Pictures!!

 

I like to take my own pictures of my girls. No, they aren't professional, but I like to do it on our own time. I don't like a lot of photo shopping either!! So some of these are great. But they are for me and my family and I love them!!

 

 This is Scarlet's general out look on life right now.

 

 

This is a little better!! She can be cute when she wants to!!

 

 

I LOVE the leggings she has on!!

 

 

She was starting to like all the attention she was getting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next was Ella's turn!! She is harder to get pictures of than Scarlet!! She makes weird faces!!

 

 

I can't believe she is 4!!

 

 

I love my little girls so much!! They are a handful every single day, but they are also very sweet. I hope you enjoyed all the pictures!!

Jr Cheer Camp

This week was junior cheer camp. Ella had a great time!! She learned all sorts of funny cheer songs that I used when I cheered. Its interesting how those silly ditties have withstood the passing of time!! I heard "HEY BURRITO!!" all week long!!

 Ella and Jara. In case it wasn't already clear, my child is incapable of taking a decent picture.

 

 This is Ella's favorite person. Daryl is not only a cheerleader but Ella's babysitter. She came every Tuesday evening this summer, so I could go to Zumba. She is an angel!! I try to pay her well, to make the entertainment of my child worth her while, but I think she still might be underpaid!!

 

She's amazing!!

 

I loved cheerleading and I miss it all the time. I enjoyed coaching and would like to go back one day. Obviously that is contingent on whether or not I was actually hired!! But I would like to be involved again, when my daughters are older and not quite so demanding.

Cheer taught me responsibility. It taught me joy from the results of hard work. I learned perseverance and patience. I want Ella and Scarlet to both cheer, or dance.

If they choose to play a sport that's great too, but cheer is the closest to my heart and what I understand.

 

It was a good week and I am happy for all the cheerleaders who made the effort to run a good camp. It started out rocky but improved!! Hence the afore mentioned perseverance!!

 

We now head toward the new school year!! Ella is in a morning preschool 3 days a week. I'm excited for her new teacher. I've talked to her and I'm confident she is qualified and will be a good influence to Ella. She has some great ideas and I'm excited to have her teach my crazy child!!

One Year Old!!

 

 

Today is Scarlet's official birthday!! We spent the day at the doctor and at Little Cheer Camp.

Not so much fun for Scarlet, but we did already a party so it's all fair!!

Scarlet is behind developmentally, so I haven't ever documented her progress. I feel fiercely protective of my children and let my imagination run wild with the criticism people may have. Sometimes I think I'm justified. There's a lot of bitchy women out there!!

 

Scarlet can not crawl, or walk, and is very limited in her mobility. She has some problems but today isn't about that, so I digress.

 

She CAN: throw a fit if you take away something she has and wants.

Laugh and smile with gusto!!

Stand assisted.

Chatters up a storm that isn't just usual baby jargon. It seriously sounds like words!!

Just barely started eating solids and hates baby food. She wants people food and loves any kind of tomato sauce.

Weighs 22.5 lbs 75% for weight

Is 29 3/4 inches long 90% for height

Yes she is a GIANT monster baby!! So much for being a preemie!!

 

We love Scarlet very much. She comes with multiple challenges that are daunting some days. We try not to dwell on them or forever label her a "preemie". We keep it in mind, but I don't want her to be 6 and still blaming prematurity for anything that crops up!!

She is thriving!!

She's mostly happy and loves her family and we love her!!

Happy Birthday, my love.



Scarlet's Birthday Party!!!

Today we had Scarlet's birthday party!! I can't believe my baby is a year old!! Well, on the 22nd she'll officially be a year. 

Her Auntie Amy and Uncle Jody got her this SWEET car!!

Eliseeeee is currently my favorite. Because look at her awesomeness!!

My children are spoiled. I'll admit it, and I don't care about it!! Scarlet was more curious than excited about presents.

Like her sister, Scarlet is getting curly hair!! Except hers looks even MORE curly and is THICK!!

For the record:

My daughters' curly hair comes from my great grandmother Mildred Andersen Robison.

I have curly hair but not THAT curly. More frizzy than anything else!

And NO. Brent does not have curly hair!!

First bite of cake. She wasn't quite sure about it!!

My lame attempt at cake baking!!

She decided cake wasn't too bad!!

She finished it all!! The crumbs that inevitably ended up on the floor were vacuumed up by Elise & Molly, the cat!!

Scarlet's official birthday is next Wednesday and I will post on her developments and size and such. Yay!!

Happy birthday to my 2nd beautiful, blue eyed baby!! 

It's hot and we're bored!!

We got creative today when we were bored to tears!! I found some extra googly eyes, old buttons and yarn from some long ago failed project. We made sock puppets!!

 I LOVE socks, and I have A LOT of them!! When I cleaned out the sock drawer today we recycled them into: Mr. and Mrs. Sock

 And Baby Sock

Ella is very creative but not when it comes to naming things!! Everything is just named what it is.

I.E. Black kitty, Boots, Poodle, Tiger, etc.

This little sock family provided hours of fun!! 

I'm still in a bad mood, but I've moved on....

Essential Oils

I was a huge skeptic of essential oils when the rage started last year. I’m usually a skeptic when it comes to everything, actually. But my SIL wanted to do a class and I thought that no knowledge is worthless, so I attended.

I learned a lot and decided that these oils weren’t pills claiming to create magic. They were natural ingredients that my own Grandma had used on the farm!! I bought the physician’s kit and I’ll tell you what people: I BELIEVE!! (Picture an evangelist preacher whilst I declare this!!) I bought the book and it resides near the scriptures and my "Master Notebook"*. I have a great memory so it's nearly memorized. I like to be thorough.

I use oils every day and I feel like they are working!! Maybe it’s all physiological, maybe it’s them balancing the chemicals of my body naturally. Either way, I believe!! Here are the oils I use every evening and why I use them:

I use these all topically on the bottom of my feet and on the reflex points on my ankles.

Oil                   Uses               

Rosemary: Regulates the ovaries

Geranium: Agitation, pelvic pain, PMS, hormonal balance

Bergamot: Agitation, stress in all forms, PMS

Clary Sage: Cramps, menstrual problems and bleeding, hormonal balance

Grapefruit: Appetite suppressant

I use these in my night moisturizer.

Melalueca (tea tree oil): acne

Frankincense: wrinkles

I use these for the girls:

Lavender: in their lotion for relaxation

Bergamot: in their bath water to reduce stress

I also diffuse:

Serenity: nightly- relaxation

Balance: nightly- relaxation (I mix these together and sometimes put lemon or wild orange just for the smell.)

Slim and Sassy or Grapefruit: around 2pm to help my munchies.

I was using only DoTerra oils and I really love their oil blends. But let’s face it,Doterra is expensive and their price turns people off of the benefits oils offer. So I use NOW from the local health food store more often.

Maybe it’s all snake oil. Maybe it’s the cure for cancer. Either way, I am liking them!!

*The Master Notebook is a LARGE 3 ring binder that I manage my life with. EVERYTHING is in the book!! I don't think of it as OCD, I think of it as organized!!

I'm Complaining

Yeah that’s right!! I feel like griping!! I have a miserable sore throat and can’t figure out how the hell I get sick in the middle of summer. I have been sitting on the couch for 3 days and every time I get up I am completely exhausted by just going to the bathroom. In an effort to combat said ailment, I have covered myself in essential oils. Therefore, I am pretty sure I smell like a decomposing Egyptian corpse. In my negative attitude, I have compiled a list of all the things I am fully annoyed with. Enjoy!!!

1.      Political commercials. I’m pretty sick and tired of slanderous mudslinging that has even stooped so low as to feature one candidate’s horse. Really? Regardless of my political party or preference, that is really lame. Guess what? All these dudes are filthy rich. I bet more than one of them has a horse. I bet all their wives wear expensive clothes. I bet there’s even a yacht stashed somewhere. And several vacation homes. I think I’ll vote for the candidate who talks the least amount of CRAP. 

2.      Everyone is so damn sensitive!! Every little thing anybody says is racist, sexist, or hurting someone’s feelings. Chick fil A is under fire for its stand on gay marriage. Regardless of MY opinion on gay marriage, is Chick fil A not entitled to their own opinion? Just because it isn’t what everyone wants to hear, they aren’t allowed to believe how they see fit? My gosh people, are we all supposed to just do everything the same and not form our own feeling about anything? Have some freaking tolerance.

3.      It seems like people are more willing to give money and funds and compassion for ANIMALS than they are for people. I’m sorry, I’ll give my money to poor children more than to whales any day.

4.      I hate the summer. Yes, I know the winters are beautiful. Yes I know it doesn’t last forever. Yes, I KNOW. That doesn’t mean the heat doesn’t suck my will to live!! I don’t exercise. I just have a bad attitude about having to get up at 5:30 and still sweating my butt off. I just want to hole up, never open the blinds and wait for winter so I came use my oven again.

5.      My children are stir crazy, getting stupid from so many cartoons, and therefor whiny. In their defense, so am I.

6.   I have loved watching the Olympics but do their uniforms have to be so skanky?! And I'm not pointing a finger at beach volley ball this year!! MALE DIVERS PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR BANANA HAMMOCK FITS!!

On a good note:

I have loved watching the Olympics. I feel deeply proud and patriotic watching our athletes represent our country. It also inspires my daughter. She has informed us she wants to go to the Olympics in gymnastics, swimming and trampoline!! I plan on signing her up for cheer or dance or something!!

It’s August so hopefully the summer will be over in a month or so. Or at least reduces to a dull warmth.

Preschool will start in about a month so poor, bored Ella will be happy again. God bless Ms. Merna!!

Hopefully my bad attitudes leaves soon and I can get back to my regular self.....which is slightly less ornery and slightly less cynical.