Easter 2011

Happy Easter

Happy Easter to everyone! I hope you all are enjoying your day, whatever you decide to do with yourselves. The Easter bunny came and brought baskets for the girls and left some brightly colored eggs throughout the yard. Isabella went on an Easter egg hunt and her face lit up each and every time she found a new egg.
Meanwhile, inside the bunny ranch, I was busy preparing honey glazed ham, scalloped potatoes, green bean casserole and baked beans. Bob made a vanilla pudding shortcake parfait with fresh blueberries, raspberries and pineapple. I was planning on making a pineapple upside down cake, however that went right out the window when I turned the bunt cake upside down in a haste. So we got a little creative in the kitchen and came up with a new dessert.
We dressed the table in it's Sundays best with a fancy tablecloth, the Nortake china, fresh daffodils in beautiful vases and we took a CHEERS with sparkling, pink lemonade. YUM. Giselle and Baxter almost slept the day away.....

What I have learned from my sweet Isabella.....

it's okay if the house is not in tip top shape. She can make it messy in less than five minutes anyway. TOPS. Kisses are endless, along with the HUGS. While making cookies together today, she turned on the mixer and cookie dough just splattered all over the kitchen cabinets, floor and countertops. I said UH OH. She got big eyes and said "IT's OKAY MOMMY." I just laughed. It is okay, isn't it? Pajamas and blankets ROCK. She loves being comfortable.
As each week passes, I learn something new from her and about her. I am really thankful that I am able to spend this time with her and watch her grow and develop.

Easter forecast = 90% chance of cute

Can you believe that next week is Easter? I can't. It dawned on me today during the middle of the day that perhaps I needed to start gathering the items for the girl's Easter baskets.
When I was a little girl, I remember waking up to an Easter basket filled with goodies by our spiral staircase. It was always something fun or needed accompanied by yummy candy. I always looked forward to Easter. I remember grandma's colorful hard boiled eggs in my fun basket. I never liked hard boiled eggs but thought it was always special - the extra effort that she took the time to color eggs for our Easter basket.
So where am I going with all of this? Now that Isabella is getting older and understands the Easter bunny, I should probably start a tradition or two. Maybe leaving a trail of cotton balls to her Easter basket and telling her the bunny left poop? Just kidding. How about coloring eggs? We did that last year and she seemed to enjoy it.
I went to Toys R Us today after work and to be honest, as a thirty something year old woman, I was overwhelmed. I can only imagine WHAT the little ones feel emotionally when they walk through those doors. ALL of those TOYS!! Everything I looked at, I justified NOT getting. The bouncy balls filled with different characters - baxie would chew those up. The shopping cart - she wouldn't be able to carry it up and down the stairs - which she would try to do. The play-do - it would go all over the walls. I felt like I needed Bob there. Because he just strolls into those places and comes home with things and doesn't think another thing about it. And maybe that is what I need to do, but instead I over think the logistics of the toys.......
All in all, I am excited to make baskets for my girls. I am excited to see their faces light up (or at least one of them who is old enough to understand). I walked out of Toys R Us with 2 kites (I know old school - but still FUN - right??!!), a strawberry shortcake doll, a couple of dresses, and a cake kit for Isabella to make cakes with. We shall find what works : )
I do know that we will have a fun Easter egg hunt, pretty dresses, some YUMMY ham, scalloped potato's, a green bean casserole and maybe just maybe I will be adventurous and rock out some deviled eggs or a pineapple upside down cake.

All In a Partial Days Work, or should I say PLAY

Caught baxie rolling around on the deck in something. Stared into Giselle's baby blue eyes. Let Izzy put on her rain coat and boots and frolic with the water hose. Planted seedlings with Izzy - peppers and sunflowers. Will watch them grow in the weeks to come. Made homemade butternut squash soup while Izzy sat on the counter eating grapes as I chopped everything up. Drew endless hearts with Isabella on the driveway with sidewalk chalk. Watched the windmill go round and round. Put out corn on the deck and watched the red cardinals eat it. Read 3 different story books to Giselle and Isabella. Walked outside and took a whiff of those beautiful yellow daffodils. Laughed at the crazy mail lady who drives like a bat out of you know where each and every day....Girl likes to rock out to her music and hustle that mail!
All in a days work or should I say play and it's only 2 p.m. My mom asked me earlier on the phone if I was enjoying my new schedule. Are you kidding me? Of course I am! I wouldn't be able to enjoy all of the fun things listed above, capture these memories with my eyes or experience those deep belly laughs from my kiddos sitting behind the desk.

Go SOX

Daddy sent me a video of Izzy at the game right now.

And their OFF.....

on a sunny Saturday afternoon to watch their favorite sport and enjoy one another's company. Bob took Isabella (and I must say she was SUPER EXCITED) to go and watch the White Sox game. Before they took off, they wanted to CHEESE it up for the camera. Baxie thought for a second that he was going to get to go. Unfortunately, today is not dog day at the Sox stadium.
Meanwhile, back at the bunny ranch, mommy is doing laundry, spreading mulch and moving rocks. Baby G is snoozing away...........

Down to the River to Pray & A Bushel and a Peck

Good music has direct access to the emotions. As such it's a fantastic tool for tweaking our moods. One of the beauties of music is it can accomplish more than one goal at a time. Uplifting music can both divert, entertain and revive. Sad, soulful music can provide solace, encourage mental work and discharge emotions. The examples are endless!
When I was a little girl, there was always music on and I grew to love it. It was comforting to my ears. I have my father to thank for this and it seems I am following in his foot steps of always having music on. Lately, I have been listening to Alison Krauss while giving Isabella a bath or just doing whatever. To my surprise, when I turned it on the other day, she started singing and dancing to one particular song Down to the River to Pray. So I captured her on video somewhat dancing and knowing most of the words.
Meanwhile, back to my mom being an influence. When I was little, she used to sing A Bushel and a Peck to me. I randomly thought of that memory and started singing it to Izzy before bed. The song is rather lengthy and I don't sing the whole song, just this part:

I love you a bushel and peck (I say pack instead of peck)
A bushel and peck and a hug around the neck
A hug around the neck and a barrel and a heap
A barrel and a heap and I'm talking in my sleep
About you, about you


She loves the song and sometimes even sings it to Bob now. She picks up things fast I tell you.......

WHERE

are you putting all of this food? That is my question at the end of the day geered towards my two girls.... Today was my first day working part-time - being home all day Mondays and Tuesdays. For breakfast, Izzy ate 3 cereal bars. Followed by a bowl of animal crackers. A bowl of applesauce. Then a bowl of goldfish. For lunch, 8 chicken nuggets and an entire sweet potato. For dinner - an entire can of spaghetti and meatballs, 2 plates of fresh peas. Followed by a hotdog. WOW. I thought I could eat! I secretly think baby G looks like Johnny Cash in this picture. So serious. Izzy rocks it out on her bicycle. I think she needs an electronic jeep to cruise around with her baby sister......toys......ROCK!

I wanna hold Baby Sister

Today was 72 degrees outside....can you believe it? Too bad they are calling for tornados and heavy rain this evening. Tomorrow is supposed to drop back down to 42! Err......
We made the best of the nice weather and went outside. Isabella rode her bicycle and wanted to hold baby sister.......