Pure Chaos!

Sorry everyone! I know I have been completely out of touch lately. I have taken on so much work (way more than a full time job). I think I need to slow down a little now before I run myself into the ground. If you have e-mailed me, and I haven't responded yet, please be patient. I will get to you soon. I promise!

A Lesson in Love

I have two wonderful kids that I love very much. Sometimes they do things that they shouldn't (ex. color on themselves, hit each other, etc). I have spent time telling them that just because they do those things (and that makes me angry), I stop loving them. So, when they are in time out, they can understand that they are there not because I hate them, but because they did something that they shouldn't (and I love them the same). It is a hard concept to teach. They are still so young and automatically think that my disappointment in what they chose to do is linked to how much I love them.

So, we were leaving Grandma Leslie's house. It was late, I had just had a really long day at the hospital (and a long week in general). I told Jaden to get in the car, in her seat, and buckled in. After I got to the 10th time telling her the same thing without her moving (or what seemed like the 10th time), I said, "Jaden, get buckled right now!" She started to cry and began buckling herself. When she was done, she said, "Mommy?" I replied, "Yes, what is it?" To which she replied, "I still love you!" OK. Maybe they are getting it.

Yes, It's spring, and Yes, that is snow (the Texas kind)

What's wrong with this picture?

I have this conversation with Morgan for what seems like every day, but this continues to happen. Marker is for PAPER, not skin, walls, carpet, etc!!! And, inevitably, she marks on herself AFTER her bath!!!

Baby Photography

I wish I could show off the photos of the cute babies that I take. Unfortunately, they are under lock and key. There are some really precious ones. I feel very blessed to have my mom (and sometimes the girls' cousins) available to help watch the girls while I work. I have picked up some extra days, and have been working hard. Now, I am training a new photographer, and that may be my new position. The company has gone through a transition that caused some people to be let go and others to quit. That has led to massive hiring streaks, and a need for trainers. Oh, yeah, so if you need a job...

Little hands planting squash

I dug up the ground in the garden patch we have on the side of the back yard. Jaden & Morgan took turns putting the seeds in the ground & covering them up with dirt. Then, Jaden poured the water on top. It rained right after that, so I guess they got plenty of water. We'll see how the squash do in a few months.

Pouring exercise~ Montessori

Morgan has become independent lately. She woke up this morning saying she wanted a drink, but she wanted to pour it. I put the juice into a cup for her to pour into her own cup (instead of her pouring from a full bottle)... Well, she filled her cup with juice without spilling... Except, she didn't stop pouring once the cup was full!!!!! Juice went every where, and Morgan was upset because she thought she was doing a good job. I decided that she needed to get some practice with other things that won't be so hard to clean up. I made a tray of baby lima beans for Jaden & Morgan. Then, I gave them a couple of things to use: cups, liquid measuring cup (the one that has a spout), and funnels. They loved it!! This is actually a Montessori exercise (yes, I took classes to become a Montessori preschool teacher). When they get good at the beans, you can move to rice, sand, and water.

Andrea, the hairdresser

The girls got to spend about 3 1/2 hours with Andrea today. They had so much fun. When I met up with them after work, they had both gotten their hair done :0) Colorful barrettes and pony tails! I just love Morgan's hair like that!

I love it when they play together without fighting!!!

It isn't very often that they play together so nicely. Sometimes they start out playing nicely, but they wind up fighting a few minutes (or seconds) later. They played with the kitchen yesterday. This really made me smile because Morgan thought Jaden was so funny. She laughed so hard that she got the hiccups. I wish I could have more moments like these in my day!

Ask, Try, and don't be scared

“If you don't go after what you want, you'll never have it. If you don't ask, the answer is always no. If you don't step forward, you're always in the same place.”
—Nora Roberts (b. 1950), fiction author

Believe It Or Not

I am going to start this post with 2 bits of Believe It or Not info, and then, I will tell you about the pictures. This afternoon, Jaden said, "Mommy, two of my teeth hurt." I asked her which ones hurt and why. She showed me her bottom two teeth & WIGGLED them back and forth!!!! I thought kids were 5 or 6 when they lost their first teeth... But, then, again, Jaden did have ALL of her teeth by the time she was 6 months (so maybe they have been in as long as they are supposed to be). That means Morgan probably won't lose hers until she's 6 because hers came in late.

The second believe it or not moment happened this evening. We were getting some groceries, and I was loading Morgan into the car after the shopping trip. Morgan looking up at a sign and said, "Look, Mommy, a heck-a-gon!" I looked up to see a hexagon. Hmmmm... creepy. She is only 2, but she amazes me every day.

Now, I have been working on getting a couple of the rooms organized. The old toy room is now the master bedroom. I am still working on the girls' room. They were sleeping in a queen bed together (which I now have in the old toy room). Now, Morgan is in the Dora toddler bed that Jaden used to use, and Jaden is back to the twin bed that she used to use a year ago. They are still in the same room together, but much less likely to injure each other with their erratic sleeping habits.

If you decide to fly a kite, watch out for your sister

Morgan got tangled in the kite's tail

Making Brownies

Money Saving Tip #13~ Buy a warranty/service plan

Sometimes it seems that warranties cost too much to be beneficial, but it really depends on the product you are buying. For instance, anything that my girls will be using, I would like to get a damage guarantee. That way if they damage it, I can get it fixed or replaced as needed. Also, items like computers, large tvs, other big electronic items, appliances, etc deserve a warranty. Of course, check out the warranty that you are purchasing in depth to make sure you are fully covered for everything that you want to be covered for. If you shop at some of the same stores for certain items, you will already know their warranty info. A good place to shop for all of those items that I mentioned is Best Buy. They have a no lemon guarantee. We purchased a 52" HDTV in September 2005. In February of this year, it started smoking. We called the Geek Squad to come out and look at it. They said that they would have to order a part, but that RCA was very bad about sending parts in a timely manner. The repairman said that if we did not get our part within 15 days, we should call them back and use the no lemon guarantee. The part was on backorder with no ETA> I called at the 15 day mark. They processed the no lemon claim, and now we can go to the store and pick up our brand new replacement TV!! This is almost 4 years after purchasing our original TV. A new similar TV would have cost us $1,500!! For more info on Best Buy's guarantee:

http://www.geeksquad.com/services/content.aspx?id=2005&menu_id=495

Playing on the porch

It rained the on the whole drive to Grandma Frances' house (5 hours away). The next day, the girls wanted to play outside, but it was cold & muddy. I let them get their winter coats on, and then, told them they could only play on the cement part. They had fun anyway.

Playing with Grandma Frances

We spent the weekend with Grandma Frances. We all had a great time. Jaden and Morgan just love Grandma Frances' reaction to their teasing. This time, they decided that they would trick her by asking her which hand a ticket was in, and then, switch hands, so that she always picked the wrong one. She playing along, and got them both laughing.
Grandpa Bonnie and Uncle Damon came by for a little while, too. They brought a bike for Morgan (last year's Christmas present). When we get it put together, I will post that later.

Being Silly

Jaden decided that this "hair" (that I used when I made custom dolls) matched daddy, and since he doesn't have any hair... She wanted him to wear it. She thought it was so funny, and LeCount humored her for about 30 seconds before he took it off.

I have been reorganizing the house, and I have containers everywhere. Jaden decided that she could fit in one, and she said she was taking a bath. Morgan found this headband that had been packed away in a box. Now she is a "printheth" (princess).

Cute Bulletin Boards

Grandma Leslie made these for the girls to put in their room. I hung them up, and then, the girls chose which pictures they wanted to put on their cork boards (from the stack that I had on hand). Jaden's is the red & Morgan's is the black. They look perfect in the room, and I think they turned out sooooo cute!

It is DEFINITELY still winter!!! Brrrrrrr!!!

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Tuesday was pleasantly mild. As you can see by the dresses that the girls were wearing (we are so lucky to have a grandmother who buys them such pretty, matching outfits!). Wednesday, however, was nasty! It was only 40 degrees, but it was raining & windy. That combination made me feel like I was freezing. It is still raining off and on today, and even colder. That' what I get for saying it feels like spring... Well, it still feels like TEXAS!!
Yesterday was Morgan's first official day in the dance class. She was so excited to be a part of it... While it looks like Jaden is over it. I wonder how it would go if Morgan did the dancing & Jaden watched from the sidelines? She really doesn't seem interested in it any more, but I think it would upset her if Morgan continued and she stopped. Hmmmmmm... Watch the video & see her reaction. Tell me what you think.

Jaden does this one OK (they do this at the beginning of class)


This is a new dance that she is teaching them, but Jaden doesn't seem interested to me. Of course, Morgan isn't doing all of the moves nor is she paying attention to all of it... But, she is two, so I don't really expect her to.

Another good book by Jodi Picoult

I just finished this book last night, and it was quite good. I guess I am getting used to Jodi's style of writing because I wasn't as disturbed with the deaths and circumstances as I had been in her other books. The truth is her books, though fiction, teach you something new each time. Each book has it's own "teaching" focus, and you learn about it as part of reading a good story. For example, in this book, I learned about Alaska, Yup'ik culture, and comic books. The story really wasn't about any of the subjects, those were just things that I learned along the way while reading the story.
Now, I have decided to read her newest release: Handle With Care. I am sure it will be just as interesting. Like I had said before though, her books aren't for everyone.

Are you sure it's not Spring yet?

What beautiful weather! The girls went outside to pick "flowers" for Daddy, while they waited for him to get home from work. Grandma took care of them today while I did an audit, but she came to our home (since the job was closer to us). She took them on a walk, and they even went in the backyard to play. I swear it is Spring!