Breakfast

I had run on base to go hit the sale on DVDs but failed to notice that the BX doesn't open until 10 am not 8 am....so I went into the coffee shop to get Dan his latte as well as my kids a donut. I came home to Dan sleeping on the couch and Madison and Hannah taking care of Isabella upstairs (just how I had left it). She is so happy when her sisters play with her. She just lays there and smiles kicking her legs and flapping her arms....the cutest thing! Anyway...so we're sitting down at the table enjoying our snacks when somehow Hannah starts talking about how daddy is not a girl. I made the comment that was a good thing or that would be weird and sick. Hannah then says, "But if he had long hair he would be a girl."

"And had a penis." (Madison)

"It's called a willy." (Hannah)

"What happened to calling it a hose?" (me)

"So it's a Little willy hose." (Hannah)

Dan just loves our open conversations on body parts.....especially ones pertaining to him.

Taking time

This morning after Hannah came in to say good morning to me, I asked her if she wanted to come into bed and cuddle. She hopped right in. We use to cuddle all the time but since I was about 8 months pregnant and then after the baby was born we haven't. It was so nice to just take time to do that. I find I get so busy in life and I forget the little things that my girls like. To me they seem so much older than what they are and when I was cuddling with Hannah, I remember she was my little 4 year old.

Then later on I cuddled and fell asleep with Isabella. She loves cuddling just almost as much I do with my girls.

Madison received an award at school today....a Leading Learner award for always trying her best and doing an outstanding job on her presentation. Seriously....they do presentations in her year....I had no idea!

War wounds and Thanksgiving

Today was an insane day. Dan and I went to Cambridge and headed out of Cambridge at 2:15 and it took FOREVER to get back. It always does when you need to get somewhere. The girls needed to be picked up and we were picking up some friends as well so I was stressing like the whole ride back and Dan was trying to distract me with his AWFUL singing or random comments. I was like AGGGHHHHHHH! Anyway...we made it to the school 5 minutes late and the girls were waiting all so patiently inside with a friends mom. So we're walking toward the car and Madison and one of the others we were taking home were running having a good time then all of a sudden Madison comes crying with blood dripping down her mouth. She's bawling and I can't understand what happened. Then I see the other girl crying and blood on her face and I'm thinking....holy cow what happened!!!??? The girls were running and there was a bench in the middle of the walk way so they went to the side and hit the bushes is what I gathered. I felt so bad having these two girls crying and there was really nothing I could do but just hugs until we got home and could clean them up. Dan told them to tell them that they were attacked by a 800 lb grizzly bear and that they were the only two brave ones to fight him off to let all the other students pass. It got the girls to stop crying and was hilarious.

It looks a ton better now and doesn't look as bad as it did or in this picture. So Madison and her friend now have matching battle wounds. The story they can tell tomorrow at school....

So after we had cleaned up wounds, friends were picked up and mashed potatoes done, we headed over to the Murphy's for a Thanksgiving feast. We were a little late but the food was still super tasty and the conversations interesting. Dan always tells some random, weird story I sometimes think...why is he telling this??!!!! So after conversations of a friends "shim" experience and Dan wearing tights in high school....we came home with full bellies. Thanks again Ryann....your Thanksgiving dinners are always fantastic!

We got home, got ready for bed and Hannah of course wanted a picture of herself in this post so here it is:

My kids were being silly. It was a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner...although I must admit, it doesn't really feel like Thanksgiving since the girls are in school. I could take them out but then Dan and I wouldn't have our time and I'm selfish like that. It really doesn't bother me....Thanksgiving really isn't all that important to me. I am thankful for so much and especially for my husband and 3 adorable girls but really, I don't need a day of over eating to remember those things that are important to me. And I love how Dan feels the same exact way....we're cool with eating pizza for Thanksgiving dinner and not having pumpkin pie (we did have a super delicious homemade pumpkin pie tonight though as well as other tasty things). So I am also thankful for a friend who makes all those traditional Thanksgiving things so we can at least tell family, yes, we did eat a turkey and yes, we did have pumpkin pie unlike some years. But more importantly I enjoyed just spending time with my little family and friends since our extended family isn't here.

Happy Thanksgiving all!

Is she asleep?

We were driving home from school today and after our typical conversations of me asking how their day went, I asked Madison if Isabella was asleep.

"I don't really know mum."

"Well are her eyes closed?"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean she's asleep. Look, my eyes (she shuts her eyes and I can see her through the rear view mirror) are closed and I'm awake. And I can even have my eyes opened and be asleep (she starts snoring).

"Thanks smarty butt."

Hannah laughs, "HAHA, mum called you a smarty butt!"

I'm blessed

I have such a beautiful family...what more could I ask for.

We watched Star Trek last night...Madison was all over it.

A Bobbie night out

Last night...well afternoon, I left on a bus to go down to London to see Wicked. Dan stayed home with the kids and I tagged along with Ryann and her husband. It was nice to get out. Dan had no interest in seeing it so he was okay with taking on roll as "mom" even though I heard he told a friend he doesn't do diapers (he so does) and did a fabulous job. I LOVED it! I do have to say though I was a little disappointed with the ending. It was great with the story of how it ended...but it was just that the last scene before the intermission was so grand with the lighting and song and all I guess I was expecting something along those lines. I also wasn't too crazy about the bus ride in actual London...I think it took longer to drive in London than get down to London. It was nice though to see the actual city and to be dropped off right in front of the theater but I get so antsy after awhile when I'm in a car...I had no idea where or what part of London we were in, I didn't have Ms. Garmin telling me how much further, I felt like a little kid again thinking...ARE WE THERE YET! In the underground...I can see where and what stop we're on and count down....so not that way in the bus. They should so invest in those little TV screens they have in airplanes with the plane showing you your exact location and your point of destination. I also was so confused when we were in what I will call the "middle eastern district" when I looked at some guy setting up his restaurant and I seriously thought he had a bong! I was like Oh My Gosh! So I came home and asked Dan about it since I'm so naive about some things and he told me that's big in the middle east but they use it for tobacco. Then I thought of all the people smoking out of it while driving back....they were seriously block full of people smoking out of them and I was like ewwwww....it's like a communal cigarette....why would you smoke out of it when you have no clue who has had it before? It was also hilarious hearing the couple behind me who it was obviously their first time in London with there "New York Jewish accent" comment on "Look at how small those building are!" "Look at those double decker buses!" I swear I was sitting in front of Jerry Seinfield's mom. So funny. I totally was ease dropping.

So we got there, had a great dinner at Giraffes after passing the Indian food place with sketchy people and the sandwich shop, and had some super tasty food at a very reasonable price.... SCORE! Good food at a reasonable price in England...that in itself is amazing! We walked back down to the theater and found our reasonable seats and I even managed to figure out how to use the dispenser with the binoculars. I so felt like I was sitting by my mom...a lady I know from our ward who's really nice saw me grab the binoculars and instantly offered me a wipe. I have them in my baby bag and usually when I with my kids....I didn't have a purse or anything and then she whips one out...it so reminded me of my mom's preparedness to fight all the germs in the world.

I came home to a husband who was asleep on the sofa with an Isabella on his chest asleep too. It was too cute. He woke up and had a great time with the girls and Isabella was great for him...I was a little concerned since she is fighting a little cold and is miserable. Madison told me when she woke up the next morning..."Yeah, Dad let me stay up until 9:30 so I could take care of Isabella." That girl seriously loves her baby sister. I do also have to mention, man I'm getting old. I got home a little after 1 am and was pooped. I remember staying out past that and now I'm like, it's 10:00...I need to get home to get to bed. It was fun to have a late "grown up" night out but oh my gosh...it KILLS me the next morning! Luckily I have a husband who had the day off and I was able to stay in bed until 10:30 am (after I had gotten up to get the girls ready for school) but I'm so not complaining...it was heaven.

I can't wait until my girls are a little older so I can take them to these musicals...they would LOVE them!

Tuedays

Here are some pictures of the Bellies....Madison propped her up on the couch and she was just loving life sitting like that. So cute! She was watching a little TV. Tuesdays always seem so crazy. I have to do grocery shopping and then I pick up the kids and then it's swimming and then we get home and it's din din time. Tonight we had tacos even though I was so not in the mood to cook anything. I debated the McDonald's thing but it was a little after 5 so I knew the drive thru would be packed. I was given a load of different drugs to take and it's draining my sinuses and I feel worse! I'm hoping tomorrow is better. I'm off to London on Thursday to see Wicked. I don't want to have this lingering cough....so annoying. I know...it seems as though I'm complaining a lot about it but seriously I never get sick (besides this last pregnancy). Well girls are in bed, Isabella seems as though she's ready to go to sleep so I'm going to go take my super drowsy medicine and hope she sleeps 6 hours straight like two nights ago....she'll probably be up every 3 hours but I can still hope! And yay! It's Dan's last night working (well on his 4 day shift) so tomorrow he'll take a nap and then I'll have a husband around again!

I also had to run to the shoppette on base since I noticed the batteries in Isabella's swing were dying and I couldn't find the plug. So I go in there and get like 12 D batteries. The young guy looks at me who's working the cash register and says, "That's a lot of batteries you got there."

"Yes, it is." ( I so wanted to say Captain Obvious but I didn't)

"Can I ask what they are all for?"

"Her swing. You will know that it is a necessary thing when you have children some day."

"Got it."

And I forgot to mention that during dinner Madison was so excited we were having hard shell tacos. So then she looks at me and mentions how she wishes we had bean burritos too and how it had been ages since we last had them.

"Mom! I was like 5 since we last had them!" (She just turned 6 like 3 months ago.)

"And that was like so long ago huh, Madison."

Oh how I hate you right now Upwood

So this morning I get up before 7 am (it helps when you have a baby alarm that cries and you have no other choice but to get up) and I am ready to finally go and see the doctor for this cold thing that has been lurking for the past 2 weeks. It helps also when I have Isabella with nasty goop in her eye to encourage me to go in to the dreaded clinic since I am afraid it might be conjunctivitis. So I call at 7 am since that's when they open the appointment lines and what do I get, the lady recording telling me the hours and how I should call emergency if I feel it's an emergency. I keep calling hoping that they are just not being on time and I can get an appointment for at least my baby. No such luck and it's 9:00 am. I'm mad...I try to go online and book it and it says I'm not putting a correct birthday. So there goes that idea. So finally I try again and I get a real person after many rings. Too bad there aren't any appointments for children under 6 and then when I say I want one, she says she will only give me a phone consult since it sounds as though I have the flu. Seriously!!!??? I have been sick for 2 weeks and I haven't been sick enough to see a doctor and they don't want me in if I have the flu in case I infect those around all according to the lady who is getting paid to answer the phone she never really answers, with no medical degree to tell me I can't see the doctor since she has diagnosed me with the flu at that moment with her expertise. So after a headache of trying to get through to the appointment lady, I now have 2 phone consults. I could be dying of pneumonia and they wouldn't know since she won't book me an appointment. Right now I'm not loving the Upwood clinic. And I hate their phone....seriously that phone line NEVER works! If they insist on having only one phone line....they really should fix it so it works all the time.

And this is why I pay someone

The other night, okay so really it was like a week ago...I did something that should have showed my husband I truly do love him. So he has the lovely blue digital uniform...I think it's kind of funny...what are they expecting them to do....camo in the ocean? Anyway...so he received all his badge things to put on except his flight observer wings. So I took them in anyway and had them all sewn on because I don't do that. So the observer wings come and he's working the next day so he kindly asks if I can just sew them on. I agree and then come to find out the foot on my sewing machine is missing. My extra one is missing as well. So being the loving wife I am (at least at that moment) I say I can just do it by hand. I know what these wings mean to him. They mean a week of starvation, freezing and crazy stuff while being "captured" while doing his SERE training as well as crazy late night flights. So I begin and I am pricking my finger like crazy since the fabric is so thick with the patch. Then I keep having to undue the dumb thing since it's not perfectly centered and I'm just getting frustrated and yelling at the uniform. It took me forever to sew on this tiny patch. I was mad and grumpy and after hours of doing it, I finally got the thing right. I decided then I was not even going to attempt the other one. So I took it in the next morning. Well worth the £2.75....

I am so glad my girls aren't in girl scouts (crossing my fingers at least...Madison keeps mentioning she wants to join) I hate badges! Well at least the sewing them on part.

Happy Birthday!

It was my birthday today...(really yesterday since this posted on the 15th) and I had a fabulous day minus the cold part that has been lingering in my body for the past week and a half. Dan and the girls gave me my presents, I had a delicious cake and we had plans to go out to dinner but I wasn't feeling all to great so we passed and had take away. Friday night Dan and I were able to sneak away to a movie thanks to Ryann who volunteered to watch ALL my kids. It was so nice to be alone. One of my most memorable things that happened on my special day was mine and Madison's conversation.

"So mom, do you feel 28?"

"I really can't tell a difference."

"That's okay...when I turned 6, I was like I still feel like I'm 5! Sometimes it take awhile."

My oh so knowledgeable daughter at the age of 6.

What we do when we are bored...

Sometimes I find it tough

The whole "watch" thing. It's long hours and we hardly see Dan and I'm exhausted taking care of a new baby all alone as well as running 2 other kids around and doing my errands...but then today I realize again how much I enjoy it and the 4 days of not seeing him get out weighed by the 4 days off. Dan and I get to go out to the towne center and hang out at the coffee shop, we get our favorite tomato and cheese panini, sip our warm drinks, Isabella is asleep in her buggy and it's so nice just sitting there by the window talking, laughing about silly things, holding hands across the table. We walk on down to the tanning salon and get our artificial sun and go into a few of the stores, hit the chocolate store to get just one of their scrumptious chocolates and then we head home. It makes me day! I'm looking forward to going to Cambridge tomorrow with him and just holding his hand.....even if it's raining and cold...that's what jackets, hats, scarfs and rain covers are for right?

Girls doing what they do

We aren't TV people and the girls are usually outside until we are dragging them inside. Since fall back...it gets dark around 5 so we're inside. They've been doing these nightly shows now. They crack me up! I can hardly keep the camera still...hence the shaky times. Madison's commentary cracks me up.

Caught it!

Hannah with her pink mustache.

I love this picture. That's pretty much Isabella's reaction whenever she sees her Madison.

Isabella smiling at her Madison.

Still making her laugh.

Isabella and her somewhat smile

Honesty from a little girl

Madison this morning woke up all bright and cheery (she usually does...she so gets that from her dad) and is a great help with Isabella. I change her diaper and then Madison puts on the clean one and is snapping her pjs back on. I go downstairs to put her and her sister's cardigan in the dryer and she's walking down the stairs as I'm passing the stairs. She looks at me and says, "Geesh mom! You don't look very good or pretty with those BIG, DARK circles under your eyes. It makes you look kind of bad."

"Thanks Madison...I am sick and did have a fever last night."

"Well I'm just telling you. You don't look very pretty and usually you look a lot better."

"Thanks again. I'm going to go in the other room now."

She then proceeds to tell me that maybe I should just try and wash my face. Seriously! Another reasons why moms just can't get sick.

Oh how they make me laugh...

Today while driving home from church, Madison asked me why my friend was always driving a car since she gets so car sick. "It just doesn't make any sense mum!" She still is a little confused about the whole thing.

Then at church, a little boy who is in Hannah's class at school came over to her and gave her a big hug. Hannah turns and says to me, "Whoa...he was excited to see me. He needs to relax a little bit." Seriously....did my 4 year old just say that????!!!

Isabella loves Lady Gaga and La Roux....or it bores her to sleep. I don't know but that seems to calm her down. Madison was 50 cent....Hannah was Justin....my kids and their musical tastes.

Yuck!

That sums how I feel pretty much. This past week we've been dealing with colds here in the house. First Madison and then Hannah. Thursday I woke up with a sore throat, Friday I was coughing and feeling miserable but I thought the miserable part had to do with the lack of sleep. Isabella has been thinking she needs to get up about every hour for the past few nights so I was just a zombie by Friday. I had visited someone in the morning, came home, ran to the store, picked up my house before the cleaners came (yes, I clean before the cleaners come. It makes no sense to Dan but it does to me) picked up the girls from school, made some dinner and then it hit me. I was freezing cold. I had the fire place going and had the girls all come in the lounge and we read books while I sat by the fire trying to get warm but couldn't. I put the girls to bed and then came back down with Isabella and curled up in my seat by the fireplace hoping to warm up. By this time I was getting a migraine and couldn't walk I was so dizzy. Dan came home from work a little after 9 and I was so grateful he took care of Isabella the whole night. He felt me and was like, " holy cow you are burning up." I still feel pretty awful today....no fever...but been clammy all day. We had to run to the store today and get some food. It's funny how you can look like death but you still have to go out and life still goes on when your the "mom." I was at the BX and the cashier asked me if I was okay....I told her I had this terrible cold. And we then went on how men just get to stay in bed when they are sick and we women have to keep going. She told me that if she could come back after this life...she would be a man. I laughed. I think it was just the flashback of this morning. I get up...I was on the couch since Madison came in around 4:30 am crying because she had a nightmare....so we go downstairs to watch a movie. Then Isabella wakes up so Dan gets up, changes Bellies and gets her bottle ready and I feed her since I'm already awake with Madison. They both go to sleep, so I go to sleep. We wake up, I give Isabella a bath (I'm still feeling awful and have a migraine) and she decides to throw up on me. I'm like whatever...I'm putting her in the bathtub and as soon as I set her in...she poops. I'm like great. So I empty the tub, rinse it out and clean her up. I'm thinking...seriously???!!! My other two are fighting...they are both tired and just irritable...and I'm like to the point I tell them to not even bother telling on each other anymore...I don't want to hear it. Fight it among yourselves...I don't care if you beat each other up...just stop telling me about it. I get a puzzled, confused look on their faces....more like a look of "mom has seriously lost it."

So now it's nearly 11 pm and everyone is asleep. I should be asleep...I really am tired. Sometimes I just fight it to enjoy the silence of the house by myself and do what I want to do without any interruptiojns. Although, I think I am done now, I am looking forward to laying down in my bed with my duvet wrapped around me.

And she smiles...

okay so she was smiling and talking to me like crazy downstairs....so I call Dan to come down and I bring out the camera and she stops...of course. So here's what we got.

Thanksgiving

So it's decided...this year for Thanksgiving we are going somewhere. Dan and I are thinking Wales and then possibly the Isle of Man....Dan really wants to go there. So we are forgoing the turkey dinner....like that really is something new (I always buy a roasted chicken if we're not at someone's house who makes turkey, I don't do turkey guts.) I'm excited...now only if my car would get here before then...that would be superb! But chances are it's not....but it will still be fun to get away for a couple of days.

Mystery solved!

So last night I had a knock on the door and it was neighbor bringing over Hannah's many jumpers and cardigans for school. Hannah had been missing all the ones we had bought so she's been wearing Madison's. YAY! You don't even know how excited I am!!!

So this kind of goes why all her school sweaters were at the neighbors. Pictures this....5 girls aged from 4-11 bringing suit cases full of clothes back and forth between my house and the neighbors house. It is the funniest thing to see them wheeling them around. They put all sorts of things in them....pjs, dresses, play clothes as well as doll clothes. I'm doing their laundry as well as my friend doing my kids. They set up their bedrooms as little houses and use both house's so they are running back and forth. Occasionally I let them use my car....and they go away on "holidays" or run errands. Buggies, suitcases all in tow in the back....it's super cute. Half the time we don't know who all is in our house. They are in and out so much it's hard to keep track...or who they are since they all swap clothes....the younger ones at least....or the younger ones wearing the older ones clothes.

I will surely miss this when we have to leave in a couple of years.

So much hair....could have made a wig

Madison has a fringe now....she was so excited I let her get some light fringe in the front. Her hair is getting so long!

Well we did...actually my hair stylist did it...and I LOVE it. It's a whole new Hannah...and what is most important...she LOVES it!

I'm glad we did it! She looks oh so cute...just like I thought she would. So while she was getting her hair cut...about half way she told Chelsie she was done getting her hair cut. We said it was a little too late...it wasn't because she didn't like her hair...she was tired. But I must mention...she didn't fall asleep! She ALWAYS falls asleep while getting her hair cut.

It

Hannah, "Dad, let's play it."

"Okay Hannah."

"I am the itter," Hannah says.

"Can I be the itter?"

"No! There can be only one itter Dad!"

I also love when she says, "FOR REAL LIFE!" after you ask her something. It's even cuter when you hear her say it with her accent.