How sweet is she....

I couldn't resist this one. I know every one has the "sweetest" child in the world, but Caroline is truly my sweetie that is a devil in disguise. She has such a doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personality - she changes on a dime from a growling, snarly, ornery, little critter to the most darling and kissable and loving child I know. She tells me several times a day, "Mommy, I love you so much!" When she is THIS little darling, that is when I hug her and say "Oh, this is the girl I love!" She actually struggles with some areas of speech a little bit (r's, w's, l's, and "ch") so when she says "much" it is more like "Mutz". She will probably need speech therapy one of these days but for now it is endearing! Lately, she has taken to referring to herself in the 3rd person - for instance, "Mommy, can Caroline have a snack?" "Mommy, Caroline wants to play outside and ride bikes." She is definitely an odd duck. (Any fans of Seinfeld? It reminds us of the memorable character Jimmy; he was in one episode only. ("Jimmy is sweet on you. Jimmy would like to ask Elaine out.") She is my Tom Boy with short hair but she carries a purse. Her favorite colors are blue AND pink. Her preschool bag is usually loaded with about a month's worth of immediately ripped from her head hair clips. Her favorite clothes are cut-off long denim shorts and a green striped t-shirt with a bug on the front. She repeatedly digs them out of the dirty laundry to wear over and over but she always wants lip gloss on. She never wants to wear the same PJ top and bottom that match - always mixes. She kisses my belly to kiss the baby and prays for the baby to come out of mommy's tummy any time she says a prayer.

I snapped this picture last night when she fell asleep next to the tree for Christmas story time. How sweet is she?

December 1st, the countdown begins!

Today I think is the official start of the Holiday Season around here. Caroline started the day by putting her first cotton ball on Santa's beard - an advent calendar of sorts she got from her preschool. She kept asking when she gets to put on another one...tomorrow morning, I reassured her. Lindsay was inspired by an old ornament my mom had made and wanted to "needle" one herself. So I let her go thru my fabrics and pick one to use on her very first sewing project. You would think with a mom that sews as much as I do she would have done this sooner! (I won't post the finished product as I think it is a surprise...)

We went to our church Family Christmas Party - we had a lovely dinner and there were several activity stations for the kiddos to do hosted by the Young Women of the ward. Crafts, icing cookies, that sort of thing. The kids had fun just being kids and playing with friends, we were able to sit and visit with adults while the Young Women supervised the kids in activities. It was a fun night that started early and ended early...

So we then went to our new "Mall" - if you can even call it that! It is an outdoor shopping center with all the shops you would expect in a closed mall (Children's Place, Eddie Bauer, Chico's, Ann Taylor, Dillards, etc.) but on streets with parking spaces and actually walking outside! Anyway, it is lovely. We were hoping to catch Santa's hours (he had already gone to bed) so we we just went to the kiddo area, where we could hit the Disney Store, Gymboree, Pumpkin Patch, Build-a-Bear, Children's Place, etc. We got even more great ideas to add to their Christmas lists (like they need more stuff) and we were even able to sneak a few purchases while the kids browsed. The girls hopped into a storefront window display and did their best mannequin impression! They wanted to play outside at the play area and it was cold! 57 degrees is cold to us...and it was windy. But, in true Caroline fashion, she unloaded her jacket, socks, and shoes. Steve sat and watched; I was a little chilly so I went shopping instead and scored on something from Lindsay's wish list I never thought I would find! (Navy Blue lace edged leggings that she can wear to school with her uniform under skirts and dresses - I can never find navy blue - I was beginning to wonder if such a thing existed...black, blue, brown, grey, pink, never navy. Pumpkin Patch had them, if anyone needs to know!!)

We came home and ended with our next December tradition - we have two "advent" countdown to Christmas Traditions. First, I have a binder that is a collection of scriptures, holiday songs and hymns, and inspirational stories to be read and pondered every night. I think I collected the best of what I saw come thru the doors when I worked at Kinko's and have since shared it with several people. Anyway, I was also able to add illustrations with holiday cards we have received - I saved nativity themed cards and added them to each date. I have also tried to turn it into a little holiday family scrapbook, I have our Christmas Letters, a copy of our family Christmas Card, and letters from Santa thanking the girls for treats! Our second tradition I borrowed from a friend. We have collected 24 Christmas themed story books and they are all wrapped and under the tree. The girls take turns selecting a book to open and read. Some are traditional, nativity inspired stories, others are more secular, fun and seasonal. It is a great little tradition and I will always be grateful to my friend Kim who shared the idea.

Our tree is up and looks lovely. We finished it this week. The hardest part is fluffing the artificial tree as it comes out of the box. 1 hour and several microscopic scratches on my arms later, and a few prayers said hoping the pre-lit tree actually lights up for the 4th year in a row, it is not a bad looking fake tree. I am sure some day I will have a more formal home with a themed tree to match our decor, but for now, our tree is a collection of memories. I have ornaments that I made as a child, given as gifts from friends, purchased on vacations, and several from my mom's collection. Honestly, I love setting up the tree and knowing there is a story to tell with nearly every ornament placed on the tree. The painted pine cone I made in preschool, the Lucy ornaments given to me after I was Lucy from Peanuts in a play in High School, a sphere made entirely of origami by Yuko, the Japanese Exchange student we had in our home in 1985, a set of angels given to me by my sister in law the first Christmas Steve and I were married in 1997, the mouse sleeping in a hammock suspended between two branches that was my favorite ornament from my mother's mouse ornament collection. I think this is my favorite part of Christmas, the family memories. Christ is the center of our home and family and memories created as a family are the most treasured.

Merry Christmas and let the countdown begin!!!

Is It more Pink or a shot of Blue for us???

Today, we went to my doctor to have an ultrasound (16 1/2 weeks) to find out if we are having a boy or a girl. I have had feelings, due mostly to circumstantial evidence, that we would be having another girl. People say to us all the time "You are hoping for a boy, right?" Well, we have a house full of girl stuff so I figure we should just roll with it. Lindsay wanted a baby brother. Caroline wanted a baby sister. Daddy I think is indifferent...."either would be fine" he says.

So, here it is... The top shot is a profile of the head, (bottom right of image) the spine and abdomen, and little legs. The baby is about 6" long at this point. Everything looked great - the heart has 4 chambers and was fluttering away, all parts of the brain and spine are intact...
And the bottom picture is literally the "bottom" of our

LITTLE GIRL!!!!!!!

(Or the profile of a Tyrannosaurus Rex). It is an undershot of the bottom and teeny tiny little thighs.

I said "I knew it!" Lindsay said "oohhhhh!" like she was disappointed it wasn't a boy. Caroline didn't say much - I am sure she was just confused - she heard a baby crying in another exam room and asked if that was our baby crying in the computer.

Anyway, Steve said to the girls as we were walking out "So am I gonna be the only boy around here forever?" Really, these girls couldn't ask for a better Daddy for a bunch of girls. No disrespect intended, Steve! He is so good with them - in fact, one of their favorite activities is to have him sit or lay in the family room while they spray his hair, put make-up on him, you know, give him the royal treatment! (Seems to happen a lot during UNC games on TV...I wonder if this is a coincidence?)

We had fun together. The girls are at such a fun age for this sort of thing. They still find it to be a mystery that they have not really asked too many questions that are hard to answer, mostly things like "Is the baby sleeping?" "Does the baby give you a tummy ache?" And they give my little tummy kisses.

We are excited - now the waiting begins.... Baby Girl Simpson is due May 13th and we will schedule a c-section for a week or so earlier!!!

In honor of my Mom, Sue

Today, my mom would have been 52 years old. It has been 2 1/2 years since we lost her and we miss her terribly. I miss having my mom to call 12 times a day to ask her a quick question. I miss not having her consult on decisions, like the color of our new van. I even miss her being worried about us all the time, always calling to make sure we got home OK from a trip or something like that. My girls are missing out on the best Grandma in the world, a Grandma who would show up unannounced and take them for a lunch date to MickyDonald's - as she and Lindsay called it. Who never tired of having the grand children around here house, including sleepovers. I do my best to keep her memory alive for my girls, we talk about Nama Sue all the time, things she liked to eat, her favorite colors, her favorite kinds of music. Lindsay asks a lot of specific questions, like "I know Nama's favorite color was purple. But what kind of purple? Dark purple? Lavender, what?" The other night we were driving home late at night from somewhere and Caroline was a little cranky about something. I thought she was just tired. She said, "You don't even know what I am sad about." Oh, what, we asked? "I am sad about Nama Sue." Caroline was 18 months old when she died and I doubt truly remembers her but I know that in keeping her memory alive, she knows what is missing from our lives.

Thanksgiving weekend has always marked the beginning of the Holiday season for most people. For our family, it is a big deal as well. My mom's birthday is right around Thanksgiving and our tradition is to celebrate her birthday the Sunday after Thanksgiving with family, eat all the leftovers (we usually need to make more mashed potatoes!) and we always have Lemon Meringue pie - her favorite. I think I need to make a lemon meringue pie - I didn't make one this year for Thanksgiving - I was "pied out!" Plus Molly and I were working all Friday and Saturday (We had a booth in a Holiday boutique in Scottsdale) so energy wise, I was tapped.

My mom was was the most kind, loving, generous and selfless person I have ever known. Sure, I can think back and find flaws. We all have them. She was not perfect. But, when it came to her family, friends, her church - she was always giving and always put others first. I wish she would have or could have taken more time for herself or splurged for herself more often. But, in reality, she was probably most happy when giving. Also, I know she could not afford to splurge on purchases for herself. Extra money (or money they didn't even have) always went to us girls. I think as an adult I have been able to reflect and realize how much my mom truly sacrificed to keep us girls happy and active and involved in activities.

I love my mom and miss her terribly. But I know I am lucky enough to have had about 30 years with her. It is my children who will miss out the most. Molly, Meghan, and I do all we can to keep her memory alive. And that doesn't mean a once or twice a year trip to a cemetery. It means cooking her recipes, looking at her pictures, listening to her favorite Christmas music, that sort of thing. We talk about her in daily conversation. I want my children to know of the standard she set and the legacy left by her.

I have been looking at and reading a scrapbook of sorts that Molly compiled for us for Christmas 2005, after mom had died. It is filled with, of course, the funeral program and obituary, but most importantly, it is filled with letters of remembrance from friends and family. It reminds me of things and events that I don't think about very often or quite possibly might have forgotten, like the way she liked her orange juice with breakfast (more crushed ice than juice.) I know my mom's memory will live on as we read and re-read these letters and notes. My mom had no acquaintances, everyone was her dear friend. And I think every single one of them is represented in the letters in this book. Thank you Molly for compiling it. I don't think I have ever thanked you enough. It is a valuable treasure.

Weigh in: Am I officially the meanest mom in the world or did I just finally grow a back bone?

Warning - this is long and I am sorry but a Mom's gotta vent!!!

My kids have spent all week trying to clean their room. I am firmly of the opinion that a 6 year old and (in 3 weeks) a 4 year old can clean their shared room by themselves when they have easy access bins for toys, bookshelves, a laundry hamper, a trash can, etc. Seriously, how hard is it? Monday night they found out they would not have any TV or friends over after school while they cleaned their room. They worked for hours and got no where. We talked at dinner about an incentive program: a Christmas tree chart: have 8 days of sticker ornaments for the chart - a clean room before bed every night - they would get a new Christmas tree for their room that they can decorate themselves. They have a tiny one and wanted a 4 ft one - I said they needed to earn it. Wednesday, I was working to set up for the Holiday boutique this weekend and their step-grandmother was watching the girls and didn't get anything done then. Thursday, for Thanksgiving morning, I let them play until noon (it is a holiday, I was sick, Steve was sick, and I needed to get stuff done (pies) and couldn't fight with them about the room so they got some free time. At noon, I said that I would be leaving at 3:45 for Grandpa's house for Thanksgiving dinner with or without them because their room had to be done. They had plenty of time. At 3:45 when I left without them, it was ugly. But it kicked them into gear. Sort of. After realizing that I had left a crucial part of our holiday dinner (the Martinelli's) at home and Steve would need to bring it; they got to leave before they were finished. But, we made sure we went ahead and started without them so my kids would know we sort of left them in the dust. Now comes Friday. I was out doing crazy early day - after shopping and didn't get back until noon. Daddy didn't make them work. After some lunch, I made them get to work on their drudgery.

After 4 days of this, I just couldn't take it anymore. I went into their room at 5:30 with a trash bag. Now, what was left to do was mostly misc. crud like barbie shoes, trash, stray dirty laundry, etc. from the perimeters of the room - a lot of it though. They were not happy when I filled a kitchen trash bag.

And here's where I thought I got mean. Steve and I decided to get take-out for dinner. I had a craving for Pei Wei (if you don't know Pei Wei, it is the smaller, more casual little brother of PF Changs - many of the same menu items....YUM!) and I called in an order. I told my girls that WE were getting Pei Wei, which they really like, but THEY were getting peanut butter and water. No jam, no honey, just bread, peanut butter, and water to drink. They were devastated and told me in no uncertain terms they would not eat that unless I gave them honey or jam. Well, I didn't back down and ate the Pei Wei in front of them. I think I would have a hard time actually sending them to bed without dinner or something like that but I feel that this was a good punishment. It meant something to them.

Taking away friends didn't mean enough
Taking away TV didn't mean enough
Offering a new Christmas Tree didn't mean enough
Being brought late to Thanksgiving dinner didn't mean enough
But, being forced to eat Peanut Butter on wheat bread and water while we ate Pei Wei did.

Go figure. I can't believe we dealt with this for what seems like an entire week. Where did I go wrong? I was trying to hold my ground every day. I guess it was just the right leverage point. They don't really like peanut butter sandwiches and occasionally tolerate it with jam. I guess you just need to keep trying until you push the right buttons.

How was Thanksgiving? Dramatic, thank you.

Let's begin this with a picture of 5 lovely pies. Ahhhh........

Highlights (and lowlights) of our Thanksgiving (you be the judge):

1. Baking Rolls and Pies. I enjoy doing it, it is always my assignment. I made 5 pies: Pumpkin, Apple, 4 Berry, Chocolate, and Banana Cream. Anyone want leftovers?
2. Having my 2 kiddos help with the rolls and chocolate pie.
3. Dog sitting my neighbor's little rat-dog. (Don't get me wrong, it is cute, I just don't know what kind it is...pretty small and scraggly.) The girls are in 7th heaven. Me, not so much.
4. Me, well, I have had a pretty miserable cold and have been experimenting will all kinds of OTC meds to keep me running. Steve throwing up all night and spending Thanksgiving day in bed until it was time to go eat at my dad's, and well, bring the girls late when.....
5. The girls finally *almost* finished cleaning their room. They had been working on it for 3 days (the floor literally was not visible, I am not kidding) and I had bribed and taken away privileges to the max. Finally I said at noon they could not come to Thanksgiving Dinner (4pm) until it was done. As noted before, Daddy brought them late. Dinner had already started.
6. The food was great, Molly made her fantastic creamed corn, the turkey was great, (good job Dad) the kids hardly ate - they wanted to play with Dad's dogs. Steve hardly ate because he was still sick...we had a lot of food!

7,8,9,10 - We had some tough, emotional family issues to deal with. Enough said.

11. We ate pie. Like I said, I made 5. I have lots leftover. (Today I decided to be the coolest mom in the world and let the girls and the neighbor friend who is over have a Pie Buffet for lunch.)
12. Steve and I watched an episode of the 2nd season "24". Always a great way to end a night, Thanksgiving, or otherwise.

Wow - a school picture that doesn't stink!

I will be honest, I was not expecting much. Last year the Kindergarten picture was terrible. The lighting, the printing, and I hate to say it, her goofy expression! So, this year, she wanted the purple background "Mommy, some of my friends in the yearbook had the purple!" (extra $2) and I figured for two bucks, make the kid happy - get the purple! I mean, we had already picked out the outfit - had to be uniform red, white or blue (she chose red) and I was a little worried about the purple and red making too strong of a statement. Overall, I am happy with how the canned school picture went. A new and better vendor, thankfully. I am still more a fan of B/W art type photography (coming soon!) but this is cute. Her hair stayed curled, she looks like herself, and she was so proud to show it to me. I am jealous of her hair.