Spa Day

The girls and I have been hanging out all week together since I am off work, so I thought I would treat them to a mini-mani and mini-pedi. :)

(After the effort in helping them pick out colors, having them sit still for longer than they have ever been accustomed to and keeping them from smudging their fingernails AND toenails...mommy is ready to go back, on my own, for a full manicure and pedicure!)

Genevieve-ism Part 2

As we are doing water paints, I heard Genevieve say, "mom, give me another paper."
Here is the remaining conversation, said very matter of factly:

Me: Genevieve! Where have your manners gone?
Genevieve: I told you mom, God took them away.
Me: No, you told me that God took away your patience.
Genevieve: Yep, and he took away my manners too.

*A side note from her loving mother*
Just so you know, she is typically a very well-mannered child and her tone is just in play. I have not raised an un-grateful little rug rat like I am making her sound like. :)

Genevieve-ism

Genevieve was asking me for something over and over and I keep telling her "Just a minute."

She continued to pester me about it...

Me: Genevieve Grace please be patient!
Genevieve: I can't mom because God took my patience away from me.
Me: {turns away, trying to hide my laughing}
Genevieve: Don't worry, I will get it back soon.

Christmas Cheer

Imagine my shock when I found out what we were originally planning on getting the girls for Christmas would not be here by Christmas...in fact, it would be 4 weeks late. (More on that later.) So, 2 days before Christmas, I ventured out, hoping for a Christmas miracle! Because really, what kind of parent doesn't get their children Christmas presents? Just ones that procrastinate which is exactly what happened.
Luckily, a few weeks prior to Christmas, I caught Genevieve playing the air guitar. Yep, that was quite the sight! And at that point, she mentioned that she would like a guitar, like Kiki from the Fresh Beat Band (a Nickelodeon show.) So, I get to the store and feel as if there was a time-lapse, back to Black Friday. It was crazy! I somehow managed to get a parking spot within a mile range, but carts were few and far between. I went straight to the guitar aisle and found...that's right...the last remaining guitar! And hoping that Jocelyn wouldn't be upset that she didn't get a guitar, I got her a keyboard so she could play in Jenna's band...the Fresh Beat Band! :)

We spent Christmas this year with my family and we will then celebrate Christmas with the McCoys on New Years day. Nate was thankful for his gift and wanted to thank Sam for remembering him on his birthday. We don't know if Sam was weirded out by the abundance of affection from Nate, or if we are just getting a glimpse of his bitter beer face brought on by his can of Coors? I don't know...which is worse?


Genevieve really likes to take everything in

My niece and God-daughter sitting pretty with Sam

I'm pretty sure that Jocelyn was thankful for her gift from her PaPou. What do you think?

Black Friday Sledding

I had zero interest in any form of shopping on the day after Thanksgiving. I do it every year, I hate it every year, and I finally got smart and stayed away from the stores on Black Friday. And I loved it!

Instead, we went sledding!

Gangsta Cousin Bridget is taking a much needed break from hiking up the hill time after time.

Jocelyn absolutely loved sledding...if you went slow...and didn't get snow in her eyes...and didn't go in circles...in other words, she is definitely not our snow-lovin' girl. But she enjoyed watching everyone!


Genevieve is our more seasoned sledder. She went a few times in our lap, and then preferred to do it on her own, with a smile on her face the whole time!


You can't sled down a hill, unless you first hike up it.

Must she make me sound so mean?

My mom was watching the girls the day after our first snow storm. When my mom asked if they played in the snow the night before,Genevieve replied, "I asked my mom if we could build a snowman last night and my mom said, 'Dang it Jenna, No! Because we don't have any carrots!' "

And just to clarify, this conversation did not take place between my lovely daughter and I. In fact, there was not even a conversation about a snowman. So, someone, who shall remain nameless, likes to make up stories.

And yes, I have been known to use the words "Dang it!"

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

Here are some things that have been happening in my life:

1) My sister-in-law Chelsy and her husband Matt welcomed their third child Demetri into the world on October 26th. We are so excited to have another nephew (in a world dominated by nieces!) And a cute one he is!

2)I got to pull my niece Mikayla's first tooth out. She smiled while I did it. And then after I did it, I found out they were having family pictures the next day. Oops! :)

3)Sam is Mr. Athletic lately, running and biking more miles than I can count. He is even considering biking 100 miles from Portland to the Oregon Coast in May.

4)I have a new hobby. Well actually, I can't call it a hobby since I have only done it once, but I enjoyed it so much, I plan to make it a hobby. Shooting. Yep, that's right. I went to target practice and had a blast! My weapon of choice was a 9mm semi-automatic gun. Oh yeah, and I also shot a rifle. Talk about an adrenaline rush! No worries though, my teacher is a SWAT team member (by night) and Dentist (by day) and safety is his forte.

5) One recent day, my sister-in-law Rachel was babysitting Jocelyn for me while I went to a doctors appointment. I got the dreaded "Carrie I need you to come home ASAP" call from Rachel after Jocelyn and her daughter Bridget were "disagreeing" over who should be sitting in a chair, resulting in Bridget falling face forward on a corner bookcase, hitting her front tooth...hard...pushing it straight up into her gums/bone. I know, sounds horrible. It was. We got her into my office and got an x-ray (that's right, she is a pretty awesome 3 year old patient) and Dr. Brown sent her to the Oral Surgeon. We thought for sure it was going to have to be pulled and that she would need general anesthetic. Fortunately, the Oral Surgeon decided to leave it to see if it works its way back down on its own. So far, it is looking really good. She still looks like she is missing her front tooth since it is still pushed so far up, but it is looking better and she didn't have to have unnecessary surgery at such a young age! Oh, and the best news is that Rachel hasn't disowned me or Jocelyn as family members! :)

6) And finally, the most difficult news is that of 2 close family friends that have recently been dealt cancer in their lives. Jan, the wife of Thomas Dyer whom I have previously credited my continuance to this blog for, has been diagnosed with breast cancer. The Dyers are 2 of the most thoughtful, caring, and generous people that I have ever met and Jan is not deserving of this, but takes it with a smile and is very optimistic. It is very hard to see her stricken with this, especially since she is the bread winner in her family as her husband has struggled with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome for many years.
Also, Ron Hartley, who is the Godfather to both of our girls, has been dealt Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. He will be going through 6 months of chemo to try and rebuild his platelet count. Ron and his wife Sarah are very instrumental in our girls lives and the girls completely adore them. Ron is the goofy guy that plays with them at their level, but also talks to them and enjoys carrying on conversations with them. I have many visuals in my head of Genevieve sitting with Ron at church, her arms completely around his neck! As Godparents, Ron and Sarah go above and beyond with our girls. They make a point of spending quality, one on one time with each of them, on a very regular basis. As Ron goes through Chemo, his immune system is obviously shot and so we have to keep the girls away from him, something that is very hard for him to accept. We hope and pray that God has a longer, healthier life, free of cancer planned for Ron.
Our hearts go out to them and our prayers are with both families.

McCoy Family Photo Shoot

For all of my non-facebook friends, (and for my facebook friends that would like to see the video again) the following is a small slide show of some of the pictures taken during our family photo session. Enjoy!

http://animoto.com/play/n4Z9Z86lW9MmU8C5FKAlbg

Odd Eaters

I sometimes wonder about my children.

For example: One recent day, we took the girls to Red Robin for dinner. On the kids menu, you get to choose 1 main dish, 1 side dish, and 1 drink. Genevieve's request, "mandarin oranges, salad, and french fries...(long pause)...actually, just mandarin oranges and a salad."


Another day, Genevieve woke up feeling like she was going to thrown up. After sitting at the toilet for a little bit, she said she was hungry. I offered some dry cheerios. She asked if she could have something out of the refrigerator. I asked what she wanted. After looking through it, she decided...she just wanted a salad!

Now Jocelyn, has always hated food unless it is a starch or a carb. However, we force her to eat what we are having for dinner each night. We had a salad the other night as our main dish. I put some left over shredded BBQ chicken in it to make it more substantial. We all started eating and Jocelyn didn't move. I looked at her, her arms crossed over her chest, her head tilted slightly down, and her lower lip drooping down below her chin. "What's wrong Jocelyn?" I asked her. In the grumpiest, snottiest voice she replied, "I'm mad at you because you put chicken in my salad!" Seriously, I think she may end up being a vegetarian.

And so it begins

I am not the typical sappy mom that can't keep it together when dropping her daughter off for her first day of preschool. Not that there is anything wrong with the moms that do. That was just not me. I was thinking more about the coffee date, grocery shopping and even working out that I was going to be able to do without kids. However, watching Genevieve climb onto a school bus with her class to go to the Pumpkin Patch was different. It pulled on a few heart strings. I got a little "blurry" in the eyes. And then I drove myself to the Pumpkin Patch to make sure she made it okay. :) She is officially a big girl in my book!

The kids had to listen to the 3 rules of the tour at the Pumpkin Patch.
A close up of Genevieve shows that she is definitely her momma's child. Taking in every rule as if she might not see another day if she fails to follow the rules.

The hay maze

Genevieve talks frequently of her friend Quincey from school. Here they are 2 peas in a pod, smiley at Mrs. Sullivan.

The slide. Genevieve was proud that she went down the bigger, faster slide and that Jocelyn only stayed on the smaller, slower one.

And here is the teachers pet, walking hand in hand with her. Did I mention that she is her momma's child? ;)

Who knew you could roast "smarshmellows" at a Pumpkin Patch?

The evidence.

Wow! My Jocelyn looks pretty grown up too! What is happening to my babies?

Genevieve insisted that she could carry her own pumpkin. That lasted for 2.6 seconds.

Here is a little story about this last picture. I wanted a picture of both girls with their pumpkins. Not too much to ask is it? And I can almost guarantee that 99% of parents would have wanted the same. So, when I asked them to get down in front of their pumpkins, and Jocelyn immediately did, while Jenna fought with me about it, I made a threat. I told her that if she didn't pose for the picture, I would not let her take the pumpkin home. Mean, I know, but I wanted the picture! When she continued to argue about it, I made another threat. Not only will I not let her take a pumpkin home, but I will also take her animal cookies out of her lunch box. Its amazing how important some things are!! :)

So, I hope you like the picture!

Precious moments!

Why sleep in our own beds when we can cuddle in one?

Lions, Tigers, and Bears...OH MY!

Sam and I took the girls to Portland last weekend to have a small weekend away. We took them to the Portland Zoo and had a great day. It was 80* with not a cloud in the sky. We couldn't have asked for better weather. We also enjoyed the hotel, its indoor pool and hot tub, dinner out, and walking the streets in downtown Portland. It was a quick trip but the family time was very enjoyable! Here are a few pictures at the Zoo:

The girls couldn't understand why the elephant didn't want some of their raisins.

Jocelyn was more excited about the bronzed lion than the actual king of the jungle.

This guy was so cute. We tried to bring him home but apparently that sort of thing is frowned upon.

This was the highlight of the zoo. Our girls in their natural environment.

What? No animals in this exhibit? That's debatable.

Our favorite: The Giraffe. This guy's black tongue was probably as long as his neck. He used it to clean his ears. What a weirdo.

Caught in the act

I overheard the girls playing school in the other room, and this is what I found:

Genevieve and Jocelyn are both teachers holding 2 of their "students" who happen to be crying because they miss their mommies. The other students are sitting on their spots for "circle time."

Sad day at Preschool :(

Poor little Jocelyn! Not only did her heart get broken today, but so did her mommy and daddys!
And to the grandma's...you should probably refrain from reading this.

You see, Jocelyn goes to school from 9-11:30 and Jenna goes to school from 9-12. Same school, just different classes. Some people may think that it is ridiculous to have classes end at different times like that so let me explain.

Jocelyn is in the 3 year old class. This class is full of little kids that have never been to school before so 2 1/2 hours is plenty of time away from there mommys. Jenna's 4 year old class consists of kids that have had a year of experience and do well with a little more time. Plus, it prevents too many kids and parents from being all at the same place at the same time.

I am the only mother who has the issue that I do. The issue is, I have to pick up one child at 11:30 and 1 child at 12. Why am I the only mother that has to do this? Well that's because I am the only mother with kids that are 14 months apart and fall into the school year that puts them 1 year after the other. You see, if Jenna were born in August, and Jocelyn in October, then there would be 2 grade levels between them because Jocelyn wouldn't be 3 by the September cut-off date. Have I lost anyone yet? :)

Last week, being the first week of school, I took off every morning so that I could do the drop-offs and pick-ups. Although Jocelyn's first drop off was hard, she did wonderful from that point on! No more tears!

Today started the new schedule. The schedule is that daddy takes the girls to school at 9 and then picks them up at 12. When Jocelyn's class gets out, she gets to go with a few other kids in her class to the schools daycare. Yes, I said it, daycare!

Now listen. She only has to go for 30 minutes. That can't be that tragic can it?

Yes. It can. :(

Apparently, (according to the school's director, who walks the kids over to the daycare, as well as the daycare worker) Jocelyn was very unsure of what was happening. She saw other parents picking up her classmates, but hers were not there. She cried for 15 minutes at the daycare and then sat in a corner, by herself, looking like a sad puppy for the remaining 15 minutes.

When Sam got there, he saw her sitting in her corner, all by herself. She walked over to Sam, grabbed onto him and the tears started flowing! He is sure that she has been scarred for life.

When I got home, I asked her how school was (knowing the story already) and she quickly replied with a big smile that school was really good! And before I could say another word, her voice changed and the smile became a frown and she told me that she likes school but doesn't want to go to daycare again!

Just to leave everyone on a good note, I am attaching a picture that is guaranteed a smile.

Preschool

Genevieve started back to Preschool on Tuesday. She is loving Mrs. Sullivan and enjoys going every day of the week (so far any way.) She is already writing her whole name and hates us for giving her such a long name!

Jocelyn started on Wednesday and goes 3x a week. She cried and screamed for me not to leave her on her first day. It was horrible leaving her like that but I knew in my heart that she would be okay...and she was! She was all smiles and giggles when I picked her up and they said she didn't cry for very long at all. AND, if you remember in Genevieve's class last year, everyone gets to take "Share Bear" home for a whole week, and Jocelyn gets the first week! So life is good now.

Genevieve's first day:

Jocelyn's first day:

Lake Chelan...Humfeld Style

Before I detail out our time with my side of the family in Chelan, I will tell you to sit back and enjoy the ride because there are a lot of pictures comin' your way!

Little toes hanging through the porch on the lake house

We spent one day with our family friends, Jaime and Armand Doucette at their lake house. There was nothing to complain about. Good food, good view, good company!

Lake time fun

The 3 youngest girls...and might I say CUTE girls!

Although the picture quality is sketchy, it catches Jocelyn's sheer excitement when going down the water slides

Jocelyn insists on taking a daily afternoon nap, no matter where we are, or what we are doing.

Genevieve and Mikayla

Snow cones for all the cousins!

Juliana is the resident dare-devil and only liked jet-skiing with Sam...probably because he is the crazy one that does all the tricks, trying to flip the jet-ski. Oh, and by the way, she had a fever of like 120* this day, but REFUSED to stay home and rest.

Even my parents know how to rip in up on the lake!

Uncle John enjoys nothing more than cherishing his time with his nieces and nephew

John and Macrina spending quality time together

Mom and Dad are all smiles...of course this was only the first full day of living in the same house with all 6 of their grandchildren. You should see the pictures on the last day! :)

Genevieve was pouting up to this point and so making funny faces at the camera helped get her out of her spunky mood

See! She is all better now!

Yeah, I know, I have a darn good-lookin' family!

I wish everyone had as good of a relationship with their siblings, as I do mine.

My niece and God-Daughter Mikayla won the contest and picked the most blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries.

My children decided to wake up a little too early for my liking one morning, (okay, every morning) so I did what any normal mom in her right mind would do...sent them to their grandparents!