November 14th and 15th Thankfulness

Saturday November 14th I was thankful for the first snow.

The girlies were so excited for the 1/2 inch that fell, that they played out in it for about 13 minutes before wanting hot chocolate.

They worked and worked to gather enough snow to make this piddly snow lady. I don't know what Mads is pointing at.

It snowed all day Saturday too, and on Sunday, they played for a full hour and a half in it! (which brings me to Sunday's thankful post) Those girls were POPSICLES when they came in, but they had so much fun while they were out. Maddy's gloves were so wet she actually rung them out before hanging them up to dry.

Sunday November 15th I am thankful for the hour and a half I had of "alone time" to:

clean the kitchen, do the dishes, wipe the counters, scrub the sink, sweep the floor, tidy the living room, vacuum the living room/hall/bedroom, shower, put on make-up, do my hair and read a magazine (catalog), all without any "helpers". I am very grateful for my babies, but to do all of that ALONE was heavenly bliss! I tell Max all the time, that if I were alone all day the house would GET spotless and STAY spotless. What a boring day that would be.

The end.

Reunited......

Now all she has to do is put away all the stuff in the bags.



Heaven help us.

The END

What a STAR....

Elasta Girl is my favorite child.

Mr Smith took his little sister, Meghan, and Elasta Girl camping over the weekend. Before he left, he gave me the plague. I still have it, and this morning I was not looking or sounding that spectacular. Elasta Girl woke up, got her self ready for school, made her lunch and got her and Roo some breakfast. All while I was sleeping. I woke up during the breakfast eating time and was so excited for myself.




(a self portrait)

Then, she finished getting her self ready for school, tidied up her room and made her bed. And after that.....here comes the best part....she started cleaning up the house. She put all her stuff away first, then she picked up their breakfast dishes and LOADED THEM IN THE DISHWASHER! Elasta Girl is my favorite child. She folded blankets, straightened her bathroom, cleaned off the coffee table and put away the clean dishes that I had hand washed last night. Elasta Girl is my favorite child. I asked her why she was doing all this cleaning, she just said "because I want to, you don't feel good and I wanted to help"

YUP, favorite child indeed.

(another self portrait)

That other child has yet to earn her stuff back.

Meanest Mom of the YEAR...

This is not the face we saw last night. Last night, THIS face was nowhere to be seen. Last night, my patience was gone. Last night, I had threatened and bribed and begged for the last time. Last night, all of Roo's things got thrown into a garbage bag (two actually) and taken away. Last night, I was fed up, it was time to take action. And I did.

Roo won't clean her room. EVER. Sometimes when she feels like it she will, but she doesn't feel like it very much. Pretty much NEVER. I had told her for about 4 days (all day long) to clean it or I was going to take her stuff away. She didn't. I warned her last night, that after dinner I was going to take her stuff. She still wouldn't clean it. So I did.

The first to go was her blanket. In to the bag it went. That made her MAD. Her blanket is one of her 2 most favorite things. In fact, this is a common picture of her in the morning. All wrapped up and snuggley in her blanket. Not anymore. It's in the bag. Now she's cold.



Her other most favorite things is her "RUFF RUFF" . Yup, It's in the bag too. But only because she hit me with it after I took her blanket.

Her things are in my closet now where Mr Smith keeps stubbing his toe on them. I don't know when she'll get time back. I win the prize of the Meanest Mom.

So, All of you that thinks I as the best mom EVER. This blog's for you.

I almost forgot, as Mr Smith and I were leaving her room, Roo screamed at the top of her tearful, sobbing lungs "I HATE MY MOM AND DAD". Mr Smith turned and said to me: "well, at least you were first".

soon...very soon

I'm swamped. I brought it upon myself, but it still doesn't change anything. Spring Break starts tomorrow and Elasta Girl has booked me for 2 of the three days that school is out.

Her BFF Bailey is coming over to play all day tomorrow. We love her and am soooo happy she is coming, but since I am going to be home I invited my friend Jeanne to come over. We are going to cut and color her head and I am going to see her sweet baby girl, who I have never seen in real life and, is nearly 2. But that bring us to my - making a mad dash to clean my house, No I mean REALLY clean it. I can surface clean with the best of them, but as for deep down good smelling, dust the light fixtures clean, I'm lost. So today I am trying my best. Her house is ALWAYS deep down clean, and she has never seen mine so I have to have every nook and cranny sparkly. I might not though, since I am finishing a HAPPY book my Heidi mother-in-law gave me and it is much more interesting than cleaning crannies.

On Friday Elasta Girl and I are going on a date. We decided, after a retarded tonsil nurse called her a boy, that it was time to get her ears pierced. So on Friday we are doing that, and also we are going to a movie just us. Roo is going to play with my Mom, who will probably have to tell many stories to her.

That leaves Thursday. Thursday I am going to my Little Jessica friends house so Elasta Girl and Roo can play with her chillins'. But really we are mostly going so we can play, and her and I can trade hair doing. I have nearly taken the scissors to my own head a couple of times these past weeks. Plus, I believe Shan is coming and Shan is very exciting. You can visit all these peoples blogs if you just click on their names on the right side of my page. I recommend it. I have some good and funny friends.

I'm swamped. I have oodles of pictures to blog about and will so soon. Mr Smith is going fishing far away for the weekend so maybe then. Tootles.

a weekend in the life...

Saturday morning was very successful. The girls washed the bathroom. With involves them changing in to matching "work" outfits. They got the tub wet, poured COMET in it and scrubbed with sponges - on their feet. Their method takes a REALLY long time. But since I don't have to do it it is sooooo worth it. Plus, it is something they love, and can do together - with out arguing. EVEN BETTER.

Elasta Girl washing off her legs. She really gets into her work.

While the girls were on bathroom duty, Mr Smith and I were making mischief in Roos room. NOT THAT KIND!

We were taking down Roo's toddler bed and bring up her "big girl" bed. Which looks similar to a twin mattress and box spring on the floor.




Her first reaction to her new bed - after the camera was ready.

Her second reaction, Which involved JUMPING like crazy. She was super excited. If we could all be as happy with something as simply (or lame) as a mattress on the floor.

I asked her the next morning, if she fell out of the bed in the night and she said: "yeah, it was funny".

After our inside jobs were finished, we headed outside to finally take down the Christmas lights. Saturday was so warm and sunshiney that we didn't even wear jackets. Mr. Smith worked in the garden for a bit and the girls road their scooters. Elasta Girl had a spill and skinned her knee. Which was about the end of the world for her, until we distracted her with the job of holding the Ziploc bag of Christmas light hangers. Crafty, aren't we?

We had lunch and then Mr Smith took the girls and his sis Meghan fishing. I didn't go with. Yippy. And since this is my blog, that is all I'll say about the TRAUMA of me not going with.

I ran errand instead. Alone time, all by myself. It was glorious.

Sunday, the girls and I went to church. After that we went to Mr Smith's parents house to visit the Grandpa who had back surgery on Friday. He is doing rather well. Somehow, we got conned into staying for dinner. It was delicious. And somehow, Meghan got tricked into face painting.

Now it's Monday and Mr Smith is gone working far far away for the whole week. And that's lonely.

THE END

a good night...

Mr. Smiths little sister Megs called yesterday afternoon to see if she could come down to visit. We were all home and doing nothing so I said "SURE, come over right now". Elasta Girl had (and still has) some strange illness that is making her tummy feel yuck, so we were taking it easy at home yesterday. Mr Smith has had a few days off work so he was home too.

She came down and we visited some and then ate a yummy dinner of elk steak, roasted potatoes with fresh rosemary (uncovered from the snow in our herb garden) a green salad (Mr Smiths favorite) and cheesecake bars for dessert. Everything was delicious.

After dinner we visited more and had a photo session. Here are some of the silly pictures.

Elasta Girl may need a new elfish name.

She is scaring me in this picture.

This is the cheerleader Megs drew on the micro Etcha-sketch.

After the photos we played a few games of Apples to Apples which Mr. Smith won. Then, the girls went to bed and the grown-ups watched a movie.

It was such a good night but I did stay up WAY to late. I'm so very glad Megs came down and I hope she got home safely.

One more thing, before she called, Mr Smith and I cleaned the house. He vacuumed and swept and mopped the foyer and the kitchen. It was so nice and done so quickly. I was shocked, confused, ecstatic and flabbergasted all at the same time. It was the best day ever, except for the Elasta Girl being sick part.