How Things Happen at Our House

When Grandma is in charge things look this:



When I am in charge things look like this:



And this:





And this:





And then this:



















Which leads to this:





There was still some left over candy the next day, but only until Cousin B got ahold of the tablecloth and the candy ended up on the floor. Somehow the gingerbread houses were safe and stayed on the table!

When they are playing nicely it usually means there is a mess

This time it was a big one.



























They were being fairies. My only guess is that the packing peanuts were fairy dust or clouds or something like that.













Soon after this picture Greta started crying that her hand hurt. Mean Mom that I am, I still made them clean it up. Lucky for the three of us I showed them a cool trick (use a bucket to scoop it up quickly) and by the end they were fighting (literally) for the peanuts.

Greta: (said to Andrea while cleaning up) "I'm in a bad attitude today."

I forgot to mention, because I know the question will be asked. Where was I during all the fun? In the other room, working on school work.

"Bravest of them All"

Wednesday the three of us went to get shots. One of those fun ones.

A couple weeks ago I took the girls for their well checks I let them choose if they wanted to get a shot or flu mist. Andrea... didn't really understand. Greta decided that she wanted a flu shot. When the nurse told us they only had the flu mist it took some thinking on Greta's part. She volunteered Andrea to be first (she had two other vaccinations to get also, plus the flu mist), Andrea hardly batted an eye, so Greta was okay. She did so well and said she liked the flu mist after it was over. A lot better reaction than saying it felt like she had a bloody nose which was her comment last year. Also a better reaction than the one Andrea had of blowing the mist out and all over my hand instead of sniffing it up!

Back to Wednesday. We couldn't do the flu mist again because it had only been two weeks. Greta wasn't sold on the idea. I went first, Greta volunteered that Andrea go next (such a nice big sister). Andrea was very brave and watched the whole thing then got her happy pink bandage. As Greta went to sit in the chair she said that I had to let her hold my hand really, really, really tight. She sat down, started holding my hands tighter and tighter, then couldn't do it. It was too much. And there was nothing I could do to talk her into it. I was talking to her (even trying to bribe her) for a couple hours after we got home. She was not going to budge. And when I told her that I wanted her to agree she told me that she wasn't going to. I had no idea she was so scared of shots.

The next day I got a call at work. I asked my mom if she was going to get the shot. She handed the phone to Greta who told me that she wanted to get the shot. "Really?! Do you want Grandma to take you or do you want me to?" "Grandma." I was just about to tell her that she could call and talk to me when she got it (as a distraction) when she said (hesitantly) "Okay. I'll go with you. Then you can see how brave I am. But you have to let me bring my Mickey Mouse sucker." That made my day. It also made me laugh.

We met up for the shot, waited our turn, I sat in the chair and she got on my lap. She covered her arms up, refusing to budge, even to let the lady clean her arm, until her sucker was open and was in her mouth. Lucky for us the lady giving the shot was really, really fast. She almost didn't make it. Instead there was a quick wipe then shot and we were done. And I didn't let her see the tiny bit of blood which I think was what had her so worried. (She saw that I bled a tiny bit. Andrea had not bled at all.)

Her grandpa, grandma, Andrea, and I all kept telling her how proud we were of her and how brave she was. The lady that gave the shot told her that she was "the bravest of them all". That made Greta light up even more.

This experience taught me more about Greta. I already knew that she has her own ideas and opinions about certain things. There are some things that you cannot make her do, at least until she thinks it through and feels like she is making the decision herself. This time I didn't think she would give in. She surprised me. :)

You can tell we have had a sick house

My girls are playing in the other room. My mom had just come in from outside. Greta told my mom that Andrea was sick. She had given Andrea rice and a piece of cheese. Then she said, "She is throwing up diarrhea."

"Are you wearing your spectacles?"

Last week I had an eye exam. The next day I got contacts. Greta didn't really understand contacts but she wanted to, so I told her I would show her. The next day (Saturday) she came into my bedroom first thing in the morning. I asked if she wanted to watch me put them in. She wanted to watch me take them out, so I showed her, then put it back in.

Sunday night I was covering Andrea at bedtime when Greta asked, "Are you wearing your spectacles?" I said, "What?" (That seems to be what I say when I want someone to explain what they are asking, but how would they know that is what I am asking??) "Are you wearing your spectacles?"

I think she understood that I had no idea what she was talking about by the look of complete confusion on my face, because she said something about the things on my eyes. I laughed and said that no, I was not wearing the contacts, and where did she hear the word spectacles?

"From the Barbie Princess and the Pauper." Ah-ha. "The queen says, 'Where are my spectacles? Where are my spectacles?' " (I probably just slaughtered the queen's quote. Greta corrected me when I was telling this story the other day.)

Silly girl. And once again I am amazed at the random, funny things my kids learn from silly shows.

And...

The first words out of Andrea's mouth to me this morning: "No tie-oh-tees woat me up nass moh-ning." (No coyotes woke me up last morning--meaning today.)

Andrea's current obsession/fear

Wolves/coyotes.

I don't know where it came from, but I came home from school to Andrea saying that she doesn't like "how-wee wofs" (howly wolves). Then Greta told her that she heard coyotes at our house, and how she thought I was whistling.

Um... what?

I was helping Andrea in the bathroom a few minute ago when she said, "Deh's no soah-wuh in dis bah-woom."

"What?"

"Deh's no sah-wuh in dis bah-woom."

"... There's no sour in this bathroom?"

"Deh's no baff in dis bah-woom."

"Oh! There is no shower or bath in this bathroom!"

"Yeah."

:)

Andrea: "Do you have a yutty bum?"

"I mean... a yutty tummy?"

Me: "No."

Andrea: "What do you have?"

Me: (thinking)"... Nothing. Why? Because I want to go to bed?"

Andrea: "Yeah."

Me: "Because I am tired."

Andrea: "Oh."

Here we go to the zoo

Last week we went... twice! The first day we went to see the new baby giraffe.



I don't know what Andrea was doing.



The next day I heard that a baby elephant had been born a couple hours before we got to the zoo the day before. We had no idea. There were no signs... nothing. We were rushed on Monday between the girls not wanting to go and me needing to get home for school, so we went back Saturday. We saw signs telling about the newest baby.

Andrea telling Greta to move.



Andrea is the same height (36") but far from the weight (251 lbs).



Fun sisters.



Greta and "Elle" (it's a boy). It took her well over half an hour and three stores, then going back to the first store before she was able to make a decision.

More random Andrea

Andrea wanted to share the water in her sippy cup with me this evening. She told me that I needed to drink it "for wee-oh, nah pee-tend" ("for real, not pretend"). I did get a little that dumped into my mouth, and she told me, "Dat's a duhd duhl" ("that's a good girl").

Andrea's Phrase of the Day

"That's the whole point!"

???

Where did it come from? The first time she said it my mom and I both laughed. Then she said it again after my mom said something along the lines of "You want me to color the rest of this?"

Silly, silly girl!!

Talk about easy!

For the last month or two I have been wanting to potty train Andrea. As my schedule is, I didn't know when I would be able to do it without making my mom work also.

Saturday Andrea decided that she wanted to use the potty... a lot! Sunday afternoon I put her in panties. She has been in panties since, minus bedtime, but she has woken up with a dry diaper the last three mornings! She has done so well!! I am so proud of her!! And the only accident so far was yesterday. She had said she needed to go potty, I repeated to make sure I had understood her, and she said no. Five minutes later she said she needed to go, and by the time I turned around she bent over to look between her legs. Oops!

Now I need to go back to the store to pick up the style of panties she has been asking for (size 4 will not work!).

Silly Andrea

A little while ago I stopped for a minute to wash my hair in the bathtub. Andrea had been following me around. She was standing by me as I was getting the water going. Out of nowhere she told me, "Don't get water in my eyeball." I laughed.

Not too long before that she had told me that her hair looked perfect. She is pretty easy to please when it comes to her hair. She lets me do my thing and she picks the pretties to finish it up.

Middle of the night wake-ups

A few nights ago (Monday night maybe?) I went to bed late. I had checked on the girls, made sure they weren't ready to roll out of bed, and covered them up before I went to bed. Andrea woke me up about an hour later (1:30 a.m.) needing a drink. I complied, and got her back to bed.

Three hours later (4:30 a.m.) she came running into my room, telling me that "it's going round and round!" Being woken up because of scary dream isn't exactly fun. This was worse, with a startling wake up comment, accelerated heart rate going from sleep to WAKE UP, and needing to take care of my scared little girl. A middle of the night dizzy spell had never happened before. I was surprised. I held on to her for a little while (it didn't last very long), then she said she needed a drink. I took her into the bathroom, set her on the counter next to me, got her a drink, and, after handing the drink to her, I noticed that she wasn't sitting there "okay". Her body was moving in a circle. I pulled her close to me to stabilize her. It wasn't long and everything seemed okay again.

As far as I know she hasn't been having many of these dizzy spells anymore. I was supposed to schedule a follow-up appointment with the ENT awhile ago (I don't remember when I spoke with him. At least a month ago), but I never did because I figured I had the time frame of when these were happening narrowed down. Bad excuse not to schedule, I know. They seem to happen when she has a cold; quite often later in the sickness when she seems to be getting better.

I think it is time to get the professional involved again.

Greta had a scary dream this morning

I heard her crying before she opened my door (what usually wakes me up). It was 4:30am. She climbed in to bed with me with tears on her cheeks. I asked what her dream was about.

"I saved some Smarties that you had given me. Andrea ate them!"

The part about Andrea wouldn't surprise me at all. The girl loves sugar!!!

Andrea stole the "show"

My grandpa passed away on Mother's Day. His funeral was Saturday. My dad suggested that the grandkids and great-grandkids sing "I am a Child of God" like we had at my other grandpa's funeral. I was not excited about the idea at all.

On our way to the church Saturday morning I asked the girls to practice singing with me. When Greta and I got to the third verse Andrea started shouting at us that we weren't singing the right words. Then she was crying. After I finished singing Greta told me that she didn't know that part.

We got to the church. Our time came to go up and sing along with siblings, cousins plus their spouses and kids. I was trying to get copies of the words to the song to some that didn't know the song. Greta and Andrea ended up in a group of kids while I joined a group of my cousins. Not too long into the song I heard a familiar little voice, singing her heart out. Andrea brought a huge smile to my face and a lot of others.

After the funeral a lot of people made sure to tell Andrea and me what a good job she did singing. There were quite a few people that were surprised that, at 2 years old, she knew the words to the song.

Lots and lots and lots of pictures!!!

Thursday, April 9

This is how Andrea drinks. She hears, "Andrea, swallow!" quite a bit.






Saturday, April 11
















Sunday, April 12
Easter








Thursday, April 23
I got home from work to hear the girls saying, "It's your birthday!!" They had decorated the house with streamers and made cupcakes with their grandma. There were party hats and a gift that Greta had picked out herself. I was surprised to see it all!! I keep forgetting to take a picture of my gift from Greta. I laughed when she told me about it!








Sunday, April 26
All ready for church





Showing off her teeth.