Photo Booth Fun

Who'd have thought one simple little macbook program could be so fun?

Many, many, many pictures of faces trying to squish into the shot...
Crazy faces....
Random body parts... like hands....

...lips...
...and eyeballs!

Curls!

The girls love rags in their hair cause they know Nana used to put rags in my hair all the time when I was little. And the curls the next morning are just a plus.
And I totally forgot to take an after picture of all the curls.

As if I didn't have enough hair to fix...

Well, at least I don't have to talk dolls down from a fit when I 'pull too hard'.

Girl Paradise

Day two of our big trip included a disappointing visit to Northpoint Church. I was so excited to visit the church and especially to check out the children's ministry, but they had canceled services that Sunday. (I'll spare my opinion here about them canceling services for one of the biggest Christian holidays, but if anyone whats to know my opinion just ask I'd love to give it!)

So we had a relaxing slow Sunday morning at the mall instead.

The girls and I ate lunch at the American Girl store while Sam and Daddy ventured out to find an electronics store.

I can not tell you enough how well the American Girl company knows and caters to little girls. We had THE best time at this lunch. They had these little high chair like things that attached to the table for the dolls to sit in.
Emily only has one of her twins here cause she left Elizabeth #1 in the van. She said that "Elizabeth was too shy to go eat lunch and wanted to stay in the van."

The waitress came to the table and asked the girls' names (and remembered their names) and the dolls' names (and remembered those too!). They brought us all menus and the dolls their own little menus too.
Then they brought each of the dolls a little chocolate chip muffin. The girls had fun sneaking little bites of the muffins and pretending that their dolls had eaten them.
It was a very fancy three course meal. The girls had fruit and yogurt, mac n cheese, and a chocolate milk shake....typical 'kid' food but the presentation was gorgeous.
We finished lunch before the boys were done at the electronics store so we went back to the doll salon and watched some dolls get their hair fixed and even ears pierces too.
They all stood just like this watching for at least thirty minutes.
I'm already wondering when we can go back!

The big trip and a new addiction!

If you have a little girl, you MUST plan a trip to an American Girl store. Man, do they know what little girls like. I think the girls walked through the store with their mouths hanging open for the first thirty minutes.
There were lots of dolls to touch and feel, and lots of scenes (with little pieces) behind display cases.

Mara and Emily very quickly decided that they wanted the twins, but Becca Sue had a really hard time making a decision. She would see the twins and pick one up and say, "I want this one." Then I'd pick up a boxed one up and she'd say, "Noooo."
Then she'd walk over to the Bitty Babies and say, "I want this one." I'd pick up the box and she'd say, "Noooo."
I finally realized that she didn't care which baby she got, she just wanted it out of the box! So we helped her decide on a set of twins since the other two were getting twins.
Here's what my little baby doll did the entire time we were in the store on the first day. Guess all this girl stuff was just too boring.
All three of the girls got a set of twins from Mom and Dad and a bag and t-shirts (for them and their dolls) from DeeDee and Grand.
Check out their patient little faces as they wait to pay....
This next picture is my favorite...
And then, what Becca had been waiting on....they got to get them out of the box! Mara's doll's names change about once a week. (This week they're Hannah and Karena...what great names Rachel!)
Becca got a girl and a boy and named them Becca and Dawson.
And Emily named hers Elizabeth #1 and Elizabeth #2.
Here's my baby doll with the girls' baby dolls!....(love, love, love this picture!)
We had such a sweet family time hanging out at the hotel, playing/shopping at the mall, and IKEA too. Next up is our lunch date with our dolls at the American Girl store.....

sleep: (v.) to take the rest...

...afforded by a suspension of voluntary bodily functions and the natural suspension, complete or partial, of consciousness, cease being awake.

Can someone please come an explain to my children exactly what sleep is and how it is best practiced at night?

I'm on night three of no sleep and this mamma is about to reach the breaking point.

And it's spring break...we're supposed to be enjoying the fabulous spring weather together.

So to my children: Let's get some sleep tonight...and for today, let's just chill-out, stop arguing and fighting and start at least pretending that we're enjoying each others' company before your mama goes OFF THE DEEP END!

(oops, I think that was just the deep end. Oh well, at least everyone knows me here...and knows to leave me alone!)

Edited to add: Oh, but at least Mandisa's new album came out today so I'm grooving to some amazing new music while I'm off the deep end!

What they really think of me...

These little questions have been going around on a note on Facebook. I asked the girls the questions this morning and the answers are too funny not to share. I asked Mara before Emily was awake, so the few answers that are the same really crack me up!

Ok, here they are....

1. What is something mom always says to you?
Mara: No, ma'am. (Yeah, I feel bad about that one!)
Emily: I love you. (Feelin' a little better.)

2. What makes mom happy?
M: When we say yes ma'am.
E: When I love on you.

3. What makes mom sad?
M: When your daughters are hurt.
E: When I don't obey.

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
M: By making funny faces
E: By making funny faces (Seriously?...I didn't know my face was so funny!)

5. What was your mom like as a child?
M: Sometimes you wore pigtails. (I think she's seen pictures at Nana's house.)
E: I don't know.

6.How old is mom?
M: I can't tell.
E: I don't know, tell me!

7. How tall is your mom?
M: holds hands up as tall as she can
E: Twenty feet.

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
M: Knit.
E: Knit. (Well, can't deny that one!)

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
M: Knits.
E: Eats lunch. (I do probably eat, but I don't think it's lunch...more like chocolate or Girl Scout Cookies!)

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
M: Me (So she'll be famous and I'll be the mom of the famous girl!)
E: Loving me. (Awww!)

11. What is your mom really good at?
M: Knitting
E: Knitting

12. What is your mom not very good at?
M: She's good at everything. (I love that girl!)
E: Wrestling. (Ummm, yes....I HATE wrestling and thankfully Daddy is really good at it!)

13. What does your mom do for her job?
M: Takes care of her girls.
E: I don't know. (I don't know either some days!)

14. What is your mom's favorite food?
M: mac n cheese
E: pizza (I think they were both thinking of their favorite foods!)

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
M: When Sam comes out of your tummy.
E: When she loves on me.

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
M: A princess
E: A star

17. What do you and your mom do together?
M: Knit.
E: Snuggle. (Can you tell that this girl loves her some lovin'!)

18. How are you and your mom the same?
M: We have the same skin. pointing at her moles (Yep, we both have several.)
E: With our hair. (We have to same hair cut now.)

19. How are you and your mom different?
M: My hair is blond and yours is brown.
E: You're bigger. (And growing everyday baby girl!)

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
M: Because I see you do nice things for me and my sisters
E: She loves on me.

21. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
M: Blue Coast Burrito
E: Snappy Tomato (Hmmm, I think we've been going out to eat a lot lately!)

22. The best things your mom cooks:
M: Corn bread. (This cracks me up, she doesn't even like corn bread.)
E: Pizza. (Yep, I'm really good at taking it out of the freezer and putting it in the oven!)

So yes, some of the answers stung a little, but others made my heart feel good!

Motherhood Lesson #390

My children are still going completely crazy. Here is more evidence...

On Tuesday, Emily put a pony bead up her nose at preschool.
Yep, one of these....Of course it got stuck. After much screaming it did come out, but I'm still amazed at why she would think putting a bead up her nose was a good idea. When I picked her up from school and asked her why she put it up there, I only got "I don't know."

But then latter that night when putting her to bed we were talking about it again and I asked once more why she put a bead up her nose. This time she said, "to keep it safe." I guess she wanted to keep it and didn't have any pockets.

Ooooo, I do believe that's another motherhood lesson....
Motherhood Lesson #390..... Always send your children to school with pockets. You do not want them to find an alternative place to 'keep things safe'!

Definitely 'Not me!"

So I really think that it's been a full moon for the last week or something because my children have gone CRAZY. Instead of telling you everything that they've done, I've decided to tell you everything that they've not done in MckMama style because of course my children are perfect and would never do anything like the things I'm about to tell you!

First of all, I most definitely did not yet out the back door last week, "Girls pull your pants up. We do not jump on the trampoline naked." My girls are little ladies and would never do a thing like that!

And it was not me who asked, "Emily, what is that lump in your booty?" , and I did not get the response of "toilet paper". So, it was not my middle child who I made go back into the bathroom to rid her britches of said lump of toilet paper.

It was not me who threw away all of the lipstick/chapstick in the house because my children most definitely did not decide that it was a good idea to paint the wall with the now discarded lipstick....my children know better than that!

And finally, it is not me who is adding an ornery boy to this group of crazy children in another four months!

Whew, that was fun ridding my conscience of all the things that did not happen this last week. You can head over the MckMama's blog to read what she and everyone else have been doing...oops, I mean NOT doing this week.

Motherhood Lesson #388

If you have a sandbox in the backyard...

and then get new neighbors with an outdoor cat...

umm, yeah...get rid of the sandbox before you let your children play in it.

The three year old was especially excited to play with the "stinky mud". Aaaaa, I can still smell the horrendous stench from when they came inside. I think it's burned into my nostrils!

Wow, that's two major motherhood lessons two days in a row. Wonder what I'll learn tomorrow?

Motherhood Lesson #387

If your four year old decides that it is a good idea to put two M&Ms up her nose...

Don't try to get them out (it will be torture for her and you!)...

Just wait about ten minutes for them to get a little melty and they'll slide right out with a good nose blowing.

Lesson learned the hard way!

Bet you wish it was your birthday!

Man, getting to hear this all day is definitely worth having another birthday and getting another year older.

She's already sang this 13 times this morning and it's not even 8am....I think she'll probably hit triple digits by bedtime!

Oh, and I love how she reaches for the camera when she gets done. She wanted to see herself sing too!

Daddy's birthday is in five more days so the second time through is for him!

Hero

Is there any other job on the planet where moving some kitchen chairs and throwing a blanket over the top can make you a hero for the rest of the day?

Nope, I didn't think so.

I love this job!

Well, most days I love this job.

If I forget about the fits, failures, and whining of yesterday then yes, I love this job.

Guess that's what life is about....Keeping your eyes forward and pressing on.
Philippians 3:14

One Proud CRAZY Momma!

I am SO proud of Mara Lin for listening, following directions, and having a great day at preschool today.

I'm so excited that she got to pick a prize out of Miss Brandi's prize box.

And I am even more excited that she choose a kazoo for that prize.

Let me tell you how tickled to death I am that I've only gotten to hear B-I-N-G-O played on said kazoo eighty-two times in the last ten minutes.

Yep, I am one proud CRAZY Momma! Oh, and Mara might have to go to the ER tonight for ingesting a kazoo.

That's my girl!

Between Thanksgiving dinner and dessert, we passed around a little pumpkin. Whoever was holding the pumpkin told everyone what they were thankful for.

The girls loved passing around the pumpkin and they were so cute telling everyone what they were thankful for....

Mara: I'm thankful for my family.
Emily: Mommy and Daddy.
Becca: Da, da, ,da, da, da.

When we were done, we were all smiling at the sweet family time. Mara blurted out....

Mara: I'm thankful for DESSERT!!!

That's my girl!

Messin' with Emily

I love messing with Emily. She doesn't get mad like Mara does, she just laughs at me.

Watching Dora the other day....
Me: Emmy, wha cha watchin?
Emily: Dowa.
Me: Dowa?
Emily: No, Dowa.
Me: Dowa?
Emily: No, Dowa.
Me: Dowa?
Emily: NO, DOWA.
Me: Oh, Dowa.
Emily: (laughing) Mooooooom!

Dressing up like Belle from Beauty and the Beast....
Me: Ooooo Sissy, you look gorgeous! Who are you?
Emily: Bayel.
Me: Bayel?
Emily: No, I Bayel.
Me: Bayel?
Emily: No, Bayel.
Me: Bayel?
Emily: NO, BAYEL!
Me: Oh, Bayel.
Emily: (laughing) Moooooom!

I could tell at least a dozen more but you get the picture!

I love you so much Sissy, and I love that we can have fun together. Oh, and thanks for not getting mad when I mess with you!

Honesty?

I had to go to the Dermatologist today. Let me just say that I HATE going to the dermatologist, and the only thing worse than going to the dermatologist is going to the dermatologist and having to entertain three girls at the same time.

Anyway, I'm wearing one of those very flattering way too short paper shirts (Why in the world do they make them so short?....might as well just give me a couple of paper towels.) and the ever modest paper sheet over my lap.

Mara looks up at me and says...."Momma, you look VERY pretty!"

Guess she hasn't seen me in much but t-shirts and yoga pants lately!

Nelly Olsen Hair! *Updated*

My mom used to put rags in my super straight hair to make it curly. This was a very sweet time the other night as I carried on the tradition.Mara loved the rags in her hair. She wouldn't let Emily or Becca come within three foot of her because they would "MESS UP MY HAIR!!!" But then she was even more proud of her curls the next morning. And she's already asked me to put them in again tonight! Do you do things with your kids that your mom or dad used to do with you?

*Updated*
I'm going to try to describe how to put the Nelly Olsen curls in....
First you need to get strips of fabric about 1" wide and at least twice as long as the hair. Sheets work great, or I used a really old tea towel. Put the strip over the head (Mara held on to the other end to make it easier) and wrap the wet hair around the strip. Then take the other end of the strip and wrap it around the hair, and tie the end of the strip at the bottom. Leave them in over night. Be sure NOT to brush the curls in the morning, just separate them with your fingers and you've got Nelly Olsen hair!