So My Weekend Totally Rocked!!

My Favorite Pic!!

  Finally, it's spring, which means I can finally go back outside (as long as I have sunblock). We celebrated this day in style. First I got to go visit my friend Valerie. She's due to have her baby boy any day now, it's her first boy, but third baby. She has two adorable girls, sadly when they saw me they stared to whimper a little. Apparently they thought I was coming to babysit them, which oddly enough was very cute. But back to my quilt, I started it as soon as I knew what gender she was having. I wanted to give it to her for Christmas but I underestimated just how long quilting can take. I am happy that I got it done before the baby was born.

Baby Quilt 

Close Up

Then we meet my sister and her family at the Dino Park. As always, as soon as the girls saw each other they ran into one the other's arms. I just love it!!
My little nephew (who just barely turned 2 in January) said in the sweetest voice "Hi Charlie." That surprised me, not to mention it just melted my heart!






If you've never been to the Dino Park you should SOOO go! There is a fun museum, full of bones, pretty rocks, and other creatures. I believe my favorite was the rare and elusive "Wholly Hippo" don't let it fool you into thinking it's a Wholly Rino - according to a little kid at the museum, it's a "Wholly Hippo".  There were lots of fossils and displays.

The Wholly "Hippo!"

There were lots of fossils and displays. I'm pretty sure it was okay to sit on this display, if not it made for a cute picture!! You or the kids could talk to a paleontologist working in a lab. I am not 100% sold that he was the real deal, either way, it was fun. 

Then we went outside. Here you get to wander the paved trail or even some "off trail" sites. All along the way there are these life size dinos. On top of that there are a few other fun activities.

 As you can tell by the looks on their faces, ALL three kids were having a blast.

 As soon as the girls saw this one, they wanted to help the poor hurt dino. 

Heidi Anne got into the spirit of things, maybe a little too much??

But even little Rye let loose.  Isn't he SOOO cute!

 Another outside activity is "being a fossil hunter". Here the kids got to dig with shovels and paint brushes, just like the real paleontologist.

We finished the trip with feeding some ducks. Naturally you would expect ducks and geese to be at a dino park. KaiKai shared some of her bird food with me when she noticed I didn't have any. What a sweetie!! As we were feeding the ducks she exclaimed "This is so fun! This is the funnest day EVER!"

Then to top off the weekend we went to lunch with Char's sister Sarah. Heidi Anne had fun - as did we. But  the pics of her having fun are just better to look at! Told you my weekend rocked! 

A Little To Honest??

Today at preschool Heidi Anne came inside for lunch. When she saw what it was she got wide-eyed, it was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a side of oranges. If you know Heidi, that's one of her favorite sandwiches (the other being a Nuttella and Peanut butter Sandwich). She said "Oh Susu, this looks so delicious, you are the BEST cooker!"  Susan told her "I didn't make lunch Kait did." Heidi Anne then looked at Kait and replied "Oh Kait, you are the BEST Cooker - Not Susan."

At least we're teaching her to be honest - now I just have to teacher her tact. 

Momma, Daddy, Heidi Days

Weekends are very special to us, we call them “Momma, Daddy, Heidi Days!” Momma stays home on the weekends while Daddy and Heidi go run errands, or as she calls it, Adventures! They go to the stores, the post office, the park, get their hair cut, ect. Since I get sick easy it’s best that I stay home to reduce my exposure to any germies.

At the Park with Daddy

However, I still have tons of fun on the weekends. We watch movies, play games, do puzzles, work on homework(the girl LOVES homework) read books, and Heidi Anne’s favorites, I either sew or we do a craft.

Lately when I sew, she likes to help me pick fabrics, thread colors, hand me the pins, or just sit by me and watch. When she’s being really good she gets to sit on my lap while I use themachine. Apparently, when she has been in the room, I say out loud what I am doing. Suddenly, I hear an echo when I say “Now we do a back stitch….now we do abackstitch…Now we slowly move the fabric…now we move the fabric…” It so much fun!












We do tea parties and “indoor pick nicks”. To help get her energy drained, I started making “obstacle courses”for her to do as well. They contain a lot of ballet moves. (Run up and down the stairs 5 times then do 3 “sotaes”) She loves that game. Sometimes we paint woodenthings you can get from the dollar store, making fun foam crafts. Other times it’s just stamping things then coloring them, or whatever other ideas I find on Pinterest.

She LOVES Puzzles

See She Did 2 While I wrote this Post!!

Playing Home Office??

Do you ever get that feeling that someone is constantly watching your every move? In my case it’s Heidi Anne– and the Feds – but this story is about Heidi Anne.

She was playing “House” at pre-school.In the middle of the game she retrieved an old keyboard and cell phone. She would type away on the keyboard, occasionally answering the phone “Hello, this is Susan’s, how can I help you?” Then resolve the conflict or say things like “Yes,I can do that”. Hang up the phone and go on typing again.

One of her teacher became puzzled at this version of “House” finally asking “Heidi, what exactly are you playing”. Heidi Anne responded “I’m the Momma, I am sick today, but I still need to work. So I work from home until I get ALL better.” In a matter of fact tone of voice. 

I have NO IDEA who she got that viewpoint from…too much Simpsons I believe. 

My Ballerina

So here is a little video and some pictures of Heidi Anne at her Ballet Class. She was told she is doing so well she can skip pre-ballet and go right into Ballet Level 1 starting the fall semester (August). She'll barely be 4 years old, but her instructor says Heidi Anne is 100% ready for it. It also means, if she wants, she'll be able to try out for performances, all before she's even in Kindergarden!

Getting Warmed Up

Pretty Hands and Stretch 

She's Super Flexible! 

Again I really need to thank Conservice for her even being able to go to Ballet School. They support the arts in the valley. Which means, employees and children receive 1/2 off the tuition. So you get the best instruction at a fraction of the price. 

First Position

Tippy Toes for 10 Secs

We just take it as our lunch time to run her to Ballet, sometimes when she is good she will stay at my desk since her class ends at 4:30 and we leave at 5:30. She feels extra special on Dance Days! She gets to be a Ballerina and then she gets to see Momma work. When she's very good she gets one more extra treat-Sprite.

Working at the Barr

This has also brought a debate into the family. Which is better, Momma's Work or Daddy's new building. It's still the same office - but the debate somehow still exists for her.

Waiting Her Turn

The Logic of a Three Year Old

Recently Heidi Anne has become more expressive and has such a fun viewpoint of the world around her.

She was playing house with her friends. Normally she likes to be the one in charge, however, she choose to be the baby for this time. Her teacher, Susan, noticed how her hair had become undone and called Heidi over so she could fix her hair. Heidi Anne loves her long "Rapunzel Hair" but doing her hair can be like giving a cat a bath. Not that day, she sat very still, didn't make a sound, and didn't put up a fuss one bit. Once she was finished getting her hair done Susan asked her why she didn't make a peep. Heidi told her "Susan,babies can't tell you that it hurts and right now I am the baby." I've got to try this with her at home and maybe I will get the same results.

Recently her daycare just built another kitchen downstairs to help seat and cook for the children, as well as having more space to do fun crafts. When Heidi Anne saw it for the first time she walked in then started spinning in circles. While she was twirling she announced to everyone "This is little kitchen is just my size!!"

Again, I love how she sees things. A few days ago she "Good Guys versus Bad Guys" with some of her friends. (You know the game where you run away from the imaginary "Bad Guys"). Out of curiosity one of her teachers asked them "Who are the Bad Guys?" One of her friends promptly answered "Big Boys!" After hearing this Heidi Anne got a serious look on her face and responded "No! My Daddy is a Big Boy and he not a Bad Guy, he a Good Boy!" 

I Just Want to Grow Up

In case you haven't noticed, Heidi Anne loves to feel like a "Big Kid", she often tells people "I'm 5!". She's very smart and listens most if the time. There are times where I even forget she's just getting out of the "Toddler" age group. She is just so eager to learn and do an anything a grown up or older kid can do. Her preschool has homework assignments once a week. I love this because it helps the kids and the parents to be ready for school when you have nightly homework assignments. For Heidi Anne, homework once a week just isn't enough. To keep her stimulated and the love of homework alive we got her a Kindergarten workbook, (it's pretty much the type of book people use to home school kids). She has a blast doing extra homework.

She loves to be involved with anything and everything. If we are working on making lists or paying bills, she'll sit by us or on our lap,she will then "write" with us.She does this at pre-school as well.

She loves to work on my sewing projects with me, from picking the fabrics, the patterns, the thread. While I am sewing she will either watch me sew from a chair and sit on lap while I work. Sometimes we sew for an hour or more. The whole time we talk, just random kid things, or we sing songs. She loves our "Sewing Time."



Have I ever mentioned how much I love her daycare / pre-school. The older kids always include her in their activities or games. Since she doesn't have older or younger siblings, I personally think it's the sweetest thing ever how the older kids include her without hesitation,  just the sweetest thing ever. She already knows how to ride her bike (with training wheels)I bet she could ride it without the training wheels, but I am too paranoid to let my 3 year old ride on just 2 wheels.

Kaos in the Kitchen

To say I don't cook much is an understatment. Heidi Anne has proven this time and time again. When she plays house with her friends, she "fires" the boys that play Daddy when they refuse to cook (That's my little Trump!). She is adamant that Daddy cooks and Mommy plays with the babies and helps clean.
I think I scared her to death when I did the cooking a few days ago. As I started to heat the chicken she came running into the kitchen and asked "Momma, does Daddy know you're in HIS kitchen? Does he know you're cooking??"  I said "Yes, he knows, Momma can cook, too." She didn't believe me, she ran up the stairs and told him in a worried voice "Momma's in the kitchen cooking!!" You could almost hear what she really meant "Momma's in the kitchen - STOP her!!"

He told her it was fine and that most mommy's cook and that I can cook as well. She didn't believe him. She came downstairs and watched me like a hawk as I was making dinner. When it was ready Char came down. The first thing she said to him in a very brokenhearted voice with a little pout on her face was "I'm sorry Daddy, Momma made dinner". You would think I had killed the chicken right in front of her with the way she looked.
Needless to say, she was very reluctant to eat what I had made. When she finally did, she loved it. She said, "Oh, I love the rice, and the chicken, and I LOVE the dip." I didn't have the heart to tell her that the beloved dip was store bought ranch. I want her to think I can at least make something she "LOVES".

"It's NOT a Bad Word"

Earlier this evening my sweet, little, 3 1/2 year old stubbed her toe and said "Oh HECK!!" We both turned around and looked at her. She put her arms to her sides and simply said "What? It's NOT a bad word, it's okay to say."

I then realized a few things:
1) I didn't know that she could be very logical about what she says or that she would be able to justifying what she says at such a young age and be so reasonable about it.
2) How to properly respond to a non-swear / swear.
3) Who on Earth taught her both the word "Heck", furthermore, who taught her and I quote "What? It's Not a Bad Word."


How did I respond? 
I told her, "Yes, you're right, that's not a bad word. Who taught you that?" She just shrugged her shoulders and said "I don't know..." It then lead to a discussion (some would call it a nice interrogation) about "Good" words and "Bad" words. So far, she doesn't know too many "Bad" words. Her definition of "Bad" contains words like, "Stupid", "Brat", then there are the kid "mean" words, such as "Poopy Head". Apparently "Heck" is on the Good List-Works for me. 

Looking Innocent

Valentine's Was Cancelled This Year ( 2-14-12 = 0 )

Char pointed that out to me a few days before Valentine's Day, that 2 minus 14 minus 12 = 0, ergo, No Valentine's this year. (Maybe the Mayans' were on to something with this whole End of the World in 2012...) As it turned out, his little joke almost turned out to be true for us. 

You've Got Mail!!

We will start with the fun things we did. A few days before Valentines I brought mini mail boxes for my team to decorate for Valentine's. We have some Very, Very crafty people on my team. It was a ton of fun.
Around this time my stomach started to hurt, alot. But I being me ignored it. The night before Valentines I was pretty sick and in even more pain. But I was determined to not let it get me down. I had work to do AND I really wanted to join in on the fun.

Cori's Surprise for Us

Valentine's Day-I wasn't feeling good at all. However, I told myself "If I can go through labor for 30 hours, I should be able to handle this." Off to work I went. I was so glad I went! My friend Cori made the cutest Valentine's Day gift I have ever seen! She made these out of baby food jars! 

Mine is the one with Three Flowers

 Inside they have Valentine's Kisses and M&Ms. It is so freaking cute. Whitney made some pretty sugar cookies as well, but I don't have pictures of them. According to Heidi Anne they were "Pretty AND Yummy!"

Around 9:30 I feel like I might pass out. I was short of breath and in horrible pain. I had eaten my first doughnut in months. BIG Mistake. I tried to fight it - but it was just to much. I called the doctor and he was worried it was my pancreatitis coming back. He sent me to the ER. At 11:30 we were on our way to the ER, I told Char "Guess Valentine's really is cancelled."



Thus we spent the next 5 hours at the ER. I nearly always allow students and interns to be in the room or do the procedures, my theory is they won't see another case like mine for years OR they have to practice on someone, why not someone who's been through this frequently that the procedure doesn't really worry me. As I had my ultrasound done by a 2 week into the program student - I regretted my decision for the first time ever as he JABBED the ultrasound repeatedly into my stomach, liver, ribs, kidney, back to the stomach. The nurse was super sweet and gave me some meds for my good sportsmanship and I soon forgot most of the experience.

Finally, all the tests came back and it turned out I was very dehydrated (no duh) and either had a horrible stomach flu, issues left over from the pneumonia, issues from all the bloody noses I've been having, ulcers, or D all of the above. The good news was my liver wasn't failing again AND I didn't have pancreatitis, which was the major concern. They are leaning towards ulcers and I am starting to agree.

It was roughly 4:30 when we left the ER. For a treat I got a milkshake, it supposed to help ulcers. Plus I was so medicated I was able to stomach food-ish items without problems.

On the other hand, Heidi Anne had a great Valentine's Day. She got so many treats and super cute cards. Whenever someone brought her a treat or a card to put in her box she would ask the teachers and the kid "Is this for me??" When they said "Yes." She would respond with "Ohhh, Thank-You!" then giggle. She came home happy as a clam.

I think Valentines is more fun when you're a kid or if you celebrate it with friends the way you did as a kid. Everyone gets a cute card, maybe a little treat, and everyone can show how crafty or creative they are.

New Year Goal Update

One of my goals for this year is to make at least 24 pillowcases for the 1 Million Pillowcase challange (see http://www.allpeoplequilt.com/millionpillowcases/ ) 

It's been fun doing this project, I've been getting to practice quilting techniques while doing service work. Below are cases 4 and 5. I made the other ones, but when you make somethings around a child-you have to take into account they may fall in love with your project. 

4) I call this one my LSU Pillowcase. It has the LSU Gold and Purple checked trim with a green body. It looked like a football end zone to me. I think the Superbowl may have inspired that idea.

5) Heidi Anne helped me pick this one. It's a basic pillowcase with pink and purple lepoard print. 

This is the one that Heidi Anne helped pick out and then fall in love with. It's a princess case, with rickrack and pink trim. Oh that pillow is dragged everywhere she goes now.

These ones I made for fun for Char. Pretty tie dye with French (hidden) seams. Translation- I tried a new technique and he got the practice work. Fortunately they turned out really cool.

If anyone knows where I can get more cheap (but nice) fabric or pillowcase ideas, let me know. :-)

 

See I can make some cute cases, even with bits of fabric....

I Can (Almost) See Again

After 3 weeks of waiting my glasses finally came in. Slight downside, I have TRI Folcals , Char was a sweetie he picked them up for me. the lenses are not sized or perfectly aligned with my eyes. I then suffered some vertigo, which then caused a nose bleed. There are times when I even amaze myself. Seriously, how did I pull that one off?

The shockers didn't end there. When we picked Heidi Anne from pre-school the first thing she said was "Momma, I like you new glasses. Where did the old ones go?" Wow, they look fairly similar to my old pair but she could see a difference right away. She has good eyes.

Ironically, my new glasses made her want a pair of her own glasses even more. She's wanted some for months now, ever since her "Best Friend" Kailah (her cousin) got a pair of glasses. This time she was very persuasive, she pointed out that Momma, Dadda, and her Kailah  all have pretty glasses. It was her lucky day, at the store they had some frames for sale for roughly a $1. She got a pair of purple / pink ones (almost like the ones her Kailah wears). Don't worry, we popped out the lenses so they won't hurt eyes. She LOVES them!

"Yippee" Dresses

The "Yippee!!" Dress

I made this little dress for Heidi Anne, I call it a Hippie Dress, as you can see the tie dye fabric and the cute little sleeves. She misheard me and started to call it her "Yippee!!" dress, because, and I quote "It makes me happy when I spin and I say Yippee!"
It was promptly followed by, "Momma, sew me another new something dress." She makes up names for the dresses I make for her. As long as one isn't named the "Ugly" dress, I'll keep it up. 
  That's not to say the only dresses she wares are Momma Made, she LOVES her Hello Kitty dress. She loves to make it poof when she twirls, the colors are all her favorites, and it has Hello Kitty on it complete with sparkles. Can you say little girls' dream come true?