Happy 3rd Birthday to my baby!

The day after she was born.

Her first Birthday

Her 2nd family birthday party

Her 2nd birthday party

Millie's 3rd Birthday!

She's growing so fast and she's so cute and funny. She loves gymnastics and she's always rocking out when she hears music but for some reason she doesn't seem to like her dance class so much. Her little voice can be endearing one second and annoying the next. She gets so excited about things. She loves her sister, though I've seen her push her on two occasions. She loves baby dolls and playing by herself. She can say the sweetest thing when you least expect it and I LOVE HER TO PIECES! Happy 3rd Birthday to my sweet baby! I love you so!

Melt Down

I had a few things to bake last night. I needed to bake brownies for Bea's school Christmas party. I wanted to make cake pops for Camille's school birthday party. And I wanted to throw together some gingerbread cookie dough - because it needs to chill over night.

I got home and promptly mixed up the cake mix and put it in the oven. Next I tackled the brownies, then the gingerbread cookie dough. Done and done.

The gingerbread dough was chilling in the fridge. The cake and brownies were cooling... so I sit down to eat a quick dinner and do some other things and head back to the cake.

It's cooled so I cut it up and smash it around in the pan, pour some chocolate frosting in there and start forming balls.  I read somewhere that you should dip the sticks in the melted chocolate first and then stick them into the balls and pop them in the fridge for a few. I did this. Shortly after things went down hill from there. I tried to cover the first cake pop in chocolate. The chocolate was hardening way too fast and yet the cake was coming off in chunks in the chocolate! I destroyed four cake pops trying to get it to work. I was panicking. I only had one bag of chocolate. (Hey, I thought I was a pro since I've done it ONE other time before.) I wanted to cry. It was now 8 p.m. I thought Hobby Lobby was open till 9 p.m. Izak went to get more chocolate and it wasn't! Thankfully Michael's was still open. While he was out doing that I took all the stupid sticks out of the pops and was trying to make cake balls work somehow.  I tried dipping the bottom in chocolate then sprinkles then putting it on wax paper... UGH. The end result is cake ball type things. I'm so disappointed. They look horrible. It only cheered me up slightly this morning when Camille was showing Beatrice: "Look sister! It's pink and purple!" BUT my night didn't end there with misshaped cake balls.. I still had to put them in their little individual bags and tie them. WELL!!! I couldn't get the stupid candy bags open. Finally Izak heard me cursing and grumbling to myself and came out to help me open the stupid bags. When I went to put a stupid ball in the baggie the thing didn't fit!! I was on the verge of throwing all those damn cake ball things on the floor and stomping away!! I managed to shove them all in the bags though - mainly because I didn't want Millie to go to school empty handed and I didn't want to have to buy some stupid store bought cupcakes. :( I'm SO SAD about them!! They look like the girls decorated them. They look like monster balls. Or weird marshmallow shaped things. I am not posting pictures because I don't want to remember that horrible horrible night.

And this morning.... after carrying the girls coats around with me and loading everything up in the car... I FORGOT THE GIRLS COATS!! I wanted to scream: ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!?!  Luckily I put them in little hoodies and they have long sleeves on but it's SUPER COLD OUTSIDE. So I'll have to leave work and go get their damn coats and bring them to school.  GAH!!

Sick girls!

Towards the end of last week Beatrice had developed a cold. A bad cold. But not one that requires antibiotics. Sigh. She's better. But now it's Millie's turn. Millie stayed home Monday from school and we decided both girls weren't well enough to go to the gym that night either. Bea had a slight fever again. Beatrice was very upset that she had to miss gymnastics. She LOVES gymnastics! (I'm really glad she likes it so much.) Tuesday I kept both girls home just to be on the safe side. They have Christmas parties this week that I don't want them to miss! Not to mention Camille's birthday tomorrow! They're going to do something special in her class tomorrow and I get to go and observe and take pictures! I just want her to know it's her special day! I have BIG plans for tomorrow too, I can't wait! Back to Tuesday night... both girls didn't have a fever when I got home from work, and we started to get them ready for for their Christmas dance parties, dressing them in Christmas shirts and skirts etc. Millie was throwing a fit that her Christmas socks were too big and she didn't want to wear tights. I was like: Fine! Stay home then! Miss your party and all the goodies! (Not to mention waste all the goodies I put together for her class!) I took Bea to dance and she did her little Christmas dance. It was so cute! I was really bummed Millie didn't go to her class. I wanted to see HER Christmas dance too. :( Anyways... here's to the girls being healthy for their school Christmas parties and Christmas!)

Happy Holidays!!

  I WON a FREE children's mini Holiday session from my favorite photographer! (I never win anything!) Here are the fabulous photos:

I got to throw "snow" on them in this picture!

The girls were in such a good mood for this photo session. They were such hams! And posers!

Christmas is coming!

Christmas is coming! Time to decorate! Time for old family traditions and time for making NEW family traditions. This year I'm trying my hand at the advent calendar. I found this (better than what I've seen in stores) advent calendar at Target. I wasn't too thrilled with the price but it was nicer and a bit prettier than the ONE other one they had there for the SAME price. I bought some See's candy chocolate balls and little Santa's (for the 25th - though I think it's silly to have a 25th door because it's Christmas day! What more do you want?) And I also purchased some Lindt chocolate too. I stuffed the chocolates inside and wrote on little slips of paper what activities to do for that day. It was pretty tough coming up with age appropriate things and finding things to do on gym and dance nights (where we wont have a lot of time between dinner and bedtime.) We'll see how it all works out. I got some ideas from my cousin Lisa and some ideas off of pinterest. I tried to come up with back up stuff too. Sooo we'll see how things go tomorrow! The girls are anxious to open those doors and get that chocolate out!

I'm all EARS....

About three weeks ago we noticed Millie had been coughing for a few days so we took her to the doctor.  She was acting normal but we found out that she not only had a sinus infection but she also had ANOTHER ear infection. We had tubes put in her ears, like two years ago? The tubes had made their way out and the ear doctor said she was good to go... so what's happening now!? What is the point of having ear tubes put in if your ear is just gonna push them out and grow back the way it was originally!? Why does the body do that? Anyways... the pediatrician gave her some meds and a follow up appointment for three weeks. Yesterday was the follow up appointment and guess what!? Yup. Her ears STILL look bad! The doctor gave her different meds and also said I should book another follow up appointment in three weeks with her ear doctor. She said: "I just don't know if she's hearing very well." Great. Thanks. I do not want to do the ear tubes again. I hated that. Seeing her in her little hospital gown. The nurses taking her away from me so they can put her to sleep alone. And then Millie waking up from her drug induced sleep crying and inconsolable. AND to top it off we can't leave the facility until she pees. It doesn't sound hard, but when she hasn't eaten all day and they give her a juice box which she has no interest in drinking AFTER the operation... it's not fun. In fact we fibbed a little the last time because we just wanted to get her out of there. I really hope these new meds work.

Thanksgiving!

Wow! What a week! We had the Arizona cousins over for Tday and it was SO MUCH FUN!!! (Stacey and Ben came too.) ;)

Millie and Lauren eating goldfish after their photo session on Saturday.

It was a full crazy house and I loved it! I only wish it could have been my house! (In my dreams I have this crazy big house and my cousins can come visit me whenever and STAY there!) We had so much food too! I got to help out a bit more this year and I made mashed potatoes for 21 people! We ate non-stop, caught up with each other, watched the kids - well sort of. My kids were outside the whole time with their cousins so I hardly saw them at all. I got to go 'black Friday' shopping with my cousin Lisa - she really made out! I got a few things... I can't wait for our next BIG get together... whenever that is... sigh. It's always sad to go back to reality..

This was Thursday afternoon right after the cousins came!

Sneak Peek!

This weekend I had the girl's "Alice" pictures taken. They wanted an Alice in Wonderland birthday party so I thought it would be cute to have them dress up as Alice and have pictures taken so I can not only use the images to commemorate the event but I could also use the images for the invitations! These are the two shots I got from my phone. (I have to admit it looked just as cool in real life as it did in my head.) I know the professional photos will be AMAZING!! I can't wait to see them!

Halloween!

I had the girl's Halloween pictures taken the other day. I haven't been able to see all the photos the photographer got - it's been busy. But she was able to give me a peek at two of the pictures! I can't wait to go and see them all! As soon as I do everyone should expect a copy in the mail! ;)

Stupid

Well that was a stupid start to the morning. The girls woke up late as usual. Camille picked out a weather appropriate shirt but she wanted to wear just tights or a skirt. Not gonna happen. I suggested some cute pink pants. She refused. Since we were short on time she didn't get an option. She cried practically all the way to school. And then when we got there she cried because she didn't want anyone to see her pants. Where the F**K does she get this? I have not been feeling well since Wednesday which equals even less patience with the girls. I want to go home and go back to sleep.

Hansel&Gretel Pictures

 Me and my Gingerbread cookie!

She's FREE! FREE! 

Free from being a Gingerbread cookie.

Hansel & Gretel

Beatrice and I have both been rehearsing for the children's theatre production of Hansel & Gretel. I play the Mother and she plays a village child/gingerbread cookie. We had our opening night last this last Friday and Bea has been doing so well. She really steals the show. (When she's on stage.) It's so fun to watch her and she's such a natural. I hope one day we'll get a chance to actually interact on stage. I took some pictures but haven't had a chance to post any yet. Now that we no longer have rehearsal every evening I'll hopefully get a chance to upload some pictures! Millie can't wait to be on stage as well! She's so excited to see us on stage and she's asked me if she could be in the show too... Someday soon I hope!!

Dance!

Yesterday was the first day of the fall semester of dance. It was crazy busy in there. Wall to wall people. Bea was bugging me for something out of my bag. Millie got separated from me and started crying. I was ready to just leave.  I walked up to the Jazz class room - the class I WANT Bea to be in - and the sign said: KJazz closed. Meaning too many kids already. My heart dropped. But dammit I tried it anyway. I asked the instructor who happens to be part owner if Bea could be in the class. She said: "Lets have her try it today and I'll talk to you after the class." I said: "Even though you're full?" She replied: "It's going to be a crazy day anyway... " So once Bea and her two friends walked into class together - so happy too I might add. (At this point, if they weren't going to let Bea in I was really just going to take her home after Millie's class and possibly withdraw her from dance I just was not into it yesterday.) Millie and I walked over to her dance class. Well, it was chaos in there too. Every little girl was crying! Millie looked around and then looked at me... she did not want to be in there alone with all these crying girls. So a handful of us Mom's were stuck in there watching and encouraging our girls to participate. I really hope it's not like that all the time. She did so well over the summer. In short: Bea got the class SHE wanted and I wanted!! Yay!! I'll find time to celebrate these small victories later. Maybe after jazz shoe shopping Saturday...

Kindergarten...

Bea is SO bummed that she doesn't get to see her best friend. I'm toying with the idea of asking about putting her in Kindergarten now. She's ready, and since Montessori is a 'private' school I can request this.  But... what's going to happen next year when she's off in Kindergarten again in a public school?? Her best friend will be at the private school. So they won't be seeing each other anyway... I know she's fine once she gets into class. Wouldn't the teachers call me if she was sitting in a corner crying or not participating?? It's only the second week of school... What's a mother to do....

The first week of school.

Camille seems to be liking school ok. She's a napper and she doesn't seem to have a problem with that. Bea on the other hand... the evening of the first day of school she was telling me how it was such a sad day for her. Her best friend is in kindergarten there and she doesn't get to play with her at recess.  The love of her life isn't there either. I suspect he's in kindergarten at a public school. She makes it seem like she has no friends at all. That makes me sad. I just don't know what to do.

In other news my bedtime routine is a joke. The girls still aren't sleeping. Waking them up in the morning continues to be a bit difficult. Occasionally Millie wakes up early and then it's just Bea that I have to dress while she's still sleeping. Despite all this I've still been managing to get out of the house on time, to school on time and to work on time! Yay me.

This week I'm trying something different. I'm making ONE thing for dinner, for ALL of us. And if the girls don't eat it then they don't eat. I'm sick of running around the kitchen making a bunch of different things for them while trying to make something for me and then they still don't eat what THEY requested. I waste a lot of time in the evenings doing this. So hopefully cutting the running around in the kitchen out/down we can get bath time taken care of and done and in bed on our regular schedule.

First day of school!

Beatrice and Camille started school yesterday! It's Camille's first day of preschool! She's such a big girl.  I took some pictures of them being silly yesterday morning.

When I went to pick them up they were outside playing together in the sand! They were both filthy! I got them home and threw them in the bath right away! Here are some after school pictures of them-though you can't tell how dirty they are!

My Growing Girls

Time sure does fly. Today was the girl's last day at daycare. I'm happy on so many levels but I'm sad too, because that means that they are growing up. :(  We brought Mary a little goodbye gift and I took a picture of the girls on their last day. It's sad to compare it to the pictures I took when they started daycare.

 Bea started daycare when she was six months old.

Millie started daycare when she was three months old.

Look at my big girls now! I miss my babies!!
(But not the crying, spitting up, and no sleep!)

Millie is ready!

Millie had her interview at Green House yesterday and she did so well! I was afraid she'd be unruly and all over the place. (Maybe because the daycare girl told me that she wasn't interested in their group lessons... passive aggressive much?) Anyways. Millie was amazing! I was so proud of her. She listened. Took direction. Even asked for help. She is such a smart girl! (But I knew that already.) ;) I am excited for her to start school. It will be so nice to have the girls at the same place again!! They won't be in the same class room but they share the bathroom - which is a hallway connecting the two classes.

I've got the bedtime routine down... sort of. The bathing, brushing teeth is not the problem. It's getting them to fall asleep!!!!!! (I'm sure having a 3hr nap at daycare IS NOT HELPING!!) I pray that once Green House starts up sleeping will be a lot easier!

Yesterday and today I've been busting butts to get out of the house by 7:15 ON THE DOT!! I can't afford to get out any later because the school traffic is horrendous! But the last couple of days - though I made it on time - I've had to yell at the girls. I don't like yelling at the girls, especially in the mornings!! It doesn't make me feel good and I hate starting the day like that. But what else am I supposed to do when they don't listen!! GAH!!

I'm literally counting down the days till school starts. I just have this feeling that once school starts everything will fall into place...

.... hey one can dream....

It's not getting any better....

I had enrolled Bea in a K-Jazz class. I guess she's not old enough for that class yet. So there goes that planning! Now I'll be at the studio for two hours while one child dances and the other waits. Then the other will dance and the other will wait. Sigh. I'm hoping snacks and the ipads will come in handy.

Bea was very upset that she couldn't be in jazz with her friend Sage. She even said that she didn't want to dance any more! I told her: "But if you want to be on stage you have to dance. Otherwise we'll just be watching your sister on stage at the end of the year." She was grumpy about it but she agreed to stay in dance. She really wanted to do tap but the only tap class they offer is at 4.45pm. There is NO WAY I can make that time!

So there goes our easy breezy dance schedule and gym schedule. I'll be busy with the girls things three days a week now.... GAH!! Oh well. They do love it. And I guess I'll just have time to read while I'm waiting for their classes to be over.

Figures!

The ONLY dance classes that they offered after 5pm for my girls were on the same day as the gym! Now I've got to call the gym and re-arrange that day! MAN!

Trying to switch days with the gym are turning out to be a pain! At least we have a whole month to keep the class the same day and time... Hopefully in September people will start dropping out and it will free up some space. I already have the girls on a waiting list. I'll have to be there two days a week. :( It will just work out better than being there for 2 hours on one day and getting home super late.

Schedules

I was hoping to have the girls be at gymnastics on the same day... but that's not gonna happen. :(  I know there is no chance of them having dance on the same day. Is it too much to hope that the days we're at gymnastics they can be at dance before or after their gymnastics class? (Depending on the time of course.) Sigh. Looks like I'll be at gymnastics two days a week and at the dance studio two days a week.


UPDATE!! Yay me! I just called into gymnastics, intending to try to get the girls on another day but not the day we currently go, and a spot just opened up! So now my gymnastic trip is combined! SO much easier!! Fingers crossed dance will be just as simple... 

Working on it...

So the new bedtime routine is working! Well sort of. It works great for Bea, but Millie is still up late! I'm actually looking forward to her starting school with Bea and not napping and then perhaps she'll fall asleep at night! Over the weekend I don't really stick to the bedtime routine because, hello!, it's the weekend! But it's been working and it's only been a week! So yay me!!

Over the weekend I finished filling nail holes, caulked, and painted my new baseboards. Done and done! My dad and Izak put them up like in March or something but I only just now got to them and finished the suckers.

Next: re-painting my bathroom! I got Izak to take down the old wooden light box and put up a new light fixture. So now I have a gaping section of wall that is NOT painted! Motivation for me to at least get it all primed... not sure when that's gonna happen though. My weekends are kind of filling up... But I do hope and plan to get it done BEFORE the summer is over... but I was going to put up new crown molding and baseboards in my bathroom too and I was told you should do that BEFORE you paint.... (I did it the other way around in the girls bathroom and it was a pain in the ass.) So I figure: Prime it. Get the crown molding and baseboards up (that means waiting for my dad to do it.) and then paint... sigh. I wish I could do it myself but I kind of have a fear of saws....

Not sure when I'll get around to painting the kitchen cabinets and getting a new light fixture in there...

Sigh.

New bedtime routine take 2

So last night was a little off because Camille doesn't get done with her swim lessons till 7pm! I made Bea dinner, cleaned up the kitchen, ate dinner myself and was trying to get her in the bath when Izak and Millie walked in. I finally got Bea into the bath and let her have a bit of play time. When I came back into the bathroom she'd squirted the entire floor, bathroom door and hallway with water - all from her position in the tub! I was very disappointed and told her so. She knows better. She then brushed her teeth and went to bed without the piece of chocolate that I had promised her earlier. She cried, but then fell asleep shortly after. Millie was up again as usual and finally fell asleep around 9?? But when I woke up this morning they were both in my bed!

Firsts

Yesterday Beatrice had her first swim lesson and Camille had her first ballet class. Both girls loved their classes! I got to peek in the window of Millie's dance studio and I saw her dancing around. She looked like such a little ballerina. She was so excited to go to dance all day long! She was excited to put her ballet outfit on and pranced around the daycare to show off. When it came time to go into class, she walked right in and picked out a carpet to warm up on and that was that! Cute little bug!!

I also tried out a new bedtime routine last night. Bea fell asleep right away, but Camille, my night owl, was up late! Sigh. I only hope that once she starts school and no longer takes naps during the day she'll be out like a light too... and then I can have an hour or two to myself! Once me and the girls get used to this new night time routine I will implement a new morning routine!! Wish me luck!!

Last night...

Camille is the sweetest little angel girl! Last night I was laying in bed with her and she said: Somebody is missing!
I asked her: Who?
And she replied: Daddy and sister!
She'll say that in the car when we're driving to school. And one time we were sitting down to eat dinner and she said: Somebody is missing! (We have two empty chairs once we're all seated.)
I asked her: Who's missing?
And she said: Grandpy and Gigi!

Also last night Millie had gym and Bea had her follow up ortho appointment - she's good to go! No more broken arm! Izak was tied up with a customer so I had both girls with me at the doctor's office. Gigi helped a LOT by meeting me there with Bea. And then taking Millie for a walk around the clinic while Bea and I waited for her name to be called. Then it was off to the gym! Bea was so excited. She hadn't been there since she was 2 1/2 and she really wanted to watch her sister. But then Izak was done with his customer and met us at the gym to get Bea. She wanted to stay so bad. I was worried she'd distract Camille. And then I had a brilliant idea! They were offering mini gym for Bea's age range at the same time as Millie's class. So I asked the front desk if she could try it out. Bea was thrilled when she found out she could but wasn't too happy about wearing her sisters clothes (which were really her clothes) to exercise in. I had already decided that I wanted to enroll Bea in gym again in the fall (she's going to be too busy with swim in July.) The gym happened to have a leotard on sale that fit Bea, it's a little big but it works. So I bought that for her before the class started and we quickly got her changed into it and she was ready to go. She's got some catching up to do, especially with her left arm being a bit weak from having it wrapped up for three weeks. But she had fun and passed out as soon as her head hit the pillow last night.

Vacation with the Texas cousins!

The past week we went on vacation with our Texas cousins! We hadn't seen them since Madison was born and it was so fun to get the kids together at last! I think everyone had a good time. We hit the beach in San Diego - where I nearly drowned Madison. :( Then we went to Disney Land and met a bunch of characters and rode a bunch of rides. It was so fun just seeing Madison and Bea together... older. Instead of tiny little babies! And it was fun to meet Preston and Mallory!! (And, of course it was fun to see Linds and Greg again.) I can't wait to plan our next vacation with them.

Friday we met up with the cousins. Saturday we headed to Coronado to hit the beach. Sunday we got to Disney Land in the afternoon and rode some rides, saw the Soundsational Parade and the fire works! Tinker Bell did not disappoint and Dumbo made an appearance too!

Here are some pictures of the trip!

Walking back from lunch and blowing bubbles!

Cousin picture! 

Beach Babies!

As soon as we walked into Disney Land we saw Micky and Minnie!

Waiting for the parade to start.

Watching to see whats coming up in the parade...

Besties!

We got to meet Donald Duck before lunch at Ariel's Grotto.

Preston wanted her autograph, but didn't want to take a picture with her!

I LOVE Madison's face in this picture!

Millie singing into the brass ball while the others watched the Phineas and Ferb Parade.

Coloring on the Pier while waiting for the Dad's to bring dinner.

FLICK!

I LOVE Millie's face in this picture!!

 We spent ALL day at California Adventure on Monday without napping! And we ended up having to walk back to our hotel - the bus lines to the parking lot were out of control! Bea was up and walked the whole way. Millie feel asleep in Izak's arms. Preston was asleep in Greg's arms. Madison was sleeping in the stroller that Lindsay was pushing and Mallory was sleeping too. Needless to say Tuesday at Disney Land wasn't a very happy one.

We got some rides in and then we let the Molepske crew have some family time... meaning the Du Toit's went back to the hotel and RESTED! We ordered room service, watched an over priced movie and then for dinner ordered from Morton's. It was a fun vacation. I just wish we could have had more beach time!

 Perhaps our next cousin vacation will take us to Texas or New Orleans to meet the newest cousin: Oliver!!

This morning...

Millie wakes up saying: 'Somebody!? I need to go pee!'

It was the cutest thing! And when she thought no one was coming she said it again! I love that little bug SO much!

Potty Training!

The last two weekends I've been working on potty training Millie... and it's really been like 2 days the weekend before (if that) and then 2 days this last weekend (with Gigi's help on Friday night and Saturday morning.) Millie is doing so well!! She's finally saying: I have to pee! Instead of: I got pee (meaning - she's already gone.) She would walk around the house and say: I got pee change me! And I would say: No that's not how it works! If you're going to expect to be changed after every single pee you need to start peeing in the potty.  (Of course she understood me perfectly.) She's even pooped in the potty a couple of times. Though it's been against her will. She'll start on the potty but then start crying because it hurts and she'll want me to put a diaper on her, but I make her stay on and she goes! Saturday we went and bought her a new doll. She picked out the doll that came with her own toilet that had poop and pee in it! And we bought her some underwear! She was so happy and excited. Monday and Tuesday she went to daycare and didn't have any accidents! She even did well at her gym class!  And speaking of gym, she just continues to amaze me how quickly she picks it all up. She can nearly propel her self under and over the bar using her legs. And she gets so excited knowing that she's going to the gym. When I pick her up from daycare and ask her: where are we going today? She says: the gym? And when I say yes she just starts to laugh out loud. It's so cute. I promised her that if she went pee in the potty that she can take dance class like sister so she's been excited about that... I've also been thinking about enrolling Bea in gymnastics again (she's been dying to go and 'watch' sister.) it would be especially nice to have them in classes on the same day maybe overlapping time if not the same time... we'll see... Wish I had an unlimited amount of money to enroll the girls in all these classes that they love so much.

David's Golden Birthday/Graduation party!

I don't know why but I decided to go for a country theme. (I feel themes make it more fun.) Anyways, here are some pictures from the party. I thought I had gotten a picture of David in the lil cowboy hat I bought him, but my camera must have been dumb... because clearly I don't have one... sigh.

My make shift floral arrangement.

Mini apple pie favors!

Izak pouring shots...

The birthday boy wearing the birthday crown that Bea made him.

Beatrice moving her place setting... again!

The birthday boys/ grads!

Millie playing with her water gun.

Before the tragedy!