The Day the Girls ate TWENTY Granola Bars...

That day would be today.

Where was I, you might ask?

Well, I had a quite interesting day. It started out with my FIRST ever speeding ticket. I was going a womping 34mph. I missed the school zone sign on a busy road that I am hardly ever on, not doubt ever on, at 8:30 in the morning. I was going to pick up my neighbor from the Toyota dealership so she would not have to sit and wait all day for her car. It was raining and I just missed the sign. I will make no other excuses. I pass two school zones on the way to the girls' preschool and I brake down to the 20mph always. The policeman, when he pulled me over, told me he tickets in school zones over 10mph, unless there is a good excuse. I guess I don't have one.

There is a winter storm warning for tomorrow, mostly lake effect snow which should be to the east of us. However, my parents were planning to visit us and would be driving right in the storm, so they have decided to wait and see. Maybe they will come Friday or Saturday now. I had to reschedule two appointments for Friday and line up baby sitters for Friday and Saturday night--in case they don't come. I would not want them driving in bad weather!

I get home and decide to call about my iPhone that I have had less than a month. The speaker doesn't work and the ring tones either. Bottom line: Two hours on the phone later, I need to get a new phone because mine is defective.

So, while I was on the phone for those two hours, my girls were not bothering me. They were playing quietly. I was in the office talking on the phone and trying to reset my phone which is so frustrating---but I won't go there--and they grabbed a box of granola bars from the pantry right under my nose. They wanted to have a picnic. So they went to the sunroom and spread out their blankets, set up their doll babies and barbies and ate some granola bars. They also each pulled out a box of noodles and dumped those out on the blankets, put some in their purses for later and in their doll strollers for their doll babies. After wasting two hours on the phone, I was not happy to say the least. Then, I saw their picnics and wrappers. I counted twenty. Needless-to-say, they didn't ask for lunch.

After cleaning up, we decided to get out of the house on this rainy day. There was in incidnet with the little potty (that my girls never use anymore), poop and the bathroom sink. I won't go into details, but Elizabeth was trying to clean up after she went number two and dumped it into the sink instead of the toilet. After we got that cleaned up, we went to a playgroup and then to pick up Jack from school. We took my neighbor back to the dealership and picked up pizza. I ended my day cleaning up the basement with the kids after dinner. I have been ignoring the basement because it seems every day the girls are downstairs making HUGE messes. I was cleaning up each night and I finally gave up. I thought it would be easier to clean it every few days instead of every day. Tonight it took us over an hour to straighten up.

Then.

As I was feeling rotten from my, well, rotten day, I get a text from a friend. Her 23 month-old fell and hit his head on Sunday and he was rushed into surgery for bleeding and a skull fracture. I heard from her on Monday while she was in the PICU with her son. Today she sent me another update with pictures of Nathan. He is doing great- waving and smiling in the pictures- and she thinks they will get to go home tonight. Half of his head was shaved and he has a large incision that covers half of his head. I am so glad he going to fine. And seeing his little smile makes me think how trivial my 'rotten' day was. I am blessed to have my healthy children and I put them in bed, I gave them an extra hug and kiss good-night.

Tomorrow will be a better day.

A Warm Tuesday

Today it was very warm (but cloudy) so after dance class, we went to the Rainforest and Zoo! Outings are becoming easier with my girls and today we went without a stroller. First time in six years! The girls love Autumn and Aliya and on the way home, they were arguing about who they like better--which is funny because I can't tell them apart (except for their different colored earrings)-- and I am not sure they can either!

Waiting for their turn

Silly girls!

Learning how to use the iphone

And I think I have not even touched the surface on what I can do...

Just a Saturday!

How many girls can you fit in one laundry basket?

They might take after their mama!

The dress up of choice for Elizabeth

And Kate.

Got to love that Spiderman hat!

Girl Talk

Just had to smile listening to my girls talk to each other this morning.

Elizabeth came upstairs with two cups full of play food.

Elizabeth: "This one is for me. This one is for Erin. Is Erin coming here?"

Me: "No. She is not coming here today."

Elizabeth: "I like Erin."

Anna: "I like Sarah."

Kate: "I like Sarah."

Anna: "No, I like Sarah."

Elizabeth: "Remember there are two Sarahs?" "Because one is Aunt Sarah."

Kate: "Okay."

Elizabeth: "Do you want to have Erin, like me, Kate?"

Kate: "Okay."

So that was the conversation. The cup I tried to drink because Erin was not here, but Elizabeth wanted to "save" it for her. Then she was asking when she is coming here. And Anna asked when Sarah is coming and Kate was thinking Claire was coming, too--with Mimi. No, I had to tell them they are not coming today.

They do love their big girl cousins!

They also had a bath this morning and I let them take a barbie in the tub. First time for that. They kept telling me to be quiet because their barbie was sleeping (wash cloth covering them up). Then the barbies would wake up and "go 'fimmin" and then back to napping. The bath was a good hour long! I had to add more hot water because Kate was getting cold. Sometimes it is funny to sit back and listen to them talk to each other!

Lake Erie Nature Center

I took the kids to the Nature Center yesterday. John had to work all day so I thought it would be fun to out of the house. It is right up the road from us. It was a good visit today because we saw the one of the turtles move across the cage (usually they all lie together and look like a pile of rocks) and we saw many of the snakes moving. The kids got a kick out of one of them in particular that would move from one of the kids to the next. They kept saying, "He's is looking at me!"

We also saw them changing the cages out and then put new batches of snakes in--from bags! It freaked me out a little, but the kids loved to see them move. After a while, Kate said, "I don't like them, Mama."

Neither do I, Kate, neither do I.

There is a big log to climb in that the kids loved.

One of the snakes looking at Jack

Getting ready to put the snake back in his cage.

You couldn't pay me enough to do that job!

The turtle tank. The big turtle under the lamp was the one that moved across the cage.

Dance Class Dress Up

Mom/Grandmom Turns 60!

Mom/Grandmom turned 60 today! We had plans set in motion to surprise her on her actual birthday months ago. Due to illnesses, we had to modify our plans last minute, but all of her children and most of her grandchildren were able to spend her birthday with her today. We met in Lansing for breakfast and she was surprised to see all of us waiting for her. After breakfast, we went swimming at the YMCA (hard to find things to do in the winter with 15 young children!) and then we had cake and watched a slide show that Sarah and John put together with the help of the rest of us in gathering pictures. The slide show was great and showed all parts of her life from birth until now. It was a great day and I am happy we were able to spend it with her!

Flap Jack Restaurant. Jack got a kick out of the name. Grandmom is just seeing Jack for the first time.

Jack and Braden

Maggie is always smiling!

These two are peas in a pod! I couldn't tell if they were fighting or playing!

Three generations

Love you, Mom.

After swimming, some of us tried the rock wall.

John made it to the top! (easy side--he tried the other side and didn't make it so far)

Grandmom gives it a try! Not bad for 60!

Jeremy and Julie made the cake. It seemed fitting that we would make her a cake rather than buy one after all the cakes she has made for us over the years.

Singing to her

The picnic of cake

Watching the slide show

Jack loves his Grandmom. They are buddies.

Alexa woke up from her nap and wanted some cake.