wee(wee) beastie

My baby is potty training!! Which is a fancy way of saying that I am in the depths of hell for the next few days/weeks/MONTHS(?!?!?!) -- However long it takes for her to stop sneaking off into the corner of a room and peeing like a naughty puppy dog.

Wee Beastie in her dry (for now) panties!

 I am using a three-day potty training method that my cousin, Melissa, passed along to me when I was training Avery. Honestly, I think it's going pretty well! And, more than anything, I am so very very very very very very (get it?) glad to be done with diapers! This method is pretty intensive -We are both so sick of hearing me say, "Let Mommy know when you need to use the potty, OK?" that we could scream, but it really does seem to be working. 

If you are in need of some potty training help just leave a comment and I will gladly send you an email of the method I am using!

 Speaking of Carter, how cute is she!? She is getting so big and smart! She is 26 months old and can communicate really, really well. The best part is that whatever I don't understand, her big sister does. Avery speaks jibberish-ese very fluently, and she and Carter have a very sweet, sometimes volatile, but mostly giggly relationship that I love taking part in.

 They still look NOTHING alike, which bothers me to no end, but the fact that they play so well together makes up for it. I still can't believe Avery starts Kindergarten in one week!

Seriously, if she isn't the cutest thing you've ever seen then probably you live on a bunny/teddy bear/unicorn farm.

 The best part about being the mother of two of the world's cutest children is that I get to accept all compliments directed to said-world's-cutest-children as if they are actually directed at me. For example: 

Stranger Who Loves to Point Out the Obvious: "Oh my gosh!! Look at these two! How cute are they?!"

Me, looking down with unsurprised-yet-sincere flattered-ness: "Aww, thank you!"

It never gets old. 

But cleaning toddler pee out of my carpet does. 

Pray for us.

Carter on her first-ever horsey ride!

OICW and so on

I'm laying it all on the line!

Learn about my struggle with PCOS and Insulin Resistance and Infertility and Other Inappropriately Capitalized Words at my other blog, www.foodsnobmom.blogspot.com

it's coming

Finals are next week, and all I want to do is get away! I can't wait for my six week summer break. These are the pics from my last weekend trip to my favorite getaway spot- I can't wait to get my life back! ...for six weeks. Then I'm back for my last semester. Hopefully we'll talk soon, little blog.

a science house

Turning five is MADNESS!

But things have gone off without a hitch! Avery's fifth birthday party was a huge success, and, honestly, I am so very glad it's over! 16 kids, 15 adults, tons of presents, treats, food, seats, drinks, toys... It was so fun, and so very, very exhausting. 

This year we did a Scientist Theme for Avery, my little Bill Nye lover. 

When Avery showed up to the park down the street from our home, where we had the party, the Bounce House had just been set up. She jumped out of the car, ran over to said Bounce House, squealed in delight...

Then completely stopped, turned around, and said, "HEY! Is this a Science House?" very skeptically. 

It was not. 

Yet. 

K had a printer blow up huge posters of Bill and Albert Einstein from pictures we found online (and I bought a poster of Dr. Sheldon Cooper from Walmart) so we could reinforce the corners with tape and safety-pin them through the mesh on the side of the house. Science Bounce House. Voila. 

I made tons of treats, snacks and goodies (pictured below), but for the main course we decided to order a huge tray of Chick Fil A chicken nuggets, which turned out to be the best decision ever! Not only were they affordable, they delivered them hot and ready right to the park! The kids (and adults) destroyed the entire tray in a matter of minutes. Bonus: They had just finished breakfast at the restaurant, so they brought us a bag FULL of chicken and biscuit breakfast sandwiches, which were a lifesaver Sunday morning as we got ready for church and sent my parents and Grandma on their way home. 

Thank you Chick Fil A!!

Table decorations were canning jars filled with various viscous liquids (Karo syrup, water and oil, etc.) with toy animals and bugs inside of them (think specimen jars). We tied balloons to each jar, covered the tables in bright butcher paper and called it good. 

The food was so fun to make for this party! My mom, grandma and I all pitched in to make a beaker-shaped cake with cotton candy smoke coming out of the top! I ordered petri dishes from amazon.com and test tubes from orientaltrading.com and filled the former with jello and gummy worms (think bacterial growth) and the later with colorful candy. I made mini caprese skewers with balsamic glaze, chocolate-kissed raspberries, colorful cake balls, Oreo truffles, spinach ricotta bites, and ham and cheese pretzel bites. I wanted there to be lots of food for my hungry scientists!

I also ordered (gorgeous) cookies from the cutest cookie shop around and made a scientific potion for the kids to drink. All of the water bottles were labeled H2O.

The gift bag consisted of a test tube full of Skittles, a science lab sticker sheet, and a book of experiments for the kids to try at home!

As for the experiments at the party, we made Gak with the kids out of glue, water, food coloring and Borax (each kid took some home in a baggy), and toward the end of the festivities we shot off a few Diet Coke/Mentos fountains. The kids were memorized!!

Happy Birthday my darling girl!! We love you!

madness

I am so excited that it is almost May again! That means that my little pickle is turning 5!! Because of her recent scientific interests, I am putting together a MAD SCIENTIST birthday bash for her and all of her little friends. It is going to be mind-blowing!! ...I hope.

Here is the invitation I ordered on Etsy! Isn't it awesome?!

 I have no idea what the party is going to be beyond this theme. How on earth will I get 30 five-year-olds doing science experiments!? I'm pretty sure I'll just rent a bouncy house and call it a Moon Bounce.
Problem. Solved.
...maybe.
For now I am turning to Pinterest for inspiration. This is going to be fun!!

keep up

Another semester is in the can, and yet another one is approaching quickly!

This news is one part Pointer Sisters' "I'm so excited! And I just can't hide it!" and two parts Adam Sandler Wedding Singer classic, "Oh somebody kill me please!"

Have I mentioned that I'm graduating in December?

About five months ago (maybe six... oh, geesh, has it been seven?!) I promised to post pictures of our house remodel/basement finishing, so...

Also, my children are growing. Rapidly. 

Carter is talking up a storm! Every day I think she learns 18 new words- mostly some variation of "NO!" and "NEVER!" and "YOU CAN TAKE MY LIFE, BUT YOU'LL NEVER TAKE MY FREEDOM!!!"

She is so cute and sweet and is thriving on all of the sunshine we have been having in recent weeks. 

Avery has finally grown apart from The Nightmare Before Christmas... and has immediately attached herself to Bill Nye the Science Guy of all people! We have rented all of his videos from the library over and over again, and, I must say, I love her new obsession. And her. To pieces.

Here is a photo snapshot of the last few months...

Life is really good right now. Except, of course, for when it's not. But trials and pain and fear and suffering are all a part of this mortal experience, and I think that my little family and I are riding the waves we have been given like Harry Potter rides his Firebolt. 

In other words, [golden] snitches really do get stitches.

Harry Potter nerd, out.

have a cup of cheer

I realized this Christmas that if I could freeze time and live my life Groundhog Day style, I just might have done it to relive this holiday over and over again. Celebrating the Christmas season with my two beautiful little girls, my husband, my parents, my siblings, my grandmothers... I can't imagine that life will get much better than this. 

But, since things can't last this way forever, I will inundate you with many more holiday photos.

Resistance is futile.

 Look at these two beauties! I can't get over them.

 Here's Uncle Spencer (Carter's favorite. Shh! Don't tell the others!) and my little mischief-maker.

 Those are some runway-ready faces.

 Making cookies with my girl!! Look at that frosting face! Don't worry though- she takes about three baths a day when we are either at Grandma and Grandpa's cabin or their home in Las Vegas. It's ridiculous and I love it. 

She loves cooking with me and is such a great helper!

No, really. She is!

I mean, you know, I go through about 15 spatulas because she keeps forgetting that she can't lick them while we are still baking, but other than that...

 Cousin Twins. Three weeks apart (Carter is older), baby Giles and Carter are the best of pink-cheeked friends.

 I love these boys! (Zach, Giles and K not pictured, but included in the sentiment none the less).

 Look at them!! So sweet.

this is Halloween... err... Christmas Town

Our Christmas was wonderful, in a Nightmare-ish kind of way. 

Yes, Avery's obsession with the macabre has yet to end, and I for one am loving it. Who needs more adorable, bright-eyed little girls who love ponies and dollies and pink and flowers and sunshine?! Bo-ring

Santa, therefore, brought Av a Jack Skellington doll, and a few shrunken heads (that last part was a joke). 

No, this is not our front yard. 

Yes, we are the kind of parents who will slam on the brakes, flip a U, and hop out of our car to take pictures on someone else's front lawn to make our adorable little goth baby happy. 

Moving on. 

We spent Christmas at the cabin in Pine Valley, in the mountains just outside of St. George, and it was super wonderful. The kids all got along really well, there wasn't much snow (yay!) and I love spending time with my parents, siblings, children and hubs. The End. 

 ...okay, not quite the end. Here are some great photos from our great time. 

The boys in their matching Christmas PJs. Aren't they cute!? Oh, and yeah, my little brother, Spencer, likes to pretend he is the devil.  NBD

 Matching babies!!

 

 Santa brought Carter her very own baby doll! She loves being a mama, which naturally includes sharing binkies, giving kisses, and dropping baby whenever she is bored. Isn't she the sweetest!?

 Christmas Eve story time!

 Christmas morning makes grumpy babies. Oh, and Carter looks pretty sleepy, too. Oooh Burned!

 Sleepy Gi.

 Avery with her Jack Action Figure!

 For my brother-in-law, Josh, my mom bought Christmas Crackers. I rocked that paper crown with my sister sister.

 Josh and Carter twins.

 Uncle Spencey and Gi-guy.

 Candy and toys and not enough sleep. Isn't Christmas the best?

Avery's new ladybug backpack was a big hit, but as the day wore on, her smiles for the camera wore out. 

I know this is a month late, but I hope you all had a very merry Christmas!