Blonde?

This picture begs the question why is my hair so blonde? I haven't highlighted since the very very beginning of my daughter's pregnancy. At first when I saw this I thought I didn't spend that much time outside this summer. But under more retrospection I think its just the lighting. I also thought no wonder people don't believe me that I had dark hair as a small child, like my son's hair.  

So here are so much fun filled sun filled pictures, of my daughter's birthday.

My Baby..

Turned 2!

Let it be said, I combed my daughter's hair before everyone arrived, I even tried to place a bow in it so her birthday pictures would look better, but she had none of that.  So her birthday pictures are keeping it real, scraggly hair and all.

 By the way it was a great party, lots of Brent's family came, it was so fun, my little brother and wife even braved Brent's family for their niece. It was so great, to have three of brent's siblings and families, and Nan's grandparents.  Unexpectedly she got 6 cousins at her party.  It was so fun, I was so glad so many showed up.

The Stockings are Hung...

The stockings are hung over the flatscreen with care, it hopes that Elmo wouldn't get stuck in my head.

This picture would have probably been better if the TV was off, but yet I'm keeping it real.

Not Potty Training

We aren't potty training, but my daughter loves to sit on the potty.  When this picture she had yet to ever pee without a diaper on.  She sits there everyday but never pees.  Last night she was sitting there, and I left for a second when I came back she was upset because after she had gotten off she had peed a little and she didn't like it runing down her leg.  I told her I was super excited and gave her candy for the peeing.  I'm not going to potty train her until she successfully pees on the toilet.

Future Car

I always felt slightly squished with my Subaru since my daughter was born, I miss having a spare seat. But have always said I'm not going to upgrade until I get a minivan and I'm not ready for a mini van.
My husband has never wanted a mini van, but figured I'm the one driving it.  But then a few days I ago I was annoyed I didn't have an extra seat belt, it would make play dates way easier if I had an extra seat belt, plus I could fit my parents in the car with my family of four.  Then I saw I highland drive by, that would be a nice car, not huge like a minivan but would give me some extra seats occasionally.  We are NOT buying a new car, Highland or not anytime soon.  But ah to have a dream I'm excited about.
I told my husband this, and he said finally.  I hate mini vans, and don't want to buy one, I would much rather buy an SUV.
I said yes, but I have the false thought that SUVs are bad gas millage.  While this is true, a mid size SUV has better gas mileage than a mini van because its a smaller sized car.  Although I know this is true because I've seen the stats I can't really get it through my mind.  All of this is a relief its nice to be unified in my dreams with my husband.  Its also nice to know we are not going to be buying a mini van in a year or so.

A few thoughts on my children and me

My daughter always thinks she is in charge.  She puts her coat away in her room, which means I can never find it when its time to go.  She has decided it belongs in her room.  Then when I said we need your coat she goes and grabs it, and refuses to put it on, but tightly holds it in her teeny hands.  She puts it next to her in the car, and when we stop, she grabs it and carries it with her.  I guess she will put it on when she deems it cold enough to put on.

I know you can't please everyone and I don't try.  But I just wanted to put it out there, I'm sure some people think I'm a strict parent, and other people thing we are lazy.
For example, my daughter can totally spill her cheerios all over the floor in church, and we just scoop them up and let her eat them again.  Gross I know, but still... I guess we are lazy.
But bedtime and wake time is non negotiable in my house.  When mom said its bedtime, you better start moving or heads are going to roll. I love my sleep so no one is allowed to expect me to mother them before 8 am, occasionally they can get me up at 7:45.  Naptime is Naptime, same goes, don't expect it over in less than 3 hours.
Food is much the same way, I don't buy treats in the store, and eat what you are served.  Everyone is expected to eat at least as many bites as they are old, more if they want a sweet treat afterward. But don't expect on every night.  Also you better not move while we are eating, no dancing around the kitchen when you are procrastination your dinner.
Don't expect a toy at the local box store because its not happening, they learn to stop asking.
When I tell you no, you listen.  By the time you are 10 months, it is unacceptable to touch a knick-knack in great grandma's house or anyone one's house unless they give you permission.
But at the same time, my daughter can walk in the snow without a coat, because its not the worth the fight.  She rarely wears shoes because she won't.  Life goes on, I love to be that mother in walmart with my child shoeless.   She isn't allowed to get out of the cart, but she allow to sit anywhere in the cart that she pleases. Yup, its awesome to see frost on all the cars, and see my daughters poke through the metal grates of the cart.
I'm sure my neighbor looked on it horror while I allowed her to play on the patio yesterday without a coat or shoes, the neighbors' kids were bundled up.  She didn't want them on, and it wasn't worth the fight. Just for the record it wasn't that cold yesterday all the snow has melted. But if its possible I think my daughter wears shoes less this winter then she did last winter, if that's possible.
Speaking of the lazy side of parenting, my son wore a dirty shirt to school today.  My mom would have been horrified, but he wanted to wear the shirt, and spilled his breakfast on it, I cleaned it up best I could.  But he wanted to wear it, so I let him.
Like I said depending on how you measure, I'm either really strick, or way lazy.  I don't even buy a box of fruit snacks a month, that how un-nice I am to my kids.
Just yesterday my mom told me how mean I was.  (She was joking.)  J was mad I wouldn't let him eat candy for lunch, so he kicked the boxes of mac and cheese on the ground.  Then I told him to pick them up. He wasn't happy with me. I didn't even give him a healthy lunch until he picked them up. How mean am I?

A few thoughts

My daughter always thinks she is in charge.  She puts her coat away in her room, which means I can never find it when its time to go.  She has decided it belongs in her room.  Then when I said we need your coat she goes and grabs it, and refuses to put it on, but tightly holds it in her teeny hands.  She puts it next to her in the car, and when we stop, she grabs it and carries it with her.  I guess she will put it on when she deems it cold enough to put on.

I know you can't please everyone and I don't try.  But I just wanted to put it out there, I'm sure some people think I'm a strict parent, and other people thing we are lazy.
For example, my daughter can totally spill her cheerios all over the floor in church, and we just scoop them up and let her eat them again.  Gross I know, but still... I guess we are lazy.
But bedtime and wake time is non negotiable in my house.  When mom says its bedtime, you better start moving or heads are going to roll. I love my sleep so no one is allowed to expect me to mother them before 8 am, occasionally they can get me at 7:45.  Naptime is Naptime, same goes, don't expect it over in less than 3 hours.
Food is much the same way, I don't buy treats in the store, and eat what you are served.  Everyone is expected to eat at least as many bites as they are old, more if they want a sweet treat afterward.  Also you better not move while we are eating, no dancing around the kitchen when you are procrastination your dinner.
Don't expect a toy at the local box store because its not happening, they've learn to stop asking.
When I tell you no, you listen.  By the time you are 10 months, it is unacceptable to touch a knick-knack in great grandma's house or anyone one's house unless they give you permission.
But at the same time, my daughter can walk in the snow without a coat, because its not the worth the fight.  She rarely wears shoes because she won't. (But if she walks in the snow she has to be wearing some sort of boot.)  Life goes on, I love to be that mother in walmart with my child shoeless.   She isn't allowed to get out of the cart, but she allow to sit anywhere in the cart that she pleases. Yup, its awesome to see frost on all the cars, and see my daughter's toes poke through the metal grates.
I'm sure my neighbor looked on it horror while I allowed her to play on the patio yesterday without a coat or shoes, the neighbors' kids were bundled up.  She didn't want them on, and it wasn't the fight. Just for the record it wasn't that cold yesterday all the snow has melted. But if its possible I think my daughter wears shoes less this winter then she did last winter, if that's possible.
Speaking of the lazy side of parenting, my son wore a dirty shirt to school today.  My mom would have been horrified, but he wanted to wear the shirt, and spilled his breakfast on it, I cleaned it up best I could.  But he wanted to wear it, so I let him.