How's this?

About 6 weeks ago, Allie told me she was going to be a horse for Halloween. I spent several weeks looking *everywhere* for one, even looking online, to no avail. {sigh} There just wasn't one to be found. I convinced her that they just didn't exist. She accepted that answer . . . until we went to the ballet in our city. They did Cinderella. . . and you know what that means! There were horses pulling that darned carriage! She turned and looked at me and said "HORSES! You can MAKE one." ARGHHHHH!

So I asked around and found out how to make one. I had to make some modifications, because they'd ordered most of the costume, and I just didn't have that kind of time.

So I spent this afternoon making her horse costume, so she could wear it to her dance class tonight. Here are the results. I might have to do some fixing, you can hardly see her horse ears.

See that expert hood sewing? ROFL

Birthday Bliss . . .

I know, I've been the bad blogger lately. Was consumed with getting the party extravanganza organized. Thought I'd never get it done! Thank goodness my mom came over on Friday to pick up Alaina (I had a horrible migraine that day) and stayed and helped me clean! She was still vacuuming stuff when people arrived the next day, and as the party wound down, she vacuumed again! tehehe . . my mom sounds a little vacuum obsessed, doesn't she?

Anyway, not a long post today, but wanted to share a couple of pictures.

Alaina at the pumpkin farm on Thursday . . . a field trip with her class. The reason for the ugly blue shirt instead of something more fallish/festive.


Alaina thrilled by something at the party. I hate that this picture is so shadow-y. But love this expression. Alaina is just so open with her emotions (the good ones like this one, and the not so good ones!)


Isn't this one happy looking bunch? We went to the pumpkin farm, again. For those of you in the DFW 'burb area . . . they now have 2 locations. The original one in Celina (the one we went to on Thursday) and the new location at Owens Farm in Richardson ( where we went on Sunday). We've been the past 8 years to the first location . . .we know the owners and that makes it even more fun. We also know the guy managing the new location, I remember him passing out Jolly Green Giant freebies when we were kids (that's another post all together! ROFL). . . now he's passing out hot dogs and ring pops! He and the owner's parents thought we were absolutely nuts to be out there on Sunday. I think we picked the coldest day of the season to go . . . but it was the only day that all the family (except my brother) could be there.

Don't the kids look thrilled to be on the hayride? ROFL (the girl with the orange hairbow is my niece).

I'm Ready for Action!

So, I'm finally getting around to posting Alaina's birthday post. A series of migraines and dh traveling kept me from having much energy lately.

Alaina,

I remember so well the circumstances surrounding the week of your birth. After 2 "normal" pregnancies (for the most part), you were the challenge. I was sick at all times of day, instead of the morning thing I'd had with Ian and Allie. There was the scare at the beginning when we thought I was miscarrying you . . . .how wonderful it was to see that little bean with a beating heart on the screen that day. I'd wished for bedrest with the other 2. . .being pregnant and working just was so tiring. But no, I didn't get it until you. Only five days' worth, thankfully.

I'd lost a lot of my amniotic fluid with you. . . it just wasn't replenishing itself or something. And the dr. put me on bedrest, after doing a sono to check and make sure you were okay. So I went home to wait. Too many women already there prevented me from going in for an induction on Wednesday morning. Thursday, it was back to the doctor's office for another look at you. How awesome it is to have that sonogram picture of you in the womb just 12-15 hours before you were born! I did some last minute shopping with Mom, as the dr. decided to put me in the hospital that night. I knew what I was feeling was contractions. . . very far apart contractions (about 20 minutes apart). Wow, might I go into labor on my own?

We went to the hospital about 9 pm .. . but it wasn't until about 11 that I got settled in, and sure enough, those far apart twitches were contractions (never had those of their own accord before!). The plan was to prep me for labor that night, then use pitocin first thing in the morning.

Like would become the pattern for your life . . . you had your own plans. I wasn't in a bed for more than 4.5 hours before you made your entrance into this world. It seemed so different, so special from the other ones. No one was expecting a baby until sometime the next day, we were alone. . . .no one up at the hospital sitting in the family room waiting. It was just the 3 of us. . . you, me, and your dad. And I got to hold you and love on you for quite awhile before they took you to the nursery.

Alaina . . . you have had one huge personality from the very beginning. . . you knew all the buttons to push with Ian and Allie before you were a year old. Allie may be my July baby, but you're the firecracker! You have facial expressions that are just so funny to see on a child your age. And the wiggling of the eyebrows. And the fact that even before you were four, you had an evil laugh (muhahaha!) AND you used it at the appropriate times.

You are the ham, the outgoing one . . .and so smart. I'm so blessed that God gifted us with you. You know how to make me laugh, how to entertain with just your personality. We call that personality your "Piggie Personality". . . .not that you're a little pig, but because it's this attitude you have when you're wearing pigtails. Oh, a ball of fire!

You are the most stubborn of the 3 kids. I used to think Allie was, until you came along. That's not a bad thing. I hope and pray for you that that stubbornness will get you through the peer pressure of the teen years. But right now .. . it's a little frustrating. Like the whole red boots thing . . . .you're one little girl with a sassy 'tude. tehehe . . . where in the world can you wear red boots and pink flamingo clothes at the same time, unless you've got that sassiness in you!


Last night, I was so wanting to cuddle with you. It hit me, that you were no longer going to be my 3 year old, and you can't be considered a "baby" in any sense of the word. I was in your room and I said "Alaina, can I hold you? Just one more time as a 3 year old? This will be the last day you're ever 3 . . . ." She wiggled and squirmed and actually started licking my arms! Don't ask me why . . .it's just part of that sassiness of yours. "Alaina, I'm going to miss three so much!"

Her reply: "I'm not! I'm ready for action!"

Oh my . . .if 3 wasn't action, I'm almost scared to see 4!


Alaina. . . I love you so much, my little pumpkin head! I look forward to all the blessings (blessings right? Even with the action!) that will be coming your way this year. And feel so lucky that I'm along on this wonderfully spontaneous and entertaining ride with you.

Love,

Mommy

Happy Birthday Nathanael!

Well, I long hand wrote out my letter to 4 year old Alaina, but it hasn't made it to the blog yet. I had some ankle thing happen last night and i'm not walking so well. .. but didn't want to let this day go by without letting Alaina say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to her almost birthday buddy Nathanael. Four years ago yesterday, I handed Andy a list of several people to call, and Nathanael's mom Becky was on it. We'd known each other since before we'd both had our second children in July of 1999. We met on an aol expecting message board and just clicked. Then we ended up due in October 2001 with our thirds.

Andy returned after making calls and said "Becky thinks she's in labor!" Shortly after midnight on October 13, Nathanael was born.

So hey Nathanael . . .Alaina says HAPPY BIRTHDAY! (And don't you know, she giggled when I told her we were going to do this!)

Ever Wonder?

Those of you who blog, ever wonder sometimes who's out there? Sometimes, I really wonder who's checking me out. I've got the regular referring links that I can tell come from blogs I've left comments at, and from 2Peas.

Recently, I've been pulled up on MSN searches for the following things (among others): links for super suppers (twice . . . don't know if someone from Super Suppers is doing weekly checks to see how many times someone's linking to their website or what!), picture of brownie vest with iron on patches on it (hope that gal found it informative that I had a super hard time ironing those suckers on, and I would've rather sewn the things on), and something about children dying in water. Don't know why I was pulled up as the 19th link for that one. . . I must've used the words children, dying and water all in the same post. Was the one dealing with the kids loving the water taxis in Chicago.

For a while there, I was really frightened by some of the referring links it showed. . . until I figured out that people were probably just hitting the "next blog" button and mine was the next blog. Breathed a sigh of relief that I hadn't been linked from some of those sites!

But what I can't figure out is this: What's so exciting in my blog that people are emailing the link to other people? Have I been found out by the family and you guys are secretly reading, or what? It can't be that my photography's that great or anything. Or my life is that thrilling.

There you have it. . .ponderings on a Monday night.

I'm working for the big birthday entry for tomorrow.

Alaina will be 4 . . . and she's requested Olive Garden. I probably won't get around to posting said entry until late evening tomorrow night.

And for those who have emailed asking. . . I sent out invites today with the first Apple picture on it.

Help me choose . . .

I need to get some invites our for Alaina's birthday party. They need to go out in Tuesday's mail and to preschool on Tuesday, so tomorrow's the day to print the pics and make the invites. Never mind that I don't have an idea for the invites yet, I need to pick the picture. She licks her lips a lot, so come the fall, she has this unsightly red spot under her lips every year. {sigh} . . .and I don't think I know cloning techniques to make it look natural. This was my favorite picture, but the red spot looks so obvious. . .at least to me (there on the L side of the pic, her R side):
To me, the B/W didn't make it look much better . . . .

I shot some with an apple too . . . it covers the red spot, which wasn't my original intention . . . .

This was my favorite apple picture, but Andy said he thought her face was too dark . . .

I think it shows the desire for the apple and all . . .tehehe.

Anyway, anyone have any opinions/suggestions/helpful hints? HELP!

We've decided to do a little fall festival/costume party thing. Hoping to be able to rent a bounce house at this late date . . .we'll see. And we have enough family nearby (plus learned last night that in-laws planned on coming in that weekend) to man booths for us.

These Boots were made for . . ..

I know, I'm a Texan. I ought to embrace the cowboy boot. But frankly, I'm not thrilled with them as a fashion statement. Alaina, however, has fallen in love! My sil "gifted" her a pair when my niece outgrew this pair. She isn't the "kicker" kinda kid either. But we've got this little yearly shindig at the preschool known as "western day" and now Alaina can be properly outfitted a la her cousin's hand-me-downs.

Alaina, however, doesn't want to wait for western day . . .. these red boots were made for walking, or in these pictures, ballet dancing. That's Alaina standing on top of a kiddie picnic table practicing her positions and her plies.


Alaina pulls these darned things out of the closet at least 3 days a week. Usually, I can deter her. . .convince her that boots don't just go with everything. She already thinks they go with a lavender My Little Pony Sweatsuit. {sigh} I might have to hide that thing or Clinton and Stacy will have their first 4 year old fashion intervention. I don't know, we don't do the pop culture thing in our house, but she's got that boots and short skirt thing down pat. For now, however, I've managed to keep them contained to backyard and house usage only.

How long do you think that will last? Those of you who've actually MET Alaina?

On my mind . . .

First of all . . .HAPPY BIRTHDAY TERRI! For those of you who know her (and if you don't but want to anyway), drop her a line. Terri's not gotten with it in the blog world yet (nudge, nudge Terri), so I temporarily added an "email Terri" link to the right sidebar on mine, for easy access. I know several of you gals have her email address, but probably have no clue today's her special day. Terri's got an awesome store in the Tulsa area, that I love shopping at whenever I get a chance. I truly do love it more than the ones here in the Dallas area . . .and that's not a bias opinion!

Hey, Terri, did you know you missed the most common birthday of the year by one day? That's what Sophia posted today.

For scrapbookers, Terri and I don't get it together, photowise when we get together. I think I've mentioned this in a previous email. When we went to CKU, I got 6 shots on my camera of the 2 of us. This was the only one of just the 2 of us. Here's how bad that is . . .the CKU camera dude got TWO of us together! @@ . . .I do have 4 pictures of us with various scrapbooking celebs, with the 5th picture being a duplicate, for some reason. And I know Terri took precious few with her camera that weekend. . . but we just forget to pull out the cameras and snap shots when we're together.

I'm off to see what this holiday shindig is about at ReCollections . . . .don't worry Terri, (or Jamie or Jess) I'm not buying anything. But Jess and Jamie, I went in earlier today to sign up for this evening and I did see they had all that hot new Rob and Bob stuff . .. is that tantalizing you any? {smirk}

On My Honor . . .

So, today was Allison's first "real" Brownie meeting. We didn't sign her up for Daisies last year, as she was already in YPrincesses (Indian Princesses, Adventure Princesses . . .whatever is politically correct now!) and we were afraid of overwhelming her. ROFL .. . I shouldn't have worried. That's the most unscheduled group of dad's I think I've met! They took the girls on 2 campouts, did maybe 3-4 other meetings the entire year, did a parade (we won't discuss that fiasco!), and that was about it. I decided she could handle Brownies and princesses this year. She was so shy during the meeting. . . hung back and didn't say much. Said she didn't know the Girl Scout promise she'd memorized at home, or the "Make New Friends" song, that we'd been singing since Tuesday. She just kinda watched and I had to shoo her on with the other girls. I know it's not because she didn't know any of them. There are at least 4 of them I know she knows. I'm hoping as time goes on, she'll make friends with some of them . . .which is why I wanted her to be in Brownies. All her friends at school are boys. I want her to have some little girl friends. The first week of school last year, I drove by every day at recess to see what she was doing. . . .she was always swinging alone. She'd just learned to swing, and it was what she wanted to do at recess. I know I can't push it, but my heart was so heavy to see her spending all that time alone. So, here she is . .. modeling her new Brownie vest, with her new patches on it. I called Mom and bragged that I didn't have to stitch the patches on . . . they were IRON-ONS! I was so excited! Till I tried to iron them on! ROFL . . .sooooooo not easy to iron on. I fought with each one of them. I did finally win . .. I think. And she does look happy, doesn't she?