A DAY IN THE LIFE

Don't want to forget . . . and ANNOUNCEMENT

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 16:14:00 +0000

Some of you may have noticed that I disappeared awhile ago. For those familiar with our day to day life we've had some challenges and things going on with our children that I wasn't sure I wanted to the world to see (not for my sake, but for my kids anonymity when they are older). I've struggled with the ethics about writing some things publicly that they might want to be private when they are teens +. Unfortunately, when I write on my blog, I write about my daily life and these issues ARE my all consuming daily life right now. So I've been writing on a different blog for awhile and have gone back and forth about whether to go public or not. I finally have decided to go public (YAY) but keep our names private so that should be up and running in a few weeks (I'm moving my posts that I want to share over to my new blog - and taking out names, etc. and keeping out the extremely private posts). I almost decided to go private and not public but I hate private blogs and passwords because I never remember to read them (sorry to those of you who are private - I completely understand why). I will still have pics of my kids just no outright identifying info. With special needs kids (who all have VERY different diagnoses) I feel I have a lot to offer the public in terms of my experience with doctors, the school board, etc. and just being a mom. Plus I love blogging and have missed the interaction with everyone. So - look for that coming in the next few weeks unless another catastrophe hits that takes all my time :)

ANYWAY . . . I was just washing out a pitcher to make some Brazilian limeade for an after soccer/baseball treat for the kids and I remembered what Ella said to me the other day and it made me smile. I need to post it before I forget - because I will. We were running around like crazy to go somewhere (I can't remember) and I had just changed a diaper and was doing something with Ella - it was just normal day to day stuff. She looked around and looked up at me and said "How do you know how to be a mom? How do you do all this?" She had such appreciation and admiration in her eyes. It's making me cry remembering it because the house was trashed (as always), I hadn't cooked a meal in a week, and I've been feeling like the world's worst homemaker because I have been so busy lately. But she didn't notice all of that, what she noticed was my love and attention that I give to them (we had just finished making bouncy balls and had a mini science/reading lessson). It is rare that my children notice or appreciate just the day to day work that goes into running a household - which is completely normal, but that small moment with her sure was nice.

I have changed my philosophy on parenting and living in the last 6 months (actually since I coached Odyssey of the Mind). I used to focus on having the perfect house, etc and constantly found myself saying "after I clean this, or after I do that." Everything was LATER. Everything was always waiting for perfection. Now we are focusing on TODAY and not on tomorrow because life will never be perfect. Except I have found something out along the way, this life is perfect.

A Refined Palate

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 13:10:00 +0000

Feeding babies is always an adventure. Spencer spit out everything but vegetables. Ella LOVED everything (at least that's what I remember and I'm sticking to it) and Libby won't go near baby food.

We started with rice cereal which she HATED! Although the faces she made were priceless, we decided to stop torturing her just for our laughs.

The pediatrician recommended we wait another month and then start with veggies. This was a complete failure so I turned to the best resource, another mom. My friend Irene suggested mashing up an avocado. SUCCESS!! Libby loves avocados and eats a half of one for almost every meal. I have tried also mashing pear and mangoes but she far prefers her avocado. Some of you might think this is why she is so pleasantly plump but she was already 20 lbs before the solid food.

Wednesday night we took the family out to dinner. Lance and I split my favorite pizza - artichokes, sun dried tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese fired in a brick oven. Libby ate her avocado and gnawed on pizza crust happily until yesterday afternoon when I attempted to eat leftovers. I handed her my crust but she kept staring my pizza down. Every time I took a bite she became more and more frantic. Finally, in an attempt to shock her out of crying, I stuck some artichoke in her mouth. I fully expected her to make her funny face and spit out the artichoke - BUT SHE LOVED IT! I couldn't get it in her fast enough! She kept opening up her mouth and crying if I wasn't shoving artichoke into it. She ate ALL MY ARTICHOKE off of two pieces of pizza.

So her diet now consists of avocados and artichokes . . . a girl after my own heart :) I wonder what's next?

Ella's Guide to a Tonsillectomy

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Mon, 31 May 2010 02:42:00 +0000

Ella's Guide to Surgery:
Tonsillectomy, Adenoidectomy, and Tubes - Oh my!!!

Step One - Have your dad and home teacher give you a blessing the night before surgery.

Step Two - Take a shower the night before and let your mom put two French braids in your hair so it will stay out of your face the next few days. (Plus - all the nurses think it's really cute!).

Step Three - Wear your comfiest PJ's and bring your favorite stuffed animal and pillow with you. Have your mom put all her kisses and loves in your stuffed animal so if you ever are scared and your mom's not there, you can hug your animal and feel her love. I brought "Ellie the Elephant."

Step Four - Bring both your parents. Make sure one of them is funny so you don't think about surgery!

Step Five - Be put to sleep while holding your mom's hand and being told a wonderful story by a nurse that sounds like Mary Poppins!

Step Six - Eat lots and lots and lots of popsicles in the Recovery Room - also drink apple juice and be completely doted on by the nurses.

Step Seven - Make sure to be wrapped in warm blankets like a cocoon - nothing feels better after surgery.

Step Eight - Go to the bathroom and hop on both feet - then tell your mom that they "didn't mess up your jumping."

Step Nine - Be wheeled out in style to the car. Wave to people like you are royalty.

Step Ten - Eat as much ice cream, popsicles, jello, and bubble gum that you can handle - after all you have a doctor's note instructing your parents to feed you this!

Step Eleven - Declare to all who will listen that you "locked up your brain before surgery so they wouldn't take any of it- all your thoughts are still there!"

Step Twelve - Enjoy your family serving you hand and foot - even your older brother!

Mom's Thoughts

Ella has needed her tonsils out for quite awhile. They are so large that she has obstructive sleep apnea and when she gets sick, she has to use a nebulizer in order to help with breathing. We were lucky and were able to get surgery scheduled the day after school got out!

Ella was SO cute the day of her surgery. She is usually bouncing off the walls but you could tell she must have been a little scared (even though she insisted she wasn't) and unsure about what was going on. She was so quiet and shy before the surgery! It was so cute how she would smile with her eyes at everyone but not answer questions without lots of prompting. Her surgery was scheduled at 7:30 AM so we were told to bring her in her PJ's and to bring stuff that comforts her. The nurses were fabulous and made up this whole little story about going on a picnic and needing to blow up a balloon with a special mask. I was the only one allowed back with her so I got to hold the anesthesia mask while the nurse kept telling Ella about the picnic they were going on. She was out immediately! After the surgery she was in pain so they gave her some medcine through her IV and she took a nap. We weren't allowed back while she woke up but she remembered to hug her elephant and she said she could feel me there with her (which made me so happy). When she woke up we got to go sit with her. She was soooo out of it. She slept most of the first day and by the second day no longer needed pain meds. We have been keeping it easy and she still is not talking too much - it's been really quiet around here! I actually miss the non-stop singing, humming, talking, and dancing. I'm glad this surgery is over with and hope it helps her sleep better at night. I already can tell that she must not have been hearing too well because she is jumping at noises that wouldn't have even phased her before. It will be interesting to see how she does these next couple of weeks. I'm curious about whether or not her voice will change.

This is one surgery down - one to go. Libby was supposed to have her tubes done this week but it was postponed due to scheduling. Luckily, that will be a much easier procedure!

Easy Parmesan Tilapia

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Fri, 14 May 2010 01:27:00 +0000

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp garlic salt
2 lbs. Tilapia fillets

Recipe:
1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Line baking dish with aluminum foil.
2. In a small bowl mix together Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise, and lemon juice. Add the basil, pepper, and garlic salt. Mix well and set aside.
3. Place Tilapia fillets in a single layer and put in oven. Cook for 5 minutes, turn over, cook for additional 5 minutes.
4. Take fish out of oven and cover fillets with Parmesan mixture.
5. Put fish back in oven and cook for an additional 2 minutes or until golden brown and fish flakes easily with a fork.

Here's another fish recipe that we love! We just had this a couple of days ago and my kids are begging for it again already. We like it with rice and broccoli. We eat a lot of broccoli because it is one of the few veggies I don't have to fight my kids over. (I have one who will eat any veggie and one who won't).

Yummy and good for you - can't beat that!

Enjoy!

WFMW - Curlformers

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Wed, 12 May 2010 02:53:00 +0000

Have y'all heard of these??? Curlformers are my new favorite hair tool. I use them on both mine and Ella's hair. I saw them all over the hair blogs a couple months ago but hesitated buying them because NOTHING ever works in my hair. Ever. I finally decided to splurge and buy them a week ago after seeing post after post about the amazing curls you get with these - you have to check out this post from Babes In Hairland. It's the one that finally put me over the edge.

If you haven't heard of these, Curlformers are little nylon spiral rods that you put in wet hair. You thread a long hook through the rod and then pull the hair down through it with the hook. You can then either air dry or use a blow dryer until your hair is completely dry. If this made absolutely no sense, you can see the video tutorial here (it's very short).

Here is a picture of Ella with them all in her hair. They are super duper easy to put in and don't take much time at all. I used them on my hair first and had no problem doing my whole head of hair by myself. Much, much easier than sponge rollers, hot rollers, etc. I think they really are foolproof.

We took them out the next morning and this is what her hair looked like:

I separated the curls with my fingers for a softer look and sent her off to school. Even in the VA humidity, the curls lasted ALL DAY with NO FRIZZ. She has great hair though. The real test is my rats nest of hair.

For me, I put them in when my hair is towel dried. I let them air dry for a couple hours and then use a blow dryer. Both times I have used them this week, the curls have come out damp (I am so inpatient). BUT, they still have lasted all day with NO FRIZZ! I am so excited about this. The picture of me a few posts down on Mother's Day shows my hair with Curlformers. I just did the bottom half of my hair that day and then pulled it into a side ponytail before church. So easy. I even had my kids help me. After all, it was Mother's Day. Ella handed the rod to Spencer, he put the hook in, and I put it in my hair. Here's the pic - sorry it is hard to see.

Perfect curls every time is what is working for me this week. For more great tips and ideas head to We are That Family where she hosts "Works For Me Wednesday" every week.

My previous WFMW posts:

Sweet Spinach Bread
Library Bags
Letterboxing
Curling Ribbon
Safe Plastics
5 Ingredients or Less
Laundry Tip
DIY Lip Gloss
Tips for Clothes Shopping with girls
How to teach a child to swallow pills
Removing old stickers, adhesive, etc.
Easy Hair Bow Instructions
Managing school papers
Fall Traditions
Coupon Binder
Toys Worth Buying - Board Games
Hairstyles for Girls
Agent Cool Blue - Kids Oral Hygiene
Vinyl Chalkboard Menu

My Secret Energy Boost

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Tue, 11 May 2010 15:10:00 +0000

I am posting two WFMW Wednesday posts this week. For my post on Curlformers (best hair tool ever!) go here.

WFMW - My Secret Energy Booster

Every day between 3-4 PM I am hit with such a wave of tiredness I feel like I just can't go on. It is the worst possible time for this to happen because I have kids coming home from school, dinner to get on, and usually a million errands to run. With 3 kids a nap is usually just not possible. I hate the mid afternoon energy slump and used to drink a coke (which didn't really work) until I discovered Emergen-C a couple months ago. This little packet is a LIFESAVER:

I mix one of these with water and almost immediately have energy again! Best of all, there is no sugar or caffeine in Emergen-C which means you don't crash from this later. You can take this several times a day so you can use it any time that wave of tiredness hits. Mid-morning has been hard for me lately too but that's because I'm not sleeping enough at night! Emergen-C also builds up your immune system which is a huge additional benefit but I'm in it for the energy. I drink the orange ones and the taste is not too bad. It's just a fizzy orange drink.

There is also a kids version - the adult one has too many vitamins to be giving to the kiddos:
We got this for our kids. Just a warning - my daughter Ella did not like the taste of the strawberry and she usually will down any drink. With an ice cube and a straw she is fine taking it though. Other flavors might be better though. It has enough vitamins in it to be their daily vitamin.

BUT - I really don't care whether they take this or not - there are a ton of other vitamins. I just got it to stop the whining about wanting to try mine.

Emergen-C is my secret to surviving our very packed busy days (we have a doctor's appt every day this week for Libby and Ella, including minor surgery for me).

Try it - I hope you like it!!

For more great tips and ideas head to We are That Family where she hosts "Works For Me Wednesday" every week.

My previous WFMW posts:

Sweet Spinach Bread
Library Bags
Letterboxing
Curling Ribbon
Safe Plastics
5 Ingredients or Less
Laundry Tip
DIY Lip Gloss
Tips for Clothes Shopping with girls
How to teach a child to swallow pills
Removing old stickers, adhesive, etc.
Easy Hair Bow Instructions
Managing school papers
Fall Traditions
Coupon Binder
Toys Worth Buying - Board Games
Hairstyles for Girls
Agent Cool Blue - Kids Oral Hygiene
Vinyl Chalkboard Menu

My Entrepreneuer or SillyBandz MANIA!!

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Tue, 11 May 2010 03:39:00 +0000

The Silly Bandz craze has hit Virginia! If you have not been introduced to this trend yet, consider yourself a lucky duck. Silly Bandz are rubber bracelets that come in packs of fun shapes. They stretch out when on your arm but then go back to their original shape. They come in packs like this (4 of each shape):

We first saw Silly Bandz when Michelle brought them as gifts for my kids in AZ. She said they were all the craze in North Carolina. I could not believe that both boys and girls wore them, as well as younger and older kids. Spencer didn't show any interest in them until a couple weeks ago he came home wearing some he got from our next door neighbor Kyle (pictured below).

Thus ensued a very very long search for me for Silly Bandz. I could not find them anywhere! Finally, I found out our local Hallmark right across the street had them the whole time while I drove all over VA.

I thought Spencer wanted the Silly Bandz for himself - he had different plans. Knowing the craze that they have created in other places, Spencer decided to bring them to school and sell them. That afternoon he had made enough money to buy back the pack he sold (he only sold about half a pack) and a new pack. He has some sort of ranking system in his mind for which Bandz will be popular and which won't. He sells each band anywhere between .40 cents to a couple dollars! His friend SunLee has started bringing Mountain Dew to school and selling a can for $3.50!!! This is elementary school - I have no idea how these kids have so much money on them. SunLee and Spencer are pooling their profits to buy two Ipod Touches. They figured out they need to sell $10 a day to meet their goal. After a week, they are still on track.

Those are Ella's arms pictured above but Spencer comes home every day looking something like this. One side is for sale and one side are his reserved ones for kids that didn't have money that day. I don't know how long this will last. Our Hallmark is now sold out of Silly Bandz almost every day. I'm sure at some point they will be banned from school. But for now - my little business man is cleaning up!!!

I remember the trends of jelly bracelets, shoes, pogs, garbage pail kids, etc., but I never thought in a mllion years to try and make money from them. Spencer cracks me up with all his ideas - what a smart boy!

Happy Mother's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Sun, 09 May 2010 23:11:00 +0000

I take a picture of me and the kids every year on Mother's Day. They are some of my favorite pictures. To know that these three little munchkins belong to me makes me one of the happiest people alive.

Mother's Day has not always been the best day for me. During the infertility and miscarriage years I would get angry and sad. I would feel like my body was betraying me which in turn made me a failure. I would listen to talks and read Mother's Day cards and feel like I just didn't measure up. Not all the time. Some years were better than others. Then came Ella. After years of pain and heartache our little girl was born. Her birth was one of the most spiritual experiences of my life. Her adoption completed me.

Mother's Day became a favorite day. It is a day that I give thanks for my children, ad day that I give thanks for the chance to be their mom. I don't do everything right as a mom and some of the talks still once in awhile can make me feel like I don't measure up. But Mother's Day still remains a great day.

This year has been a WONDERFUL year. Three kids. I have been blessed with three kids. Libby is our surprise and miracle. Some of my kids have significant challenges - we're still not sure what the future will hold for Libby but I am so grateful that I was chosen to be the mother of these three little spirits.

Happy Mother's Day to all you wonderful women in my life who have been such great examples to me and have helped me to be a better mother.

I'll end with one final picture of Ella. She hams it up whenever the camera comes out. I love my future star!

Salmon Roasted in Butter

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Fri, 07 May 2010 13:38:00 +0000

I've had a couple people e-mail and ask for my salmon recipe lately so I thought I would post it here. This is my favorite, favorite way to cook salmon. It cooks so fast that I usually put it in when I start my veggie for the night and they are done at the same time. This recipe is from the Joy of Cooking. I used to measure exactly now I just guess every time. You need:

2 tbs butter (real butter)
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 lbs. salmon fillets (rinsed and patted dry, skin on)

Steps (this looks like a lot but it is so, so easy!!):

1. Preheat oven to 500
2. Heat in a small saucepan butter, olive oil, and salt over medium heat until the butter is melted. Stir.
3. Pour half of butter mixture over bottom of roasting pan.
4. Place salmon skin side up in roasting pan.
5. Drizzle the remaining butter mixture over the fish.
6. Roast for 5 minutes and then carefully turn the fish over.
7. Roast 5 more minutes or until the salmon is done (see note below).
8. Transfer salmon to serving platter and pour the pan juices over it.
9. Garnish with parsley.

Note 1: I remove the skin the second the salmon comes out of the oven. I just use tongs and pull up on one corner gently and usually the skin will come off in one piece. I then turn the salmon over before serving so it looks pretty :)

Note 2: Signs of salmon being done: Firming up of texture, beginning of flakiness, opaque whiter look throughout. I basically just stick a fork in after 10 minutes and if it is flaky I take it out. I have never had to cook the salmon more than 10 minutes.

My kids beg and beg for salmon. I can get them to eat any veggie or side with the promise of more salmon. We try and have fish twice a week since the Omegas in it our soooooo good for our bodies.

I usually make either spinach fettucine and broccoli with the salmon or fried rice. I like to mix the salmon with everything but my kids will ONLY eat it by itself.

If anyone is interested I can post my other fish recipes and sides - tilapia, shrimp, etc.

Let me know if you try this recipe - you'll be surprised at the ease and how tasty it is!! I want some right now :)

My visit with Pioneer Woman

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Thu, 06 May 2010 11:11:00 +0000

What a lucky girl I am! P-dub came to visit me on Tuesday night. It was so much fun! We talked about:

- Spanx (hers were too tight)
- vacations without families
- lipstick
- movie and book deals (she's ahead of me on this one)
- Frye boots
and . . .
- Josh cutting off his thumb!

She admired little Libby of course and took pictures of us.

Okay . . . so she wasn't here just to see me . . . and we didn't have a private conversation. But she was so down to earth and wonderful that it seemed like every one in the crowd of hundreds were her personal friends.

I was very surprised by how much she looks like my mother-in-law. They have a lot of similarities anyway . . . they both are city girls who married ranchers, had four kids, and are amazing chefs. My MIL has one up on her on decorating but PW takes the cake with photography.

The crowd at Borders was INSANE!! Luckily, my friend called in advance and found out that Borders was giving out tickets all day. So I went right after I dropped Ella off at preschool and was one of the first to get tickets. We still planned to meet at 1:30 even though she wasn't speaking until 6 PM (I think just to have an excuse to leave the house and get away from the kids!). I was an hour late because one disaster after another kept happening. Libby came with me because Lance had the stomach flu. My mom was going to come pick her up after work if she became a problem but Libby is so incredibly calm that it was so easy to have her with us (my other two were not this good - bless Libby)! We were just a couple rows from Pioneer Woman. Check out the crowd behind us:

The crowds went all the way back on both sides as well. I don't think Border's had any clue just how many women were going to show up.

We were in the first group for book signing. I think we were around the 10th people in line. Ree was so incredibly nice. I stammered out a thank you for all her tutorials in Photoshop and teaching me to use my camera. Here we are:

My friend Irene:

All in all, it was a very fun night. I got to meet one of my favorite bloggers who I've been reading for the past 3 years (I can't believe her blog started only 4 years ago). And I had a great excuse to leave the house and buy her cookbook. In honor of PW, we are eating recipes of hers all week!

I hope to see my friend PW next time she comes through town again!

Great deal at Target!!

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 05:47:00 +0000

I really just need to stay out of Target. I always go in for one thing and come out with a cart full. Please tell me I'm not the only one who does this! Anyway, this Wilton 6 piece bakeware set is clearanced for $7.49. I grabbed one and I think I might go back and pick up a few more for gifts. So . . . if you need any new bakeware head over to Target and I dare you to get in and out with just one item! :)

WFMW - Vinyl Chalkboard Menu

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 03:26:00 +0000

My SIL Michelle gave me this vinyl chalkboard menu for my birthday this year and I swear this thing has magical powers. Usually around 4 o'clock every day one of my kids will ask what we are having for dinner. This leads to lots of moaning and groaning about what I am making. Which makes my love of cooking grow even more :) But all the complaining stopped once I started using this menu.

I'm not sure why I have never posted a menu before. I usually have in my mind what we are having for dinner for the week but haven't actually put it up somewhere. I originally was going to put the menu on a tile since we have an ugly yellow refrigerator but once I saw it up on my SIL Gina's blog (on her pretty stainless steel fridge), I had to put it up and start using it right away. I actually even like how it looks on our old sad fridge.

I'm not sure why posting the menu has stopped all the pre-dinner whining and complaining. Maybe they think once it is written it can't be changed? Or maybe it is because they know there are future dinners coming up during the week that they like? Who knows?? But since using the menu, there has not been one. single. complaint. about what is for dinner. I call this a miracle. I'm not saying they eat the food all the time that I make for dinner but at least I don't have to listen to them begging me to make something else.

So if you have never posted a menu before and you have heathens for children like me - just kidding :) - try it, you might be surprised. The vinyl chalkboard is super cute but if you don't have one, I think this would have worked just as well if I had just written a menu and stuck it on the fridge. There also are a million super cute ideas out there for posting menus (like writing on a ceramic plate, etc), if you want to go the extra mile.

Thanks Michelle for this super cute gift that has made my afternoons much more peaceful!

Posting a weekly menu is what is working for me this week. For more great tips and ideas head to We are That Family where she hosts "Works For Me Wednesday" every week.

My previous WFMW posts:

Sweet Spinach Bread
Library Bags
Letterboxing
Curling Ribbon
Safe Plastics
5 Ingredients or Less
Laundry Tip
DIY Lip Gloss
Tips for Clothes Shopping with girls
How to teach a child to swallow pills
Removing old stickers, adhesive, etc.
Easy Hair Bow Instructions
Managing school papers
Fall Traditions
Coupon Binder
Toys Worth Buying - Board Games
Hairstyles for Girls
Agent Cool Blue - Kids Oral Hygiene

Tea for Two

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:23:00 +0000

I love having little girls! Every day last week Ella talked nonstop about her upcoming playdate with her friend Valerie from school. Lately these two have really hit it off and they have had so much fun together. Ella kept telling me that her and Valerie wanted to have a tea party with Ella's pretend tea sets when Valerie came over. I decided instead to surprise the two girls with a "real" tea party. You should have seen their faces when they came home from school and saw this set up on the deck:

Ella and I had picked up the pink teapot at Ross for $5 but she had no idea what exactly I had in store for it. I already had everything else from a birthday party I threw for Ella a couple of years ago. The girls had finger sandwiches, cheese cubes, pretzels, strawberries and whipped cream, grapes, apples, and (of course) tea. The tea was really Dole Strawberry Kiwi juice.

I wore a fancy apron and served the girls with my best fake British accent. Halfway through lunch Ella ran over and gave me the biggest hug and said "Mom this is exactly what was in my mind". It just doesn't get any better than that.

It was so much fun for me that I am planning on doing it again in a couple of weeks with a bunch of her little friends. This time I will add chocolate covered strawberries to the menu (mainly so I can eat them)!

WFMW - Agent Cool Blue

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 17:19:00 +0000

So I must have been living under a rock because apparently this stuff has been out for years, but I just discovered it in the store this week. I am not going to name names but one of my kids has been fighting toothbrushing lately and doing a very poor job when he/she does brush their teeth. So when I saw this product I thought I would give it a try.

In case you too have never seen this, here's how it works. This is a pre-rinse. Meaning before they brush their teeth, they swish this around their mouth and then spit it out. It dyes their teeth blue (especially the areas built up with plaque). The kids then have to brush all of the blue off of their teeth. I was alarmed when aforesaid child said to me "I guess this means I'll have to brush the back of my teeth now." What???? I thought that was already happening. For one of my children, all of the blue came off after the first brushing. For the child with toothbrushing issues, it took three times to get the blue off but made the child realize where they needed improvement.

I have set up a toothbrushing basket under their bathroom sink. In it I have their toothpaste, this Agent Cool Blue Rinse, dental floss, mouthwash, and cups. Both kids LOVE brushing their teeth now. They only use the blue rinse at night but everything else morning and night. I have seen a major improvement in my one child's oral hygiene.

Both my kids are super picky about tastes and can't handle almost every toothpaste but they both are fine with the taste of this rinse and also the mouthwash by the same company.

Getting my kids excited about brushing their teeth is what is working for me this week. For more great tips and ideas head to We are That Family where she hosts "Works For Me Wednesday" every week.

My previous WFMW posts:

Sweet Spinach Bread
Library Bags
Letterboxing
Curling Ribbon
Safe Plastics
5 Ingredients or Less
Laundry Tip
DIY Lip Gloss
Tips for Clothes Shopping with girls
How to teach a child to swallow pills
Removing old stickers, adhesive, etc.
Easy Hair Bow Instructions
Managing school papers
Fall Traditions
Coupon Binder
Toys Worth Buying - Board Games

Thanks for visiting!

My Sweet Valentine

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 04:05:00 +0000

Since Valentine's is on a Sunday this year, we celebrated early. Lance surprised me with a dozen roses, my favorite Haagen-Dazs ice cream, and a date scheduled for next Friday, but my favorite Valentine came from my cutie pictured above. I was sitting on the couch feeding Libby when my boys came back from the store. Lance gave Ella her Valentine's (a single pink rose and a balloon) and came over and showed me what he had for me. Meanwhile, Spencer was hanging back behind the couch. Lance gave him a little nudge and he came forward and presented me with a large candy box filled with Reeses peanut butter candies. Apparently he wanted to get me something himself and bought it with his own money. Lance told him he didn't need to but he still really wanted to get it for me. What a sweetie!!! I love this boy so much and can't believe how quickly he is growing up. He is such a thoughtful young man. Thanks Spencer!

The Name Game

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 17:08:00 +0000

When I first found out I was pregnant I was so sick - "so sick" actually doesn't even begin to describe it. I was "lying in bed wishing to die" sick. I was "living in the doctor's office attached to IV's" sick. I was "laying on my bathroom floor in between throwing up while Ella colored next to me" sick. I ended up being diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum (more on that later) but that is not what this post is about. The point is, I was so sick I could not find any excitement in me at all about the pregnancy. I told Lance that he had to be excited for both of us and that he got naming rights. For the most part, I named the other two kids so I wanted him to have a turn. I retained veto rights but I wanted him to name this baby. He was convinced that I would go back on this, so I dug my heels in and let him name Elizabeth.

Luckily, he chose a name I LOVE. All of our names have special meaning and so does Elizabeth which I won't go into here. Our kids middle names are all named after relatives who have had a special place in our lives (Spencer Michael - my FIL and Ella Michelle- Lance's sister). Lance chose Claire as Elizabeth's middle name after my grandpa (Clarence) who has had a profound influence on my life. When Lance chose the name Elizabeth I knew she would be called by a nickname, I just didn't know which one.

I think Elizabeth has THE MOST nicknames possible of any name: Lizzie, Liz, Eliza, Ellie, Lizbeth, Lily, Liza, Libby, Liesie, Buffy, Beth, Birdy, and so many, many more. I really liked the name Libby while I was pregnant but thought it might be the hormones because that was a name I had never even thought of before. After she was born, I really liked Libby, Lily, Liesie, and sometimes Lizzie. Libby was my favorite but I could not find a single person who also liked it. But I kept going back to it again and again. Finally, I decided that I didn't care what anyone thought and her nickname is Libby. So you will see her referred to as both Elizabeth and Libby. I think Libby really suits her.

Convincing the family was another matter. Lance likes it but the kids are adamant that her name is Elizabeth. The first day I called her Libby, they would both correct me and say loudly "You mean ELIZABETH." When I started referring to her as Libby-Lu I got Ella on my side. But now Ella says her name is not Libby, it is Libby-Lu. Lance calls her only Elizabeth. Spencer decided today that he is going to call her Lizzie. Unfortunately for him, he does not get to make that decision or this is going to be one confused little girl. I told him that if he calls her Lizzie, Ella gets to call him Rainbow. That was the end of that.

So, she will be known by both Libby and Elizabeth. You can call her either name - I love them both.

One last picture of Libby in her Christmas dress. I need to post one of both girls but Ella has been too quick in stripping after church and we have had soooo many church days cancelled due to snow. Maybe this week . . . is it too late to wear Christmas dresses???

Isn't she gorgeous????

WFMW - Hairstyles for girls (and mom!)

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 04:33:00 +0000

One of the things I absolutely love is fixing Ella's hair. Unfortunately, I was born with absolutely no talent when it comes to hair. I remember many painful hours spent in front of the mirror as a teenager trying to fix my hair only to hate the end result. Luckily for me, there are a ton of blogs that have come to my little girl's rescue. They show step by step how to give your daughter (or yourself) the cutest hairstyles around. I fix Ella's hair every morning before preschool and church. We are stopped at least once a day getting compliments on how cute her hair is. These blogs make it so easy that if I can do it, anyone can.

The first blog I found was "She does Hair." She no longer posts on this blog but I think it is a great place to learn the basics of hair styling. I still look through her archives a lot when I want a simple do. Here's the link:

She Does Hair

My go-to blogs for hair styles are these next two. Both bloggers have multiple girls and show everything from easy to complicated hair styles. They have quick video clips for some of the hairstyles so you can actually see how to do it. This helped me a lot when learning to curl with a flat iron and how to dutch braid. "Adopt a Do" has a lot of super quick hairstyles for the morning and even a section for dads.

Adopt a 'Do - Cute Girls Hairstyles

Babes in Hairland

I LOVE these next three hair blogs also and look at them frequently - I just don't find myself using them as much as the others.

It's a Girl Thing

The Story of a Princess and Her Hair

Girly Do's by Jen

Ella knows her hair HAS to be fixed before she leaves the house for school. Depending on her mood (and the time) sometimes we do super simple (like a french braid) or a hair headband. I like to let her pick her hairstyle the night before, that way she is a lot more cooperative in the morning. Here are some of the examples of hairstyles we have learned to do.

I searched through my photos to try and find some pics of Ella's hair done and it turns out most of my pictures don't really show off the hair, so I will have to try and take some that show the whole style. But here are a few where you can kind of see what I have done. I really really wish that I had taken more pictures of the different hair styles because I am missing most of my favorites.

I do variations of this style a lot (I wish I had better and more pictures)! These two hair-do's end in messy buns but I also finish it off using two ponytails, one ponytail, one bun, or leaving it down. I also will braid or twist the crosses. I have also thread ribbon through the crosses which is super cute. You can also do this hairstyle upside down with the buns ending up on top. You can find the instructions for this hairstyle on almost every blog I link to. It really is a lot easier than it looks.

This next hairstyle was a mistake but I was too tired to go back and fix it. Suprisingly, I had a lot more people stop me that day than usual.

I only wash Ella's hair every other day so a lot of her hairstyles are transformed for the next day. This next one, I just took the back down and put her hair into a ponytail.

In this next picture, her hair had two french braids the day before. In the morning it was really wavy and cute but it rained this day so the waves were gone by the time I took the picture.

I found this next hairstyle on "Babes in Hairland." It is one of my favorites to do because it is easy to adapt into a number of different hairstyles at the end. I don't often have enough time to do the "X" on the side so we will finish it with a braided bun and cute bow. I'm going to show the front, top, and back of this hair-do.

In this first pic, we had been at the farm all day and the side kind of got messed up (but still cute).

One more new blog I have found is Redpunzel. She has a section for Mom-Do's that are really cute and easy. I have had fun trying them on my own hair - sorry no pics of me.

Another post that might be of interest to you is how to make the cute hair bows you see everywhere. They are super easy! Here is the link:

Easy Hair Bow Instructions

For more great tips and ideas head to We are That Family where she hosts "Works For Me Wednesday" every week.

My previous WFMW posts:

Sweet Spinach Bread
Library Bags
Letterboxing
Curling Ribbon
Safe Plastics
5 Ingredients or Less
Laundry Tip
DIY Lip Gloss
Tips for Clothes Shopping with girls
How to teach a child to swallow pills
Removing old stickers, adhesive, etc.
Easy Hair Bow Instructions
Managing school papers
Fall Traditions
Coupon Binder
Toys Worth Buying - Board Games

Thanks for visiting!

Neighborhood Dig Out

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 04:59:00 +0000

Oh my. I think this weekend cemented our plans to retire in California. These pictures are from Sunday. We started shoveling on Friday (by we I mean Lance :). Most of the neighborhood was out in shifts all weekend trying to stay on top of the snow.

I love our neighborhood. There was a real sense of cameraderie this weekend as everyone helped each other out and looked out for those who were not able to shovel their own walks. This is a picture of our street Sunday morning. Lance was down out the end digging out my mom's car so she could get to work Monday morning. It took him 3 hours. He dug out our car yesterday with the help of our next door neighbor. Crazy, crazy snow.

This was the view right outside our door Sunday morning. The tree at the top of the post is the tree in front of our house. I love how pretty it is in the different seasons.

Ella had a blast "helping" her dad clear the snow. She built a snow sculpture, climbed "snow mountains" and ate a lot of snow :)

I'm not sure why but I'm getting a kick out of making the kids pictures more retro looking. Ella brought in a whole bowl full of snow and sat at the table and ate it with a spoon. I think it is her favorite treat right now.

We are now in the middle of another snowstorm. They are predicting between 10 and 20 more inches. I doubt the kids go to school for the rest of the week. The federal government has been closed for 3 days now. It's closed tomorrow but Lance has to work from home since it is his telecommuting day. Hopefully, I will post more pictures tomorrow after this current snowstorm. We only need 9 more inches to be the snowiest winter on record. Absolutely crazy.

Snow, snow, and MORE snow!

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:49:00 +0000

What a crazy winter we are having this year. It seems that every storm that comes this way brings snow with it. This weekend we were hit with what has been dubbed "Snowmageddon." It ranks #4 in recorded history for DC and this storm also brings us to the 3rd snowiest winter in DC history. So what does that translate to for us? Snow days, sledding, laundry, naps, hot chocolate, wet floors, warm baths, lots of movies, hide and go seek, snow ball fights, shoveling, pajama days, and lots and lots of family time.

Libby had a doctor's appointment yesterday morning. When we left it had just started to barely snow. By the time we got home, kids were already sledding and my two older ones were dying to go out.

I love how Spencer watches out for Ella when they are outside together. He always makes sure that she is included (even though he doesn't always want her to tag along).

Isn't the view from my deck beautiful?

The two pictures above were taken yesterday morning. The picture below is of our deck this morning when I woke up. It continued to snow for most of the day. Spencer left his sled outside yesterday afternoon. We know it is out there somewhere, we just don't know where.

Church has been cancelled tomorrow. I doubt we have school Monday and more snow is expected on Tuesday. The kids only had two days of school last week (they had Monday off and Weds. and Fri. were snow days). We have lots of food, games, movies, and general supplies . . . I'm just not sure how we are going to survive each other :)

Sisters

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 05:04:00 +0000

God has blessed me again and again, always my sister, always my friend

I snapped this picture of my two girls yesterday afternoon. Ella gets such a kick out of holding her sister - Libby tolerates it for the most part. Although I have some great pics of them smiling for the camera, I love this one of them just hanging out.

Ella knew before the rest of us that I was pregnant and she was going to have a sister. We thought my chronic illness had just flared again and I was back going to the doctor for many tests and new meds (including an x-ray, CT scan, and MRI - YIKES)!!! Pregnancy was not supposed to be a possibility so we didn't even suspect that outcome. One afternoon I was in the bathroom very, very ill. Ella came in and told me I had a baby in my tummy and that her sister was coming. I immediately dismissed the thought and corrected her. I told her we might adopt again in a few years but that I was not pregnant. I had no idea why she was bringing up babies because it wasn't a subject she ever really talked about. I remember feeling so bad that she would have to wait so long for another sibling. A couple days later, I realized my period was late - very late. I took a test . . . and then another . . . and then another. All positive. It seems our girl was right - her sister was coming.

Ella takes her role as big sister very seriously and loves to help with diapers, pacifiers, and folding burp cloths. She thinks she likes to help feed the baby but usually only lasts for about 30 seconds (can't say I blame her). I love these two sweet little girls and can't wait to see what the future has in store for both of them.

Two Weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 06:17:00 +0000

Elizabeth hit the two week mark this past Wednesday. We have had so much fun with this little girl. I can hardly believe that she hasn't always been with us. She is holding up her head really well now, cooing, and loves to cuddle. We had her two week check-up and here are her stats:

LENGTH: 20 inches
WEIGHT: 7 lbs., 12 oz.

She is growing like a weed. We had an appointment 6 days earlier and she was 6 lbs., 4 oz (she had dropped a bit from her birth weight). So she gained over a pound in a week! Here are some pictures of her taken right at two weeks:

And finally, one black and white of her yawning:

I love cute little squishy baby faces!

Elizabeth Claire

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:53:00 +0000

Elizabeth is finally here! She was born on November 25th at 4:12 AM. She weighed 6 lbs., 12 oz. and is 20-1/4 inches long. I was induced for PIH and pre-eclampsia but we had already hit the full term mark. I hope to have her birth story written out soon. She is just the most perfect little baby. I completely forgot what it is like to fall instantly in love with a newborn. The kids are in absolute heaven. Ella is having so much fun helping me and has turned into quite the little mommy. Spencer is so sweet with his little sisters and is determined to make sports fans out of both of them. It is so nice having an 11 year old this time around. He helps me out so much with both girls.

Elizabeth is such a mini version of Lance - all the way down to his personality. She is the most laid back little thing. We are having fun making comparisons between the two of them.

Here are some quick pics from the last couple of days. I will try and post some more soon. Now that she is here I feel great and am eating everything in sight. Guess I need to make up for the past 9 months. It is crazy how good food tastes again :)

Two days old - coming home from the hospital:

April Fools Fun

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 13:51:00 +0000

The kids have already been ~~victims~~ recipients of some fun pranks this morning. I've been slammed with work this week but managed to do a few easy things.

Spencer - For my oldest, I snuck in his room last night and painted his toenails red. Lucky for me, he didn't notice until I was awake. We took it off immediately but I thought it was hilarious.

Ella - I found this idea on Family Fun. I put food coloring at the bottom of her cereal bowl and then poured the dry cereal on top of it. She watched as I poured milk on and was amazed when the milk turned blue. Both kids checked the milk carton to see if there was blue milk in there and were surprised when it was white. I would have done the same to Spencer but he eats WAY before I'm awake in the morning.

If I get enough work done today, I plan on making an April Fool's meal. There are so many cute ideas out there. I'm leaning towards these grilled cheese sandwiches (really pound cake and frosting) with meatloaf cupcakes for desert :)

HAPPY APRIL FOOLS DAY!

Heart Shadowbox

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 01:25:00 +0000

I am in love with this cute little shadowbox. How easy would this be to make??? I think you could easily change things up with stars, butterflies, etc. I'm going to keep the hearts and make my version with my Cricut later this week. Ella's room has been undergoing a bit of a makeover these past few weeks. I'm excited to show everyone the changes (hopefully soon!).

Blood orange magic

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 21:29:00 +0000

Last week blood oranges were on sale so I bought a lot. I don't think either kid has ever seen a blood orange before. I decided to capitalize on the moment and tell the kids that I was going to do a magic trick and change the color of the orange. With great fanfare I cast a pretend spell on the orange, waved my arms around, and ceremoniously peeled the orange. Spencer didn't buy the charade for a moment but when Ella saw the deep purple color she looked at me with a new respect in her eyes. I love this age, when everything is so new to them. I tried to explain to her that it was all pretend but I'm not sure she quite believes me. We just ate the last blood orange a few minutes ago and she was again impressed by my "magic" - even thought I didn't perform any this time. It will be interesting next week when we have regular oranges again to see how she reacts. I just might lose my biggest fan :)