Claudia's Third Birthday

Shaping the Barbie cake.
The final shape before frosting.

It's is cute!!

I decided we needed another cake because I wasn't sure the Barbie cake was going to be enough.

Claudia blowing out candles.

She LOVED the cake.

I couldn't write a post without adding a picture of Lydia. It was a Hawaiian theme party so the girls wore swim suits and grass skits. This isn't the suit Lydia wore but she looks so cute in it.

What's Going On...

Not much is going on here. This is my week of vacation before summer school starts next week. I've been cleaning, playing, and planning parties. I wanted to make the birthday cake(s) for Claudia's birthday. She wants one of those Barbi doll cakes with the cake skirt. I searched and searched the Internet and never did find one that I liked so I decided to combine several ideas along with my own. On Tuesday I made the little flowers for her dress - 1232 little flowers to be exact. I'll show you pictures later when I go to finish the cake. I've decided that cake decoration is my new found hobby. I love to find cakes on the Internet and try to recreate them. That is how I got Lydia's cake last year. Here is a picture of it...

All of the little shapes are cut out of fondant. I can't stand the taste of the stuff, but It makes really good decorations for cakes.

This was Lydia's little personal cake.

I also make Gail's birthday cake this year. Normally I just bake a basic cake and don't put much thought into it.

Chocolate cake mix.

Pure white frosting.

Covered in colored sprinkles. It was yummy!!

My next post will be Claudia's cake - if it turns out. Until next time...

I Was Told I Needed New Pictures...

Claudia, Hayden, and Lydia

Lydia "popping".

Mother's Day 2009

Mother's Day 2009

Mother's Day 2009

Lydia and Daddy napping.

Sleeping Angel

In her big girl panties.

Showing off her big girl panties.

When she uses the potty every morning she has to have her "banket" and "bunny" on her lap.

Daddy's gloves are too big for her hands.

So she puts them on her feet.

Watching TV. Something she hardly ever does so I had to get a picture of it.

Sitting in her recliner.

Playing after a busy morning of planting flowers. See how muddy her shoes are!!

She got put in time out and I was so impressed that she stayed.

First time eating corn on the cob.

Finally gave up on the fork

Lydia and her cousin, Ashley, at her graduation.

Ashley, Gail, myself, and Lydia at Ashley's graduation.

Lydia and her buddy, Faith, at Ashley's graduation. Faith is the baby sitter's daughter and is also Ashley's cousin. Faith is nine months older.

Ashley's prom 2009.

Lydia kept trying to walk the red carpet.

Until next time...

Potty Queen...

That is what my daughter is right now. I decided to get her a potty last summer right after Lydia turned one. Whenever I sat her on it she would go. She would also still go in her diaper, but we were making progress. I didn't put much faith that she was going to be potty trained at one, but I was excited that she would get the concept of going on the potty and not be afraid like some children are. Hayden went for four days withing taking a poo because he was afraid of the potty. Claudia would hide in her closet or under the table to go because..., well she's just Claudia. She's a strong headed, does whatever she wants to, little curly red head. Lydia didn't seem to be like that. When she would go we would jump up and down singing "Pee pee in the potty, pee pee in the potty" and clap. She even clasp for other people. At high school graduation I took her to the bathroom me and when I stood up off the toilet she got a big grin on her face said "MOMMY!!" and clapped for me. My baby sitter also does a wonderful job at helping with the potty. Lydia is to the stage now where she normally uses the potty, but still wears her diaper. Sometimes she'll wear the same diaper all day because she doesn't have accidents. Of a night she wears a pull up, but some mornings she's still dry. When she has to go potty she'll pull at the front of her pants and make a fussing sound. You ask her if she has to use the potty and she'll take off running towards the bathroom. If she doesn't have to go she'll tell you no. The child also HATES poop. Hates to see it, smell it, or even talk about it. When she does poop she goes, "Pooooop yuck. Gross. Poop gross." My niece Ashley taught her that. It is cute when she says it. I bought her big girl panties last month (the smallest big girl panties I could find were 2T/3T so they're a little too big). Of course as soon as they were washed I put a pair on to see how they fit and her little butt looked so cute!!! On Sunday I started putting them on her when we are at home. She wore them for two hours the first time with no problems. Last night I put them on her again for about three hours. When I got home at 5:30 she said she had to go potty so I took her and put the panties on her. After supper at 6:30 I asked her if she needed to go potty and she went. Later at 8:30 when it was time for her bath she was still dry as a bone. My plan (and we all know how well plans go) is to have her potty trained by the end of the summer. Wish me luck!!!

Catch Up...

This is going to be a catch up blog on what had been going on in our lives the past few days. I haven't even turned on my home computer since Saturday so I'm a little behind in what is going on. This weekend Gail's cousin came up for a visit and we were very busy. Friday night was my sister's Spring Concert at Schuyler High School. Instead of a formal concert where they perform on the floor and everyone sits in the gym seats she opted for a laid back concert. The students performed on half the gym, tables and chairs were set up in the rest of the gym, and the kids brought snack food for people to eat during the concert. Darla had asked me to help make sure there was enough food and drinks for everyone. However, instead of people "snacking" they decided to eat it as their meal. We barely had enough food and really could have used more. Then I stayed around and helped her clean up and put things away. I didn't get home until after 10:30. We made a quick trip to Memphis on Saturday morning to the bank and to see my mother and grandmother for Mother's Day. Lydia had fun playing with Papa and Great Grandma and Grandpa's dogs. That afternoon I spent mowing the yard. It took FOREVER!!! I loved Mother's Day. I think I have finally found a church that I like going to. They have an outstanding youth program, it isn't far from home, and I actually get something out of the sermons. This Sunday the sermon was on video and I still enjoyed it and Lydia was great. Give the girl some crayons and paper and you can entertain her for awhile. Monday was a busy day because we didn't have specials at school - this totally screws up the entire day. Then I went grocery shopping. Tuesday we had our class field trip to Jefferson City. You haven't lived until you spend 4 hours on a bus with 45 kids, tour the capital with 45 kids and not losing one (plus they were really quiet), and then go on a mile hike with 45 kids. And I have to admit that this year was one of my favorites for some reason. I wasn't stressed or crabby. Tuesday night we had a terrible supper. Gail grilled ribs that burnt to a crisp. He's usually a really good griller, but within 30 seconds while he was talking to Lydia through the window they flamed up and went to 700 degrees. The sweet corn (Lydia's first) was tough. The only good this was the homemade mac and cheese. I can make some killer mac and cheese. After the dishes were done, Lydia was bathed and put to bed, I folded up laundry. I hadn't folded up laundry to TWO WEEKS!!! The sad thing is that I wasn't running out of clothing. Lydia has just ran out of socks and Gail had been picking things out of the unfolded piles, but my closet was still going strong. I believe that is a sign that I have too many clothes.

Until next time...

I Guess I'm a Believer Now...

I have always watched those shows where the woman is saying that she didn't know she was pregnant until she gave birth and I've always thought how. How could you carry a baby for nine months and not know? Well, my cousin was almost one of those women so I guess I'm a believer now. Paula, my cousin, has 3 daughters from a previous marriage (ages 18, 16, and 13 I think). She also has a 5 year old son with her husband now. Paula is 43 years old and hadn't had a period in over a year so she didn't even think she could get pregnant. However, she has gained a little weight but didn't think much of it because she had been dieting and usually gained a little back after she stopped the diet. What made her go to the doctor was she thought she felt a movement in her belly and started wondering. She went and they told her that she was pregnant and believed she was due on October. Don't ask me where they got the date because she hadn't cycled in so long. A few days later they did an ultrasound because of her age and found out that the baby is healthy, but that she is due on August. Six months pregnant and just found out. They are a little shocked but thrilled. They have picked the name Hannah Elizabeth Marie Montgomery. I can't wait to meet her.

Until next time...

How Many Times...

I'll start out this blog by giving you the background of the first time...

On June 8, 2007 I was eight months pregnant and it was my birthday. Birthdays are supposed to be wonderful and relaxing from start to finish. This particular was far FAR from relaxing. My day started out waking up to get ready for summer school by first letting the dogs out. When I woke up I discovered that our German Shepherd (Annie) had dug in my potted plant - in my dining room!! There was dirt all over my light covered carpet. I was not very happy. I took Annie outside and hooked her up. Charlie (yellow lab mix) was still inside. When I took Annie out the door shut behind me. I had forgotten that we had put new locks on the doors that when locked you could get out, but not get back in. I ran around the house trying to find a way in the house, but couldn't get in. I should also tell that I typically just sleep in a t-shirt and underware during the summer months. As a review I was eight months pregnant, wearing a t-shirt and underware, locked out of my house, and Charlie was still inside. I tried all of the vehicles thinking maybe there were spare keys for either the door or the vehicles. No door keys were found, but I did from some "vehicle" keys. My options were a tractor and the lawnmower. I have no idea how to start the tractor so that left my the lawnmower. I also found an old beach towel in the garage that looked like it had been ran through the shredder. So I wrapped the "towel" around me, hopped on the mower, and took off towards my mother-in-laws house about a half mile down the road who had a spare key. As I neared her house I saw that she wasn't there. I went to my brother-in-laws house who had a BIG laugh at my expense, but I knew it was coming. After picking himself off the floor and his wife Tammy getting me a pair of shorts he took me to get the spare key from my MIL's house. All of this took about 30 minutes. When I was able to get back inside of my house poor Charlie was still in there and had made use of the dirt all over the floor!! It was the worst start to a day I'd ever had. After all of this you think I'd learn the lesson about the door locks. Well, no. This morning as I was letting one of our dogs back inside the house Lydia shut the door. I should have known it was coming because she always is shutting and opening the doors. She was in the middle of the kitchen and I didn't think she'd get to the door that fast. Of course this time she wouldn't open the door for me. So I was locked out again. Both dogs had been out, but my 22 month old was still inside. We did, however, learn from the lawnmower experience and do have a key hidden outside so I was able to get back in. When will I ever learn to UNLOCK THE DOOR!!!

Until next time...