possible.