Princess Camp!

Haven was in her glory this week. This was her first camp experience and she now wishes princess camp was every week! She was in her element each day from 9am-12pm. There was special music, crafts, princess story time, dress-up, drama and more. What fun!

I took these pictures of her grand finale - the presentation for the parents and families!

Why I feel so exhausted...

It is not like I am running a marathon every day, but as a mother, I feel some days that I just crossed the finish line of one! Today was one of those days. And, it was not due to an increase in my heart rate, but more the mental fatigue of always being mentally alert and aware of the going-ons of Parker. I felt this fatigue after returning home after Haven's grand finale at princess camp - her special end-of-the-week presentation for the parents. I had to make it very clear to Parker that this was Haven's special performance and she was to stay close by and watch with mama.... which, she managed 90% of the time. She only ran out twice to join the fun: once to grab an instrument during the special music number and again to dance along the other princesses during the special song. Parker is quick and I am not as quick since I have a growing belly that is now getting in the way.

Afterward, there were refreshments and I wanted to spend time with Haven and talk over fruit and cookies. Parker sat for 30 seconds and then was off again. I really wanted to focus on Haven since this was her special day! I think in the time we ate a few bites of watermelon and strawberries, Parker managed to spill two water bottles, ran off with a walking cane that belonged to a handicapped individual and then paraded around the room with a few of the girl's wands that were made especially for the performance day. Of course, the other girls did not like the fact that Parker had made off with their wands and complained. Their cries made me realize the extent of her two minute destruction.

This is why I get so tired. The amount of "awareness" it takes to keep tabs on this cute little firecracker is enough to keep me taking naps each afternoon with her (my favorite part of the day).

I think this is the reason why many moms are so tired at the end of the day... it is the skillful act of always being one step ahead of our little ones.

Our House...

Master Bath. I am very excited about this tub. Did not have a tub in our Missoula master bath. I would trade this for multiple flower beds any day.

Master suite.

Guest Bathroom downstairs.

Living room. Next BIG project is to cover the (beautiful) cornice boards with fabric that goes with our decor. You can't see it well, but they are a golden rode and royal blue stripe - Yikes.

Living room fireplace.

House has lots of great features like this wall alcove.

Kitchen

The eat-in kitchen table - a craigslist find.

My secretary desk... one of my favorite pieces. If only Parker would leave it alone!

Dining Room

Sitting room & Dining Room (right of entry)

Entry way

Sitting room... yes, the scene of the crime yesterday (see previous post).

Small alcove where the stairs lead up.

The guest room (downstairs - main level)

Now that the couches have been cleaned and spared, I decided to take some pictures of our new home now that the decorating is done and we are moved in. So, here is the grand tour of our Carlsbad home. Downsizing has its advantages and I am enjoying not having an acre and seven flower beds to maintain. However, I have to admit, I do miss the open space of Montana... things are a little more crowded down here.

Oh, the fury!

Rubbing Alcohol: MY HERO!!


Sometimes in the heat of rage and furry, it is best to walk away from the problem (in this case, my 2 year old daughter) and breath deep while focusing on a possible solution. But I will honestly admit, this was not my reaction as I saw bright orange Sharpee all over the walls as well as all over our NEW cream microsuede ottoman and love seat! I screamed, cried, and did everything but breath deep. Thankfully, Nate was home and removed Parker from my line of vision before I went after her. He did the discipline and I sat on the floor in hysterics thinking we would have to buy new furniture after seeing the orange devastation. I have never hated Sharpee markers so...

If you have been following our lives on this blog and as well as facebook, you will know that Parker has a love affair with markers and will sniff them out like a bloodhound. I even think it is funny that Parker and marker rhyme... I am sure I could create a very clever limerick! Well, we have since moved the markers to a 3rd location - Nate's gun safe.

Jill called during my melt down and suggested googling a solution... brilliant idea. I am sure I would have thought of this after I regained my senses. But I did manage to find a solution since it appears that I am not the only mother that has faced this obstacle. The remedy: rubbing alcohol (99%). I was shocked that it removed 90% of it... there is still a faint orange hue in some areas if I look for it, but thankfully, the furniture is saved! Parker is saved! I have decided to keep her after all...

There once was a girl named Parker

Who had a love affair with Sharpee markers

She scribbled on the furniture

With a furry unseen before

And now she has a sore bum and no supper*.

*She actually fell asleep while being in her room during time out and missed lunch.

Girls Room: Pretty in Pink

One of the BEST features of this house is the large room that Haven and Parker are sharing. Parker is now in a twin bed and on the bottom bunk. This has been a little bit of a challenge since she no longer has the barriers of the crib to keep her in! Besides having to do a little discipline to make sure she stays in her in her bed, the transition is going well and the girls love their new room!

I purchased the bunk beds at a friend's garage sale last summer thinking I would need them at some point (glad I did!). Before we moved, my dad help paint them a teal blue. Of course, matching bedding was a must and I ordered surfer girl themed bedding sets now that they are San Diego girls. This last week, Jill (mother-in-law) and I made curtains for the 12 ft ceilings! They turned out really cute... another perk of knowing the basics of sewing.

Now that their room is done, I can start finishing up other rooms! Stay tuned...

Another GIRL!

I apologize if this is a repeat picture for those who are on Facebook with me... but I try not to ignore my blog even though at this point in time I am finding less and less free time to do just that. I am sure it has to do with all these boxes that are surrounding us!

This past Wednesday was the BIG day as we discovered who is abiding in my belly. Yes, we will be welcoming another sweet little princess at the end of November. I have to admit, girls are a blast and not to mention way too much fun to dress up! So, I am thrilled to have another sweetheart to love on and primp. Of course, Nate was hoping for a son, and I can understand that. But, you can't really argue with what God has in store for our family and he is such an AMAZING father to our girls. I could not have asked for a more attentive, wise, loving, and fun daddy when it comes to fathering princesses. I think God knew this fact too. I am sure our girls will know how to dribble a basketball like a pro, shoot a gun, and change a spare tire. Of course, we are thinking of names and I am already planning the colors and decor of another girl nursery!

I will post pics of our house soon... as soon as all these boxes are emptied and all is organized. I do love this house and feel very thankful that God provided at our time of need!

We made it!

We are here... but with no house. Typically, this would send me into a stress meltdown but I have adapted to the "go-wth-the-flow" surfer attitude down here and know this situation is out of my hands! We recently turned down a rental because we thought the price did not reflect the quality of the home... so, the search goes on! We looked at a few great potentials today, so I am praying God will open up the doors and allow us to move into a house soon! I am looking forward to seeing our belongings and feeling more grounded and at home here in San Diego. Meanwhile, we are staying with our very GRACIOUS friends who have two boys of their own. What a huge blessing to us. We are very appreciative.

The first full day we were here, Nate took the girls to the beach to show them the ocean. They loved it and came back with sand in every crevice. Parker managed to strip down to her diaper and run crazy like the crazy naked baby she was! We are looking forward to more trips to the beach in the months ahead! Yes, the weather here is amazing... feels like we are on vacation! I do feel lucky we get to live here, but do miss those gorgeous Montana mountains already.

We are Expecting!

Just when I thought my life could not get any more hectic and crazy... God decides to throw in a BABY!! I say "God decides" because I see this pregnancy as divine intervention... I will just leave it at that. We found out the day after Easter - the smell of cooked chicken (I was preparing our Easter meal) about threw me right over the edge and into the bathroom. That, and also the fact I took a three hour nap after throwing all the meal ingredients into the fridge because I was not feeling good. On Monday, I was off to Target! But this trip to the store was not the hopeful, exciting, optimistic venture that many of my past "going to purchase the pregnancy stick" trips have been... Parker was screaming in the shopping cart wanting to get out, Haven was asking for new stickers, and I was thinking "this test better be negative! I can't handle any more right now." Does God know we are MOVING too?! Nate was home this particular day and after a few minutes in the bathroom, I slapped the stick down on the kitchen counter in front of him and declared, "Well, LOOK what you did to me!" This probably was not the sweet, romantic declaration of "I'm pregnant" he was expecting. But I was surprised and in a state of shock. We BOTH were surprised!

Needless to say, we are happy to bring another little guy or girl into our family. We were planning on having another kiddo, just not now. I am due December 2nd. This has been a rough first trimester. This baby is kicking my butt. I have been sick, tired and ready for the couch each afternoon. The packing is getting done (thanks to some "good" mornings, friends and an amazing hubby). I keep apologizing to Nate because I don't think I have cooked a meal since that Easter feast... I really feel like something has taken over this body. I mean, I normally HATE hotdogs. But, for some reason, that is all I want to eat right now. I am talking about the big, juicy Costco hot dog lunch special. Ooohhh yeeeaaaa....

We will be out of this place in a few weeks! We found a great home in Encinitas to rent and will be moving in June 1st! I am praying by that time I will skipping about, over my hot dog fetish (for my waistline sake), and ready for our new adventures ahead.

And here they are again...

I realize this blog is mostly about my girls... I need to start taking more pics of my cute hubby too! But, Nana took these while Nate and I were away in San Diego a few weeks ago, and I just think these two are the sweetest. Thanks Nana for the matching sun dresses...

Packing it all up!

The big, fun joke was to surprise mommy while packing. My parents were here helping last weekend and grandpa would bring in an "empty" box for mommy to pack and... SURPRISE!

Easter Blessings

Today was so fun. Haven was head to toe in her Easter finest. Nana made sure Haven had white gloves, an Easter bonnet, and a matching purse for today and Haven did not take any of it off during the duration of our Easter celebrations! This was her day to dress up and revel in all her NEW finery! Parker could care less except for how many jelly beans she could sneak in her mouth. I did enjoy seeing her in the same Easter dress and shoes Haven wore three three years ago (sigh). I will see if I can find a picture of Haven in that dress.... (top pic - Haven, 16 months)

We later celebrated at our home with Mexican fare: Chicken Enchiladas, rice, beans, corn, salad and lots of choices for dessert! I forgot to take a picture of our table. Wish I could have captured all of us.

Today is such a wonderful reminder to all of us of how much our savior truly loves us... enough to die for us. The empty cross and tomb are powerful reminders that the resurrection is worth celebrating!

Sisters

When I have those difficult days (see previous post) God reminds me of the sweet blessings of raising sisters in moments like this. I am hoping that when we do move to San Diego, our next home will have a larger second bedroom for them to share. I have bunk-beds I purchased at a garage sale last summer and plan on painting them blush pink, so hopefully they will have more sweet sister scenes like this one.

PARKER!!!

So, Nate has been gone since last Monday and I thought I was doing well handling the girls on my own for a while. Haven is a breeze, but Parker always keeps me on my toes. She is just full of spunk and mischief. However, yesterday morning I about shipped her down to San Diego for Nate to handle. She is drawn (I think by a magnetic current) to markers. And, loves to decorate herself with them. I saw that she got into some Sunday morning as I plopped her into the high chair for breakfast (her hands were very colorful). But she was still in her pj's so I cleaned her up after she ate and got her dressed for church. When I was helping Haven pick up her room a few minutes later, I noticed the guilty markers in her nightstand drawer. I told Haven to put them in a safe place so Parker won't get into them and I went to get ready for church since we had a few minutes before we were to leave. Well... a few minutes later, Haven emerged with Parker in tow. Parker trotted over with marker all over her face, her NEW cardigan, and her white tights. I almost lost it. Maybe I did just a bit. I called it "frustration" to Haven, explaining to her why mommy sounded angry. Haven said Parker was just too quick. These were cheap, dollar store markers that did not come off easily. I had to scrub her face almost raw until all the creative expression came off... and her cardigan now has a faint blue stain. Oh well.

THEN... we were about to leave Fuddruckers after eating lunch. I got up and felt a rather painful pinch behind my upper thigh. Turning around, I found Parker looking up at me. She totally just bit into my back thigh! It was the first biting incident with her. I had a hard time disciplining Parker, fighting back the giggles over the mental picture of her just walking up to me and biting my back side! I guess I wasn't moving fast enough for her...

THEN... Haven gave Parker Silly Puddy (because she didn't like the color) right before bed. This stuff from the devil was then shredded up by Parker's little hands before falling asleep and became cemented and stuck in hair, pjs, bedding, stuffed animals, books...

I am ready for Nate to be home.