Yardwork

The girls stayed with my parents for a few days for 'spring-break', and they were put to work.  I'm sure the work they did actually just caused more work - but they were cute doing it, none-the-less.

A little bit of a lot

Abe Lincoln had a birthday....and so did Andy.  Happy 30th!  FINALLY!

We took a mini-vacation to Branson (yee-haw!) the Thursday/Friday/Saturday of Andy's birthday weekend.  It was nice to get away, stay in a hotel & eat in restaurants. Also nice to not worry about cleaning their stuff - although they may want to consider doing that a little more often.  It is also insane the amount of laundry that compiled and multiplied while we were gone. The girls were happy - they were able to swim in an indoor pool in February. And we ate a place with the worlds largest wooden chicken.  Branson SCREAMS classy - so we fit right in.

We had ONE day of snow.  Two inches tops.  Taylor was so excited to finally have snow, that I let them go out and play when we got home from work/school that day.  Yes, it was dark.  They were only out there for about 10 minutes.  Connor was not such a fan of playing that night....which should have been my first clue that something was wrong...

I thought she seemed stuffy/congested and had the perpetual runny nose while we on vacation, and once we got back I heard a cough a few times at night.  By Tuesday morning, I decided to take her in to get an ear check - assuming ear infection...symtpoms similar in the past. No fever.  Turns out...I'm mother of the year, and my sweet Connor-buggy had RSV!  So - breathing treatments, and home from school for the rest of the week.  Thanks again Mom & Dad for coming to help us out a few days in there :)


Finally over the sickness - we are still up & down with Connor at night. Some nights are excellent (as in she sleeps all night long) other nights are inexplicable. The girl will wake up at 2:30 and just want to sing or play, or she pooped, or she decided to get up and put her fingers in the humidifier vapor-rub area and rub that all over her face. So you can understand that when I went in to check on her one night and found this....I just let sleeping dogs lie....

And finally this week. Monday night, our well stopped working and we had no water until Tuesday mid-day.  I showered at work - thank goodness I joined the gym!  Tuesday night- we had tornado sirens at 10:45. So we carried the sleeping girls (Connor stayed asleep, I do not know how) downstairs and camped out in the basement waiting for the storm to pass.  All seemed fine - until I saw this today....

 

Yes, I do still exist!

I've got a lot of excuses as to why I haven't updated, but well, you know what are excuses are like.  I completely missed January!  Let's start back with some pictures from Christmas-time...

 This one may be before Christmas - because she hasn't worn diapers for a while. Don't worry - she's still wearing pull-ups...we aren't all the way there yet on they potty thing.

This is after a photo session for Christmas pictures...they are remarkably still smiling.

 OH ...now we are at Christmas.  My cousin Amanda was patient enough to teach/play a card game with Taylor at G-ma Jean's house.

I managed to snap a photo of Eli, Connor & Taylor snuggling on the couch.  This didn't last long.  What are they - 2nd cousins?

Hey-o.  Proof that Connor sat on Uncle Doug's lap - and wasn't crying about it!

 The girls with my dad and Eli with his Grandpa.

Christmas Morning....Taylor (and Connor) had asked Santa for a Baby-Alive.  And yay, that's what Santa brought them!  Whoo-hoo...just what we needed, another baby to pee on the carpet in this house.

Fast-forward a week to Meinen Family Christmas.  This posing was just a terrible idea on my part.

 These two are a mess...

The first week back to school of 2012, Taylor's class had a special "You dress yourself" day.  Pretty much everyday Taylor dresses herself, but I usually help with the appropriate picking of items/matching.  This day was supposed to be WHATEVER she wanted to wear...I think two of the kids in her class showed up in their Halloween costumes.  Taylor picked the above outfit.  Polka-dots go with more polka-dots, right?  OH - and sparkles.  Gotta have the sparkly shoes.

Connor didn't want to be left out - so this is what she wore to school that day.  Mee-yow.

Santa-Phobia

The Santa picture is not happening again this year....

Trying to do the convincing....I even offered to sit with them.  Taylor even offered to hold her hand *gasp*!

She may as well have been covered in double-stick tape; she was not letting go.  And wouldn't even smile at the camera.

Not our Christmas Card

You'll have to wait until the 23rd-ish of December to see the real card.  And if you think you aren't getting one and want one, send me your darn address!

Cinderella Weekend

While Andy enjoyed his first opening weekend with my Dad (and other male members of my extended family)...the girls and I camped out with my Mom.  We went to the local high school production of Cinderella, and as a special bonus - there was a Cinderella Tea on Saturday afternoon.  The girls got to decorate their own crowns, take pictures with Cinderella in her pumpkin carriage, listen to a preview of the songs from the cast, and meet any character they wanted to.  They liked the Step Sisters a lot - but did not want anything to do with the Prince or the King.  Guess that's good news for Andy for now :)

Decorating the crowns while Joy the ugly step-sister visited.

Orneriest princess in the whole place.  While the show was going on  - and it was quiet in the atrium area - Connor passed some gas while sitting on my lap.  Then said "Poop!!" as loud as could be.  I'm sure my face was the color of those red chairs.

Only one Princess was willing to stand with the giant pumpkin at this point.

With Cinderella in her Carriage.  Connor was pretty apprehensive at first, but Taylor was an excellent big-sister and held her hand so she would do it.

Little Miss Serious intently watching one of the preview scenes.

The girls with the Step-Mother & Step-Sisters.

Learning how to waltz.....

So they could dance with each other - cause you know they would have nothing to do with dancing with the prince or anyone else!

Taylor's Pumpkin Patch Birthday

Authors note: (haha- author is me - haha)  It just took 42 minutes for blogger to upload these pictures.  I do not feel like organizing them in order.  Captions will be short. Deal wit it...

I call this "Life imitating Scarecrow"

 All the little kiddos at Taylor's 4th birthday party munching on some cake.

When T opened this gift she exclaimed "Oh Quentin! It's just right!"  Quentin would be the little blondie to her left.  Such drama....

The gift of the coveted hula hoop.  

Little pumpkin cakes - ala my mom.  Delish.

"If the scarecrow looks right at mom's camera, then we should look the other available directions. Of course!"

"Hey, I'm almost 3 feet tall finally!"

Cannot open eyes all the way for pictures.