Rachel Walking

Ok - so I have been saying that Rachel has been taking some steps. I finally got some on video last night. I wasn't fully prepared though - so this isn't a long video & it was only a few steps. I will work with her tomorrow to see if I can get several steps with my real video camera.

Almost Wordless Wednesday

My 3 Favorite people in the whole world!!!

This is what happens when I try to get a picture of myself & my children.

Picture time usually is like this...cannot have both girls happy at the same time!

Check Out Other Wordless Wednesdays here!

Its Hannah Montana --- Nope its Livie Totten

Olivia loves Hannah Montana! And she is always singing her favorite song "Best of Both Worlds" and Rachel plays the part of her biggest fan. Here is a picture from my mother-in-law's house today! I miss my girls terribly when I am at work & getting this brightened my day!

Livie the super star in center stage & Rachel the super fan is in the background - haha

I ♥ Faces

Again, I am a copy-cat...and I am ok with it. I decided to join in on the fun!



Here we have Rachel - she is 1 of my 2 favorite photography subjects!

Check out more adorable pictures @ I ♥ Faces

NOT ME! MONDAY

Welcome to NOT Me! Monday! This fabulously fun blog carnival was created by MckMama. So, you should head over to her blog to read what MckMama herself & all the other happy bloggers have NOT been doing this week.

I did NOT choose not to cook dinner practically all week long. This did NOT result in Jar bringing home Taco Bell for us 1 night & me eating cereal for dinner most other nights. Nope NOT me!

The fact that the actual voting on American Idol started this week did NOT get me completely excited! I am 27 years old & I am NOT much more mature than that. I did NOT unsuccessfully try to call in & vote for my favorite (DANNY) only to get a busy signal each time. My few attempts...ok 20 attempts to call did NOT result in Jar rolling his eyes at me & silently walking into the other room - hahaha! NOT ME!

I did NOT have a great weekend, during which I did NOT get to sneak away to the mall ALL BY MYSELF Saturday afternoon! I guess the hubs sensed that I needed a little time to myself. And I did NOT put off doing any housework of any form again this weekend...well entire week (who am I kidding). And I did NOT look forward to returning to work today just a little because I didn't want to continue to sit around & stare at my filthy house with laundry piling up! haha!

I did NOT curse "Jack Frost" on 2 separate occasions, when I saw that it had snowed. UGH!!! I am NOT absolutely positively DONE with winter weather. I do NOT hate it with every fiber of my being.

I did NOT have another "I'm officially a grown-up" moment this weekend when I decided to spend my hard-earned bonus on new carpet for my house. When oh when did I become so responsible. It really kinda snuck up on me...I still feel like a kid myself!

HAPPY MONDAY!!!

I love American Idol

This is my first re-cap of the show...for those of you who know me, I am (how should I say) border-line obsessed with reality TV of any kind. But my very most favorite is hands-down AMERICAN IDOL!!!



This week marked the very first week of voting! And, regretfully - I did not get to vote. But it was not for lack of trying, the phone line was busy for the entire hour I tried.

I am pleased to see that America did what I was hoping they would do - cut the dead weight. (So very sorry: Stevie, Ann Marie, Tatiana, Stephen, & Casey...Thank goodness we don't have to sit through another round of their performances.) And the first 3 that made it through are fine with me. I am pleased to report Danny made it. For the record, my money is on him to take it all!

Wordless Wednesday

Check Out Other Wordless Wednesdays here!

Some Bits & Pieces...

We are all finally on the road to recovery...

Olivia is back to 120% (I think the antibiotic she is taking has something in it that makes her a little more hyper). Or another theory, I am rundown, sick, & irritable and that makes me notice her never-ending supply of energy more than usual. But all kidding aside, I am sooooo happy that my little girl is feeling so much better. Although she did infect me with "SHREK Throat" :)

Rachel somehow made it through the sickness unscathed. She is her usual happy self. And I have caught her on several occasions standing up & dancing out in the middle of the floor not holding onto anything. She is soooo big now!

And I am happy to report, the J-Man did in fact get me a Valentine's gift. I forgot to add that to my NOT ME Monday before it posted. I now have a gift certificate to use on anything I want in my most favorite country/craft store in the world (or in Central Illinois - I haven't been very many places in the world.) But I am super excited & will definitely enjoy spending it!

I got some super cute pictures throughout the past week or 2 that I wanted to share...but for some reason I cannot get any pictures to upload. I will try again tomorrow.

NOT ME! MONDAY

Welcome to NOT Me! Monday! This fabulously fun blog carnival was created by MckMama. So, you should head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have NOT been doing this week.

Here goes nothing...

I did NOT get all giddy like a school-girl when I got my first comment from someone whose blog I hadn't already commented on! I showed my husband this to prove that it does NOT pay to be insane & "spend all my time on the computer" haha! I do NOT love NOT ME MONDAY!!!

I did NOT help Olivia decorate her Valentine's box & my heart did NOT melt when she said "We did good work Mama, this is gorgeous". I did NOT actually do her Valentine's for school by myself because Olivia declared "This boreds me out, Mama." And I did NOT almost cry when she gave me the Valentine she had made for me...I have a sweet little girl :)

I did NOT get super excited to see my little Scooter girl Rachel trying to stand up all on her own. She was doing this cute little tri-pod stance...she will get it soon. Then watch out...she will be nonstop on the move!

I did NOT send my husband a text message on Monday that simply stated "I would like a Valentine's gift this year" & then I did NOT proceed to send him text messages throughout the week that gave him the countdown of shopping days until Valentine's Day. Why would I do that???

I did NOT laugh hysterically when Olivia had to take her medicine & declared "That's the worstest thing I've ever had to taste". And I did NOT laugh later in the day when she quoted a line from Wedding Crashers "Mom - the meatloaf". It would completely inappropriate for a 4 year old to have seen any parts of that movie.

Happy Valentine's Day

Nothing particularly Valentiney to post about...

Olivia is sick - went to the Dr yesterday & was diagnosed with "Shrek Throat" aka strep throat. And her medicine seems to be working because she has perked up pretty well today.

Rachel is doing just fine. She took several steps on her own today. I think within the next couple of weeks she will be going good!

The Jar & I are going to a romantic dinner at an extremely busy & crowded restaurant. Yum Texas Roadhouse...It will be delicious!!!

Lets Play - handbag tag

Question 1: Post a picture of whatever bag you are carrying as of late. No, you cannot go up to your closet and pull out that cute little purse you used back before you had kids. I want to know what you carried today or the last time you left the house.

here it is:

Question 2: I want to know how much it cost :) And this is not to judge. This is for entertainment purposes only. So spill it. And if there is a story to go along with how you obtained it, I’d love to hear it. Also, what's inside your purse?

My purse was a gift from my mother-in-law & father-in-law this past Christmas. I don't know how much it cost exactly, but I can assure it was probably quite a bit. It's a Dooney & Bourke -- I know right :) I love it, this is my 3rd one. And my husband & sister have taken to calling it my "Mary Poppins Bag" because it is so large!!!

Here is what is inside

As you can see - its a hodge podge of randomness! 2 cameras, wallet, tylenol, eyedrops, makeup bag, our wedding DVD, my bro-in-law's old cell phone (I need to give that back to my mom), my iPod, sunglasses, random mail & bills, Olivia's hair things & lipgloss, 2 dimes & 2 pennies, a noise maker thing from the truck show, the ring I let Laura borrow while she was prego, 2 pens, gum, & pictures of the girls.

What you don't see is all the loose papers & crumbs that I threw out while doing this. Thank you Laura for promting me to clean out my purse :)

Now since I don't really know anyone else to tag...I will be the party pooper :( sorry

Wordless Wednesday

NOT ME! MONDAY

Welcome to NOT Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. So, you should head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have NOT been doing this week.

• I did NOT shout a few choice expletives when I saw that price of gas had gone up $.20 during my work day on Wednesday. I did NOT notice that the person stopped next to me at the light saw me & looked extremely frightened! And this did NOT make me laugh so hard I am sure that I looked like I should be fitted for a straight jacket. NOT me!
  


• I did NOT take Rachel to her 15 month check up Thursday & then swing by my work. And I did NOT have Rachel give my co-workers all a demonstration of how she scoots around. This did NOT make my co-workers laugh hysterically. I do NOT think her scooting is the most adorable thing I have ever seen. And I do NOT call her "Scooter" all the time.
  


• I did NOT rush Olivia to the beauty shop for an emergency haircut when I discovered she had a big ball of bubble gum stuck in her long pretty hair. I did NOT first attempt to pull it out of her hair only to discover this makes a frantic 4 year old scream the loudest scream I have ever heard.


• I did NOT play Shanghai rummy and dominoes with my family at my Grandma & Grandpa's house. And I did NOT unsuccessfully attempt to cheat at dominoes only to have my Dad & cousin call me out on it. Why would I do a thing like that? Its just a fun game :)
  


• I did NOT work out & eat right all week long. And I did NOT bring my lunch to work every day this past week. And all of this did NOT result in me losing 5 pounds for a grand total of 7 so far in my quest to lose weight. And I am NOT totally & completely excited about that!

Star of the Week

Olivia was "Star of the Week" at pre-school this week. I just can't say how proud we are of her. She absolutely loves school. Here are some pictures I took of her with the bulletin board at her school.

Scootin' Along

So I mentioned earlier this week that Rachel took some steps on her own. And I figure that means her scooting days are numbered. I thought I would let you all see a snippet of Rachel's current & highly effective way of gettin around..

We also had Rachel's 15 month check up today - she is a very healthy girl. Here are the stats:

Weight - 21 lbs 6 oz (25%) & Height - 30 in (30%)

Global ... What now???

Ok, so evidently Al Gore doesn't frequent the great state of Illinois. Something doesn't quite add up with the whole "Global Warming" thing, or else I am positive my car thermometer wouldn't have shown me this...

That's right, that is a 2. Which is pretty stinking cold if you ask me. This is what we here in central Illinois have woke up to the past few days. (and yes, I did have the heat in the car set at 85 - I do have some of my Mom in me after all)

I know, I know - could be worse, but it could be a whole lot better too. I'm dreaming of nice warm weather where I don't have to bundle my kids up like Randy on A Christmas Story - you know "I can't put my arms down". Oh well - a girl can dream. Maybe I can break my flipflops out sometime in June :)

Bold 100

Everything that is in BOLD I've done.

1. Started your own blog.

2. Slept under the stars.

3. Played in a band.
4. Visited Hawaii.
5. Watched a meteor shower.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyland.
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis.
10. Sang a solo.
11. Bungee jumped.
12. Visited Paris.
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.
15. Adopted a child.
16. Had food poisoning.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty.
18. Grown your own vegetables.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.
20. Slept on an overnight train.
21. Had a pillow fight.
22. Hitch hiked.
23. Taken a sick day when you're not sick.
24. Built a snow fort.
25. Held a lamb.
26. Gone skinny dipping.
27. Run a marathon.
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice.
29. Seen a total eclipse.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.
31. Hit a home run.
32. Been on a cruise.
33. Seen Niagra Falls in person.
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors.
35. Seen an Amish community.
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to truly be satisfied.
38. Seen the leaning tower of Pisa in person.
39. Gone rock climbing.
40. Seen Michelangelo's David.
41. Sung karaoke.

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant.
44. Visited Africa.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance.
47. Had your portrait painted.
48. Gone deep sea fishing.
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person.
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling.
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud.
54. Gone to a drive-in theater.
55. Been in a movie.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China.
57. Started a business.
58. Taken a martial arts class.
59. Visited Russia
60. Served in a soup kitchen.
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies.
62. Gone whale watching.
63. Gotten flowers for no reason.
64. Donated blood, platelets, or plasma.
65. Gone sky diving.
66. Visited a Nazi concentration camp.
67. Bounced a check.
68. Flown in a helicopter.
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.
71. Eaten caviar.
72. Pieced a quilt.
73. Stood in Times Square.
74. Toured the Everglades.
75. Been fired from a job.
76. Seen the changing of the guards in London.
77. Broken a bone.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.
80. Published a book.
81. Been to the Vatican.
82. Bought a brand new car.
83. Walked in Jerusalem.
84. Had your picture in the paper.
85. Read the entire Bible.
86. Visited the White House.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
88. Had Chicken pox.
89. Saved someone's life.
90. Sat on a jury.
91. Met someone famous.
92. Joined a book club.
93. Lost a loved one.
94. Had a baby.
95. Seen the Alamo in person.
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake.
97. Been involved in a lawsuit.
98. Owned a cell phone.
99. Been stung by a bee.
100. Read an entire book in one day.

Now YOU try :)

Some Accomplishments

Yesterday marked a big day for both of my girls...well big in my eyes.

My little miss Rachel took 3 steps on her own! That's right 3!!! I had her walk between Jarrett & I. And I am so proud of her! So I am thinking this little stinker's scooting days are numbered.

and...

My little miss Olivia counted to 100 with me! And she is "STAR OF THE WEEK" at pre-school!!!And she couldn't be more excited about it.

She got to take pictures of her family & dogs to school with her today to be put on the bulletin board. I am going to try to sneak in Thursday when I drop her off to take a picture of the bulletin board (that's right - I am one of those moms!)

NOT ME! MONDAY

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have NOT been doing this week.

So this week I did NOT continue to neglect my housework because I was constantly able to find something better to occupy my time. And this did NOT result in my husband asking me "do I have any clean socks?" twice! That definitely was NOT me! And speaking of my husband, I did NOT buy the complete & totally wrong kind of anti-freeze when he asked me to pick some up for him. NOT ME, why would I buy antifreeze for an RV toilet when he needed it for his pick-up! And it was NOT me who laughed so hard I had to put my daughter down before I dropped her on her head when he told me what I had bought! :) This proves that with Olivia running wild around the aisles at Wal-Mart & Rachel screaming in the cart...I did NOT not have the time or patience to read the label!

I did NOT pretend to be asleep Sunday morning so my husband would get up with our crying Miss Rachel! NOT ME! I would never do such a thing! And Sunday morning I did NOT have my house completely to myself when my wonderfully fantastic husband took our 2 daughters to brunch with his parents. During said time alone, I did NOT sit in the recliner for 45 minutes in complete & utter silence before getting ready to go have my nails done with my best friend. Nope that really was NOT me! And after my nail appointment I did NOT go to the mall for the first time alone without having to push a stroller in over 4.5 years! This time alone did NOT leave me feeling refreshed & I did NOT find myself missing the sounds of Olivia jabbering or Rachel squealing with laughter.