still.breathing

We are still alive around here! We've just been sick and busy and my internet was down for about 4 days. So, I'm getting caught up.

My mom, sister, Amelia (because she's still attached) and I are having a girls weekend starting tonight! Yay! I'll be sure to post about it once we get back. I may even be able to sneak in a little post before the weekend.

little.peanut

Amelia went in for her 6 month checkup last week. She is such an itty bit. She weighed in at a whopping 13 pounds 7 ounces (5-10 percentile) and was 24 1/4 inches long. She didn't enjoy her shots, and I think she was running a bit of a fever the following day. Thankfully, she's over it.

She's been eating her rice cereal well, and we've now graduated to real food. She started her sweet potatoes the other day although she gagged on the last two bites. Josh and I were both laughing at her funny faces...it's hard not to!

She has also started "crawling". It looks more like an uncoordinated inch worm scoot. Cute nonetheless. Claire and Meredith were delighted to watch her scoot around the family room after a little green ball! They insisted that we temporarily suspend reading time last night just to watch her scoot. I just love it that they love her! Although their feelings may quickly fade once Amelia starts getting into their "stuff"!

So, in honor of big sisters and little sisters, please share a fun story about one of your siblings! I'll go first...

When Claire was about 2, she loved to talk on the phone to Aunt Jill (she still does). Whenever she was done talking to Aunt Jill, she would always say, "Bye-bye! See ya Aunt Jill!" This has evolved into Claire not even saying it anymore, and Jill and I adopting it as our offical "good bye". We say it at the end of every phone call, but it has turned into one big word sounding like this: buhbyeceeya. We even end our emails with "bbcy". Weird, I know...at least we're in it together.

What's your story?

mixed.up.chameleon

This was such a fun project that we did a few weeks ago. I was so proud of the girls for their fantastic artwork. I even saved their chameleons because they were so cute!

First, I copied the idea off of this website.

Next, we read this book:


Then, I made a template (from the website) and traced it on paper for the girls to trace.

Finally, we busted out the watercolors and just like that we had mixed up chameleons. So great.

Claire's chameleon:

Meredith's chameleon:

I know, I know...Meredith's looks a little sick. It looked a bit more healthy until she decided to dip her brush into the black. I was so proud of her for tracing with the oil pastels so well and staying in the lines with her watercolors.

By the way, the site that I stole this from is one of my favorite art sites. It has such great ideas for all ages of kids!

things.i've.learned

Here are a few things that I've learned while on my blogging break:

1. I don't have to blog to survive.

2. I get a lot more laundry done when I'm not reading blogs.

3. When Meredith "accidentally" pinched Claire, it was all I could do to keep from blogging about it...."well, my fingers just went like this (close together in a pinching pose) and then they were right by her leg, and then I just 'accidentally' pinched her."...Meredith trying to look as innocent as possible. I was laughing. Seriously, there are some moments when you just can't help yourself.

4. I had 83 unread blog posts in my Google Reader account. Again, people, if you don't have Google Reader and you read more than 3 blogs YOU NEED IT! Let me repeat...YOU NEED IT!

5. I also learned which of my blogs (on Google Reader) that I don't need to read. Those were the ones that I didn't bother catching up on this morning when I was catching up. I automatically "mark(ed) them all as read" without thinking twice. I think I'll delete them from my list in the morning. Don't worry...if you are reading this, your blog isn't being deleted!

6. I am no longer addicted to my blogging, but instead to the new Starbucks Signature Hot Chocolate: Hazelnut. Go ahead...click on the link and sniff the screen. In the words of Darcy...yumo. Saying that it is good is an understatement. I had two over the weekend. I'm currently wishing that I was holding another.

So, thank you all of my faithful blogging buddies who have come back for more Jackie. I had a fantastic weekend out of town with the husband and only one sweet little Amelia. It was so fun to cart around just one little baby. And Josh and I had an amazing two nights together just enjoying each other's company and watching some movies! Loved it. Thanks especially to our babysitters, Aunt Jill and Grandma Ice Cream!

100.posts

Here we are at 100 already!

Josh is convinced that I am a blogaholic. I can't even deny it. Because of this, I will be taking a blogging vacation through next Wednesday! A whole week off....wow! We will all survive this together.

Pray for my willpower to not check my blogs! It will be extremely difficult for me, but I know that patience and self control are virtues.

I must admit that I've truly enjoyed Sarah's last 2 posts. If you have time, please read them:

This one first.

This one second.

True comic relief.

play.dough

Play dough. So easy. Hours and hours of fun.

The girls helped make some play dough. We've made our own in the past, but we decided to do it for school this time. The girls loved how warm it was right off the stove. It is ridiculously easy to make. We were practicing "cutting" for school.

Here's how to make your own:
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup salt
1/2 cup water
1/2 tablespoon oil
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
food coloring
Mix all ingredients in a small saucepan (except food coloring). Heat on low heat until the dough forms. Knead on a floured surface and add a few drops of food coloring. Play.

six.months

Can you believe my little Amelia is 6 months old today? It brings tears to my eyes! I cannot think of a more perfect baby for my #3. She sleeps well, she eats well, she is content most of the time, and most importantly...she is extremely tolerant of her sisters (poor thing).

This has been a big month for Amelia.

She often chews on her fingers.

Now she's chewing on her toes.

She started sitting in her clip-on high chair at the counter. She likes it.

However, now she feels like she has a Meredith-growth on her right and a Claire-growth on her left. Claire and Meredith fight over who gets to sit closest to Amelia! Warms my heart.

Then, Amelia smiled the moment before her life was changed forever.

Hello rice cereal...nice to meet you.

Not sure if we can be friends...

...but we can work on it.

I guess it wasn't so bad after all.

And probably one of the biggest stories of the week...Amelia locked her elbows, pulled her knees in, pointed her rear end to the sky, and lunged herself forward! There was absolutely nothing graceful about it, and she planted her little chin right into the carpet, but it was indeed forward motion. She's done it at least two more times since last Friday! Houston...I think we have a crawler.

bowling.babes

I took the girls bowling last week for the first time. They did fairly well! The bumpers that are available for the kids are seriously the only way to go! As a kid, I remember getting gutter after gutter. This "bumper" bowling doesn't do anything to build character, but it does make for a much more enjoyable bowling experience.

A local bowling alley hosts a home school bowling day once a month. It was $3 per person for 2 hours of bowling. It includes your shoe rental and a drink at the concession stand! Such a great price! Anyway, it is more than just a bowling alley. They have all kinds of fun stuff for kids to do. It is more of a rec center...very impressive.

Here's Amelia...this was one of her happier moments. She didn't enjoy bowling as much as her sisters.


Since Meredith didn't get gutter after gutter, here are a few of her victory moves. She celebrated anytime she knocked pins down (which was pretty often). It was celebration after celebration. Each of the girls got one strike! Claire said, "We won!" Funny.