Bob stopped by to see the girls on Thursday. They love their Papaw. We had a nice visit. Sounds like they may be moving to Florida sometime in the future. We sure will miss him!!





The girls, Nana & I drove to Red Bud, Illinois on Friday (Nov. 16) after Jillian got out of school. It was somewhat of an uneventful 4 hr drive until about an hour out, Carleigh started coughing & ended up throwing up all over herself. It was so disgusting!! I started to clean it up a little, at least so I could get Carleigh out of her car seat, but I started gagging, so my mom ended up finishing up cleaning. I went into the Taco Bell & cleaned her up. Jillian stressed out some right after Carleigh did it, which was frustrating, but funny at the same time. She was also very sweet to Carleigh. It was so very gross.
We got to Aunt Sallys about 9:00, Indy time. The girls and I stayed at Aunt Sallys that night, which meant, I didn't get much sleep. But, OH WELL!!!!

Carleigh and Jillian loved Aunt Sally's dogs. Sissy (the dog covered by blankets) is pretty laid back & didn't mind the girls petting her. Manny, on the other hand, didn't like it too much. We kept telling the girls to get out of his face & they finally figured it out, when he snapped at Carleighs face. Thankfully, she got away fast enough, I guess, because he didn't end up biting her. But it sure did scare the crap out of her. She climbed on my lap & cried & cried. I had to ask her if he had bit her because she was crying so much and hard.After trying to entertain the girls with no DVD player or cable, we We decided to walk around the small town of Red Bud  & see what they had "downtown". This is Carleigh and Rhianna before we headed out.

This is Granny & my girls in front of a Christmas tree and presents in front of a bank.

We ended up at an antique store that had some things that brought back some memories. Jillian ended up getting a big bear stuffed bear (Darcy says it is a Lazibear, I guess from Lazarus back in the day) and Carleigh got a Barbie laptop. the girls and I decided to get out of there (mainly me) before we ended up breaking anything. So then we drove down to the park.

Then, our cousin Kaylee, turned 13 on Saturday, so we went over there for a birthday party. They had 3 baby kittens there that Carleigh and Jillian adored, Carleigh more than Jillian. We had a very nice time. Both girls had a lot of fun playing with their cousins, Kaylee, Amber, Justin & Cody. They also have a hamster, which Jillian actually seemed to like more than the kittens. Jillian cried when we left because she was having so much fun with the other kids.

Then, we stopped at DQ & McD's and headed to the Red Bud Country Inn. It was still a little hairy getting the girls to fall asleep, but they finally did, both in my bed. Which this bed was bigger than our Aunt Sally's, so it wasn't too bad.

We got up today (still really freaking early), ate some breakfast and headed over to Aunt Peggy's to say goodbye to all of them and granny too. Aunt Sally, unfortunately, had to work at 6:00 a.m. this morning, so we didn't really get to say goodbye to her. The ride home was uneventful too, except for the fact that Jillian and Carleigh fought over 2 balloons for about 2 hrs. I ended up taking them away & all was well in the world again after awhile. So, it was an exhausting weekend, but still we had a good time. I am so glad we got to go and see everyone! I would like to go back sometime in the Spring/Summer and go to the Arch, Grants Farm and the St. Louis Zoo. And now I know the girls will survive the drive and there is a nice hotel we can stay in when we go.

We have been busy these last couple of weeks. The Wednesday before Halloween, the girls, Rhianna & I went to a pumpkin patch:

The Sunday before Halloween, Jillian and I went to The Indianapolis Children's Museum Haunted House, with the lights on because I figured Jillian would be too scared. She had said a few weeks before that she really wanted to go with the lights off, but then we went and saw Hotel Transylvania & we both decided that lights on would be a better idea. Which I think, was a good decision because she was a little creeped out even with the lights on. On Tuesday, Chris helped Jillian carved her pumpkin:

Wednesday, was Halloween, both girls looked very cute even though it was very cold:

We started in our neighborhood, but it didn't look like too many lights were on so we ended up driving over to Ellen's neighborhood. It was very cold, but the girls had a good time. We ended up coming back to our neighborhood & went to a few houses, but Jillian said she was done & that she had plenty of candy. Crazy kid!! LOL.
Then, Saturday was Rick's birthday, so we went down to Jim & Lori's to spend time with them, Shelley & the girls. We ate delicious Greensburg, Pizza King & then just hung out at Jim & Lori's. We had a good time.We stayed til 11:00 p.m. & the girls fell asleep moments after we got on the road. The girls were very good & didn't try to cling to me like normal.

Wednesday, we went to Jillian's first Daisy (young Girls Scouts)troop meeting. Jillian seems quite excited about it, which makes Chris & I happy.

Friday, I ate at The Spaghettie Factory with work to celebrate some of the girls anniversary dinners. Then, the PDW girls and I went to Ike & Jonsies for some dancing. We had a great time at dinner & afterwards. I laughed so hard & danced so much! It was one of the best times I have had in awhile.

Then Saturday, the girls, nana & I went to see Cinderella at Beef & Boards. It was pretty good, Jillian loved it & it kept Carleigh entertained for awhile. The girls waiting for Cinderella to start:

Then, Jillian had a birthday party to go to at Chuck E. Cheese for a classmate. She had a good time. Today, we went to the park because it was such a beautiful day out. We played on the playground for awhile & then walked on the trails. It was a good time. '

See, I wasn't kidding when I said we have been busy.

I have not done a very good job of blogging like I thought I would, but my laptop is so slow, it seems like more of a chore than a pleasure. Hopefully, I will figure out why it is so slow and fix it!!
Jillian is doing very well in Kindergarten. Homework started at the first of September and we have a pretty good routine for her to get it done. She seems to be adjusting really well, which is good because I really wasn't sure how she would do.
She got her first report card last week & looks like she is doing really well. She has gotten into some trouble at school, but nothing so major we have actually heard from the teacher. Jillian normally just tells us if she got into trouble or not. I have emailed the teacher back and forth regarding her getting into trouble and it basically just sounds like she is pushing the envelope to see what she can get away with her teacher. She is out of school for Fall Break for 2 weeks. I kind of thought I would like the idea of 2 weeks of Fall, Winter and Spring Breaks, but she is very routine oriented & I'm afraid this will throw her off track. But I know kids are resilant & she will bounce back. She has a loose tooth, which is a dramatic experience for a major drama queen, like she is. LOL. It will be an interesting journey especially for this first one. It isn't too loose yet.
Carleigh, what can I say about Carleigh. She is such a funny kid. I think she will woo people over with her personality. I think she enjoys making people laugh. And she is more of a cuddler than Jillian was at her age. She loves taking a bath, which I have lots of videos of because she likes to sing in the bath & then watch the video. She also loves to look at books while she is going to sleep. Her crib is normally filled with books, I'm not sure how she sleeps. (Jillian was the same way too). Her manerisms are hilarious. We are in the "why" phase right now. Daycare is also trying to potty training her. Fun times.
Chris and I are doing well, we are going to a hayride & bon fire this Saturday. I love this time of year, so I am kind of excited about going. I have been very busy at work because we are adding an associate to our office so I have to fill out insurance applications and get stuff ready. Chris has been busy at work too. So we have been staying out of trouble (for the most part. lol).

Well, I'm trying to download some pictures on here, but not sure it is going to work...
Jillian started Kindergarten on Wednesday August 1, 2012. Her favorite thing was recess & lunch. But thankfully, she wants to go back so far everyday! That is a good sign. She seems like even a bigger girl than she did before last Wednesday, which I know is silly of me, but that's how I feel. We have started picking out her clothes the night before, which seems to help the morning go a little more smoothly. We went to Back to School night the other night. Sounds like Kindergarten is pretty simple. LOL. She will have homework starting in September, so we will see how we can work that into our schedule. Sounds like it may be sent home on Monday & due back on Friday, so it may not be that bad. She does have "specials" every day of the week, which makes me happy. Art, music & library are the 3 I'm excited about, she seems to like those 3 things the most, with art being at the top. I still can't believe she is in Kindergarten!!
Carleigh turned 2 yesterday! We went down to Darcy & Kenny's for a pool party/cook out. Unfortunately, it rained while we were down there. And honestly, I was busy doing things, that I felt I didn't get to spend time with the family or even help prepare the food or anything. Kenny grilled the food and Darcy got most of it prepared.I really don't know what I was doing to make the time go by so fast, but I guess I was because I don't feel like I swam or visited. Carleigh was so funny when opening her gifts. Everytime she saw something, she would scream! At one point in time, she got a DVD & ran around a chair with it raised in the air & screaming. Then she saw a shirt from someone that she must not have thought too much of because she didn't scream & just kind of stuck out her bottom lip! And it wasn't because it was clothes because she had screamed at some other clothes she got! I think it was a decent party, for the most part, I guess. Carleigh wouldn't really leave my sight! I did help clean up & while I was doing the dishes, Rhianna kept her & Jillian busy in the living room.
Hopefully, I will have more time soon & download some pics of the first day of school & Carleighs birthday party!

New Chapter

It has been almost 6 mths since my last blog. Quite a bit has happened, but I won't rewind and rehash & bore those that possibly will read this entry. But I do want to mention the biggest event, the saddest event, of my brother in law, Rick, passing away unexpectedly 4 months ago today. I miss him every day & sometimes "forget" that he is no longer with us. I loved him madly!!

I am kind of starting a new chapter in my life (or my kids are at least) this week, so I thought I should start blogging again. Jillian starts kindergarten on Wednesday and Carleigh turns 2 on Saturday!!!! How time has flown!

Jillian first: She is a smart cookie, that girl. She over exceeded the Kindergarten round up "test". The Principal emailed me the wrong numbers at first & my heart dropped! Then he emailed right back with the correct numbers & she was above the expected amount in all categories. She is a wonderful big sister. She brought me to tears the other day because she handled a situation with Carleigh better than I would have handled it. You can definitely tell she is growing up. her fits are far & few between & when she does have a fit, she gets over it quickly. We went to a swim party Saturday for an orthodontist my office refers patients. I asked her to stand in line for a caricature drawing & told her afterwards, she could get her face painted. We stood in line for the face painting for 20+ minutes, only for them to cut the line off with the person in front of us. She cried for a few minutes, but snapped out of it. Then on the way home, she out of the blue, thanked me for brining her to the party. I told her I was sorry she didn't get her face painted and she said "That is ok mommy. It was only paint. Next time, we will do it as soon as we get there!" So sweet!! Tomorrow, we go to her school to meet her teacher & have a snow cone social. I think she is excited but also nervous because she knows there may be no one she knows & she doesn't really like new experiences (wonder where she gets that from. LOL). Her daycare had an award ceremony tonight for school agers & she got the Sweetest Award- always showing kindness to those who need it whether it be fellow classmates or teachers. I am very proud of her for that...

Carleigh: 2?? I can't believe she is going to be 2! She is definitely going through her terrible 2's! My mom described her perfectly on Facebook today: "She is a little pistol, has a nasty temper, pretty blue eyes & a smile that melts your heart." That pretty much sums Carleigh up. She is a comedian & loves to make people laugh. The teachers at daycare told Chris that she is the sunshine in their class. She now has a bad habit of taking her diaper off at night because she hates wearing them! Last night I was trying to be stern with her that she can't do that & the look she gave me, made me break into a grin! She is definitely going to give us a run for our money. She is so damn cute! We took away her paci a little over a week ago. It was a rough couple of days, but went better than I thought. I think Jillian being in the same room helps out. She tries to do everything that "sissy" does, so I think it helps her see Jillian lay down & fall asleep. She seems to get quiet when Jillian does actually fall asleep. I'm hoping potty training isn't too difficult either. She sits on the potty all the time, she just hasn't actually gone on the potty yet. We are having her birthday party down at Darcy & Kenny's house since they have a pool. So far, it is the only pool she has actually gotten in that she has enjoyed!She loves to be read to & seems to be a pretty smart cookie too. She is definitely more girly than Jillian. She already loves makeup & painting mine or her nails.

I'm very lucky to have two beautiful kids, inside & out!!

Sickly household!!

We have had a few sickly stressful weeks. As cute as Carleigh is, she also seems just as sick! She got her tubes on the 24th with no problem. I think we were waiting for less than 20 mins. When we went back to get her, she was sitting in the lap of a nurse wide awake and happy as can be! She went to daycare the next day. Jillian however, stayed home that Wednesday because she threw up in the middle of the night. I think then we had a good week or so, then on a Tuesday the 7th, I got a call from daycare that Carleigh had a fever of 103. I took her directly to the doctor because I was afraid it had something to do with her ears. Her ears looked fine & they figured she just had a virus. So, I stayed home with her on Wednesday & nana stayed with her on Thursday. She woke up on Friday with a red watery eye, geez louise! Nana was taking Jillian & Oscar to Chuck E. Cheese for Oscars birthday so she couldn't stay with her. But I figured I would take her to the doctor again for her eye. They prescribed eye drops, but her ears looked good then too. Monday the 13th, I take Carleigh to the doctor for her 18mth check up. She screamed the entire time, starting because we had to take off her coat. But now she had an ear infection. UGH. Ear drops & antibiotic for her now. As I'm walking out of the doctor office, I get a call from daycare stating Jillian is complaining & crying when she pees stating it hurts.....are you kidding me???? I dropped Carleigh off with Chris, went & picked Jillian up & took her to Immediate Care. She did an AWESOME job there, unlike last time she had to give a urine sample. She let them take her BP, weight, height & temp with no complaints. Thankfully she didn't have an UTI, just possible irritation from some foam soap we had used recently in the bath. The rest of the week went well. Saturday, we went to friends house to have a play date for Jillian. Sammy is Jillian's age & they have a daughter Lia, who is Carleigh's age. Sunday, bam, Carleigh has another flipping fever!!! I called the doctor on Monday & they said if the ears weren't draining it was probably just another virus. Take her to daycare on Tuesday, for her to get sent home automatically because they say she has hand foot mouth disease. Thankfully, she got to go back the next day & everything has been fine since, 5 whole days. She did have an ENT follow up on the 22nd. Her hearing had improved & the ear infection was gone! She is scheduled again in 6 mths for a follow up. I sure hope she starts feeling better soon because if she doesn't, I'm going to scream because she is very whiny, screams & cries for me to pick her up!! I think she is more attached to me than Jillian was, and that was a lot! LOL

Granny moved to Red Bud Illinois today. I have been struggling with it for the last couple of weeks, but it seemed a little rushed yesterday, while they loaded the truck, so it wasn't as emotional as what I thought it would be, thankfully. It is just hard to think I may not see my grandmother much before she passes away. She has always only been 2 hrs away or less my entire life, but now she is 5 hrs away. I can't make that a quick trip to see her. It is very hard to see her as she has deteriorated over the last few years, but she was the best granny ever! I have such fond memories of her as I was growing up & she means so much to me. I know, 5 hrs isn't really that far away in the grand scheme of things, but with life & 2 kids, it is a great distance! She told me yesterday that she hopes to see me soon & that she knows she is pretty far away. I told her that it didn't matter the distance, there is no distance too far when it comes to her. And it is true! I will find a way to go see her a couple of times in the next few months. I lover her and hope she knows exactly how much!

Well, the holiday season is over!! Yippee. I have enjoyed the last few weekends of not doing very much.
We had a good Christmas. The girls got lots of presents from family & from Santa. Carleigh really had no clue what was going on. Jillian acted a little "shy" about opening presents. She wanted to pass out me & Chris's presents half way through opening her presents. Not sure what that was all about, but I think they both enjoyed the day & all their presents.
Chris & I joined Rick, Shelley, Dani & PJ for New Years Eve watching Peacetrain. I think I danced 90% of the night. I got drunk, but not too bad that I had a hangover the next day, I can't say the same about Chris :) We had a great time though!! I was sad to see the night end.
Chris & I went out to dinner last night for his birthday. We went to one of our favorite places, Stonecreek, for dinner & then walked across the street & watched Contraband. It was very good. All in all, it was a great night. Very glad we did it. it was definitely much needed. Before we left, Jillian asked why we were going on a date, I told her because Mommy & Daddy need to be reminded that we aren't just mommy & daddy, but husband & wife too. It definitely reminded me of that bit of information. It also reminded me as to why I married him. I can't believe we have been together for almost 12 years!! Time sure has flown.
Carleigh is getting tubes on Tuesday. I'm happy because she has been fighting ear infections all year. But also nervous, which I'm sure is natural. It is just a little scary that my baby is going under anesthesia. And I'm sure it would be normal to feel this way, but in the back of my mind I'm a little more nervous because of the pneumothorax when she was born. Her pediatrician & Dr. Weaver (the special care nursery dr) has assured me that there will be no repercussions with it, but it still makes me a little nervous. Chris has reassured me that she is a fighter & everything will be fine. Which I'm sure it will.