Sail away...

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Well, tomorrow marks a new first for me. My first time truly away from the kids.

This weekend my mom and I are taking a trip to the Pacific Northwest to go and see my youngest brother Jake. Jake is a sailor in the Navy stationed out of Bremerton, WA. This January, he is scheduled to go out overseas again and we will be on tour for a 6 month mission. This will be my first time to come and see him on his home turf. I am really really excited about catching a glimpse at his life away from home. My first time away from home was such an adventure. I really just feel that I learned so much about myself from the experience! When people from home visited, I had a sense of pride in my "home" and my ability to "introduce friends to the city I love". I love that I get to be that guest to my brother.

On the flip side...I am a little nervous. Kelly will be home with kids all weekend so it isn't like they are without their parent or anything...and Kelly is the most amazing daddy in the world- they will have a blast! In fact, they may not even notice that I am gone that much. It is just that this is the first time that I won't be there for all of the routines of the day and night time. In the past two years, I have spent 4 nights away from home (non consecutive). I am really going to make it a goal this year to steal my husband for a getaway!

When I am working through something on my mind- I have this freak tendency to go into clean mode. Not normal. I seriously deviate so far from the task on hand that I will take up lengthy projects. This was the reason that my house was always so clean the 9th month of each pregnancy. For example, tonight the original plan was to pack. This was quickly replaced with mopping the kitchen floor, completely reorganizing my closets and sorting through all my clothes for Goodwill. Again, not normal. I spent the entire time mentally yelling at myself for my insane behavior and reminding myself to pack. At this point, I was just a hamster on a wheel. It took awhile, but I am packed....and ready...mostly...sort of.

I mean could you ever be really ready to leave these kids...

I promise that Molly does not always have chocolate on her face.

So for all you individuals out there just looking for someone to pray for...maybe you could add me and my silly nerves to your list? And while you are praying maybe you could add my friend Heather in there too...she is bringing baby Avery in to the world tomorrow! We just love their family so much and can't wait to meet their new little girl! (do you like how I coupled my not-so-important prayer request with a VERY important one...I feel a little less lame now :)

Wish me luck!! I will definitely post pictures when I return!

Monster Mania

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So this video just might be my favorite video ever of Molly. She is just so funny! She loves her monsters! (I know her hair is horribly in her eyes...we are in the process of growing it out...)

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Today is pretty busy getting ready to go out of town! More details on that to come later!

Dynamic Duo

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It seems that recently Molly and Gabriel have been enjoying each other's company a little more. This may be due to Gabriel 's increased mobility (he can crawl everywhere backwards) or perhaps that he can sit up longer- Molly seems him as less of a baby doll. That coupled with the fact that he VERY likely could weigh the same as her! So in all their together time I have been able to catch some cute pictures. Enjoy...

I love this next one because it just shows how similiar they can be...

(*sorry such a quick post but I have a cold beer, tivo and my hubby waiting for our date night!)

peeping elmo?

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Dear Elmo,

I am writing this to express my growing concern with your comfort level in our family. I feel that we have embraced your silly songs and crazy antics into our daily routine. Molly continues to insist that you are present in our family photo...were you there? I think it is safe to say that we care very deeply for you. You have even made the prayer list...in fact, you are a little higher up the list then some clutch members of the family...like Gabriel. Elmo, can't you see all that we do keep you a part of our lives. I think that in some respects it is my fault. I didn't set clear boundaries. I assumed that you understood social boundaries and our respect of privacy- I realize now that this might be a little too much to expect from a red fuzzy three-year-old monster...my mistake. But your mistake cannot happen again! I am sorry that I screamed when I looked up...and no, my next reaction was not laughter at you...I was just caught up in the moment- please do not be embarrassed. You are still welcome here- just get out of my shower.

Elmopalooza...picture fest 2008

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This past week was such a celebration of birthday! Kelly and I have been planning to get Molly her birthday kitchen for 6 months now!! We were so excited when it arrived in the mail! On Wednesday night after she was asleep we moved it into her room so she would wake up in the morning and find it. This is what we found when we went into her room on Thursday morning! Please notice her sippy cup in the microwave warming...I think that was my favorite part.

Then for a special birthday lunch, Gabriel and I took Molly to Chick-Fila. The staff was SO sweet and sang Happy Birthday to her! Molly just joined right in singing...
Later on, Molly helped me bake cupcakes for her birthday party on Saturday! She even cracked the eggs! I just didn't tell everyone that the yummy cake they were enjoying was actually made by a two year old!

I love this next picture because it is a classic birthday picture from my childhood. Raw eggs probably aren't the best thing for a two year old...but how can you resist pink cake mix...

We were shocked when Molly blew her own birthday candle out this year right on cue...
We celebrated Molly's Elmopalooza birthday on Saturday at the local Spray Park. The ominous dark rain clouds kept things a cool 72 degrees. It was almost like a taste of fall- wearing swimsuits. We were so so happy that it did not rain...I am not going to lie, I was a little nervous for a while. This was the first time ever that Molly had all her little friends in one place. It was so exciting for us to see them all playing together- another reminder that our little girl is getting so much bigger.

Her party was a daddy lovin'...
Cousin huggin'...

Best bud snugglin' good time!
It was such a great day...

Gabriel loved his new football from his uncle Jeff and aunt Lisa...he really liked the whole benefiting from his sister's birthday and would like to see more of that...
We ate some yummy food with great company...
And when Molly started to run out of sugar...
the next round just kicked in... (in this picture our Diva is wearing only one earring)
Everyone really just hung out...

and had a great time!
Relaxing with great friends was a fantastic highlight of the day!
Birthdays are just so fun...and so tiring...

Thank you to all who celebrated it with us!!!

A preview of Elmopalooza

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Tonight my mom and I made Molly's birthday cake for her party tomorrow morning. I have to say...I am quite proud! I am always in awe of my friend, Heather's creations so I thought I would post my hard work - what I like to refer as..."Heather Style" (by the way, please hurry up and open your own bakery so that I can just buy my children's birthday cakes from you...)

In case you can't read the script...it says: "Dorothy is thinking about 2nd birthdays. Happy Birthday Molly!"
Mmm...hopefully it won't be too traumatic for our little Ta-Molly when we eat her best friend's face tomorrow! More details and WAY too many pictures to come!

Sweet dreams...

Birthday Girl

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My little Molly Girl~

Well, here you are… two-years-old today… happy birthday big girl. My goodness, how did we get here so fast? It seems just moments ago that I first learned you were joining our family. I am amazed at how many things can change in the duration of two years. In such a short time I went from the initial panic of becoming a parent to the pure joy of being your Mommy. And while I know that all of these life transitions happened in a sequence of time, I feel like it has all meshed into my favorite memories of you.

I will never forget the moment when the doctor first handed you to me. I was the one to introduce you to the entire room- I had a little girl! It was such a moment of joy that will forever reside in my heart. You sure did have EVERYONE fooled. Little did I know that this was the first gift you gave to us…the gift of surprise. Since that time you have filled us with such wonderment. You definitely keep us busy with your outrageous hair, naked jaunts through the living room, ability to consume every piece of a cookie in a matter of seconds, avoidance of naptime, constant dancing and infectious laughter. Oh Molly, how in the world could I describe you to a stranger other than to say that you are my world.

Molly, I am so thankful for you! Do you know how much more of a person you have helped me to become? Because of you, I have learned to laugh when I fall down, cry when I need a hug and to hold hands for no reason at all. You taught me just how important it is to clean up after myself (you are always one to pounce on something you shouldn’t!). Because of you I have a new appreciation for crib sheets, Velcro, and hair bows. Who knew that I would learn to change diapers on a Molly in-motion? In these past two years you have taught me that fevers do break, paid time off is overrated, and the rare luxury of sleeping to nine can bring sheer joy! Now, I notice everyone’s shoes and toe nail polish. Molly, I think that it is safe to say you helped me to see the world in better light.

Happy birthday sweetheart- It will be incredible to see what this next year will bring. And whatever we encounter, I can only hope it will bring me the same love and laughter these past two years have. I know your spice, compassion and curiosity will definitely be an adventure. I can’t wait to share it with you!

I love you,

Mommy


* I can't promise that this video will come out well...Kelly didn't edit it and we all know this is his area of expertise... enjoy! Oh, and pause my music so you can hear the music on the video...

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Wonderful Wednesdays

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Wednesdays are my favorite day of the week recently for several reasons. First of all, it means that I don't have to go to the hospital that evening. Not that I don't LOVE my job- it is just so fun to have time with my family all home together. We really miss Kelly when he is away at work- Mommy especially! I can't begin to tell you how wonderful that Kelly is such an equal partner in raising our children. Two nights a week, he takes sole responsibility of the kid's dinner time, double bath time and bedtime. He just seems to handle it all with such ease. I am learning that this is not the norm for all families...I am so thankful for my awesome husband. Look how well he has everything under control...

Wednesday morning is spent playing with Molly's best friend Avery. These girls LOVE each other. I am not going to lie...I look forward to this playdate with Avery's fantastic Mommy too... These two are adorable together... Can't you just see them at 13 giggling about that "super hottie of a lifeguard". Here they are sporting their towel skirts poolside...and of course holding hands because you know...that is what Besties do.


It is always my prayer that our Wednesday playdate has worn Molly enough out that she will actually nap. Sometimes she does but most time it is still a struggle. I have never known a child to fight sleep like Miss Molly. She will actually lay down in bed and move her head side to side just so she won't fall asleep...not normal. Please note, that as I type this post she is in bed singing Twinkle twinkle to her baby doll.

After pseudo nap time it is just time for us to hang out. I love this because we can really just play all over the house. My Grandma bought Gabriel this little firetruck and he LOVES it! He throws it and then crawls backwards (his form of transportation this week) until he can retrieve it. Molly and I often make a beep beep noise as Gabriel is backwards crawling - you know, just for full effect.



Wouldn't you love these kinds of Wednesdays too? Happy Hump Day!

My Tiggerific Children

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Well... at last some new footage of the kids. Actually- some new and old footage! The first part of the video is Gabriel and the second part is Molly. Gabriel has become SO SO funny recently. He is absolutely in LOVE with his rainforest bouncer! Unfortunately, the video doesn't completely represent that because I started filming after he had been in it for about 10 minutes. But, trust me he LOVES it! The second part of video is of Molly the first time she was ever in her johnny jumper. It is so fun to able to go back and watch videos of Molly at Gabe's age and see the similarities and differences! In this video- Molly had just turned 6 months...so she is about three weeks older than the footage of Gabriel (and he is about twice her size!) As always...remember to pause my music on the side...

I am trying One True Media instead of YouTube because YouTube takes so long to upload- and this way my mom and her friends can view this at work...that's right mom- I am doing this for you :0) Let me know if you like it better!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

In other news... Gabriel sat up today on his own (for about 35 seconds)! WOW! Way to go big boy! Molly didn't sit up until well into her 6th month so this is really exciting! Gabriel has requested that you overlook his man boobs and focus more on his new skills.

I've been tagged...

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Hey Guys, I know that it has been a bit since my last post...I have been a little sick... but my friend heather tagged me and so I thought I would do this really quick...more posts to come soon...

Here are the rules-

1. Link back to the person that tagged you
2. Mention the rules on your blog- and here they are...
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours- See below
4. Tag 6 fellow bloggers by linking them- So many of my friends have been tagged :) I am going to tag 4 of you guys! If you have been tagged recently, just ignore this!
5. Leave a comment for each tagged blogger, to let them know they have been tagged.

My "victims"

1. My friend Stefanie with The Rogers Triplets

2. Miss Sara with Livin' the Lowe Life

3. My sister-in-law Casey with Hosler Herald

4. My friend Leslie, from high school with Dominie Days


*Julie's Six Facts/Quirks*

1. I have a very detailed history with the dentist...which is really amazing because I managed to escape needing braces or any major dental surgeries. For example, when I was seven I went to the dentist and had seven cavities. I think it should be a standard that the number of decaying teeth in your mouth should never be equal or more than your current age...yikes. When I was 9 I accidentally drank a cup of fluoride at the dentist office thinking it was water. I made it just about to the parking lot before I saw my breakfast again. When I was a sophomore in college I had to have all the fillings I received when I was seven resealed...apparently, they injected me with too much Novocaine and I splattered partially digested Captain Crunch all over the dentist's wall. Poor Kelly, then had to drive my swollen sorry self to Austin... I couldn't call my mom to tell her what happened because I was crying, drooling and too swollen to make any intelligible words come out... Kelly took my phone away to "save me from myself".

2. When I am coming out of anesthesia I am pretty much a train wreck. One time, I was trying to speak sign language to everyone in the room and another time I was apparently singing some Elton John song at the top of my lungs...priceless behavior that only few have been privileged to see...

3. I only use organic toothpaste because I have a problem with chronic canker sores. This seems to really help. I only like to brush my teeth with cold water. Warm water makes me gag.

4. I am great under pressure. I performed the Heimlich maneuver when my niece choked on a hot dog during the annual light the night walk, extinguished my cat's flaming tail when he placed it on the stove and pulled my brother's head out when it was stuck between two metal bars at the top of the Town East Mall food court in 1991.

5. I loved being pregnant both times... the only problem I ever experienced was sciatic nerve pain was when I was pregnant with Molly... I would seriously consider being a surrogate if we were finished having children.

6. I have a photographic memory and can remember almost every phone number from my life...so if you were my friend in 2nd grade and we lost contact...don't worry- I've got your number!

Okay...so these really aren't that interesting...but definitely quirky...more posts to come soon...I promise!

Versatile Play

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I am a BIG fan of taking the gender roles out of play. It seems that there are SO many social stigmas for children from the day that they are born. I am SO thankful to my parents for introducing me to a world of ninja turtles, barbies, fire trucks, rainbow brite and MUCH MUCH more! I love that I have childhood memories playing My Little Ponies with my brother (sorry to throw you under the bus on that one Nick). At another point in the day we were building cities with our micro machines... just playing...before we knew what girl toys vs. boy toys were.

So this is something that I advocate for as well! I plan to introduce all sorts of toys to my children and let them pick their favs... of course, wouldn't you know I still ended up with a high heel wearing, baby doll loving, finger nail painting kinda girl. At least I can say I did try...and our little Missy does love her some Matchbox cars too. I just don't think you can ever get enough of versatile play!

Here is our Molly girl having a blast!

modeling mommy dresses...and favorite red pumps...

And stealing Daddy's favorite toys!

Molly shocked the heck out of us by actually lining the Phillips completely with the screw head...We decided she just might use her amazing fine motor skills to save the world somehow...

It is just SO much fun to PLAY!