An Olympic Sport: Clothes Shopping with kids

I never go shopping anymore. I know my body and the stores/brands that fit-so I just order online. Who wants to try on clothes with two kids crawling on you? And my alone time or date time is so limited I don't want to spend it trying on clothes in unflattering lights worrying about whether these purchases are worth spending the limited funds we have for free spending. With that, I ordered my Easter dress online (I love a new spring dress-it's a tradition) and it is back-ordered until April 28th-which I found out today! SO, I dosed my teething/fever child with Tylenol and bribed my four year old with dinner at a fast food establishment and went shopping to one store within 5 minutes of my house. And there it was-A femine white and pink ensemble-shining like a beacon-AAAHHH! (choir with organ) I wanted to try it on because it is a junior's store (reference Annie) so we went in the dressing room. I set up the blanket with toys in front of the mirror and set to stripping. It looked cute and my four year old approved-at the top of her lungs. She was singing SOOO loud and I kept having to stop her from jumping or yelling or...acting like we were on a playground. Then while I am half dressed Gwyn crawled under the door and across the isle so fast I couldn't grab her. By the time I covered my boobs and got out she was gone! I got down on my knees and scanned...she was in another stall with another woman who was changing!!!! I knocked and the woman looked down...turned Gwyn around... and she crawled out. Good times. Then as we were checking out she started fever screaming cause she wanted the sparkly choking hazards at the register and just didn't understand why she didn't feel good. Agatha was complaining that this was just a Mommy store and where where all the clothes for her and why couldn't she get something sparkly and fancy and couldn't I just watcher do her ballet skip and...Whew-It is an Olympic sport! We did catch an Easter bunny on the way out and I had to pay for this moment cause I left home without my camera (shame on me). Gwyn was pointing and bouncing in the sling, she was so excited. She sat right down and poked and giggled at the big bunny. I think she wanted to take him home. Agatha, of course informed him that she knew he was just a person in a costume and that the REAL reason for Easter was that Jesus died on the cross and then rose from the dead and went to heaven so we could. I swear-she laid it all down-informing him that eggs and bunnies and chicks were just symbols for new life-like Spring and Jesus' new life and our new life in heaven! He just gave her a thumbs up.

Laundry, anyone?

Anyone want to come fold my 6 loads of clean laundry? I have a sick kid, learning records to write, Easter homeschooling to do, (and obviously time to waste blogging!), so this keeps getting pushed off. I think Aggie has been pulling undies out of this pile for three days! Ah, the memories I am instilling.

Easter has begun

Steve and Karen came over to watch LOST last night (frustrating episode for me-how many questions can my brain hold before it explodes?) and I was rushing around getting the last of my Easter decorations in place-3 days before Easter! The leap year and moon have made this a VERY early Easter and it won't happen again for 152 years! It definitely feels weird and rushed for a girl who loves holidays, homeschools and is married to a arts pastor. But, here we are!

Aggie had her Easter parade at preschool and we spent the whole morning doing room mom stuff at the school. She is so cute-her costume has "an egg on the front so it can hatch and a chick on the back that came out of the egg" I was informed. I love her mind.
Gwyn in teething or sick-I can't figure-but, she has had a fever for 3 days and this was her take on all the festivities.

We went to Eggstravaganza at the library with a homeschooling buddy. Aggie is so charismatic that all the librarians know her by name now! They did crafts, dyed eggs and ate cupcakes. Then Aggie read THREE readers with me while Gwyn played...and earned a reading certificate from the librarians. She was so proud and so am I-she is on the cusp of real, independent reading and we both feel the excitement!

St Pat's at the McIntyre's

We had a wonderful St. Patrick's Day with yummy Irish food (Adam made bangers and mash Sunday and I had a Ruben-cornbeef and cabbage-sandwich at Kilarney's on Monday) and lots of homeschooling about the story of St. Patrick (Agatha wrote a wonderful 3 sentence story about how he loved GOD, told people about God's love and used the shamrock to tell about God's 3 parts-I was impressed!). She finally can spell her last name on her own too-fitting with the holiday (McIntyre...Irish...just in case you didn't follow my rabbit trail). We spent the evening with the Reid family eating almost all green food, 4pt. (wieght watchers reference) cupcakes and letting the girls play. It was lovely. I am ordering Adam a kilt with the McIntyre tartan and next year he can wear it-that would make it REALLY lovely! :)

We had some homeschool friends over for graphing Lucky Charms marshmellos and it was great to see Agatha work in a group setting instead of just with me.
And went to Killarneys to see these awesome Irish dancers. Aggie of course wants to be one. I thought about it cause of the heritage point, but they announced that the costumes cost 300-5000 bucks! Shot that one down. I thought of Annie as I watched and hoped she danced a jig this holiday. We are going to see the Osbornes and Risingers next week! Ahhh...vacation. If Adam and I can just get there with all we have to do before Easter!

I love St Patrick's Day

I am so glad I married an Irishman cause now I can more justly claim St. Patrick's day. I even want to get Adam a kilt! I decorate with shamrocks everywhere (Aggie can recite the St. Patrick Shamrock metaphor of one God with three parts...and does so everywhere with anyone!), have children's books galore, do homeschool with Lucky Charms and know all the lore. I am kind of a holiday nut! If you want a email list of some fun kids activities-let me know and I will forward my composition for my homeschool families. But if you live in Riverside come on down to Kilarney's. Adam I went there for great date night tonight (both girls went successfully to my Mom's abode for the first time!). It was so fun and festive and they are having a Irish festival all day on Monday. It starts at 11 with Irish dancers and goes into the night. I hope to see you there...here is the poster.

Adam and I had so much fun giggling and flirting across the table. I love that we can still do that. Isn't he cute? I felt like we were young and free again-for three hours at least!

Time spent with old friends

My lovely Emily came to town. The kids are all growing so fast-look at Allison in the swing, and that is Gwyneth in the back with Stacey. I miss when I sat with the girls at the park every Wednesday morning chatting and breaking up fights or crying fits between the kids-I mean watching them play serenely on the playground. It was a delightful day...even though I was avoiding the house cause Adam had the flu and I was making him hold up in the front room, run the house-fan for fresh air and Lysol everything. The kids and I are on airborne-cause we have not had the flu this season and I INTEND to keep it that way. We'll see.

Shoutout to Grove Homeschool Group

Does anyone remember Kryn Burton? I love her. She influenced me so much in my femininity and mothering when she lived her. I miss her. But, I always thought she lived on the edge of normalcy. Now I realize I do too. When did that happen. I always feel normal-but I don't think I am when I try to look at me from the outside. Weird?

Anyway-I am realizing that homeschooling is on the edge of normalcy. I am watching all of my friends send their kindergartners off to public school and I am not. Who will she play with when they are at school all day? Other homeschoolers. Where do I find them? At the Grove Homeschool group! I love them. We went to the Riverside Philharmonic with them, we had a Valentine Day party with them and we went to Living Desert this Monday.

We saw a Cheetah out and about, giraffes, zebra, ostriches...we are doing a report on Meerkats...and a butterfly landed on Aggie! But best of all are the wonderful friendships we are forming. And we can all hang out on the edge of normalcy together!

where have I been?

I have this little saying that I say when I sit down at my computer- "I need to make money before I spend it"...so I seem to have work stuff to do rather than blogging...esp. because my time is more and more limited with my 9 1/2 month old who hates it when I stare at the screen instead of her and who is also sleeping less and less nowadays. Ahh...being a working mom! So I have to catch up with all I missed! Here is a pic post (that took me over 48 hours!!! see what I mean?) about the last month of my life. Then I can post meaty things again...

Gwyn loves the sandbox-don't worry we have a CatScram to keep out the cats...but I think she eats more than she digs.

Agatha and I have taken to tea for Snacktime. It is so fun.

We went to Disneyland with the Foors. They are so easy to be with. I love them!

We are getting involved in the Grove Homeschool Group. What a wonderful group of women and kids! Aggie and I have made new friends and connected with old ones. I am so excited to connect with families that will be around when our other friends go off to school all day.

I made name cookies for the preschool class party. Not exactly sugar free (nice job with the rules Room Mom)-but I felt like SuperMom in my daughter's eyes.

Adam and I ran together in a 5K. Not an impressive time-35:10-but we ran with no real stops. I loved running beside my hubby!

And we ran a 1K with Aggie. She was amazing and I think sucked up the time with just Mom and Dad. Gammy was with Gwyn-thanks Mom!

My mom got her own place. I miss having her around daily and so do my girls. It is a great next stage for all of us, but we are all excited when she drops by to borrow the clothesline.

We met Baby Audrey Rodriguez. A little ball of blessing. They are quite a beautiful, new little family and making great, concious parenting decisions!

Mike helped me get Adam into a sling. Gwyn loves them and though he uses other baby wearing carriers well, he neverfelt comfy in these. Yay!!! Isn;t he a cute Daddy?

We have been outdoors with the beautiful weather, hanging clothes and swinging. Gwyn has gotten so she expects it...pointing and grunting if it does not come!

Date night with just Agatha! It was amazingly easy with just a 4 1/2 old! Whew-life is different with two and a baby. I felt like I was missing an arm half the night! (And I carried a purse instead of a diaper bag!)

We attended a ChuckECheese party! That place overwhelms me-and my quiet little Gwyn. She lost it at one point and would not come out of the sling. Aggie (the extrovert) had a blast, but did comment that it was loud. We have such a quiet life.

All in all, life has found a bigger kid rhythm. The girls are playing together a bit more. Gwyn is crawling up on things and standing. She wants to walk with our hands everywhere. She is showing interest in the potty so we are experiementing-with great success. I think her love language is Words of Praise-cause she will pee and/or poop everytime for a clap and a YEY!...She has pooped almost everyday for a couple weeks! We are getting out more and getting more schoolwork done. Agatha is maturing so much I see the changes daily. Kids are so beautiful. I love being a Mommy. God gave me the most precious girls. They make me smile.