A POX upon you...

Well we knew it had to happen sometime (being that we don't vaccinate for anything, never mind the chicken pox.) Madeline was complaining of a stomach ache all saturday, Jeff took her to the er that night and they said it was a bladder infection... put her on sulfa drugs. Fast forward to monday when she appears to have a rash ALL OVER her body. First culprit? Sulpha drugs... or... you know... chicken pox. The clinical diagnosis is the pox and she appears to have a pretty classic case of them. She's got between 100-200 spots. They have almost all come to a "head" and are bursting like crazy. About 2/3's of them have crusted over already. She was doing really well with them and not scratching (I'm keeping her doped on Benedryl... though it does not dope her, it actually excites her instead) but at about midnight she came upstairs with a forlorn look... "I HATE the chicken spots!!!" Some cream, Benedry, kisses and water later... she was back in bed and slept through the night.

We've done all of our school work for the morning. A science package on Chucky the salmon, two sheets of printing, a journal entry and three worksheets on ordinal numbers. Yes she's in grade one. No she's not doing grade one work. Most of what she's working on is grade two stuff. The advantages of being in a 1/2 split. This afternoon we'll work on skip counting, do our home reading program and practice spelling words. THEN when all of that is done, we'll pop some popcorn, cuddle up on the couch with Olivia and watch a movie.

Olivia is colouring Christmas pictures and humming "Jingle bells." We just ate some strawberry waffles and juice for lunch. I changed a massively disgusting Phoenix poo and we're good to go.

I'm sad for Madeline that she has to miss this week of school. Thursday the entire school is going to see a live showing of "Annie" and then report card day is Friday. She also has her ballet exam on Friday but come hell or high water SHE'S GOING. It should be fine since everything is crusting over already.

I'm tired. I'm run down. We're instituted a chore chart for Jeff and I to keep everything organized. During the week I'm in charge of most everything except after dinner dishes and maybe one other thing a night (like monday night he had to clean the rec room and last night he was SUPPOSED to clean the two bathrooms.)

One problem... he's tired. He sits on the couch as soon as the kids are in bed and trys to pass out. Well that's all fine and good but now I HAVE to do his chores... and that was the whole point of HAVING a chore chart... to lessen the burden on me. So I guess tonight he'll have to clean the bathrooms PLUS whatever he's supposed to do tonight. My jobs for today are a general tidy, clean my room, laundry and that's about it. So I guess I'll put away the last load I folded and start some more.

What I really feel like doing is curling up on my couch with a blankie, a cup of Chai, a really good book and reading till I fall asleep... and then napping for a good couple of hours. Instead I'll nurse the baby, feed kids, have a shower, get dressed, tidy up, do some laundry, clean the bedroom, read stories, play cars, spell words out for Olivia, homeschool Madeline, read Phoenix more stories, nurse a bit more, change another diaper....

It's NEVER dull moment... never.

Anyone want a best friend?

Cause I think I'm free... lol.

My best friends daughter is on house arrest until she potty learns (she's almost five and goes in and out of being completely learned but is currently out) and therefore that means that my best friend is on house arrest. No play dates, no sleepovers... I guess this means my four year old needs a new best friend as well. Any takers?

This is apparently daddy's plan of action on the potty learning front. *shakes head*

Le sigh. I'm going to miss my friend. I hope her daughter potty learns for good quickly... although if the last almost three years are any indication I am taking resumes ;)

life... amoung other things...

My sister and niece arrived safe and sound from Alabama on Friday morning. It was SO NICE to see them in person, be able to hug them and feel their energy. I've missed co-parenting with my sister, knowing someone loves my kids with the intensity that I do and would lay down their life for them. My kids are her kids and visa versa... it's strange. I feel like I can leave the room and not have to say "watch my kids kay?" because she already is... she's already there. She's already in that head space.

Phoenix took to Dawn in an instant. He's madly enamored with Kylee and loves to follow her around. She's such a little "mommy" and watches him, looks after him... wants to be with him. Between Madeline and Kylee he's very well loved.

Mom's last chemo went well. She's very tired and very sore and very much not letting herself sleep and rest... I know that she does not want to miss even a second of the time that Dawn and Kylee are here but she NEEDS TO TAKE CARE OF HERSELF!!! It seems like every single time she does lay down someone is there needing her... I told Dawn to lay the smack down and when mom is in bed? She is not to be bothered. I spoke to mom tonight and she was very grouchy. Long days make for a grouchy mama.

My mother has a "friend" that is driving me slowly to the brink. She loves mom to death, would do anything for her... but has about all the tact of a porcupine. Some of the recent gems were...

-(to my grandmother who's had a stroke and is in a nursing home... it was her birthday today and she was cutting her cake) Oh you cut crooked... just like your life.

-(to my other grandmother, when asking her how she takes her coffee) Oh... black like your heart?

-(to my grandmothers care provider) Well I hope you washed your hands now that you've had them all over that cake

Just no tact. At all. At any times. G double Rrrrr I tell ya.

/rant

Phoenix ran up to me today and said "nana... PEAS PEAS PEAS!!!!!" (nurse me, please please please!) It was adorable! He usually takes me by the hand, leads me to the bedroom, grabs his blanket, lays down beside me and opens his mouth. He's not subtle AT ALL.

Madeline got in trouble for the first time ever at school today. Apparently she accidentally grabbed a kids lunch kit, he punched her and then she told the teacher. She left out that she had grabbed his lunch kit. She lied about it when questioned (she didn't want to get in trouble) but then told the truth. She got a warning and a note sent home. She was devastated... she went to the bathroom at school and bawled, bawled some more at home. Told me how sorry she was that she lied and that she wants people to trust her and be her friend. I'm pissed because the OTHER kid just got a warning as well. He fucking PUNCHED her. Not even on the same scale. He showed violent behaviour and I am not impressed. I will be talking to her teacher tomorrow. I can almost guarantee that Madeline will never do this again.

Okay wow... this was a rantyish post ;)

owwwww

I fell down the stairs. Holding Phoenix. On to a ceramic tile floor. ON MY KNEE. I hurt so freaking bad. I took 3 advil AND a tylenol 3 and JUST NOW am I starting to feel a bit better (well really zoo'ed but not so pained).

My knee is very red, a bunch of skin missing and quite swollen. I screamed when I tried to walk on it. Phoenix and I layed on the floor at the bottom of the stairs and cried for a while before I crawled up the stairs for the phone. I was on my way to pick up Maddy so thankfully Tammy (a friend who's little girl Emma is in the same class as Mad) could bring her home. I managed to put Phoenix down for a nap (he's fine... I pulled the landing so he'd be okay but managed to hurt myself that much more), get some frozen corn for my knee and now I'm laying on the couch (I AM NOT STUBBORN JEFF!)

Apparently I'm heading to the ER when Jeff gets home.

Fun.

Not.

sigh.

I really should have called Rose or someone to take care of me. It's unfair to Madeline to have to watch Phoenix while I can't move. I know if I called Jean she would have come down but that's a long ways to drive. I don't want to be a burden but FUCK THIS SO FUCKING HURTS!!!!!!!!!!! I was trying to get up the courage to ask Robyn to stay but they have a friend to help set up some speaker thing so they were already busy with things to do.

I guess I'll muddle through somehow tomorrow. Drugs will be my bestest friend.

Buy buy buy!!!

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5118712

Go to this shop. Buy these dolls :) These are all waldorf inspired dolls that are portraits of children from an orphanage in Niger. 100% of the proceeds go towards the orphanage and the children. Can you think of a better gift for any child (or woman for that matter!!!!)

it's a gray day

and I'm feeling grayish to go with it.

I'm tired, my back is sore, I'm tired of telling my girls to be quiet while Phoenix is attempting (for the third time) to have a nap. I'm tired of not having ANY couples friends to do things with as a family and yet it's totally not my style to say "hey you have kids, we have kids, lets hang" and yet I know that's what needs to be done in order to change this. I'm tired of not being able to arrange a time to hang out with Jean and her brood. I'm tired of not driving and therefore stuck to the house unless I can finagle a way to get out. I'm tired.

I would like an entire day to do WHAT I WANT. With no kids. With none of anything I didn't want around. With no housework or "mommy mommy mommy", with no dinners to cook and laundry to fold. And entire day to focus on MYSELF and no one else. Do these days exist? Not for me they don't.

I would like someone to cook me dinner, clean my house, watch my kids, run me a bath and fetch me some wine. To go with my whine ;)

Okay. Suck it up Princess. Real life awaits and it waits for me. Constantly. Annoyingly so.

Emo? Why?

Now this is Olivia at the age of 1 1/2 or so? But yah... she looks like that today. And a good portion of most days. She's emo, moody, acts pms'y. She's currently laying on the couch on her face ignoring me. I've snuggled her, joked with her, played with her and she's STILL BEING FUCKING EMO. OMG. Why? This is pretty much a constant state for her over the last year. Seriously now... do they make antidepressants for four year olds? I'm considering it.

She just informed me that she is bitchy because she does not want to clean her room. It's not MY room. I didn't leave a weeks worth of laundry on the floor. I didn't spread her stuffed animals from one end to the next. SHE DID. She is four and a half. She can clean her damned room herself.

/end rant

So this little person
decided to wake me up just after seven am... took a massive dump in his diaper and then stood by my head shoving his blanket on my face pleading "mama, nana PEASE!!!!!!!!!!" Over and over and over. I was suffering a codeine hangover (taking it for my cough) and not exactly wanting to be awake and on duty quite so early. Oh course with a diaper change, nursing and breakfast he is now standing in front of me grooving to "dance baby dance" and dancing he is! It's cute. He's cute. I guess he can stay.


Miss Madeline is at school and therefore cannot annoy me. That's the great thing about school ;) This is however an adorable picture. Note the blue ring around her mouth? Blue sucker. You'd think at the age of six that she could figure out how to get the sucker IN her mouth and not AROUND her mouth. Apparently not. Also note the adorable puppy on her lap. That is Ozzy. My newest nephew ;) He is a puggalicious pug and I *heart* him.

Well dinner is in the crockpot (baked beans) and I should change Phoenix, get him dressed, check Olivia's room, have a shower, feed Olivia lunch, fold the laundry, vacuum the floors, put more laundry in the washer, let the dog out.................. oh this could go on for a while ;)

An update...

cause my loverly sister asked so nicely for one ;)

There is snow on the ground. Nice, wet, soggy, heavy snow. It was fluffy for about a nanosecond but it's far too warm to have very good staying power. So mostly what it's doing is compacting and making things far too slippery on the roads. Thankfully we were able to purchase and get installed new winter tires on friday; about three hours after the dumpage started to take place.

Another thing about snow... it makes you realize very quickly that your extremely tall six year old outgrew her size 6X snowsuit. Your four year old is no longer a size 7 boot (and is now in size 10's!). Your baby needs something warmer than robeez for the -40 weather that is surely to come... and you can't possibly spend another winter wearing just crocs.

So we're now the proud owners of a lovely cream and pink snowsuit (size 8) for Maddy. Olivia has some snazzy new blue and white boots. Phoenix has the most teeny darling pair of Olive boots (that he HATES with a passion I have never seen. We're talking fall to the floor screaming, kicking feet, trying to rip them off of his legs and then when he succeeds? Chucking them to the other side of the room just as fast and as far as he can. It's fucking hilarious!) I also have boots. Cute, leather and fake furish type boots. They are warm.

Due to the upcoming holiday season and due to the new neighborhood we live in ( http://www.getawaybc.com/story.cgi?id=4647&section=5 ) we went lights shopping tonight and ended up with a metric assload of "crystal iced rope lights" which are multicoloured and very pretty! That combined with our blow up snow globe will have to do for this year. I imagine we'll collect stuff as the years pass.

I finally got an eye exam and my eyes have not changed one iota in the last eight years. I also got fitted for contact lenses and my trial pair should be in this week. Jeff also made an appointment for his eye exam but yesterday morning woke up with his eyes glued shut... enter... PINK EYE! Ironically enough he has not had an eye exam in eight years either and has never had pink eye... he makes an appointment? Gets pink eye. He's in a world of hurt. He went to the clinic yesterday and has prescription ointment now. Fun.

Phoenix has been taking Benadryl at night for his allergies/sinus inflammation. Our doc said to keep him on for the next couple of nights and allow him to get some rest. He cough was getting so bad that he was awake for most of every single night for 6 weeks. Poor duck.

Olivia is on her very first sleepover (that she's actually staying at!) There was a failed attempt earlier this year but she's confident that she'll stay. Robyn called and the girls are asleep and everything! It started as a play date at 1:00pm today and turned into a playdate/sleepover and now Robyn is taking her to preschool tomorrow too! That makes it 26 hours that Liv will not have been home. Weird.

Madeline is a source of worry for me. She's being bullied by a grade two girl. She takes pleasure in telling Madeline that her colouring is "gross" her shirt is "hideous" and tells everyone who will listen not to play with Maddy. Good thing that Maddy is friends with almost everyone and no one listens to Eden. It just pisses me off. Politics in grade one? I mean come on! Maddy is dealing with it fine but we are keeping our ears and eyes on the situation.

Oh and hey... MY SISTER IS COMING HOME! They bought their tickets, got their travel documents and my neice and my sister WILL BE HOME NEXT FRIDAY!!!!!! They are getting to stay for about a month and a half and I have not been happier in about two years ;) I miss them so freaking much and I can't believe that I have survived without my sister for this long. We all need her here for a bit.

Well I just told Jeff to go do his eyes. The dog is passed out and needs to go to his crate and the cats need to be fed. I sleepy.

Let them be little

I LOVE this song by Lonestar. It was part of a photo montage that Madeline's Kindy teacher did at the end of the year... it's good remember that they are just little and they are little only once... so when they are screaming at 4 am, whining incessantly and generally annoying the living heck out of you... take a deep breath. Hold them close. Give them a kiss.... and remember that this too shall pass... and sooner than you want.

Let them be Little

I can remember when you fit in the palm of my hand
Felt so good in it, no bigger than a minute
How it amazes me, you're changing with every blink
Faster than a flower blooms they grow up all too soon

So let them be little 'cause they're only that way for a while
Give them hope, give them praise, give them love every day
Let them cry, let them giggle, let them sleep in the middle
Oh just let them be little

I've never felt so much in one little tender touch
I live for those kisses, prayers and your wishes
Now that you're teaching me things only a child can see
Every night while we're on our knees all I ask is please

Let them be little 'cause they're only that way for a while
Give them hope, give them praise, give them love every day
Let them cry, let them giggle, let them sleep in the middle
Oh just let them be little

So innocent, a precious soul, you turn around
It's time to let them go

So let them be little 'cause they're only that way for a while
Give them hope, give them praise, give them love every day
Let them cry, let them giggle, let them sleep in the middle
Oh just let them be little

Let them be little

my life

is not very exciting I guess... but it's mine.

Last night we had a wonderful thanksgiving dinner that I didn't have to cook ;) Surrounded by friends (that are basically family) and my children and love of my life. We stayed far too late watching movies, snuggling a puglet, tell stories... stuffing ourselves silly (well Robyn and I did anyways.)

Today it's house maintenance day. Outside of the house maintenance. Jeff got up on the roof and attempted to fix it. Then he weed hacked, and is currently mowing while I'm on the deck with my lap top. The girls and Loki are playing the shed and running around and Phoenix is sleeping.

We have a very healthy lawn. It was last moved in the beginning of August and with getting moved in, settled and whatnot, Jeff just never got to it again. It was very tall. And very very green. It's very very healthy :) Which is nice because our last lawn sucked ass and was mostly crab grass.

My house interior is messy... ish. I'm deciding not to care today. At the very least the laundry is almost all caught up. Take that maytag.

We have to replace the CV joint (right one) on the van. I'm hoping to sweet talk Mike into helping Jeff. We just can't swing 90$/hour for shop time right now. We own a house... but we're broke ;) Hey at least we have equity right???

My dog is now chasing jeff as he drags a falled tree into the back greenbelt. cool. Okay now he's trying to escape ;)

It's cold. I should put on a sweater. But I won't.

hmm... disjointed much?

where did I go?

the woman who wanted to be a lawyer, travel the world, have rampant sex any time of the day with the love of her life?

who did the swingin thang? Who partied the night away in clubs? who could attend any concert any time?

who swore she would never have kids? who rebelled against any form of commitment?

she's been replaced...

by someone who wants to be a midwife, loves long drives while her children sleep in the back seat, has quiet but still mind blowing sex on the couch... after the kids are in bed ;)

by someone who can't imagine sharing her man. Who parties the evening away at pagan family friendly events. Who's idea of a good concert is "big comfy couch"

by someone who laments the fact that her baby making days are over. who nurses her babies until the wean. who has made the ultimate commitment for her family.

I've changed.

I've grown.

I've matured.

I can't imagine doing anything else, being anywhere else or being ANYONE ELSE.

I love who I am.

I love my life.

I'm me... and for the first time in my life it's right where I want to be.

HE'S WALKING!!!!!

and it's so freaking adorable!

I put him down while on the phone with jeff and he took 6 steps. Then a bunch of steps at LLL tonight. Then he walked like four or five times at Roses!

He WALKS!!!

That is all :)

Is it true? Could it be?

Olivia Sporting her "first day of school" outfit :)

Madeline in her "first day of school" outfit

Phoenix sporting his... new teeth? Smile? Cuteness?

Emma (Maddy's friend) Madeline and Olivia outside M's school on the first day

Am I actually becoming a *gasp* morning person????

I guess that's what happens when you get up every single day at 7am and start falling asleep at 10:30 (yes 10:30... don't have a heart attack... I'm serious!)

I'm sitting here with my breakfast, listening to Chuck Berry while Olivia does some serious "Happy Feeting"

I'm back, a poopy diaper to change, a baby to get dressed and washed. I lead an exciting life. I should go run and put diapers in the wash as well.

Maddy's at school. Lunch is packed (pizza, apples, granola bar and banana for snack) and Olivia has school at 1. Jeff and I are actually going to take Phoenix and go do some birthday prep stuff. With just one child. We may get a wee bit giddy with the freedom ;) (great now he obviously was not done filling his pants cause he's crappy again...)

Yesterday I had my three kids, three daycare kids and then Maddy's friend. I must thrive on chaos ;) I find when there are that many they just tend to keep one another amused. We come home, have a snack (yesterday was fruit salad and juice) all homework gets done, homework gets invented for those that come without and silent/out loud reading takes place. THEN they get to play for about an hour and it's go home time. I LOVE afterschool care.

Olivia is sitting beside me saying "mommy, mommy, change Phoenix. No time for writing... change Phoenix! Changing!" I may have to kill her. Now Phoenix is driving his car on Liv's chair so she took off. These are the sounds of my morning...

I miss my Madeline. I enjoy the quiet but I miss her.

My sister is? hopefully? coming home for Christmas. Oh gawd she'd better. I need her here right now.

We're having a small party for Maddy's birthday day at my mom's on saturday. That reminds me I have to call Aunty Gail and my grandma. Then the big waterslide party at Ester's on the 22nd.

Well poopy diapers wait for no woman and it will just get stinkier the longer I wait. If I'm not back in 10 call the emt's kay?

but first... some new pics ;)

another day

Phoenix is having a heck of a time with his sleep tonight. He's been up about 5 times in the last 2 hours and we have NO idea what is wrong. So we've given him Motrin and we're crossing our fingers.

Maddy's lunch is made; organic pb and strawberry jam pinwheels on whole wheat tortilla, whole yogurt with honey, cinnamon and vanilla extract and orange flavoured craisens with watered down orange juice to drink. Banana for snack. I wish I made lunches for myself like I do for her ;)

I have two extra day care kids tomorrow. I love a house full.

On Friday I somehow managed to collect three extra kids on the way home. Caitlin (our one after school kid) Maddy, Liv, Phoenix and I were going to watch a very family friendly movie and eat our snack downstairs, then Maddy wanted Emma to come so I invited her (such a sweet kid with a wonderful mother), then Kendra (another grade one girl but in the K-1 split) overheard and I got guilted into inviting her... THEN our old next door neighbor Danica asked to come. We had a blast, the kids had a great time and Jeff hid upstairs ;) I have a feeling I'll always be the one with all the kids over at their house. I guess I'm just not afraid of having that many kids over. I find it fun :)

Ballet/song and dance are back in full force. Not much to report there. We planned it for the girls to have the same teacher as last year as we adore her :)

I made a roast chicken in the crockpot today so it could cook while we were out. Neither Jeff nor I are feeling well (head colds coming on) so it was an easyish type day. Did a bit of shopping and came home. Got Phoenix some new rice noodles and gluten free cereal (Gorilla crunch by envirokidz) and the girls some lunch things.

Well I should help jeff fold the laundry ... oops... he's done ;) Shucks ;)

My stock is finished (soup tomorrow) and the bread machine is almost done it's thing. I think I may have the hang of this suzie homemaker crap after all ;)

Instant Karma...

Oh how I love the mysterious and wonderful ways that the Goddess works... whatever good you put into this world comes back to you threefold. Whatever bad you put into this world comes back to you threefold...

remember the post where I said my inlaws backed down on a promise yet again? Well the sale of their house just fell through.

Karma's a bitch ain't it?

Planning a sixth birthday party...

SIX!!! I can't believe my teeny blonde blue eyed chubby baby is going to be six in 12 days! She's so tall with hair down to her waist and these muscled little dancer legs. She can read, do simple math, clean her room... she is way too young to be six and in grade one.

Esters Inn is the setting for the party. September 15th. Rose just informed me that her crew (them, Mike, Robyn and the kids) will be gone camping again. But if we got our tent trailer fixed would could go! Ummm... no. It will be cold. Probably rainy and yah. We're having a party. And she'll be gone. As usual ;)

So I guess it will be Madeline, Emma, Kaitlyn, Brianna, Caitlyn, Madison and Elisabeth. Olivia too of course, though she won't have a friend there... maybe we should invite Kathrine and Caroline? We'll see. So I'm booking the party Room and the kids will have two glorious hours to do those water slides just as many times as their little legs will ;) We'll have cupcakes, ice pops, juice, snacks and fun! I'll invite my mom and grandmother but I doubt they'll show up. I guess it will just be Maddy's friends, Jean, Jeff and I. I know they'll have a blast.

For goody bags I'm thinking a craft kit in each bag, a princess crown and some chocolate candies (Sundrops that are made with natural dyes, like M&M's.)

Madeline wants a pretend cash register, baby stroller, new baby and a Pucci Pup. She also wants a princess "polly pocket" type doll. I think maybe Olivia will get that for her. I found a cute Graco umbrella stroller for $9, the cash register for $19 and the new baby set for $22. I think we'll ix nay on the pup. She'll get some new clothes and a book or two to round it out.

Just got out of a very relaxing hot tub with Jeff. I think I'll go jump him while his defenses are down ;)

pysch...

So part of the reason that we chose to buy THIS house instead of buying the one that we were already living in that my inlaws owned was that we would receive money from the sale of the home. I won't go into huge details but basically they would give us the down payment for this place and then promised us more after their house sold and we would save that as a financial buffer. We informed them of this plan and they applauded us for being fiscally responsible...

Fast forward to today. They just informed us that there will be no more money forthcoming. So we spent more money on a house, spent money moving AND increased our mortgage by $400 a month on the promise of having an additional "X" amount of dollars in the bank and now it's not coming.

Now them backing down on their promises is nothing new so I shouldn't be surprised. It is what it is. However I am still disappointed.

The girls have not SEEN Jeff's mom since January. They are coming to visit on September 18th. They'll arrive that evening and are only staying until saturday morning. 3 days. Nice. They won't stay here and we probably will not see much of them at all.

Once again... it is what it is.

I am very grateful for what they have given us. We would not have been able to purchase a house without their help. However for the small amount they gave us, we helped them make $140,000 over the last three years by living in their rental and allowed them to acquire equity on it.

I'll just stop... I sound like a whiny little bitch.

I'm... meh

I've been lax on journaling. I'm tired. I'm sad. I'm... depressed? I'm not sure but I feel that way a bit.

Lately I've been feeling the finality of Jeff's sterility. I don't "want" more children but I'm feeling the finality of not ever having that choice again. I was okay with it 10 months ago but not so much now. Not that there is anything that we would do or can be done. I feel our family is complete. But mommy amnesia has set in and I can only remember all the good things about being pregnant and having a newborn ;)

I'm dealing. I'm hoping this stage does not last long. I should have waited until now to get my dog ;)

The house is great. It's a dream. Our first mortgage payment came out and now we're officially on the poverty program ;)

Phoenix is back in cloth. He seems to tolerate being a bit wet much better than he used to and now that he is not quite so hating diaper changes and is willing to sit a tiny bit still, it's easier to get a snappi on him without impaling his penis and testicles.

School starts on tuesday... I'm ready but am I "ready?"

I need to let my feelings go to the Goddess and just trust that everything will work out.

Phew

We're moved. We moved in on friday and JUST NOW as of about three minutes ago have the whole house unpacked and ready to go. The kids do have a couple of boxes that they have to sort through and jeff has to do his room and put together the outside kids stuff but other than that... DONE!

The rec room was a HUGE job. Three nights we worked down here. The built in shelving is wonderful and is packed with the kids stuff and dvd's, puzzles, games, toys, crafts etc. It's so nice to have a place for everything! You would never be able to tell that I probably gave away close to half of our stuff. I'm going to keep decluttering and giving away things until I am satisfied :)

So tomorrow Jeff goes to the old house to clean, pack up the final couple things and steam clean the carpets. The girls and I are going to Jean's for Elisabeth's birthday party sleepover... well actually Olivia is coming home with daddy and Maddy, Phoenix and I are sleeping over. I know she wants to stay but she gets scared and then horrible during sleep over times.

I'm tired. I'm going to have a glass of wine and hit the hay.

A picture post!

Do you mind? I just woke up!

So pretty!

Rockin the new glasses :)

Cutest baby EVAH! You will bend to my mind powers...

Yes mama?

A baby profile :)